Chapter 26: Risoart Meets Margaret

        There was a knock on the door.  “Who is it?” Margaret asked.

        “Margaret, tt’s me, Brian,” came the answer.

        “Brian?  Where have you been?”

        “Let me in and I’ll tell you all about it,” Brian said.

        Margaret undid the bolt on the door, and saw Brian.  There was a man with Brian she didn’t recognize.

        “May we come in?” asked Brian.

        Margaret motioned them inside, and sat them down at the table.

        “Who is your friend?” she asked.  “I don’t recognize him.  Is he new to the mountain?”

        “What if I was?” the man asked.

        The man’s tone was inquiring, not hostile.  Margaret suspected he might be a new refugee from the forest, so Margaret answered him in a friendly manner.  “If you’re new, then I welcome you to the mountain,” she said.  “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you did in the forest.  If you’ve come to the mountain, then you’re one of the mountain folk now.  And we welcome you.”

        Margaret sat down at the table across from the two men.  “Can I get you anything to drink?” she asked.

        “Take another look,” the man said.  “Are you sure you don’t recognize me?”

        Margaret studied his face for a minute.  “Should I recognize you?” she asked.

        “I guess I wouldn’t expect you to recognize me.  It was a long time ago, and we didn’t interact much.  But we both served at Castle Tauna about fifteen years ago.”

        Margaret’s heart skipped a beat.  She looked at Brian quickly for help, but then she saw that Brian was grinning at her maliciously.  

        “Those twin babies were supposed to be killed,” the man continued.  “Keeping them alive was treason.”

        “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Margaret said.  But her face betrayed her panic.

        “I think you do, Margaret,” the man said.  “Or should I say, Larentia.”

        Margaret recognized the man now.  This was Risoart.  But she didn’t say anything.

        “Where are the twins?” asked Risoart.

        “Didn’t Brian tell you?” asked Margaret.  “They’ve developed an independent streak as of late.  They are out forming armies and fighting monsters.  They never come by and visit me anymore.”

        Risoart looked at Brian.  “That’s only partly true,” said Brian.  “They may be off having adventures during the day.  But they’d never abandon their mother at night.  The nights on these mountains can be quite…,” Brian paused while he searched for the right word, “...unpredictable.”

        “So, we wait until evening,” Risoart said.  “Very well.”  He put his feet up on the table.  “Have you got anything to drink around here, Larentia?”

        Margaret stood up.  “Let me see what I can get you,” she said.  She walked quickly towards the door, but Brian grabbed her by the arm.

        “Not so fast,” he said.  Brian turned to Risoart.  “We’ve got to watch her.  She’s trying to get a warning out to the twins.”

        “We wouldn’t want that,” said Risoart.  “Larentia, you look tired.  Why don’t you take a rest in that bed?”

        Brian pushed Margaret roughly into one of the beds.

        Margaret sat in the bed and glared at them, but made no attempt to move.

        “It’d be better if she was gagged,” said Brian.  “That way she couldn’t call out to anyone.”

        “Good thinking,” Risoart said.  “Do it.”

        “And now that we’ve got this little cave secure, we should call in the other two men,” said Brian.  “We don’t want them waiting around outside for any longer than necessary.”