Chapter 33: Courage and Strength

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"Well, I knew you were no ordinary horse," Sterren muses, smiling to herself. Cutting through the enchanted forest took hours off their travel time, and as they arrived in Odet in the late afternoon before the sun set, Sterren had begun to worry where she would stable Shayeleigh while they stayed here. Shayeleigh herself solved that problem by transforming into a chipmunk.

Leaving Moth and Shayeleigh to fend for themselves, Sterren found the house belonging to Fransez le Bihan, and old friend of her mother's, and the healer and servant of the Lady for Odet. She'd been here once before when she was child, about the age of the boy she fins reading in a corner while Fransez works on his potions as she enters the shop.

"Just a moment, please," Fransez says, not looking from his cauldron.

The boy closes his book and rushes over to greet Sterren. "My name is Jean," the boy says, "I'm going to learn magic, just like my grandpa. He can cast spells ad even turn bad men into toads!"

"Don't mind the boy," Fransez says with a laugh, "Jean, you're going to be a smith like you father, and turn raw metal into swords and ploughs."

Jean pouts, "I want to turn iron into gold," he says, "Not stupid ploughs."

"By the Lady!" Fransez exclaims when he actually looks up to see who his customer is, "Sterren Avendale! Is that truly you? I haven't seen you in years. But I'd know your face anywhere, you look just like your mother. What brings you to Odet?"

"I just came for a visit," Sterren says, not wanting to tell him her true purpose here, to rescue Reinier Landgraab's prisoner. The last thing she'd want would be to get Fransez in trouble with his lord. "I wanted to ask you about cures for the sweating sickness."

"I should be asking you," Fransez says, "I heard you performed a miraculous cure on a little girl in your village..."

"I did nothing," Sterren admits, "I prayed to the Lady, and this strange, shimmering dust fell from her hand to my own. When I went to visit the girl, it was that magic that cured her, not me. I worry now that people will believe I have a cure for the sweating sickness, but I don't know if I could do that again."

"We've always known that prayer was the only recourse we had when faced with sweating sickness," Fransez says, "In your case, the Lady actually interceded. Still, I haven't stopped working on trying to find a more reliable cure. We cannot rely on the Lady to act on our behalf if we don't try to help ourselves."

Sterren nods. Her mother often spoke those very words, and Sterren herself has given such advice to those who come to her looking for miracles.

"It's time to close shop for the day," Fransez says, "Will you walk with me?" Not waiting for her to answer, he turns to his grandson, "Jean, your mother will be looking for you. Go home and have dinner."

"But I want to finish my book," Jean says.

"Tomorrow," Fransez says, "If your father can spare you from the smithy."

"Jean seems very enthusiastic about learning our trade," Sterren comments, "And you have no apprentice...?"

"My daughter married a smith, and Jean is a smith's son," Fransez says, his words weighted by sadness, "And, with the way things are here, it's best for the boy that he give up on thoughts of potions and spells, and accept a trade that will be appreciated by the people. Our new lords, the Landgraabs, have brought much change to Odet, and I fear by the time Jean is a man, the Lady will have been thoroughly supplanted by their Watcher."

"But, surely, the people will not just give up devotion to the Lady?" Sterren asks.

"Here, look," Fransez stops before a tall statue standing in front of a tall spired building, "Do you remember this place?"

Sterren squints her eyes as she tries to recall her one trip to Odet as a child. "No, I don't think I've ever seen this building. I certainly never saw this image," she says of the hooded figure holding a great eye out over his chest, "I don't think I would forget something so...disturbing."

"This used to be our Lady's sacred grove," Fransez says, his words jarring Sterren's memory. Her mother had brought her here, it had been a lovely garden with tall trees and a statue of the Lady just like they have in Avendale. "The Landgraabs cut it down and built their church here. They worship their Watcher inside this building of stone, and they've locked the Lady up inside the tower. They say it's to protect her, but it's just removed her from the people's sight.  They say people are free to worship as they will, but only those that worship the Watcher are given favor by the Lord here. The older folk won't give up on the Lady, even while they pay service to this Watcher, but the children are growing up in a new world, a world that has no place for the Lady. I want to teach Jean to love and serve her, and at the same time I fear for his future if I do."

"I've had word from Father," Deidericx says, stopping with his brother in the town square while his wife ambles about with one of her ladies, "He's on the road, coming here."

"Here? I thought he was in Gothenburg?" Reinier asks, surprised at his brother's news.

"He was. And the Goths are so impressed with you that they've decided to come out here to meet you sooner rather than later. You're nearly as good as married, brother," Deidericx says with a teasing smile.

