Wow, svelte! Thanks for all those reviews! By the way, I think that this is almost the chapter you've been waiting for... so enjoy!

Chapter 38: It Has Dawned

We managed to keep Rose asleep for another five minutes before she woke up. But it was the sudden sound of commotion that woke her up and made us all move our horses a little faster. It was nothing new, an argument, but it was interesting.

"You said you would have the gold today!"

"It is gold! You can get rich if you use it."

"It's nonsense, old man. We've had enough of your crazy talk and quotes. We want hard money that can buy things!"

"This will buy the most powerful thing in the world!"

At this point we came upon the scene. Three rough looking guys and a spiffed up gentleman were crowding around a spindly old man who was shaking in his thread bare coat and worn boots. One of the men held him by the scruff of the neck and the gentleman was doing the yelling, while the other two were pointing knives at the ancient one, itching to use them. He looked scared but his eyes sparked with amusement at the same time.

We stopped and looked down at them, each of us giving them disapproving looks. They all looked up at us, the three ruffians with dumb expressions, the old man with surprise, and the gentleman with annoyance.

Rose was naturally the first to break the silence, "Hey, back off, the poor guy can hardly breathe. I can smell your bad breathe from here. Lance, he's been drinking too much." I had told her about my dislike for wine, and she sounded like she was tattling. I glared at them so she could smirk in satisfaction.

The young gentleman jerked his head up and stared at me and Rose, trying to see if I was the Prince and if the frog really had been the one to talk.

"What's going on?" asked Conrad, ready to get down to business and the punishments.

One man with stinky breath pointed a dirty finger to the old man and spat, "He said he would give us gold to make us rich to the end of our lives and he only gave us riddles."

"Riddle!" cried the old man. He chuckled and shook his head. "I've heard it be called many things but never a riddle! Why it is the easiest most well known proverb in the book! Tell me, my good lad," he said addressing me, "Have you ever heard the saying 'Do unto others that you would have others do unto you?"

"Yeah," I said, confused, "That's the golden rule."

"See, he knows it," squealed the old man, a grin splitting his face. "If you abide by this principle then I promise you, you will become the richest men on earth. It is gold in its own way, and exceeds all other gold."

"Hog wash," spat the ruffian. "I don't get it. It's a riddle. Do unto them what they do unto you. Someone tried to slit m' throat, and methinks I shall do the same to them. Do you unto others what you want to do, that's my rule!"

"That'll get you killed," smirked Rose

"We should kill this lunatic," said another man, jerking a finger towards the old man.

"When an old person dies, a library is lost," chatted the old man pleasantly.

"Well," said Conrad decidedly. "I think that you gentleman should leave this man alone. He is quite innocent and means you no harm. So, say you're sorry to him, pat his white wise head; get on your horsies, and go back to where you came from. Ok?"

The men stared at him as if he were crazy.

So did Minerva and I. Was he serious?

The rich man turned to his thugs and said, "These men are enemies. Kill them."

Wow, that was...pretty plain.

"Conrad!" shrieked Rose.

"What?" he asked innocently, whipping out his bow and arrow. Minerva was doing the same thing, and I had my sword out in a flash. If it a fight they wanted, it was a fight they'd get.

Rose looked at us, armed ready, to defend her and she breathed again. Still, not wanting to acknowledge his goodness, she scowled, "Hurry up, I'm hungry."

"You have to dismount," said the gentleman when he saw that we weren't going to be killed willingly. "It is not fair for you to be up there and we down there."

"Fair?" squeaked the old man in an irritating high voice. "Who says life is fair? Where is that written? Life isn't always fair. Take 'em down boys...and girl." He seemed crazily excited for this skirmish to start.

"Besides," said Conrad, "You are low downs, the way you've been treating this wise one is despicable."

"Quite true," agreed Minerva, carefully aiming her arrow at the gentleman's forehead.

The ruffians didn't know whether to run away or to rush forward with fury. In the end they just looked to their boss for instructions. He was red as a tomato, furious about the situation he was in.

"Hurry, up, youngsters!" cried the old man, jumping up and down. He pointed at one of the men. "That one, he is a murderer, killed my dog, he did, and me cousin's great uncle!"

"I did not!" cried the man defensively.

"Oh, yes you did. You were in the rebellion against the Lord of these parts and killed one of the archers in the battle of Duncan. That archer was my cousin's great uncle. You killed me flesh and blood! You see, youngsters, he's guilty! Kill him! Kill him!"

Minerva and I looked at each other and I lowered my sword. We didn't have to kill anybody, the old man may have been wise, but he sure was missing a few screws in that bouncing head of his. My two archers put their arrows back, almost reluctantly and I laid out the punishment.

"We'll spare you," I said to the gentleman and the ruffians.

"If you spare the rod, you'll spoil the child," huffed the old man, disappointed.

I continued, unfazed, "If you promise you shan't be beating up on any more old men. Look, he's hardly sane, there is not much honor in dealing with a lunatic, especially since he's probably penniless."

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," he moaned.

