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The Wisdom of Bridgette, Apprentice Wisdom to the Village of Thorn
The common room of the inn was silent as the grave. Night had fallen and many of the rowdy patrons had retired to their beds. In a far corner of the room, Bridgette, Oliver and I gathered around a simple wooden table. At Bridgette's feet there laid a leather traveling knapsack. Her wooden staff lay probed up beside her. In front could be found the bones of a roasted chicken, picked clean. We all had the roasted chicken, it was okay. Could have used a little more salt and pepper but otherwise it was okay.
“So tell me.” I said as I peered toward Bridgette. “Why have you decided to join us? I think think I'd invited you to join me and what is this about 'others'.” I said as I peered toward the woman who was nursing her third tankard of ale.
Bridgette sighed and eased her tanker down.
“Okay, first off do you believe in fate?” Bridgette asked as she lifted her face from her place and peered toward me.
“No.” I said in a truthful tone of voice.
“You should. Because you were born under a certain star. You see there are certain stars that can influence your life. You happen to be born under one of those stars. And Oliver too. My brother and I happen to be born under one too.” Bridgette took a deep breath as she called for another tankard of ale.
“Now, allow me to tell you a little about myself since we'll be traveling together.” She said as a pretty little waitress brought over another pewter tanker filled with ale.
“Sure. Another ale for me.” I called out. To the waitress who brought over another tanker.
“I was born in a castle town about fifteen leagues from here. It is located kind of on the border of the Storm Bay Region. And is kind of a check point. My mother was the chambermaid to the master of the castle and my father was one of the guards. My father came from this village.” Bridgette seemed a little lost in thought as she started to recount all of this.
“I have one older sister who married a man from this village. And my fathers folks still live in this village. I'm not sure where my mothers folks come from. She never told my older sister much about her childhood. I think it was an unhappy one.” Bridgette paused and took another long drink from her ale. Before she resumed telling us about her.
“Anyway when I was about six or maybe eight bandits attacked the castle and my dad fell defending the castle. After that mom got a little pension from the master of the castle. Not much, but then the master died and a new one took over and the new master cut off mom's pension and so she moved us here.” She said, “I have one brother who is a year younger than me.. he was apprenticed to the town's smithy who was a kindly old man who treated him more like a son than an apprentice.”
“Right.” I said tilting my head to the side.
“His name was Leo.” She said, sighing. “And he is now the leader of the bandits of the Sand Hills.” She said as she peered at me. “You see, two years ago. He and I were walking down by one of the brooks that the villagers use to to fetch drinking water from, they also catch trout in the brooks in the autumn. It was then my brother noticed something shiny in the water. It was like a huge piece of amber.” Bridgette paused and shuttered a little.
“It had a unearthly glow about about it. Without thinking Leo plucked it out of the stream and held it up to the sunlight. The sun caught the jewel and then it started to shine like molten gold. While I'm sure the jewel could have been worth a lot of money, something about it felt off. I begged my brother to put it back in the stream and let nature herself cover it back up. Instead he placed it in his pocket and walked away.”
Oliver and I nodded my head.
“It was then a change came over him. Leo who up to this point was a pretty hard worker started to spend more time in the tavern than at the forge. He started to collect around him a gang of known thieves and pickpockets and a few down and out sell swords.” Bridgette sighed. “I tried to talk some sense into him. He is after all my only brother and I do love him. I asked him to return to his trade, to return to the forge and to resume his work. To abounded the path he was on and to become a upright and honest man. I begged him to think of our dear late mother and for my trouble I was slapped and tossed out of the tavern onto the muddy streets.”
Bridgette was one of the verge of tears now.
“What happen then.” I asked.
“Well after that he left the village with his small band of followers. I was heart broken, but I had my studies and I threw myself into learning herb lore and the way of healing. And even tried my hand at mustering elemental forces to act on my behalf with limited success. A season or two passed us, and world reached us that the varies bandit clans of the Sand Hills had somehow been united under the leadership of one man. That was worrying enough as the bandit clans had always been a major thorn in our side as they often or not raided merchant trains that passed through here. And many of farmer often found himself forced to pay tribute if he wanted to keep his family safe and get his crops to market.”
“So that why you guys jumped at the chance to march to war when you heard a force from Sea Breeze had left to attach the Sand Hills?” I asked as I took sip of my ale.
“Yes, but you see Jeanette. I was in Sea Breeze that day. The day that force was being mustered. At first I'd hoped that the Mayor had summoned his soldiers to deal with the problem at last. Instead what I saw being mustered in the square that bright, sunny afternoon dashed all my hopes. Around thirty men, some too young to save, some too old to fart good, shopkeepers, school boys, and tramps.”
“It was a good excuse to empty the inn of drunks and sailors on shore leave.” I said sighing. “I followed along because I was going to this village anyway. And if push came to shove I thought I could at least keep them safe.”
“Are you aware of the 'Jewels of Power' according to old wise tales they were elements of the Goddess. I know only a little of the lore. But I know that the last lord of the this region was suppose to have one. And when he was slain it was suppose to have been lost.” Bridgette said with a sigh. “But according the stories I've heard there were two others. I fear the jewel my brother found in that brook was one.”
“Why are telling me all of this?” I asked as I peered toward Bridgette.
“Because I want you to know we'll be fighting. I love my brother. I do, but the death of our mother changed him. He was always a bit unhinged. But after our mother died and we came to live in this village, he started to grow a bit dark. He would often catch mice he found running around the forge and toss them into the fires just to watch them burn. And I once saw him shoot an arrow straight through cat that was meowing under his window. He was only given a few lashes for that.” Bridgette added.
