Several animal heads were mounted on the walls, including both a brown and a polar bear. The rest were in the deer family, except for one grizzled old boar.
Alex, my son, was coming from the kitchen with a tray that bore the promised snacks, a couple bottles of wine, and five glasses. He eyed me for just an instant before switching his gaze to first Cris, who he nodded towards, and then Tess who he met with a wide smile. Alex set the tray on the coffee table that sat between the sofa and the fire.
I looked at the different sitting positions and waited to see where the ladies would sit. Tess didn’t hesitate, she moved to the far end of the couch, where Alex still stood. The two hugged briefly and after leaning her crossbow against the end of the sofa, Tess sat down there while Alex took the overstuffed chair beside her.
Cris moved to sit beside Tess and I took the nearer end of the couch. When I sat down, Cris made a small, but noticeable, move toward Tess.
Rowle shut the doors and came in, taking the chair nearest me.
“Alexander, will you pour for our guests?” he asked.
“Certainly. How have you been, Tess?” Alex said as he picked up a bottle of a deep red wine and split it between the five glasses.
“Good, Alex. It’s great to see you again,” Tess replied.
“And this must be Cris. It’s nice to see you in person after our phone talks,” Alex said as he handed a glass to both Tess and Cris.
“Yes, it’s good to meet you also. Although, I was surprised and saddened to hear about your recent demise.”
“Hah, yeah, it was a bit of a surprise to me too, but everything worked out in the end,” Alex said. He held out a glass of wine to me. Our eyes met and I was shocked by the ferocity I saw in them.
What the hell? I wondered. I took the glass from him and noticed his jaw muscles twitched.
He gave another glass to Rowle, picked up a plate of cheese and crackers, and offered them to Tess.
While the ladies and Alex started nibbling, I turned to Rowle. Rowle looked to be pushing fifty, which told of his incredible age. Walt had thought he’d become a Wanderer during the revolution. He’d been a German mercenary, one of the infamous Hessians, when he’d died and had been reaped. He had served Verðandi for fifty or sixty years before refusing any more summonings from her. There were a few old scars on his face and he looked weaker than when I last saw him, just before my own near death in the mouth of his black dragon.
I sipped at the wine; it was an incredibly good cabernet sauvignon, while I considered my words carefully.
“Rowle, I think you should let me train Alex. It’s what Verðandi wants.”
Rowle didn’t reply immediately, but made a show of sipping at his own wine and letting the liquid sit on his tongue while he savored it. Finally, he swallowed and met my gaze.
“Straight to the point, eh, Raphael? You are the first Wanderers to visit me here in nearly a hundred years. Can’t you relax for a moment and enjoy the wine and the company?”
“Rowle, you and I have our differences and they are massive. We can’t just pretend none of the past has occurred. While I am interested in finding a path that will let us live in peace with each other, I have to see some sign that you’ve changed before I can accept that.”
“Changed?” Rowle seemed surprised by my statement. “Exactly what form of change were you looking for?”
“Mostly that you’ve given up this insanity of trying to start Ragnarök. Whether you return to being a Wanderer or not is totally up to you, but you know I have to prevent anything as world changing as Ragnarök. You and the loyal Wanderers maintained a peace for nearly two hundred years before you started this quest of yours. Can’t we go back to that sort of relationship?”
Rowle took another sip and studied me. I noticed the girls and Alex had stopped talking and were listening to our conversation. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bruno had left Tess’s shoulder and curled up on the stone hearth in front of the fire. His hide nearly glowed with heat.
Before replying, Rowle made a hand motion and a four-foot long oak stick, at least a foot in diameter, floated from a bin in the far corner and maneuvered itself into the fireplace. Rowle watched the flames for a few seconds more and then turned back to me.
“Suppose I agree that it’s time we stopped our fighting. Will you agree to let Alex be my apprentice?”
I frowned and shook my head slightly. “That’s not really my call, Rowle. He was reaped just as all of us were and Verðandi sent me to train him.”
“But if I were to promise to train him in the ways of the Wanderers and even allow him to decide for himself if he is to serve Verðandi when the time comes, could you not see your way to let me have an apprentice. You know I am better qualified to train him.”
“I don’t think I have a choice in the matter,” I said. “Verðandi–”
Rowle interrupted me. “Verðandi isn’t perfect. She’s just another damn god who wants to interfere in the business of mortals. You know she cares very little for humans, other than her
