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"You faced many dangers on your journey, you will face many more. Some threats are obvious. The spear, the sword, the arrow, these you expect and so you guard against them. Beware those threats that are less obvious for they can be your downfall."
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LUAN WOKE LATE THE next morning. He lay for a second or two, first getting his bearings and then luxuriating in a real bed, simple perhaps but better by far than the ground he had slept on for the previous two nights. Then he sat up, threw off the coverings and looked around for his boots. He was alone, which did not surprise him. He was used to the farming way of life and knew that the daily work started early. Luan may have been the son of the chief but that had not shielded him from hard work.
Luan stepped outside into a bright, crisp morning. The familiar sounds of farm life surrounded him. He could hear the cows grunting and blowing as Gareth herded them back up onto the hillside pasture after their morning milking. In one of the sheds he could hear bleating as the goats took their turn in giving up their precious milk. He wondered who was milking and his thoughts turned to Lyssia. He had thought little about her when he first arrived being more concerned with food and warmth, but her clear voice had followed him into his dreams, and he wished now he had paid her more attention. He tried to picture her face and then suddenly she was there before him as if he had somehow summoned the girl with his thoughts. The pail of milk in her hand brought him back to reality and he realised he was just standing, staring and not talking.
"Hello," he said finally.
Lyssia smiled at him and he realised that she was beautiful. He had noticed her blue eyes and blonde hair the night before but now he saw she had high cheekbones and about her face was a perfect symmetry.
"Would you like something to eat?"
Luan realised that he was still staring like a fool.
"Er, yes, thank you, if you're not busy?" Of course she was busy. A strange paralysis had struck his lips and as a result he was drowning in a conversation.
"It's no trouble," she said gently and then ducked into the hall. Luan took a deep breath as if he had momentarily surfaced and was about to follow her inside, when Mack walked around the corner of the building.
"Take care lad!" he said, to Luan’s surprise.
"What do you mean?"
"Does Gareth seem to you as the carefree type who leaves his beautiful daughter in the care of a complete stranger?"
Luan thought back to the night before and remembered the note of warning when Gareth had introduced his daughter.
"Well no, but..."
"Come on boy, think! Where's her Ma? Where's old Brinna as would usually be watchin' 'er?"
"You don't mean?"
"Now you're startin' to think!"
A cold feeling came over Luan as he suddenly realised what was happening.
"But why? I mean, I'm the second son. I've given it all up." Mack, his hand to forehead, let out a sigh.
"So young to be let loose in the world! Look, 'ere's how it works. Gareth, 'e don't own this land. He holds it for the Cunbran, the clan chief like your Da, and 'e's happy as 'e is, doing what 'is family 'as done for longer n they can recall. But Anna, she's got ideas. An maybe you don't have any land but..."
"I can own it in the future."
"Now we're getting there! Lyssia an' you gets wed. Your Da pays a dowry. You buy the land. And Anna, she's no longer a farmer's wife, she is landowner. Through her lass maybe but that don't matter to her."
"But surely they don't think I would give up the sword path so easily!"
"If you were found alone in there with her it wouldn't matter would it?"
At last Luan could see the snare that had been laid for him. By the customs of the Kingdom, should a boy and a girl of marriageable age spend a night under the same roof without a chaperone they were considered to be married. If he were discovered alone with Lyssia in the hall in the early morning it would be easy for her parents to claim that her virtue was ruined, and his only honourable action would have been to agree to marry her. A horrible thought struck him.
"What about last night?"
Mack smiled "You know I had just finished entertaining the goats when I saw Gareth and Anna slip away to the barn. Then a bit after that Brinna came out and went over to the hayloft where she made herself right comfortable."
Luan felt the life drain out of him.
"Then it's too late, what am I going to do?"
"Aah, don't worry lad. Thing is, I thought to myself, well, with them out the way there's a nice spot close to the fire going free. So I slipped right in."
"So you were there?" Luan hardly dared to think it.
"All night. Slept sound and warm too!"
Relief washed over Luan.
"Thank you, I mean, how can I pay you back?"
Mack's grin put Luan in mind of a cat who is owed a favour by a mouse.
"Don't worry lad! I will tell you exactly how you're goin' to pay me back, but it can wait while breakfast."
Mack turned and stepped inside. Luan, feeling slightly less relieved, followed him.
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IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN his imagination but it seemed to Luan that Lyssia wasn't overjoyed to see Mack. She still smiled when she brought them some bread and cheese and a cup of milk but then busied herself with chores rather than talk to them. Mack chuckled to himself and then winked at Luan. Luan ate quickly and then got ready to leave, putting his arm through the strap of the great sword so that it hung across his back and slinging his pack from his shoulder. He said goodbye to the girl, expressed sorrow that her parents were busy and asked that she pass on his thanks. Lyssia looked at him helplessly and for a brief moment Luan felt a pang of regret.
"Come on then lad." Mack was dressed for walking, with a stout stick in his hand and a pack on his back.
"Where do you think you're going?" The voice in the doorway rang with suspicion. Anna stood there, the kindly woman of the previous night replaced by a more formidable character altogether. Mack stayed calm.
"Well I've been thinking for a while I should do something more to help out and as you are always pointing out how little use I am in the way of farming I thought as though I'd step over to Crosland. Make a bit of money playing in the tavern. And as the boy is on his way I thought I'd walk with him. Two is safer than one int it?"
Anna looked suspicious. "Make a bit of money? Spend it all on ale more like!" She sniffed and then snorted a kind of 'huh' under her breath, clearly unhappy but unable to do anything about it.
"Oh get off with yer then you old fool!"
Mack bowed deeply and then strode out with an ironic swagger. Luan hurried after him, trying to be as polite as is possible in such a situation.
"Thank you, you've been very kind..."
"Yes, well..." Anna's desire to save face stopped her from making any pointed comment and with a struggle she reverted to the role of the friendly farmer’s wife. "You’re welcome young sir. Good luck on your journey," she said, but couldn't resist one last parting shot. "Just don't let Mack lead you astray!"
Unsure how to respond, Luan smiled and nodded and then ran to catch up with the old man who had already started up the path.
