The pillars of creation

Her mother canted her head with an admonishing expression. "What aren't you telling me, Jenn?"

Jennsen wanted to hold it back until she explained Sebastian, first, but her mother could read it in her eyes, hear it in her voice. The terrible threat of that piece of paper with the two words on it seemed almost to be screaming its presence from her pocket.

"Mother, please, let me tell it my way?"

Her mother cupped a hand to the side of Jennsen's face. "Tell me, then. Your way, if you must."

"I was searching the soldier, looking for anything important. And I found something. But then, this man, a traveler, came upon me. I'm sorry, Mother, I was frightened by the soldier being there and by what I found and I wasn't paying attention as I should have. I know I behaved foolishly.»

Her mother smiled. "No, baby, we all have lapses. None of us can be perfect. We all sometimes make mistakes. That doesn't make you foolish. Don't say that about yourself."

"Well I felt foolish when he said something and I turned around and there he was. I had my knife out, though." Her mother was nodding with a smile of approval, "He saw then that the man had fallen to his death. He-Sebastian, that's his name-he said that if we just left him there, then, more likely than not, other soldiers would find him and start questioning us all and maybe blame us for their fellow soldier being dead."

"This man, Sebastian, sounds like he knows what he's talking about."

"I thought so, too. I had intended to cover the dead soldier, to try to hide him, but he was big-I could never have dragged him over to a cranny by myself. Sebastian offered to help me bury the body. Together we were able to drag him over and roll him into a deep split in the rock. We covered him over good. Sebastian put some heavy rocks atop the gravel I scooped in. No one will find him."

Her mother looked more relieved. "That was wise."

"Before we buried him, Sebastian thought we should take anything valuable, rather than let it go to waste in the ground."

One eyebrow arched. "Did he, now?"

Jennsen nodded. She pulled the money from her pocket, the pocket that didn't have the piece of paper in it. She dumped all the money in her mother's hand.

"Sebastian insisted that I take it all. There's gold marks there. He didn't want any for himself."

Her mother took in the fortune in her hand, then glanced briefly to the trail where Sebastian waited. She leaned closer.

"Jenn, if he came with you, then perhaps he thinks he can have the money back at any time of his choosing. That would give him the opportunity to look generous and win your trust-and still be near enough to end up with the money when he chooses."

"I considered that, too."

Her mother's tone softened sympathetically. "Jenn, it's not your fault-I've kept you so sheltered-but you just don't know how men can be."

Jennsen let her gaze drop from her mother's knowing eyes. "I suppose it could be true, but I don't think so."

"And why not?"

Jennsen looked back up, more intently, this time. "He has a fever, Mother. He's not well. He was leaving, without asking to come with me at all. He bid me a good-bye. As tired and feverish as he is, I feared he'd die out in the rain tonight. I stopped him, told him that if it was all right with you he could sleep in the cave with the animals where he could at least be dry and warm."

After a moment of silence, Jennsen added, "He said that if you don't want a stranger near, he will understand and be on his way."

"Did he? Well, Jenn, this man is either very honest, or very clever." She fixed Jennsen with an intent look. "Which do you think it is, hmm?"

Jennsen twined her fingers together. "I don't know, Mother. I honestly don't. I wondered the same things as you-I really did."

She remembered, then. "He said that he wanted you to have this, so you wouldn't have to fear a stranger sleeping nearby."

Jennsen drew the knife in its sheath from behind her belt and held it out to her mother. The silver handle gleamed in the dim yellow light coming from the small window behind her mother.

Staring in astonishment, her mother slowly lifted the weapon in both hands as she whispered, "Dear spirits. ."

"I know," Jennsen said. "I nearly yelped in fright when I saw it. Sebastian said that this was a fine weapon, too fine to bury, and he wanted me to keep it. He kept the soldier's short sword and axe for himself. I told him I would give this to you. He said that he hoped it would help you feel safe.»

Her mother slowly shook her head. "This does not make me feel safe at all-knowing that a man carrying this was near us. Jenn, I don't like that one bit. Not one bit."

Her mother's eyes showed that she was on to worries bigger than the man Jennsen had brought home with her.

"Mother, Sebastian is sick. Can he stay in the cave? I led him to believe that he has more to fear from us than we from him."