A Change in the Weather

Chapter 67: Revelation

23 July, 2008 – 11:19 pm

Pyre

Hillary tossed the head of the demon onto the pyre where the rest of the remains of its body were, and watched as the fire slowly consumed it. As it crackled and spat, the air was filled with the acrid smell of roasting flesh. It was a fitting end, he thought.

‘Rot in hell.’ he muttered finally, wiping his shirt with his hands as he tried to get rid of the stench of the foul beast.

Tobias, still dirty and his clothes in tatters from the fighting, turned to Hillary.

‘What now?’ he said. ‘What happened to the children?’

‘I don’t know.’ muttered Hillary.

He dazed dreamlike into the fire, mesmerized as the flames jumped and flickered, reflecting in his eyes. ‘We need to find them before anything happens to them.’

‘But where do we start though?’

Hillary rubbed his chin and pondered their predicament.

‘There are three possibilities:’ he said, tapping his forehead with a finger. ‘They’re either looking for a way back home, or they’re heading to the only place they know here.’

‘And the other?’ asked Tobias, expectantly.

‘The last possibility is too dreadful to contemplate.’ muttered Hillary, glancing at the burning remains of the demon.

Tobias nodded, but failed to understand.

‘So they could be heading for Talistay?’

‘Indeed.’ said Hillary. ‘We must find them before they reach it. They can’t have gone far.’ He grabbed his staff and turned away from the pyre. ‘Come, we must leave here while the trail is still warm.’

‘But why would they run away?’ said Tobias, clearly frustrated. ‘Why leave in the first place? I mean, it doesn’t make any sense.’ he said, shaking his head.

‘Those are precisely my thoughts as well.’

Grualdir slapped a hand on Tobias’ shoulder, which made him jump.

‘Did I hear you mention Talistay?’ he said. ‘What do you want to go to that godforsaken place for? It is dangerous my friend, and definitely no place for children.’

‘There is something there that we need.’ said Hillary.

Hillary smiled thinly, clearly exhausted by the events that had happened.

‘You may take anything you need.’ said Grualdir, gesturing with his hand to the stables on the hill. ‘Our horses are your horses.’

‘Thank you.’ said Hillary wearily, with a bow. ‘We are most indebted to you.’

‘Think nothing of it friend. You and your friends will be welcome here forever. But you will need all the help you can get, for the way onwards is dark, and forces have taken Talistay for their own. It is not a place for the living anymore.’

Hillary looked confused.

‘What do you mean? What has happened?’ he said. ‘What forces?’

‘We know little, except that the Hag of Erebor is behind it.’

‘Who?’ he said, and then suddenly remembered the demon’s last words. ‘So that is who the demon was referring to. She will come and you will die…‘ he repeated quietly. ‘Who is she?’

‘She is known as the Witch of the Northern Wastes, who it is said came out of the Forest of Erebor. Where she came from before that and who she really is no-one seems to know. What her purpose is can only be guessed at. But we know that she has an army at her disposal - Dark Aelfs and Dire Wolves mass in their thousands, bent on the destruction of the humans who they think are slowly taking control of Faerie.

‘Spies as far south as the Brass City and Tankard in the east have reported that she has taken over the old fortress of Talistay where she has made her camp. There is even talk of her army re-building parts of it and re-fortifying it. Whatever she is doing she is doing for a reason. But we can’t get close enough to discover anything revealing.

‘Even now she rallies her forces, a great mass of them are ready to cross the Stayngate and on into Murkwater. The port of Tankard is not safe. There have been demons in the city, as we have had here. We think she is trying to weaken the people before a massed attack.’

Grualdir sighed heavily.

‘You find us in troubled times indeed my friend.’ he said, finally.

Hillary stood there in despair. He had no idea what to say.

‘Good luck in finding the children.’ added Grualdir, and gestured to his band of men-at-arms. ‘I will send my two best warriors with you, to protect and help. It is the least I can do.’

Sigbert and Raedwald stepped forward. Sigbert was trying to disguise his mirth and Raedwald couldn’t help but give a sly wink.

‘Wherever you are going,’ said Grualdir, ‘may Wayland’s steel protect you and the eye of Woden keep you from harm.’

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