Gift of the Wise Woman

 

‘Well, the lock tumblers did turn, but the damn thing still won’t open. It’s got to be magic.’ Tanner Hawkwood had an annoyed look on his face.

 

‘Well, there aren’t any mages in this burial ground, so lets get this chest out of here and find someone who can break the spell.’, said Faolan.

 

And so they sat in the kitchen of Madame’s brothel. Annah was no where to be found. ‘Come to think of it, there are a lot of people who are hard to find.’ thought Tanner. There wasn’t another mage to be found in the Ferry, so the boys went to the only one aside from Annah that they knew.

 

When then boys went to Madame to inquire about the chest, she had said she would be glad to help them. ‘Are you sure you’re not interested in some other kind of chest?’ she said in a cooing voice. As if by thought, her robe seemed to open slightly. Tanner reddened slightly. Faolan, for once, was the serious one. ‘This trip isn’t about pleasure, all though another trip can be arranged afterwards. We need this chest opened.’

 

Madame pouted. ‘Oh, all right. I’ll open this chest. It’s a surprise engineer boy over there didn’t take an axe to it when he found that after he picked the locks he still couldn’t open it.’ Tanner looked at her sourly. ‘Don’t feel so bad, Tanner. Magic and women are beyond your understanding.’ Tanner looked even more disagreeable, if it was possible. ‘Come back in a few days, and I’ll turn your frown upside down.’ Madame had a sly grin on her face.

 

The next day Faolan and Tanner drove the wagon up behind the house. ‘Robb damn this thing is heavy’, muttered Tanner. ‘I hope this is worth it. ‘

 

‘If it’s a gift from Miss Macon, it ought to be. Has she ever steered us wrong?’ Faolan looked at him quizzically. Tanner had to agree with him. ‘You seem on edge. ‘Tazzo the Terrible’ isn’t around to bother, or maybe that is what bothers you. Every contraption you build seems to work okay. We came out of the funeral fine. What’s on your mind?’

 

‘Well, Queen Bexar has been on my mind. You’ve known me long enough to know she’s always on my mind. But what Miss Macon told us about the chest… she makes it sound like there is some great decision to be made about what we pull out of it. It’s not like I am looking for a magical miner water flask, all though on second thought I might go quest for such an item of power. We can take two things from the chest. What if I see a suit of armor, a sword, and a shield and I can’t make up my mind? These aren’t decisions to be made lightly.’ Tanner’s face softened.

 

‘I’ve had the same thoughts about the chest. I’ve never had such treasure. But Miss Macon wouldn’t have led just anyone to this chest.’ Faolan was speaking sensibly and logically. This was too weird.

 

‘Yeah you’re right. Let’s get this inside.’ Tanner’s mood lightened a little.

 

Madame sauntered in a less flimsy robe than usual. ‘Morning boys.’ She casually walked over to the chest and took a look at it. If her mood had been casual, it changed. ‘Where did you get this, if you don’t mind me asking?’

 

Tanner sat mutely and let Faolan do the talking. ‘None of your Robb-damned business’, thought Tanner. It was good he kept his mouth shut.

 

Faolan explained in more polite terms that the original location of the chest was "up North", implying that this knowledge was on a need to know basis, and she didn’t need to know. Surprisingly, she didn’t throw a fit. Madame said, ‘Let me see what I can do’, said Madame. So she tried to open the chest, but failed. This went on for a half hour. She had a perplexed look on her face. ‘I am going to have to consult some books on this down in the library. I’ll be an hour. Make yourself comfortable’.

 

So Tanner and Faolan wiled away more than an hour. An hour became two hours. Two became three. Tanner thought intently on the contents of the chest. A new suit of armor would be good. Faolan had been harping on him to speand some gold and get a new suit of armor. Tanner’s old suit was getting worn out. A new sword? His old one was good steel, but if he could get something to give him an edge, it would help. A new shield? Something enchanted against magic would be nice, but truth be told, Tanner always felt that cold steel in a mage’s gut was the best protection against magic. What about something that could help me and others? Something that would help the frontier. This was a good idea. He hoped he could think of something.

 

Tanner started to get drowsy, and was soon asleep. When Tanner slept, he sometimes dreamed of life as a child on the farm. Other times he dreamed of machines, some of which he could recognize, others he could not. More often than not, water-wheels and cranes were in his mind. But this time it was different. For some reason, he dreamed of the fight at the Black Stone Swamp, where the Bears had made their final stand. The one thing that stood out was the banners. The Bears had a banner, though it wasn’t much of one. The Red Legs used them for organizational purposes. He didn’t dream of the details of the battle, but he didn’t have to. He’d replayed the battle a thousand times in his mind. No, he just kept seeing the flags, over and over again.

