SWNOVELS Chapter Where there's love, we are never alone
Toward the end of what was quite a pleasant meal, not much of a conversation was happening, which I didn’t mind. As for the three men that made the meal soon cleaned up the fire pit, as they started to move the stumps further away from the fire and replaced them with several mats.
Then covering them with blankets, which Terrance showed me where I was going to sleep, where it was close to him, with a slight space separating between us.
Kneeling on the mat I soon held the dagger in my left hand, seeing if he wanted it back, before I even asked he said “no, you keep that”.
Shrugging my shoulders, I placed it down on the ground next to where I was going to sleep. Before I laid down, I went and picked up my bag, placed as kneeled and sat down on the mat.
Which I then pulled out a small pillow that I use to put if I wanted to sit against a roughness of the trees bark. Placing the small pillow underneath my head, as I lay here contemplating on what I should tell my parents tomorrow, I see Terrance take one of the blankets, kneeled next to me as he slowly unfurled it on top of me, as he said leaning next to me, “trust in me when I say; don’t you worry, they will keep you safe as much as they keep me safe too”.
The sound of crickets and owls made their presence known. If I could only see and hug my brothers and parents before I drift off to sleep.
Laying here under the stormy night sky, with the crackling fire to my left of me it was only a matter of seconds I could feel my weight of eyelids become heavier. After everyone from the town was safe as they can be; Drake took the remaining the visiting horsemen who also assisted him, he took them back to his house for a late dinner, in paying a thank you for helping him out with the sudden emergency. Showing them where they can take their horses, and rest for the night, if they chose to stay.
After dismounting off their horse’s in the barn, they all soon fallowed Drake as he led them up to the house where his sons and mother was in the middle of preparing dinner, while nervously waiting for Alana.
“She’s never this late, what has become of her?”. The front door opens, in walks in Drake (the father) as followed by his guests. “Leeanna, Mathew, Thomas, dads home”, as he hung up his jacket on the coat rack, he did notice that Alana’s jacket wasn’t hanging but he shrugged thinking she might have put her jacket in her room.
Until “is Alana with you”, Leeanna asked from the kitchen which he answered with “no, why would she be?”, peeking around the doorframe of the kitchen, she then, having a now worried look on her face, as she immediately noticed that he wasn’t alone.
“Who, are they” she asked politely as she could, walking toward him. “Who are they, well these gentlemen are, our guests”. “On behalf of all of us, I hope this is in no inconvenience on your part”, as Elias tilted his head a little forward placing his chin to his chest, “oh, it’s not, we have plenty, please, make yourself comfortable”, she then added “BOY’s, come help you dad and his guest with their coats please”, followed by them “sure thing, will be right there”.
When they got close to the front door, it was then they both noticed, which in a surprise response the youngest said while nudging with his left elbow at his brother “awe cool, elves, look Mat we have elves in our house”, “I can see that, would you stop nudging me”.
“Here, here let me get your coats”, Mathew said as he walked away from his brother who was still in awe, “thank you, young sir”, “no problem, ooh need some help with those” he asked Elias when he notice them removed their bows from their shoulders, as they kept their swords in the sheaths still loped on their belts.
“There’s no need, we will put them, right here by the door, if that’s ok”, “sounds good to me”. In the meantime, they found a couple of chairs to sit in while they patiently.
It wasn’t long before they heard ‘soups on’ coming from the dining room.
Walking into the room they all saw the table with extra seating, as well as a plentiful of all sort of foods. Everyone took their place at the table, as Elias and his men waited patiently, as they didn’t know let alone intrude on their custom’s, watching the family held out both of their hands as they gently cuffing them together around the table, then bowing their heads.
Drake soon started the families grace ‘to our beloved one, we so are gracious to be in the presence of decent food, and good company, as we try to spread the willingness of hope and good faith onto others, that one day we all shall walk amongst our loved ones, who are looking down at us always’ as he and the three family members ended with ‘in your name’ under their, breathe ‘amen’. “Mathew, would you start the passing”, Drake said kindly, which in a short second Mathew said, “sure can father” picking up the closest bowl that was laying right in front of him which was a bowl of mashed potatoes, as he placed a glop of it on his plate, then he passed it to his brother who was on his left, in turn did the same, then the next plate of grilled chicken, and a bowl of fresh fruit.
As their mother Leeanna walked around the table filling each glass with homemade lemonade.
Which had a sweetness to it but not overwhelming, where Elias was quiet taken back at the quality of such drink. “Man, oh man, Alana is so missing out” Thomas stated with a mouth full of mash potatoes, “tough cookies” Mathew responded, “who is Alana may I ask” Elias asked politely, “oh she is our daughter”, Leeanna answered followed by Drake adding, “and she is late”.
Not wanting to admit it but his brother Terrance was also not with them, but remember seeing him take off on his horse toward a young girl that was trapped underneath a table.
Figuring that the young girl might be their daughter Alana, he smiled and said while holding up his semi empty glass of wine “have no fear my new friends, she is with my brother and his men, they will keep her safe, trust me as I trust in them”.
“Well in that case” Drake said, “bring out the desert”.