Berach's Jewel

Chapter Three

The embers glowed red and orange, occasionally crackling, sending sparks up into the air. Kjell had taken one of the unused sticks and was drawing patterns in the ground beside them.

"You see, these stars," she said, sketching as she spoke softly to her brother, "are of Merritt; the hunter who claimed he could kill all animals. Many animals were killed until he came to the adder, Berach. She was fiercely protective of her treasures,"

Daveth entered quietly through the front door. It was almost pitch black inside their house now. Lighting a couple of candles, he left one inside the house, and took the other with him, opening and closing the door to the cooking area. Kjell glanced at him, and shifted her focus back to the fire, carrying on with her story and watched the flames flow and ebb dancing a cascading into each other while Aldred stood up and ladled some of the vegetable stew into a bowl for him, ripping some bread off their big loaf. The story of Merrit and Berach had been a favourite of his when he was very young.

"And she protected them fiercely enough, that Merritt ran from her. Berach chased after him, wanting to bite him with her fangs, but she has never been able to catch him. You can see this as Merritt and Berach can never be seen at the same time in the sky."

Daveth ate the stew while listening to Kjell's story half-heartedly, thinking back on the Jalde's words before he left the high house. Something caught his attention in Kjell's story though.

"- one of which is the jewel that Jalde Dunstan has in his possession, passed through his father's line."

Daveth's eyes widened in realisation, quickly swallowing his mouthful. "Dunstan's hundert is to the north, over the knolls, isn't it?"

Kjell stuttered, her story rudely interrupted. "Y-yes, I think so. It's on the way to the salt farm on the coast."

Perfect. "Oh yes, that's right." Turning to his son, he said, "I haven't made a trip there for a few years, and I think you're old enough to stay and look after our land by yourself."

Kjell huffed in annoyance, Daveth never thought about what others did for him, unless he saw it with his own eyes. "But we have enough of -,"

Daveth carried on over Kjell's voice, "I'll hire a horse in the morning, and I'll be back in a few days."

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Short and sweet this week! The story of Berach and Merrit is based on the story behind the constellations Scorpio and Orion. In the northern hemisphere you can never see them together in the sky at one time!

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