The dogs are over sniffing the scents along the creek. Probably a wild animal that came down to drink last night. I grab my toothbrush and brush my te...eth outside.I go in and pour some hot water from the tank into a large bowl to wash my face. Sarbun is watching me. "Do you want to wash this morning?" I ask. She gets up and shakes her head -- she must have changed her womanly mind -- but comes over to watch me carefully. After I wash, I dump the water outside and hang the bowl to dry on a nail. Just this past year King Athelstan came here to Mældubesburg. Although many years have passed, he knew me still and cried aloud for joy at seeing his old teacher. He has grown into a handsome man with flaxen hair – still shot through with the gold of his childhood. Although not much above middling height, his presence fills any room. He is soft-spoken, for a Saxon. This tale I now recount was told to me by old Hereward of Middletun. He is nearly four score years now but still has a silver. How long has it been now, Delia, nearly two years since Ifirst dipped into you and you wanted to stay wrapped around meforever? It's bothered her, how you'd feel when you found out. Self-righteous, sure, but also devastated, and she cares aboutyou." Dan stood up and took my hand, always a perfect gentleman! "Butthat's all behind us now, Allie. They insisted I take your cherrywhile you were out cold, and then keep at it until you came to andknew that's where I was, so they could then do. You went into Iraq (twice!) just for the hell of it, you have boots on the ground in every other country on the planet (including mine), and who knows? By the time I finish typing this, you might have troops in Syria and/or Iran!If you, my male American friends, are perceiving this as an attack or critique, YOU COULDN'T BE MORE WRONG! I like you're unfettered aggression, your barbaric v******e, your presumptive "we own the world" arrogance! All I would humbly ask of you is that you would take a.