CHAPTER 45 You Aren’t Napping on My Bridge, Are You?

Henrietta

I admit it.

I bought so many shiny, pokie things. In my defense, the dwarves made very nice shiny, pokie things.

After dinner, I went on a romp about the outpost, and I came back with three new throwing daggers, a silver boot needle, a hair tie with dangling lock picks, a mithril-plated fan with a belt hook, and a small polish kit for my Hero sword.

Craigy Hammerbottom, who had sold me the polish kit, had even offered to throw in the first polish for free! He might have drooled a bit as I handed over Jacqueline Tiamat la Fleur. She was a very beautiful [Hero Sword] that I'd pulled out of a stone dragon mural in the Depths of Despair Dungeon. Her hilt was made of fine twists of orichalcum, and her blade was mithril. The grip was made out of sea drake hide, with a sea drake scale curved pommel.

Jacqueline wasn't a very big talker for a magic sword. She spent most of her time sleeping, but when she was awake, she could be quite a handful. [Water] was her primary element, but on a critical success, she gave out [Void] damage.

She was my key to defeating the Dark Lord.

Keith's mother had been a nephilim; half demon general and half seraph paladin. If he took after her in any capacity than he was unlikely to possess [Void] damage resistance.

I had learned a lot about him during our afternoon tea breaks, including a bit of his history. While nobody knew who Keith's father was, he'd been born with only partial demon and human traits. One horn, strong magic, but no wings. He was a demi, someone who maintained both sides of their heritage. This was a rarity, as the System usually only kept one of the parents' titles to pass on. If you had a catkin mom and an elf dad, then you were born a catkin or an elf.

Keith's mother being a nephilim was also a rarity.

Speaking of Keith, I searched the outpost for my erstwhile raven companion but didn't see Hubert anywhere. If I was going to have time to stop at Gerda's place for breakfast, I would need to leave soon. I wanted to give her the present I'd bought her last night.

"Corporal Nova," I said.

"Yes, Princess?" she grumbled. She had gotten up to escort me out of town. I got the feeling her husband was a morning person, while Corporal Nova was not.

"Thank you for showing me around. I have to leave now. Could you let Keith's raven know I've left for Gerda's bridge?"

"I thought you were going to Gren's Keep?" the dwarfess all but accused. I had a feeling she didn't like me, but I enjoyed her company, so I wouldn't hold it against her.

"I am," I told her.

When I didn't say more, she sighed and replied, "Whatever. Have a safe trip."

I waved goodbye and took one last look for Hubert before starting down the trail.

I cost you nothing, and only you know the cost.

I am worth more than gold or silver, but hold no value after I'm lost.

I can be traded, and I can be difficult made,

By king or peasant, I can be easily gave,

And while I cannot hurt your flesh or bone,

When broken I destroy your heart, your name and home.

I actually sat down on the bridge for some thirty minutes to think of this one; Gerda hadn't pulled any punches for her riddle this time. "Argh." I flopped onto my back and looked up at the sky while my friend stood patiently by. Honestly, I was lucky that I had found the bridge exactly where I'd left it last night and didn't need to go searching, so a little extra time solving the riddle wasn't too much of a hassle. I thought aloud. "It's not … maybe friendship? Reputation? Hmm."

Eventually, Gerda got tired of waiting and leaned over to stare at my face. I opened one eye to see her fawn-brown eyes staring back. She had a few white freckles on her nose that made me think of deer. If deer were pale-green.

"You aren't napping on my bridge, are you?" Gerda teased.

"No!" I countered. "But I think I'm ready. Based on the broken bit, I'm going to guess … a promise?"

"Well done, Princess." Gerda reached out a hand to help me up. She patted me on the shoulder. "If I'm going to have to wait so long every time, maybe I'll just stick to the beginner-level riddles?"

"Don't you dare!" I shot back. The two of us climbed under the bridge and into her kitchen. "I love your riddles!"

"But will you love it if I can't let you cross the bridge?" Gerda set the table with some of her own freshly baked gingerbread cookies and a snack tray of nuts and fruit. "You'd have to defeat me to get past, and I'm warning you that troll magic is no joke."

"What's a little combat between friends?" I said, happily munching away on nuts.

"As long as you are alright with having to trek a mile off the path to cross the river, it should be fine …" Gerda pulled out a beautiful oak box with little jars of assorted dried tea leaves. "Now, which tea would you like?"

"Ohh! This is new!" I admired the tea and the cute labels scrawled with each flavor. "I'll have some rasp-elder berry, please."

"Thank you, I took a walk to Glendale in North Sumbria to buy some supplies after we spoke yesterday." Gerda chuckled. "I don't think I mentioned this part, but Countess Julia couldn't figure out my riddle. She also couldn't defeat me … so to save time, she offered me money and a favor to jump off the bridge myself. I, of course, would never stand in the way of true love."

"Does someone just need to get you off the bridge to ‘defeat' you?"

"For the lower level riddles, yes." Gerda smiled a very big and self-satisfying smile. "I've never been defeated."

"I thought you just said—"

"Jumping off myself doesn't count," Gerda countered. "Ah, the tea should be steeped. Let me grab us some teacups."

"I also have a present for you!" I used the opportunity to pull out a small cloth I had rolled up and stuffed in my belt pouch. "I saw these in Frolin and thought of you."

I handed over the cloth. She put it on the table and unrolled it to reveal four crystal tea set spoons carved with mushrooms on the handle tip.

"I thought of you and the first riddle you gave me," I said, slightly nervous that she wouldn't like them. Gerda usually used little wooden soup spoons for mixing honey and cream into the tea, so I hoped she liked these.

"They are beautiful, Ria!" The troll reached out and delicately picked one up to inspect it. "Thank you."

"Thank you," I replied. "For being the first friend I made in the Dark Enchanted Forest."

I pretended not to see the troll rub one eye. She gathered up the spoons to go rinse them in her kitchen sink so we could use them right away.

All in all, today was looking to be a great day.