Jasper of Moline

chapter eight

He didn’t let it go. wouldn’t. he hated that it made him feel like less of a man, and it was bad for his reputation, a rather  not so good one.He emptied his second glass of beer and brooded, his expression like that of a wounded bear.

To Frederick's thinking, any man who sat down that way, drinking that way, had a lot on his mind. He couldn’t help but think that this particular fella had his mind on his Lily, and he was right.

“ Another glass, here.” the broody man said gruffly and slowly. it took all of Frederick to not look at him with the disgust he felt.

He got the glass of beer, set it in front him and went back to drying glasses.

He had given his word to the stranger that he would look out for lily, but in truth, the stranger need not have asked, for lily he would turn the whole world around. which was why he found it so hard to not the glass of booze all over the man’s head and send him packing. He hated the sight of the one that had terrorized his Lily. not just once.

 Damn it, not just once.

“Think he can come here and make me look like a loser. no sir, no siree.” He said to the man. frederick caught it, realised his guess about the man was right. Anger turned to worry, as he listened to the more of the man’s  mummurrings.

“ he’ll pay, yes sir. him and that little i***t. they’ll pay. yes sir, siree.” He said to himself and drank from his glass. and with the foam leaving a smear on his beard, he smiled sardonically.

“ Albert, you’re a genius.”

not just mean, frederick thought. not just mean, but crazy too. 

crazy and mean, frederick pondered.

~~~~

“ Do you think he’s made it to the castle?” Katelyn asked her mother while she need ed bread.

Her mother set some dough in the oven and rubbed her hand against her apron, her eyes bright.

“ Not yet, My Love.” she tapped three fingers against her chest. 

“ But soon. soon”  she added. 

Katelyn smiled and nodded.

Riley who stood at the doorway, liteneing, wiped a tear away  and smiled a little.

“ soon.”

~~~~

He was drawn by the way the water stood still. it was a clearing and in the middle was a small pond of water clear as crystal, and it stood still, none of the usual to and flow of water. it just… was.

or maybe it was his thirst that drew him in. And perhaps it was it’s stillness that made him hesitant, that made him not put his hands into it and bring the coolness of it to his lips.

so he looked at it closely, and gazed at his reflection,  no ripples distorting the image presented to him in the clear not running water. 

He put his hand close, watched as the water reflectled it and then drew it back. He wasn't a coward he told himself that, tried to live that out. but he wasn't going to try and act like a git either. pond Water, he knew, was sure, never sat so so still. it could have been ice, but it wasn't solid.

How was he to deep his hands in that?

But he was curious. He could get up from his crouch, avert his face from the water, keep going. act like the water never happened. he never saw it. But then, he wouldn't be himself, he wouldn't be Jasper. And by all the things that were good in the world, he wanted to know.

" it's odd, isn't it?" came a young voice behind him. he didn't jolt, his first instinct was to reach for his sword, but he relented. just this once, because it was the voice of a child, just this once, because he had a soft spot for children. instead he got up and turned to her.

she looked six years old, with hair the colour of corn, and a face like that of an angel. she wore a white gown that stopped at her ankle and held a teddy bear, a quiet smile on her face, but she held countenance that struck him as wise, she was beautifully serene, wonderfully radiant.

" Hello, little one, are you lost?" he asked, looking around for signs of someone else. surely someone as young as she wasn't alone, or maybe she had wandered of?

" No, i'm not lost. would you like to know about the pool?" she asked and walked to the edge of the pond, and sat, her legs crossed, her teddy bear in her hands, her wisened gaze on him.

" well now." he said to himself. 

how was it? he thought, how was it that he was always finding himself amidst women who acted like warriors, and looked daisies?

"So you say you're not lost, so why are you alone? these places aren't very safe." 

" Don't worry about me, although it's sweet of you that you worry at all, Jasper of moline." He rose a brow at her use of his name, but she only smiled her sweetest smile at him,

" you know of me?" he asked, and sat as she sat, with some distance between them, so as not to scare her off, but close enough, if danger came.

" No, Jasper of moline, you valiant warrior. I Know you. I Know the journey you travel, I am with you. God is with you."

she tilted her head, that wise smile forming on her face again.

" who are you?" He finally asked, his guard growing, his hearting burning.

"  I thought you'd never ask. I am dahlia, your guardian Angel." she said peacefully, maternally.