Realm of Druids

by Mark Hogenelst

  Just before lunch, an armed escort convoy consisting of two-night watch guards, two volunteer men folk and the newly appointed elder Barney Critchem set out on ponies through the north gate. All were armed with short swords and the simple longbow. Each man had a good handful of new arrows packed into a quiver and fixed to the gear on his pony. The ponies stepped high, as they all sported new iron-shod shoes upon recently trimmed feet. Barney was aghast when told of the mission to travel to Brineburg to converse with the elders there and relay of what had happened in Saltwood. Barney had agreed with the other elders to draw straws as a fair method to determine who would go to Brineburg. As he was the newly appointed elder and junior in service, he would draw his straw first from the pail of sand. Upon drawing his straw, he sighed with relief as it appeared to be reasonably long. However, two other elders quickly took the pail away and choking back a guffaw stated, ‘Too bad Speckle, you got the short straw.’

  As the ponies splashed through shallow mud covering the road, the convoy all pulled the grey hoods of their waterproof coats tighter over their heads. An easterly blew over the top of the cliff from the sea below, bringing a cold seawater mist that mixed with the steady downfall of rain, making it all very unpleasant. Even with the limited visibility, Barney looked back at the village fearing he would never get back there again. He could just make out a steady plume of black smoke coming from the rooftops to be caught in the stiff breeze. The Smithy was already stoking his furnaces up for his task ahead. Barney turned and faced forward to stare at the behind of the lead pony in front. Strapped over all their ponies was an array of clothing, food, and woven cloth shelters. Barney slipped into a monotonous rhythm as he looked at the rump of the pony in front. He watched the short sword slap against the guard’s thigh with every second stride of the pony. So, began the journey to Brineburg on the road they called Wandering Souls. The ponies whinnied to one another as they were not overjoyed at leaving their warm stables in the village behind them. This convoy of mankind could not understand pony speech as they had never been interested in learning it in the first place. If they had known what the ponies discussed, they would have been concerned. The ponies called to one another and made plans on how to ditch these menfolk at the first opportunity, so they could return to the warmth and safety of the village.

  28.

  THE WOLF AND THE FOX

  A light drizzle of rain and a sudden lick to the face woke Saniel with a fright. He was curled comfortably on a mixture of thick moss and grass next to the fallen Oak. He was sheltered under a large bough of the trunk where he layout of the rain that had set in after midnight. He looked around in wonder at his twilight surroundings until his clouded mind cleared and he began to recall the events of the previous evening. A polite cough made him turn around and look up at the oak trunk above him. The fox and the big tanned wolf with the black head from last night were seated above and looking down as if examining him. Until that moment he had thought it had been a dream ‘What do you want?’ he stammered. ‘To save you, of course’ said the wolf. ‘What are you? I mean, I have never seen a dog as big as you?’ replied Saniel. The wolf laughed with a quiet howl. ‘I am no mangy hound. I am a wolf, and we are sworn enemies of the hounds.’ ‘And what was that other animal last night?’ Saniel said, suddenly remembering. ‘That was a big dog. Why did it try to kill me, and my mother?’ He trailed off as his eyes welled up with tears.

  The wolf jumped down and put his head against Saniel’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. He liked this brave little mancub, and he did feel sorry for him for what he had gone through. ‘My name is Jericho, and this is Red Whiskers.’ At that statement, the fox jumped down and stood to look up at Saniel. ‘Pleased to meet you,’ he said and performed a mock bow. One of his ears flittered back and forth to dislodge a brown beetle that had landed on it. ‘Saniel laughed, feeling a little better and said, ‘my name is Saniel.’ He also liked this wolf and little fox. Saniel saw that the fox did have long red-coloured whiskers. Saniel had seen foxes outside his back garden on occasions, and he wondered if one of them had been Red Whiskers. ‘How is it that I can even talk to you?’ Saniel inquired. Red Whiskers and Jericho both looked at each other.’ Jericho spoke first. ‘Saniel, there are many other creatures living out there away from your tribe. We can all talk to one another, but as far as we knew, there are not any mankind animals that can talk at all.’

