Once a Hero by Michael A. Stackpole

Author:Michael A. Stackpole [Stackpole, Michael A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Fantasy, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780553762792
Amazon: 0553762796
Goodreads: 501361
Publisher: Spectra
Published: 1994-04-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Memories of Childhood

Spring

A.R. 499

The Present

Durriken's death affected Gena in ways it took her a long time on the road to sort out. She recognized almost immediately the utter irrationality of her becoming angry with Rik for having died on her. His death spoiled the dreams she had not even realized she harbored until he was killed, and she felt betrayed by that. Knowing that such resentment was not logical did not help abate it, but did let her feel it coming on and shunt it aside before it could prompt behavior.

She also felt pain at Rik's loss and found herself quick to take offense at even the slightest hint of disdain for him. Within hours of his death the Fisher family suffered another loss; Waldo was found dead, the victim of ingesting poorly prepared mussels. His body had swollen up, and his tongue turned purple as it filled his throat and cut off his air. He literally strangled to death in the night on his own tongue, and she found that death fittingly ignominious for a man she detested.

The tears cried for Waldo annoyed her because she felt there should have been much more of a display for Rik. She found herself unable to cry in public and knew that her upbringing made public displays of grief and emotion as alien to her as the custom or burying valuables and favorite items with the dead. Among Elves those things were shared out as keepsakes. She almost laughed when one Fisher proclaimed the family vault proof against grave robbers, because Gena believed if Men refrained from interring jewelry and other such things with the dead, no thief would bother even to try to break in.

Looking up ahead of her on the road, she saw Berengar gently shift his weight with each step his horse took. She owed him a debt of gratitude because he had insisted that Rik be buried before Waldo and in a place considered more honorable within the tomb. That had brought arguments, but Berengar would not be denied. She smiled as she recalled him telling a reluctant relative, "Gainsay me, you scheming snake, and instead of Neal Elfward, I'll be haunting your nightmares."

Gena gave Spirit a touch of her heels and brought her horse around the string of spare mounts and pack horses to Berengar's side. "My Lord, I owe you an apology."

Berengar feigned polite surprise easily. "An apology?"

Gena nodded. "We have been on the road for a week now, and I have been singularly poor company. I have returned silence and apathy for your care and concern for me."

He shrugged his broad shoulders eloquently. "You have had good reason to be quiet. You have suffered a loss."

"As have you."

"Waldo? Yes, he was a loss, but I was not as close to him as you were to Rik." Berengar hesitated for a second, then frowned. "Not wishing to speak poorly of the dead, but Waldo was pusillanimous and prickly. He traded more on our family name

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.