36 Part 02

More important, they agreed that he would send over a woman or two to learn some of 36's healing skills so they would be able to offer first aid in the village in cases of accidents or illnesses.

He moaned as he mounted the horse and fell down in the saddle.

They parted by giving each other a warm handshake and as they looked into each other's eyes he thanked her for all her help.

She stood for a long time watching as he slowly rode out of the yard thinking that if she should judge by the way he sat in the saddle, he would have a very long ride home.

Then she turned and went about the daily business. There was a lot of cleaning and clearing as The Council members all left after breakfast.

Again, she managed to avoid her tormentors but had her girls attend to them till they left. Once more, she watched from an upstairs window as they left the courtyard. Making sure they were gone before taking a deep breath and feeling a heavy weight lift from her shoulders.

36 -- Part two

by o_girl ©

Chapter thirty-one

Travelling problems...

36 was being bumped up and down and was sore all over. Cursing under her breath.

She was in a heavy, covered work cart drawn by four horses. Together with Lady Charlotta's two very quiet personal slave girls.

Lady Charlotta was on her way to visit her sister, who lived a good two-day journey away from the city.

36 had been ordered to go along. Just in case anybody got sick or hurt during the journey.

Reluctantly she had put Maria in charge as she was the most sensible of her girls. She had packed an extra cowl and a few other necessities -- and then of course her 'Granny book' with all her knowledge and recipes.

The Lady was travelling alone up front in a much more elegant way. Her lighter carriage had suspensions. A luxury their heavy and crude carriage did not.

The two carriages they had a small escort of guards. All on horseback and all with automatic weapons.

The first night were spend at the Inn, where she had met Sir Robert the first time. Arriving late and being very tired, everybody had retired just after they had been fed.

The two slave girls, the escort and 36 had had their dinner in a big, secluded room at the back, while Lady Charlotta had had hers in the biggest room upstairs. Alone.

Sometime during the meal, Septimus -- the landlord had whispered to her that he would like to exchange a word in private. She had slipped out discretely and in the kitchen they had enjoyed a glass of wine.

She had taken the opportunity to thank him - once again -- for taking her in that night and for his help and advice just before she had met Sir Robert.

He expressed his joy at how well she was doing and that he had high hopes for her future.

Once more, he offered her a few words of warning. As a Council member he saw and knew more than most and he knew that the big house was a cesspool of intrigue's and scheming's.

Little did he know that she was already being entangled in more than she felt comfortable with.

She did not go into specific's as she remembering her meeting with Hedgehog and The Judge, but said that she was very much aware of the often poisonous climate at the big house.

She was happy that he cared and they parted giving each other a big hug.

Even more than before she knew that she had a protector and friend in him, which made her very happy.

They had left just after a very early breakfast and the road rapidly became worse. The first part had been on an even and partly paved road. Now they were not only travelling on a very bad and bumpy road but also into parts, where all sorts of dangers lured.

She noticed their escort being a lot more active and riding more back and forth than before, but felt quite safe.

Suddenly they stopped. She wondered what kept them but could not see the reason and as the minutes dragged into half an hour, she opened the door and stepped out.

Lady Charlotta's cart up front had stopped in a strange angle. The vehicle tilting quite a lot to one side. She moved closer and now saw the reason for this sudden stop: One of the carriages light wheels had hit a big stone, which had made a spoke break and the metal band around it fall off.

From the heated discussion between the escort and Lady Charlotta she realized that this was dangerous. They were stuck in open and unknown terrain and there was only about half a day left till sunset.

No one seemed to know what to do and the wheel looked unrepairable.

After thinking for a few minutes, she realized that she was the only one knowing anything about how to fix the problem. She stepped up to the leader of the escort.

"..Ahem..excuse me, Sir!"

"Yes, 36...what is it?" He looked irritated and frustrated.

"I think I know how to fix this, Sir."

"YOU! -- How on earth would you know anything about that?" He gave her an inquisitive look and by now everybody was looking at her.

