Tranquil Fury (18 page)

Bor began to speak, but the look on Lauren’s face stopped him cold in his tracks. He looked to his brothers, “Earth Daughter you heard. Move!” When a dwarf gives an order, action follows, and all of the Iron house brothers ran to the bed, pulled Eric out from under the sheets, and dragged him to the chair.

Lauren went over, stood in front of them, “Hold him in that chair, DO NOT LET HIM RISE. Bring me cold water, lots, and do not stop until I say so.” She was Earth Daughter, proclaimed by their Earth Mother, even the elves did not hesitate, and they acted. Lauren’s voice was forceful and loud without volume. She could have whispered and still the elves would have raced. Two ran to get buckets, and one went to the washroom, started to fill the tub.

As they were waiting for the elves, she looked at the dwarves, her eyes now large black orbs, “One day, that which thou does naught know, shalt be known. It will end. But until that day, we does naught know how it wilt end. At that point the minstrels, bards, and actors wilt start to tell this story from the beginning. They wilt know longer it should be, fight hard to find words right, search long for words sufficient for what does happen now. In that story, one chapter there shalt be. ‘Sons of Ironhouse,’ it wilt be called. If thou does fail, named instead it shalt be, ‘Shame of Ironhouse’. Your halls, painted with feats great of battle strength. Today thine strength legendary wilt tested be. Fail me, fail all. I repeat, DO NOT LET HIM RISE!”

To a dwarf, death was easy. Somebody digs a hole, plops you in it. Or maybe you are cremated, and only leave ashes. Some in battle are never found, receive no ceremony, but they most likely never knew they were dead. Death was easy: you simply laid there and accepted it. Death began and ended at the same time, it was a short story. Hit by axe, dead. Bitten by frost beast, dead. Fell in ale cask and drowned, dead. Shame. Failure. These were not short stories to dwarves. While you could not outrun death, at least when it caught you, it stopped. Shame, once it had you, it went hunting your next of kin, your offspring, your friends, for generations to come. You could not hide from shame. In death, you failed yourself. But to fail those future generations, to label them, so they would never be able to achieve anything great, to have them look back on you, and spit every time they hear your name. In death, you die, but shame, it ensures that you live forever. Failure was one thing. ‘Fail me, fail all,’ this added a new dimension to what was happening.

Lauren reached for the first bucket, threw the water on Eric, and he stirred. The others just watched at first, then, as Lauren called for more water, colder water, her other friends joined in to help. Mirtza, the Earth Mother, and Master Weapon Smith stood there, unsure of what was happening. As Lauren waited for the next bucket, she would slap or call out to Eric, pinch his cheek, anything to get a reaction. But when that failed, she grabbed the next bucket handed to her, by her brother. “Damn it Logan, I need cold freaking water!” He did not know what to do, and the dwarves clinging to Eric shared the same thought, but so far, this was no test of strength. If they could just get rid of the water that Lauren was throwing on Eric, it would not be so bad. The next bucket was cold, the next even colder.

Eric’s eyes opened, “What is going on?”

Without looking at the dwarves, she spoke, “Ironhouse your legend begins now, which ending will you choose?” Eric struggled to get free, “HE DOES NOT RISE.” And she kept throwing the cold water at him. Eric did not call out, and instead, he cursed and swore, but his delivery was strange, absent of anger, rage, or any other emotions.

She looked at Logan, “I want to see ice in those buckets.” But he did not know what to do. Aaro and Fodu were lying on the ground holding Eric’s legs to the chair. They were soaked more than the rest, and equally unaware of the current situation.

“Lauren, stop this insanity,” Eric finally shouted.

She looked at Eric with such intensity, that even Fen, who was holding one of Eric’s arms behind his back, felt its power, “YOU WILL CALL ME EARTH DAUGHTER.” Eric struggled harder, and Lauren called to the dwarves, “Ironhouse your ancestors are watching, what should I tell them?” The dwarves responded to Eric’s writhing by tightening their grip. Water, cold water, continued to assault him. So much water, that it was now flowing out into the hall, and down the stairs. Lauren kept screaming for more, but nobody questioned her.

Eric looked up, “Lauren….”

She screamed back at him, “YOU WILL CALL ME EARTH DAUGHTER.” She slapped Eric, the imprint clearly visible on his face, “Do you want me to stop? No? Fine, we will continue.” She then turned to Logan, “Colder.”

