The Ogre's Pact

Epilogue

"So now what?" asked Avner. The youth stood on the ramparts of Castle Hartwick, looking across the Clearwhirl's eastern channel. In the distance, the stone giant Gavorial was disappearing into the dusk, the former king of Hartsvale gripped securely in his hand. "Now that you're the queen, what's going to happen to us?"

Brianna laid a warm hand on the youth's shoulder. "I don't know," she said, "What do you suppose should happen to you?"

The boy cast an apprehensive glance over at Basil. "What do you think?" he asked. "We did steal those books, you know."

The verbeeg scowled. "Stealing implies personal ownership, which, as you know, is a rather archaic concept-especially among my people," he said. "Besides, books are no good unless someone's using them. They shouldn't sit endlessly on some shelf."

"That's not a very good answer," Tavis said.

Basil scowled. "Very well, then," he said. "I suppose we shall have to return them to Earl Dobbin's family."

Avner looked up at the scout. "Is that okay with you?"

Tavis shook his head sternly. "Hardly," he said. "Returning what you have stolen is a good start, but I don't see how that alone will discourage you from trying it again."

Avner scowled. After all he had gone through, it hardly seemed fair to punish him for something he had done in what felt like the ancient past-but he resisted the urge to say so. He knew Tavis well enough to realize that complaining would only make matters worse.

"I've thought of just punishments," Brianna said, "Basil, the royal libraries are a mess. Your sentence shall be to clean and organize them."

The verbeeg's eyes lit up. "With pleasure!" he said. "How many volumes do you have-approximately?"

"We have exactly two thousand three hundred and twelve," Brianna replied. "And I should warn you that the one thing we do possess is a complete list. If even one comes up missing-"

"They won't," the verbeeg promised. "Who needs to steal when he can borrow?"

"What about me?" Avner asked, hoping his punishment would be something just as fitting.

Brianna smiled. "Once your arm is better, I think you should stay here to clean out Blizzard's stall-for a year."

"A year!" he gasped.

"Is something wrong with that?" Tavis inquired.

Avner quickly swallowed his shock. "No, of course not," he said. "I was just thinking that a year will be a long time, away from you and Livia and the others back at the inn."

"I don't think you'll be missing them at all," said the new queen. She clasped Tavis's arm, then added, "I intend to keep all of you very close at hand."