"Well. As nobody seems to know what to do why don't you let me try, Sir?"

He looked from her to Lady Charlotta, who was on the verge of panic as far as she could see in her eyes. The prospect of camping under open skies in hostile territory - and with only a small escort seemed by understatement not appealing to her. She nodded at the leader: "Let the girl try...I suppose that is our best bet."

The leader gave her a nod: "Ok. What do we do?"

She took control. Pointed at two of the escort: "You two. Go up there and chop firewood enough for a small fire, and you four: Find something to lift and support the carriage. Cut a couple of logs or find some big stones and get the cart back into upright position. We need it to be so high that the missing wheel would be free of the ground."

She then pointed to the two servant slave girls: "You two can empty the cart. Get the drivers to help you. Everything that can be taken out to make the thing lighter."

Then she pointed at two more of the escort: "You two come with me. The rest of the guards are under your command. Make sure we are not disturbed."

The latter was again an understatement. She of course meant that he needed to send them out scouting and securing that they would not be surprised by anyone with ill intentions.

The leader looked quite astonished at the fastness and determination she had suddenly bellowed out orders, but nodded at his men to do as she said.

She had pointed out a small group of trees about 100 yards away from the road. Not big enough to actually be a forest, but from the distance looking like it had trees in enough different sizes for the men to find, what she had asked for. The two teams she had 'formed' got the emergency axes out of the toolbox from the side of the work cart. Now she was happy that the cart had come along. It had everything they needed. In wooden boxes on each side of the cart.

She led her two helpers to the damaged wheel. One spoke had broken completely in half and the rounded piece at the end of it had been severely damaged by contact with the boulder in the road.

She pointed at the spoke and the round piece: "Can you get those two pieces out and separate them. Preferable in good condition?"

They nodded and began breaking the damaged parts out with crowbars that had also been in the boxes on the work cart.

It did not take long to free the parts and just as she had the broken parts separately in her hands, she heard axes begin to chop wood in the trees beyond.

In the meantime, Lady Charlotta had been installed on a blanket in the shade of the work cart. 36 was happy that she was out of the way.

Giving each of her helpers a damaged piece each, she told them to go over to the trees and find a suitable replacement. Preferably a beech tree for the spoke and an oak three for the round piece, but if that was not possible anything that cut be cut into the right shape. The went off at a quick trot.

In the work cart she had noticed a couple of small bags of coal. Not a lot, but just enough to fill some brass heating pans in the carts, should the weather become cold on the way. She inspected the bags. Not sure if it would be enough, but it was all she had.

She dragged the bags outside. Found a shovel in the box on the side of the work cart and began digging a hole in the ground. Just beside the broken wheel and the cart.

She knew that lighting a fire would reveal their position so she would have to work fast -- and they needed to get going before the sun set.

As the guards came back with firewood, she had finished digging the hole in the ground and now arranged the wood. Then she opened the bags of coal and placed them in a line next to the hole.

She went through the boxes on the side of the work cart and found two hammers. Not the type or the weight, she needed but they had to do. There was also two rectangular pieces of steel. She did not know why they were there and their use was by no means obvious, but she weighed them in her hands and decided they would do as chisels.

Then she sat down. Had a drink of water and wiped the sweat of her forehead. A minute later the leader slumped down beside her.

"You seem to have a plan and know what you are doing. I am rather surprised. Will it work?"

"I think so, but I need all the help I can get. She outlined the plan to him, and told him that they needed to leave as soon as she was done. That is -- if she succeeded...

All the time keeping an eye on the sun which seemed to get closer to the horizon with a speed, she did not like.

She waited for the guards to come back with the replacement wood pieces. Then put them to cut -- with the crude axes -- as close a copy of the broken parts as possible.

They went to the task with energy and skill. Using axes and their personal knives to shape the wooden pieces.

Every time a bird cheeped she felt herself shiver and her ears were on full alert all the time.

