Chapter 3
For the first time in many days, Leoric did not wake afraid and covered in sweat. The shutters were open slightly, causing rays of sunshine and a cold breeze to flow into the room. Leoric got up and opened the shutters fully, looking down at the fields. Feint sounds of farming tools and cattle filled the morning air. A little ways of in the distance he could see two people working the farm. One was cutting the early harvest, the other was milking cows.
He went downstairs to find breakfast had been served for him. It was a simple breakfast of bread, cheese and milk. Miss Corngrower came in through the front door.
‘Good morning! I see you have found your breakfast! I have filled your pack with some supplies for your next journey, you’ll find some biscuits and salted meat in there. Judging by the clouds, it should be a clear day today, perfectly fine for travelling. If you wish to set out again.’
With that she gave him a warm smile and sat down on one of the chairs beside the hearth where she began knitting some new scarves and socks for the coming winter. Leoric finished his breakfast quickly, as the news from last night made him eager to set out again. Soon he hoisted his pack over his shoulders, bid miss Corngrower good-bye and stepped out the front door. Farmer Owell was sitting on the steps outside, smoking his pipe. He glanced backwards over his shoulder when Leoric came out.
‘Tis a fine day for farmin’ work. If I’m not mistaken I saw your witch pass by not a while earlier. I hadn’t the mind to wake yous, for in a peaceful slumber yous were. I believe I saw her going in the direction of young Reedle’s establishment (he runs the local tavern here), if you hurry you might just catch up to her before she leaves. Just follow the road over yonder,’ he nodded in a vaguely Westward direction, ‘it’ll take you to the heart of the village. With a good pace it shouldn’t take more than a half-day. From there just look for a great big sign with a mug painted on it, yous shan’t miss it!’
Leoric thanked the kind farmer and wished him a bountiful harvest. Then he set off West. He found the road without much trouble, as it is one of the main roads leading into the village. It was well travelled and as such the ground was firm and nothing grew on it.
Before long he reached the main part of the village. It was rather busy, folks were walking to and fro carrying sacks and pushing wheelbarrows and pulling carts. Every now and then some stopped and talked for a while about the local gossip and inquired about the well-being of each other’s families. Leoric had no trouble spotting the big wooden sign hanging over the entrance of the tavern, it was the only building with any sort of sign to speak of. As he approached the establishment the door opened and a tall and slender woman came out. She was wearing a long dark-grey dress, unlike the other women in the village. And over her shoulders hung a pine-green cloak. Her hood was up, but only part of the way on her head, as not to cover her face. Certainly she looked quite out of place, and certainly she was who Leoric was looking for. He quickened his pace and caught up with her and said loudly: ‘Hullo there!’
The woman turned around and looked at him a little suspiciously. Leoric—too, looked rather out of place in the village. She had deep-green eyes and her straight brown hair had a somewhat reddish tint to it. She looked no older than him.
‘What do you want?’ she said, putting her hands on her hips and giving him an impatient look.
‘I believe you might be the witch I am looking for.’
‘You’re looking for me?’ she squinted her eyes, ‘What might you be needing from me?.’
‘It has to do with the occult arts. I am looking for someone versed in curses.’
She gave Leoric a long and quiet stare, almost as if she was trying to look inside his mind, before she finally said: ‘First you must tell me your name. I am Dreia.’
Leoric introduced himself and Dreia cocked her head slightly, ‘Come with me, we shouldn’t discuss these sorts of things outside,’ she said.
She led him to the edge of the village, and began making her way towards the nearby forest. ‘I have a cabin not far from here, just on the edge of the forest. It will be more comfortable talking over some supper and with a fire to keep us warm.’
Leoric gave her a small nod in approval. Then they made their way slowly to the cabin.
It was a small but comfortable looking log cabin, made mostly of oak an fir. There were no glass windows, instead some wooden shutters interrupted the straight logs that made the walls. A small stony chimney made its way up above the slanted roof, which was made from thatch and wood. They went inside and Dreia immediately got started on supper. Soon the cabin was filled with the warm and inviting smell of a tasty meat stew. They exchanged some small talk about the happenings in this part of the kingdom and soon they were both merrily eating at the large oak dinner-table. A long silence only broken by the occasional slurp and swallow filled the cosy cabin. Afterwards Dreia went outside to fetch logs for the fireplace, which Leoric handily lighted with a small flame he conjured from a rune he had inscribed on one of the small logs. The rune of fire was an easy one. It was a Priune, with a simple but elegant shape. For someone skilled in runecrafting—as Leoric was—it would take no longer than a few seconds to inscribe.
