Return to Jorgaldur Volume IV: Reunion

Family meal

It took Mideltya a long time to calm down. At least, she was warned of the likely presence of Elendnas and Gjaki, but the situation had escaped her comprehension. Apart from them, Merlin had appeared, a king whose fame transcended borders. No less famous were the barbarian siblings. They were the supreme lords of their lands, and their name provoked terror among their enemies. It was easy to provoke them, but not so easy to appease them.

To this, she had to add Eldi himself, Lidia, Liodon and Maldoa, and she couldn't stop looking at Goldmi. Not only was the elf extremely beautiful and the wife of Elendnas, but she also gave off a powerful presence, and she was a visitor.

Mideltya might have just gone into shock if she knew that Goldmi was a friend of fairies, or that there used to be a fairy around her, even though she was now in the forest. As if that weren't enough, the elf archer could kill generals.

The most surprising thing was that none of them behaved as she had expected. For example, the barbarians weren't as aggressive as one might expect, both the visitors and their husbands and wives. In fact, they were rather friendly, despite being a bit rough. Although more than one wanted to challenge whoever dared, they neither forced nor acted dominant.

The terrible image of the Blood Queen was nowhere to be found. The little girls practically had her at their mercy, and she didn't seem dangerous at all. To tell the truth, her mother-in-law, Lidia, didn't seem dangerous either, but she knew that she could be ruthless towards her enemies.

Merlin was a special case. He wasn't with them much, but instead he watched anxiously as Eldi distilled the ingredients for the potion. For him, it was more important than his own life. He looked nervous and anxious, and there was nothing they could do to calm him down.

When Lidia had whispered to the elf what was happening, she had only been able to feel empathy and admiration. After so many years married, he still loved his wife passionately. She glanced at Ted out of the corner of his eye, while wondering how it would be like for them.

In any case, her attention was now on Elendnas, to whom Liodon had given a summary of the situation of his nephew and Mideltya herself.

"Really... Mideknor is still a stubborn idiot," the elf criticized.

Mideltya didn't say anything. Even though he was insulting her father, she basically agreed. She loved her father, but also hated him for not allowing her to be happy, for having pressured her to accept a marriage his daughter didn't want, and for being against the one she wanted.

"Can't we do anything to help them?" Goldmi asked.

"It's best to wait. If all goes well, I'd like to see the look on his face when he finds out that Eldi is Ted's grandfather. Although he's so stubborn... Maybe, we'll have to pay him a visit, but you'll have to wait a little," he addressed the couple.

They nodded, somewhat overwhelmed.

"If you want, we can reason with him," Bonecrusher offered, as he hit his palm with his fist.

"That would be fun," Skullsmash agreed for once.

Several of the other barbarians grunted or agreed menacingly. Mideltya swallowed, not sure if they were serious or not.

"Don't be so brute. Although, you don't mind me using your names if I have to negotiate with them, right?" Gjaki asked, while putting an eye patch on Eldmi. It completed her pirate costume.

Gjami didn't have a patch, but she did have a hook in her hand. Furthermore, the goshawk had landed on her shoulder, playing along.

For her part, Kraki also had an eyepatch, a pair of hooks and three wooden legs. She hadn't put up any resistance to the twins, whom she adored. The mystical being may not have known them that long, but her sisters' feelings toward them had certainly influenced her. Plus, they looked like Goldmi.

"Isn't it enough with you? Your name terrifies all known lands," Bonecrusher mocked.

"Ha, ha. Don't be exaggerated, Crushy. Plus, the more, the merrier. If everything goes well, we can even use Merlin's, although it's better to wait a little," the vampiress proposed.

Mideltya didn't know what to say. None of them knew her, but they were willing to help them. She didn't quite understand how all those important people were supporting them.

Actually, there were several reasons. On the one hand, she was the fiancée of Eldi's grandson, which in itself was more than enough. On the other hand, they found it an unfair and absurd situation. As if that weren't enough, the possible solution also seemed fun.

"By the way, explain to me in detail what happened to our neighbors in the dungeon," Bonecrusher demanded.

"Ha, ha. Well, it's simple. They came in great numbers demanding to take over all the space where the tents were, and we beat them up," Goldmi laughed.

"Not so fast. Fewer summaries and more details!" Skullsmash demanded.

All the barbarians stared at the elf. Those were the kind of stories they liked the most. Not only had it been a pitched battle with fists, but their rivals had ended up beaten.

"Better wait for Eldi to finish. Then, you'll have more anecdotes," Gjaki proposed.

"Don't let him be late! This beer is delicious! Ouch!" Crushy complained.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to throw away the drink?" Dinksa scolded him after hitting him with the tray with which she had brought some snacks.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," the barbarian apologized for having splashed the table and the floor, as he had been too careless.

Maybe, the vampiress demoness was the only one who could scold him like that, apart from his sister and some of his wives. In fact, she could scold any of those barbarians without any of them daring to talk back.

It was a strange situation, since she wasn't stronger than them. Nonetheless, she had earned a position of authority, as if she were the adoptive mother of all of them, not just Gjaki.

Her relationship with Goldmi was somewhat different, since they both got along with each other quite well, and had known each other for dozens of years. They even shared a passion for cooking, which included sharing all kinds of recipes. Thanks to that, Diknsa had managed to improve her expertise in that profession.

As for Eldi, he had never done anything to be scolded, plus Diknsa had a great appreciation for him. Not only was he polite and considerate, but he hadn't hesitated to teach anyone who asked him, or make equipment for anyone who needed it.

Furthermore, Eldi had always hidden in his eyes a deep determination, that of finding her beloved. She admired him for that.