The protecting guards were apparently riding in a pattern. They came back at regular intervals and rode off again at full speed after having a short interchange of words with the leader.

As the cart had been lifted up and was now resting on a pile of logs and all the contents, including the upholstered seats, where in a pile on the ground, she made the guards check the replacement pieces. Holding them up on the broken wheel again and again -- until she was satisfied.

With a small saw. Another good item that had been in the work carts boxes, she made a cut down the end of the spoke and inserted a small, flat piece of wood she had formed herself with her trusted iron knife.

She started hammering the spoke into position, knowing that the flat piece of wood would hit the bottom of the hole and be driven into the end of the spoke. Thus, splitting it and making it fit very, very tight in the hole.

Then she had the guards help her do the same thing with the new, rounded piece on top.

It took a lot of hammering and at one point she felt like her arms were falling off, so she had one of the guards do the last strokes.

More than once she sent the blacksmith a kind thought -- and at some point, began talking to him in her head. If his spirit was still lingering in this world she needed it to come to her aid!

The guards stepped aside and she inspected the work. It was by no means perfect but would have to do.

Together they got the wheel back on the shaft and the fastening in place. Fortunately, that had not been damaged, but the holders had just fallen off. They were slightly deformed, but she fixed that with a hammer.

Turning the wheel, it seemed to be turning nicely and stay in place. She smiled for the first time.

Now it was a question of speed and synchronisation. She got hold of the leader. Told him that all was going well so far, but they needed to be quick and in a very organized way.

She looked at the sun. There were still a few hours to go.

She got the leader to light the fire in the hole and had every available person down on their knees in a circle around the fire. Counting a rhythm, she made them all blow into the fire in a synchronized manner. Soon it was blazing away.

She took a bag of coal and had guards take each of the other sacks. Counted to 3 and then they all poured the coal down into the middle of the fire.

The flames immediately died down and so did the tell-tale smoke column arising from the hole.

Once again, she had everybody blow into the fire...until the embers were red hot. Then she used some rags, she had found in the boxes to push the metal ring into the glowing ambers.

She watched as the iron slowly began to glow. Then turned it with her rags. They did not protect her like a blacksmith's gloves would have done and she felt the extreme heat burn her hands, but she bit her lips and kept quiet.

She could also smell that her hair was burned shorter in the intense heat.

Soon she had turned the ring all the way around in the red-hot coal. She made it do another round, knowing that she would only have one attempt.

Finally, she pulled the hot ring out and managed to get it into place. Then began hammering with the improvised chisels and all her strength to push it over the wood. The burning smell making her almost throw up.

She hammered like she had never done before. Oblivious to both the pain in her hands and the many eyes watching her work. The chisel in one hand and the hammer in the other.

She had wound rags round her hands but first the heat and now the handling of the hammer and chisel were causing her intense pain. Finally, she was satisfied that she had gotten the ring in the right position, turned and called for water.

Someone handed her a flask. Probably thinking she was thirsty, but to their amazement she poured it over the ring. Making a hissing sound and sending another cloud into the air. This time of steam.

She spun the wheel. It looked ok.

In the midst of all this she had manged to signal to the leader and he had gotten the now idling guards to push and shovel earth over the fire. She drew a sigh of relief when the column of smoke stopped, but knew that if things did not work now they would be lost.

Ordering the nearest men to carefully lift the carriage and remove the supports, she watched intensely as the wheel was lowered to the ground. It seemed solid.

"Pull the cart -- slowly!"

She watched as the wheel did a little more than one full round.

It held. So far, so good.

She turned: "OK. I think we're done." She looked at the leader: "You take control now. We have to load up and get going -- fast!"

He looked at her for a while. Like he had fallen asleep with his eyes open. Amazed at what he had just seen. Then he blinked and started bellowing out orders.

A short while later they were on their way.

For the first mile or so, she sat beside the driver of the work cart. Keeping a close eye on the carriage up ahead -- and especially how the repaired wheel behaved.

