Julina certainly did not expect THIS!

 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles

by Julia Phillips

008 - An unexpected step …

The original characters and plot of this story are the property of the author. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended.
This story is copyright © 2013 - 2020 Julia Phillips. All rights reserved.

It uses some of the associated characters and situations that arise from the world called ‘Anmar’ created by Penny Lane, whose stories
are also copyright © 2010 - 2020 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.

“Disposing of the body secretly would be the major problem.”

Kords signified her agreement by adding: “And it’s not as if either one of us could do it alone.”

“The more people involved, the less likely we would be unobserved.”

“True. I think that we would have to involve the other four as well. That way, anyone seeing us would assume it was a family affair — which would actually be the right assumption to make, but not that they would know that, hopefully!”

“What on Anmar are you two waffling about?”

“We are discussing the best way of disposing of your body, Father. There are so many ways of killing you, that that will not prove to be a problem. It’s getting away with it that creates certain difficulties for us.

“You are driving the two of us mad. You keep asking the same questions over and over and you are faffing around, getting in the way and disturbing our routines. We have done this all often enough, as you well know. We don’t require any hindrances from you — however thinly disguised as ‘help’. Anyone would think you had invited the Queen herself to dinner, the way you’re hopping around and panicking. You have trusted us with this on numerous previous occasions, why are you hovering about and getting in the way this time? Now go outside and feed the animals or do something else useful. Better still, go to the Bell and have a calming ale or two. Just GET OUT OF OUR WAY! You have delayed us enough! Go on, get out!”

The succession of expressions that followed each other rapidly as they shot across his face would, at any other time, have made me laugh out loud, but I was too angry to let myself be amused. Kords smothered a snorted giggle, and bent her head down over the chopping board, her long locks hiding any further expressions. I just hoped they weren’t hiding the sharp knife and the vegetables as well, and that we wouldn’t have some chopped fingers added to the ingredients. A few twitches of her shoulders told me that she was laughing quietly under her protective layer.

With an angry look finally settling upon his features, Papa took a breath to say something which was obviously going to be fatuous, so I beat him to it.

“Go, I said. Now.” I managed the whole thing: fists on hips, a foot stamp and my best glare which should have set the wooden wall on fire.

“But …”

I dropped my voice down to ‘have-to-listen-carefully-just-to-hear’ levels, and simply said, with, of course, as sneering a tone as I could muster: “One, two …”

Papa had not the faintest idea of the number at which my counting would reach the critical point, so he glared back for a short while, and then swung round on his heels, and went to shout at the younger ones.

“And don’t upset the younger ones, if you want to have a pleasant meal!” I yelled at his retreating back, before he could open his mouth again. I saw his shoulders slump as he did an abrupt right turn and went out of the door, shaking his head as he went.

“At last! Maybe we can now do the job properly,” I grumped, grabbing up my own chopping knife.

Kords and I looked at each other in total agreement and returned to the chores we had been doing, before, a good full moment later, we both burst out in laughter; it was as if we were connected to the identical thought.

“I’ve never ever seen him like that. What on Anmar do you imagine has got into him? We have prepared evening meals for many guests, more often in recent weeks as it happens, but today it seems he has to double and triple check everything. I just don’t understand men. Why today is he being particularly so awkward? Hummph. And that reminds me …” I turned towards the open door and yelled across to the other building: “Hey boys! Don’t forget you’re setting that table and cleaning the dining area!”

I heard a faint disgruntled grunting which I took to mean that Papa had probably already told them twenty times and they didn’t need me to repeat it, but I just wanted to be sure that they knew that I knew and so on. They were now in no position to deny that they had been told.

And so we six children (the other two girls had their assigned tasks as well) got into what were by now our normal routines and prepared the meal for our two unknown guests to enjoy with us. It was by now a well-established method which was actually only running about a quarter of a bell late - all due to Papa’s interference.

Then a small problem arose. We were shorter of a certain something in the cupboard than I had assumed. I had to find the time to slip out to get some supplies - the easiest solution I could come up with was to skip across to Kelly’s house to get that certain something. The bag, when I had looked at it earlier, had seemed to be full sitting there on its shelf, but when Kissa went to it, it was nearly empty. My heart sank, but I knew I had to be honest with the others and accept the blame where it truly belonged - on my shoulders, thus letting them know that it is fine to admit mistakes. I immediately explained to the kids that I should have checked properly - as I hadn’t, it was my fault, and, furthermore, as my legs were longer, then I would hasten to go out and get some more, that being the quickest solution I could think of.

