The Tale of Sir Brennen of Kelgrey • I

Hello?

Oh yes, come in. Have a seat. Would you like something to drink?

No? That's what they all say. I'm beginning to think if I want to get rid of this prune juice I'm going have to force it on people and then no one would want to visit me... Oh silly me, I shouldn't say things like that out loud. It gives me a bad reputation you know. So how was your walk over?

Yes, I think it's a long way too. Well, I like it out here, it's quite cozy, and as far as being secluded I like having trees all around me. And waterfalls.

What was that? No, the books don't get wet. I don't have that many to begin with. All the stories are in my head. Oh, is that why you're here? To hear a story? Well, I suppose I have time. Let me think a moment.

You want one about a prince you say? Why's that?

Ah, another lonely heart. Well I can cheer that right up.

Hmm? Why do I keep repeating what you say? Habit, I suppose. Perhaps one day I'll tell someone your story.

Of course it's interesting! Just because there aren't any princes in it doesn't mean it can't be exciting. I should know. I haven't met a prince in years and look at me!

Oh. Well, I suppose not everyone would happy leading my life. But that's why I lead it and not them. The waterfalls keep me company you know. They talk to me.

What waterfalls? What waterfalls? Can't you hear them? They're all around us! You've got one falling over you right now! And isn't it delightful.

Oh don't make up an excuse to leave. That's what most everyone does at this point. Do you want to be everyone? I think not!

No, I am not presuming to put words in your mouth. Now shut it and listen. I have just the story for you. It's not about a prince, but it's still wonderful. It doesn't take place in this year, though, or the last one. In fact, I believe it begins long, long ago...

***

We'll start in the mountains, for that is where the first action takes place. Actually, we'll start in the upper chamber of a tall tower, one of those that can only be reached by one of those ridiculously dizzying spiral staircases that is mandatory in such structures. For in this chamber lived a woman, about 16 years of age or so, with longish, blondish hair and a pale complexion. She had only lived there for a few days, but the few days were beginning to wear on her, first because she had not had an opportunity to bathe in twice that time, and second because she had not been able to change her dress. The combination led to a very smelly room, the pungency of which was only alleviated by the breeze that constantly swept in through one open window and out the other. Add oily hair along with starvation, and this woman was fairly miserable. So miserable, in fact, that she wasn't even wrinkling her nose as she attempted to tear through the rabbit that had been dropped unceremoniously through one of the windows a few hours earlier. Yes, at first she had rebelled against the idea of eating the creature raw, but the sad reality was that she had no fire and no knife and simply had to make do with her fingers or starve.

Princesses in towers. Her mother had told her a story of such a thing once, a long time ago, but those princesses had always sat at their windows and gazed out to the sky, waiting anxiously for their princes to come rescue them and carry them away. She glanced at the window and then glanced away. All there was to see out there was a slightly smoky sky and craggy black mountains. Damsel in distress, check. Tower, check. Dragon, check.

Rescue? Nope. Still lacking that last vital ingredient to the fairy tale. There really wasn't any use hoping. The only prince in her life was her younger brother, and at 8 years old he was hardly going to be galloping to save her. A bone broke beneath her fingers with a sickening crunch and she recoiled from the rabbit's carcass, horrified with what she now saw in herself. A king's daughter, eating something even the palace dogs would turn their noses up at. Her dress was torn and stained, her eyes red from tears.

A sound caught her ears from outside; it sounded like the dragon screeching. The wind intensified for a brief moment and she rushed to the window, squinting her eyes in an attempt to see through the smoke to the ground at the base of the tower. Could it be...a horse! A man on a horse! Rescue! The sound of scales on rock scraped through her thoughts as the dragon hurtled down from the towers peak onto the man below, fire blazing from it's jaws. No matter how hard she looked, she could barely see anything from then on for all the smoke. Fire swirled and occasionally she thought she saw the glint of a sword or some armor, and the dragon's screeches constantly pierced her ears. If they were low, she finally deduced, then the creature had the upper hand, but if they were high and keening, the man had struck a good blow. The battle went on for some time, but just when she was about to give up watching and go back to her rabbit, the dragon let loose a horrific bellow and there was a great crash. The smoke cleared somewhat after that to reveal the glittering remains, the scales all rubies and amethysts in the sunlight. She also caught the tail end of a gray cloak in her vision before it disappeared under the stones of the tower and realized with a gasp that her savior was coming up here.

