Templar's Hill

A hidden secret sat below the 2000 year old tree. Aubri began to dig with pure curiosity.

Sweet old Aubrianna lived a comfortable, sheltered life. She grew to be a modestly well off archeologist. Aubri fell in love with history as a child while intently listening to her grandfather's mesmerizing stories of Templar's Hill. She knew it well since birth. The small historic settlement was the home of Aubri’s ancestors for centuries. The ancient hill was only steps away from the family's cozy 4 bedroom house converted 300 years earlier from the bones and body of an ancient Templar's church. One of Aubri’s favorite stories was about a great ancestor named Elizabetha Vierrak V’Ungerstonn.

At the ripening age of 63, Aubri was leaning against the 2000 year old friend she confided in so many times throughout her life. Her old friend she believed spoke back. The wise old tree that held many of Aubri’s secrets directed her by the wind blowing through the branches, blowing the leaves towards a small historic handmade rock tower. She dug for hours until the skin on her hands were raw, they were cold, cramped and her body tired. She was uninterested in quitting.

The sun came up over distant rolling hills washing away the night. A hidden secret spoken of by her grandfather many years ago was to be a secret no longer, Aubrianna was left breathless until she quickly snapped back to reality. Ever so gently, Aubri held the decaying wooden box in her dirt covered hands. As she carefully removed the lid, the wood seemed to practically crumble between her soft touches. The carvings rubbed out through years of evolutionary destruction. Aubrianna’s long line of ancestors stampeding for centuries over Templar's Hill through wars and everyday life left many treasures but nothing as amazing as this. Her curiosity sent chills down the back of her neck. Her hands began to slightly tremble while gently disrobing this wondrous buried secret.

A book. A little black book; handmade, black leather binding, very old indeed, thought Aubri. She opened the old leather, within it, one single page with two sets of double digit numbers written in a feather and inkwell fashion. Aubri began to diligently decode the meaning of the numbers. Of course! It's longitude and latitude! The initials on the lower right hand corner of the single page were an exact match to her ancestor Elizabetha, E.V.V.

Aubrianna Elizabeth was guided to the fireplace mantle that stood in the ancient church building, the old converted building Aubri grew up in. The simple mantle which proudly displayed engravings so deep with blood stained wood that it could never be washed away hid within it Elizabetha’s secret. Aubri had a feeling so strong she was absent of any doubt. Her hand slowly sliding along the mantle, up onto the Templar's proud carving. Slow, shallow breathing rapidly taking over Aubri's body, slight trembling, her brow sweating tiny beads of anticipation. Aging Aubri cleared the settled debris from the cracks around the one block that sits nestled perfectly within the centre of the mantle itself. She carefully removed the block, inside the depth of the new found secret was another box, this time in almost mint condition.

Inside the small box sits one gold coin upon a folded handmade paper. Aubri had been an archaeologist for nearly 40 years now. She knew her newfound inheritance was in the palm of her hand. She knew $20,000.00 would comfortably take care of her. Aubri also knew this coin was in fact historically priceless as well. The note that sat below the gold engraved coin read;

My dearest Elizabetha,

This gold piece will ensure you are well taken care of if something should happen to me in battle. You are my one reason to return home my love. If I shall not return and you are without, please remember this coin. This coin is not only a way for you to survive, my dearest one, but also a fair token of my undying love for you. I promised to take care of you forever and this gold will ensure I can do that in life or in death. With my fullest and everlasting love, yours in heaven and on earth...T.B.R.

Aubrianna folded the paper back up, placed it gently back into the wooden box, covered it with the one gold coin, closed the box, placed it back in the mantle and with a half cocked smile, slowly walked towards her old friend. She slid down her winding trunk and nestled into her secret spot. The secret spot Elizabetha once sat with a man she once loved a very long time ago on top of Templar's Hill.