‘A fellow practitioner of magic I see!’ Dreia exclaimed, shamefully putting away her tinderbox. Leoric smiled apologetically as they both sat down in rather large chairs, covered with sheep wool.
‘So what was this about a curse?’ Dreia finally asked.
‘Well, you see. I have some questions about a curse I read about, nothing harmful of course. As a student of the arcane arts, I merely wish to gather knowledge.’ Leoric felt it better to hide the truth—he did not know this witch—and she could be dangerous, regardless of what the old Corngrower had said. And he felt somehow that, with her piercing eyes, she could see inside his mind.
‘Read about, eh? I understand you would rather hide it, but anyone even slightly trained in the ancient ways could see you are cursed from a mile off. It doesn’t matter to me whether you read about it or are living it, but it would be more helpful for you to be truthful, that is if you are looking for mine.’
The sound of the crackling fire grew louder as an uncomfortable silence filled the room. After a good while Leoric finally spoke up: ‘I am sorry,’ he said slowly, ‘this curse that was cast upon my family has driven my forefathers mad, you see. As far as I know I am the first to combat it. My father and his father were not well versed on magic, nor were they born with it like I was. I was lucky I was able to pick it up so quickly, I fear I might have succumbed to my visions rather soon otherwise.’
‘What kind of visions are you having?’ Dreia leaned in a little, clearly interested to learn all there is to know about this curse that plagues him.
Leoric hesitated, he had never told anyone about his curse before. He didn’t really know where to begin. Dreia laughed softly, ‘I understand your hesitation to tell me and I cannot promise you I will be able to help. But you should know if I am—however much I pity you—I will not do so for free. I am not looking for coin. You will have to perform some errand for me, but that can wait. Continue telling me about this curse that haunts you first.’
Leoric took a deep breath as he leaned back in his chair, finally he began speaking. Not quite sure where his words would take him, but he felt it better to begin speaking regardless: ‘I see dreadful things, things that should not be, yet are. Twigs and branches turn into withered grasping hands, the ground turns into a thick and dark bog sucking me longingly into its deep dark depths. Peoples faces become void of features; eyeless, mouth-less, nose-less, with twitching and slimy appendages for hair. It feels like someone—or something—is trying to invade my mind and perhaps take control. But I do not know what, or why.
‘The curse is not on me solely, it was cast on my family many generations ago. One of my forefathers (Edoric) was a noble of this kingdom, owning quite a considerable sum of wealth and land. But one day his wife fell ill, the court physician deemed she would die before the next full moon, which was soon. So Edoric enlisted the service of every physician he could find, but none were able to cure his wife. In an act of desperation he enlisted the help of a witch said to have been living in the forest nearby. If you know anything about history, you should know of the Dark Days, when sorcery and wizardry were outlawed. On penalty of death, no less. This all happened during those times. In any case this witch, presumably through magic, cured Edoric’s wife of her illness. Our family’s annals do not say what she did or what happened, but by the laws of the time he had her executed. Burned at the stake in the town-square. With her dying breath she cursed our name.’
‘Well that certainly makes things a lot more complicated.’ said Dreia slowly, she was deep in thought about all that was just said. ‘The easiest way to rid yourself of a curse is to make the caster uncast it in some way. But that obviously won’t do, she is long dead as you say. The other way would be to make amends with her spirit, however I doubt you would know where she is buried; if there was anything left of her to have been buried. I also doubt she would have had any blood relatives—and even if she did, they probably would have died long ago. I must ponder this curse of yours, you may rest here for the time being. The moon has already crept high into the sky.’
And it had, feint slivers of silver light had crept their way into the room through the cracks in the window shutters. Not much more was said that night, Leoric soon went to bed but Dreia sat for a while, staring at the crimson flames in the fireplace. The room around her had faded into darkness. Even the fire was restless that night, cracks and snaps sounded loudly as the burning wood split and tore. Embers hopped and floated sporadically into the chimney. From his room Leoric could hear her singing softly as if to herself, he wasn’t able to catch all of the song, but this is what he heard:Walk along the grassy hills,Mind no troubles, mind no sorrow,Hush now, hush now, come, be still,Leave your unrest ’til tomorrow,Walk beneath the starlit skies,May your dreams be sweet gentle,Hush now, hush now, come, be nice,Fall asleep, my sweet child,And pay no heed to the wild.
Then Leoric fell into deep slumber. His dreams as if warded by her song were indeed sweet and gentle.