 

That dream ended and another began. He saw the symbols of the dead Bexari nation, interspersed with scenes of children playing amongst the piles of the dead. Tanner’s mind shifted and he saw pictures of demons on flags in the Underworld. In most men, Alexei's banners would strike fear into their hearts. His mind shifted again. He saw a monster on a white banner, not like those of the underworld. The men carrying the banner were Rios. His mind jumped again. Now Tanner was in Bardstown, wrestling a giant Norseman. The wolf’s head tattoo on his shoulder matched that on a banner near his tent.

 

Tanner snapped out of slumber when a serving girl came in with fresh tea. ‘Madame will be along shortly. She is sorry for the delay. It is taking her longer than she thought’. Tanner and Faolan acknowledged her and drank the tea. About 30 minutes later, Madame came back in. It was about two hours before midnight.

 

‘Do you want to open the chest tonight?’, said Madame.

 

Tanner and Faolan looked at each other, and with expressions that looked identical, said ‘yes’.

 

‘We’ll have to close the house for the night. It will cost 1000 silver.’

 

‘Not a problem’. It was as if the boys were of one mind.

 

‘Let me clear the place out. We’ll head down to the chest once everyone is gone.’ Madame exited to the front. The clients put up protestations, but one look from the guards got them out. The girls were worried about their money, but when they were assured they would get their money, they headed up stairs. One or two tried to get Faolan to come up, but for once, he was not listening. After sometime, Madame and the boys headed down a set of stairs.

 

The first stairs were stone. The further down they went, the rooms became earthen with stone steps. Tanner began to wonder if this was ever going to end. Eventually they came to a room that was stone. The walls were lined with books. Tanner looked at the titles. Most were written in languages he didn’t know. A few odd symbols he recognized, a title here and there. But most of it was mumbo-jumbo. Truth be told, Tanner didn't want to know what most of them were about.

 

Madame bade them to sit down. She then began to speak.

 

‘I don’t know how you acquired this chest. And now, I am not sure I want to know. This is the Chest of Longing. The chest has existed since time immemorial. It was used to reward those who performed great feats of valor. It will give you two items that you ask of it. The items should be objects. Don’t ask for something like the downfall on Anglia. You can’t be sure of what you will get.

 

You don’t have to open it tonight. It will always wait for you, until you either take the gifts, or you are dead.

 

Remember, heroes’ hearts are not often sound of mind and pure of heart, but when they perform their deeds, they are at their most noble. Your hearts must be the same when you open the Chest.

 

Once you get your items, you can get nothing from it. No one else will be able to get anything from the Chest until you give it to them. Be careful who you give the chest to. It may cause them great harm. The Chest was intended as a gift for King John of Anglia. I think that a bad choice was what the Council hoped for.

 

What are you going to do?’ Madame looked serious. Tanner had never seen that before.

 

Tanner looked at Faolan, who returned the look. Tanner had begun to grasp the seriousness of the situation. It looked as if Faolan had similar notions. ‘Open it? I am ready’, the Red Wolf asked.

 

‘Yes. Since you took us out there, you get the first choice’, Tanner said quietly.

 

Faolan moved towards the chest and began to speak. Tanner couldn’t hear a thing; the room was filled with a throbbing roar that overwhelmed the senses. For once, Madame looked scared. Into the chest reached Faolan. When his hand came out, his fingers clutched the hilt of long, slim, beautiful blade. Frehitnsang, he said under his breath. He turned to Tanner, "it means 'Song of Freedom". The throbbing noise subsided, but there was still an audible hum in the air.

 

‘So far so good’, thought Tanner. He stepped to the chest to open it. The roar returned. Tanner began to speak. He could hear himself clearly, though the others could not. All other sound was gone.

 

‘I wish for a sword that will help me strike down evil and to free the oppressed’. His hand went into the chest. He felt around and placed his hand on a sword hilt. Faintly on the blade, he read the script, ‘Ferrum iurisdicti’. He didn’t know the language, but he understood it to mean ‘Sword of Justice’.

 

The noise subsided again, and Tanner looked at Faolan. ‘Are you ready for your second choice?

 

‘I don’t think so. This is much to bear. What about you?’, said Faolan.