The gentleman glowered, and might've been called Rose's twin, he did it so well. He looked at us angrily, from Conrad's patient face, to Rose's triumphant smirk, to Minerva still fingering her bow string, and back to me, who was about ready to yawn, or send him running with his silken britches hanging around his ankles.

"He who hesitates is lost," said the old man enthusiastically he stopped then added regretfully, "Then again dead men tell no tales."

The gentleman glowered then with a subtle nod of his head, he and his men ambled off, swearing and growling.

"There, you lost them," said the man in a disappointed tone. But then he brightened and grinned broadly at us. "But you have done me a great favor. Come down and have a mid morning meal. I had just cooked a most delicious apple pie. And you know what they say; An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

"Ha!" laughed Rose, "But if the doctor is cute, forget the fruit."

The old man's eyes widened. Then he burst out laughing, "That is a good one, my fair frog. A right good one. I agree, the doctor that attends me is a bonny lass." He giggled like a school boy then said apologetically. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself. I am called Walter the Wise."

We understood why.

Before we could introduce ourselves two young men strode out of the woods behind the house, talking cheerfully, each with an axe swung over their broad shoulders. They stopped when they saw us, and their grip on the axes tightened. The old man rushed to them, chattering excitedly, "Come, my sons, those ruffians were here again, trying to take m' gold."

"But father, you have no gold, quit offering it them," said one of them rolling his eyes. He was the younger of the two, about seventeen.

"Don't talk like that Chuck m' boy, of course I have gold. This time I tried to teach them the gold rule, but they about sliced m' throat. That's when these youngin's stepped in and scared them off. They didn't kill them, but I guess they like tales. They aren't far ahead, you could catch them, if you were good at tracking."

"Unfortunately we aren't," drawled the second son. He looked at us curiously and said, "There is no need for bloodshed, we'll let them go. But if they come 'round again..."

"But, David!" shrieked the urgent father, "Among them was the man who kill m' cousin's great uncle! He killed yer flesh and blood. Go, boys, git on after them. Strike when the iron is hot! You'll see," he said turning to us, "My boys will get rid of them ruffians in a jiffy."

"But we can't track them," whined Chuck, though he seemed eager to be off. "They gone far now, and we've lost them."

"I can track for you," said Minerva suddenly. She smiled sweetly at the two young men and purred, "That is, if you want me too."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. Why was she acting so...girlish?

David scratched his head, and Chuck glowered. "Well," drawled David. "I guess we've got time. But, lass, you'll have to dismount, we ain't as fast as that purty mare you've got."

Minerva immediately slid down and walked timidly over to them. "I don't mind walking with you. It shan't be hard, so we needn't be running. Those ruffians were old, and would never be able to outrun you...young gentleman."

Now David blushed and Chuck stuck out his chest in pride. I was sure they were ready to follow her to the end of the world. I was so confused, why had she just turned their hearts into noodles?

"Right then we'll go. Ce'mon, miss...might I ask your name, miss?" asked David.

"I'm Minnie, David," she smiled and her eyes sparkled.

I gaped. Minnie! That was not her name. That was what we called her. Not strangers!

"Well, Miss Minnie," said the tongue-tied David, "We're right glad your helpin' us. Ce'mon Chuck, we've got some ruffians to hunt down."

And without so much as a adieu or even a glance, Minerva walked off with the flattered Chuck, and the twitter paitted David. I frowned after them. That darn girl, who had said she loved me, had just batted her eyes at a couple of strangers, stole their hearts and was off helping them take revenge.

Was she faking it? Or had she really fallen for that drawling son of hunk of wisdom? But she couldn't have fallen so easily and so quickly, not Minerva. She wasn't like that, was she? Why else had she flirted with them and hardly noticed the surprised looks Conrad, Rose, and I gave her. I honestly didn't know.

"Lance!"

Conrad's voice jarred me from my thoughts, and I looked at him, confusion in my eyes. He had dismounted and was halfway to the house. Rose and the old man were no where in sight.

"Lance, you've been staring at that tree for five minutes, come on. Rose and Walter are inside the house talking. We need to put the horses up."

I nodded, dismounted, and led Ares into the stable in the back of the house. While I unsaddled him, Conrad chattered something about Rose's strange behavior, or Walter's strange house. But I was thinking about Minerva's strange ways and after he realized I wasn't paying attention, left. I still didn't notice.

How dare Minerva do such a thing? She was supposed to loyal to me and only me. Wasn't that what people in love were supposed to do? Maybe she wasn't in love with me anymore. If so, then why was I so upset? Yeah, she's not in love with me, and therefore not under the curse. I am happy, and free from guilt, everything is cool.

Cool? Everything's not cool. How can it be if the girl I love has just run off with a couple of strangers?

My hands stopped mid way from Ares' bridle and I blinked. I had not just said that, had I? Of course not, that was a simple slip of the tongue. Disregard that bit of nonsense I just said.

I took Ares' bridle off quickly and set it aside, trying to move my thoughts to other things. But the idea came again, and it did not leave. Finally I gathered my wits together and faced this impossible idea and considered it. I had never, or ever will be in love Minerva...right?

I began pacing.