“She probably wants to go and see that Denesar again,” said Kissa slyly, in an aside pitched just loud enough for me to hear. I caught sight of Kords’ answering grin. I, of course, blushed and bit back an angry denial, but neither of them could deny that the ‘emergency’ was genuine enough, and I dashed off on my rescue mission after telling Kissa what she should do to progress my chores that would otherwise be set back, and thus minimise the disturbances.

Where we lived then was at about the same height as the campingplace. I could get there in one of two or three ways - I could go down the slope, to the rear of the Ptuvil’s Claw, and either go up the back lane to the camping place from there, or go past the side of the Claw to join the Main Street and then go up to the top of the street that way, or, as I chose to do this time, I could use a bare, faint track that followed the contour round the slopes.

When I got to the campingplace, it seemed to me there were even more people milling about than there had been a scant two days previously. As I was crossing towards the Bellringer’s house, I glanced to my right and tried to inspect some works further along the ‘coal track’, past where we townsfolk got our coal - I had been told a little about them earlier that morning, by the new Sheriff no less. I was squinting as I hurried along, trying to see what was happening up there, when I nearly bumped into a laden wagon heading down to the Main Street.

It had a curious load on it - there was a hand of strange metal things, a pair and a set of three. The difference between the groupings was the overall length of the things, the three being shorter than the pair. There was also a huge pile of stone and rock in the belly of the wagon.

The metal things, when looked at from one end or the other, were all the same - around a half or two-thirds of a stride square, I would estimate, but with a lot of emptiness in that square. The Sheriff had told me the name, but all I could remember now was that it was something to do with hair - or was it something that wasn’t something to do with hair - whatever he had said. I would need to ask him again, or maybe ask Master Brydas, who, after all, was making the things.

The squares were made of metal rods joining up the corners, with 2 diagonals as well. More rods of the same size joined these end squares along the full length of the thing to the squares that formed the other end of the piece. In between the two extremes were also other squares regularly spaced along the length. I suppose it would be best to describe each piece as a sort of squared-off cylinder, but without solid ‘walls’, since all along the length of each of these pieces, the rods were joined to other rods in the same piece by diagonals. These diagonals were running at strange-to-me angles, making a series of triangles. But they leant one way in one half, and the other way in the other half. I could see a regular pattern, but it was unlike anything else I had ever seen.

Each piece of the threesome was maybe a total of three strides long, possibly four, whilst the other pair were each more than twice that. They overhung the end of the wagon (by a considerable margin - the longer two were more than twice the length of the wagon) as it lumbered down the hill, squeezing past a string of wagons coming up, which had pulled slightly to the other side of the road to allow space for four people on foot. The Main Street nowadays was getting so busy, it was almost verging on dangerous.

I was really intrigued by all this and nearly forgot my urgent mission. I got to Kelly’s house and rapped on the door. Malet was not too long in answering it and smiled at me, obviously genuinely pleased to see me. I explained my predicament, apologised for not being able to stay too long and was grateful when she said that of course she would help; so I followed her to the kitchen and took what I needed, thanking her profusely. She invited me to return at some time when I was not quite so pressed, and I promised to do so. I don’t suppose I was in the house for as much as a hand of moments before I took off once more for home.

My route home this time was a little nearer the Cistern side of the campingplace just so I could attempt to get a better look up towards the head of Bray Vale and the coal quarries. It looked to me that they were clearing a level area, or a stepped series of level areas, up near where they were extracting the coal from the seam used for sending downvalley. The Baroness had guaranteed that OUR seam would not be touched, so that the townsfolk would always have a supply for all the foreseeable future. Judging from what the Sheriff had said earlier, this was to be the main living area for the miners, which made a lot of sense as they might as well live close to their work. Although the camping place was surrounded by a ring - spaced well apart, of course - of latrines, so would be the preferred option for the moment.

I further noticed that there seemed to be the startings of another new building, opposite the Cistern, across the track that went northwards to the coal quarries. I wondered at first what that could be, and replayed the Sheriff’s words in my head. Hmmm - maybe this would be the public bathhouse? It made a sort of sense, keeping it near the water supply and near to the accommodation areas.

I had to thread my way across the ground towards that faint track that followed the contours round to our home, and I really didn’t intend to see Denesar - it just sort of happened. I limited myself to just a few moments chatting, really not much more than a hand of moments, well, maybe two hands, and then scurried home. I don’t suppose I had been away for as much as three quarters of a bell.

