Chapter 3 the first mission

         

Gorkan's          Brother: A Prophecy Rises                    The First Mission

Chapter 3

The first mission

"An Dat's how it's gonna be! Dat's me plan an dat's how it gonna go!" Mortog told katec.

"So let me's git this straight, Ye's gonna git some sacred book, then yer gonna use dat book te take ye, who knows wheres, te git this artifact thing an ye don'na even know what it looks like?" Katec said in a condescending tone.

"Look Katec, I's don'na know dat I's will git er straight away, or if'n I's havin' te be fightin' someone te git it, but I've no other choice in da matter. I WILL restore me family's honor, even if'n it kills me. Da book should tells me where it be at, an how te git it." He explained to his friends sitting around the table at lunch. He noticed Telis wasn't around today.

"Aye, an it probably be gittin' ye killed!" Katec spat.

"How ye gonna git it Mortog?" Cleary asked point blank. "Da book me's meanin'."

"I's was plannin' on goin' after dark; da library aint guarded at night. Me's gone in about four times now an me know's da layout o' da place. An me's drawin' up a map."

"Aye but it probably be booby-trapped," Katec argued.

"I's be checkin' dat. Duhh."

"Eh, an what ye be knowin' about traps?" Katec asked.

"I's knowin' what they teach us in class."

"An ye be thinkin' they's gonna put such rudimentary traps down in a secured buildin' like da library where they keep sacred books?" Katec argued; trying to make him see that this won't be easy.

"Me's thinkin' ye gonna need some help in dat area."

"So what ye suggest?" Mortog asked sarcastically.

"Let me see if'n my brother Jackel will help us."

"What makes ye think he'll be helpin' me?" Asked Mortog.

"Because he love's a challenge dats why. An he don't care much for dis council o'ours or our new king, he'll do what he needs te do te help ye; me knows it. Especially if it be involvin' upsettin' da council."

"Oh, it'll definitely upset da coucil all right. Ok, let's meets up at da banks after school then, where me beat up them boys." Katec and Doloktran chuckled a bit, well, Doloktran just down and outright laughed causing Katec and Mortog to roll their eye's.

***

After school, they all met up at the banks next to one of the waterfalls. It poured down from about seventy feet up into a deep blue lagoon lined with under-dark trees. They didn't have green leaves, those need chlorophyll to make them green these only needed the fluorescent glow from the glow beetles to make these luminescent leaves purple in color; it was a fantastical scene as the boys gathered under several of those Clarion trees. Jackel was among them as Mortog walked up.

"This be Jackel, an this be da fool me's be tellin' ye about." He motions toward Mortog.

"Good te meet a fellow crazy dwarf." He said as he stuck out his arm for the traditional wrist grab.

"So me hears ye be meanin' te steal a book from da library's sacred section. Eh?"

"Yup, and me's meanin' te git dat durned artifact too if'n it kills me." Mortog proudly stated.

"Let's not git ahead o' ourselves here, first we needin' te git dat book." Katec told him.

"Ye can count me in!" Jackel said as he stood behind everyone else.

"Me too!" Doloktran exclaimed.

"Shut up Doloktran!" Mortog and Katec said in unison.

"How do ye know we can trust him?" Mortog leaned over and whispered in Katec's ear.

"He's me brother, Me mum had te git a new husband when we had dat collapse about seventy-seven years ago. It took his da. But he's still me brother."

"Now don't yeh go thinkin' ye can handle all o' this on yer own yeh stubborn Dwarf!" Cleary yelled as he walked up to join in on the conversation. He usually opposes most of what Mortog does or says. He is just one of those friends that always contradicts anything anyone ever said. Mortog's used to it. He didn't seem to be opposed to this quest of his though, not as he normally would. Once Mortog set his mind to something Cleary knew he couldn't stop him. There is something up with Cleary though, Mortog just didn't know what it was yet, but he was going to find out. Cleary is normally more vocal about his feelings. He should have been cussing Mortog up one side and down the other.

"So when ye thinkin' o' doin' this here quest?" Jackel asked Mortog more seriously now. He was a dwarf of sixty years at least, still relatively young, for a dwarf.

"Tonight if'n at all possible."

"Sorry, no can do. Me's got a date wit me girlfriend." Mortog and Katec trade a silent look of disbelief.

"When did yeh's be gittin' a girlfriend Jackel, she must be as crazy as yerself." Katec said.

