LEGEND OF NEVETSECNUAC- THE STATE OF THINGS - SECTION 19
As predicted, it did not take very long before the unconscious scholar stirred. Stifling a cough, Yagu sat erect, waiting with bated breath for the young man (Nevetsecnuac) to open his eyes.
The Scholar’s (Nevetsecnuac's) lips moved, but no
sound ushered forth. His eyes cracked
open then, suddenly recalling his last moments (memories), he sat bolt upright.
"Take it easy, son." a friendly voice
stopped him from jumping off of the bed.
"You might have had a concussion after that fall."
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| 01- NEVETSECNUAC |
Fortunately, Nevetsecnuac having just then regained his focus, turned his head in the direction of the voice and saw the old farmer whom he instantly recognized. "How is it that you came to be here, sir?" He asked respectfully despite his surprise. Then, feeling a gripping pain in the back of his head, he raised his hand absentmindedly to touch it; there was a big lump there, that correspondingly stained his fingers with a crimson hue.
Yagu Dorka, hummed and hemmed, as he arranged his
thoughts and the consistent facts that would tally (correspond, parallel) with
the yarn he was about to weave (knit, plait); but even before Yagu responded,
Svein (Nevetsecnuac) had already grasped the situation and the reason why he
had been spared, from an otherwise, certain doom.
Nevetsecnuac now discretely observed how Yagu’s
difficult life had etched a few more lines on his face already scored with
wrinkles. Despite his apparent ailment however, which anew threw the old man
into another violent fit of coughing, he was still a hardy peasant and, not
easily sapped of his strength.
Eventually, when Yagu's coughing subsided, “So, it is
you! I thought as much." his eyes smarting, the old man forced a smile to
his quivering lips and nodded.
“Heaven be
praised! Sir, you gave us such a scare when you fainted." He pounded at his chest to relieve the
congestion.
"Fainted? No.", Svein's voice was
incredulous. “I was drugged,” he wanted to say more, but he stilled his tongue,
for fear of further aggravating Yagu’s condition.
"Yes, yes, you're right, of course. You passed
out, but it was not done on purpose, you know." Yagu groped for words, then grimaced
slightly, leaning back to explain in a sincere tone. "You see, at my advanced age, I'm always
beset with ailments of one kind or another.
I won't bore you with lengthy explanations of them all. Only that, well, one of my medications, it
was my fault, really for leaving it on the kitchen counter after I'd used it,
and wouldn't you know it? It was
mistakenly, when I was absent, it was used by Kenny, my cousin’s, the
Innkeeper’s youngest son, when he made your tea. You see, the ingredients of this prescription
bear an uncanny resemblance to the tea leaves we use, and the pots are of the
same sort. It's understandable that he
could make that mistake. I'm so very
sorry."
Yagu spread his hands comically.
Likely story: you must think of me as a fool. Nevetsecnuac was peeved; still not letting
on, with outward calm equanimity, he listened on to the absurd (bizarre)
explanation.
"Any way,
it’s one of its medicinal properties that it puts me to sleep." Stifling a cough, he shook his head,
"Yes, that stupid boy gave you my medicine by mistake but don't worry, it
won't harm you none. Not a big boy like
you. Or should I say "man"
now?"
Yagu started to chuckle, partly due to his attempt at
humor, partly in relief, as he saw that Svein raised no objections to his
fabrication.
"You are
married by now, are you not?" He
paused to note Svein's nod. "You
must tell me all about it later. After
all we've shared, we're practically kinsmen, are we not?"
Yagu smiled
sheepishly while taking such liberties.
"I'm
afraid all I've gotten is older, although I've picked up a little learning,
thanks to my educated cousin here….”
"Well, anyway, you should have seen the commotion
when you fainted, passed out, rather.
You gave us such a scare," Yagu slapped his knee jovially,
"that is, until we found out what had happened to you. I came in just as you passed out, you
see."
Nevetsecnuac (Svein), now that the danger had passed,
was both amused and entertained by Yagu's description of the supposed antics of
the innkeeper's family. He knew it was
all invented, but Yagu had the individual's characteristics all in place, and
embellished it with such detail, thinking, no doubt, that he was covering all
angles.
"And if you're wondering how, it is you revived
so quickly, well, that's easily enough explained," Yagu concluded,
"we gave you another medicine, one I use to keep me on my toes. You see, I tire so easily and there's so much
to be done around here. Yes sir, it did
the trick and brought you around in a jiffy.
Luckily you had not drunk so much tea to begin with and you're such a
healthy young man. Well, I mustn't
disturb you any longer.", slapping his knee, Yagu rose to go just as a
tray of food was brought in by the grinning Aguda, who parroted the same story
as the old man, even using the same turns of phrase Yagu had used except for
the minor difference of substituting the word 'wine' for 'tea'.
