| Faolin led the four adventurers into his humble abode. His house, its entire exterior composed entirely of gems and crystal, had a very limited amount of furniture. Most of it was wooden and in the form of shelves. A large bookshelf was against the wall across from the door, while two other shelves -- one full of tools, the other trinkets -- were against the adjacent wall. In the middle of his small home was an old wooden table with a few chairs. Another door led to his lavish, highly-decorated bedroom. "You seemed as if you were going out to fight, sir," Hermione said. "I was," Faolin said. "I was going out to exercise for a while. But now that you're all here, I will assist you with your needs. First, some water...." Faolin soon fetched a small basin of water and rags and handed them to Kat, Clara, and Salem to wash the moss stains from their legs. He also handed Hermione a less-moist rag to clean off her boots. "You must be exhausted from such a long trip," the Magi said. "Let me know if you need anything at all." "It has been a hard trip for all of us," Hermione said, removing her hat, "most of all, out of Trillan. My entire crew mutinied against me." "They did?" Faolin asked. "I hope you were not hurt at all." "I was fine," Hermione said. "Kat, Clara, and Salem saved my life and killed my assailants. I am eternally grateful for that." Faolin turned to the Lamuthians. "Excellent work, my friends," he said, smiling. "It is relieving to know that Hermione can depend on--" Suddenly, Faolin cringed, and his left hand flew to his right arm. He held his upper arm, clearly experiencing some sort of pain. "Is there something wrong, sir?" Clara asked. "Please, let us help you." "I'll be all right," Faolin said. "As of late, I have been having some trouble with my arm; every now and then, I experience some horrible spells of agony. I can't seem to figure out what the problem could be." Faolin then sat down at his table and rested his ailing arm on the surface. Kat sat down with the magus. "Are you upset with something, sir?" she asked. "Besides your arm?" "A bit, my friend," he replied. "Some time ago, a lady I loved, a woman I wished to marry, departed from the shores." "That's unfortunate," Salem said. "Who was she?" "She was a great woman, I must say," Faolin continued. "She left with the ambition that you all possess: to find S'Allumer's sword." "She did?" Clara asked, surprised. "I guess we were not the only ones." "She was horribly insistent on doing so, too," Faolin said, sighing. "I couldn't persuade her to stay here with me and become my wife; how I loved her so. I can only hope she returns to me soon. She has not been home for over a year." Kat sighed. "What was her name, sir?" she asked. "As we travel the world in search of the sword, we can find your lover and return her to you, and share the victory of completing the magical sword together." "Thank you for your consideration, Kat," Faolin said. "My lady's name was very beautiful; it was of ancient Calabrian descent, a name that means 'one of radiance.' Her name was Hritle." Clara suddenly grew nervous and began to sweat. Hritle? she wondered. That name is extremely familiar to me. Could it be--no, of course not...could it? "That's a beautiful name," Salem said. "Also seems a bit familiar." "Never heard it in my life," Kat added. "Well, Lord Faolin, we can help you locate your lover. Then you can be reunited for marriage once and for all." "I appreciate your consideration, friends," Faolin commented, smiling. "If you yourselves brought her to me, I would be eternally grateful." Clara shook with nervousness. "Sir," she began, "let me excuse myself for a moment, if you please." "Certainly," Faolin said. "Go take a step out if you must." Clara quickly smiled and exited the house, then closed the door behind her. She knelt down on the crystalline ground and folded her hands, then closed her eyes. Lord S'Allumer, she thought, praying, please grant me clemency for my act; for Lord Faolin I have no hatred, nor for his lover who I slew. That evening, a great mass of guilt developed in Clara's heart, even as Faolin showed them how to remove the gems from Queen Ophelia's bracelets. She was horribly depressed that evening, and mostly kept to herself, even over a rather jovial supper affair. What would Faolin do should she ever confess her guilt? Back to Stories Back to "TAOK&C" Back to Home |