  ‘What is mankind?’ ‘That is the name of your species’ said Red Whiskers. He continued ‘It is well known that your lot keep to themselves and we stay away from them.’ ‘Why can I talk to you then?’ said Saniel. ‘I believe that has something to do with the item you are carrying. Or it could be that we engaged you in conversation first, and in doing so, rekindled the old common tongue.’ Said Jericho. He continued, ‘I can sense that this stone has bonded to you and has special properties of magic value.’ Saniel did not know what magic meant or what the Moonstone on the necklace was for. He only felt a sense that he must hold it to him carefully, and besides, it was his father’s. Red Whiskers and Jericho then went onto explain as best they could about life in the moorlands, the Wildpack hounds, witches’, goblins, Aledran, and the elves. Saniel’s head was swimming by the end of it, and he was confused. ‘I just want to go home,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m afraid you cannot’ replied Jericho softly. ‘The white creature you fought off and the hound were only the start. More will come. We need to get you to the safety of Aledran where the elves and bears can protect you. They can hopefully give you answers young cub.’ Jericho then tried to explain what a Draugen was and that they were born of black witchcraft.

  The rain had lightened right off, and a few rays of sunshine broke through the cloud as it thinned out. A little rabbit had been watching and listening intently as they spoke. Cautiously it hopped out from under the bush, and his little nose waffled up and down as he sniffed Saniel’s feet. ‘I almost forgot’ Laughed Jericho. ‘This is Mr Bobbins, who lives not far from here in the woods. He’s been keeping an eye on you.’ Saniel looked down at the rabbit. He was wood coloured brown with a little stumpy whitetail. Mr Bobbins looked up at Saniel through brown eyes opened wide and ears pinned back. He had never been this close to a mankind animal before. ‘You are one of the culprits that eat our cabbages at night. I saw you the other evening, but you ran away.’ Saniel laughed. Mr Bobbins cleared his throat with a small cough and said in a high-pitched squeaky voice, ‘Sorry, I think I have a hare in my throat.’ His ears relaxed and flopped down as he gave a silent chuckle clearly satisfied with the joke he made. Red Whiskers rolled his eyes and coughed politely. Saniel did not know what a hare was and as such, looked puzzled.

  Jericho intervened. ‘Saniel we must get moving. Mr Bobbins had been following the hound for a few days and saw that it had taken an interest in watching your house. Then when he discovered the hound was reporting back to a Draugen, we arrived and....well you know the rest.’ Jericho and Red Whiskers stepped forward and sniffed the air long and hard. They both looked at each other and agreed that they could not detect any dangerous scent. Jericho stepped out in front to lead the way. Saniel kneeled and took a long drink of water from the bubbling stream. He glanced back one last time towards the thickest part of the woods and envisioned his mother’s cottage on the other side. Then he recalled the image of his mother, swallowed hard and turned to follow Jericho. A small yellow bird with blue wings and blue crown glided down from a nearby tree and landed on Jericho’s head. He sang a pretty little tune that Saniel had heard back in the village. Could this be the same bird he thought?

  Red Whiskers sensing Saniel’s confusion said, ‘He has been watching you for days, trying to warn you I think.’ Saniel replied, ‘Yes, I did wonder why he acted strangely. ‘And scratched his ear, where the bird had struck him back in the village. Jericho still walking forward, angled his head slightly back to talk said ‘Most of the birds are our allies; it really is the quickest way for us to get news and information these days.’ The bird leaned
over to one of Jericho’s ears and tweeted out a short melody. Jericho said, ‘He wants me to tell you that his name is ‘Tit-For-Tat.’ Saniel became embarrassed and looked down at his feet. He mumbled quietly, ‘please tell him I am sorry that I was going to throw rocks at him before.’ They walked east through trails for several hours until the woods finally thinned out completely to be replaced by rolling grasslands and low bushes. The odd stunted and twisted Black Thorn tree lay in the distance. Saniel had never been out this side of the woods before, and as the sun was out, he was exposed and quite hot. He unbuttoned his coat. So, this is the moors, he thought. Everything was green and wet and it went in all directions as far as he could see. Fortunately, there were plenty of small streams to drink water from. Jericho was getting nervous because this mankind cub only had two legs they were travelling slower than he was used to.

