Virtue is Sacrifice - Excerpt

Chapter 2 - Alone no More

Winter was harsh. Though Rune wanted to continue her watch over the cloaked figures, she had to take care of herself. Just because she was long lived didn’t mean that she couldn’t get sick. Without her servants around, Rune’s home needed to be cared for by her. It was a large task since her land in the forest city of Mintha covered a substantial amount of ground. The home was made of two buildings: a mansion and a bungalow connected by an open path.

At the bare minimum, she needed three people to run the place, though four would be better. Rune finally relented and asked the triplet avatars for help. Of all of the avatars, she knew she could trust them without question. Rune could probably trust more of the avatars, but they were the ones she’d been around the most over the centuries. Reluctantly, she let them send her a trio of people from the surrounding places for consideration. Even if she didn’t bring the fight home, the place still needed to be protected if she were to have someplace to return to afterwards.

While she waited for them to arrive, Rune stood in the bungalow. She wrapped her arms across her chest. Her eyes turned from the snow covered ground outside of the window to the fireplace. Crouching down, she picked up the poker then jabbed it into the fire. The others would arrive at the front door shortly. Even though Rune could have positioned her greeting home on the western side closer to the edge of Mintha, she felt that this side was better; since, it faced the barren land between the forest and the mountains. Rune put the poker down then returned her attention to the window.

With a quick step, a golden skinned youth traveled from the southwest along the path. While winter wasn’t a time she ever wanted to travel in, she had been summoned. At least it wasn’t very far away. Her brown eyes scanned the snow piles on either side of the road. At two feet seven inches high, they were half of her height. The eighteen year old shuddered at the thought of falling into a drift.

As Rune noticed the cherry red hat bobbing along the lane, she changed her position from the window by the chairs to the door. She didn’t wait for the other to knock on the door. Pulling open the door, she stared out at the other woman.  

Her brown eyes went to the door in the dead center of the wall. With a blink, the short woman curtsied. “Excuse me, ma’am, but is Miss Rune in?”

“I am she,” Rune replied with a nod. She gestured for the other to enter. “Come in out of the cold.”

“Thank you,” she said. The brown eyed woman managed to keep the surprise from her face. She doesn’t look like an old friend. Fighting back a comment, the short woman hurried inside.

Rune closed the door after her. She gestured to her left then to her right while she stood with her back to the door. “Would you like to sit? I can get you something from the kitchen.”

“Thank you Miss Rune.” With a slight nod, she turned her eyes over the woman in front of her. “I’d just like to sit by the fire and warm up.”

“Okay, can I take your coat?”

The young woman hesitated. “I’m supposed to be the one interviewing for a job here. My name is Elisheba.”

“I’m not some sort of high and mighty type, Elisheba,” Rune replied with a chuckle. She placed her hands on her hips while she lifted her eyebrow. “I want to make sure you’re comfortable too.”

Elisheba’s red lips turned up in a smile. “I see, well thank you Miss Rune. Jabez sent me. I’m a cook.” She took her red sunhat from her head. What was revealed were mismatched bangs from the main part of her hair. They were white. Brown was the color that made up the rest of her long wavy strands.

Rune walked over to the seats. She took the one closest to the door. “I see. I wondered who would arrive first. Make yourself at home.”

Elisheba set her hat on the couch. Then she sat on the plush chair between it and Rune’s seat. She kept her long brown leather coat buttoned for now. Her hands rested in her lap as she spoke in a polite tone, “Thank you, I look forward to working with you.”

“Did Jabez say anything about me?”

“Nothing specific, except that you needed help.”

“Ah,” Rune nodded faintly. She watched the young woman closely. “Well I am in need of new staff. The former staff stayed as long as they could, but alas with all things they passed over.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Rune shook her head. She folded her hands in her lap. “You don’t need to be sad. It was a wonderful time when they were here.” She looked at Elisheba and lifted an eyebrow. “Are you sensitive?”

“Um, a little bit,” Elisheba admitted while she lifted her hand. Her fingers brushed along the bottom of the white bangs. “When I was younger I got very sick. That’s why my hair is odd. Since then I’ve...heard things.”

“I’m glad you pulled through.” Rune nodded while she watched the other woman. “You will probably hear some of the others who worked here over the years out and about the property.”

“I see.”

“I hope that doesn’t bother you.”

Elisheba shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine.”

“Good. What I offer is room and board. If you leave I’ll find some way to set you up in the city or I’ll give you enough to move out on your own.”

“That’s generous of you.”

