Chapter 42

“Forward ho!” orders Ledger.

Dakota reaches over and takes Sorbo’s hand and gives him a reassuring squeeze. Yes Sorbo has said that returning home after more than several decades isn’t that big of a deal, but Dakota’s beautiful heart can feel her husband’s trepidation. “Sorbo?”

“Hmm.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, babygirl, with all my heart, mind, body and soul.” Dakota’s blue eyes shine so prettily as she smiles up at her husband. They are once and again riding Hugs and Kisses, but soon their horses will deserve an easier life as the years continue to flow.

Since it is April the weather still shares both rain and warmth with them. They should be able to take some of their time at a leisurely pace and still easily make it in just over two weeks to reach the Darian Mountains. Then the other thirty leagues it takes to reach the town in which Sorbo was born and raised near, is its own adventure.

Long ago had the Pralene family left behind the ruling desire and returned to the mountains for a simpler way of life. Not simpler to survive on a daily basis, but simpler as in being more connected to nature. Or at least that is what Sorbo and his family had been led to believe, but as the years go on more mysteries are discovered and once when they had a thousand questions they now have a million.

If Sorbo’s family was part of the original lines of Odin, then why wasn’t that knowledge passed down, for Odin is the father of all the gods and they should have kept honoring that.

Dakota can see the many questions in the blue eyes of her husband and she does not like feeling that she cannot be there for him. “Sorbo?”

“Yeah, babe.”

“I would like to ride with you for a while.”

“Oh, baby, that would be great! As you know putting my hands on you has always drained away my rage and confusion. Knowing that I had your love and we had each other made everything else seem less important or powerful. I’m not really sure how to explain what your physical touch does for me. From eight-years-old to now, your loving hands have always had a healing touch for me.”

“You don’t have to explain because I know exactly what you mean. Your hands and love have chased away more demons than the brightest sun could ever do.”

Sorbo rides closer to Dakota and stops and helps her get from her mare to his stallion. As Sorbo secures her while she sits down in front of him, she sees the smile on his face. She looks back and up at him and says, “What are you smiling about?”

“I was just remembering when you were eight-years-old and we were riding to the cabin in the Andromeda Mountains for the first time. You kept getting bored so you would keep changing positions. When you stood on your saddle just then I remembered you standing on our saddle and you were leaning your cute firm tush into my chest. I remember feeling loved and trusted and every stretch we traveled together my soul came back to life.”

Dakota is leaning back into her Great Protector and husband and she reaches over and grabs his right hand and brings it around and they hold hands resting them on her womanhood bulge. “I remember it all, too, and even I couldn’t believe sometimes how willing I was to be so free and open with you. I don’t know why, but my heart, body and soul has been yours since the day I met you. You were annoyed and grouchy that I was there and you didn’t know me and yet you took the time to make sure I was warm, comfortable and that I knew I was safe. Even now it makes me feel warm and safe just like it did then.”

“You were the most beautiful amazing little girl I had ever seen and met and you saved an old warrior from oblivion. Your love and touch refreshed me from the darkest memories as you are doing now. I don’t know why we have come to this, to husband and wife, to best friends, but I promise you, there will not be a day that goes by that you don’t know you are loved.”

“Didn’t you already make that promise to me?”

“Did I?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. My memories of us are filled with what happened, what I dreamed happened, and what my fantasies hoped would happen.”

“I know! Wonderful, isn’t it?”

“Yes, yes it is.” Sorbo leans down and kisses his precious girl on the neck and then he attacks her with a million little kisses on her cheek and ear. She giggles prettily and a million memories come flooding back to them. The smiles they have on their faces see them through many leagues.

Maryann, who is riding just behind them, smiles.

After the first week they find themselves in a huge storm. For Sorbo it has been a very long time since he has come this way so he cannot think of anywhere to hold up until it blows over.

Ledger has sent a hundred of their two hundred knights out in groups of ten to find just such a place. Lightning streaks across the night sky and thunder rumbles the ground. The strong winds bend trees in a swaying sea of power. The stream they have been following is starting to run high.

Ledger and his two hundred knights are the only other Knights of Odin, except Lender, who has accompanied them. All the others stayed back in Glimmer to train and help train the squires of both the warrior class and the magical class.

Dakota is once and again sitting in front of Sorbo. Another hundred wonderful memories flood them as she again tries to take refuge inside his coat. Of course she is not the petite little eight-year-old princess she was when that actually worked so well, but it is just as near as special. “Sorbo?”

“Yes, my love.”

“What is the name of the town we are going to?”

To help pass the time they get lost in each other’s heart and mind. “It is called Tapestry, but we aren’t actually going there. My family has homes spread through out that region. Even though we own most of the things in Tapestry, we prefer the wilderness for daily life.”

“I’m sorry Andromeda destroyed your family cabin.”

“Yeah, I find that very strange. The god that we think of as the Dark God is reacting out of being deceived and yet the Goddess of Light who should be working to make peace appears to be the one causing most of the problems. We have learned much, but I still get the feeling that there are a few things we are not being told.”

“Do you think Odin is misleading us?”

“Not really. If we have learned one thing, no matter what belief you follow, is that knowledge given to you not as powerful as knowledge you discover on your own.”

“Yeah, we have learned that some lessons cannot be taught, they must be lived. The wonder is in the journey not the destination. That has surely been the truth for us.”

“That’s right, babygirl. Maybe the shadows of sorrow have followed us much of our lives, but we know together we are stronger. I have no doubt that which we need to know will be learned in time.”

“I know, my dear husband, as long as I am in your arms nothing can prevent us from our destined glory.”

As Sorbo bends down and kisses his wife again a huge gust of wind and rain hits them in the faces. Just then one of the advanced patrols returns with the knowledge that there is a good-sized town not a stretch north of their current location. Since they are already traveling in a northwesterly direction it won’t throw them off course.

When they ride into the town the streets are deserted. They immediately go to the biggest inn and enter. The knights check out the town for safety before coming in and to take care of the horses.

Sorbo opens the door for Dakota as another power gust hits, and one of the patrons already in there, yells, “Shut the door, you morons!”

Sorbo and Dakota come in and shake off the cloth they had covering their heads. One of the other patrons recognizes them and says, “Oh, Johnny, you just called the king and queen of Pralene, morons.”

As the original patron is saying, “You mean the White Sorceress and her Great Protector king and queen?”

“Yep!”

Sorbo and Dakota are trying to hide their smiles. It is Dakota’s beautiful heart that saves the poor man. “Fear not, Johnny, kings and queens can be morons, too.”