Hemlock And The Wizard Tower (Book 1) (34 page)

"
That is the tale of our arrival
to
these lands.
 
We
were
teleported here in a machine of the
wizards
, now broken beyond repair.
 
Once we took stock of our situation, we thought to appeal to the generosity of your people for shelter and sustenance.
 
We climbed a hilltop to search for a town and inadvertently rous
ed the creature which you call ‘Mathi.’
 
We fled from it
s attack
, unable to effectively combat it with our magic or swords.
 
We sought refuge in a cave where we interrupted a ritual
which
we were quite unfamiliar with.
 
Your warrior, Bradrun, sacrificed himself d
espite our attempts to prevent
his action.

"
We
then
met with your
patrol and learned of the apparent
fate of Bradrun's soul.
 
Fearing and loathing that consequence
,
and encouraged in some measure by your people, we decided to track and attack the creature again
,
with the aid of your magic.
"

As Safreon spoke, Hemlock noticed that the counselors of the King seemed to be drawn in by his words, and seemed to pay greater attention as he proceeded.

"
We succeeded
in slaying the Mathi
and
then
followed
your people
here, becoming aware in greater
and greater
measure of the conflict between our actions and your doctrine.
 
We do not desire to become involved in your internal disagreements, and regret any part we may have played in
causing
them.
 
We place ourselves at your mercy and ask
for
shelter for a few days before we leave you to return to the City.
"

When Safreon finished speaking, the chamber was silent for several minutes.  None seemed inclined to speak before the King passed judgment.

Finally, the King impassively rose from his throne to speak. 
Outside
,
a storm was rolling through the valley.
 
A thunderclap struck and the stern visage of the King was cast in a
sudden, stark relief
.
 
The queerness of the angles of the room again struck Hemlock
,
as the long shadows of dusk were temporarily lifted and then snapped back into place with an unearthly suddenness.

"We will meditate on what has been said.
 
Then a verdict will
be reached."

Great pairs of colorful wooden drums were rolled in
to the chamber on wheels, and set
around the outside of the room.
 
More incense burners were lit, filling the chamber with even stronger aromas.
 
The King's advisors each manned a drum and they began to pound the drums in unison, marking out an
even beat of alternating pitch.

The Ki
ng's eyes went blank as he stared past and through the O
utlanders, as did those of his advisors,
who were
able to drum mechanically while
appearing to be in a
trance
-like state.

As the drums sounded forcefully and without pause, Hemlock
’
s head began to swim.
 
The sound of the drums seemed to be congruent with the visual angles of the room and
with those of
the tower itself.
 
She sensed that the drumming was having a magical interaction with the architecture in some strange fashion.
 
The
overall
pattern that was traced out was similar to a rune of clarity, which she had used herself many times since
hearing
it used
so frequently in Wizard Guild magic.
 
The
wizards
' version was more coercive in nature, however, while the Tanna
Varran
version was comparatively benevolent.
 
She tried to memorize the pattern
,
wishing
to use it for her own purposes, but it was too complex for her to commit to memory.

After what seemed an interminable length of time to the Outlanders, the drumming ceased in unison.  Curiously, none of the strangers had perceived any cue to stop, but the precision of the halting had been exact.

Slowly and solemnly, the King and his advisors returned to their seats.  Once all were comfortable, the King rose again and spoke:

"
Just like the storm overhead, a great storm is passing over the hearts of my people.
 
We are turning away from the path of peace toward that of war.
 
I sense now that you may play a greater part in this than I had thought.
 
I have dreamed of a great Wolf who interrupts my meditations.
 
I then saw my people, upon seeing the Wolf,
pause in confusion
and
then
pick up their spears
.
 
I feared that this Wolf was H
er who we do not speak of, yet I see now that
the Wolf may represent you four, for
you
seem to
have caused my people to reach for their spears
."
 

"I am not blaming you for recent events
, but it is clear that your arrival is a grave omen for our people.
 
You must leave as soon as you can, before
greater events are set in motion
.
 
I am no
t
so callous
, however,
that I would cast you out into the spectral night.
 
No, I must allow you to rest here tonight.
 
At dawn
,
you will leave.
 
You should head east, back toward the City.
 
We will show you caves where you can safely rest along the way.
"

Hemlock saw Safreon glance at Gwineval with a look of concern on his face.  Gwineval appeared ready to speak, but Safreon shook his head negatively and Gwineval acted in accordance with this cue and did not speak.

Taros Ranvok looked rueful as his eyes met Hemlock’s.  She looked away somewhat uncomfortably, as he gestured for the four to follow him out of the chamber. 

The
four wanderers returned to the communal living chamber, escorted by Taros Ranvok.  The young Tanna Varran told them that Pan Taros was planning to address the Townsfolk to describe the newcomers to them and explain his decision regarding them.  Taros Ranvok’s manner was solemn, and Hemlock could tell that he sought to make eye contact with her, but she avoided it.

