The Home Stone

The first streaks of dawn caressed the eastern horizon as the farm, home to Roma, appeared. Wasting no time Roma rode the horses up to the barn door and entered. Unsaddling the steeds, she quickly stowed away her belongings and carefully made her way to the back of the house. Looking around and seeing all was as it should be, she entered the house. She sat at the kitchen table and ate the last of her food and washed it down with some cool water that she had brought in from the outside pump. She then made her way to the front room and sat next to the window, so she could see who the riders were that had stayed some distance behind her.

Her mind wandered. Suddenly she realized that Rowan was not there. She hadn’t seen him in the barn, or out in the field and he certainly was not in the house. Maybe he had gone into town for supplies.

Roma began to doze in her chair. The ride had been tiresome, but the sound of the horses’ hoofs trotting on the hard packed road woke her. As she had guessed, the riders were none other than four-warrior woman dressed in forest clothing with bows slung over their shoulders and swords attached to the sides of their saddles. Shrinking back from the window Roma began to reach for her weapons, but the riders just rode past and out of sight.

She watched for a while and even checked the back door to see if they had found out where she lived, but there was no one in sight. Relieved, Roma sat back down and with her long dagger in her hand, and began to fall asleep. Suddenly a noise coming from the back of the house startled her. Moving carefully and as quietly she made her way to the kitchen and peered out the small window. There in the shadows she could see someone moving about the entrance of the barn. Clutching her bow and notching an arrow Roma made her way outside and crept over to the barn. She could hear someone moving about inside. They were making too much noise to be the ones that were following her unless they weren’t expecting to see her here. Within a split second she slipped past the entrance and into the dark barn.

Letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, Roma began to see two people standing and peering into the stable where she had left the horses. Drawing back on her bow she approached the two. When Roma was close enough she ordered the two to raise their hands and slowly turn towards her. Startled, the two turned and faced Roma.

“Roma?” came a familiar, but shaky voice. “Is … that … you?”

“Tom?” she called. “Who is that with you?”

A squeaky little voice answered. “Melba …Horshone …”

Lowering her bow Roma stepped forward and greeted the two and then beckoned them to come over to the house. Once inside she explained what had happened and that she would need their help. After hearing Roma’s account, as to what happened on her trip here, the two listened intently to what she wanted them to do.

“What happened to Rowan?’ asked Roma.

“He said he had to go to Water’s Edge.” Replied Tom. “He wanted to meet you there.”

“How would he?...” Roma began and then stopped. She now remembered the familiar voice on the side of the road back near Water’s Edge. He had known that she was returning, but … how? Then it donned on her. Rowan must be from the Snow Lands and not from Rogalandt. That’s why he had a hard time adjusting to the heat this far south, but he always said that he hated the barbarians and the Valcorans. This did not make any sense. She had only met him about a year ago and after a short romance the two married and settled down. It also explains why he never wanted to come to any of the yearly reunions and even when it was held at her farm he managed to disappear for the duration until the friends were gone. He then would reappear with some excuse of being delayed waiting for a merchant or someone else. Could it be that he was spying on her and the four others, reporting back to his superior? In hindsight, it all seemed quite probable and by now his report would be on its way to whomever he reported to.