“I like to take care of those who are good to me.”

Elisheba smiled while she watched Rune. “I like that in an employer.”

“No doubt,” Rune chuckled. “So do you think the others will come soon?”

“I don’t know. I heard that it will be Jaromir and Tylda. The latter I know is a dreamer so he’ll probably be last.”

“I see.” Rune stood. “Perhaps if we get something cooking they’ll be drawn over.”

“That would be fun,” Elisheba said with a grin. She stood from the couch then wandered around the fire pit to the kitchen in the northeast corner. Her head tilted to the side as she pondered on what to create.

“This is a basic space,” Rune mentioned while she ran her hand across the countertop under the eastern window. “The better kitchen is in the mansion of course.”

“I can still make something wonderful here.”

“Glad to hear it.”

With a nod, Elisheba hurried over to the kitchen area. She hummed lightly while she sorted through the cabinets between the sink and the window. Once she had the dishes and food, she worked on a meal for her new boss.

“So where are you from?” Rune watched the girl move. She scooted along the counter then walked over to the fire pit to be out of the way.

“Sharne, over by Jenay.”

“Ah, the coastal city just to the northwest.”

“Yes.”

“Do you like it here?”

“Yes. The ocean is fine, but I’d never go out on the water.” Elisheba laughed softly.

Rune nodded. “I see. I’ve never been on the ocean. I’ve been on the central river a few times, though.”

“Ah, there’s no comparing them.”

“I’d say so too. There isn’t that much depth or breadth to the river. It’s nothing like the bays even.”

“That’s true,” Elisheba said while she nodded. She mixed up a tart on the counter then cooked it in the fire.

Rune watched her then wandered over to the four chair table between the kitchen and the door. She sat there. While she waited for the meal, she glanced over at the closed door. There wasn’t much time before the sun would fade. Rune wasn’t going to stay out here after dark.

As the scent of the tart spilled out of the chimney, it drew attention from animals and people. The animals knew not to come by, since the scent of food was just a tease. Most of the time this part of the land led to traps which they never returned from. The uninvited people stayed away in fear.

One black haired woman skipped along the path with a bright smile. As long as she didn’t have to cook she was happy. She put her hands up and rubbed back her full bangs from her face into her high ponytail. When she dropped her hands she went to grab the door. “Hello!”

Rune craned her neck while she looked past Elisheba to the door. A chuckle left her lips. “Hello,” she replied and stood. “Why don’t you come in?”

“Thanks, it’s pretty cold out.” With a faint shiver, the lightly colored woman ducked inside. She closed the door after her then leaned her back against it. An oversized tan coat went to her ankles.

“Hello Tylda.”

“Elisheba? You’re here already?” The black haired woman blinked while she tilted her head to the side. “I guess I’m a little late.”

“But not last.” Chuckling again, Rune walked over to her. “My name’s Rune.” As she looked Tylda over, she noted the newest servant was an inch shorter than her. Her age appeared the same as Elisheba, though.

“Oh good.” Tylda watched Rune closely. With a slight curtsy, she continued, “Mao sent me to help Rune. I’m glad I’m in the right place.”

“Okay, so what do you do?”

“She does cleaning, pickup, and mending,” Elisheba called out.

Tylda nodded. “That I do. I can do a bit of body doubling, though it might be a bit of trouble being an exact match...”

Rune grinned softly. “We’re pretty close, though. You just need a little less color in your cheeks.”

Tylda chuckled and bobbed her head. “Right, so, in the meanwhile...”

Rune glanced at Elisheba then returned her gaze to Tylda. With a chuckle, she replied, “The new cook’s making something to try. I assume you know her food.”

“I do. She’s good.”

“Just good?”

Tylda grinned at Elisheba’s question. “Well I like her food a lot, but I wouldn’t try to convince someone else out of their opinion.”

“Here, the tart’s done.”

Rune chuckled while she glanced between the two. “You seem like a fun pair.” She wandered over to the table. “Let’s sit and eat.”

“Good, I’m hungry,” Tylda said while she followed her new boss.

“Yes Miss Rune,” Elisheba said. She went up and down the counter as she prepared the meal. Then she joined Rune and Tylda at the table.

As the two ate, the third in the new set of servants wandered along the path with a dazed expression on his tan features. His blue eyes searched over the overcast sky. “Not a cloud in sight... Can’t see the trees for too much forest,” he mumbled. He put his hand up and pushed back the pointed hat. It had stripes, much like his very long kilt. A dusky blue jacket hung over his form. A white cravat made an interesting change in the shape of his appearance.

