Page 29 - SagaOfBarak1

his breast as was the custom for the dead and also an ornate golden band had
been placed upon his black haired head.

Now it was the king’s resolve seemed to break for but a second as he gazed
with tear filled eyes upon his one and only son. But still despite this emotional
attack, to his credit Aulric held himself strong in front of his grim giant retainer.
Aulric slowly and shakily lowered himself down as he knelt by the side of his
son. And the king somewhat grimly took the boy’s hand in his as he interlocked
fingers. Once again to his eternal credit the king did not weep nor did he buckle.
As in all truth Barak had expected him too, perhaps though this was alas merely
because there were no more tears left to be shed.

Aye indeed perhaps now the good and kindly king had ran himself quite dry.
Barak noticed that in the corner of the room there lay a thick wolf skin cloak
a leather tunic and also a pair of thick hide boots. Doubtless these items of
clothing were how the young Prince was dressed at the time of the cowardly
attack. Aye and also as well as the Princes’ personal affects seven long black
shafted arrows also lay there. Most of these offending missiles were now broken,
this by Aulric in his disgust his anger and his very hatred of the things. It was
Aulric alone who had washed and tended his one and only son, allowing no one
else to touch the lifeless body. Even his physicians the king had dismissed as he
cursed them in his anger and his sorrow. For after all, it was they who had
pronounced his beloved son to be now a dead and lifeless thing.
Barak after a brief moment observing the youth next moved over to the corner
of the room as he carefully examined the black arrows very closely. And then of
a sudden the giant gave out a savage grunt as he cursed in a language that Aulric
was not totally familiar with.
Over the many years he had spent with Barak the good king had heard the
slayer speak in this strange unknown guttural tongue before. But this was mostly
when the ogre was either roaring drunk or was talking to his big red bloodthirsty
dogs his many horses or his great black very unfriendly eagle.
‘When exactly did all of this occur Aulric, tell me when did it all happen?
And you must think most carefully now and you must make no mistakes in your
accounting of things. For believe me my friend this is a most important question
that requires a most important answer..’ Barak said this as he ran a finger over
the arrowhead of the black shafted arrow. The kindly King sniffed, coughed, then
he paused for just a moment, this as he struggled to gather his wits and his ravaged
senses together. Aulric was thoughtful for but a moment then he at last spoke up
to give his reply to the ever calculating ogre.
‘It was on the night of the last full moon, so I suppose Barak it must have
been two or three days ago,’ Aulric answered after some long and careful
deliberation. ‘Aye, aye I do remember because I looked into the heavens on that
sad starry night and swore I wanted to die before I ever saw another full moon.

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