"I's be keepin' things quiet. No need te draw attention." Jackel explained to them. "Besides, it's not like we be serious er nothin'."

"Well, why didn't ye tell me, I's bein' yer brother an all." Katec said.

"It's no bother, besides ye be tellin' all yer friends here." Jackel said.

"Ye jest did dat yerself yeh big goof." Katec chuckled.

"Why don't we jest go in dare when they's open an sneak da book out?" Jackel asked changing the subject abruptly. Mortog and Katec exchange glances.

"There be too many guards," Katec interjected. "We's already talked about this option. In dat room, there is usually one guard per visitor because dare be usually only a few visitors. We needs te git in dare with no guards watchin' us." Jackel scratched his long skinny beard up near his chin. It looked like he was thinking but he had already thought what he needed to think; he just liked to make them think that he was thinking hard on what he was thinking about. Katec knew he was just faking it but he just let him do it anyway; it made him feel better about himself.

"Then we should go at night when all da lights be out," Jackel stated as he made it seem like he was making the suggestion, Mortog looked over at Katec, he just motioned that he should just go with it. Mortog agreed and let him continue; besides he wanted to see what kind of ideas he had. Mortog pulled out a layout of the place that he drew in his geography class; he didn't need that class anyway. (Or so he thought.)

"Right, sounds good, I's be thinkin' we would git in here." He points to a spot on the map near that back of the library. Jackel nodded his head in disagreement.

"Where do yeh want te enter Jackel?"

"Me thinks we should jest use da front door." He said lifting his head pointing to the front part of the map that was falling off the boulder they were using as a table.

"Are ye crazy? Don't ye thinks dat's a little obvious?" Mortog said almost yelling.

"Not at all." Jackel said. "Where would ye most likely put traps? Me's would put them in da back entrance an around all da windows. After all, every other dwarf goes through da front door all da time, an me aint never seen anyone going through any unarmed traps. Trust me, me's looked more an once, jest in case. I's always lookin' at stuff like dat."

"He's got a point Mortog." Said Katec.

"Me wants te come too." Doloktran said.

"Can yeh go an look around te see if'n anyone is listnin'?" Mortog said more to get Doloktran out of there but in the back of his mind he thought it was a good idea; and that he should have thought of it earlier.

"Look, we's only be gittin' one shot at this. An I understand they prolly won't even notice da book is gone until one o' yeh's tell's em' where me went an what me's doin' an why." Mortog reasoned. "An me's fer knowin' dat one o' yeh's will eventually crack, but dat's okay. Jest hold off as long as yeh can."

"Me's aint sayin' a thing, ye can count on dat." Cleary declares. Mortog noticed that Cleary wasn't arguing like normal, something's got to be up with him.

"Me knows dat from ye. It's da others me worried about." Mortog stated. "Now can we pull this off tonight er what?" He looked straight at Jackel.

"Me want's te come too." Doloktran returned.

"Shut up Doloktran!" Katec said again.

"Me stand watch outside an look around like me did here."

"Dat's not a bad idea." Mortog turned to face Katec. "Alright, jest don't be lookin' too suspicious. Was there anyone around here?"

"Nope, all clear." Doloktran smiled widely.

"Yer sure? Yep me looked all da way around, no one dare."

"Thanks Doloktran." Mortog said with gratitude.

"So, ye game tonight Jackel?" Looking back over at him he saw that he was studying the map rather intently. "Any problems Jackel?" Mortog looked a little worried. "We got dis right?"

"Me's got dis, no problem, jest studyin' da layout, yeh see dis room over here? Me aint never seen this one afore." Jackel questioned.

"Yeah, I's jest seein' da door an what's around it, jest guessin' really."

"We may be needin' te stay as far aways from dat door as possible." He said looking at the map.

"Why?" Asked Mortog.

"We don'na know what's in dare." He looked up at Mortog. "Could be someone's in dare or dat it's a trap I's aint never seen afore. I's be havin' te look at dat when we git in dare." He said.

"So ye can handle it if it's bein' a trap?" Mortog asked.

"Most definitely! But . . . what's in dare." Jackel asked.

"NO!" Mortog and Katec yelled in unison.

"We be jest gittin' da book dis time, ye can go back fer it later if ye want."

"But we's already goin' te be in dare-" Jackel protested.