Taros Ranvok soon left the chamber.  Many of the Tanna Varran townsfolk in the room were whispering amongst themselves and looking at the four outlanders.  Their looks were neutral, seeming neither supportive nor angry.  Hemlock wondered if this would still be the case after Pan Taros addressed them.

Eventually, most of the Tanna Varrans left the hall to attend the address.  Only a pair of guards remained at the door.

Gwineval took his leave
of the rest of the group
to take a swim in the
adjacent
bath.
 
Hemlock sat down beside Safreon while Merit looked out the nearby window
at the sky
, apparently lost in his own thoughts.

"Safreon, what will we do when we get back to the City
?"

"I have been thinking about that
,
" he responded.
 
"I think that the
wizards
have addicted the entire City
to
Witch Crag
magic.
 
But now we've seen where that magic comes from, and I, for one, have no desire to partake of it any longer."

Hemlock nodded her agreement.
 
"It's disgusting.
 
But there are people like my
sister who depend on it," she added.

"That's an unfortunate truth.
 
We can't just stop using magic.
 
Some amount of magic is innate to the City, but the
wizards
have regulated all spell casting and have required people to use their potions.
 
We have to lead the fight against that regulation and
in support of
the
restoration of natural magic."

Hemlock considered that for a time and then responded
,
 
"So we
continue to fight the wizards."

"Yes, I'm afraid so.
 
We lack the strength to confront the wizards directly. 
We have to try to aid Gwineval in returning to the Wizard Guild and retaining his position.
 
The only way I can see to do that is to let him go back
to them
with information
about
my Wand.
 
This
information
will make me
even more of
a marked man.
 
It will probably affect you as well.
 
It will be a
n extremely
danger
ous time for us both, Hemlock."

"I don't fear the
wizards,
" she responded.
 
Seeing Safreon's dark
look in response, she added, "
I respect their power, now more than
ever.
 
But I do not fear them."

Her statement seemed to placate Safreon somewhat
.
"Even if we manage to get Gwineval accepted back into the Wizard Guild, he will be under suspicion by Falignus.
 
He wil
l be an ally, but we still need more power in order to oppose Falignus
.
 
We will have to devise
new
ways to fight
him
.
 
We may have to take the fight to the Elites as well.
 
They are so addicted to Wizard magic that they will never willingly give it up.
 
They will supp
ort the Wizard Guild unless..."

Safreon stopped speaking as he noticed Gwineval returning to their vicinity.
 
Safreon
be
gan to speak about Taros Ranvok,
his father
Pan Taros
, and the meeting which was
apparently about to take place.

Hemlock rose and walked to the window, thinking to speak to Merit.
 
But Merit, sensing her approach, moved o
ff into a corner and sat alone.

Hemlock gave a slight shrug in Merit's direction and then gazed out the window herself.

She mused about how her life had changed in the past several days.  She thought about her sister, who now seemed a world away in the Warrens, even though it could be reached in only a few days on foot.

Hemlock quietly cursed the day that her sister had joined her on her journey to the City.  But then she thought of her step-father and that reaffirmed her opinion that her sister was better off in the City, even considering the physical maladies which she suffered from here.  Hemlock took comfort in the fact that at least her sister’s spiritual life was pure in the City.  That was a thought Hemlock cherished.

As Hemlock gazed out over the Tanna Varran town, deep in her musings, she noticed a large building nearby, which was lit up with bright lanterns and torches.  Most of the townspeople were filing through the doorway.  This was, no doubt, the meeting hall where the King was about to deliver news of their group.

Something caught her eye on the pitched roof of a building slightly above and adjacent to the larger meeting building.  Hemlock perceived a ghostly figure crawling over the roof toward the meeting hall.  It moved like an animal but it had a human appearance. Hemlock realized that it was the radiantly beautiful form of a woman.  Hemlock was frozen for a moment as she watched the figure leap and soar across the divide between the rooftops.  She was awed by the beauty of the creature, which seemed to exceed the measure of anything beautiful that she had previously experienced.  She felt small and belittled by that beauty, yet she could not look away.  The animalistic movements of the spirit also registered in Hemlock’s mind, providing a subtle undercurrent of loathing to the awe she felt as she beheld the comely form.

Stopping beside a high window on an upper section of the two story meeting hall, the insubstantial woman froze. As Hemlock watched, she began to fade; her beautiful flowing hair morphed into a fine mist.  Hemlock found herself struggling to focus on it.  The entire figure dissolved into mist, still casting a slight unearthly glow, and then passed through the closed window and faded from view.

Hemlock soon snapped out of whatever form of rapture had held her while she beheld the figure.

"Safreon!" she cried.

"What?  What’s wrong?" asked Safreon, who had been sitting nearby speaking with Gwineval and Merit.