"I would much rather delay it," Reinier mutters, frowning at the news of his impending doom.

"Marriage isn't that terrible," Deidericx laughs, "And being yoked to a wife is the price younger sons like ourselves have to accept for the land they bring."

Reinier stops listening to his brother as his glance falls on Sterren approaching. It couldn't possibly be her, here, and for a moment he thinks he's just dreaming her.

But he's not asleep or drunk, and so can only trust his own eyes. It is Sterren, and he steps away from his brother without excusing himself, so eager is he to greet her. She must be as troubled as he has been after their last parting, and came here on his heels to mend the breach.

"I meant to write you, to send an invitation for you to join me here," he says, "But here you are, only hours after my arrival."

Sterren blushes, feeling foolish, knowing that it must seem that she's chasing after him. "I came to visit an old friend of my family," she says feebly, gesturing at Fransez behind her, who stopped to talk with a local girl. Biting her lip, Sterren hastily adds a "My Lord," and a curtsy.

Reinier smiles, "I'm not your lord," he says quietly, "I'm your lover. And I must apologize for the harsh words I spoke to you when last we met. I spoke in anger, when I should not have, and I beg your forgiveness."

Her hands flutter nervously as she tries to find a response, wanting to express the anger she stills feels, yet not wanting to protract the argument when she needs to be invited into his brother's keep in order to rescue the wilder. "I'm not accustomed to being told what I may or may not say," she says finally.

"I made you promise to always be honest with me," he says, "And then I became angry when you did as I asked. That was my mistake, my love, and one I will endeavor to correct. I love you for your candor. I admire your spirit, though I am not accustomed to seeing it in a woman. So ask you to forgive me. I don't want any bad feeling between us."

"I--I forgive you," Sterren says, his gentle manner overcoming what is left of her anger.

"Deidericx, husband, who is that common woman your brother is speaking to?" Edelina Landgraab demands, sidling up to her husband.

"We haven't been introduced," Deidericx answers.

"Well, I certainly hope not!" Edelina exclaims, "I care not what he does in the taverns, but must he carry on in public like this?"

Deidericx laughs to himself, not bothering to answer his wife's complaint.

"You must come and stay in my brother's Keep," Reinier insists, "You must be our guest here, so that I may repay your uncle's hospitality to me."

Sterren would normally back out of this arrangement, but access to the Keep, and to the prison in its tower, is what brought her here. "Are you quite sure?" she asks, knowing she shouldn't appear so eager, "Your brother and his wife may not be so happy to give hospitality to a commoner."

"You are the niece of Lord Marrec of Avendale," Reinier says, "Hospitality is the least they can offer you. Come, I can bring you there now."

"I must finish my visit with Fransez first," Sterren says, "And gather my things."

"As you will, my lady," Reiner says, smiling, "I will see you at the keep this evening."

"You've gone mad, you know that?" Diedericx asks when he learns of his brother's plans for marriage, "She has no lands, offers no money even. Her claim to nobility is weak. Her uncle may be a lord, but he has a son and a young wife; she'll get nothing from him."

"I love her," Reiner says.

Diedericx rolls his eyes, "Love her all you like. Her commoner status is an advantage there, she can be your lover without any expectation of more from you than the occasional token of your affection to keep her happy." 

"And what of my happiness?" Reinier demands, "I'm not content with keeping Sterren as my lover, or with marrying a woman who I have no affection for."

"Stop being such a girl, Reinier," Diedericx laughs, "Marriage is not for love or happiness. You marry for money, land or title and nothing else. Happiness and love is what you get from your mistresses. And you are being blessed with both an advantageous marriage to Agneta Goth, and the love of a mistress you clearly adore."

"I can't accept that," Reinier says flatly, ignoring his brother's taunt, "I'm going to marry Sterren before Father arrives here with the Goths. That's the only way I can be happy. Will you stand with me?"

Diedericx laughs, "I should lock you up until you see reason," he says, "But of course, you'll die of old age before you learn any sense. So, yes, I will stand with you. What have I got to lose? I took this town, my title and my wife with no help from our father, so there's nothing he can take from me. You, however, have everything to lose, you understand that don't you? This girl has no land or title, and if father chooses to disown you, you won't even be welcome among the minor nobility as the common husband of a common woman."

"You forget that I'm the Dragon Slayer. A hero," Reinier points out, "People will always respect me for that, and no one can take that title from me. No house, from the highest lord to the lowest peasant, would close their doors to me."

Fransez's garden has a small pond, and it is there that Sterren mets with Ico to discuss their plans.

