Hollowed Ground

The Price of a Scroll

We stood in front of the river that wasn't supposed to be in Ravensguard, watching swans drift back and forth pulling gondolas full of guests. Their feathers glistened in the moonlight. "Well," a high, aloof voice said "climb aboard. You don't want to stand there like a couple of slack jawed farmers."

I looked up at the swan who was staring down at us with a lofty expression. "You are not polite," I said.

The swan sniffed. "You are uncouth."

"Thank you."

We climbed aboard the gondola. I was tired from zigzagging back and forth across the carnivalso I  welcomed the rest for my tired feet even if I wasn't sure how a boat ride was going to help us spread joy through the carnival and get Thynol crowned the Witchlight Monarch so we could get close to Mr. Witch and Mr. Light and convince them to open the portal to the feywild. We drifted out onto the river that shouldn't have been there. I stared into the water, watching it flow as if it were any other river. As if it were actually here and not just an illusion.

"Hmmm," the swam mused to herself. "What is time?"

"A measurement," I answered.

"But what does it measure?"

"Fun!" Thynol said. "Happiness."

My curiosity piqued. I couldn't spread happiness and help Thynol become the Witchlight Monarch if I didn't understand what it was. "What is happiness?" I asked

"Laughing to death." Thynol said.

I stared at him, horrified.

"I saw it once," he continued. "A man made fun of a bard in a tavern – he was named after a flower but I don't remember what flower. Not a dandelion. The bard cast a spell and he laughed and laughed and laughed until he died."

I shuddered. It sounded like a horrible way to die.

"Serves the man right for mocking someone distinguished like a wizard," the swan said.

If I had had feathers they would have rustled. I didn't like the idea of anyone being considered superior to anyone else.

"I heard there was a very skilled wizard at the Big Top Ceremony a few hours ago." the swan went on" He made light with his hands. Mr. Witch and Mr. Light were very impressed. The whole carnival was. It was just what we needed after the card reader got into a fight with that kincue. That brought the whole mood of the carnival down. Typical Cythral. You know a bubble fell into his tent this evening. Again! If we ever stop at a town where his tent doesn't get smashed in I'll lose my feathers, I will. You know," she turned around and looked at us each in the eye. Her voice lowered conspiratorially. "Things in the Witchlight Carnival do have a way of getting lost."

"Dyrla said." I said, bored with the swan's gossip. She seemed to fancy herself very knowledgeable about things that weren't any of her concern.

"She would know," the swan continued. "She lost her own child."

"Thynol found him," I said.

"No," Thynol said "That not Dyrla's child. Dyrla is a cat with too many legs."

"Yes, a displacer beast," the swan said. "And she displaced a beast." She chuckled to herself. "So many things and people have gotten lost. You know, they say there are three figures from the feywild who may be behind it all and Mr. Witch and Mr. Light-"

"Are connected to them." Conna rolled her eyes. "We know."

"Oh. Well. You seem to know quite a lot don't you."

"We saw two." Thynol said. "Frog and piggy face."

"What?" the swan's voice went high in surprise. "You actually saw some of the weird three? And you didn't get abducted?"