A Change In The Weather

What Tobias was most looking forward to was a relaxing bath and a comfortable bed for the night. His bones ached and he needed a rest, but judging by how tired Scarlet and Thomas seemed to be, he figured that they needed a rest more than he did - if that were at all possible.

His hopes had been dashed though, for it seemed that Lesser Winding was nothing more than a ramshackle hamlet with crooked buildings in disarray and higgledy-piggledy roads that lead everywhere and nowhere; in short, it was a squalid filthy place that stunk of rot and decay.

He abandoned any such dreams of a comfortable night, as he contemplated the possibility of a cold bath, and perhaps some space on a floor somewhere. Oh, the indignity of it all.

The main road that led out of the hamlet passed by a great mound of earth - a tumulus. On top of it sat a great hall of timber and stone. Beyond the hall, following along the road, lay Greater Winding - a much larger version of Lesser Winding with more of the same ramshackle buildings and meandering streets.

The Windings were patrolled by Watchmen who stood guard every few houses armed with spears and swords. Most of the windows had been boarded-up, and as they passed by the homes of those that weren’t, his ears pricked up at the sound of doors latching and shutters closing. It was a curious feeling to Tobias - almost as if they’d somehow brought bad luck with them - and it didn’t feel quite right, as if they were somehow intruding.

As the evening drew on, the two men-at-arms who had accompanied them from the forest - Sigbert and Raedwald - lead them towards the local Inn.

‘No-one visits here anymore.’ said Raedwald, glumly.

‘Yes, you’re the first ones in a long time.’ added Sigbert with a smile.

Hillary looked bemused.

‘Really?’

‘Yes. Normally, travellers hearing about our troubles prefer, instead, to detour through the forest of Tannith, heading out towards the Aelf town of Solace.’

‘Through Tannith? Isn’t that dangerous though?’ said Hillary.

‘Yes. Very.’

Hillary looked confused, and nodded towards the houses.

‘Why are all the windows boarded up?’

Sigbert sighed, and lowered his voice.

‘Because of the beast, of-course. It comes when it likes and takes what it wants. We have tried to track it down to its lair, but we lost too many men. It has killed too many of our people for us to spare any more.’

This news took Tobias by surprise, and his ears pricked up again.

‘When you say beast, you mean wolves, surely?’ he said, nervously. He’d had his fill of wolves, but at the same time definitely didn’t want to encounter a beast too. Much as he hated wolves, he suspected, he much preferred them to beasts - whatever they were.

‘We have a problem with wolves, yes.’ said Sigbert, turning around to face Tobias. ‘Everyone knows that; they come from the forest, becoming more and more inquisitive until, eventually, they have no fear of men anymore. It is a sign of the times. We take a party of men and ride out to kill them before it gets out of hand. Obviously we can’t ride too far…’

Hillary frowned at the apparent nonsense of the last sentence.

Raedwald nodded. ‘But this beast is no wolf. It is something altogether… different.’

‘The Windings and its people have been cursed.’ explained Sigbert. ‘At night, a darkness - of which there is no escape - settles all about the town, bringing with it a terrible beast: a nightmare which will carry on feeding on the helpless until none remain.’

‘A nightmare?’ asked Tobias. ‘You mean a dream?’

‘No.’ Raedwald said, abruptly, shaking his head. ‘Do you not know of the nightmare?’

‘Please forgive us.’ said Hillary. ‘We are, after all, not from this part of the world.’

Raedwald looked confused.

‘Where are you from?’

Hillary thought for a moment.

‘From somewhere closer than you think.’ he said, eventually.

Raedwald nodded with uncertainty, but let the words pass. Instead, he carried on.

‘The nightmare is a demon that feasts on the flesh of the living.’

The words floated about in Tobias’ head for a while before being acknowledged. He finally rolled his eyes.

‘Great. Bloody great.’ he murmured.

He turned and patted Hillary on the shoulder, before walking away, and slumping himself down onto the ground next to Scarlet and Thomas - who’d managed to fall asleep on each other.

‘I don’t understand.’ Hillary said, looking confused. ‘If it truly is as bad as I think it is, why do you stay here? Why don’t you all just leave here?’

Raedwald stopped walking, unsheathed his sword, and lifted the helmet from his face. Long hair cascaded down to just past his shoulders. The expression on his face - and in his blue eyes - was seriousness and intensity.

‘Do you think we haven’t tried?’ he said, moving closer, pursing his lips. ‘We have tried to leave before, many times.’ He held out his sword towards the gates. ‘And every time we find ourselves back at the village at the opposite end of that damned winding path.’

Hillary stared at the entrance to the village, with its large iron gateway.

‘Unfortunately,’ said Raedwald, ‘it also means that you cannot leave here until it is slain…’

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