I arrived flushed from my exertions, and was immediately teased by Kissa. When Kords started to join in too, I got all bossy and gave them tasks to do just to shut them up. Cheeky little brats.

We were soon back on schedule though, in fact we gained a couple of moments, so I had to praise them, for which they were grateful. Kissa had done my chores and then helped Kords with hers, thus gaining a little time overall. It wasn’t easy, in fact it was quite awkward having so many of us at the same time in what was really a rather restricted space; but as it transpired, with the three of us doing it, we got along famously. Kissa enjoyed being a more important member for a change, and her originally unplanned involvement made me think that we three could work together in the future, particularly when we got into that new house. I even got little Julu to go and double-check everything else, and made sure that the two boys were doing the lettering exercises I had set them. I had made it a bit nicer for them by letting them use some of my precious paper. They were good boys and they knew that the sooner they got it done, the more time they would have to play, before being on their best behaviour for the guests to come later on. They knew, however, that they would be deeply in trouble if their playing messed up any of the arrangements for the evening.

Papa returned from wherever he had been skulking (the ale on his breath was a significant clue) about half a bell before the guests were due and he came into the kitchen with little Julu trailing nervously behind him. Father immediately began to worry that the dinner would be late and what a bad impression that would create and why hadn’t he stayed to make sure that …

“Father! Enough! If you had stayed we would be at least a further half a bell late, so instead of delaying us again, why don’t you just ask if there is anything YOU can do to help us catch up a bit? Hmmm?”

He had the grace to look sheepish, and suddenly thoughtful.

“I’m sorry, ’Lina. I just want this to be perfect. I’ll try to help. What can I do?”

“Prepare the wine and other drinks for the table. Check the settings. Make sure the girls have indeed tidied the rooms sufficiently. And if you find anything, either fix it yourself or come and tell ME. Do NOT shout at the children. Kords - watch that sauce doesn’t burn! Papa, make sure that your guests have somewhere comfortable to come into. Are there sufficient nibbles? A good selection of welcoming drinks? And everything you can think of that YOU would like to see if you had been invited to some other home. If you do all that, I won’t have to, which will save me at least five moments. Kords - the ganifil needs a final baste and then move the pakh ribs into the cooler oven. Papa, why are you still here? Kissa, please check the steaming vegetables - don’t forget the puff of steam when you open the lid. Julu, we are nine at table tonight, so please lay out the plates on the sideboard, ready - and tell the boys to light the candles as soon as the guests arrive at the door.”

… … ...

Being not quite finished in the kitchen, it was impossible for us to present ourselves as a complete family when our guests arrived. I asked Papa to excuse Kords and I, and quickly checked the children were presentable. I sent them all to the door as Kords and I rushed to get it all finished. We quickly performed the last operations and set out the nine plates - two heaped portions for the men, and then descending sizes for the women and children, although I had noticed that ’Kin was eating a bit more nowadays, I suspected a growth spurt was just round the corner!

I removed my apron, hurriedly scraped back some errant hairs (after checking my hands were clean enough) and went through to tell everyone to sit at table. Meanwhile Kords herself had removed her apron, tidied herself and picked up the first three plates.

And so it was that we all sat down to eat only a few moments later than the scheduled time. Master Steef was a little stiff at first, as though he was holding himself back in some way. Mistress Swayga was very pleasant once she lost a strange initial nervousness. I did feel for a while that she was trying a bit too hard, particularly with the younger ones, but she was really quite knowledgeable about running a household and I found myself able to give her a hint or two and a tip or two, and soon we were having a good chat and giggling together. All in all, it was quite a good evening meal, and I was pleased the younger ones seemed to take to Mistress Swayga quite well. I could relax a little, safe in the knowledge that I wouldn’t have to keep more than half my attention over there.

When the meal was over, I assigned various littler heads to various tidying up tasks, and was shocked when Mistress Swayga got up to help as well.

“No, no, Mistress. You are our guest. You don’t have to work.”

“Oh I couldn’t sit there and not do something - besides which, the men probably need a few moments alone so they can do whatever it is men do after such a fine meal. We should give them time to clear the air as it were. I am impressed that you managed to do this all, and so well, Julina! When I was your age, I could never …”

She chatted on as we carried stuff from table to kitchen and she allowed herself to be one of those I bossed about. Before we knew it, the table had been cleared and the dishes cleaned. Papa asked for another bottle of our home made wine and then surprised me by asking for a glass for each of us, adults and children alike - Kord’s was of course heavily watered, ’Kin’s and Julu’s less so. Papa then shocked me as he insisted we all of us returned to table, the little ones didn’t have to get ready for bed as they usually did. They were, of course, delighted to be able to stay up a little longer.

