Page 34 - SagaOfBarak1

Chapter Three

‘You say to me that these men were assassins Barak? But then if so, well how
is it with seven arrows these so called killers missed the heart and the throat of
my young son?’

Barak gave a long deep and a most weary sigh on hearing these words. Now
the giant could see this explanation of things was going to be something of hard
work.
‘Aulric was a good brave sincere man, a man of high morals. However, at
times the king was perhaps not the brightest of men Barak had ever met. Still
though despite all of this he was of course entitled to an honest explanation, this
being so then the king would have it. ‘As I have already said to you Aulric, this
was not in any way a murder mission. And know you this my friend it is harder
not to kill a man using seven arrows that have all struck the body than kill him.
No, these men without any doubt were good bowmen please believe me on that
score. If these men had wanted your son the Prince Kye a dead thing, then one
sharp arrow would have been enough to seal his fate and so send him off to the
ever after.’ Barak explained all of this after a long leisurely puff upon his pipe
before once again continuing with Aulric’s education.
‘Aye, now look you here, see for yourself,’ the giant went on as he handed
one of the offending arrows to Aulric. Next the giant pointed out the hollows in
the arrowheads which were wooden and not steel tipped as was the norm. Here
it was in these wooden shafts the sleeping potion was contained. Aye here within
the thin carved out grooves held firm with pressed bee wax the potion rested.
Later this wax would dissolve once inside the warm body of the victim. And it
was then the potion would go to work and bring about the sleep of death. ‘Look
you Aulric the arrowheads are short blunted things, this so they would not deeply
penetrate the flesh, can you see that? ’ the giant asked hoping his friend was
grasping the situation. Aulric though was still much confused but nevertheless
despite everything the much muddled king seemed to understand what the giant
was saying to him.
‘Yes, yes I must admit that I can see that now, now you do mention it Barak..’
Aulric exclaimed this as he pulled at his hair in the sheer anger and the very
frustration of it all. ‘But why Barak, Tell me why is my only son in a death sleep
and as for my little girl; what of my beloved daughter Ellena? Is she then a dead
thing now? Tell me my friend is she discarded and abandoned in some thicket
or ditch or other? Or mayhap she is a slave, aye a slave for sale in some dark
dingy rat-infested dungeon far to the east of here?’ Aulric said this as his body
trembled with emotion and his pale eyes welled up with tears before he once

38