In the kingdom of LIdarion there were many great cities,
towns and even villages. Places with long and wonderful histories. Borderwood
Keep was not one of them. The keep, all the shops, the homes, the town hall,
and all seven farms surrounding it were less than five years old. The tiny population
of Borderwood were all new settlers that were looking for a fresh start.
Bernard didn’t need a fresh start. He had moved here with
his sister and her husband from the Capitol. A place that had never been
particularly unpleasant in his memory. The winters were easier with neighbors
to help shovel snow and share the work load of other wintertime maintenance.
The winters in the keep could have been five times harsher and they still would
not hold a candle to the wonder that was spring summer and fall. He had been
drawn to the tiny keep gardens almost the very second he saw them on the day
they arrived. He spent nearly every waking hour, learning, tending, and
manicuring each plot of beloved flowers. Every winter was spent planning seasonal
layouts for each plot and making sure that he had all the required seeds and bulbs
in time for planting. He had never been given the job of master gardener but
after three years and based on the way everyone deferred to his expertise, he
had earned it.
This last winter had been particularly mild, with only a few
weeks of mild snow to mark the darkest heart of the winter months, but the near
freezing temperatures had stuck around long into what was generally thought of
to be spring. But the day before had brought a warm rain and there was not so
much as a light frost on the grass in the morning. The clear skies and the
first warm sun in recent memory had brought everyone out of their homes.
Bernard found himself drawn to work in the gardens along the inside of the east
keep wall. Not far from the horse stables they had built for the in in the
previous spring.
Bernard had become obsessed with a plant that he had seen in
a pot carried by a trading caravan. The trader had called a tulip but it looked
like no tulip Bernard had ever seen. IT flowered in all the colors of an
explosive sunset. The barest sliver of white bleeding into ember yellow and
orange fading into passionate burgundies and purples. He had purchased ever
seed and bulb the trader had. He had spent a large portion of the winter
prepping the seeds in pots and troughs so he could nurture them alone to the
stage where they would finally flower. The bulbs he was planting now and felt a
simple satisfaction as he placed each bulb into the earth.
A group of children playing some formless game of tag
snapped him out of his meditative state as they ran by. ‘You kids be careful
now!” he playfully called out after them. Several of them shouted back
assurances that faded quickly as the game took them further away.
“We were never careful, why should they be?” a jovial voice
asked behind him. Bernard sat up on his knees, a smile on his face.
“Squints!” He welcomed his friend by turning around. Squints
was a Gnome and with Bernard on his knees they nearly came face to face.
“Bernard, this might be the first pleasant day in almost
half a year and where do I find you?” He asked.
“Knee deep in a garden, for only fools let a pleasant day go
to waste my friend.” Bernard offered getting to his feet.
“You and I have very different definitions of ‘wasting’ a
pleasant day.” Squints replied.
“Indeed, so what brings you this deep into the wildlands my
friend?” Bernard asked as they headed toward the home Bernard shared with his
sister and her husband.
“It’s been nearly a year since we last saw each other, does
a friend need any more of a reason to visit?” Squints asked.
Bernard shook his head. “Most friends need not even that
much, but we are not normal friends, and your life does not afford you the
freedom to travel the world in search of companionship” He commented, wiping
his hands on a cloth he had pulled from the pocket of his pants.
“In deed, But with great responsibility comes mediocre power,
and I have structured and guided my staff to work without me for their next few
projects so that I might come this way, and if you are willing, quite a bit
farther.” Squints explained, teasing his offer.
Bernard was intrigued. “How much farther? What do you mean, ‘if
I am willing? What game are you playing librarian?” He questioned with an
excited look on his face.
They arrived at the house and Squints stopped at the door. “Get
cleaned up, let’s have dinner with Brooke and Trent, this is something they
will want to be made aware of as well.”
Bernard shook his head. “You can never just get to the point
can you? Always have to ‘tell the story.’” He complained heading up the stairs
to his room.
Squints bowed. “Squints the royal librarian and professional point avoider at your service!” He stood up and noticed that Bernard was alrea