“Do you think he’ll make it tonight?”

With a shrug, Tylda replied, “I don’t know. I didn’t see him on the path with me.”

“I’m sure he’ll be along shortly,” Elisheba assured.

Rune nodded then finished off her piece of tart. “You’re probably right. I’d like to head back to the mansion though. It’s best to be there when it gets dark.”

“After we clean up we’ll go,” Tylda said while she nodded.

“That sounds fine.”  Elisheba stood with her plate in her hands. “Should I bring the tart?”

“Leave it for Jaromir, like a tease,” Tylda said with a grin.

Rune chuckled while she shook her head. “I don’t know if he’d appreciate that.”

“He’ll be fine,” Elisheba chuckled and went to the kitchen counter.

“Yeah, trust us, we know him.” Tylda kept her grin while she stood. She wandered over to the kitchen space then cleaned up.

“Okay,” Rune murmured. She stood then wandered to the window opposite from the kitchen. Her eyes narrowed while she looked out at the path. The strange hat up high in the air caught her attention despite the dim nature of the landscape. “Is that him?”

“Where?” Tylda slid over to the window in the kitchen. She blinked as she craned her neck. She chuckled when she noticed the six and a half feet tall figure. “Oh, yes, that’s him.”

“Curious.” Rune walked over to the door. She pulled it open then waved her arm. “Here!”

Cocking his head, the young man looked down the lane in the direction of the voice. A broad smile took his lips. “There you are!” With a quick step, he made his way to the door. He took off his hat and ducked while he looked down at Rune. “Miss Rune? Bertfried sent me.”

“Welcome, Jaromir is it?” Rune nodded then gestured inside. “Please, come in.”

“Thank you.” He held the hat in both hands. As he entered, he chuckled at the sight of the two teens his own age already in there. “I’m last again.”

“We left you a tart,” Elisheba said.

“Part of one,” Tylda corrected.

Jaromir smiled while he glanced around the interior of the bungalow. “Any is better than none, thank you.”

Rune shook her head softly. She made sure the door was shut. “We were just about to leave.”

As he tilted his head to the side, the shaggy white hair brushed over his face. Part of his hair was pulled up, as if it went inside of his hat to help keep it on his head. “Oh? Where to?”

“The proper home,” Rune replied. She walked around the fire pit to the other side. She put her hand square in the middle of the other door. “The mansion is at the end of the path. I only want those who are guests of mine to go there. Everyone else waits here.”

“What about us?”

Rune smiled at Jaromir. “Guests include you. The triplets are also able to come in of course.” Her smile faded while she scowled. “Seven and his cohorts aren’t allowed on my property.”

“We don’t like him either,” Tylda said with a scowl.

“Really?”

Elisheba bobbed her head. “Yes, we try to avoid him whenever possible.” She smiled faintly and circled over to the seats. She picked up her hat then placed it on her head. “We weren’t going to say anything, but since you did...”

“I see,” Rune murmured.

“We won’t see him here, though.” Jaromir nodded.

“He might skulk around,” Rune said with a slight cough. She glanced from one face to another. Her hand fell from the door to its handle. “The spirit of contracts seems to have some perverted fascination with me. If he comes around command him to go in my name. If nothing else it’ll remind him he can’t have everything he wants.”

“I don’t want to upset him, but at the same time putting him in his place is a good thing.”

Rune looked at the man. With a chuckle she bobbed her head. “You get my meaning then. Come on, let’s go to the mansion. It’s getting late.”

“I can’t wait to see where we’re sleeping!”

Rune shook her head as she opened the door. “It’s not much, Tylda. I tried to fit as many people in as possible.”

“So...is there a lot to dust?”

“Yes.”

Tylda sighed while she shook her head. “At least it will keep me out of the kitchen.”

“That’s my job,” Elisheba said.

Chuckling softly, Rune went out of the door. “I’ll show you everything. Say, Jaromir, what do you do?”

“Gardening.” Jaromir nodded and put his hat on his head. He stepped over to the kitchen then picked up the tart. Using his fingers, he ate it out of the tin as he followed the group out of the bungalow.

“Oh good. You can help clear out the snow during winter.” She eyed him. “My last, bless her soul, was shorter than Elisheba.”

Jaromir stopped short at the sight of the overgrown garden. “How did that work?” He shoved the last of the tart into his mouth.  

“Tunnel first, sometimes only,” Rune chuckled. She led them to the front door. She pulled it open. “You can hang your stuff up on the structure to the left.” She hadn’t worn anything more than her usual winter clothing, so she just switched from boots to slippers.