  They stopped under the shade of a small tree surrounded by thick low bushes. Some round red berries were growing close to the ground on a low creeper vine with orange flowers. ‘Eat these.’ MrBobbins said in his soft squeaky voice. ‘They are quite filling and good for you.’ Saniel nervously nibbled the first one, and he enjoyed the taste which was similar to wild strawberries that grew at the end of his road. He ate more and filled his pockets for later. Away in the distance to the northeast came the sounds of birds crying out. ‘That is the edge of the West Marsh’ said Red Whiskers. ‘My home lies on the other side of it.’ ‘We must keep going,’ said Jericho as he stood up and stretched his front legs. He continued ‘From here on the Ravens patrol the skies and we must be careful. The witches’ would no doubt have worked out their witchling and hound had failed.’ Jericho turned to face Mr Bobbins the rabbit hiding under a bush and Tit-For-Tat perched up above on the same bush. ‘I think it wise you both return to the safety of the woods for now.’ They both agreed, especially Mr Bobbins, who swore he saw Red Whiskers looking at him the last few hours and licking his lips. They needed no further encouragement, as Mr Bobbins darted away through the grass with Tit-For-Tat flying quickly to keep up with him.

  The ground became wetter and more difficult for Saniel to trudge through. His leather crafted boots required constant cleaning to get the buildup of grey mud off them, which were making it difficult to walk. The further they went into the moors, the more cautious Red Whiskers, and Jericho seemed to be. They would often make Saniel hide with them by crouching low or lying down in the long grass and bushes whenever Ravens flew by in the distance. One thing Saniel learned about the Ravens was that they would not shut up! He could always hear them squawking loudly in the distance before he saw them. He wondered now if the Ravens he had seen flying over his village lately were watching him. By late afternoon, Saniel shivered. They had come quite a way into the moors this first day, and now it looked precisely the same in every direction. Flat then undulating then flat again. It appeared to be completely covered in grass and Gorse bushes with mud thrown in for good measure. He pulled his coat around him a bit tighter as a mist started creeping over the ground towards them.

  It was now almost dark as Saniel pulled the handful of berries from his pocket and offered one to Red Whiskers. ‘No thanks, I umm eat other things.’ Red Whiskers said, grinning in the dark. He had just spied a fat little marsh lizard dart under the bush next to them. Feeling exhausted Saniel spoke quietly to Jericho and the fox before they curled up next to him. Together they burrowed under a tangle of Gorse and grass and were reasonably cozy for the night. A few hours later, Saniel awoke to feel a warm sensation inside his coat. He heard Jericho and Red Whiskers whispering very quietly to one another. ‘What. ‘Said Saniel but was immediately cut off by Jericho. ‘Shhh, quiet. Nightbirds.’ Saniel didn’t know what a nightbird was, but he was sure they weren’t any good.

  Some distant clicking sounds came from afar and echoed through the mists. Saniel reached in his coat and held gingerly onto the Moonstone. It felt as if it was actually pulling in his hand in a particular direction. After a time, Red Whiskers whispered a little louder. ‘They have gone now. Nightbirds have better senses than the Ravens and can detect us if we make the slightest movement or sound. They are the night spies for the witches’. Saniel had heard a few stories about the witches’ since starting out on this journey, and he was not sure if he would ever want to meet one.

