Spell of the Crystal Chair (14 page)

“I’m happy that you have made your decision.”

“Command me. What shall I do?”

“Do what your heart has already told you. Go to the Lowami.”

“But what shall I do when I get there? They will look upon me as the enemy.”

“One thing the servants of Goél must learn, Beorn, is to trust me, to live by faith. Go to the tribe of Lowami and see the princess, and after that you will have to do what seems right. It could be dangerous, but I will protect you. There are hotheads among the Lowami as there are among the Yanti. Do not go as an enemy, for your whole purpose is to stop this senseless war. The enemy of the Yanti is not the Lowami. It is the Dark Lord. We must all unite against his terrible purpose. If the people do not unite, then they will be lost.”

“I will do as you say, sire.”

“Good. Now let us prepare a meal and sleep. And when morning comes, you will go to the village of the Lowami.”

It was a night that Beorn never forgot. After eating a refreshing and heartening meal from Goél’s supplies, they stayed up talking for a long time. They spoke of many things, and for the first time in his life Beorn knew that he had found a purpose for living. When he finally could stay awake no longer, he lay back, and the last thing he saw was Goél sitting before the fire, staring into it silently.

When Beorn awoke the next morning, Goél was gone. Disappointment came over him, but then he thought with joy,
But I will see him again. I know it
. He packed his few belongings, put his bundle on his shoulder, and left the hut with determination. He made straight across the snow toward the village of the Lowami.

T
he return of Princess Fairmina came as a shock to Chief Denhelm. He and his wife were sitting in their house, silently grieving over her loss, when the door burst open and she appeared. Both jumped up, crying her name, and she flew to them.

The three of them stood in a tight embrace until finally Denhelm managed to get out the question, “How did you get here? What has happened, Daughter?”

“It is a long story—or maybe a short one,” Fairmina said. She seemed exhausted and could barely speak.

“Here, Husband,” Rimah said, “do not question her now. She is faint with weariness.”

They quickly sat her down in a chair, and Rimah prepared a quick meal. Fairmina was obviously hungry. When she had finished eating, she drank a hot mixture of herbal tea that her mother forced on her.

“We had given you up, my daughter. We thought death had taken you,” Denhelm said. He pulled up his chair as close as possible and held her hand. “Tell us, if you can, what happened.”

Strengthened by the food, Fairmina related the story of her captivity. At the end she said, “And so I heard that the wizard had sent a message to kill me.”

“How did you know this?” her mother asked. “Did they tell you?”

“Beorn told me.”

“You speak often of this Beorn. He is the son of the Yanti chief?”

“Yes, and if it had not been for him, I do not know what I would have done,” Fairmina said simply.

“He is not like his father, you say?” Rimah asked.

“His father is quick-tempered, while his son is very gentle—although a strong man and a great warrior.”

“And he came and told you that Zarkof had ordered your death?”

“Yes. He had already taken me for a walk—as he did every day, to spare me the humiliation of the guards. He—he was very kind to me, Mother. The kindest man I’ve ever known—except for you, of course, Father.”

“And what happened then?” Rimah asked.

“He took me out of my prison, but one guard was always with us. The most fearsome archer in all the tribe. There was no chance for escape. He would have put an arrow in me. But then Beorn told me of the order from Zarkof. And that his father would carry it out. And he said, ‘You must get away.’”

“He said that? But that would be breaking his father’s command.”

“He knew that, Father, but he said it would be wrong for me to be executed.”

Denhelm shook his head in wonder. “What happened then?”

“He overcame the guard and told me to run. The last I saw of him, he was holding the guard on the ground. Then I fled. They pursued, of course, but Beorn had given me instructions on how to avoid pursuit. And so I made it safely back to the village.”

“A strange story.” Denhelm shook his head once again. “I cannot believe it. That one of our enemy would become your friend.”

“That’s enough talk, Husband. Come, Fairmina.
You must go to bed. You are tired. You can tell us more after you have slept.”

Denhelm sat waiting until his wife returned. “You think she is all right?”

“She’s already asleep. She’s very weary, but she’ll be fine with a little rest.” Rimah sat down and said, “What do you make of all this, Husband?”

“I do not know. I would have to say it was a miracle.”

