Richard Tuttle - Sapphire of the Fairies

Tedi winced at the implied insinuationin Master Clava’s remarks. “Master Clava, I was not trying to . . .“

Konic waved the boy to silence. “Tedi,whatever the reason for your little journey up on the roof, it wasnot the reason the witch was questioning you. Arik, I want you boysto move down to the little clearing just south of here, the one weused to picnic in with your mother. Start a campfire but keep alertfor bandits. I’m going into town to get Master Markel and we’llmeet you there.”

“Master Clava,” Tediinterrupted, “are you sure it’s a good idea bringing my father outhere? I mean with his drinking and all, he might . . .”

“Tedi,” Konic began softly,“your father is a good man. Never forget that. He has had a problemcoping with the loss of your mother and he is not the first man totry to drown his grief. I think his time for mourning is over now.I probably should have forced it to end sooner but, in a way, Icould almost join him in a bottle. You know the man as your fatherand that is a pretty narrow scope of perception. I’ve known yourfather for over thirty years and there isn’t a finer person I’veever known. If there is going to be trouble, he is the one man Iwould call on to guard my back. You boys get going and we’ll meetyou there soon.”

“Be careful, Dad,” Arik calledafter the retreating figure.

The boys moved to the clearing andgathered wood for a fire. “Do you believe those things your fathersaid about my dad?” asked Tedi.

Arik turned and looked at Tedi. “If myfather says it, then it’s true,” Arik replied. “I don’t know whathe can do for your father that hasn’t already been tried, but ifanybody can help, he will.”

Tedi nodded solemnly. “I guess what hesaid about my view being too narrow is probably true. I guess I’vebeen more trouble than help to him. I just thought he didn’t careabout me. You know, the times he beat me, I deserved to be beaten.I just don’t think he knew his own strength.”

“Well, maybe everything willturn out for the better,” hoped Arik.

“Yikes!” exclaimed Tedi. “Iforgot about the merchant. We were supposed to eat with him tonightand find out the secrets of the outside world. If we don’t show,he’ll start looking for us and he may run into thewitch.”

“Forget him,” responded Arik.“The secrets of the Collapse can wait a while longer. We’ll talk tothe next merchant to come to town.”

“You don’t understand,” arguedTedi. “I told him our real ages and where we lived. If he goeslooking and runs into the witch, she’ll know everything. I’ll runup and tell him that we have to leave town in a hurry and he’llpoint the witch northward.”

Before Arik could protest, Tedi leapedover a small bush and disappeared into the forest. Tedi ran as fastas his legs would carry him. The sense of urgency in arriving atthe merchant’s wagon before the witch was the only thought on hismind. When he arrived at the wagon, neither the merchant nor hisniece was visible. Tedi ran around to the rear of the wagon andleaned in to peer into the darkness. Roughly, two hands seized hisneck from behind and hurled him to the ground.

“We don’t give our goods away,ruffian,” snarled a voice.

Tedi rolled over onto his back andgazed up to see the old merchant standing over him. “MasterKhatama,” he groaned, “ I was not trying take any goods. I was justcoming to talk with you and thought you might be in thewagon.”

The young girl came towards the wagonand lowered a torch so that Tedi’s face was illuminated. “It’s oneof the young bucks that was coming for dinner,” sheannounced.

“So it is,” growled themerchant while extending a hand to the boy. “Sorry about the toss,lad, but I don’t take kindly to townspeople rummaging through mywagon.”

Tedi was amazed at how firm the oldman’s hands had felt. When he reached up to rub his neck, herealized that his necklace was missing. He started looking aroundfrantically when the merchant moved to him.

“No need to be looking foryour gold, lad,” he whispered. “I’ve got it here. Must have gotstuck on my ring. I’m afraid the clasp is broken, though, but I canfix that right up. You wait here and I’ll be rightback.”

Before Tedi could respond, the merchanthad climbed into the wagon and was lighting a candle. Tedi watchedhim gently lay the necklace on a table and smooth out the twounconnected ends.

“There’s some dinner left,”offered Tanya, “if you truly came to eat.”

Tedi turned towards the girl.“Actually, Arik and I got ourselves in a bit of a fix and I wascoming to tell you that we weren’t going to make it.”

“Why am I not surprised,” shequipped. “You two looked like trouble since I first laid eyes onyou this morning.”

“We are not trouble,” Tediretorted angrily. His tone softened as he delivered the message hehad come to say. “We do have to leave town, though. Arik and I aregoing north at first light to seek our fortunes.”

“You may find a different fatethan fortune if you plan on traveling alone,” the merchant saidfrom behind Tedi. Tedi twirled and the old man was standing theregrinning and holding out the repaired necklace. “The clasp is finenow, lad. As good as it was new. I see that you had broken theclasp once before and it hadn’t been properly mended. No matter,though, no one could tell it was ever broken now. It is a beautifulpiece. Where did you get it?”

Tedi reached out and took the necklace.Refastening it around his neck he answered the merchant. “I didn’tsteal it, if that’s what you mean. It was my mother’s and the onlything I have to remind me of her.”

The merchant gently patted Tedi’sshoulder. “Is that true, son? I don’t mean the part about youstealing it. I mean about the only thing she left you. It seems tome from our earlier conversation, that she left you something sheloved a whole lot more than that necklace. It also seems that bothyou and your father have forgotten that. Taking care of his pain isyour job now and yours, his. Talk to him before you run away,lad.”

Tedi gazed at the merchant’s glisteningeyes and nodded. “I will, Master Khatama, I will.” Tedi turned andran back to the clearing getting there just moments before hisfather and Master Clava arrived. His father was walking unsteadilyand mostly supported by Arik’s father. Master Clava also had a longduffel bag slung over his shoulder by a strap. The bag was stuffedsolid and he rolled it off his shoulder and onto theground.

“Tedi,” Master Clava ordered,“there is a pot and some coffee in there. Get some water from thestream and make a pot of it. Arik, forage through those provisionsand round up something to eat for the four of us.”

Arik’s father eased Master Markel to asitting position with his back against a tree. Konic sat next tohim and talked quietly. Arik could not quite hear what was beingsaid, but Tedi’s father stiffened and his eyes opened wide and hestarted nodding his head. The only word Arik thought he heard wasEmpress and it made no sense to him. Tedi finished with the coffeeand took two cups over to the men. Konic sat his on the ground andheld the other to Alan’s lips.

“What were they talkingabout?” Arik whispered to Tedi when he returned from delivering thecoffee.

“I don’t know,” Tedi softlyreplied. “They stopped talking as soon as I approached them.” Aftera few moments Tedi continued. “You know, Arik, I’ve been a fool forthree years. It took an old merchant to show me what was in frontof my face the whole time. I’ve been so selfish and feeling sorryfor myself over my mother’s disappearance that I couldn’t see howmuch he was hurting. At first, I thought my mother’s disappearancewas just an excuse for him to start drinking and after a while Ijust mentally belittled him for not being able to control himself.The old man made me realize that I’m part of the reason that hestill drinks. I shut him out of my life and made his loss twice asbad and my own, as well.”