30 A Moment of Peace

  The rest of the day, Sara spent mending clothes. When that was done, she looked around to see what she might cook. Upon finding vegetables and some dried meat, she settled in to prepare a stew for them. She hoped it would be ready by the time the sun sunk below the horizon.

  Sara looked out back on occasion and saw Abba-Avi out to his field and thought it was a lot of work for an old man. He worked in the field pulling weeds, gathering things, occasionally stopping and just sitting or waiting.

  It wasn't harvest time. Sara wasn't familiar with how work was done on a regular farm, especially a farm run by serfs. She did know that during this time of year, the workload should have been more relaxed. That being said, Abba-Avi seemed to be working harder than he needed to be. Sara wondered if this had something to do with the expectations of their lord and how things had gotten more intense in the last few years. Sara wanted to ask questions later but remembered Dov's warning about not asking too many questions. So, she pushed it out of her mind by thinking, Living here will bring answers.

  When the time for the evening meal was to take place, Abba-Avi entered the house and met Sara with a smile.

  "Well, I expected Sari that you would cook, and you did not disappoint. I do apologize. I should have mentioned that if you wanted something special, you are going to have to find the ingredients."

  Then he took a deep breath through his nose and said, "But it seems I am going to be spoiled."

  Sara laughed, "I wouldn't call what I'm fixing too good, but it should be okay."

  "Let me be the judge of that,” Abba-Avi said as he walked over and took out two bowls. He then went over to the pot and put one bowl in and drew out some of the soup. He handed the first bowl to Sara. Sara took it, walked over, and sat at the table. Abba-Avi reached in, grabbed a bowl for himself, and went over to the table and sat across from her.

  Abba-Avi then shook his head and said, "How could I forget, we have bread." He got up, walked back over to the fireplace and took the plate that held the bread. He walked back to the table and cut the last of the loaf in half. He handed half to Sara and kept half for himself.

  "Well," Abba-Avi said, "we don't have anything fancy to eat here. So, this will have to do." And with that, he lifted the bowl to his lips and took a small drink.

  "Mmm! Very good! Whoever taught you did well."

  Sara smiled; she wasn't about to admit that her teacher had been the giant who helped the dragon kidnap her, which Abba-Avi already knew. However, being told that his guest was also trained how to be a farmer, a seamstress, and a cook by a giant seemed a far stretch, even if it were true.

  So, Sara smiled and nodded, "Thank you, when I see him, I will try and remember to tell him."

  Sara lifted the bowl to her lips and took a drink herself taking in a small piece of meat with her drink. She chewed and swallowed and had to admit it was better than she expected. She suspected that this had more to do with the vegetables and meat being prepared properly than it did with her cooking. But either way, she was pleased. And soon enough, she and Abba-Avi finished off the entire pot.

  Abba-Avi dipped the last of his bread into his bowl, and he put it in his mouth and chewed slowly. Once he swallowed it, he looked over and said, "I might get fat if you're here too long."

  Sara laughed. She doubted that quite seriously, but she was pleased that he seemed to enjoy what she had made.

  Abba-Avi looked around. "Well, we usually go to bed early around here, so if you have a few things that you want to finish up, that would be great," he pointed over to a ladder at the corner of the room and said, "You can sleep up in the loft. That's where my daughters always slept, and it's been empty for some time, so you might want to go up and make sure it's clean.” Abba-Avi laughed. “And there's nothing else living up there. I haven't heard anything at least, but you never can tell."

  Sara grimaced. She didn't know what to expect. And though she appreciated the place to stay, it made her cringe to think there might be something living up there that she might have to chase out. But she wasn't going to complain. She was free and she was safe.

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  She got up and started to move over. Sara laughed. Abba-Avi looked over and asked, "What is so funny about going up a ladder?"

  Sara looked back and said, "Nothing much.” She remembered she was supposed to try not to say things that would give away how she grew up, even in front of Abba-Avi. It wasn’t really funny, but she didn’t know how else to respond when she realized she forgot how to use a ladder. It came back to her in just a moment when she remembered getting a book in the castle library. Sara had never used a ladder for anything else, not even on the farm working for Draco.

  Abba-Avi nodded, and Sara could tell he knew there was more than she was telling but was not going to ask. "Well," he said, "it may not be the most comfortable place in the world, but it will keep you out of the weather, and I don't know if there's anything better around here." A smile stretched his face, and Sara guessed he was telling the truth.