"Again, no! Ye now have somethin' te look forward te another night, if'n we make it through tonight." Mortog said and then Katec jumped in.
"Ye hafta change yer plans wit yer girl, yer goin' tonight. An dats da end o' it." Katec yelled at him.

"Okay, okay, I'll do it! But we be checkin' out dat durned room! Tonight!" Jackel said with some force. Katec and Mortog just turned to exchange alarming glances at each other.

"Then we need te make a plan fer dat." Mortog finally agreed to his demand. "An if'n we git caught because ye's checkin' out dat damn room, I's gonna throttle ye!" Jackel, just nodded his head as he stared at the map with a good degree of intensity. Mortog let him look at the map a little more to let the 'expert' plan out his moves for tonight before he folded it up and put it in his tunic.

The boys all Left together to go home and prepare for tonight's activities.

"Ye think he be tellin' anybody?" Mortog asked.

"Nah, he be too anxious te go wit ye." Katec said with certainty.

Doloktran walked alongside them watching everybody. Mortog leaned in a bit to whisper in Katec's ear.

"Please watch over him tonight." Mortog asked as Katec just looked over at Doloktran and nods with a worried look on his already troubled face.

"An I's comin' along te heal anyone who gits hurt." Cleary demanded from behind them. "I don'na like this one bit, but if'n yer gonna do this, then I's fer helpin' any way's I's can."

"Thanks Cleary." With that, the three of them separated and went home to prepare.



The four crouched out of sight behind a boulder that held a statue of one of the library's founders. They waited until they saw everyone leave. They watched the staff leave, and a half hour went by before the curator came out. The guards left after he did. After about ten minutes, Mortog and Jackel, who were dressed all in black, moved to the side of the building. There was a solid black alcove right next to the building and nobody could see into it, the perfect hiding place. The entrance to the library was to the right-center of the building. It was dark enough now that all the lights had been extinguished, enough for them to move undetected to the small alcove, then steadily to the front doors, which were, obviously, locked. While Mortog hid behind one of the great pillars standing next to the door; Jackel was working on the complicated lock. Mortog looked back to see Doloktran walking around the front of the building. At least he would take the attention off of them if someone walked by. He heard the click echo off the walls of the hall and knew it was time to move, his anxiety kicked in. He really couldn't afford to get caught, not if he were going to get the artifact for Camfor, and especially not if he wanted to get his family's honor back, but he's never failed to beat a challenge and he wasn't going to start now. This would be difficult, but not impossible.

Mortog stayed behind Jackel the whole way as they had agreed upon; his heart pounding. The library looked so much different in the night with all the lights out; giving the library an eerie sensation and an ominous feeling. They crept along the floor past the artistic desks and then past the check out center that stood in the center of the room. The tall pillars that climbed into the ceiling were so much more decorative than any of the pillars within any of the other buildings save for the council chambers, those were made of stone, these were made of a tough and sturdy redwood. His nerves made him jumpy and at every turn he thought he saw something jump out at him; that just made his heart beat faster.

Jackel motioned for him to stop. He was looking at the door across the room that was such a curiosity to him. Mortog slid over to him quietly.

"Dat's fer later. Remember? After we gits da book." Mortog whispered.

"No dat's not it. There be a trap here and it has somethin' to do wit dat door me thinks." He whispered. "Me's gonna be mad if'n dat door's jest be a trap door. Lemme figure dis trap out first." Mortog just sat back and slid down the side of one of the many oak writing desks in the library, to a sitting position. He just waited as Jackel went over and inspected the trap. Mortog couldn't help but think of the road ahead should they get the book. If he just watched Jackel work, he could pick up on his thought process and his techniques on how to disarm these traps and he should be set. So, with that thought in mind, he slid over next to Jackel to watch him work.

Jackel pulled up a little wire just enough so that it didn't set off the trap and so that he could see where it went to. It went over to that door. Now he was nervous because he had never seen a trap like this before. He used a small brush to sweep away some of the dust surrounding the trap. Then he noticed the two reflectors on either side of the room about shoulder height.

"We can'no go in between those two reflectors, while at da same time completely not touchin' dis wire all together." He moved farther into the library avoiding the trap then he watched, with pride, as Mortog glided through the trap like a pro. He told Mortog to wait while he inspected another trap.

Mortog heard a quiet snap and a loudly whispered grunt. He slowly crawled around some study desks to where he could see Jackel. It looked as if a trap had snapped over his knee as he was crawling to check out another trap. 'A basic trap' Mortog thought. 'This be da guy I's put in charge o' da rogue stuff?' He thought.