Elisheba set her hat on the shelf then assisted Jaromir in the same. When she took her coat off, a brown vest over a red polka dotted white dress. A red cincher kept the vest tight to her torso.

“That’s cute,” Tylda commented.

“You like it?”

Tylda nodded. “It looks better than that blue outfit you had on before.” She took off her coat. She wore a long white shirt under her short black dress. The dress had darting that made it fit her body’s curves perfectly. Under the skirt another frilly white skirt showed.

“Thanks,” Elisheba said.

Rune chuckled again as she locked the door. “Anyway, after dark I like to settle things down for the night.”

“I see stairs,” Jaromir commented. He nodded to the right along the opposite wall.

“Yes, and in the opposite corner of the mansion is more stairs.” Rune walked from the door to the wall directly across from it. “The floor plan is in the shape of a rectangle. A rectangle going the other way is set inside of it for the open area. The actual closed in areas, except for the dining room, are on the north and south.” She gestured one way then the other as she spoke. “North is first a storage room, next a library, and finally the dining room. South is first the guard’s room, bathroom, and then a seating area that includes a bar.”

“Oh my, that’s a lot,” Tylda said.

“Where is the kitchen?” Elisheba asked.

Rune gestured past the stairs. She turned and walked around the corner on that side. “It’s on the western side of the house. This is the most common way to come. On the other side are many couches for people to sit in and chat without having to watch the preparations.”

“So we should take guests along the library side?”

“Please,” Rune said with a nod. “Otherwise they have to come through the kitchen. It can be a bit roundabout at times, but I don’t want to have the food messed up on accident or someone burned.”

“That makes sense,” Elisheba said. She glanced behind the stairs between it and the chimney in the dead center of the mansion. There was storage there where a good majority of things rested. She turned her attention to the kitchen to their left. “Oh! It’s nice and very spacious.”

“I tried to plan something nice.” Rune grinned softly. She gestured straight ahead at the cabinet. “Here, Tylda, the dishes are in this piece of furniture here.”

The new maid went straight to it. She looked from the bottom cabinets to the top cupboards. “There are a lot in there. Are we expecting company?”

“I can fit a dozen people in the mansion with room to spare.” Rune chuckled and gestured to the table in the dining room. “The table has eight chairs, though, as you can see.”

“Not everyone comes at the same time.”

“That’s right, Jaromir,” Rune said with a nod. “I tried to fill up the stores as best I could for us. We’ll have to make trips into Mintha, though.”  

“It’s fine,” Jaromir replied. He grinned while he walked over to the kitchen. He diverted between the wooden island and the counter. He went to the sink and put the tin from the tart into it.

“We’ll do what we can,” Elisheba added. She went past Jaromir then circled around the island to the ovens. She coughed lightly at the dust that fell from the ceiling. “First of all these all need a good cleaning.”

Rune folded her arms across her waist while she watched them. “Thank you... So, I know where some of you are from. Let’s go around the room. How about it?”

Elisheba blinked while she looked over her shoulder. “I’ll start. I’m from Sharne.”

“I’m from Lower Tsubasa,” Tylda chirped.

Jaromir added, “I’m just from Tsubasa. I have both Upper and Lower in me, along with Sharne farther back.”

“That does explain some things,” Rune said with a nod. She smiled while she looked from one face to another. “I’m glad to have you all here.”

“I’m glad to be here.” Jaromir grinned at her. He wiped his face off with the back of his hand.

Tylda skipped over to the counter. She plucked up a dishtowel. Then she smacked his arm with it. “Clean up with this silly!”

“Hey!” Jaromir scowled and snatched the towel from her. “Don’t hit me.” He slid over to the sink. Then he leaned over it, pumping out the water. He cleaned his face off next.

“Sorry,” Tylda said. Her tone didn’t sound like she meant it, though.

“No fighting in the kitchen,” Elisheba and Rune said in unison.

Then the group laughed. Rune pulled out a pair of brooms and a mop from a closet. Handing those over to the three newcomers, they made short work of the mess there. Once they were done with the kitchen, the four traveled to the second stairway. Upon going up, Rune resumed the tour.

“Here on the second level I have all of the bedrooms.” Rune gestured north then south along the wall. “I have the male servants’ quarters and the female servants’ quarters here. In the southeast corner is my room. The last corner has a room just for guests to live in.”

“I see,” Tylda said. She paid special attention to these, since it was she who would have to clean and keep up. She glanced at the central space. “What’s in here?”

