Chapter Two
Freya woke to the soft chirping of birds in the trees outside. She could hear soft pattering of rain on the roof of her home, as it was always heard in Burmecia, the Kingdom of Eternal Rain.
Freya turned over onto her other side and spoke softly to her mate, "Fratley... Fratley, it's time we got up."
Fratley woke to the sound of her sweet voice and slowly turned to face her. In a sleepy voice he said, "Good morning, my love."
After they both woke up to full alertness, Freya, running her slender fingers through her lover's hair, asked, "So, what's on our agenda today, my dear Fratley?"
Thinking for a brief moment, Fratley responded, "There are statues that need to be stood up to their rightful place...." He paused, trying in his sleepy state to recall the important tasks that lay before the Burmecians in their past ruined kingdom. "Also," he continued, "there are more homes that must be repaired or built... Oh, my sweet Freya, will we ever finish rebuilding our kingdom... our home?"
Freya snuggled up to him and said, "Whether we do, or whether we don't, I'll be happy as long as I am with you."
Fratley sighed and said, "I just wish I had my memories of you... to remember the times we had together... I feel ashamed to have let this happen, to me, to do this to you... are you sure you're alright with me in this condition, Freya?"
Freya looked up at him and said, "You're still the same man I have loved and will love forever. It isn't your fault this happened to you... You love me again, and I love you: that is all that matters."
Again Fratley sighed, and said, "Oh, Freya, my lady, you're a gem - I'm so lucky to have you..."
A few hours later, Freya and Fratley were outside, helping a group of others raise a giant statue back into place.
"How are we to do this, Fratley?" asked Gary, one of the workers on the job.
"We should have two of us pulling with ropes from the other side," answered Fratley, "and two more lifting from this side. Freya and I will lift from here."
Okay... You and I will pull the ropes together, alright," said Gary to Dan, another worker.
"Sure," replied Dan, "I'm ready. Are you ready, Fratley... and you, Freya?"
Freya answered, "Yes, we're ready."
The four of them started to lift up the massive stone statue, which would be about six feet in height if stood upright. Freya stood in a two- foot trench that had been dug previously in order to aid in lifting the statue. She had a long iron bar that she used to apply as much force as possible to it. They needed such leverage on the object, because the statue was too small for any more people than four to be of any use - and, even though it was small, the statue was extremely heavy.
Fratley stood to the side, out of the trench, and also used a bar. Dan and Gary were behind the laying statue, pulling with all of their might on their ropes.
Slowly, the statue tipped upward. Once it was nearly upright, the four Burmecians pivoted it so that it stood at the foot of the trench, its original position. Gary and Dan were using the ropes to try and pull the statue's top into its full upright position. Then, something horrible happened. One of the ropes keeping up the statue snapped in two, and the statue rotated and snapped the other rope. Dan, Gary, and Fratley watched in terror as the massive stone fell right onto Freya.
Freya woke to the soft chirping of birds in the trees outside. She could hear soft pattering of rain on the roof of her home, as it was always heard in Burmecia, the Kingdom of Eternal Rain.
Freya turned over onto her other side and spoke softly to her mate, "Fratley... Fratley, it's time we got up."
Fratley woke to the sound of her sweet voice and slowly turned to face her. In a sleepy voice he said, "Good morning, my love."
After they both woke up to full alertness, Freya, running her slender fingers through her lover's hair, asked, "So, what's on our agenda today, my dear Fratley?"
Thinking for a brief moment, Fratley responded, "There are statues that need to be stood up to their rightful place...." He paused, trying in his sleepy state to recall the important tasks that lay before the Burmecians in their past ruined kingdom. "Also," he continued, "there are more homes that must be repaired or built... Oh, my sweet Freya, will we ever finish rebuilding our kingdom... our home?"
Freya snuggled up to him and said, "Whether we do, or whether we don't, I'll be happy as long as I am with you."
Fratley sighed and said, "I just wish I had my memories of you... to remember the times we had together... I feel ashamed to have let this happen, to me, to do this to you... are you sure you're alright with me in this condition, Freya?"
Freya looked up at him and said, "You're still the same man I have loved and will love forever. It isn't your fault this happened to you... You love me again, and I love you: that is all that matters."
Again Fratley sighed, and said, "Oh, Freya, my lady, you're a gem - I'm so lucky to have you..."
A few hours later, Freya and Fratley were outside, helping a group of others raise a giant statue back into place.
"How are we to do this, Fratley?" asked Gary, one of the workers on the job.
"We should have two of us pulling with ropes from the other side," answered Fratley, "and two more lifting from this side. Freya and I will lift from here."
Okay... You and I will pull the ropes together, alright," said Gary to Dan, another worker.
"Sure," replied Dan, "I'm ready. Are you ready, Fratley... and you, Freya?"
Freya answered, "Yes, we're ready."
The four of them started to lift up the massive stone statue, which would be about six feet in height if stood upright. Freya stood in a two- foot trench that had been dug previously in order to aid in lifting the statue. She had a long iron bar that she used to apply as much force as possible to it. They needed such leverage on the object, because the statue was too small for any more people than four to be of any use - and, even though it was small, the statue was extremely heavy.
Fratley stood to the side, out of the trench, and also used a bar. Dan and Gary were behind the laying statue, pulling with all of their might on their ropes.
Slowly, the statue tipped upward. Once it was nearly upright, the four Burmecians pivoted it so that it stood at the foot of the trench, its original position. Gary and Dan were using the ropes to try and pull the statue's top into its full upright position. Then, something horrible happened. One of the ropes keeping up the statue snapped in two, and the statue rotated and snapped the other rope. Dan, Gary, and Fratley watched in terror as the massive stone fell right onto Freya.