An Unhappy Brother and a Worried Sister

But of course he did no such thing, though many who came up to congratulate him noticed how oddly sad and withdrawn he seemed. You could hardly get a word out of him. You would never think that he was someone who had just returned to his family after successfully completing a great quest.

The only consolation for Fred was that, though the faire would continue for several more days, he only had to endure it for one afternoon and evening. For the next morning he would be setting out for Caemlyn with his family, together with Urlathe and Thule.

He left the faire as early as was decent, and went to bed, though he knew he was unlikely to sleep well.

Meanwhile the faire continued in full swing. Seeing Rowena sitting alone, seemingly lost in thought, the Chanticleer approached her carrying two glasses of wine. He gave one to her, and she thanked him.

"You don't look as happy as I would expect," the Chanticleer said. "After all, you found your brother and brought him home. And when everyone else said it couldn't be him, you held fast in your belief and were ultimately proved right. Surely that's a happy ending? Perhaps I should write 'The Ballad of the Lady Rowena' in your honour?"

"Don't you dare! Anyway, you know that there's a lot of material which you can't use, if you want to keep your head. But the reason I'm not happy is that I'm worried about Fred. I'd thought that once our father had accepted him as his son, his cares would drop away, but it hasn't happened. It's this stupid idea of his that he's cursed that is the problem. All the mages have told him that he's not cursed, but he won't listen to them. I'm not sure that I should have told you that, but you're such a good listener. Promise me that you won't put it in a song or tell anyone."

"I promise," the Chanticleer said. As always, at this moment he meant it, but he might not be able to resist temptation for ever. The full story of Lord Fred - the unexpurgated version as told in the Great Hall, which he had been privileged to hear because his testimony as a witness had been needed - was easily the best tale he had ever heard. It had everything: a beautiful naked princess and a hellhound; an eccentric mage in a remote tower, his strange ape and a patchwork man; an unlikely reunion, and its serious consequences; duelling dragons and an artifact of staggering power; a lawyer's coercion, and strange transformations; a dragon's hoard, a battle between dwarves and orcs, and a noble death; a haunted wood and a ghostly Lady in White; a girl searching for her brother, and the deadly Green Flame.

Rowena interrupted the Chanticleer's musing. "You know that I'm leaving with my family for Caemlyn in the morning? I don't suppose we shall see each other again. I'll miss your companionship."

1. "Thank you. But you may not have seen the last of me. I find that my business takes me to Caemlyn too."

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