Caroleen had been so exhausted that even the hard planks of the wagon did little to prevent her slumber. When she woke, the sun was well up and the wagon was swaying like a graceful little sailboat over the lonesome moor. A blanket had been thoughtfully tucked around her and she rubbed her silky fingers over it’s rough thickness. This was no velvet and down duvet but a hand woven wool from some hard working crofter.<br/><br/>She felt bad for not answering Ivan’s questions last night but the events of the day had been difficult at best. Now she pondered his words,<br/><br/>"Before you came here; before I called you to this world; did you see anything? Can you remember anything of the spirit world?"<br/><br/>She rolled over and called,<br/>“Ivan, I have been thinking of your questions concerning the afterlife. I remember little between hearing the midwife exclaim over the amount of blood she was seeing and opening my eyes to see your face. Vaguely, so much that it seems a dream borne of fever, do I remember, darkness and thinking that I had died unshriven. And voices, like screaming and crying out in anguish, as if people were tumbling around me, like so many jesters and over head, far far away was the pin prick of light. I started toward that light, thinking it was the sun coming up and that I would need to feed my baby. And then being poured out as water, to find myself in a body that holds me prisoner with a jailer who hates me. For she does, hate me.” Her voice trailed off softly.<br/><br/>“I will cling to your promise of providing me rest in the end. You are a kind man, and for that I am grateful.”<br/><br/><br/>He was quiet as he whipped the horses forward. Caroleen watching him as his shoulders seemed to draw in on each other. Caroleen sat up and clutched the blanket to her for the morning was chilly despite the sun. Soon they rattled up a hill where a thatched roof could be seen with the homey vision of smoke curling from a chimney. Caroleen liked the thatched roof and wondered if the view from the top of the hill would be beautiful.<br/><br/>The voice in her head said, coldly, “Ivan and I stayed here many years ago. He was young with broad shoulders and a head of thick dark hair. His face was unlined and his beard not yet streaked with gray. I found sublime love in his arms. He awoke me to the joys of the flesh and I never regretted a day that I spent in wandering the world with him.”<br/><br/>Caroleen listened for she heard longing that was masked by the sneer. She too had known the love of a good man, if not the passion that was sung by bards.<br/><br/>“We had passion, the two of us, fiery and demanding. “ she continued. Caroleen looked at the thin man with gray hair and an ashen complexion whose face was lined with worry, whose eyes squinted as if from studying fine print by a dim light. His hands only were those of a strong man and Caroleen fastened her eyes on the ropey veins that were blue against his skin.<br/><br/>“I do not know how I feel about an old man coming to my bed, or me giving myself to such a one. We had spent hours, in our early days, spotting men who hungered after the flesh of young women. And we laughed. I still remember the way my skin crawled when we spoke of such perverted sport.”<br/><br/>Caroleen spoke softly,<br/>“A man is just a man but a love such as you shared is not perverted sport. Ivan loves you and has suffered in that love. He has sacrificed his entire life to bring you back to him. Surely you would not despise him!”<br/><br/>The wagon pulled to a stop in the courtyard of the Gilded Boar’s Inn.  Ivan sat with his hands hanging over his knees.<br/><br/>"We shall stop at that Inn," said Ivan. "The horses need feed and I need rest. We will continue at sundown."<br/><br/>The innkeeper came out, wiping his hands on his white apron that was tied at his prodigious waist with a bit of string.<br/><br/>“Master Cane!” he called jovially, “ Mistress.” He stopped short staring at the well aged man and the woman who seemed to be as fresh as the last time he had seen her. He was discreet and loved two things, people and money, but not necessarily in that order, so he continued on as if he had not paused at all. “ I haven’t seen you in many a year. I have become twice the man I was since you had seen me last and you have tasted the wine of wisdom.” Referring to Ivan’s shock of grey hair. “but you, madam, are as lovely as a day in May.”<br/><br/>Caroleen smiled sweetly as Ivan handed her down and leaned closely to the man to say,<br/>“The benefits of being well loved, sir,”<br/><br/>The man stopped in his tracks with his mouth open for to hear a woman speak so was rare indeed.<br/><br/>“I fear that I am tired. Have you a room at the Inn for weary travelers?”<br/><br/>Sensing money about to cross his palm, he hurried them off to the taproom while he made arrangements with his wife to prepare the best room for the Canes were staying with them again.<br/><br/>Caroleen waited until Ivan was seated close by her and asked quietly,<br/>“I fear I may have over stepped my boundaries but I wanted to stop that man from prying further. Forgive me if I have shamed you. Gustav had become accustomed to my impetuous mouth and I fear that you might beat me, unlike him.” She bowed her head and studied her hands, noting the grime under the fingernails.<br/><br/>“Come friends,” the innkeeper said, with a wide sweep of his arm, “let me show you to your chambers.”<br/><br/>_________________