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The Lost Stars ChronicleChapter 17: Bjarn's Blessing
Shainya knocked gently on Bjarn’s door, then said softly, “Bjarn?”
She shrugged, then unlocked the door. Why he had wanted himself bolted up was beyond her, but he had insisted. As she slipped the key back into a pocket, she hefted a large tea tray and nudge the door open, where she promptly dropped the tray with a gasp. Bjarn was standing in the middle of the room in his white bed robe, bending his knees and flexing his hand that had once been horribly mangled. He turned to her, his face alight.
“Shainya…” his voice shaking, “Look at me!”
“You’re…walking…” she managed to gasp out loudly.
“No need to shout now!” Bjarn grinned, fairly bouncing over to her, “Look!”
Shainya reeled. She had always known Bjarn as the one-eared Forestman, his left ear a clogged mass of severed flesh, shot off by an Eastern Knight’s Kingdom arrow. Now there was an ear in place of the scarred tissue.
“How did this happen?” Shainya gasped out, sitting down on the now evacuated bed.
“Daner Pluto healed me!” beamed Bjarn, flexing his shoulder.
“Who…what…”
Bjarn turned, and then smiled warmly at Shainya.
“Please, go and fetch Reno, Aros and Luxus. I need to tell them something.”
Still confused and curious, Shainya did as Bjarn bid and left the room. While she was gone, Bjarn slipped out of his white linens that he had worn when he was ill and changed into tan tunic and brown baggy pantaloons. He held these up with a wide belt, and then slipped on some thick-soled boots. Lastly, he hung a simple three-tubed flute around his neck and donned a worn, brown cap. He was ready.
Reno entered, followed by Aros, Luxus and Shainya. Reno stopped dead, gaping, while Aros’s eye grew very wide.
“Bjarn-”
“Please, all of you, sit. There is much to tell.” insisted Bjarn, smiling.
They all literally collapsed onto the bed and Bjarn sat in the chair used by Daner Pluto only a few minutes before. Bjarn stared at the three brothers and the girl, gathering his thoughts. At last he began.
The tale took ten minutes to tell. By the time Bjarn was done, everyone on the bed, even the usually-fidgety Luxus, was silent and wide eyed.
Bjarn continued, “Daner has granted me a wonderful gift, as gift only the likes of him could give. It is my duty to repay him, and I am certain you will do the same.”
Reno squeezed the tiny hand of Luxus. “Of course Bjarn, it is our duty.”
“’Tis our destiny!” piped Luxus.
Shainya smiled, but her glance at Bjarn was worried.
“Bjarn,” she said, “Are you sure about this? How could anyone travel through a storm like this? And how in Dametreos will we find the Temple Of Lost Stars?”
“We?” queried Aros, raising an eyebrow, “Daner didn’t mention you.”
Shainya clasped Reno’s hand. “I’m going.” she replied firmly.
Reno smiled and kissed her. Both Aros and Luxus turned away, rolling their eyes and pretending to vomit.
Bjarn said, “We can’t wait until the storm clears up, because it won’t clear up until we go and complete the quest.”
Bjarn grimaced, looking at his old Misfits clothes. “I did wish to go adventuring in my old garbs, but we’ll all need something warmer than this lot.”
“You make it sound as if we need to go this moment.” said Shainya.
“We do.” urged Bjarn, “Time is essential. We must neutralize Lord Inion’s and BloodVaine’s evil spirits before all of Dametreos freezes over. The sooner we leave, the better.”
Bjarn stood and began to pace.
“I can handle all the administrative duties for the Forestmen. Gonderin will govern in my place and all that. I hate to wander off and leave my kingdom to fend for themselves like Radjar Kath seems to like to do, but who can turn down the word of a wizard? I need to alert the Council of my plans too. Daner didn’t mention about bringing any troops along, but I’ll ask some persons to see if they want to come. The more help we get is good, but we don’t want too many to slow us down. Six or seven people total, like the Misfits.”
“I can oversee the arrangement of cold weather gear.” offered Aros, “A few years ago I was part of a fur camp in upper Dametreos during the winter.”
“What about carts, horses?” queried Reno.
“I don’t think we will be able to travel any way except on foot.” replied Bjarn.
“I will pack food for a party of seven.” said Shainya.
“I’ll help!” smiled Luxus.
“Then I’ll see if I can find the Temple.” said Reno, “There’s got to be records of them somewhere…”
“Right.” affirmed Bjarn, “Let’s go.”
Anardan rode into the Keep early one morning, the frigid air keeping him awake after the long ride. He met Reno with an armful of scrolls in one of the inner corridors, and stopped to enquire what he was looking for. He had an idea, from what he had heard from the Dark Forestman who had been outside the Temple when his main group was slain. Reno did not want tell him, but Anardan thought he knew, when he read the titles of the scrolls he was holding.
“If you’re looking for information on the Temple Of Lost Stars, did you meet with the Dark Forester who rode in a few days ago?”
Reno looked puzzled, but interested by the query.
“He’s the one who was rumored to have escaped from the band of Dark Foresters who had also gone looking for the Temple -- he is still here?”
Anardan immediately answered, trying to recall his conversation with the man.
“He was pretty bad, frozen stiff and half mad. I didn’t learn much from him, but he did tell me something of what happened. He’s in one of the rooms here, I believe, still recovering.”
Reno thought over the new information for several moments, then asked, “Can you take me to him?”
Anardan led Reno around several corners, then down a corridor and pointed to a door.
“I think he’s in there…”
Reno looked at the door, then turned.
“I’ll be right back.”
Bjarn might want to talk to this Dark Forester, Reno thought, he may have the information we need.
Reno entered and looked down at the pitiful form that had once been a human. The man a shrunken and pale, and where he wasn’t white he was blue and gray from frostbite. Reno, as a healer, knew the Dark Forester was minutes from death. Leaning close, Reno said, “Sir?”
The man stirred.
“How did you become like this?”
“Urmf…” Blood curled down the man’s cheek.
Suddenly, he died.
Reno left, his brow furrowed. He had been too late. He would have to get information elsewhere. The Temple Of Lost Stars was precisely that, lost. It had been hidden for thousands of years. It wasn’t about to reveal it’s secrets now.
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