"I don’t know, but I just saw something.  It was the ghostly figure of a beautiful woman.  It seemed to pass into the hall where Pan Taros is addressing the townspeople.  It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before; beautiful, but terrible. So terrible…"

Safreon glanced at Gwineval and Merit, who had both risen to comfort Hemlock.  He then directed his attention across the room toward the two guards which had been left at the door of the chamber.

"
I think
we need to alert the Tanna Varrans.  Your description sounds like the Witch that haunts these hills and valleys: the Master of that Mathi creature that we dispatched," replied Safreon.

Gwineval nodded, while Hemlock was still trying to shake off the effects of her experience; though she was aware of her surroundings, she did not react to them.

Hemlock watched, detached, as Safreon jogged across the hall, trying to balance the urgency of his message with a desire to avoid trampling the bedrolls of the absent townspeople. 

Soon, he returned with a Tanna Varran guard, who looked extremely grave.  Hemlock was starting to feel a little better as Safreon spoke to her.

"Hemlock, please repeat to this man what you told me about the figure you saw enter the meeting hall."

"It was the ghostly figure of a beautiful woman, the most beautiful woman… person… that I have ever seen.  She moved like a beast, but I still could not take my eyes off of her.  She leapt from roof to roof and then dissipated into a mist which flowed into the meeting hall."

Hemlock watched the color leave the face of the Tanna Varran guard.  He paused for only a moment before crying out, "Quickly!  We must alert Pan Taros and Tored!  The Witch herself may be in that hall!"

The guard made to grab Hemlock, but she easily avoided his grasp and gestured for him to lead them.  The guard complied and set off in a swift run, looking back to make sure the rest followed.  The others followed quickly behind, with Merit doing his best to keep up.

They left the hall and emerged onto the wooden causeways of the town, which creaked under the weight of their footfalls.  They ran as quickly as possible in the dark evening, making their way along walkways and stairs to the meeting hall, which was not too far from their quarters.

As they ran, Hemlock looked at the rafters and roofs of the buildings around them, their queer angles seeming to accentuate the threat of seeing another ghostly figure.  But she saw nothing but the characteristic stark angles of the Tanna Varran construction techniques.

After a few minutes, they arrived at the hall.

Hemlock glanced back for Merit, but she did not see him.  The Tanna Varran guard would accept no delay as he ushered them into the hall, through broad double doors.

They could see the assembled throng and feel the warmth within the hall.

Hemlock saw Pan Taros speaking on a raised stage to the townspeople below.  The King seemed to notice the motion of their group moving in the crowd and paused his melodic speech.

Undaunted, the Tanna Varran guard took them to a stairway, beside which two warriors stood.  The warriors would not let the group pass.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" asked Pan Taros from the stage above, commandingly, and pointing in their direction.

All eyes in the hall turned toward the group.

The guard who had led them began to speak haltingly, but Safreon put a hand on his shoulder and the guard was silent.  Safreon began to speak and his voice rang out clearly over crowd. 

"Pan Taros, we regret the intrusion, but my companion, Hemlock, saw the ghostly figure of a beautiful woman crawling on the rooftops and entering this hall not moments ago!"

In response to this, a low murmur of alarm rose in the crowd.

Hemlock noticed that Tored and Taros Ranvok, who had been seated in the shadows behind the podium above, bolted up out of their seats and arrived immediately at the King’s side.  There was a quick consultation and then Pan Taros shrugged them off and addressed the crowd.

"Silence!  Silence!" he cried.

Slowly the murmur of the crowd trailed off and there was silence.

"Do not fear.  We will determine what has happened and what, if anything, must be done," stated the King reassuringly.

Pan Taros pointed down to Hemlock.

"Now tell us what you have seen, and omit no detail," he commanded.

Hemlock related her experience carefully, but quickly.

Pan Taros seemed to shrink in stature for a moment as he heard Hemlock’s words, but then he rose straight again.  Looking back at Tored, he turned back to face the crowd, which had again broken out into a charged murmuring.

"Silence!" cried the King again.

This time the hall was quickly silenced.  Hemlock noticed that many in the crowd seemed to look at their companions with some alacrity.

"It seems that we must return to the old ways in order to determine whether the words of this outlander are true.  We all know the legend of the Witch.  Seal the hall!" commanded the King.

Warriors quickly moved to block the double doors through which the group had entered.

"All women, please open your mouths and present your tongues, according to the old ways," commanded the King gravely.

Hemlock looked around, confused, as the women in the room proceeded to do just that.  Men quickly passed from woman to woman inspecting their mouths.  It all seemed quite odd to Hemlock and her friends.

The warrior who had escorted them to the hall stepped forcefully in front of Hemlock.

"You must open your mouth.  It is said that the Witch can possess women.  When she does so, she is undetectable, save for her forked tongue.  You must show me your tongue," instructed the Guard.

Hemlock glanced to Safreon, shrugged her shoulders, and then opened her mouth.

The Guard was quickly satisfied and moved to inspect another.

Hemlock was about to comment on the absurdity of what she had just done, when a woman, in the middle of the crowd, surged into the air, writhing violently.