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| 02- LERTY |
“Yes, you’ll meet him tomorrow, because it’s too late now.” Yagu continued. “And besides, you should eat before your meal gets cold, and rest. But don't hesitate to call out if you need anything else, son. My room is right next to yours." He pushed (shoved) his cousin Aguda the innkeeper outside and closed the door after them.
"What's the matter with you?" Once outside, the old man wiped the beads of
perspiration off of his forehead and looked scornfully at Aguda. "You know, you really talk too
much! You nearly spoiled
everything. Didn't you eavesdrop on what
I was telling him?" Grumbling, he
kept up the reproach as he led the way to the kitchen.
"I spoil everything. You're completely without fault, I
suppose?" Aguda gestured sarcastically then, closing the kitchen door to
sneer spitefully.
"What?
What did I do that was so wrong?" Yagu jumped back down the other's
throat with his questioning gaze.
Aguda glared back, resisting the urge to bellow,
"How come you couldn't think of a better excuse than that one you
gave? You gave me dreadful fear back
there."
"And what was wrong with it? He bought it, didn't he? I thought I was rather clever cooking up such
a convincing story."
"Clever, perhaps," Aguda laughed coldly,
"except that he drank no tea."
"NO TEA?"
"Shh!!!
Quiet! You want him to hear
you?" Aguda warned hotly.
"Then what was the teapot doing there on the
table?" Yagu demanded angrily in a quieter voice. "I know you're too cheap to spoil the
wine or the food."
"Well, for your information, we'd spiked all
three. And no, he partook of no tea; it
was too coarse for his liking."
Aguda snorted, wrinkling his nose.
"It was half a cup of wine, if that? But for certain, it was the
spiked vittles that did the job."
"No tea?
No tea! Yet he... augh, Gods preserve me!" Yagu clutched
at his chest, stymied, totally missing Aguda's ugly grimace.
"Oh, I
feel so ashamed!" he meekly ejected, looking to his cousin for some
sympathy, some understanding. "He
knew all along that I was lying, yet..."
"Yet he allowed you to maintain your
dignity." Aguda nodded coldly.
"Such finesse!"
"Such manners too, don't forget. He's a most remarkable young man, isn't
he?" Yagu’s sigh rumbled in his
chest like thunder.
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| 03- YAGU DORKA |
"Oh, how I wish I'd had a son like him. That boy will go far." Again, he began to cough. "You know, your boys can learn a lot from him."
"And what's wrong with my boys?" Aguda's
eyes blazed with anger as he retorted hotly.
"Nothing…
No need to get so huffy about it.
I merely suggested that they take some lessons from this young
man.", Yagu was cowed. "You
said yourself; he has such finesse.
Respect, isn't that what you meant by it?"
I said 'finesse', you fool! Aguda
swore inwardly yet nodded his head in concurrence. It's pointless to argue intelligently with
this ignoramus.
Aguda's stern eyes scrutinized his wife briefly as a
sinister, ugly smile played fleetingly across his face. Deciding not to make an issue of it, he
snorted and returned his attention back to Yagu.
"It's your own fault if they show no respect to
you, old buzzard. Aguda jumped in, not giving the other a chance to speak.
“For, in all cases you must earn their respect first.”
“All right, whatever you say...” Yagu was tired of
constantly fighting Aguda, and as usual, let things slide.
“Well then, so
long as you see the error of your ways, “Aguda having won this round as well,
softened. “Though now, I think I'd better go and lock up." Gloating in
self-satisfaction, Aguda jumped to his feet.
"You're going to be all right with that?" he
asked his wife rhetorically as he headed out the door.
"Yes, yes, you go on ahead." she answered
automatically. "I'll secure the
back door after I'm done here and dumped the..." She saw he was gone.
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| 04-FIONA (AGUDA'S YOUNG WIFE) |
"You'd better go to bed, too, sweet child." Yagu said to Fiona kindly, once Aguda was absent. "It'll wait until tomorrow."
"I've kept your supper warm, Uncle," the young
woman assented, "shall I dish it out for you now?"
"No, no, dear.
You just go on ahead. You must be
exhausted, toiling all day without rest.
I'll serve myself."
When she'd left Yagu prepared himself a platter,
careful to add an extra helping for his grandson, in case the poor boy had,
once again, missed his dinner.
~
After having readied his luggage, he breakfasted in
the large dining hall. Yagu was still
pestering him not to go when Kenny, the youngest boy, burst in, dripping wet to
announce that he'd spotted another traveler headed in their direction.
Elatedly just then Aguda let it slip to Svein, how
good fortune had smiled on them thrice this week that, this was their third
customer in as many days, a rare occurrence indeed. Seated across the table from Svein, Yagu sat
with a lowered head, (chewing his lip and) hiding the serious concern that had
suddenly registered on his pupils.
Presently Svein witnessed first-hand the stir, the
commotion from within the inn as they prepared to welcome yet another potential
(prey) customer.
