Carack

Carack Ch10 p3

Gerent found that he was expected by Lady Gytha and was shown a place under a wagon where he could sleep. The he was allotted a place in a work detail that was hoeing an area of the plain that had been turned into a makeshift field. He found that the refugees were in awe and wonder of the people in the castle, especially Sancret, whom they called the Great Mage, and held him in high regad for the way that the crops they planted grew so quickly, thus saving them from even greater hardship. Gerent was told that within a day of planting a seed, even though it was not springtime, the crop sprouted. Then by just a couple of days later they could be harvested and the ground prepared for reuse. Gerent could only marvel and agree with them that it was due to the magic power of the castle.

Over the next week, Gerent found he actually enjoyed the physical labour of the field and could feel muscles developing that he had not known about before. He ploughed, hoed, sowed and harvested cheerfully with the others. He ate sitting around the communal fires and listened to their tales of being evicted, beaten, warred against and ill used by the High King.

If Gerent came close to N’zar as he came along, he hung his head and tried to shrink into an unnoticeable field worker. Once Cam had come recruiting and had even pointed straight at him asking if he would not train to fight to regain his home land, Gerent had sadly shook his lowered head and put on a limp to get away. Brunnstan, human sized, came to speak with him each morning, as promised, to let him know what was happening in the castle. Gerent heard when first Cam, and then N’zar, had been taken into Sancret’s confidence as they both came free of the influence charm. Wampa seemed to still want to serve M’zera even though it appeared he had eaten enough of the powder to be free of the charm. Geret heard they were all trying to act the same as when they were under the influence charm but he knew that Morvah would be able to detect the change. She had been able to detect the change in him when he had put on the chameleon mail first and so he directed Brunnstan to let Sancret know this.

Then one day, while Gerent was hoeing out in an area of new planted potatoes, he was alerted by the shouts of others working with him and looked up to see people standing and pointing toward a single rider, galloping in their direction from Widenbrea. Gerent straightened up from his work and looked toward the castle. There were people running out onto the top of the castle walls. Gerent could see that Sancret was one of them by his distinctive long grey robes. The rider’s hair and long clothing were flowing in the wind, as the horse and rider galloped closer Gerent could see that the low crouched figure was female. With shock Gerent realised that the rider must be M’zera and that she was heading directly to the patch of ground where he stood. Gerent had the strong conviction that she knew that he was there and she was intending him harm. Field workers scattered as she galloped straight through where they had been working. Gerent dropped his hoe and began to run, but she altered course to intercept him. He saw her raise her hand  as if to throw something and he ducked as he ran. Something hit him on the back of his left shoulder that felt like a hundred pins pricking him. He ran on and as she passed clsoe behind him she kicked out and sent him stumbling into the soil. He rolled away and looked up in time to see the pony fall to its knees just beside him and throw M’zera over its head. She rolled over and laystill, face up, on the ground, eyes closed. Before Gerent could move a low moaning scream seemed to come from the girl’s body, but not through her mouth. Then a grey smoke like substance began to pour out of the nose, eyes, ears and mouth of the unconscious girl. The moaning increased in pitch to become a piercing shriek, so high in tone that Gerent had to cover his ears. The screaming smoke gathered and rolled into a ball dived down at Gerent, who put his head down into the bare earth. He felt it whiz by and spitting dirt from his mouth he rasied his head in time to see it fly off in the direction of Netherzoyland. Gerent lay staring after it. A slight sigh from the girl beside him drew his attention back to M’zera and he glanced at her. He noted that there now seemed to be more colour in her cheeks than he had sen before and he knew that M’zera was now herself, free of Morvah. At that moment another pony was brought skidding to a halt beside them and N’zar jumped to the ground, drew his sword and raised it above his head, point down, over the prone body of his sister.

‘No-oo!’ yelled Gerent and scrambled toward the girl, throwing himself over her body to protect her from N’zar. N’zar lowered the sword and bent to raise Gerent, he smiled in an apologetic way and looked down at his sister.

‘We shalt have to take her back to Sancret, he can deal with her.’ he said and lifted up the inert body.

‘It was Morvah, she possesd her, but she’s gone I saw something - something leave her and I’m sure it was Morvah going.’ Gerent said as N’zar placed the girl over the pony’s back and started to lead it back to the castle. Gerent plodded alongside, occasionally rubbing at his shoulder to try and relieve the stinging sensation in it.

‘Sancret!’ Gerent shouted as they entered the courtyard and the mage came towards them and he explained what happened and what he had seen coming out of M’zera’s body.

‘Well it does look as if she was possesed then,’ Sancret agreed. ‘But we will still need to keep an eye on her, just in case she has not changed or that the possession is not fully expelled from her system. Take her to her room N‘zar and have a watch placed on her. Let me know the moment she comes round, then we will be able to tell for sure.’ N’zar carried her upstairs to her room and after Sancret had given her some potion, to give her strength, they left her under the supervision of one of the Brownies. Wampa sat outside her door both on guard and awaiting her recovery.

Sancret, Gerent, Cam and N’zar went to the observation room to discuss the situation.

‘Morvah realised that her power over us was weakening. But she managed to find out that you were still alive Ger, despite my best effort.’ Said Sancret

‘I’m not surprised, seeing her coming towards me I knew she’d found out. At least she did not manage to really hurt me, whatever she threw must just have stung. It felt like needles going into my shoulder,’ Gerent said.

‘Take of your shirt and let me look,’ said Sancret and he examined the area of shoulder blade Gerent indicated. I can see anything, does it hurt now?’ He prodded and Gerent shook his head.

‘Nope, nothing. Must be Ok.’ He said and began pulling his shirt back on.

‘Anyhow,’ Sancret continued, ‘I realised that she was becoming aware I was not under her power any longer and so I confronted her. That was when she made her escape. I had to run out on the walls and throw a spell from there to stop her from getting away, while N’zar raced after her.’

‘I saw you there and guessed what you’d done when the pony fell,’ Gerent said.