After watching their Halfling boss disappear through a magical oak tree with the huge Druid, Henshaw finds himself clambering to his armoured feet. Neither he or his two mercenary associates have said more than a few words since their return to the Fissian Feylands, but Henshaw can’t seem to stop himself now.
Approaching the Fey goddess; Estrid, his path is immediately blocked by one of her uncannily aware Dryad protectors and, in response, several yards away, the equally-alert Barbella half draws his enchanted cold-iron short sword. Thankfully for them both though, the goddess of the pool, with a slightly sardonic expression, waves her guard away.
“What is it that you want Human?”
Henshaw gnaws nervously at his bottom lip for a moment before replying.
“… I just wanted to thank you,.. In person like.”
Blond Henshaw is a lean but tall man; possibly as tall as Fortu but the goddess meets his gaze without having to raise her chin.
“Thank me for what?”
The lanky soldier licks his sore lip before responding.
“For me life, your majesty. Considering what Sir Briefadel had us do, I know letting us live couldn’t have been an easy decision.”
The stern expression drifting from her face, Estrid smiles slightly and her transcendental beauty warms his soul.
“You know, it was your Human patron; Fortu and the ever-so-slightly-Elf; Rifkin who pleaded for your lives? Without their interference, I would gladly have let you and your brothers-in-arms, bleed out on the battle field.”
The straw-blond soldier rubs his, suddenly hot and itchy ear, before answering.
“That just makes it more important that I thank you. I ain’t exactly what you’d call a good man, but what we done… it was wrong and… and I’m sorry for my part in it.”
The goddess, her face softening further, seems to look past his eyes and deeper into his very thoughts..
“I… believe you. You and your fellow soldiers invaded my glade. Attacked us without provocation and killed dozens of my friends but I also now know that you were lied to and duped by your own so-called leader.”
Taking Henshaw’s face in her gentle hand, the goddess’ expression becomes fully beatific and his eyes well up in response.
“He did but ‘I woz just following orders’ ain’t no excuse. You chose forgiveness, despite the righteousness of your anger.”
Estrid’s smile falters a little at the Human’s earnestness.
“That isn’t entirely true. I merely used your lives as a bargaining tool to secure the adventurers’ aid. Still, I’m surprisingly glad that I did and that you and your two compatriots survived.”
As Henshaw wanders back, slightly dazed, to his friends, the goddess of the pool’s eyebrows contort a little in confusion. Did she, inadvertently, with her cynical, selfish act, ironically turn a sinner’s soul toward the light?
No comments:
Post a Comment