Silver lining
And up those cliffs they climb on a steep, narrow breakneck path that winds its way around huge boulders and across crevices spanned by wobbly rope bridges until the unusual hiking party finally makes it to the top. On their arrival the extraordinarily nimble halflings, who left their boots behind on the boat and are walking barefoot, their big, hairy feet apparently immune to cuts or bruising from the stony ground, are hardly out of breath while their human captives are wheezing and sweating profusely. Without the use of their hands climbing up the difficult path was quite a challenge for Yennefer and Cahir and the lack of sleep and food in combination with the lingering muscle ache did not make it easier for them, nor did the astonishing pace the short-legged halflings, who seemed to know every stick and stone along the way, were setting.
Surrounded by sea-buckthorn and gorse shrubs and a variety of other flowering plants well adapted to life on a cliff, the so-called 'queen's' so-called 'castle' looks almost picturesque in the late morning sun. Actually it is more a well-kept farm than a castle. Besides the main building they spotted from the beach there are several sheds, stables, a barn, something that might serve as a washhouse, and next to it - a little bakehouse? At least the smell of freshly baked bread coming from that direction suggests that it must be exactly that. A smell that instantly makes Yennefer's mouth water and her stomach rumble painfully. Sod it! Perhaps they could get a slice before being fed to that kraken?
The yard between the various buildings as well as several fenced-in areas are populated by all kinds of farm animals, chickens, wooly pigs, goats and sheep, a spotted pony grazing side by side with a shaggy donkey, and a huge black cat curled up in a sunny spot on a bench next to the green entrance door. Two happily barking, playful dogs of doubtful pedigree come running at their captors. All in all the place looks quite homely, almost like out of a children's picture book, and not at all like impending doom. If it wasn't for the ropes around Yennefer's and Cahir's wrists and the harpoons pointed at their backs, this might have been a welcome, even a welcoming sight.
The captain disappears inside the main house. Not long after she reappears, motioning the others to follow with their human captives. Soon Yennefer and Cahir find themselves inside a large, bright room furnished with a long, richly ornamented oak table and matching benches, chairs and cabinets, all of them fitting the size of the halflings, of course, and therefore much too small for any adult human. The ceiling is just about high enough for Cahir to stand upright without hitting his head.
An elderly female halfling is standing at the far end of the room next to the rocking chair in front of the fireplace. Her thick, almost white hair is braided and slung around the top of her head in a way that makes it look like a veritable, heavy silver crown. Together with the knitting things lying in the rocking chair and the ginger tomcat rubbing against her long, chequered woollen skirt she appears like nothing but a lovable and perfectly harmless grandmother. If it were not for the stern, disdainful expression on her only slightly wrinkled, weather-beaten face and her keen, piercing dark eyes that are looking the captives over as they are forced to walk towards her, no doubt taking in every detail of their current miserable existence.
"You two!" she eventually snarls at the humans towering in front of her, steel in her voice. "Who are you and what did you do on my boat? Explain yourselves!"
"We, my husband and I," Yennefer quickly begins while fighting the urge to laugh out loud at the absurdity of the whole situation, "are terribly sorry for intruding. We didn't mean to trespass and offer our heartfelt apologies." Cahir, momentarily surprised, moves a step closer to his alleged wife and nods affirmatively.
"Cut out the sweet-talk, honey," the 'Queen' reprimands sharply. "I'm not blind. You and your husband are on the run from the authorities. Why?"
"We helped elves escape an attack," Yennefer states, ignoring the woman's ironic undertone. "We're quarter elves ourselves," she continues trying to sound matter-of-factly and, at the same time, emotionally convincing, not an easy feat, especially not when you are lying through your teeth. "As soon as they're done with the full-blooded elves and half-elves they'll no doubt be coming for the quarter-elves. Maybe for the halflings, too."
"Hmm." The 'Queen' eyes Yennefer and Cahir up and down again, frowning appraisingly, pondering. Will she fall for the sorceress's lies? The hidden plea for solidarity with a persecuted race - a non-human race much like the halflings? The two captives hold their breath. Suddenly, the woman's features change and she starts to grin good-naturedly, the smile dimpling her cheeks and bringing forth a multitude of crow-feet wrinkles around her eyes. "Well, you two both are far too scrawny to use for kraken bait anyway."