“Those are public bathrooms. The female one is on the south side while the male one is on the north side. I and the guests’ suite have private ones.”

“So I’ll be alone?”

Rune turned from Tylda to Jaromir. “Do you mind? Each space inside of the big room has a curtain that can be pulled across to make it a separate room.”

“Rooms within rooms,” Jaromir murmured.

“I don’t mind,” Tylda said.

Elisheba joined in, “I don’t mind either.”

Jaromir shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I just hope the beds are long enough.”

“If you need a longer one then by all means let me know.” Rune bobbed her head. “I’ll make sure you have one.”

“Thank you, Miss Rune.”

“Just Rune is fine,” she replied with a wave of her hand. “If you insist I won’t object...often.”

Tylda giggled faintly. “Yes, Rune.” She skipped over to the door of the bedroom. When she pulled it open, she looked into the space. Noting four beds with storage walls in between, she bobbed her head. “I like what you did with it.”

“Where do you want?”

“I want a window!” Tylda ran over to the southern wall. She pondered as she glanced between the two sides. “Um...”

Elisheba chuckled while she joined her. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t decide between east or west.”

“Let me help.” Elisheba wandered into the western side. “Mine.”

“Hey! That space is a foot wider! I’m taller, so I should have more room.”

“Not necessarily.” Elisheba smirked while she plopped down on her bed. “You only said you wanted a window.”

“She’s right.”

Tylda pouted while she put her hands on her hips. She glanced at the man as he was the one who spoke. She turned to the eldest woman since she had the most power. “May I have the space, Rune?”

“Sorry, she claimed it.” Rune shook her head. “Besides, she was here first out of all of you.”

“Fair’s fair,” Jaromir said. He turned then wandered across the long space between the rooms. “I’m going to pick out my place to sleep.”

“Goodnight,” Rune called. “Tomorrow morning we’ll meet again to talk about chores and such.”

“Yes Rune.”

With the announcement given, the servants went to set up for the night as Rune retired to her room. Hers and the guest suite were the best places to be. Though it wasn’t completely broken up she had a bathing space that made up a quarter of the space, a study, and a sleeping space. There was plenty of room in the mostly open floor plan for other things too. A large window faced towards the eastern bungalow. Rune went to the window and stared out for a while before she finally retired.

The new morning found each servant at work before Rune had to prod them. Though they hadn’t fully moved in yet, the three young adults wanted to prove their worth. The cleaning was done before Rune thought it could be. The triplet avatars had chosen well for their friend. Now she had support at home; all that Rune needed now was support outside of her home for the fight to come.

Over the winter Rune plotted more than she acted. The weather was just too brutal. The season had record snowfall. Not much of anything happened even during the next season. Spring saw floods from the amount of melted snow. The summer and autumn crops were extremely plentiful, however. The entire country of Tsubasa seemed to be at peace, but it was only a matter of time before the mood of the people would begin to change.

Sneaking out into the city for a quick review, Rune hid her face with her cloak. Even though she wasn’t one of the hated people, her gray skin still made her a bit of an oddity. Very few people in this time had it. The air of distrust around the entire country made it difficult for anyone with a different appearance to move freely.

While Mintha was considered a forest city, most of the people lived far from the woods. As the city grew in numbers, so did the rows of stone buildings northwards into the barren lands. It was still set up in a hierarchy where the rich lived closest to the woods while the poor lived on the outskirts.

Rune stepped out of the forest.  Though her heritage and connections could make her elite, she didn’t dress like one. Under her cloak, a black top and skirt covered just enough to be considered decent. For the first time in a while, Rune let her limbs show. With it, her tattoos were revealed. Scarring blurred the words, leaving them as twisted ladders from wrist to shoulder and ankle to hip. She had a script on her back too, but very few people had the privilege to see that part. Rune pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders. A slight breeze pulled a chilly breeze through the air.

Despite the dropping temperature, the people of Mintha were out and about. Life had to be preserved, even if it was in the simplest of ways. The marketplace was packed with people.

Rune wandered down the street. It was odd to see the change from dirt to cobblestone. Her decision to take an extra long life rather than her normal lifespan made it hard to life in the moment. Pushing back thoughts of the first time she stepped through Mintha, Rune focused on the people who lived here now. While Rune searched for food to take home, she listened to the chatter around her.

“Did you hear?”

“No, what happened?”

“That abandoned building on the edge of the city is being cleaned up.”

