“That’s right,” Maija said, straightening up where she sat and smiling. “When Merglan left before the battle, all of the chambermaids were sent out to work in the pit with you guys. Come morning when the guard came back, Kirsten grabbed his whip and used it on him.”
Maija’s recounting of the incident drew a hearty laugh mixed with relief from the group and Thomas added between gasps, “You should’ve seen the look on his face.” He tried to mimic the man’s facial expressions as Kirsten pretended to chase Thomas with an imaginary whip in her hands around the fire.
“Now that’s got to be the funniest thing I’ve heard in weeks,” Bo said, wiping away his tears of laughter. “When we get back somewhere that has a pub, I’m buying you a drink for that.”
Kirsten felt her cheeks flush scarlet and she looked bashfully down at the ground. She’d never been offered a drink before, especially from a boy her age; she’d never even been in a pub before. Theodor let them have a single glass of wine with their dinner after they’d turned fifteen, but he didn’t allow them to go to town and have drinks. ‘Nothing good ever came from having drinks in a pub,’ he would warn them, but they all knew he was known to stop in for a drink or two on his way home from the Grandwood market.
Sensing an awkwardness building, Max broke the silence, “So, what will you do now that this is all over?”
Kirsten looked to her brother and shrugged, “I’m not sure. I guess we’ll go back to Grandwood? I haven’t really thought about it yet. I think I’m still getting over the fact that we’re really out of that evil fortress,” she thumbed over her shoulder.
“Yeah,” Thomas said, rubbing his hands together. “I’m not too sure, our home is back in Grandwood. If it survived the attack, we could go back and try to pick up where we left off,” he paused for a moment, recalling what it was like. “Our father was the heart and soul of that place. With him gone, I’m not sure we could run the farm by ourselves. We could probably manage it alright with Anders’ help, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be headed that way any time soon.”
“Why not?” Bo asked, not really knowing much about Anders or the others.
“I bet Anders will have his hands full in trying to fight Merglan,” Thomas responded. “Now that he’s been gifted magical abilities and has bonded with Zahara, it could be a long while until his role in this whole thing is over. The last war against Merglan and his evil forces lasted for years. I don’t know what Anders’ fate will be, but I doubt he’ll have the option to return to Grandwood with us.”
“You’re right, the elves are probably going to want Anders to do some kind of magic training before they face Merglan again,” Max said. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, Bo and I don’t really know what we’re going to do either. Our foster parents don’t really care to have me around anymore, now that I’m old enough to fend for myself.”
“I don’t know what’s coming next, but I do know that I’ll stick by your side big brother,” Bo said slinging his arm around Max’s shoulders.
“Thanks, Bo,” Max replied with a bashful smile.
Kirsten caught Bo’s eye; she thought they did share some resemblance. They both had slightly narrowed eyes, firm jawlines and dark straight hair, but if she hadn’t known they were brothers, she wouldn’t have guessed they were related. For a moment Kirsten found herself being sucked into Bo’s dark eyes. Before it became too apparent to the others, she looked away slightly embarrassed.
“What’s happening over there?” Maija asked pointing past their heads toward a gathering crowd of Rolloan warriors.
Max shrugged, “I don’t know? We better find out.”
Together they walked away from the smoldering embers of their cooking fire. They pushed their way through the crowd until the mass of bodies was so thick that nobody could squeeze any farther.
“I can’t see anything,” Kirsten said frustrated.
“Here, climb on,” Bo said turning so his back was facing her and squatting down.
Kirsten hesitated, she didn’t really know Bo; they had only just met recently. Despite her self-consciousness, she did have a good feeling about him and decided to go with her gut.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, Bo squatted lower and Kirsten straddled his head.
He grasped her shins firmly and said, “Ready,” then lifted her up off the ground.
Instantly Kirsten was the tallest person in the group. Bo was slightly above average height, so when she sat on his shoulders, she towered over everyone. “What can you see?” he asked.
Kirsten peered across the ocean of dark islander hair swarming around them. In the center of the group, she saw several tall warriors carrying a body. “Some warriors are carrying someone on a board,” she said. Bo, Maija and Thomas seemed confused, but Max nodded with a sorrowful expression.
“You know who it is?” Bo asked his brother.
Max pursed his lips and nodded, “It’s Jorgen, the lead chief of the Rollo people. He was one of our companion’s father.”
“Red?” Thomas asked.
Max bobbed his head slowly, “I was there when it happened. Ivan had just faced Thargon in single combat on the battlefield. Thargon had the upper hand and was about to end Ivan’s life when Jorgen came rushing at him from his blind side. He tackled Thargon to the ground. In a short-lived effort to distract Thargon, Jorgen was taken by the kurr’s axe. I could hear Red’s screams from a distance. He was blocked from them by a large group of orcs. That’s when Anders faced Thargon head on.”
“Wow, that’s really how it all happened?” Thomas asked.
“Yeah, shortly after that Zahara and the elves showed up and cleaned house,” Max said. “Now I would imagine that the Rollo people will have a funeral for their dead leader and then choose someone to replace him.”
“Red won’t succeed his father?” Maija asked.
“I don’t think that’s how leaders are chosen in their culture. My guess is that the top clan members decide who will become their new chief.”
Kirsten moved her eyes away from Max and back to the group of warriors carrying their dead leader’s body. She recognized Red as one of the people carrying Jorgen. Tears were rolling down his face and into his thick black beard.
“I want to see what it looks like,” Maija said, looking expectantly at Thomas and Max.
Max glanced at Thomas and raised his eyebrows.
“Hop on Maija,” Thomas said bending down low to the ground.
She climbed onto his shoulders just as Kirsten had done on Bo’s. Thomas rose to his feet and Maija joined her friend high above the rest of the crowd. She watched in silence as Red and the other warriors carried his father’s body across the camp. The crowd was beginning to shift and people were moving toward the beach.
“Where are they going now?” Max asked Maija and Kirsten.
“It looks like they’re taking him to the beach,” Kirsten said.
The five of them moved with the crowd. It was so thick that they didn’t have much choice other than to continue in the same direction.
“Is there anywhere where we would be able to see what’s happening from a distance?” Thomas asked, also wanting to see the proceedings.
