Willow's End - Jera Skyspear
Elvish words/phrases linked to Glossary OR hover mouse to see translation.
Curious Correspondence part six

Jera heard the man's voice but wasn't really listening. She nodded out of courtesy and continued to run her hands along the bow. It was an unstrung stave now and the wear of it spoke of many years, perhaps ages, of regular use. Yet, it had been waxed or oiled and well cared for along the way. It was still flexible and could likely be strung to loose an accurate arrow even now.

Ashe admired the longbow, also recognizing it as fine elven workmanship, but he sensed that Jera was reading something more from it, something weighing on her. Her hand curled around the riser. Where once it had been bound in leather for a secure grip, there was now only the lighter coloration in the wood. She let her other hand brush across the elvish script burned along the back of the limb.

"We tried to draw that out for someone to read but I never heard back about what it says. Those are your letters, are they not? I'm not meaning to say all elfolk are the same, but it's all sort of strange in the same way and..." Vosper felt his foot was in more than his boot so he just puffed on his pipe. But, Jera nodded and Ashe did too. She offered, "Tursarin, it says. Tis a name." Yes, not only was it a name in elvish, but in Sithryn elvish. She left it there and Vosper did not ask further. He could also see that there was more to this than an old longbow for her. He had in fact hoped that would be the case. He wanted to get it to a rightful owner, if not 'the' owner.

Jera turned the longbow to see the face, the inside curve of it. She found what she expected but there was no joy in it. She knew this journey would be reminiscent of Sandaeren and that loss. She had not thought for a moment that she'd have her hands on a remnant of her destroyed clan.

She followed a shallow carved symbol with her fingertip. It was a circle with a jagged notch cut through it. She then looked up to Ashe who nodded, then to Vosper who arched a curly brow. Leaving Ashe to hold the bow, Jera lifted her hand toward her shoulder and pushed aside her hair and the folds of her draped hood, revealing her silver clasp which was the symbol of her clan and very much like that on the bow, a circle with a jagged lightning bolt shot through it.

"Yes!" Vosper puffed, his face momentarily behind a thin cloud of smoke, "That's why I thought I should find ye!" He slapped his chest and shook his head, "What an addled old man I've come to be. I could have told ye that right off had I recalled it. Yes, that bit there puzzled me for a long while, like I'd seen it afore but hadn't. Me and my fellow, Gatsmith, were thinking maybe twas a clan mark or such. Well then, after he told me what his elf friend said, I remembered where I'd seen that thing there, that whatever it is, storm sign. That, milady, is what brought me to ye... or rather brought ye to me, I reckon." He sat back into his chair and again shook his head, muttering, "A few months gone and half a man's memory goes with it."

Amazingly, Hildith had been quiet through all of this. She was quite frankly fascinated by the two visitors themselves. Her father-in-law had described such persons but she was still surprised upon meeting them. Once she got over her nervousness and the need to be a hostess, she was free to watch their every move and listen to every word. But, her father-in-law's outburst awoke her from reverie. Then, when he seemed to be picking on himself, well, she had to catch him on it. "Now Da, that thing's been buried in the pantry for nigh on a year and yer a far sight better than me on most days, so let's hear none of that."

Jera rested the bow with her hands upon it, though Ashe noted the tension in her knuckles where her fingers wrapped around the riser. She purposefully looked up and smiled softly to Hildith and then to Vosper, "She is right. Do not chide yourself for living long enough to have time or memory go missing now and then." She was working rather hard to sound calm and pleased with Vosper's find, while the entire thread of possible events laced through her mind. "Did you say you might have the elf friend's missive?"

He leaned forward in his chair, brows furrowed as he looked again along the bow and its previous wrapping. "I'd have sworn it was in there, if not with the others, milady."

Nodding with a soft smile, as though it was not important, Jera began to wrap the muslin around the longbow again. Ashe assisted of course and she quietly thanked him, holding his gaze a moment. Unspoken sentiment passed between them, for she could read his veiled concern and he could read her muted distress. But, now was not the time.

"As you have seen," Jera spoke as lightly as she could manage, "This bow is indeed something of my people. I thank you for telling me of it and letting me see it. If you do intend for me to have this, I am very glad for it. I would like to buy it from you and for enough coin to cover what you've surely spent in finding out about it and in finding me."

"I'll not hear another word on that." Vosper pointed the stem of his pipe at her, demonstrating his sincerity but with good humor, "It has given me something to puzzle at now and then, over some years even. Always good to have a thing like that, a quest even without too much adventure. Just wanted it returned whence it belongs, I reckon." He grinned and reached out to pat Jera's arm. "Asides, we had a friend between us once. I have missed him and you, milady." He paused and looked to Ashe, hastily adding, "No offense, milord."

"None taken." Ashe smiled warmly with an acknowledging nod.

"So," Vosper was glad he hadn't riled the fellow. "I've gotten more from that bow than I could buy, just looking after it and sharing it with someone who knows it, eh?"

Jera shook her head slowly as she smiled at Vosper, "You are still as kind as ever and... I thank you." Her hand smoothed along the bow shape in the muslin. "If you wouldn't mind, I feel we should get back to the inn and rest a bit. We'll be heading back to Camelot on the morrow." As she began to stand, Ashe took the wrapped longbow for her and stood as well. Vosper rose and bowed once again. Hildith tried to get them to stay for a bit of a noon meal but Jera politely declined. In truth, Jera just wanted to get out into the cold air as soon as possible.

"If you find anything else to do with the bow, you are welcome to send it directly to Camelot. I intend to stay put for a while." She gave Ashe a crooked little grin, enough for Vosper and Hildith to get the gist of its meaning. With much protest at their leaving, Hildith led them through the short main room again and bid them a safe journey at the door.

Jera was silent as she and Ashe walked back through Thetford. He said nothing to disturb that silence. The day was fully up and shining warm upon soft ground, though the air was still quite cold. Winter birds tagged each other in and out of bare hedge rows. Dogs and children played somewhere out of sight. A few people were moving about the streets, and being fairly discreet while sneaking looks at the tall pair walking toward the inn, with a long muslin sack resting on the gentleman's shoulder.

The pieces of a dark puzzle were trying to come together in Jera's mind.

DHP and Bill West © Jan 2003

NEXT in series
or Select From Menu