The Curse-breakers of Avondor || ONC 2022 || ✔

Chapter 13: The Wraiths of Malodell

Nymphenwald was a beautiful place.

The bright light of the morning sun filtered through lush, green foliage waving in the wind. Trees taller than village houses, thick-trunked and long-branched, towered over the lord and the mage as they made their way through the woods. The pair followed a distributary of the Felton River as it meandered along, its water so clear they could see their reflections and small fish swimming in it with ease. Pretty purple flowers bloomed around them. Occasionally, they passed wooden cottages, big or small but always quaint, built by people like Denys Farano, who'd made themselves at home among the nymphs.

Sometimes undead corpses stumbled by and ruined the view, but Audren was starting to see them as part of the scenery.

"Nymphenwald is big," Terry had stated not long after they'd crossed the bridge and ventured into the area. "If the countess is here, she could still be anywhere. Where do you want to start looking?"

Audren had thought about his history lessons, about how the ancestors of every Avondorian alive had lived as nomads, travelling in small groups, hunting and gathering to survive. Once people had started to farm and build houses, villages that would grow into cities, a pattern had become visible: people settled where there was water and fertile ground, which they needed to survive. With that logic in mind, he figured a runaway countess probably wouldn't stray too far from water. He'd suggested travelling along the distributary.

"But we should keep an eye out for nymphs or other living creatures who can help us," he'd declared. "If anyone happens to have seen her, it will make our lives easier. We mustn't refrain from asking for assistance."

Gaining such assistance, however, was easier said than done. Nymphs were a curious sort and didn't show themselves to the world often. Audren had half-expected them to be out in greater numbers now, with far fewer humans around to potentially harass them, but it seemed the creatures liked the Cursed even less, harmless to them or not. The few cottages they found were too silent to be considered occupied, its human or half-nymph inhabitants either dead or fled, the nymphs unwilling to show themselves. Audren caught glimpses of some, but the spirit-like women retreated into the trees they were bound to before he could even call out to them. Not that he blamed them; if he'd been a nymph and had seen strange humans covered in blood pass by, he would've thought twice about approaching them, too.

They'd been wandering for a good while when a nymph finally showed some bravery.

"Weary travellers," a female voice spoke, melodious and mysterious both, as nymph voices often were. "Do you mind if I ask what your purpose is here? Are you passing through to the south?"

Audren looked to his left and saw a nymph leaning against a cypress tree. She swept her long, brown hair over her shoulder and regarded him and Terry with piercing eyes, eyes a sparkling but dark shade of green resembling that of the scalelike leaves of her cypress.

Finally, was Audren's first thought, until he remembered he should be wary. When meeting a human stranger in the woods, it always remained to be seen whether they were benevolent or malevolent. For nymphs, that was no different.

"Hello," the lord greeted this dweller of Nymphenwald, halting his horse and motioning for Terry to do the same. "I'll start by telling you we don't mean you any harm, unless you wish to harm us. But I don't enjoy being distrustful of people and I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps you can help us. My friend and I are looking for someone."

The nymph frowned, grey dress flowing in the wind. "Who might that person be?"

"Countess Limnaia of Santonshire," Audren explained. In favour of supplying a proper description, he racked his brain to remember what she'd looked like. He'd seen her at Mayor Gilvertos' banquet years ago, when Zavian had pointed out her supposed nymph heritage, and he'd met her only a few more times after that. "She has black hair that curls slightly and eyes that might as well be coals. Her skin is slightly darker than the average Avondorian thanks to Far Southern blood. And, well... she was... quite beautiful...?"