  So, she climbed slowly up the ladder, and went into what he called the loft, which was really only a small attic room. She found blankets, and to her surprise and pleasure, she found there was nothing living in them. She shook them out just in case and found a pillow. She found that they didn't smell bad either. She shook them out a little more as there was a little bit of dust on them. With that done, she set them out on the floor, laying some of the blankets out as a mattress so that she wouldn’t have to lie on the floor.

  This is when she realized that she had left her pack downstairs. Sara went back over and crawled back down the ladder, seeing Abba-Avi standing by the fire. He looked over at her and said, "Is everything up to your expectations?"

  Sara smiled, "Yes, everything's fine. It will be great. Nothing living up there, at least not now, but I want to get my pack."

  Abba-Avi nodded. "Yes, get your things put up, and if you need to go to the privy before going to bed, I'll probably wait before locking the door.”

  Sara, knowing this was a good time to take care of those personal needs, went out and visited the privy, then returned, feeling ready to go to bed. Before she got to the house, she realized, I’ve become one of those people who rise and sleep according to the sun. The idea of rising and setting with the sun was looked down on as the way lesser people lived in a book that Lady Lord Mashal had given her. That book is going out of my collection when I get back, and Sara smiled at the idea of giving them to Mistress Carmarthen, who never threw away a book but would hate that one.

  Once back in the house, Sara thanked Abba-Avi again and began to climb the ladder with her pack when Abba-Avi spoke.

  “In the corner furthest from the ladder, there's a loose floorboard." Sara looked at the old man with a question. He explained, "My daughters thought I didn't know about it, but I built this house. And I knew every nail and loose floorboard in this place. However, no one else found what they hid in that place. And I suspect if you've got something you need to hide, that might be a good place to put it."

  Sara nodded and said, "Thank you. There are a couple of things."

  Abba-Avi nodded back. "I figured as much, but we don't need either of us getting in trouble if someone comes by and decides they want to search the house."

  Sara looked back and shook her head, "Does that happen often?"

  Abba-Avi shrugged. "Not too often, but often enough. And with the dragon's visit, anything is possible. I'm the village elder. If it enters their minds, the lord's soldiers might consider searching through my house, just in case the dragon blessed us with something. It wouldn't be the first time."

  Abba-Avi waved his hand, as if to say, don’t ask any more questions. So, Sara turned and climbed back up the ladder and squirreled away her extra knife, her brooch, and of course, her coins.

  Sara looked through her belongings that were left. There wasn't much left. A water skin, a few extra clothes, which, now that she looked at it, she hadn't remembered packing those. She shook her head.

  David. David had prepared her in more ways than she imagined. Now, she sat there still ready to lie down but sighed, considering that just the day before, she was in the clutches of a dragon. Now she was free, with no idea where she was. To make things even more challenging, she had no way of asking or finding out how to get home.

  Sara lay down, stretched herself on the blankets, closed her eyes, and tried to relax. To her surprise, her concerns slipped away, and she went to sleep. It had been a long day.

  Downstairs, Abba-Avi got his things together and went over to latched the door. It was doubtful that anyone would bother them. It was just a habit, a habit he had gotten into when his daughters were growing up. When they tried to slip out, he always knew. Sometimes he allowed them to go. Other times, when he knew that it would be dangerous or not good for them, he would sit up and let them know they needed to go back to bed. More often than not, it had been his wife who was the one who was watching the doors and correcting the girls. She had always said that they had him wrapped around their fingers, and he knew it was true. The daughters the Creator had given him were wonderful, and he appreciated all of them. He never missed having a house full of boys that many of the other men bragged about having. His family had been perfect even though he had lost most of them; the thought of them brought joy to his face.

  Now it seemed he might have another one. And though he knew this one had surprises waiting in her past, he was okay with that. His only concern might be if she might bring danger to the village or to his other children. He knew that she wouldn't do it directly; he could just tell. She was a good soul. And, just by watching her today, she was both honest and hardworking. But still, there was more going on. And as much as he was excited about standing up to the dragon and accepting her into his home, he was also afraid. He didn't want to lose another daughter, but he didn't want to lose this new one either.

  Banking the fire, Abba-Avi settled himself on his bed in the corner. He prayed his evening prayers, trusting that the Creator would work things out.