The Librarian lowered her eyes to the floor. There was a lengthy period of silence. Finally, she said, "In here, on Sacred Ground, in the Sacred Ground Library, you are Malle, a woman. When you leave, you are the Lady, responsible for the wellbeing of the Valley. The Powerful must, I know, make unholy alliances, distasteful personally sometimes, for the good of the People.
"I was of Goose Valley, the youngest virgin daughter of the finest of the Fine Folk of the Valley as we style ourselves."
"The Smok was not well known even there closer to the Eastern Mountains. Here, the Smok is unknown, except for lurid references of exotic beasts in forgotten books. As a youth and young lady, I was athletic, adventurous, and bookish. I tested my body and my brain, gloried in challenges, even to the point of folly.
"Goose Valley archives held forbidden books; books caged so even the Librarians had to beg for a key from the Highest of the Keepers of our Holy Ground. Permission was rarely granted. The Keepers feared especially the corruption of the young by fantastic tales and the lure of magic, especially magic misused. As is true here, the Keepers are not celibate and are not pledged to life bonds. One, especially, I knew to be susceptible to a flirtatious young woman, one who would promise much in innuendo, but reject any direct involvement.
"Though promised of future favors, I obtained the key, spending many late nights among the Forbidden. There was one tale I found after months of research that tempted my body, as well as my soul— the story of the Smok, the Smok who loved a human female!"
I disappointed the gullible Librarian, who held this not against me... even the flirtation was exciting to her.
The Librarian continued, "I spent the next season preparing my body for the trek. It was not far, a week over the plains, but the Wild Folk must be dealt with. They were not such a problem with us in Goose Valley as our Guard left them alone, they had no reason to fear us. But we did look like other tall folk, so generally they kept their distance.
"The first week I would ride the plains. I was a strong rider and a good shot, I kept myself well fed with game, thus limited the amount of gear I needed to burden my steed with. Reaching the mountains, I left my horse tethered with grain nearby. The climb was steep and difficult, but I should not be gone for more than two days and there was a small stream nearby where the generous tether rope would let my steed drink.
"The Smok was not in a cave as many had imagined, but perched, or rather supine, on a long, rocky outcrop warming in the Western sun. He, and definitely a male, as the ridges on the head were different, and the males had golden eyes, the females green. In size, they were usually equal. They were together only to mate, and they did that very infrequently. Otherwise, they led solitary lives in different areas of the mountains; the females favoring the Eastern slopes, the males in the West.
"They both dreamed of loving humans, or at least that is the tale; this, I believe," the Librarian solemnly said.
"This one hated all beings, even himself. To be fair, he warned me often on my approach first with a low growl, the gouts of smoke from his nose, finally the snorting flames from his nostrils that humiliated me. My screams pierced the consciousness of the Mages, for my screams were supernatural in strength.
"The rest you know, the Mages banished (killed) the rogue Smok and healed me to the best of their abilities, giving me a longer life in compensation for my injuries.
"I am much older than you, Malle; my adventure days are over, I live for the Library, the books, the lore. I live to pass on knowledge and the love of adventure. I dream of you often, the Power of the Valley. But I never thought I'd get this chance for you are the Lady and far above me; yet, here you are, Malle, a woman I desire."
And so, the Librarian embraced Malle standing above her as Malle sat before the book of the Smok. First their lips brushed, then Malle, her lips giving permission, received the Librarian's tongue penetrating her lips. The embrace lasted but a minute, but seared them both, recoiling, not in disgust, but in surprise as to the power of this passion.
No more words were spoken. The next day, Malle left the Holy Ground healed as a woman, time to become again the Lady.
The Lady needed to know if the Librarian was correct. Was there no threat from the Mages? Or if there was a danger in that they saw HER as a threat, and then must resolve that to safeguard their lands.
And the Smok— did those beasts pose any danger? The Librarian was harmed, only when she was in close proximity to a rogue Male. But the Fine Folk cavalry reported strange nighttime events in the steppes to the north and east of the Valley. Her personal reconnaissance with the steppe riders of Ecna and Jeremi, had revealed no Smok nor, indeed, any other intruders.
Her Spring Ritual flight of the soul had revealed the beings to her. Had her mind perceived them as danger or was her mind wrong. The Lady must go to the East. It would be a task for the Marechal Julian, but he had fled to Goose Valley? To be her enemy?
The Lady would call on a portion of the Levy. Without invasion or threat of imminent battle, the Lady could not denude the land of fighting men, who were also needed for commerce and work in the fields. A quarter of the Levy should be sufficient to take a raid into Goose Valley. After Goose Valley was secured, a new plan could be made.
The Sergeant chose the Levy to send to the Lady in the easternmost part of the Valley. He reasoned he could take most of the Levy from the West, the Lands of Ecna and Jeremi, as they were the most loyal, and their lands rich enough to withstand the temporary loss of their labor force.
The Fine Folk's cavalry would march to the North and South of the Column of Levy Infantry. Gwenyth supplied the Valley forces with enough fodder and rations for a summer campaign. If all went well, the men would return for the fall harvest.
As a joke, the men carved models of their manhood to pleasure their wives and sweethearts while they were away. This was a tradition among valley folk and some women had several of these 'replicas' as a memory of former and current lovers.