She looked frantically about the room, saw the gutted rabbit on the floor, the flea-bitten mattress that passed for her bed, her own bloodstained gown and matted hair... And then came the knock on the door. Her voice stuck in her throat, her thoughts no longer of rescue but of utter humiliation. She made a vain attempt to wipe her mouth clean just before the handle turned and the door creaked open. And there he stood.

Thoughts of her own appearance fled when she saw him in the doorway, standing very tall for having just climbed the spiral staircase, armor glistening with golden dragon blood. He was very attractive in a rugged sort of way, with piercing gray eyes swept with locks of brown hair that strayed from under his helmet and strong hands that still gripped the hilts of his mighty sword--

"Well, come on then."

She started from her assessment at his voice, an oddly rough tone in it as he sheathed the sword and motioned for her to proceed him down the staircase. For a moment she stood dumfounded, until he spoke again, more harshly this time.

"Princess, that dragon is dead, but I do not know if there are any more in the near vicinity. We must hurry."

Prompted into action by his tone, she gathered up her skirts and moved quickly down the staircase, swaying a little at the bottom from dizziness. The man did not even pause, but brushed past her in the direction of a small cave. Running a little to catch up, she found him untying two horses, one a large black charger and the other a smaller bay mare. He handed her the reigns of the mare and swung up on the other one, guiding it out of the rocky crack and onto the rough path that led down the mountain. She stood dumfounded for a moment, holding the reigns uncertainly until he glanced back.

"Are you coming?"

Her mind cleared enough to scramble into the saddle and urge the horse up to a trot in order to keep up with him. The journey went much like that--trot a bit, walk a bit, trot a bit, walk... Bit by bit they made their way out of the mountains, and all the while she stared at the shield strung across his back. He didn't say anything to her and she didn't dare say anything to him. Under the rough tone was probably someone kind and charming...he was probably just tired from his battle...coming up with excuses for someone was rather easy, when he just saved your life. But the longer they went without speaking, the more she began to doubt herself. Come to think of it, he was probably a bit too old for her...and he didn't seem to be very good natured. Stubborn, too, and very stiff, a bit dull...

"We'll stop here for the night."

Stop? Oh, it was a ways to her father's castle. The journey didn't take very long in the claws of a flying dragon, but on the back of a horse through the mountains she supposed it could take several days. A small spark of hope ignited again: now he would have to talk to her! But the silence held as he lit a small fire, and she heard nothing as he left to find food and returned with two small rabbits, and nothing was said while he roasted them. Finally, as they were picking the last bits of meat off the bones and eating the last of the bread he had produced from his saddlebags, she managed to voice the question.

"Why don't you ever say anything?"

He raised an eyebrow and tossed a bone into the fire. "You haven't been very talkative yourself." She grew red at this and ducked her head, but then started at the new tone in his voice. "I'm actually rather surprised that it took you this long to say something. Most of the girls get over the trauma and start jabbering away at me as soon as I walk in the door." She looked up. He was grinning.

"Most of the... what do you mean?"

"This is my job, your highness. Slaying dragons and rescuing damsels in distress, then getting them home safely. As you've discovered, it's far less glamorous than the storytellers tell people."

She thought of the room atop the tower and shuddered. "Oh yes, I understand exactly what it's like now. At least...the damsel's part."

He let out a little laugh. "We have a way to go tomorrow, so you had better get some rest. There's a bedroll on your horse." As she tried to find a comfortable spot on the rocks, she watched him care for the horses, and by the time he spread his own bed out on the other side of the fire, she had drifted off to dreams of his daring rescue, spurred on by the fact that he wasn't a rude, stubborn mule after all.