Page 18 - SagaOfBarak1

Chapter Two

Barak’s great big hide boots fair echoed loudly down the long stone slabbed
corridor toward the King’s Hall as he moved there with great and purposeful
giant strides. The standing guardsmen stood there at ease, well that is if ease is
the suitable word. And this stance the men took as they first heard the heavy
unmistakable footfalls then saw Barak as he fast approached them. Now the
guards very wisely at once lowered both their gaze as well as their weapons. For
to try and stand in Barak’s path, even while by being so ordered for Aulric to
have privacy for his grieving, well, this of course would have been no more than
sheer suicide. The last two remaining castle guards drew open the doors to the
Great Hall, Barak gave to each a polite nod then at once strode forward and
entered the dimly lit room.
Aulric’s chamber as it happened was a great long most impressive Hall, also
of course it was a place the ogre had drank and feasted in many, many times
before. And here was as has already been said, a place of good friendship and
high fellowship, and above all a place of good warm honest cheer. Aye up till
almost this very moment in time it had always been a happy gracious proud place
to meet up with friends and comrades, but not now, no not now on this sad gloomy
day.
Barak looked about him as he always and ever had a habit of doing, taking in
all and everything around him in what seemed at just a moment’s glance. Aulric
was sat there at the far end of the room in his high backed throne, his body leant
forward slumped across the table. At this particular time the good king was
snoring loudly, indeed he was fast asleep and dead to the world. Now, the giant
at this point sniffed the air as he gave off a low growl followed by that most
disconcerting grunt of his. To Barak’s disgust this place was not tidy, it was not
in good order, not neat. In fact the great hall, well it was not a clean place at all.
After his brief observations the great ogre then sniffed in once again the stale
rank air about him. Grumbling and rumbling curses, the giant spat in disgust
upon the stone slabbed floor then he ground in the spittle with a huge booted
foot. Sadly this noble place, this great once proud hall, why it stank to high
heaven. With huge measured strides the giant next moved to the tall windows.
Once there he tore aside the heavy closed red velvet curtains to let in the early
morning light through the crisscross leaded glass windows. Even now there was
still at this early hour something of a bitter chill in the gloomy hitherto sun starved
room. Barak who was a man who was ever tidy in all things at once stoked up
the four fires one at each wall of the long hall. With this done the ogre next threw
what available logs he could find into the dying embers.

22