“France?” Thaddeus muttered.
“Is it such an awful place?” Wulfstan asked.
“No,” Thaddeus said, shaking his head. “I lived there, once, when the Romans’ called it Gaul. It was a beautiful country, even if it holds some bitter memories. But … a witch’s coven?”
“Galen is up to great evil,” Wulfstan explained. “Renata’s and Galen’s influence is far-reaching. The strife between the Scots and the Normans is her doing. The discord between Robert Curthose and William Rufus is her doing. And, even if not directly, she had a hand in the tension in the Holy Land. The Byzantines, Jews, and Turks are on the brink of war, Thaddeus.”
“This is too much for me,” Thaddeus said.
“Again, you are much stronger than you give yourself credit,” Wulfstan said, “but don’t be surprised if you find yourself led to the Holy Land. Pope Urban is already gathering leaders to him, rallying Christians and encouraging them to help the Byzantines in the Holy Land; although, I wonder to what end and what gain for him.”
“Do you know where in France this coven is?” Thaddeus asked.
“Do not fret, holy warrior,” Wulfstan said. “The Lord will lead you. All in due time.”
“We will have time to rest, then?” Thaddeus asked.
“Of course,” Wulfstan said. “I am sorry to say that I must return to Winchester. William Rufus seems to think I am at his beck and call.”
“Will I ever see you again?” Thaddeus asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” Wulfstan said. “Well, I suppose we won’t see each other in this life.”
“No, I suppose not,” Thaddeus said, staring at his cup of wine.
“You are an extraordinary man, Thaddeus Christopoulos,” Wulfstan said. “Looking at you, I sometimes forget you are hundreds of years older than me … and many times wiser.”
“I don’t know about that,” Thaddeus said.
“Like I said, you are much stronger than you think,” Wulfstan said. “Your past is your past, and you cannot change that. You can only remember it so that you can pave a way for a brighter future.”
“I envy the farmer who can work day in and day out, and just live,” Thaddeus said.
“I do too,” Wulfstan said, “but it is because of you, the guardian of the Lord, that he is able to do so. Evil is always trying to work its way into this world, and there you are, to turn it back.”
They sat and drank the rest of their wine. Wulfstan stood and bowed, and Thaddeus returned the favor.
“Your Excellency,” Thaddeus said before Wulfstan could leave. “What did you do to my sword?”
“It is a fine weapon, is it not?” Wulfstan asked.
“It is,” Thaddeus replied. “A man from the Gupta Empire made it for me. He called the metal ukku steel. It is five hundred years old. But ever since you touched it, blessed it, it has glowed with the faintest of blue light, sometimes brightening.”
“I gave you a blessing,” Wulfstan said with a smile. “That is all.”
“Will it wear away?” Thaddeus asked.
“Does the Lord ever remove his favor from people?” Wulfstan asked.
Thaddeus just shrugged.
“Continue to answer the Lord’s call,” Wulfstan said, “and He will continue to bless the instrument by which you do His work.”
Chapter 30
“HOW IS ASAF?” Gunnar asked. The defrocked priest had been in bed for two days.
“Fine,” Thaddeus replied. “Resting. He could have killed himself with such exertion.”
“So, what now?” Gunnar asked.
“I don’t quite know,” Thaddeus replied with a shrug. “If I am to listen to Wulfstan as if he is speaking on behalf of God, we must go to France.”
“How soon?” Gunnar asked.
“Again, my friend, I don’t quite know,” Thaddeus replied.
“I would like to rest a while longer,” Gunnar said. “This place is rather nice when it isn’t being strangled by a witch.”
“You should have seen it eight hundred years ago,” Thaddeus said, “when it was wild and free. One of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. I had actually considered moving my family to Britannia.”
“The only other time I saw England was when we were pillaging it,” Gunnar said, looking away and his face downcast. “Those poor people.”
“We all have our tortured pasts,” Thaddeus said.
“And what do we do about him?” Gunnar asked, jerking his head sideways towards Alden.
They had been speaking in Greek, but he looked in Gunnar’s direction, at least knowing they were talking about him. He sat up straight, repositioning himself on the log on which he sat. While Thaddeus and Gunnar talked, Alden had tended to their fire and fed the horses.
“Ask him,” Thaddeus said.
“I don’t want to stay here,” Alden said in response to Gunnar’s question.
“This is your home,” Gunnar said.
“Is it?” Alden asked, as serious as could be.
“You are Saxon, aren’t you?” Gunnar asked.
“I am,” Alden replied, “but what do I have left here? My parents are dead. I have no friends. As much as I would love to believe it, I am an outsider among my people and the Normans. The thane lord I served is leaving for Ireland, a place I have no desire to go. It doesn’t feel like home.”
“Then what do you want to do?” Thaddeus asked.
“I want to go with you,” Alden said. “I could be your hearthguard.”