“Somehow I think that young man has qualities his father does not appreciate.”

“I hope the chief did not have him beheaded for disobeying his orders. He sounds like too good a man to die like that.”

“And did you note Fairmina’s eyes when she spoke of him?”

“Her eyes? Well … no.”

“You men are blind!” Rimah scoffed. “Could you not see how she admired him? It was as clear as day. It’s no small wonder, either. He was the one that saved her life.”

“We must have a council meeting and decide what all this means.”

Denhelm called the council together at once, and the Seven Sleepers, along with the elders, listened as he related the story that Fairmina had told. When he ended, he said, “I cannot understand this except that I know this much—whatever the chief of the Yanti is, he has a son who is a man of honor.”

The council talked for a time, and some were suspicious. One sour-faced elder said, “It’s a trick! A trap of some kind! They let her go just to throw us off guard. We’d better double our precautions.”

“Oh, you are always suspicious!” Denhelm said.
“Here we have my daughter back, and all you can think of is that there’s something wrong about her deliverance.”

The elder said no more, but his eyes were still filled with suspicion.

After the meeting, the Sleepers had a meeting of their own. Mat, as usual, said, “There’s something wrong with all this. I don’t trust them. Not one inch!”

But Tam grinned cheerfully. “You’d complain if they hung you with new rope, Mat. We have the princess back safe and sound, and you’re doing nothing but complaining.”

“I’m a realist. You’re an idealist.”

“If that means,” Tam said, “that you’re always griping and complaining and I’m always looking at the good side, I’m glad to hear it!”

“Isn’t it the most romantic thing you ever heard?”

Reb groaned and looked at Abbey.

Her eyes were bright as stars. “I wonder what he looks like.”

He groaned again.

Josh winked at Sarah, sitting across from him. “Probably fifty years old and fat and dumpy.”

“No,” Abbey said dreamily, “he’s tall and handsome and has good manners! I just know it.”

“Well, I don’t care what he looks like,” Sarah said. “I’m just relieved that the princess is back. I must admit my faith was pretty small.”

“No wonder,” Reb said. “Those Yanti are rough. They could have sent her head back in a sack.”

“Don’t say things like that!” Wash said. “It makes chills go all over me.”

Reb Jackson grinned. “Chills have been going all
over you since we got to Whiteland. You’re just cold. That’s all.”

When the meeting broke up, Reb found himself alone with Abbey, and he teased her a little. “You’re always seeing some kind of romance in everything that happens, Abbey.”

“I can’t help it. That’s just the way I am.”

“Oh, I’m not fussing about it,” Reb said. “I think that’s fine. I’m kind of romantic myself.”

“You romantic! Don’t be foolish!”

“Well, I am! Why, one time I read a romance novel.”

“I’ve read a thousand of them.”

“Well, once I read one, I thought I was done. They’re all alike, aren’t they?”

“Maybe they are, but if you like a good romance, it doesn’t matter if the same thing happens over and over.”

“It looks like you could just keep the same book and read it over and over and save all that money.”

“What did you read when you were back in Oldworld?”

“Westerns.”

“Well, I heard someone say there were only seven plots for all the Westerns ever written.”

Reb took off his Stetson and scratched his sandy hair. “That’s about right. The rustlers robbing the ranchers …”

“Then why did you keep on reading them?” Abbey laughed. “You’re as bad as I am.”

“I guess so. Anyway,” Reb said, “we’re going to have to be a little bit romantic to get out of this.”

“Do you think we’ll ever see the man who saved the princess?”

“Doubt it. He’s not likely to come visiting.”

Reb remembered his words the next day. He heard a shout and popped his head out of the igloo. “Hey, look! They’ve caught somebody!” He scrambled out and was followed by Dave, Jake, and Wash.

“There’s Josh. Who’s that fellow they’ve got?”

Abbey and Sarah came out of their igloo as well. Abbey said, “Who’s that with Josh? Isn’t he handsome!”

“I don’t think I ever saw him before,” Sarah said. “Let’s go find out.”

When the others ran up, Josh said, “You’re not going to believe this, but this is Beorn, the son of Chief Balog of the Yantis. Beorn, this is Abbey and Sarah and …” He named off the boys.