When we all got back to gather round - the regathering took a little longer due to all the natural breaks required - Father asked us to be sure we had something in our glasses.

“I welcome both Master Steef and Mistress Swayga this evening and thank them for their most pleasant company. I also thank you younger ones for all you have done to make this a pleasant experience. There are two heroines also to be thanked. Dear Kords of course who has been growing up so fast and has been a great help to her older sister. You have no idea how much I appreciate the way you have lightened your sister’s load, particularly recently. So I ask you all to drink a salutation to Kordulet. She has been immense in recent weeks and it has been wonderful to see. Kordulet my dear, here’s to you with deep, deep, deep appreciation. Everyone - I give you our lovely Kords.”

We all raised our glasses and sipped as Kords sat there blushing heavily. I leant across and kissed her, whispering a heartfelt “thank you” into her ear. This was the cue for the other kids to mob her and kiss her too. I could tell from Father’s attitude that he was building up to something, and I had a darkening suspicion that there would be a lot more coming, with me as the subject. A thought flashed across my mind that he could have waited for all this sentimental rubbish until the dinner the following night, and not have put me through this all in front of strangers.

And then began the most embarrassing few moments of my life.

Concluding with the biggest surprise of my life.

Sure enough, Papa then switched his attention my way, and I just wanted the floor to open up and swallow me. I was however slightly shocked to see a hint of a tear in his eye as he started. I soon averted my eyes though and had to concentrate on the patterns in the grain of the wood which formed the table top. It was a necessary prop to have to concentrate so fiercely.

He went on far too long about how I had taken over at a young age, how I had effectively been forced to be a housewife at that very early age, how I had given up this, that and the next thing. How our family was considered one of the best in the community, how this was down to me and my sense and … blah blah blah blah blah. How I had given up my childhood for the benefit of our family, how I had never complained … blah blah blah blah blah.

When he was winding up his remarks, I was being mobbed by the others, and I confess I was crying. Even Papa was emotionally-choked and I saw Swayga dabbing at her eyes, which distracted me briefly, why would SHE be so affected?

“… And so we rapidly approach the final birthday of her so-called childhood. I’m sure that you will all be happy to know that I have arranged as a present for her to travel down to Tranidor with Mistress Epp, and to stay there to see the sights and to learn about others outside this mountain community. You should also consider it as I’m sending her out to make it easier for YOU all when you get to go downvalley. Dearest, dearest Julina - you have been the glue that has kept this family together just at the time you should have been enjoying the only carefree days of your youth. So I have come to some decisions.”

He paused somehow significantly.

“Please, all of you hear me out before you comment. As of this very moment, I absolve Julina from any duties around the house and family. Shh. Please. There is a lot more to come. Do not be so worried. Julina has three weeks before she becomes an adult and I want her to have that time AS A CHILD, with as few adult decisions to make as possible - the only three teenage childhood weeks she will ever have.

“I know her well and I know it will not be easy to just stop, so I am sure she will be happy to help, but I want her to know that SHE DOES NOT HAVE TO. And it does not mean that the rest of you will have to work more. I have a solution for that which I shall present shortly. But for now, I want you all to be aware that I recognise the HUGE debt that we all as a family owe her. Dearest ’Lina, we are all so grateful for what you have done these past years. All of you, let us raise our glasses in salutation. To the most amazing and influential person in all our lives - I give you Julina.”

There was a complete hubbub then and even little Korden seemed to grasp the significance of the occasion. There were so many tears shed that I was worried we would start our own tributary to the Blackstone River.

I saw Papa and Mistress Swyaga talking together very earnestly, but frankly my emotions overcame me and I was totally lost in the moment.

Eventually some semblance of order was regained as Papa broke off from the crushing hug with which by then he had enveloped me. He went back to his position at the head of the table and rapped on the wood for attention. It took a while for all the over-emotion to die down, but later rather than immediately, we all paid him the attention he required.

“I promised you all a solution to the fact that our main provider, and surrogate mother to you all, would not have to work so much. Well the solution is Mistress Swayga. She will be moving in with us and will take over the running of the household.”

Suddenly there was a total silence round the table.

