Page 15 - SagaOfBarak1

‘Well my old friend, king or no king, believe this, he will most certainly see
me’, the ogre said this with some element of conviction. ‘Oh yes please believe
me my old brother in arms, we will talk Aulric and I. Furthermore we will waste
no time, we will talk now without any further fuss or delay’ Barak rumbled out.
‘Know you this Hubert, I was there on the day of the birth of both those
children—aye also I was charged with guarding them, to look out for their
safekeeping and protection. But now alas for my wanderings and my other many
sins I have failed them both.’ Barak sighed a little sadly as he next spat then
cursed once again in that same foreign tongue, this whilst he stared up for a
moment towards the angry grey skies above him. The weather in the north of
Britain was ever fickle, it being bright and sunny one minute, then dark and
stormy the next. Aye the weather in this part of the turbulent ever changing world,
well it was more than just a little like the moods of the giant in many ways.
‘However my troubled friend, as I say things are not always as dark as they
might at first seem to be Hubert.’ Barak said this after several moments of grim
silent contemplation. ‘Anyway Hubert, I must at once send off now, this very
moment in time, an important message. Aye and then with this message once
dispatched I will go to speak with the much distressed Aulric. Only after we have
this conversation, will I decide what must be done to make all right once again.
Oh aye, also of course, in what manner we must do it.’ Hubert stared ever upward
at the giant slayer with tear-filled eyes from where he still sat upon the wooden
bench. Both men had long been and were still close to the King and also to both
of his children. Hubert in fact had known Aulric all of his life, indeed they were
brought up as boys together in the harsh northland. Together as children they had
hunted played and fished, aye together the lads had also plagued the very life out
of the Roman soldiers. All of this when they were no more than but snotty ragged
children dressed in itchy woollen rags. Barak after but another moment or two
of deep thought changed the subject.
‘By the way Hubert, this innkeeper who has tended us is not Tom. Oh no, no
it is not Tom with the purple nose and the few uneven teeth in his head. Where
is he Hubert? Tell me whereabouts is the Tom fellow?’ The giant asked this
whilst sucking upon a painful rotten tooth at the back of his mouth. And here
was a tooth that by the by had of late forever been troubling him. ‘He is a good
man to drink with, the Tom fellow,’ Barak stated in a matter of fact fashion. ‘And
this despite the fact he does not put his hand into his pocket as often as he might
for a wealthy man. Aye and believe me on this Hubert, Tom upon this early hour
would have charged us for the food and drink we have breakfeasted upon. Oh
yes, and also this service would have been costly too more the likes. And this
just for rousing him from his blissful drunken slumbers.’ Hubert gave only the
hint of a smile in reply, and a nod of total agreement at these words followed by
just a slight chuckle. Next though and only a moment later the old sentry smiled
as he scratched at his ample bushy beard before speaking.

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