 

‘I am ready’, said Tanner. Again he strode to the chest. The flags of Bexar, Anglia, the Rios, and the Norsemen came to his mind. The roar returned. ‘I want a banner. This banner will hearten the men I lead in battle, and strike fear into the hearts of my enemies.’ His hand went into the chest. Tanner felt around and his hand grabbed loose cloth. He pulled his hand out.

 

Once in the light, Tanner, Faolan, and Madame saw a piece of green cloth. It was green linen, but it felt stronger than any linen he was familiar with. He let one end fall to the floor. Tanner eyes opened a bit wider than normal, but a look of knowing came upon his face.

 

On the banner was a golden dragon. The dragon was sitting on its haunches, with a defiant look on its face. Instead of being stitched into the fabric, the dragon was part of the fabric. ‘As if the dragon were one with the fabric’, Tanner thought. “I’ve never seen such sorcery’.

 

Curiously, once the banner was unfurled, a change came over Tanner. He felt confident. He felt filled with purpose, and any doubts that had been in his mind about going to the burial grounds on the Brown were gone. Any doubts about anything were gone. Faolan gave him a curious look, and Madame’s face betrayed a mix of emotions. Fear, longing, courage? Tanner wasn’t sure. He held it for a moment, and then furled the banner.

 

Faolan then strode to the chest. The roar returned. He spoke, opened the chest, and he pulled out…. A necklace? ‘What the hell is he thinking? Is he trying to impress Queen Anne with a gift.’ Tanner started to look cross again.

 

Once the chest closed, all noise stopped. Everything seemed calm. Madame looked at both of them and told them they had chosen their gifts well. ‘Maybe it’s a necklace of knowing when to shut up’, thought Tanner wryly. ‘Looks like he didn’t botch it.’

 

‘You can’t keep the chest here. It is too dangerous and would be bad for business. You can keep it here for the time being, but it must be gone by the end of the week.’ Madame started to look like her usual self.

 

‘We could bury it on the grounds of the Dragon's Garden.’, said Tanner.

 

‘That would be appropriate, but not necessarily wise.’, said Faolan. ‘I don't want treasure-seekers digging in such a place. Word would get out. Perhaps we could leave it in Miss Macon's care'.

 

'You know', Tanner said, 'something so well made might make a piece of nice furniture’.

 

‘Furniture?!’ said Faolan. ‘Do you plan to place your drawers in there Tanner? You’ve said some nutty things before, but this tops all.'

 

‘Madame, can you leave us for a moment?’, said Tanner. She left the room. ‘Let’s keep the chest out at East Point. We’ll know where it is. Who the Robb knows will go out to the Dragon's Garden and dig it up? I would think the garden might be safe, but that place should be quiet and calm. It should make one think. At best, families will visit the site and have Sunday picnics there. At worst, treasure hunters will dig the place up, if they live so long. No it needs to be somewhere safe, but where it can be useful. We could give it to Miss Macon, except for a few obvious facts that we know. If we keep it out at East Point, we can be sure that it will be given to someone who is worthy of such a gift. Besides, who would think to look for it out there? And it would make a nice kahveh table.’

 

‘A kahveh table? The Chest of Longing as a kahveh table? , said Faolan. ‘I don’t know.’

 

“Where else would you put it? I trust Samson and those Checotah more than half the folks in Brown’s Ferry to be respectful of the chest.’ Tanner looked serious.

 

Faolan thought for a moment. ‘Yeah, temporarily this might work’.

 

 

 

Tanner and Faolan made arrangements with Madame to pickup the chest and pay her the 1000 silver. When Faolan handed her 2000 silver, she was delighted. They loaded the wagon up. Tanner and Faolan drove it back to East Point .

 

As they pulled into East Point, Tanner noticed a rather thin, dark-haired woman doing some gardening. Samson and some Checots were building a long house. ‘Got yourself a squaw, old man?’ he hollered at Samson.

 

Samson wheeled around furiously with a look on his face. It would have cracked steel, until he saw Tanner. He then cracked a grin. ‘Oh, she was all out of sorts and needed some work. Got any ale?’

 

‘No’, said Tanner. ‘But I’ll get us some of the good stuff for Saturday night’.

 

‘Sounds like a plan. Is that chest what I think it is?’ Samson looked suspicious.

 

‘Yeah, but there’s no need to worry about it. Help me get it inside’. Tanner started to pull the chest off the wagon.

 

As the two men moved the chest inside, the squaw looked at them angrily. Faolan choked back a laugh, and made a point of not looking at the grumpy, scrawny woman. He knew there was a surprise in store for Tanner.