The Adventures of Olund and Sidon

Chapter 11, Customers

They set out the following morning. It was still early. The sun normally shooed the fog from the dells before Eve abandoned her bed. She was not used to the look of the land under the thick, grey blanket. Luckily, Rory knew his way around the Highlands. Even with the low visibility they made good time. They quietly picked down from the bare heights and dales downwards. As they approached the bottom, sparse trees clumps of trees grew into dense, mighty forests. It was about noon when they stopped in the thick of the forest just past the midway point of the valley. Rory turned the party to their left and they headed off southward.

The flora here was just that little bit different than what she was used to. The lower altitude meant thicker air and thicker vegetation. There was a dense layer of bracken that clung to the dreary brown trunks. The morning fog had lifted but the clouds took its place obstructing the sun and the whole forest was bathed in a soft grey light. Along the bottom of the valley there was a cheerful brook that bubbled over its rocky bed, around the ancient trees and carved a path through the otherwise snow-covered landscape. The air was noticeably moister than the princess was used to, and all these differences amounted into a general uneasiness in the princess' mind, despite the beauty of this new landscape.

The stone was not far. The party came into the glade just after high noon. In all her dreams she never imagined any snow. Winter, however, did not cater to her whims. The boulder was exactly as she had imagined it would be. Her father was an adept story-weaver and artist. Between his sketches and word-portraits, she had known this rock intimately before ever laying eyes on it. Before she approached the pillar at the center of the yard, she took the time to circle through the surrounding woods examining every detail.

The princess straightened her gown and knelt before the stone. She closed her eyes and listened to the wind as it flowed through the trees. She felt it's gentle touch as it brushed through her fur and disturbed her dress. The smell she had imagined, the smell of fresh dew and new spring flowers, of leaves and life and fresh rain was absent. It was as neutral as a smell could be. Disappointment leaked into her heart of hearts, but she would never let it show. She could never let it come into the light that this was far from the special, magical event that she had dreamed it to be. A decorated ceramic urn was produced and placed, by the princess, at the foot of the stone. The party stood in a half-circle around her as she quietly mourned the woman she had never known outside of her dreams.

When the proceedings were complete, they took their leave. Eve turned back to face the glade one last time before leaving. Handfuls of flakes blew from the clouds above and fluttered down and across the peaceful glade. The snowflakes, like the group of travelers, passed out of the area leaving little signs they were ever there. Rory's wits were coming back to him and his days of adventuring were paying off. Every so often they would stop and sit in silence, smelling the wind and listening for any signs of life. Once he was satisfied that they were alone, they would once again embark. It was early evening when they got to the town of Mount Oden. She had been able to make out the forms of towers from the balcony or greater detail from her father's telescope. It was bigger in person. The stone and wooden structures were sprawled on a mound a short way up the other wall of the valley. A little stone wall bordered the hill and a tower stood at it's pinnacle. Rory had wanted to avoid the town so as to make better time and remain unseen by giving the settlement a wide berth. The Princess' curiosity at the familiar yet alien settlement out ranked the otter's fears.

They passed through the small gate under the gaze of patrolling helmets and halberds and up into the streets lined with blowing flags and hanging signs. The roads grew busier the farther they got into town. The bustle of a crowd was a new sound to Eve's ears. New smells, sights and sounds delighted her senses. She insisted on stopping in at a bakery oozing with incredible odors. Inside the establishment, two stoats zipped to and frow through their kitchen. Mixing, measuring and carefully decorating. They were wizards of their craft and the results looked ravishing. Eve's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. There was a plethora of baked foodstuffs arrayed before her: pies, tarts, cakes, and cookies. Her stomach uttered an audible growl and the stoats turned from their work to their feline customer.