Beorn was not bound, but he was being guarded by several Lowami warriors, who watched him closely. He bowed gracefully and said, “I am happy to know you, ladies—and all.”

Abbey’s eyes grew big. “You’re the one who saved the princess?”

A flush came to Beorn’s cheeks. “I came to see if she had arrived home safely.”

“Oh, yes,” Sarah said quickly. “She has. She was very tired when she got back, but she’s probably up by now. I want to thank you very much. She’s become a very good friend of mine. It was wonderful of you to come to her aid.”

“It was something I had to do.”

“Enough talk!” the guards said. “You must face the chief.”

No one was about to leave, and by the time the prisoner stood in front of the house of Chief Denhelm, practically everyone in the village was there. The door opened, and the chief stepped out, followed by his wife.

“We’ve taken a captive, sire,” one of the guards reported. “This is one of our enemies. We caught him approaching our village.”

“What is your name?” Denhelm asked.

“My name is Beorn. I am the son of Chief Balog.”

“And how is it that you come into your enemies’ hands?”

Beorn had no chance to answer for at that moment the door opened again, and Princess Fairmina appeared. She took one look and then let out a glad cry. “Beorn!” She flew across the ground and put out her hands. They were taken at once by Beorn, and she cried in delight, “I’m so glad to see you!”

“I came, Princess, to be sure you arrived safely at home.”

“I was so afraid for you,” Fairmina said. “I was afraid something awful would happen to you for letting me go.”

Beorn laughed softly. “I was in some danger of that, but my grandfather and my mother persuaded my father to let me live.” He looked around. “But he drove me out of the village, so I have no home now.”

Denhelm advanced. He put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. He said warmly, “My daughter has told us how you saved her life and how you showed her courtesy. I invite you to make your home with us.”

Total silence fell over the crowd. To invite a Yanti to become one of them—this was unheard of!

Then Rimah came forward and put out her hand. Her eyes were glowing. “We welcome you into our midst, Beorn. And I thank you for giving us our daughter’s life.”

Chief Balog’s son seemed to have expected anything but this. He looked into the eyes of Rimah, then
into the noble face of Denhelm, and finally into the eyes of Fairmina. “It gives me great honor to accept your invitation, Chief Denhelm.”

Rimah said at once, “Can we not hear a cheer for the new member of our tribe?”

A ragged cheer went up, and Abbey’s voice could be heard above all the rest.

“We must celebrate,” the chief said. “Not only my daughter’s return but the coming of the one who made it possible.”

The feast was something to remember. There was plenty to eat and much merrymaking. Beorn and Fairmina sat together to the left of the chief.

Josh, seated beside Sarah, said, “Look at those two. She can’t take her eyes off him.”

Sarah had been watching. “I hate to admit it, but this time Abbey was right. It
is
romantic. Just like something out of a book.”

“Sounds like you’ve already got them married.”

“Of course they’ll get married. Don’t you see how he looks at her and how she looks at him?”

“How am I supposed to know by a look what’s going on? He may already have a sweetheart back among his people.”

“Don’t be silly. If he had, he wouldn’t be looking at her like that!” Sarah scoffed.

Josh suddenly laughed. “You’re as bad as Abbey. I guess all girls are sappy when it comes to romances.”

Sarah glared at him. “Sappy! That’s what you think of me? Well, I appreciate your kind remarks!”

“Wait a minute, Sarah! I didn’t mean sappy.”

“What did you mean?”

“I meant … well … I guess I meant … well,
romantic
.”

“That’s a little better,” she said. “And it wouldn’t hurt you to have a little romance in your soul.”

“Who, me?”

“Yes, you! Who do you think I’m talking to?”

Josh eyed Sarah. “How do we get into these arguments?”

“Because you don’t have any romance in your soul. That’s why.”

Josh had no answer for this, so he turned to talk to Jake Garfield, who was on the other side of him.

Jake was busy eating, but he had heard the conversation. “Give up on her, Josh,” he said loudly. “You’ve got no romance in your soul.” He laughed when Sarah made a face at him. “Well, it’s turning out pretty good, isn’t it?”

“Good? Have you forgotten those ice wraiths and that we’re in a war?” Josh asked. “You can talk about romance all you want to, but we’re still in a mess.”