"They keeps prisoners in the Tower," Sterren tells her. "Once everyone is asleep, I can disguise myself as a servant and move somewhat freely around the house, so long as I stay out of sight of the other servants. But, I'll need a key just to get into the tower, and then I must get past the guard to the cell where they're keeping the wilder."

"Moth and Shayeleigh can retrieve the key. When you are ready in your disguise, meet me by the cellar door, and I will give it to you," Ico suggests.

"Still, getting him out of the tower won't be so easy," Sterren says, "Dressed as a servant, I can slip by, but getting past the guards with a prisoner, possibly injured..."

"This tower has windows, "Ico says.

"Yes, but, surely you aren't suggesting he jump?"

Ico smiles, "His kind are very resourceful. And stronger than you could imagine. Free him from the metal shackles, and he will find his way out."

Neither Ico nor Sterren notice the boy watching them in awe from behind the washing hung out to dry. Jean has read many tales of the fair folk, and despite his father's assurances that they were only stories, the boy has always believed. And he always knew that someday, he would see one with his very own eyes. But even in his wildest imaginings, he had no thought they would be so beautiful as the fairy woman who lives in his grandfather's pool.

Sterren arrives at the keep after nightfall, wearing the finest dress she has, a gift from her aunt.  Reinier draws in a sharp breath when he sees her in her finery. To him, she is always beautiful no matter how roughly dressed, but tonight she she shines like the stars themselves, and all he wants to is fall onto his knees before her and declare his love for her to the world. 

But, these things must be done according to custom, so instead, he takes her arm and presents her to her hosts. "Lady Edelina, may I present Sterren of Avendale, niece of Lord Marrec," he introduces her to his brother's wife, "Lady Juelina Brunel, and Harildis."

Introductions to the men follow, starting with Diedericx, lord of Odet since his marriage to Edelina, the last surviving child in her father's line, who traded the town she'd inherited for marriage to a wealthy but landless son of the great northern Landgraab family. Diedericx looks over his brother's mistress with a hungry eye, not a little envious at Reinier's prize, but also not so foolish as to throw himself away for even this beauty.

Between her mother's instruction and her Aunt Gwencalon's example, Sterren at least knows how to conduct herself in noble company, even if she cannot find away to enjoy it, and gets through the evening deflecting Edelina's cutting remarks without faltering in her own courtesy.

But when the evening's entertainment is finally over and Sterren is shown to her room, she's finally able to breathe normally again, and drop the fake smile she'd been wearing.

Reinier follows her into her room just moments after the servants stoke her fire, and takes her into his arms, kissing her deeply. "Your whole family will know what we're up to," she protests feebly, not caring, for herself, what Edelina Landgraab thinks of her, "I didn't expect you'd come to me until much later."

"I told my brother today that I intend to marry you," Renier tells her, "He promised to stand by me. We could be married tomorrow, my love. Just say the word."

"You said I had until summer's end to decide," Sterren teases, avoiding her answer.

"Unfortunately that's no longer true," Reinier says, "My father is on the road now, with Agneta Goth and her brothers. If we are not married before they arrive, it will be too late."

Sterren turns away from him, but he keeps his arms around her. "This is just so sudden," she says.

"But it's all the time we have. If you don't marry me this week, then we lose each other forever. I wish it were not so, but it is. I love you, Sterren. Don't you love me? What more do you need to decide?"

"I love you," she sighs, "I love the man that comes to my bed with sweet words and tender caresses. But, there's this whole other side to you. The dragon slayer, the man that takes prisoners, the lord that cannot be defied. I don't love him, and I don't want to know him."

Reinier falls to his knees before her, pressing his head to her stomach as her clasps her waist, "Please Sterren, tell me what I have to do to win your love. I will bend to your will in all things, so long as you love me."

"What would happen if you simply refused to wed the woman your father chose for you?" Sterren asks, "You're willing to defy him to marry me. Could you not defy him for your own sake?"

"I'd be penniless, and homeless," Reinier says, "I'd have to live on the hospitality of nobles still willing to host me just for my status as a dragon slayer."

"That would take courage, and strength," Sterren says.

"I have both," Reinier says, "And I'm willing to do this for your love."

"My uncle hopes that I will marry you, to raise me back up into nobility. But I don't want to be a lady, nor do I want a lord for a husband," Sterren says, "Would you step down and become a commoner to marry a common bride?"

"I would, Sterren. I would do anything for your love," Reinier vows, and Sterren drops down to her knees to kiss him.

"If you could always be the man I love, and not the lord, I could, perhaps, marry you," she murmurs.

For the next few hours, Sterren forgets about her true purpose here, forgets that she had any other business in Odet than reuniting with Reinier, making love to him with unfeigned ardor as she imagines a future with him, in her house, on her terms.