He continued: “I have discussed it with her fully and she has agreed. This is why we had the dinner as we did tonight, for she wanted to be sure she found you all acceptable and that you all found her acceptable. I personally had no doubts, and I’m glad to say that you all didn’t disappoint me. So before we go any further let me tell you some of her background …”

Papa then told us all a potted history of her life up to then, which naturally involved parts of her brother’s life as well. I will not go into full details here and now, I’m sure that many will come out in other tales. Essentially they are orphans (they are adults, yes, but without any parents) their parents having been killed at sea in a sudden storm. All the family items of real value went down with the deep-sea fishing boat that had provided them their livelihood.

They were born in Vardenale, in a suburb of Viridor, the great port city. I was able to relate to the awfulness of the fact that their parents died when they were twelve or thirteen, but it must have been even more awful to lose both at the same time - at least we had always had one. They were sent to stay with an Uncle and Aunt in Dekarran and chose to join the river traffic way of life, plying mostly between Dekarran and Teldor, with some trips as far as Haligo, where the falls and narrow gorge limited the upstream use of shipping.

Steef met and married a Teldor girl and set up home there. They tried for children but she just would not ‘take’. One day, he came back from a week’s trip to find a home from which anything that vaguely belonged to her had disappeared, along with much that he felt he could claim was his. He still does not know, to this day, what became of her nor why that happened.

But his sister wanted at that time to get away from a too clingy suitor and so she moved upriver to Teldor too, and the two of them made Steef’s house their home. She gained work with the wagon company and she herself was frequently away for long trips, accompanying wagoneers and tending to the sewing, cooking and other womanly pursuits often required by the travellers. She swiftly learnt how to deal with a large group of men in all their various moods.

She discovered from her duties and contacts with others in their world that there was a limited amount of river traffic upstream from Haligo, between Tranidor and Haligo, and that there would be a suitable opening for Steef in a freshly-founded river barge company. Steef’s talents meant he was quickly snapped up by this venture and soon he was a driving force behind its expansion. They moved again to Tranidor and had just settled in when unexpected financial problems beset the bargers, and the company had to close just as they were planning a new upstream warehouse on the east bank of the Palar, almost at the confluence with the Bray. Steef felt that there were some heavy politics behind the problems, and had an unconfirmed opinion that someone on high had determined that this would not be a good thing. They survived where they were for half a year, but they were now in danger of using up all their savings with Steef out of employment for the first time ever in his life.

They heard of a catering company in Tranidor that was doing well by providing ready-cooked food on demand, so they went to find out if they had any suitable work for Steef. They did not, as it happened, but he learnt from a Mistress Megrozen (who was apparently quite important in that enterprise - I smiled when they said that) that a new roadhouse had opened up on the Blackstone route and that there might be an opportunity there. Steef travelled up with Mistress Megrozen, who was travelling on to the town called Blackstone, and yes indeed he found a position for himself and his organisational talents (not to miss mentioning his fishing talents as well). Once he had started, it became apparent to Steef that his sister would also be a valuable asset to this tiny community buried deep in the forest, so she soon resigned from the wagon company and took up employment there as well.

Papa, you might recall, had, swiftly after Trogan’s unlamented departure, resumed his roadcare duties, concentrating originally on the farthest end of his area - the Chaarn fork. He consequently spent a lot of time at that roadhouse.

“And so children, that is where I met Mistress Swayga, and I determined that she would be very suitable to give poor ’Lina a much needed break. I knew that it would be difficult to prise her away - after all she had only been there a matter of weeks. But I relied on the strengths of my family to finally tip the balance.

“We, Mistress Swayga and I, have chatted muchly, and I am certain that Mistress Swayga is an honourable and reliable person. I have observed her whilst working and I have also had good reports from Mistress Epp, or Mistress Megrozen I should say, and also from Mistress Sukhana over to the Claw. Master Jaxen has also heard of her professionalism and told me that she was greatly missed by the wagon company.

“She has a heart for others, is knowledgeable in many, many subjects, and is not too proud to take instruction. She is capable, more than capable as a cook, and yet has told me that she wants to learn more - in particular how ‘Lina and Kords …”

Papa was looking at me at that moment, so I frowned and nodded towards Kissa.

“ … and not to forget the very valuable contribution from Kissa, did the recipes for tonight. She has promised me that she is fully prepared to listen and learn from Julina in particular, in order to make the best job of running this household. There is no way, she assures me, that she would just walk in here and dictate to you all. She is fully prepared to learn about you all and the household, and asks only that you all should give her a chance to learn what she needs. And that frank and open discussions will be held to resolve any of the inevitable awkwardnesses that will occur.

“Taking all this into account, plus many other factors which include the fact that I have come to love her, I have the honour to announce that Mistress Swayga has agreed to become my wife.”