When she was satisfied it would hold out, she smiled at the driver and snaked her way back into the cart. Here she tried to administer some soothing ointment on her blistered and torn hands from a small container she always carried in her pack. After that she wound the rags round her raw hands and stretched out on the floor of the cart. Oblivious to the bumping and rumbling she went into a daze.

She felt like she had been run over by something resembling the heavy cart and said a small prayer to whatever gods might be present. Hoping that the wheel would hold out till they reached Lady Charlotta's sisters' home and that no evil people had discovered the smoke from their fire.

It did. It was almost midnight when they entered the courtyard at Charlotta's sisters' home.

She could hardly drag herself out of the cart and walked like a ghost after the two girls and the escort. Down into the cellar region where the staff resided.

Luckily food was ready for them. Assorted cold cuts and bread and lemonade. She ate mechanically and as soon as she could excuse herself went to the small room with the hard bed she had been assigned. She fell asleep almost before she hit the mattress.

She slept late and had trouble getting out of bed. Her whole body aching and her hands just two bloody sores. She ventured out into the kitchen. Sat down and asked and got some clean rags for her hands.

They let her sit and just served her breakfast, which she ate mechanically. Then she went to look for a bathroom. Finding one she did not recognize the person looking at her from the mirror: Black face with soot and eyes looking like she had not slept for a week.

She tried to wash with the cold water and managed to remove most of the soot.

Her nails were frayed and she could not remove the black lines at the edges. It would have to do. She was glad that she did not have to do serving duties, but were more or less free of tasks till they were leaving again. She would have hated to serve anything with her bloody and dirty hands.

She went back to her room and found her spare cowl.

Slowly she began to feel better and ventured out to find the local blacksmith.

She did not have any trouble finding the him. He had a small house next to the stables.

The familiar smell and sounds led her right to the entrance.

He was big, muscular and had a wide, black leather belt round his protruding belly. He was as black and as covered in soot as she had been until her attempt to wash an hour before.

He looked up from the anvil and smiled: "Hello there! I suppose you are the one they all talk about? The girl that tries to put me out of a job?"

She smiled back: "By no means, Sir - but we were in a spot and I knew just a little about what to do."

"Quite a lot I found out. I have my boys taking the wheel off right now. Fortunately, I have another wheel that will fit the carriage, because the repair you did will take some time to pull apart!"

"Glad to hear that. I was afraid it would not last till we got here and it is definitely an emergency repair. Will you be able to fix it properly?"

"Oh, yes. We have an excellent carpenter and he is already working on making the new wooden parts. Then it will be up to me to see if I can plug the wheel apart." He laughed. A roaring laughter that seemed to start somewhere behind the wide belt and explode like a volcano from his throat.

She smiled and bowed her head.

"Good. I am happy that things turned out as they did. I'll leave you to it then."

He nodded and returned to hammering at the object on his anvil. She walked slowly across the yard.

During the days they were there she did not have any duties and only a few sought her out to have a cut or a bruise looked at. So, she spent most of her time in the cellar. Trying to mend her hands - and aching body. At the end of their stay the rumour had somehow gotten around, because she had more visits by people with small ailments and wounds. She was happy to occupy herself helping them.

Their return trip -- with a new wheel - was quite uneventful. She did feel a rush of pride when they passed the remnants of the fire and the logs at the place, where they had been stuck.

Again, rumours had preceded them. Septimus dragged her aside on their overnight stay at the inn. He was impressed with her skills and initiative and told her that it had definitely been noticed -- everywhere.

That worried her a little. She preferred to stay in the background and not make a show of herself.

When they reached the big house she just wanted to go down to her cellar and get the girls to make her a long, hot bath, but as Lady Charlotta got off her carriage she called her over.

"I am grateful for your efforts, and want to thank you from the depths of my heart. We could have fared much worse out there on the road had you not been able to help us!"

"Yes. Lady. I am happy I was able to help. Please do not speak any more of it,"