he offered Liesel
his arm and they left for an evening she knew was a huge
mistake.
"You know your mum was the best dancer in
the city," Warin's eyes were bright with the memory. Liesel
couldn't help but be intrigued. "That's how we met. Her ribbon was
pulled, and I got the first dance."
"She told me you met on Holy Day!" Warin's
grin just grew, and he wriggled his brows mischievously.
"It's true that I first saw her then, comin'
out of the church, but we didn't meet. Your grandfather took one
look at me and took your mum straight home. He couldn't get rid of
me that easy, though! From the moment I laid eyes on your mum, I
knew I was going to marry that girl. You should have seen the look
on his face when he saw me pull her ribbon at the dance!" Warin was
laughing now, his big voice booming down the quiet road they
walked. Liesel had to smile along with him. When he found something
funny, which was highly unusual outside the tavern, Warin's laugh
was catching.
"How did you manage to pull her ribbon?"
"I bribed the mayor."
"You what?" Liesel gasped. The ribbon dance
wasn't by any means sacred to her, but she knew some couples who
had wedded solely because of the ribbon dance. They believed the
Maker had coupled them that way, and so it was meant to be. The
Holy Man had preached against such superstition, but there were a
good many families that still held the dance as much more than a
festival tradition. Every town in the region had its own ribbon
dance, according to Liesel's grandmother. That her father would
interfere with something so important shouldn't have surprised her,
but she'd thought even he had limits, but apparently not. Still,
from the joy the memory had brought to his face, he believed it had
been the right thing to do.
"Your mother was so lovely, Leese. Your
grandmother had insisted on puttin' her hair up in some ridiculous
curls before they arrived. Said it was only proper. But as the
evenin' went on, and we danced into the night, the more her hair
fell out of place until it floated around her. It was like seein'
waves of golden wheat rollin' in the wind. We danced the whole
time, and when it was all done, I tried to kiss her. She would have
none of that though! Said I'd have to marry her before she let me
steal any such sweetness from her.
"Bein' the young, wild man I was, I had
nothin' to my name but the clothes on my back and the few coins I
earned doing odd jobs here and there. Your mum changed all that.
After that night, I found a blacksmith and hired myself out to him.
I'd learned to smith from my own father back in my own county, and
in a year, I'd married your mum. You came along not long after
that." Liesel listened, spellbound, to the story she'd never heard
a word about from her mother. Liesel supposed the way Amala and
Warin had met was probably a bit embarrassing to her ever proper
mother. Or perhaps, Liesel wondered, Amala had feared it would give
Liesel the idea to follow in her footsteps. Whatever the reason had
been, it would remain forever hidden now. Liesel turned to study
her father as he walked beside her. His eyes were distant, and the
smile he wore now was a sad one.
"Your mum was good to me, Leese. She brought
me back when I strayed, and she always forgave me when I stumbled.
You're a lot like her, girl. Don't you forget that."
"Thank you, Father," Liesel murmured. And
she meant it. For all his faults, Warin had loved her mother
faithfully.
The sound of an excited crowd pulled her
from her reverie, and Liesel felt her heart quicken as they entered
the town square. There had been a few people that had passed by
them as they'd headed into town, three or four neighbors on the
outskirts of Ward, but it seemed now the whole town was gathered
around the stage that had been set up in the square. Mayor Odo was
standing on it, along with Izaak and a few other dignitaries Liesel
had seen here and there around town.
"Don't look so ghostly now," Warin gave her
a small shove from behind.
his arm and they left for an evening she knew was a huge
mistake.
"You know your mum was the best dancer in
the city," Warin's eyes were bright with the memory. Liesel
couldn't help but be intrigued. "That's how we met. Her ribbon was
pulled, and I got the first dance."
"She told me you met on Holy Day!" Warin's
grin just grew, and he wriggled his brows mischievously.
"It's true that I first saw her then, comin'
out of the church, but we didn't meet. Your grandfather took one
look at me and took your mum straight home. He couldn't get rid of
me that easy, though! From the moment I laid eyes on your mum, I
knew I was going to marry that girl. You should have seen the look
on his face when he saw me pull her ribbon at the dance!" Warin was
laughing now, his big voice booming down the quiet road they
walked. Liesel had to smile along with him. When he found something
funny, which was highly unusual outside the tavern, Warin's laugh
was catching.
"How did you manage to pull her ribbon?"
"I bribed the mayor."
"You what?" Liesel gasped. The ribbon dance
wasn't by any means sacred to her, but she knew some couples who
had wedded solely because of the ribbon dance. They believed the
Maker had coupled them that way, and so it was meant to be. The
Holy Man had preached against such superstition, but there were a
good many families that still held the dance as much more than a
festival tradition. Every town in the region had its own ribbon
dance, according to Liesel's grandmother. That her father would
interfere with something so important shouldn't have surprised her,
but she'd thought even he had limits, but apparently not. Still,
from the joy the memory had brought to his face, he believed it had
been the right thing to do.
"Your mother was so lovely, Leese. Your
grandmother had insisted on puttin' her hair up in some ridiculous
curls before they arrived. Said it was only proper. But as the
evenin' went on, and we danced into the night, the more her hair
fell out of place until it floated around her. It was like seein'
waves of golden wheat rollin' in the wind. We danced the whole
time, and when it was all done, I tried to kiss her. She would have
none of that though! Said I'd have to marry her before she let me
steal any such sweetness from her.
"Bein' the young, wild man I was, I had
nothin' to my name but the clothes on my back and the few coins I
earned doing odd jobs here and there. Your mum changed all that.
After that night, I found a blacksmith and hired myself out to him.
I'd learned to smith from my own father back in my own county, and
in a year, I'd married your mum. You came along not long after
that." Liesel listened, spellbound, to the story she'd never heard
a word about from her mother. Liesel supposed the way Amala and
Warin had met was probably a bit embarrassing to her ever proper
mother. Or perhaps, Liesel wondered, Amala had feared it would give
Liesel the idea to follow in her footsteps. Whatever the reason had
been, it would remain forever hidden now. Liesel turned to study
her father as he walked beside her. His eyes were distant, and the
smile he wore now was a sad one.
"Your mum was good to me, Leese. She brought
me back when I strayed, and she always forgave me when I stumbled.
You're a lot like her, girl. Don't you forget that."
"Thank you, Father," Liesel murmured. And
she meant it. For all his faults, Warin had loved her mother
faithfully.
The sound of an excited crowd pulled her
from her reverie, and Liesel felt her heart quicken as they entered
the town square. There had been a few people that had passed by
them as they'd headed into town, three or four neighbors on the
outskirts of Ward, but it seemed now the whole town was gathered
around the stage that had been set up in the square. Mayor Odo was
standing on it, along with Izaak and a few other dignitaries Liesel
had seen here and there around town.
"Don't look so ghostly now," Warin gave her
a small shove from behind.
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