  He drifted off to sleep with a light drizzle now falling, though the three stayed relatively dry in their underbrush shelter. At daylight, Saniel was startled. The Moonstone was pulling hard at the chain around his neck inside his coat and was humming. He told Jericho and Red Whiskers of the humming, but they could not hear anything. He pulled the Talisman from his jacket and held it in both hands. It seemed like the centre of it was alive with an ever-changing blue pattern, swirling around like a fish swimming in a tiny bowl and creating random patterns. Red Whiskers backed away a few feet in alarm. Saniel crawled out of the bush tangle and stood up. He felt as if the stone was pulling him in another direction away from where they were heading. Jericho, who had never been to this part of the moors, said to Red Whiskers ‘What lies that way to the south?’ ‘Castle Blackmire, near to where we had appeared through the magic arch from Aledran.’ said the fox in a quiet voice, and we don’t want to go back there.’ He added, remembering the night he followed the goblins to the castle. ‘What lies within this castle?’ Inquired Jericho. Red Whiskers replied, ‘It was once a mankind place of power and magic practices. Now it is just a home to ghosts and rats.’

  Saniel spoke in a dull strange voice, ‘I want to go there.’ He immediately started walking in that direction with the Talisman held in front of him. ‘Wait!’ said Jericho, ‘We promised to get you safely to Aledran. You can’t just go that way.’ Saniel ignored the wolf and began to walk steadily in a southern direction. Red Whiskers unsure of what to do followed and looked at Jericho for guidance. Jericho paused then jumped in front of Saniel again. Saniel walked around him and continued. ‘Cub!’ barked Jericho loudly now in a panic and he gently took Saniel’s arm in his mouth. But Saniel did not hear. He pulled his arm clear as his eyes became glazed. He had been captivated by the Moonstone. He placed it back inside his coat and walked faster. Soon he was running, more quickly than a mankind animal ever should on two legs. ‘He is under some kind of bewitchment,’ yelled Jericho puffing back to Red Whiskers as he tried to keep up. Saniel ran, his legs becoming a blur. The Moonstone in his coat let out a satisfied groan that Jericho heard and was alarmed. After a short time, Jericho and Red Whiskers slowed down, Saniel was out of sight.

  A little way southwards, a flock of white marsh birds took to the sky startled. Saniel slowed down and stopped. His eyes cleared slowly, and he looked around, He had no recollection of what this place was or how he got there. His feet and legs were wet and grey with mud. He looked around for his companions, the wolf, and the fox, but they were nowhere to be seen. It was nearly dark, and he was confused. The last thing he remembered was waking up that morning, or the morning before. He did not know, and he was scared. The Moonstone was pulsing steadily and pulling in his coat. He looked in front as his eyes adjusted to the darkening sky. The black walls of a magnificent crumbled old building covered in greenery towered in front of him. It was tall, dark and gloomy with two massive half-open gates partially visible through a curtain of dark green vines. He felt an urge to walk towards it, though it was the last thing he actually wanted to do. Some nightbirds circled overhead silently watching him with interest, then with a big swoop of wings and a series of clicks, suddenly darted off to the southeast. Their intended destination was the Bloodwood Witch Coven.

  29.

  ARMY OF 1000 HOUNDS

  The Bloodwood Coven lay six days south in the moors from the Slugheart Swamp goblin hide. Bloodwood was near Lands’ End where the cold moors gave way to the Frozen Sea. Several companies of hounds under the leadership of Shum’s trusted lieutenants had established an expanse encampment around the coven entrance. 1000 brawler hounds from the most significant houses of the Shep
herds, Rottweils and Danes rested after the long march. Wildpack scouts guarded by brawlers were deployed and patrolled for miles almost to Lands’ End. They frequently reported back to the lieutenants in the camp of seeing a frozen wilderness, seemingly devoid of life. Goblin mages wandered systematically through the camp with enchantment daggers creating an arcane mist through the casting of the ‘Tenebris Caligo’ spell. Some hunters from the Shepherd house were entrusted with finding food for the hungry camp. Skyriders and Ravens reported sightings of prey, and it wasn’t long before these hunters had located a string of ponies on a nearby ridgeline and two swineherds on the edge of the Great Southern Marsh. The unfortunate ponies and swine were then mustered together and driven towards the hungry encampment. The Wildpack war machine ate well that night.