Jaso

Jaso

E. M. Areson

Jaso looked down at the small carving in his hands then up at the face of his brother, “Why? Couldn’t it weight a year so I’d be able to go to the Academy?”

“No, you idiot. I need the money now and you’re never going to that stupid Academy. It’s a waste of time. You're a farmer, not a bard,” He tried to take the carving from Jaso’s hands.

“No.” Jaso pulled away. “You may have sold my way of getting to the Academy but you won’t get rid of my carving. Penser gave it to me.”

“That old fool who filled your head with silly old stories and delusions of grandeur? He’s been dead for almost two months, it’s time to move on,” Ymer gave up trying to get the carving and continued. “You’re all I have, Jaso. We have to stick together.”

“You may be content to be a farmer and stay working the same ground your whole life then die and be buried in that dirt, but I’m not. I want to tell stories, inspire people. I’ll get to the Academy if I have to swim all the way. You can’t stop me.” Jaso turned and walked away, clutching the carving to his chest.

“No one will take you. Nobody has the time to waist and I’ve got promises from all the local captains not to take you. You wanted to know why I sold the boat. I sold it so you wouldn’t do something stupid,” Ymer yelled at him.

Jaso didn’t listen he held the caving tighter. He wouldn’t stay here like Ymer wanted, he decided. Jaso would find a way to the Academy, by the time he got there Ymer wouldn’t be able to force him to come home. He’d get his things from the house and find someone going to the capital city, but how would he pay for transport?

Jaso was so lost in thought he didn’t see when he bumped into a stranger. The man snarled for a moment looking like he was ready to curse at Jaso, but then he saw the carving and looked him over. The man was tall, thin but muscular; his beard was wild but his eyes were wilder. He wore the tattered clothes of a sea captain.

Jaso gulped, “Can I help you?” His voice shook and his throat tightened.

“That carving, where’d you get it?”

“M-my mentor gave it to me Sir,” Jaso tried to steady his voice.

“Who?”

“Penser the bard.”

The man smiled, “Good old Penser. Where is he? I haven’t seen him in years. That old land lover, so you’re a bard?”

“I want to be a bard but… Penser died almost two months ago before he could fulfill my training by taking me to the Academy.”

The man sighed, “What happened?”

“Old age. Were you close?”

The man gave a half smile, “We were brothers. By blood and choice, if ever there was a man I’d die for it was him. When I first went to sea, it was so I could take him to the Academy... You need a ride, boy. You said Penser died before he could.”

“I’d love a ride Sir but I don’t have much money-” Jaso started but the man interrupted.

“No need for money. You need passage, I need a new fabulist. The last one I had died in a storm a few ports back and I still haven’t picked up a new one yet. You’ll get to the Academy with experience with a real audience and my men won’t try and kill each other every few seconds.”

“Uuuuuu-”

“Go get your stuff and meet me down on the docks before sunset. I’m Captain Mokkin,” the man walked off and left Jaso alone on the road.

Jaso smiled at his luck. He wasn’t sure how or when it happened but he was going to be a fabulist on a ship heading to the capital city. He hurried home and packed up his few things into a small bundle and tied it on his back. Making his way down to the dock he wondered if he should tell his brother goodbye. He remembered the look on Captain Mokkin’s face when he’d told him Penser was dead.

I’ll tell him goodbye. I won’t let him stop me but I’ll let him say what he needs to before, Jaso thought.He found his brother in the marketplace bargaining with a sailor over some of his crops.

After the sailor left Jaso spoke, “I found a captain willing to take me to the Academy. He was Penser’s brother, and will take me for free.”

“Do you really want to go? You know the life of a bard is a lonely one, I won’t see you for years at a time. You’ll never have a home unless your unrealistically lucky and almost guaranteed never to have a wife or children,” Ymer had a tear in his eye but Jaso ignored it.

“This is what I want and who I am. Could you be happy for me and tell me goodbye?”

Ymer pulled Jaso into a hug, “Yes, I’ll be happy for you. You just better stop by when you're in the area, understand?”

Jaso smiled, “Yeah. I understand. And I get why you sold the boat. I love you brother, and I will visit.”

“Love you too little brother,” Ymer released him. “Come on, I’ll wake you to the dock. I assume that’s where you’re going.”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Jaso waited a minute then said, “You know that carving Pener gave me. I don’t know if you ever looked to close but it’s of Arthem and his brother Mergil. Mergil kept getting Artem into trouble.”

Ymer snorted, “Sounds like Artem would have better off without Mergil.”

“Actually it was because of he kept getting Mergil out of trouble that Artem became a hero. Artem married Lady Grenella because he was trying to win favor with her father to keep Mergil from getting executed. They owed each other everything. If either of them hadn’t been around neither would have had any luck in life. Artem would have stayed at home, and Mergil would have got himself killed.”

“Your point for bringing all this up?”

“We may not always agree-”

Ymer laughed, “We never agree.”

Jaso chuckled back, “My point exactly, but we need each other… and I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.”

Photo by Katherine McCormack