Twilight Between: Day 8

Word Count: 48,067

Summary of Events:

The combination of hard work and hot weather prompted Adler to remove his shirt while working, which he did while musing about the growing list of questions about slavery he'd acquired since becoming a slave — including why a slaveowner would force his slaves to work while injured, considering his desire for increased wealth and decreased expenses. The day of the funeral had arrived and after a wait in traffic as all the other Häuptlinge and their guests who lived along the street were headed for the castle too, Emma and Torben arrived at the castle for themselves, where they followed those ahead of them down a series of corridors to the legendary caves, where they enjoyed pleasantly cool air in contrast to the summer heat outside, and shuddered in the terrifying thrill of being unable to see the ceiling above them as the funeral service was conducted. Following it, they were granted permission by the queen to see the headwaters of the Bärhöhle River, which originated from a natural spring within the mountain, around which the first five kings of Zeig were buried, and whose tombs Torben was granted permission to have a look inside . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Torben’s main interest was seeing the tomb of König Odalrich I, so he merely peeked his head inside the other tombs, wherein there were laid bricks of stone that were carved to look like side profiles of the König, Königin, and — where applicable — other internees lying in repose, with their names carved over them.

It had been tradition in recent centuries — but Torben wasn’t sure how long ago the tradition had started — that before internment, the deceased would be sketched by an artist as they laid in repose, and it was from this sketch that the likenesses were carved.

If the tradition had been the case from the beginning, it was quite likely that the carvings Torben was seeing were the most accurate likenesses of men who had lived over one thousand years before he was even born.

One thing Torben noticed about them was that they were all lean and slim, which proved to him that life had not been luxuriant back in the day; as did the fact that they were not wearing diamonds, jewels, and fancy textiles, by the look of the masterful carving work.

Instead, they were clothed in simple garb, usually with just a signet ring, as wedding bands hadn’t existed back then. 

Reaching König Odalrich I’s tomb, Torben stepped inside. The area was about four square metres, and the interred were König Odalrich I, his wife, his mother, three infant children, and, along the back wall, his most beloved hunting hound, and his warhorse, who were both carved as if laying.

In fact, the horse looked so real Torben was sure that if he were to rub the dozing forehead the horse’s eyes would open and, startled, the creature would heave itself to its hooves as his own favoured horse — even if she wasn’t a warhorse — did.

Torben turned his gaze toward König Odalrich’s reposing likeness. As he’d died at the age of eighty, the likeness was an aged one, but still fit with Torben’s childhood imaginations, including — unlike the modern fashion — the beard around his mouth, and his hair reaching to his shoulders.

His iconic sword, the Fear of Death, was clasped in his aged hands, that had such details as veins and ligaments standing out on them, positioned so that the tip of it was hovering above his feet, which were clad in simple leather shoes of the like that weren’t even worn by the poorest of Zeig anymore.

Once Torben had finished surveying the stony likeness of what had been one of his dearest childhood heroes — like any boy of Zeig, even to the present, he was sure — Torben looked at Emma, who appeared to be quietly taking in her surroundings, before he led her back out and to the guard, whom he gave the lantern.

As Emma had requested, the guard led them alongside the trickle that was the Bärhöhle River, as it wound its way along what was the far back of the Caves until, after a longer distance than Torben had always imagined, he started to hear a louder, waterfall sound.

Finally the guard stopped and they were able to see the small creek plummet over a less than one metre wide lip for a distance of up to three metres by Torben’s best guess, after which there looked to be a steep slope of stone which the water disappeared beneath, heading for the fissure that was naturally illuminating the area from the other end.

Pronunciations:

Bärhöhle: barehuhl

Königin: kuhnihgihn