Page 33 - SagaOfBarak1

stood silently examining the misty covering from his son’s slight but still steady
breathing.

‘But how is this at all possible - how and most of all why?’ the king exclaimed
in a dreamlike shock when the gift of speech eventually returned to him. ‘I swear
upon my blunt sword, I do not understand it, no I do not understand any of this
at all Barak.’ Aulric said this as his head was still spinning with the very confusion
of these strange recent sad events.
Barak gave out a grunt and a low growl as he sighed deeply then next the ogre
shrugged his massive shoulders. Cursing under his breath Barak looked to his
long time friend who was alas still broken and much confused as to the way of
things. After but a moment in passing the giant glanced down at the young Prince
laid upon the cold marble slab. Oh yes, this indeed was a most messy affair; it
was also an affair that would take some time in explaining, aye also even more
time in its solving.
‘Come Aulric my old friend, for I do think it is time now that you will need
a drink.’ Barak said this while affording Aulric a somewhat dubious smile. ‘But
you hear this aye and you hear this now Aulric,’ Barak said in a most serious
tone of voice. ‘Your young prince, he must lie here in this place; Kye must lie
upon that very slab until my return here from my quest. Oh aye, and of course
also my bloody vengeance,’ the giant rumbled out in a most menacing fashion.
‘Here is the best and the safest place for him, it is cool here, free from decay as
well as dirt,’ the ogre further explained. ‘Also the coming winter chill will not
harm the lad as he feels nothing, the prince must stay as he lays, now do you
understand me? ’
Barak asked this question while putting a huge hand upon his friend’s
trembling shoulder, Aulric made no reply at this time as quite simply he could
not find his tongue to speak. With this being so then of course the great ogre said
on. ‘Yes Aulric, here in this cold chamber is good for your boy, do you truly
understand me?’ Barak asked this question most firmly. Aulric only nodded in
agreement to this, even though the king did not really know in all truth what he
was agreeing to. Or for that matter did the much baffled king even know to where
and to what and to why Barak was apparently going to be venturing off. After
some time passed the two men did leave the young handsome Prince lying there
upon the cold marble slab. And this task the men managed even though Aulric
was most reluctant to do so. Once out of that cold but clean room Aulric locked
the stout door behind them. Next the befuddled king tested it with a push then
once satisfied all was secure the men reseated themselves by the hearth in front
of the blazing fire. Aulric shakily took a goblet of drink in both hands offered to
him by Barak and took a big swallow. Then with this done the king waited
patiently for his friend to continue with his explanation of these recent sinister
events. First though before all of this Barak had decided he would take another
long drink of the monks’ mead, this, and also refill his pipe with yet more strong
weed.

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