Mortog crawled low to the place where Jackel lay bleeding. He had to slither around several hardwood desks that his father may have very possibly made for the library; he wondered how angry his father would be if he knew he was slithering around his handmade desks, before making it to his new friend Jackel.

"dis is why I's went first." Jackel whispered, obviously in pain, as Mortog crawled up to him.

"It be a good thing we brought Cleary along; jest wished he was wit us now. Good job on keepin' it quiet, I's can'no believe ye grunted so quietly. I could'no do dat." Jackel was now nodding his head, pursing his lips, and pointing to his knee. "Oh Shit! Yeah right!" Mortog went to work on freeing Jackel's leg from the trap. He freed his leg so he went to sop up the blood but Jackel had another plan in mind.

"I got dis!" He whispered to him. "Go an git yer book, it should be right here somewheres. Jest be careful ye don'no end up like me." He motioned Mortog to look behind him and up from the ground.

Mortog looked around and hadn't realized that he was already in the sacred book center. He looked up from the floor; those bookshelves looked much taller than they had from the common room. He was looking for the bookcase where they had shown that particular book during that field trip a couple of months ago. That's when he saw a guard's foot at the other end of the room. He quietly scrambled back to Jackel who was sopping up blood, tying a large bandage around his leg to stop the bleeding and sanitizing the floor so no one knew he was even there. Luckily Jackel knew the different means by which to sanitize and clean up after himself so no others but the most trained eye could tell he had been there.

"Did anybody ever think te count da guards? I didn't." Mortog cried quietly. "Dare be at least one more in dare."

"Abort?"

"Not a chance! We can still pull dis off," Mortog whispered with a smile on his scruffy face.

"Sounds like fun." Jackel joked.

"What if'n there be more traps in dare?"

"Yeh jest gotta use yer powers of detection." Jackel jested, only half-heartedly. "Ye can use what ye have learned or we can git outta here, it be up te ye."

"I hafta git dat book!" Mortog exclaimed.

"Dwarf after me own heart, let's do this!" Jackel said as he crawled over the last two traps behind him; setting them back up as he went. He knew Mortog would avoid them now that he knew they were there.

"No, yeh stay put, I's jest be prayin' dat dare are no more traps in here." Mortog told him. "Yeh jest stay here and git ready to move when me grabs da book." Jackel just looked at him stupidly, then kept on going.

"Don'na let yer fear distract ye," Jackle warned.

Mortog nodded his understanding then crept quietly around to the large wooden bookcases. He hoped that his black clothing would conceal him enough to crawl down the aisle on his tubby belly; Dwarves are remarkably limber and quick for their size. He could only see the guard's feet but he knew there was someone there, or at least some kind of statue, in either case, he was crawling slowly and poised to run if he had to. The book was up the next aisle and to the right. It was a good thing that the book was on the right side and at eye level. Mortog looked quietly around the base of the bookcase for traps, when he saw that there was nothing there he crawled on, still, carefully and fully aware of his surroundings. 'Nobody be stupid enough te steal a sacred book. I's bet dats why dare is only one guard, Nobody but me dat is, hehe.' He stood slowly as to not make any unwanted sounds. He didn't even know if the guard was even awake or real for that matter. He could be sleeping in a chair for all he knew, but he wasn't going to take any chances. Looking at the bookshelf he had to slide a little closer to the guard before finding the book. He slid his hand gently on top of the book to the back of it to check for signs of a trap. He didn't figure he'd find anything with a guard standing or sitting, right there. It also wasn't that sacred of a text, those were kept past the guard in a locked vault with stone shelves and iron bars locking the important ones in. 'It's a good thing we didn't need to git in dare.' He thought to himself. He imagined giving Jackel a real challenge by requesting a book from the vaults then he thought that he was just plain being mean, so he pushed that, almost comical, thought aside.

