Card Tales - 7. Tale 7

The last heavily buttered currant scone sat on the plate between them as Cardanniel explained to the innkeeper about his daughter's condition and how to keep her healthy. The innkeeper understood his role quite easily, but was uncertain as to if the child would attempt to steal his soul.

"She did not steal mine and she fed quite well," Cardanniel chided him.

"But you are protected, you said so yourself," the innkeeper argued.

"And you can be protected too. It's quite simple really," Cardanniel shrugged as if it was something he told someone every day.

"How can someone be protected against the bite of a vampire?"

"Well it doesn't work against any vampire. Only those whom you love, and it will only work three times a month at the most, no matter how much she begs, so you will have to be strong for her." Cardanniel cautioned as he picked up the last scone and bit into it. "I would only recommend twice a month if I were you, and then if she were feeling ill you would have the third time held in reserve."

The man nodded. "Tell me what I will have to do."

"There is a river near here is there not?" Cardanniel asked.

"Yes, less than an hour's ride."

"Then it is there we must go," Cardanniel grinned and popped the rest of the scone in his mouth. Dart seemed about as confused as the innkeeper, especially with the little chat they had the night before, but now was not the time to discuss this with him.

As they rode to the river, Cardanniel told the innkeeper to meditate upon his daughter and his love for her. The man did not say a single word the entire trip. Dart, however, was full of questions which Cardanniel silenced with a scowl.

The river was deep and wide but slow moving, perfect for what he had in mind. Up the river only a little way was a town, giving Dart very specific directions, he sent the boy there to make some purchases for the 'ceremony' they were about to perform. Once Dart left, Cardanniel explained to the innkeeper that the nature of this ceremony was not to be shared with anyone and that it took specially trained priests to perform it. The man nodded solemnly and followed Cardanniel's directions carefully, stripping down to his undergarments he knelt by the water's edge and prayed to his personal god which happened to be Life-giver. Cardanniel sighed, this would be easier than he expected since the man was already abhorrent of taking life unnecessarily.

Dart arrived back shortly with the items and something extra. "She followed me," he explained, indicating the goat.

"Someone is going to be looking for her."

The goat, a nanny from the looks of her, butted up against Dart rubbing her head against his leg. "She keeps doing that," Dart complained, "every time I try to walk she does that."

Cardanniel laughed, "Maybe she just likes you."

Dart groaned. "Just what I need, a goat in love with me. What should I do?"

"Well she's not hurting anything, after we finish here maybe we can return her to her owners," Cardanniel chuckled at his protégé's problem, "or we could roast her."

"I guess it wouldn't be too hard to find where she belongs," Dart sighed and rubbed her head again, "now do you mind telling me why you needed this stuff?"

"All in good time," Cardanniel laughed, "all in good time. Right now I need you to strip down and follow my directions carefully." Dart did as directed and watched as Cardanniel did not strip but waded out into the river boots and all singing praises to Life-giver for this chance to save one of Aglaia's Own. He called for the innkeeper to come to the river and be washed, which Cardanniel did with much somberness.

"The maiden wept so that we might live, now I wash you in her tears so that you will live," Cardanniel poured water over him then led him to the bank where Dart waited. "The mother sheds blood with our birthing, today you are being brought into a new life," Cardanniel reached over for the skin of blood Dart purchased from the butcher and marked the innkeeper on his face, hands, feet, chest, and groin. "The giver of life grants us each day. You will now be able to give your daughter good health and life with no harm to you. Do you believe that Life-giver will allow this?"

The older man looked up at the dry priest before him. It was not logical as Cardanniel had stood in the water with him, so he knew the priest held some power, it was just what Cardanniel wanted him to believe. "I believe."

Cardanniel smiled at him. "Dart will assist you with washing away the mother's blood, just as the Life-giver tends to his own."

Dart looked at him perplexed, but Cardanniel smiled and nodded. Dart led the man by the hand back into the river and washed away the blood that Cardanniel had smeared over him. The man was murmuring prayers of thanks as they exited the water. Dart helped him dress then Cardanniel sent him on his way.

Once he was out of Elvin earshot, Cardanniel turned to a now dressed and mostly dry Dart and grinned. "I think that went rather well, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he believed it. That's what counts."

"I don't understand," Dart looked a bit perplexed, and the goat head-butted him again.

"I made it up, Dart, nothing can protect him from his daughter, but the girl has to feed, and he has to be willing to let her do it. If he fears her, she could hurt him. If there is no fear, she will feed and leave him whole."

"So it didn't mean anything?"

Cardanniel shrugged. "I didn't say that. I said he believed it. That's what religion is all about, isn't it?"

"Is that how you feel about Aglaia?" Dart asked as they mounted up.

"I don't have to believe in Aglaia," Cardanniel said softly, "She believes in me." Then he kicked his horse into a gallop, leaving Dart with the packhorses, donkey, and goat to follow behind him.

Once in town, Cardanniel headed to the local parish. It wasn't that he had done anything 'wrong', nor did he feel guilty about it, but he wasn't sure how to deal with Dart and his never ending questions. He tied his horse outside and entered the ancient stone building. Like many religious buildings, this one served more than religion with each wall decorated to placate a different sect. Cardanniel knew he was expected to go to the wall of the god or goddess he worshipped and the appropriate priest or priestess would approach him, he had been through this so many times before, but today he didn't feel like pretending. Today he did not want to pay lip-service to one god or goddess while in his heart he spoke with Aglaia. So today, he sat in the very center of the floor facing the door. No one approached him for a good long while as he murmured his prayers and wept for answers to questions he did not understand, then the eldest priest approached him.

"What troubles you, my son?"

Cardanniel looked up through tear-laden lashes. "Nothing you can help with, Father."

"Ah, you might be surprised at that," he said, his voice gravelly with age. "Come, I think you should see something," and with that he pulled a rusted skeleton key from his habit and walked away.

Naturally curious, Cardanniel followed him to a hidden door between the walls of Life-giver and Maiden. The stairwell was steep and the walls slimy with mold, but the ancient priest sure-footedly led the way. Below, a cavern opened with grand stalagmites and stalactites some bigger around than Cardanniel was tall. "You must pay a token," the priest indicated several tins of various items. Cardanniel didn't understand the meaning behind the token as he saw gems in one tin, what appeared to be bones in another, coins in yet a third, and in the last nothing but broken buttons. He considered his options. He had no gems or bones so those were out, but he did have coins and buttons, even if he would have to break one to make the token like the others. Coins were easy to come by, buttons were not so easy and to break it would make it worthless, it made no sense, yet he found himself reaching to his clothing to remove a button. Closing his eyes, he cracked it in two and placed it in the tin and the world went black.