Pimpinella and her brothers, who are holding the harpoons, are sniggering behind their backs. Even the captain's mouth curls into something almost resembling a smile. What the fuck? Why are they all grinning all of a sudden? Have they been had? Was the man-eating kraken in truth just a sailor's cock and bull story? A vicious prank to scare and to punish them for trespassing? Halflings, or at least these ones here, seem to have a quite peculiar sense of humour. Even so, in spite of the miraculous change of mood, not all is well yet. A small silver lining perhaps, but there is still the matter of the reward, probably a quite worthwile one. The halflings will hardly let this considerable sum slip through their fingers, will they?
"Hanno, Hauke, you can put down those harpoons now. Pimpinella, cut the ropes," the 'Queen' then orders to the captives' utter surprise. "If you swear never to set foot on The Blue Sea Cat again, you are free to go."
Well, former captives as it appears. Yennefer and Cahir nod in unison, far too perplexed by the sudden and totally unexpected favourable turn of events to say anything, let alone return the smile.
"Harry, get some tools from the shed, these manacles are too conspicuous," the elderly halfling continues, pointing at Cahir's wrists, not yet done with her orders. "They'd get our quarter-elven friends here arrested the instant they set foot into Gors Velen." She sits down in the high-backed chair at the head of the table. "By the way, I'm Regina Bibervelt. Please, have a seat."
"Lily. And Alexander," Yennefer, having recovered her wits enviably quickly, introduces herself and her companion and sits down on one of the benches, tugging at Cahir's shirtsleeve to make him follow her example. Which he does with a look of absolute incredulity and not a little difficulty as the bench is far too small for a man of his hight. Yennefer would not have thought it possible, but when the fisherman addressed as Harry returns with several pincers, files and some other tools and sets to work on the iron manacles, the expression of utter disbelief written on Cahir's face is intensifying even more. However, Yennefer is soon far too busy to continue observing her companion's countenance as she is gobbling down the delicious slice of still-warm-from-the-bake-house farmer's bread with butter that the fisherwoman whose name turns out to be Salvia, the wife of Harry Hofmeier, daughter of Regina Bibervelt and mother of Pimpinella, Hanno and Hauke, set in front of her, relishing every single bite of the divine nourishment. There is fresh goat milk with the bread and to Yennefer, after the many days of fasting, this simple meal tastes better than the most exquisite royal banquet ever has.
Although Harry Hofmeier is wielding his tools skilfully, it takes a while for the manacles to come off. But off they come and Cahir breathes a sigh of relief. The skin of his wrists is discoloured, rubbed sore and scabbed in places and overall not a pretty sight but at least it is not badly infected, and Salvia already has a jar with homemade calendula ointment at hand which she applies lavishly.
"Thank you," Cahir says simply, looking at his former captors as if still not quite believing what is happening. Then he, too, tucks in, the bread and milk quickly vanishing in his empty stomach.
"Not that I want to kick you out, Lily and Alexander," Regina Bibervelt, the 'Queen', says as soon as the last crumb has disappeared, "but, if you plan to get back to Gors Velen before dark, you'd better hurry. The path through the forest will take you to the most remote and least guarded city gate." She winks at them knowingly. "You can still make it before it closes for the night."
"Not a moment to be lost!" Salvia Hofmeier smiles, handing a bundle to Cahir that smells suspiciously of home-made bread. Then she ushers their two guests out of the house and points them in the direction of the path. "You can't go wrong. Fair wind and following seas!"
"And beware the kraken!"
They can hear the three young halflings giggle. Now that there is definitively a strong silver lining on the horizon, a good chance that they will make it out of the brotherhood's grasp in one piece, that all their suffering over the last couple of days and weeks has not been for naught, and, of course, that there is no danger of being devoured by a monstrous kraken at all, Yennefer and Cahir can finally smile at Pimpinella's farewell joke. At least a little.