He slowly slid the book from its nook in the bookcase, making sure that the other books didn't make a sound as they fell together. He had a pack with him just about the size of the book; so he slid it slowly in the pouch and hung it around his shoulders and tied it so that it would keep the book snug against his body. Instead of getting back to the floor he decided to slowly move along the bookcase making sure not to touch any of the books behind him. He heard the guard's armor and feet shuffle quietly, 'Nope, not a statue'. Mortog froze in place his heart raced in fear as his palms and forehead began sweating more so than they were already. After a moment of no movement by either of them, he once again began to make his way back to Jackel, his softly padded shoes making no noise as they slid across the floor. When he made it to the edge of the bookcase he discovered an easier way out, it was more straight forward because the desks were all aligned differently than they were a couple of days ago. 'We shoulda cased da place earlier today before we be comin' in tonight.' He got down to a crawling position with the book on his back now. When he reached his starting point he had found that Jackel had cleaned up everything and reset the traps, it's a good thing too that it wasn't a loud or magical trap. He hadn't even thought about magic, that thought made his heart race even more. Jackel had reset the traps so it had looked as if no one had been there. Mortog was careful not to set them off as he crawled slowly around them. He followed Jackel around some of the bookcases and desks the same route they had taken to get in there and as he got to each trap Jackel would send Mortog in front of him and reset the trap. This only happened for about twenty feet from the sacred book section, there were no traps the rest of the way to the front door. As soon as they made it to the door, one of the traps went off near the back of the library. They both looked at each other and froze, 'Was dare someone else in dare!?' They both thought as they got ready to scramble out of the library.

"Halt!" The guard yelled from somewhere in the back of the building. Mortog was intent on leaving the building with this book. It was his now, as far as he was concerned. Mortog quietly made his way to the door. Jackel was still in great pain from his knee wound. Mortog looked at him and he looked back at Mortog. Jackel made a nod and Mortog knew he had to get the both of them out of there, but he also knew that guard was on his way there. They had hoped that the guard was at the trap hoping that whoever was there would not have gotten far. That would buy them some time, but not much.

"Who goes there?" The guard exclaimed trying to get to the front door in the dark. "Stop!" Jackel looked at Mortog as if to say 'GO! git out of here!'

Mortog made his tough decision knowing that he was fast enough to get there and back so he sprinted out the front door fast as he could. He ran the forty yards over to Cleary and Katec, Doloktran was still looking out for guards.

"Here's da book Katec! Take it an git out o' here; I's be meetin' up wit ye later at da banks. Cleary, stay here ye may be able to help." With that Mortog ran back to the front door hoping that Jackel hadn't gotten caught yet. He opened it in time to see the guard on the other side of the room heading straight for them, hoping the guard only saw a shadow from the light behind them. He heard a crash and then a loud yell as he saw the guard plummet to the floor. Jackel was already at the door though he wasn't expecting to see Mortog again. He didn't look so good; Mortog knew that they needed to make it quickly to the black alcove next to the building. He picked up Jackel and carried him out the door, his muscles straining to lift him but for some reason, it became easier to run with him the farther he went. He raced as fast as he possibly could to the side of the building where it was completely obscure. It was so dark there that you would never even think that it went back about thirty feet.

The guard made it out of the library and stood on the steps and looked around. He came over, limping, to the side of the building and looked into the crevice but they were well hidden. He was at least smart enough to stay where he was and not go in. He wouldn't be able to see when he got into the black hole and he wouldn't have known if the intruders were armed or not. 'Smart guard.' He thought.

"I will find out who was in dare an why!" The guard shouted. "I's knows mages an they will find yeh." He had to get back inside in case they were just a distraction while someone else made off with something even more valuable, 'Good plan'. Mortog thought; 'We shoulda thought o' dat one.' They heard the click of the lock echo once more off the stone walls of the hall. Just for safety's sake, they waited an extra five minutes to make sure he wasn't staring out the windows. It looked like Cleary was waving his hand for them to come over quick.

"Let's go." Mortog told Jackel said still holding on to him. Mortog hadn't realized that his wound had opened back up and he was passed out, at least not until he discovered that he had to drag poor Jackel. He brought him behind the boulder to where Cleary was anxiously waiting for them to return. Mortog laid him down against the rock. "How bad is it Cleary?" Mortog asked nervously looking around to make sure no one was coming.

"Durned fools! Let me check him first. An shut it while I's concentrate."

"We's gots to go like right now though!" Mortog worriedly said. Looking around he saw Doloktran moving towards them hurriedly.

"We gonna have company soon." Doloktran said as he stepped up to them.

"Now! We got te git!" Mortog urgently said.

Cleary grumbled while wrapping the wound quickly but tightly then he picked up Jackel and they ran out into the darkness towards the banks.