There's only one prisoner in the tower to guard, so the night's watch should be the easiest duty one could draw, Except for this pesky insect buzzing about his head, giving him no peace.

Every time he tries to slap it away, it comes buzzing back. It flies away, only to come back again as soon as the guard is sure he'll finally get a nice quiet doze in. Frustrated, he gets up to chase the insect, determined to put an end to its miserable life before his watch done.

While he goes off after the firefly, a squirrel hops up onto the table unnoticed.

Before he comes back, unsuccessful in his hunt, the squirrel takes the key in her jaws and runs off with it, out the window she came in through.

After Reinier, and hopefully the whole keep, is deep asleep, Sterren rises quietly from the bed. For a moment she wonders if she could have made him promise to release his prisoner for her sake. But he agreed only to giving up ties to his family for her, not to give up dragon slaying, and it's too late now for her to take that chance. Ico will be waiting for her.

Dressed in servant's garb, she slips quietly down the cellar stairs to the door where Ico waits for her.

"Here is your key," Ico says, handing it to her, "Moth says Morvyn is in the east tower. There's but one guard in the tower itself, though there are more on the floors leading up to it. I can cast a glamour over the keep, giving all who are awake a sense of well-being, a feeling that all is as it should be, so no one should question while you make your way up there, so long as you don't do anything to draw attention to yourself. But even my spell won't stop the guard at the tower from trying to stop you from freeing Morvyn."

"Don't worry about him," Sterren says, "I have something for him."

As Ico promised, no one noticed the servant girl as she walked past them. She acted as though this were part of her normal routine as a servant, and they behaved as though her presence was an expected part of theirs. When she got up to the tower, she took the sleeping potion from her pocket, and mixed it into a goblet of strong wine.

The guard accepted the drink without question as well, though Sterren doubts he was used to such service so late at night. But whether it was Ico's spell influencing him, or just self-indulgence, he drank the wine down with a smile, and thanked her for the kindness.

Within moments, the potion had him out cold on the floor.

Noticing a length of rope hung on the wall with other tools, Sterren takes it and brings it with her.

The wilder, asleep on a rough mat when she enters his cell, rises quickly when she comes in, looking at her with glowering suspicion. His scowl turns to confusion as he recognizes her, "You," he says in disbelief, "I saw you, at the castle. You argued with him."

"I'm here to free you," she says, "Are you terribly injured?" His face is a bit bloody beneath the dirt, but a quick inspection shows nothing broken or wounded.

"They locked me in here as soon as we arrived. I've seen no one since," Morvyn explains, and Sterren wonders if her visit interrupted Reinier's plans for him.

His ankle is shackled to a large ball and chain, which Sterren frees him from. "Ico is waiting for you outside. There are guards and soldiers throughout the lower floors, however," she tells him.

Just as Ico suggested, Morvyn looks to the windows of his cells, "How far down?" he asks. 

"Too far to fall," she answers, and shows him the coil of rope she brought.

The rope is not quite enough to see him all the way to the ground, but the fall the rest of the way down is not too terrible, though the landing is hard and rocky. And finally away from that metal with its strange weakening power, Morvyn can at last heal his own injuries. As the girl promised, he finds Ico, as well as Moth and Shayeleigh, waiting for him in the moat beneath the tower.

With her part in this rescue done, Sterren slips quietly back to her room where Reinier still sleeps, not aware that she was gone. She undresses and crawls into bed, nestling under his arm to rest her head on his chest. He stirs slightly, not really waking, and squeezes her close.

"That's him?" Ceyrth whispers as the two men approach their hiding spot behind the bushes.

"I'd know the dragon slayer anywhere," Kelyn hisses in return.

"One arrow is all I'd need. We'd be gone before his friend can call for aid," Ceyrth says.

"No. I"m going to look him in the eye when I kill him," Kelyn growls.

"And expose yourself to his friend," Ceyrth points out.

"You can put an arrow in him," Kelyn suggests.

"We aren't here to kill anyone but the dragon slayer," Ceyrth says, "We aren't going to take an innocent."

"He's with the dragon slayer; how innocent can he be?" Kelyn insists.

"We don't know of any wrong he's done," Ceyrth says, "I can knock him out so he stays quiet for the night, but we won't kill him."

"Fine," Kelyn agrees. As long as the dragon slayer dies, she's happy.

Ceyrth leaps on his target seemingly out of nowhere, one well aimed punch knocking the man unconscious.

And Kelyn moves just as quickly, sinking her knife deep into the dragon slayer's gut, twisting it to make him groan in pain. "You'll never kill another dragon," she hisses as she watches him die.