The Thief's Bride

THE THIEF'S BRIDE

by Cordites Tun

Once there was a silver Dragonborn, who had a daughter with the same coloured scales. When she grew up, he wanted to have her married well and settled into a good house. He thought, ‘If a suitable bridegroom come and ask for my daughter, I will give her to him.’

As she grew, her scales brightened and she became more beautiful. She learnt to use turmeric spice mixed with black powder to shine her scales.

One day a suitor came who appeared to be rich human male, and as the Dragonborn knew nothing against him he promised his daughter to him. However, the daughter disliked him, where as most brides ought to at least like her future husband. Nor had she any faith in the human male. Whenever she looked at him, or thought about him, a shudder came over her.

One day he said to her, "You are my betrothed, and yet you have never been to see me."
The Maiden answered; "I don’t even know where your house is."
The Bridegroom replied, "My house is in the depths of the forest."

The daughter made excuses, each time he asked. She explained that she could not find the way.

The Bridegroom insisted, "Next Sunday, you will visit me without fail. I have invited some other guests, and therefore, that you must be able to find the way. I will strew some ashes to guide you along the way."

Sunday came, and the Maiden was about to head out, although she was frightened. She could not explain even to herself. So that she should be sure of finding her way back she filled her pockets with dried peas and dried corn.

At the entrance to the forest, she found the track of ashes, and followed it. Every step or two she scattered a few peas and corn right and left of the path.

She walked nearly the whole day, right into the middle of the forest. It was almost dark. There she saw a solitary house. It was not a welcoming abode. The daughter was unsettled. It was so dark and dismal. It had dark windows and heavy smoke rose from the chimney.

Yet she entered, however found nobody there. The house was dead silence. Only a candle in it's holder glimmers in the darkness.

Suddenly a voice called out, "Turn back, turn back, thou silver scaled bride. In this house death abides."

The Maiden looked up, and saw that the voice came from a bird in a large cage hanging on the wall. Once more it made the same cry:
"Turn back, turn back, thou silver scaled bride. In this house death abides."

The beautiful Dargonborn went from room to room, all over the house. All were empty - not a soul was to be seen. At last she reached the cellar, and there she found an very elderly half-elf woman with a shaking head.

"Can you tell me if this be the house where my Bridegroom lives?"

"Alas! Your are a youth of naivity."’ answered the elderly woman, "Little does you know where you are at. You stand in a murderer’s den. Your thoughts of a good marriage, but death will be who you wed. See, I have had to fill this kettle with water, and when they have you in their power they will slit your throat without mercy. They will take your silver scales, cook, and then eat thee. For they are eaters of human flesh. They will become rich from your beautiful scales. Shall I take pity on thee and save you? You are lost to life." Then the old woman lead the dragonborn maiden behind a great cask, where she could not be seen. "Be quieter than a mouse," she said. "Do not stir, or all will be lost for you. Tonight, when the murderers are asleep, you and I shall flee. I have long waited for such an opportunity."

Hardly had the elderly woman finished speaking, when the riotous crew came home. They dragged another pretty halfling maiden with them, however in their drunken state they paid no attention to her shrieks and lamentations.

They gave the pretty halfling a drink of wine, then another. A count of three glasses full - red, white, and yellow wine. After she had drunk them, she fell down quite dead. The poor hidden dragonborn, from behind the cask was terrified. She trembled and shivered - for she saw plainly to what fate she was destined.

One of the men noticed a gold ring on the little finger of the murdered halfling. He was a dwarf with black beard and dirty hands. As he could not pull the ring off the halfling's finger, he took an axe and chopped the finger off - wanting to pocket the gold ring. But the ring sprang up into the air, and fell right into the lap of the dragonborn hiding behind the cask.

The dwarf took the candle from the mantle, where the dragonborn had left it, so he could look for the gold ring. Yet he could not find it.

One of the others said, "Have you looked behind the big cask?"

But the old woman called out: "Come and eat. Leave the search until tomorrow - the finger will not run away."
The bridegroom said; "The old woman is right".

So they gave up the search and sat down to supper. The elderly woman dropped a sleeping draught into their last mugs of wine. Soon they lay down, went to sleep, and snored lustily.

When the Bride heard them snoring, she carefully came out from behind the cask. Yet she was obliged to step over the sleepers, as they lay in rows upon the floor. She was so dreadfully afraid of touching them.

Luck was with her, and the silver dragonborn got through without mishap. The elderly woman went with her and opened the door, - it creaked slightly. They paused to check no one stirred. They hurried away into the darkness - as quickly as they could from that vile den.

All the ashes had been blown away by the wind. However, the peas and corn had taken root and shot up, and showed them the way in the moonlight.

They walked the whole night, and reached, the dragonborn's home in the morning. The Maiden told her father all that she had been through.

When the day which had been fixed for the wedding came, the Bridegroom did appear. The silver dragonborn had invited all his friends and relations. As they sat at the table, each one was asked to tell some story.

The Bride was very silent, listening with out expressing interest or distain. When it came to her turn, and the Bridegroom said, ‘Come, my love, have you nothing to say? Pray tell us something,’
She answered, "I will tell you a dream I have had. I was walking alone in a wood, and I came to a solitary house where not a soul was to be seen. A cage was hanging on the wall of one of the rooms, and in it there was a bird which cried.
"Turn back, turn back, thou silver scaled bride. In this house death abides."
"It repeated the same words twice." The bridegroom said, "This was only a dream, my sweet maiden!" She continued, "I walked through all the rooms, but they were all empty and dismal. At last I went down to the cellar, and there sat a very elderly woman, with a shaking head. When I asked her if my Bridegroom lived there. She did answer that I was in a murderer’s den. Telling me that you, my Bridegroom, indeed lived there. Yet you were going to cut me to take my silver scales, then would cut me to pieces, cook me, and eat me.

The bridegroom said, "This was only a dream, my sweet one." The dragonborn maiden contined once more, "When she had finished speaking the murderers came home. They were dragging a halfling maiden with them. They gave her three kinds of wine to drink - red, white, and yellow. After drinking them she fell down dead."

"My sweet one, you were only dreaming this!" said the bridegroom.

She spoke futher, "Then they took her things off and cut her to pieces. One of the murderers saw a gold ring on the halfling’s finger. As he could not pull it off, he chopped off the finger. But the finger bounded into the air, and fell behind the cask."
The dragonborn maiden waited a moment, before opening her hand, "Here is the finger with the ring."
She produced the finger and showed it to the company.

When the Bridegroom heard these words and sees the gold ring, he turned as pale as ashes. He stood, and tried to escape. However, the guests seized him and handed him over to justice.

The dragonborn maiden was able to lead the guards back to the horrible house in the middle of the woods. The Human man who once was to be her bridegroom and all his band were executed for their crimes.

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~ based on "The Robber Bridegroom" by the Grimm Brothers ~