***

Darcey pushes her padded feet over to the arena. Dinner was unusually brutal tonight. Forge wouldn't even yell at the kids when the food fight broke out. 'He jest got up from da table an went te his study, not dat he uses it anymore. He jest couldn't deal with our girls. What is wrong wit him?! I know's he's no makin' his furniture no more but he needs te be dare for his kids at least!'

She walks to go see her good family friend, Dargus, if he's there. This time she just needs to talk, no fighting. No sparring. No skirmishing for her tonight. She finds him already gone this time. 'I should be able te handle this on me own, I's a big girl an can take care o' this meself.' She thought to herself as her head drops in disappointment and she turns to slowly walk home. 'Not dat Forge even knows I's be gone. I's put da girls down an who knows where me blasted son be at this hour.'

"Darcey?" She heard Dargus ask behind her as she was walking away. "I's didn't realize yeh were here love, yeh bein' okay?" He asks tenderly like he always does in these emotional times. He knew she just needed a place to vent and he was always more than willing to be her backboard.

"Oh, Dargus. Thank da Gods dat yer here."

"I's always be here fer ye hun." He told her. His compassion with her was worn on his sleeve and she could see it was hurting him to see her in such pain. "What be botherin' yeh tonight?"

"Forge is gittin' worse Dargus. He would no even help me discipline da girls for dare stupid food fight. We donna have dat much food an they go an waste it like dat. He jest got up an walked te his study." She told him. "Me families fallin' apart an dare's nothin' I's can do te stop it!"

"Give him some time, he's still depressed dat he has te mine instead o' doin' what he loves."

"Aye, but a real dwarfs be suckin' it up an doin' his job like every one else." She tells him looking square into his orbs of light with a brutal sadness behind her deep green eyes.

"He jest be slower than some o' da other guys. Dats all." He says to try to console her even just a little bit.

"It's been at least a year Dargus, when's he gonna change?" She asks. "ever since dis blasted 'new king' showed up an invaded everybody's live's he's been a mess."

"Have ye ever thought dat dis king has done what he set out te do wit his subjects, te ware 'em down 'till they be notin' but meat on a hook?"

He looks at her. "Maybe he doesn't have da strength o' will dat it takes te resist him. An dats why yeh's da one who has te be strong an keep da family together. He needs yeh jest as much as yer kids do. Yeh bein' da strong one here, an yeh always knew dat."

He was always there with his special brand of support for her; she often wondered why. While she was talking with Dargus he was brewing her favorite tea which was in short supply since the doors had been closed, but he always had some for her. He brought it to the table where they were now both sitting.

"Here yeh go love, drink some o' dis, it'll clear yer mind up some."

"If'n our blasted king hadn't waged war against da humans an elves an brought up da more serious points of-"

"I'm sorry Darcey, but we can'no be talkin about dat right now love. dat's treasonous talk right dare an anyone could be listnin'." He said under his own normal voice putting his hand down in a padding gesture then looking around to see if anyone was there. "Dare be a place an time fer everythin'. I's have an idea but it could take some time, ye willin' te hold yer tongue an wait a while?" He asked looking at her directly in the eyes with sternness and authority as well as a measure of hope.

"What are ye on about Dargus, ye be tellin' me what's on yer mind this instant!" Fully showing her foul mood. "An don't ye be tellin' me it's a secret cause I's knowin' ye be hidin' sometin' fer a while!" She practically yells.

"Sshh. Ye gotta keep quiet an it aint me decision te say, an I's prolly said te much by now anyway."

"Yeah, so finish then!"

"I's can't darlin', an ye know I's can't but if'n this gits any louder I aint gonna be able te protect ye from de guards. An dats a fact honey, as much as I's love yeh, dis be too big, so button yer hatch an let me be seein' what I's can do. I's promise yeh this, it aint gonna be no picnic. But this aint over."

"Fine! Then what do I's do about me husband an his mopin'?"

"Jest let 'im be fer now hun. He needs te handle this on his own. But make sure yer dare for him as well. Don'na ye go desertin' him cause yeh bein' lazy, 'He bein' yer husband, don'na fergit dat."

"No Dargus, yer right." She says as her head drops because she knows he's right. She can't give up on her family now even with a tyrant as a ruler. She picks up her tea and sips it, than she takes a full swallow. "Dargus, why do yeh always know what te say te make things clear in me head? And why is it yeh always have me favorite tea?"

"Great minds think alike love, great minds."





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