 “For the love…”

 “YOU WILL CALL ME EARTH DAUGHTER.”

Eric was upset, his struggles growing more intense, but the cold water did not have the same effect as it had on the dwarves. Six battle-tested dwarves, hardened in the mines and forges for years, looked up, tried to form some sort of prayer, in the hopes that somebody would answer it.

She hit Eric again, harder.

 “God damn it…”

 “YOU WILL CALL ME EARTH DAUGHTER.” The struggle was so intense the dwarves could hear the chair begin to creak.

 “Ironhouse,
shame
might sound like a short word, but it lasts a long time. Your clan, named after a mountain none thought you could tame. Fail me now, and even those who passed before you will feel your shame.”

Bor, who had one of Eric’s arms pinned, yelled out, “Ironhouse. The best ore, depths great found it is. Dig deep brothers. Show Earth Daughter, show her Ironhouse.”

Once again, where they thought the well had run dry, they found new strength, and tightened their grips. Aaro was holding one of Eric’s legs, never again would he complain about the heat of the forge, and Fen looked forward to working the bellows. Bor let out a battlefield whistle, to both inspire dwarves, and fear in those who sought to do Ironhouse wrong. In unison, the brothers yelled out, “IRONHOUSE!” in a voice that was known to scare opponents for miles around.

Lauren continued with the water torture, and each time Eric began a sentence with ‘Lauren’, she responded with, “YOU WILL CALL ME EARTH DAUGHTER.” This continued for another hour, and it looked as though Eric’s struggles might win his freedom.

“Ironhouse, your father looks on. Will you shame him?” Once again, the Ironhouse battle whistle sounded, and they answered, ‘IRONHOUSE.’ The dwarves long ago had become upset with the whole situation, longed for an opponent they could kill quickly, and their holds were so tight now, they caused Eric physical pain, cutting off his circulation.

Again, Lauren slapped Eric. “He will die. You will die. Is this what you want?”

Slowly the anger left Eric, or whoever sat in the chair, and he calmed down, began to relax, and the mood changed in the room, “Earth Daughter.”

“Eric,” she said softly. Eric focused his gaze on Lauren, stood, and stumbled forward into the cold water. She looked at the elves, “Quickly, get him into a warm bath. Get some hot soup into him.”

The elves grabbed Eric, took him into a dry room, and did as instructed. Gor, cold and tired as he was, pushed himself up from the wet floor, headed to the kitchen, as Earth Daughter wanted hot soup. The remaining dwarves, sat shivering in the cold water, were exhausted, and some even looked like they were crying.

Bor was the first to speak, “Failed you, Earth Daughter we have. Forgive us can you?”

Lauren went over, sat in the cold water in front of them, her eyes once again large dark orbs. “Thou did not fail, thou would hath held on until sun last did burn out, and this I does know. I canst naught tell thou all, but today, thine ancestors look upon thou and smile. Generations unborn, does be proud of Ironhouse name. Poets and minstrels, struggle they wilt, harder than thou did today, to ensure thou does receive thine just and deserved fame. Today sons of Ironhouse did wrestle a god-like creature, and won. No other dwarf clan can claim the same, or challenge this.” Her eyes now back to normal, she continued, “Now go jump into a hot bath and get warmed up.”

Lauren walked down the stairs to the hall where everything had started the night before. The Earth Mother followed her, and watched through a crack in the open doorway. Lauren went over,   picked up Tranquil Fury, her eyes large black orbs. She slid most of the sword into its sheath, “If thou ever does that again, I wilt take thou to forge myself, melt thou down into a ball, and drop thou into deepest ocean depths. Does thou understand me? Good.” Sliding the rest of the sword into the sheath, she put it back on the mantle, and the Earth Mother scurried off. Lauren sat down, her eyes once again normal, found a goblet of stale wine, and wolfed it back.
What the hell is happening?
She then left the secret room.

Gingaar was waiting outside for her with several dry towels, “We does need to get thou out of thine wet clothes and into a hot bath. Follow me to thine room, and thou can warm your insides with this soup that Gor hath prepared.”

“I will be fine, I just need some sleep.”

Gingaar stopped, turned to face her, “Room, change, soup, bath, and then bed.”

“Yes, you are right.” To herself, she thought,
Gingaar is going to be one hell of an Earth Mother
.

