The rain was coming down steadily. Thomas swore and looked in the woods for cover. He didn't like to get wet! He like to stay dry with his nice little belongings and his women. He nearly disobeyed Lord Averill when he sent Thomas out to fetch the old scrolls and some old lady. He hid his face as the old woman looked him over. Why did she give him such a stern gaze that made him so uneasy? He shuddered in his cloak as the old woman spoke to him.
"What's wrong with you, boy?" the old woman said easily.
Thomas looked up. "Nothing, old woman," he snapped. He did not like this woman, and wasn't afraid to show it.
"Don't like t' escor' an ol' witch to a castle, eh?" The woman would not take her peircing eyes off of him.
He glared at her fericily. "No, I don't I like to stay at my own home and not be bothered by my Lord to run on silly arrends." He was suprised that he actually admited this thoughts to this old woman. He had no doubt about it, this woman WAS a witch. He made the sign of evil fast and hopfully unnoticible.
If the woman noticed it, she didn't say anything. She took her stare off of Thomas (which made him very happy), and looked ahead. She rode the rest of the trip like this.
Lord Averill hid his amazement at the old woman. "Are you sure this will happen? Misstress..."
The old woman snapped her eyes at him and glared feircly. "It will, and you" she pointed a boney finger at Lord Averill's son, "You will pay for it, boy. Mark my words." With that, she strode out (as much as her old bones would let her) of the great hall.
Mel
*******
“Silence!” Lord Averill looked sternly at Thomas. “I sent you to fetch her for a reason, Thomas, and that reason was exactly this, and I tell you, nephew, that if you mock her, you may just find yourself in an uncomfortable position.” Cullen tried to think back to a time when his father had spoken harshly to Thomas in public. It was quite difficult. His father beckoned to a servant, and in came the scrolls, which Thomas had also carried with him.
“These are old maps done by the old Sorceress Aryana.” He announced, “They will help you recover what the woman was talking of.” He looked straight at Cullen, who was confused beyond belief.
“What?” he muttered, “Me, but I—”
“Cullen, you have to do it, she said herself that these things are going to happen, and so they must,”
“But she’s crazy!” Cullen said, “It can’t be true, It can’t be true at all.”
“No, she’s telling all truth, Son, all truth and so it is proven.”
“But Uncle—“ Thomas began, but was cut off by the middle aged lord.
“No buts, Thomas. Cullen, you are my heir, and so you are who has to complete this job, no excuses!”
Cullen swallowed. He had to admit that it would be scary, and dangerous, and far different from anything he had experienced, and yet the thought of the adventure enticed him so much.
“Of course I’ll do it, that is not in question, but by myself? With just maps? The possibilities are—“
“Fine then, take Thomas.”
Thomas stared with disbelief. “You must be joking.”
“No jokes, my boy, you two can leave as soon as the wi—woman deems it so.” He said, glancing back down at his paper work. “I suggest that you prepare for your journey,”
“Goodbye, father.” Cullen said, leaving, and was shortly followed by his cousin who complained with the perseverance of a wet dog.
Cullen awoke with a start. He was sweating and shivering all at the same time. Who was she? And why was she screaming like that? He dressed quickly, and quietly slipped past Thomas who slept soundly in the comfort of the inn. The night was cold, and the wind bit at his face. He tightened the cloak about his shoulders, and walked further down the path into the dark, sleeping village. It had been almost an entire month since they had set out to find and undo the source of the manor curse. If they could not, Manor fief would be destroyed, starting with the heir. He pondered his home, and his adventures thus far, but he heared a noise, almost like a moan. He reached for the knife buckled at his belt, and stood ready, slowly walking to the source of the low voices. Turning a corner, he peeked around it, and saw a opened door providing light out onto the street, where a slim figure was bickering with a taller and larger one.
“I told you, I’ll get it for you as soon as I can,” the woman’s voice, was tough, and unchallenged.
“I need it now.” The other someone growled roughly. Cullen could tell she was a little bit nervous, he had a strange knack for sensing feelings. The man grabbed her arm, and said, “WHERE IS IT?”
“I said, I’ll give it to you!” she yelled back. He slapped her.
