Page 24 - SagaOfBarak1

mission this had been, and a mission that had cost the lives of so many good
soldiers and brave men.

Barak was still musing over what might be the Prefect’s reaction as to the cost
of this most recent foolish campaign when Aulric began to stir himself into some
sort of sense. Barak upon seeing this first sign of life at once pulled upon his
great hide boots. For some reason not quite known even to him-self, the ogre
always liked to be well shod whenever in company.
‘Fools, I ordered this Hall to be kept empty, who is it who dares break my
ruling and my order, who dares to trespass here in my great hall?’ Drunkenly the
King shouted this while he dribbled and slurred out his words in a sad most
pathetic fashion. Aulric was not at this time even looking up at the intruder who
drank his drink and ate his meat. Aye and Aulric however, well the king never
quite finished whatever it was he was about to say next.
‘I do dare Aulric, for it is I your friend Barak.’ The giant he almost bellowed
these words out. ‘I am returned here to this place of yours, I am returned from
my foolhardy quest for the Eagles of Rome.’ In the meanwhile as the giant spoke
between gulping down his drink Aulric merely sat there in his carved ornate
oaken chair in a most pathetic state. Alas the sad king did this while he snotted
like some sort of lost child, and all of this while he wept into his baggy shirt
sleeve. Now the king after sobbing sadly next made an uncaring dismissive
gesture with his right hand.
Barak rumbled out a curse then sucked upon his sore tooth before spitting bile
and blood into the fire. Once with this cleansing of his mouth done the giant said
on.

‘You are unwashed my old friend.’ Barak grumbled this out more than a little
taken aback by his friend’s dishevelled appearance. ‘Indeed, I must say in all
honesty that you are a most unkingly and also a very sad sight to behold,’ the
giant further added with a low rumbling voice. ‘Aye, in all fact I must also add
this to my observations, you do also stink to high heaven Aulric my friend.’ Barak
said these profound but honest words as he reached out then next poured a nearby
jug of water over Aulric’s throbbing head. Angrily the King cursed while he
banged upon the long oak table with his fists as the cold water ran over his face
then coursed down the back of his neck. Barak once again sucked upon his painful
bad back tooth then spat a little more blood and bile into the raging fire before
speaking up.

‘Aulric you must trust me, for I do say this speaking as a long-time friend.
But I do hope you understand just what it is I say to you Aulric? ’ Barak had said
these cruel but honest words with just the slightest hint of sympathy to his sad
heartbroken friend. But sympathy, however, with Barak was not and never had
been a long running thing. And, so the ogre quite simply next got on with the
business in hand. ‘Now then good Aulric, now you must stir yourself, and now

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