“Weren’t there rumors about a girl that never aged living there?”

“Something like that, but it can’t be true.”

“Yeah, no one lives that long, not even the royal family.”

“It must be another family there.”

“Yes, it must be.”

While she listened, Rune’s nerves eased slightly. It still felt bad that she was only a rumor. I’ll have to be careful not to scare them. The last thing I want is for the people to turn on me. I have no need for their support, but it doesn’t hurt to be on their good side if worse comes to worse. Clearing her throat, Rune stepped over to a vegetable cart. “I’d like four pounds of each, please.”

“Of course miss,” replied the vendor. Smiling at her, he picked up one sizeable pumpkin. “Do you have your basket ready?”

“Alas, I do believe I’ll need a new one. Would you have one to spare?”

“Spare perhaps not, but if you’d like to buy one I could part with it.”

“That would be fine.” Nodding, Rune held out the payment in gold nuggets. “Would this be enough?”

“Oh, yes,” replied the vendor. Taking the gold with shaking fingers, he quickly hid them away in a pocket. A basket was emptied of mushrooms then filled up with turnips, radicchio, potatoes, and cauliflower.

“Thank you.” Smiling at him, Rune took the lone pumpkin in one hand and the basket in the other. Now that she was properly accessorized, Rune walked in and out of the other stalls just listening to the talk around her.

“I’ve heard they’ve slowed down on taking children.”

“The temples are probably full.”

“Don’t ask... We don’t want him to take an interest in us.”

“You’re right. It’s best left alone.”

“I still don’t like it. What are they doing in there?”

“Shh!” One figure leaned into the group, finger to their lips. “Don’t let anyone hear. They will come after you. It won’t be for anything good, that’s for sure.”

Frowning at the whispers, Rune ducked her head. They wouldn’t speak as freely if they knew they were being listened to. She kept her head down while she made her way to the end of the market.

“I hear they’re forming a rebellion.”

“Hush, don’t talk of it in the open.”

“But hiding won’t help.”

“It’ll keep you and me alive. His wrath is nothing to be messed with.”

“Fine, but I’m going to find out more about it, that’s for sure.”

Biting her lower lip, Rune turned at the end of the outdoor market. Walking back to the end, she kept her ears open for any more chatter. The talk was all about the stores at the market now. Rune turned her footsteps away from the middle of the street to the forest. She had to get home.

Combing through the wild area at the back of Rune’s land, Jaromir swept a sickle shaped rake along the walking paths. There weren’t many on the western side, but they grew the closer to the mansion they went. Chuckling faintly, the gardener glanced at the dying plants. “Not too many yet...”

“What?”

Glancing over his shoulder, Jaromir gazed towards the back of the mansion. “Not that many edible plants yet.”

Sighing softly, Elisheba walked away from the stone fence towards him. “That’s a pity.”

“Maybe next year?”

Nodding faintly, Elisheba pulled her shawl tightly around her shoulders. “I hope so; because we need to make more of our own food.”

“Don’t tell me that.” Shaking his head, Jaromir returned to slashing at the overgrowth.

“Why not? You have to eat too.”

“Nothing I can do about what’s going on. Talk to Rune.”

“You’re the gardener.” Elisheba frowned at him.

Walking through her land, Rune listened for any intruders. The only sound of people she heard was her new servants arguing. Shaking her head, Rune walked closer to the pair. “What’s going on?”

“Just a little argument about food,” replied Jaromir. He stopped his work. Leaning against his rake, Jaromir smiled at the two women.

“How are our stores?”

“Not good,” replied Elisheba. The tan skinned woman shook her head. “I see you brought more supplies from the market.”

“I did.” Rune handed over the basket then took the pumpkin in both hands. “We need them.” She looked from Elisheba to Jaromir. “How do things look?”

“Maybe in the spring we’ll have proper growth for enough edible plants to sustain ourselves.” Shrugging, Jaromir picked up his rake again. “I’ll work on it as long as I can.”

“Very well, thank you.” Nodding, Rune looked at Elisheba. “Let’s get these inside. Will they work for dinner?”

“Oh, yes,” replied Elisheba. She wrapped her arms around the basket. “These will do wonderfully.”

“Come back inside when you’re done,” said Rune. She glanced at Jaromir then walked away with Elisheba.

“I will.” Watching them travel into the mansion, Jaromir slashed at the overgrowth. He would keep to his promise the best that he could. The gardens would be restored. Right now, though, winter was coming. The plants would die then be reborn in the spring. It was then that Jaromir’s talents would really shine.