“I’m not a thane,” Thaddeus said.
“Then, an apprentice,” Alden said.
“Of what?” Thaddeus asked.
Alden shrugged.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “The sword. Fighting. Doing the Lord’s work.”
“We may never come back here,” Thaddeus said.
“I don’t care,” Alden replied.
“You will see things,” Gunnar added, “things that will haunt your dreams. You could lose your life.”
“It’s worth it,” Alden said.
“What is?” Thaddeus asked.
“To be with people who care for others,” Alden said.
“Do we?” Gunnar asked.
“Don’t you?” Alden replied, and then Gunnar smiled and nodded.
“It’s settled then,” Thaddeus said. “Alden will go with us.”
“Where to?” Alden asked.
“Maybe France,” Thaddeus replied. “Gaul is what the Romans called it.”
“Will we ever go to Rome?” Alden asked.
“Probably,” Gunnar replied.
“And what about the Holy Land,” Alden asked, “the birthplace of Christ?”
“Most likely,” Thaddeus replied, to which Gunnar gave him a concerned look.
“But now what?” Alden asked.
“We wait,” Gunnar replied.
“For what?” Alden asked.
“For the Lord to lead us,” Thaddeus replied, “and for Asaf to regain his strength.”
“When he does,” Gunnar said, “we should go north.”
“North?” Thaddeus asked. “Why?”
“Fighting … between the Normans and the Scots,” Gunnar replied.
“You wish to fight?” Alden asked.
“No, my friend,” Gunnar replied. “As much as it may not seem so as of late, most of what we do is comfort and preach and pray. Death will consume the north, and that will delight the Devil. If we go north, we can comfort those who mourn the tragedy of war. We can give comfort to the widows and alms to the poor … and maybe some hope to the hopeless.”
“North it is, then,” Thaddeus said with a smile. “We will go north, we will pray, and we will spread the Lord’s peace to all who need it.”
Before You Go!
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Afterword
The topic of witches and witchcraft is one that is ripe with mystery, intrigue, and controversy. Our modern understanding of witchcraft didn’t really show up until about the 15th or 16th century. Before then, witches served in a number of roles - and, even if they weren’t necessarily referred to as witches, they were women practicing magic. In early polytheistic cultures, witches were the women who served powerful goddesses and female deities. Many of them were revered in their cultures, and one witch is even mentioned in the Book of Samuel in the Bible (even though she isn’t outright called a witch in most translations). In thinking of any culture that embraced magic and mysticism, one could see how divination, fortune telling, and a connection to the supernatural might be seen as a gift rather than a curse.
With the expansion of Christianity, witchcraft slowly took on a much more devious nature. These were people connected to evil spirits, demons, and the Devil. However, the classic view of the witch was much different, as a very male-centric society thought women too dull and not nearly intelligent enough to practice such arcane arts. It was men who were the witches (we refer to them as warlocks today) and if a woman was involved in witchcraft, it was because a male witch - simply, a practitioner of magic and mysticism - had seduced her into it. And, even then, there wasn’t much attention given to these wizards, as they were considered by many silly.
Then Malleus Maleficarum was published by two monks with a clear agenda. They declared women foes, enemies. And the modern day witch hysteria, which culminated in the United States - still mostly British colonies - with the Salem Witch Trials, was born. In a short period of time, 80,000 women were condemned to death and either hanged or burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft. And what signified a practitioner of the dark arts? You might have guessed it - a weird mole, a crooked nose, or an odd-looking birthmark.
And today? Well, witchcraft takes on many forms today. Some practice Wiccan, a modern day homage to the naturalistic and pagan religions of the Ancient Celts and Germans. Others, I am sure, dabble in much darker elements. Others, well, they simply want to look cool at Halloween. So, there is a little bit about the history of witchcraft, which is somewhat vague and incomplete. I hope you enjoyed To Kill A Witch. HAPPY READING!!!
About the Author
Christopher Patterson lives in Tucson, Arizona with his wife and three children. Christopher has a Bachelors in English and Creative Writing and a Masters in Education and is a teacher of many subjects, including English, History, Government, Economics, and Health. He is also a football and wrestling coach.
Christopher Patterson started reading fantasy novels from a young age, took an early interest in early, Medieval Europe, and played Dungeons and Dragons. He has read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and the Wizard of Earthsea many times and heralds Tolkien, Jordan, and Martin, among others, as major influences in his own writing.
Christopher is also very involved in church, especially music and youth ministries, and is very active, having been a competitive power lifter since high school.
He thanks his grandmother for letting him waste paper on her typewriter while trying to write the "Next Great American Novel" and his parents for always supporting his dreams.
Also by Christopher Patterson
The Shadow’s Fire Trilogy
A Chance Beginning
Dark Winds
Breaking the Flame
To Kill a Witch Page 26