A low whistle escaped my lips as I peered toward her.
“From what I know, from my scant reading as books are rarer than hens teeth in the village and books about such lore are even harder to come by. But what scant information I've gained from my research it seems the other jewels are linked and often try to find each other. I know my brother, he has boundless ambition. I don't think he'll ever been happy being a mere village smithy, noble as that career is. Or being a mere leader of a bandit. I fear he wishes to control this whole region.” Bridgette said sighing. “And then.. he will try to extend his control beyond the Peppercorn Mountains and maybe even beyond the Mountains of Mist..” She added with a shutter.
Another low whistle escaped my lips.
“There is darkness in his soul. I saw it that night. So he must stop Jeanette. The fate of thousands, no millions may depend upon it. He must be stopped at all costs. Even if we have to kill him. He is no brother of mine..”
“Let's hope it does not come to that.” I said sighing as I stood up. I then reached into my leather purse and pulled out three golden crowns. Without thinking I tossed them on the table and shook my head.
“Oliver?” I said turning toward Oliver who was half asleep. No doubt he had nodded off while Bridgette was explaining this to me. The boy's eyes were closed and his arms were folded across his chest. If he was sleeping it was a light sleep. And of course Oliver did not respond. Instead he kept right on snoozing.
“Oliver?” I said as I reached over and gently shook him. “You will sleep better in your bed upstairs. Why don't you go up and get some rest.” I paused and then added. “We'll be up before the chickens tomorrow. And we have many miles to travel. Breakfast again I'm afraid I will have to wait till noon.” I added.
Oliver muttered something as he pushed his chair back. He quickly stood up and pushed his hands up into the air above his head as he heaved a big yawn. His eyes were half open as he peered toward me and Bridgette.
“I guess..” He said blushing. “I guess I'll go. Good night Jeanette, Good night Bridgette.” He said with a nod of the head. A few moments later he was leaving the common room and heading up the wooden stairs. Once he was out of sight. Bridgette turned toward me and smiled.
“You don't treat him like an apprentice.” Bridgette said with a grin that reached from one end of her face to the other.
“Come again?” I said standing up. I figured I would follow my own advice and turn in as well.
“You treat him like a little brother.” Bridgette said as she stood up. “I shall go to bed as well. I trust you will awake me when you get ready to leave? I'm afraid I'm something of a heavy sleeper.” Bridgette added.
“Sure.” I said grinning as I started to turn toward the stairs.
“I knock first and if you don't answer after the second knock I'll have the chambermaid bring up a bucket of ice, cold water, with ice cubes still in it. I'll then just toss it onto your bed and wake up that way.” I added as I put my foot on the first wooden step.
Bridgette blushed a little and shifted her eyes away from me.
“Something of a prankster are you then?” She said as she pushed her wooden chair back and stood straight up and then started toward the stairs.
“In my past life.. I think I was.” I said and with that started to climb the wooden stairs. And again memories of my past life started to float in like fog does in the early morning hours. I closed my eyes, my head started to feel heavy and my heart started to race. I reached down and took hold of the wooden railing to support myself as I climbed to the second floor. Without saying a word I walked toward my room and once I reached my room. I slumped down and peered toward the heavens.
“I was a bit of a prankster in my past life.” I said as I upward into the air above my head.
On a barren hill in Glenwood Cemetery there stood a single solitary tombstone that was set apart from a collection of tombstones. The name engraved upon the granite surface read. “James Thomas Sharbrough.” Below it were the dates “September 6, 1989 – September 9, 2009” Standing in front of the grave was a woman, with honey blonde hair. She was dressed in all black and in her hand she held a bouquet of blue roses.
“It's hard to believe it's been a year since you were taken from us.” She said as she kneeled down and placed the bouquet of roses by the grave. “Were getting along okay. Your dad misses you, your little sister misses you. And I miss you.” She added as she reached up and brushed away a few tears.
“Jamie.” She said, “I've been doing some thinking, and I've been wanting to ask some questions. I know, you were a different child, your dad loved to hunt and fish. But you always loved to just sit around the house and play video games and read. I remember you loved playing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and its sequel The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. You would go on for hours about the lore of the game, how to do all the little tricks and how to get all the spells. You knew all the hidden secrets and how to find all the hidden treasures. We never really understood that about you.”
The woman paused.
“Now that you're gone, your dad and I wished we'd taken more time in trying to understand who you were as a person instead of trying to make you into the person we wanted you to be. I have a confession. Right after your funeral. When we were cleaning up your room. I found a blue skirt, some panties and a bra bundled up and stuck behind some other clothes in your dresser. I told your father and he flew into a rage, saying 'He was no son of mine!' and 'I never knew I was raising a God damn sissy'. But.. never mind that.. He misses you in his own way. And I wish we could have worked things out. If you wanted to be a girl. I could have helped you.”
The woman paused again.
“Anyway, I brought you some roses.. we donated all your video games. I'm sure you would have wanted them to go to some needy kid. After all, we don't really play video games. And your sister, she is not the gamer type. As far as your books, we donated them too. Along with your collection of anime DVD's and those strange Japanese comic books that you liked to collect.”
“Anyway this is good-bye. I don't think I'll be visiting your grave again. There is no point in visiting it. You're not here anymore James. You're either in Heaven or in Hell.” The woman said with a sigh as she stood up and walked away. “Maybe one day I'll see you, on the other side, and maybe then I'll get a chance to ask those questions I wanted to ask that day I was cleaning up your room.”