Sometime later, Aguda, having seen every detail,
beaming from ear to ear took up his position by the door and waited anxiously,
all the while wringing his sweaty hands.
As soon as the
traveler made his appearance at the door, Aguda greeted him with the same,
patented felicitations that Svein had received earlier on; but when, after the
sweeping bow which Aguda typically used to accompany his congenial inquiry of
the stranger's name- the larger than life,
fierce newcomer, had instead, fastening (pinning) his cold, disdainful eyes
on the innkeeper had simply snorted:
"You may address me as 'Sir'."
Nevetsecnuac could not shake the sudden, foreboding
feeling that their puny lives were no more than a mere annoyance to this
superior being; as at same moment a deadly, oppressive shadow had instantly
engulfed the entire premise, chilling everyone within, to the marrow. This was no ordinary traveler; there was
something potent, something so very lethal about him.
The red-faced Aguda, mumbling nonsense, looked about
him, as if seeking a hole to crawl into, only to see the amused Yagu turning
his face to the wall as the old man stifled a chuckle.
From his odd attire the stranger could be any number
of things: a warrior ranger, a military guard, perhaps an advanced scout, or a
lone messenger. He was formidable
enough, his large, framed body towered well over six feet in height and his
fiery red hair and grizzled beard framed a pair of ice-cold blue gray eyes.
Shoving aside the glib tongued Aguda, who was intent
on ushering him to a seat, he strode boldly over to a table of his own choosing
by the rear window and squarely sat himself down.
As he placed his impressive sword down on the table, he looked across his shoulder at Svein. Their eyes briefly met. He grimaced coldly, gave a brief nod of greeting then turned his gaze ahead once more. He then withdrew a pouch, obviously full of cash, and laid it on the table beside the sword's scabbard. In a non-nonsense manner, he demanded wine at once and some meat for breakfast.
Aguda hurried Kenny off to the kitchen to start his
wife cooking the meat, then attempted, as he had so many times before, to
impose himself on his guest. Unlike other
times, the innkeeper was severely rebuked and had to make a hasty retreat to
the kitchen after his son.
“Greed makes people courageous, they say.” Yagu succumbed to additional chuckles.
Aguda emerged shortly with a small jug of wine, not
unlike the one Svein had been served, and all in smiles, approached the
stranger once more.
"What is this, you dolt?" the stranger
thundered. "Are you hard of hearing
or just stupid?
I asked for a
flagon." With a sudden sweep of his
hand, he almost knocked the wine and Aguda with it, to the ground.
Aguda, with
incredible agility, righted himself, managing to spill only a bit of it on his
dark clothing.
"It was I who ordered the jug." Svein loudly
interposed. "Please bring it
here."
"Oh, yours is coming, sir." Aguda forced a
smile to his quivering lips.
"This is
but a complimentary draught for this gentleman while my son fetches his flagon.
"Don't insult our guest!" Yagu felt he must
intercede and rushed over to grab the jug from Aguda's hand just before he was
about to pour it into the stranger's cup.
He made a pretense of sniffing it. "This is too coarse…our
apologies, sir."
Turning to
Aguda he glared, "This is only fit for us, not for such fine gentlemen as
our guests. I'll take it away."
The son then made a timely appearance on the scene
with the flagon. Seeing the seal was
unbroken, Yagu relaxed and let the boy pass.
I don't know why I'd worried.
That tightwad would never taint that much wine.
Svein (Nevetsecnuac) disdainfully observed the
exchange of looks between the two men, as Aguda held the kitchen door for
Yagu. Nevetsecnuac surmised how; once
they were hidden from view, both would be locked in a heated row, with Yagu
again obstinately opposing Aguda's diabolical attempt to claim yet another
victim. It was apparent that even his
substantial gift to Yagu earlier had not alleviated Aguda's greed enough to
deter him from more (acts of) murders.
Meanwhile, the stranger, indifferently, or perhaps
unaware of the peril he was in, downed one cup after another in succession, his
eyes fixed steadily outside the window.
Only when the flagon was emptied, he angrily pounded the table and
howled like a wolf for more. At once
another flagon and the hot meal were rushed to him to calm him down before he
brought the whole inn down around him.
Svein delayed his departure, captivated by this most
intriguing stranger and, never doubting his prowess, wishing to see how he
would deal with this danger. Naturally
Aguda could do little to affect his fiendish plan (scheme) and so, after the
safe departure of the stranger, Nevetsecnuac bid his farewells and resumed his
lonely trek towards the Capital.
Once more, deliberately choosing the remote,
cross-country routes, he relentlessly, for old habits die hard, pushed onwards,
taxing the steed's strength to cover great distances. This time, however, an
odd sensation of being tracked persistently gnawed at him; yet, each time he
looked around, taking the pains to avidly survey his surroundings, he detected
nothing (zilch, nil, zero,) out of the ordinary to warrant extra caution.
~
(END OF SECTION 19)