“Now!” he tried dragging her into the house, but Cullen decided to play hero, and he darted in, pulling apart the two people. The man was hurt a little by Cullen’s punch, and backed away, running off.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“Fine.” She said, bitterly, he heard her tying her hair back into a knot. He could hardly see where she was in the darkened night. Cullen didn’t know what to make of her ingratitude, but as if to clarify something, she added, “I could have handled him myself, you know.”
“What was going on?” he asked, ignoring her completely.
“None of your business.” She said, tartly. Cullen whistled.
“Nice way to treat someone who just saved your skin.”
“You did not save my skin,” she said, annoyed, “I told you I was handling him, he’s a jerk, jerks are easy to handle.” Cullen just slid his dagger back into his boot. “Well, who are you, anyway?” she asked, “You are new here, right?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he said, sighing. He wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw a nod. “I am staying at the inn, and you are?”
“Aryana, or Ary, whatever you want.”
“Like the sorceress?” he said. She nodded.
“Who are you?”
“Cullen.”
“Well, best of luck to you, Cullen.” she said, sardonically. “Try not to get yourself killed, and enjoy your life.” Cullen just stared at her as she walked away.
“Wait!” he called. She turned around and looked at him. “Did you need some help with anything?” For some reason, he was curious about this girl, and could just watch her leave.
“I never need help,” she said. “Good day, my lord.”
He didn’t want to sound desperate. “My Lord?” he said, softly. And then louder, he added, “Bye.”
“Well, you’re obviously a lord,”
“Is it that obvious? I mean, you’ve never even seen me.”
“But you talk like a lord.” She said.
“You don’t talk like a commoner,”
“That’s because I’m not a commoner,”
“Then who are you?”
“Why do you care, anyway?”
“Who said I cared?”
She let out a sound of aggravation. “Never mind.” She said, and then walked over to him again. “When you offered help, what were you think of?”
Cullen didn’t know what he was thinking of when he’d offered. “I do not really know,” he said awkwardly. “Just offering. Are you heading home then?”
”Naw, Listen, would you take me with you? Where ever you are going, I don’t care.”
“Are you joking?” Cullen pretty much didn’t know what to think. “I thought you didn’t need help.”
“Look, I don’t need your help, you offered, and if you don’t want to help me, I really don’t care.” She started to walk away, obviously more agitated then before.
“Fine, we’re leaving tomorrow for Kindershewn, me and my cousin. Around dawn. Meet us there.”
“I don’t have any money—“ she began.
“Just be there on time, we’ll leave with or without you.”
“I’ll be there.” She said, and turned around, disappearing into the night.
He pulled his cloak over his shoulders, and stepped out into the cold of dawn. He could hear Thomas muttering something about early morning departures. He almost thought he was imaging meeting Aryana the night before. But sure enough, a short figure tottered up the road just as dawn peeked over the horizon. She had a sack but didn’t handle it like it was heavy at all. Cullen went back into the inn for something as she approached. “Hello,” she said, to Thomas. “Are you Cullen?”
“No, no, I’m not.” He said, looking her over. She was dressed differently, he thought, but she sure was pretty. “He’ll be out in a minute.” Right on cue, Cullen came through the door, and looked at Aryana.
“Aryana?” he asked, surprised at how different he’d expected her to be.
“Yeah.” She said.
“You’re a lot younger then I thought you were. You fooled me.”
“I didn’t fool you, and I am older than you think.” She said. Thomas chuckled at his cousin’s obvious confusion.
“She’s different then most women, Cull, not your everyday “take me please,” girl that you’re used to.”
“Shut up, Thomas.” He said, busying himself with preparing the third horse he had bought for the addition to their company. She was not anything like he’d expected. Much younger, for one, and she didn’t look at all like a commoner who had spent her entire life working, but then again, she had said she wasn’t a commoner, so he shouldn’t have assumed it. “Aryana, you can take this horse, and we’ll sell it back when we reach where even you want to leave us.”
She nodded. “You bought her a horse?” Thomas asked. “Who is she anyway? And why is she here? What are you trying to pull of, Cull, a first mistress at a time like this? I wouldn’t have even tried something like that.”
“Don’t ask, Thomas, just get on your horse, and shut up.” He said, annoyed at his cousin.
“Whatever you say.” He chuckled. “But you picked a good one.”
“Are we going to leave, or just sit here?” Ary asked, after she mounted the horse.
“We’re leaving.” Cullen said, and with that pulled his horse away down the path to Kindershewn.
~Tamako
