The Other Apprentice

8-2 | Bogwisps

As instructed, the villagers brought all of their gathered nimbuswort flowers and deposited them in sacks carried by Tenet and Quinn. Their furtive glances toward the fog-shrouded marsh showed their eagerness to get the task over and lock themselves in their homes.

With the townsfolk still gathered, Madrigal called out, "If there are any amongst you still holding on to nimbuswort, surrender it now or the bogwisp sightings will continue despite my best efforts." At this declaration, a couple of holdouts turned in their secreted stash of nimbuswort.

With it all collected, Madrigal led the way toward the marshes, with his satchel slung over his shoulder. Tenet looked over at Quinn. She glanced back at him nervously, her hand on her sword. Valryk looked unconcerned, his sword on his back.

Tenet turned back to the wizard as they neared the marsh. "What is it we're setting out to do? There's no such thing as bogwisps, so I don't understand the point of this trek into the swamp."

Madrigal paused for a moment as he turned to face Tenet. "How certain are you of that?"

Tenet thought for half of a moment, then stood his ground. "I'm certain. I've read several books on the folktales of this region. There's never been a credible confirmed sighting of bogwisps, blightbears, hedgelurkers or anything of the sort." As he said this, Quinn turned to him with a raised eyebrow, silently mouthing the word blightbears.

Madrigal resumed his forward progress, "How reassuring! But don't base all of your knowledge on what you have read, young man. Still, I approve of you trying to separate the fact from fiction. In fact, that is precisely your purpose tonight. To assess the situation and learn what is truth and what is not, for I am certain you will see plenty of both tonight. Tell me, both of you. What facts have you already learned this evening?"

Tenet answered first, "Something killed the farmer's goats. Something that lives in the swamp."

Quinn whispered, "bogwisps."

Tenet shook his head. "Bogwisps are not a fact."

Quinn pointed ahead. "Then what are those?"

Tenet looked ahead to where Quinn was pointing. Several dark shapes were moving through the mists of the marsh, floating above the ground with what appeared to be long, branchlike arms tipped with long claws. Tenet could see faint embers of sickly yellow suggesting eyes. "It's a trick from the fog. It's just... tree branches."

Quinn grabbed her sword tighter. "Those don't look like tree branches to me."

Madrigal turned to Valryk. The soldier answered him with a silent shake of his head, then returned to scanning the foggy marsh. Madrigal spoke. "Do not worry about what you see. They will not approach you. Now continue with the exercise. What facts of the evening? What is important here?"

Quinn answered, her voice trembling, "These flowers. Obviously, these flowers are important. The townsfolk think so. And you obviously think so as well."

Madrigal nodded, "Good. And why are they important?"

Quinn thought for a moment, "the bogwisps— "

Tenet interjected, "They're not bogwisps!" He felt a little unsteady saying it as he watched the motion of the barely visible forms.

Quinn sighed. "The whatever-they-are didn't show themselves until after the villagers gathered the flowers. The nimbuswort is attracting them."

Tenet shook his head. "That makes no sense. They've been keeping their distance. The villagers claim the flowers keep them away. They can't both attract and repel them."

The ground was getting wetter. Tenet's boots started sinking in mud as they walked past long reeds. The shadowy figures seemed closer now.

Madrigal pointed ahead to a stretch of land rising out of the dirty water with some of the nimbuswort flowers visible. "There. The faerie's landing. Come quickly, and we shall put your theories to the test."