*
*
*
*
*
*
*

The storm was slowly moving to the east, its intensity spent. The air, still moist carried with it the various plant fragrances that had consumed the rain. Aaro followed the Earth Mother out onto the terrace, where she questioned him about the sword for over three hours, and when she was done, she called Alron over to sit with her.

 “Old I does be, too old for mystery more. Dwarf sword, a gift from Mother naught. I think I does know who does responsible be, but that name I will naught speak. Earth Daughter, her words thou did hear, commands even follow. What does thou think?”

“My task does be simple, protect and serve. Command does be spoken, serve I must. Earth Daughter thou does proclaim, the bond, discriminate it does naught.”

 “Commands, naught from me. Earth Mother honor bound to me thou does be. Yet Earth Daughter, her commands does be power, words thou could naught ignore. This I does understand. Earth Daughter does be Mother touched. Perchance more. Does thou see her eyes?”

Alron shook his head, “Naught, I does be behind her.”

“Alron, the eyes of Mother, I does see this day.”

“What does thou mean?”

“Sword ceremony in room small, prophecies uttered, and Earth bonds of two. This day, when Eric does naught wake, prophecy again Earth Daughter does speak. Voice be Earth Daughter, words naught. Earth Daughter and Mother, both does gaze upon Eric. That sword, Mother does want control, and Earth Daughter does accomplish this. Mother touched, the explanation only does be.” The Earth Mother was rambling, trying to unravel the riddle as she spoke, but the puzzled expression on Alron’s face would suggest that there was more unraveling than resolution. “Tradition does be: daughter born, gift does be found. Proclaim Earth Daughter, long training does start. Years of forty does I train, before sent out I does be. Sixty more before Earth Mother I does be named. Still twenty more, than Ironwood staff I does receive. Years of many, I does serve, in days of few Earth Daughter does more than most before. Ways of many Mother does speak. Dreams, thoughts, trees, animals, and more. Detailed she canst be, but seldom that does happen. Vague, indirect her message preference does be, but with Earth Daughter, Mother does be different, does be direct. Does thou understand Mother touched?”

Alron nodded his head in agreement.

The Earth Mother continued, “Lauren special be. Naught once hath I seen Mother take such interest keen in one of her daughters. Thou does know that mine time does be short. When Mother I does return to, thou shalt guardian be to Earth Daughter. Her gift does burn bright, but knowledge she does lack. Gift bright, knowledge dark, shadows does surround Earth Daughter. Mystery and questions more Mother gifts does be.” She paused and looked at Alron, “Thine question unasked, what does this mean to thou? Challenges many thou will face. Mother and Earth Daughter, both shall test thou. Words to guide thou, naught does I hath. Mayhap still Mother will reveal her knowledge, illuminate answers sought, dispatch darkness that does spawn questions many. Go now, time I does need to think. Mother I shalt seek. Please does send Gingaar to me.”

As Alron walked away, he remembered the distress on the Earth Mother’s face. In the past, Mother had always provided some guidance, whether detailed or vague, it varied, however, it was always present. But now the silence and mysteries were taking a toll on the Earth Mother. For ten generations, her family the most favored by Mother were always the most informed. But Mother seemed to have adopted, and now favored the one named Lauren. Alron walked back into the mine.
Mother touched, prophecies, earth bonds, sword control. What does happen?

Chapter 14

Lauren woke early, and had a hot bath.
Mother, please make sure that Eric is okay
, and then she went down to the kitchen. Normally, Gor would prepare whatever he wanted, knowing that if one was hungry, they would eat what he made. This morning was different.

Gor’s thick voice sounded quiet in the early morning, “Earth Daughter, please you, what would?”

She looked at Gor, “What would please me would be if everybody started calling me Lauren again.”

 “Earth Daughter is sacred, disrespect it would be, any other name.”

She looked at him, “Please, just between you and me, when nobody is around, call me Lauren. This Earth Daughter mantle weighs heavy at times. Right now I just want to be Lauren.”

He looked deep into her eyes, and saw her pain. “Lauren, please you, what would?”

She smiled, “Gor, the first meal you prepared for me was pancakes with fresh fruit, and those incredible syrups and sauces. I really enjoyed them. And a cup of that bean juice, brewed strong.”

Gor smiled, “Lauren, my pleasure, your request make I will.”