Carack

Carack Ch16 p2

Each day Sancret and Gerent had looked in the well to see how the men were progressing, sending reports to those outside the castle, and Sancret spent each day trying to find and practise any spell or charm that he thought would be useful against Madron or he felt would be unexpected by Madron. Gerent made sure the Brownies took Sancret food and stayed to watch him eat it if Gerent did not do so himself. He spent the evenings with M’zrea, but noticed that Sancret avoided the girl as much as possible and it was easy to put this down to his studies, he found M’zera, a knowledgeable and pleasant companion, though much quieter than her brother.

On the afternoon of the sixth day, Sancret looked in the well to see N’zar and watched as he slipped into Netherzoyland and made his way to the Red Lion, where Agatha greeted him very warmly.

Gerent was somewhat puzzled as Sancret growled at the image:

‘What could he see in her? She is nothing to my sister.’ They watched as N’zar talked and showed signs of concern for Agatha, when he left the inn they stayed watching Agatha and saw her throw a shawl about her shoulders, leave by the back and walk towards the castle.

‘This is it, now we must expect Madron, Umberstan!’ Sancret waved the image in the well away and the Brownie appeared, ‘Please tell everyone that the trap has been set and to be prepared. Oh and could you get someone to bring us something to eat, bread and cheese anything.’ Umberstan bowed and left, Sancret turned to Gerent.

‘When Madron knows you are here, no doubt he will scry for you at once. How he will come here I do not know, but you may be sure it will be swift. We will sleep up here from now on if we have a chance to sleep before he comes, this is my strongest position; if I fail I am truly sorry.’

‘You have the hauberk, you will not fail, I know, you are like Hugh, you are so clever and yet you cannot see it yourself. I tell Hugh if I had half his brains I’d be grateful, if I had half yours I’d be ecstatic!’ Gerent said and Sancret smiled,

‘Thank you for your confidence in me, I shall certainly do my best.’

Siennastan arrived with some hot roast chicken, fresh bread and butter, accompanied by Sancret's favourite ginger beer. They both perched on the edge of the well to eat and drink in silence, the atmosphere in the room was hot and sticky and Gerent really felt as if he were preparing to fight in a war. When they finished eating Siennastan reappeared and took away the dishes and the two of them sat together, in silence, on the edge of the well, looking out across the valley plain to the distant hills around Widnbrea.

A slight breeze fanned Gerent’s hair and tickled the back of his neck, he was glad to feel it, but, seeing Sancret look with concern in the direction of the wind, he remembered that no wind should come into the observation room with the mage in the castle.

Sancret looked at him and nodded, Gerent just knew that this meant the breeze somehow heralded Madron’s arrival. He looked in the direction of the wind and happened to notice a thin thread of cotton, which came flying in on the breeze. It was so long its end trailed down onto the floor and began coiling there, as he watched the cotton grew thicker, until it was like string. He touched Sancret and wordlessly drew his attention to the increasing pile of thread, whose thickness was now of cord, it began to come in faster and the pile began to coil upward in the shape of a man's legs. Whipping in the cord turned to the thickness of rope, which turned to be as thick as a hawser and then, before they had time to think about doing anything, the end came in, the pile was complete and there stood Madron.

‘Well, well, Hugh, what company you do keep these days.’ Madron haughtily looked Sancret up and down, he turned his gaze to Gerent.

‘Better for you if you had stayed with my dear girl, how come you are still alive? Still no matter I shall resolve that soon enough!’ With a sweep of his hand Gerent felt himself thrown upward and backward by an invisible force until he crashed into the curve of the ceiling, which knocked the breath out of his body, he found he was pinned there, unable to move. He watched as Madron circled Sancret like a predator sizing up his prey.

‘Mage they call you, hah! You are a child; there is no challenge here for me! You deceived my forces into believing you were destroyed, very clever but tricks are no match for my power!’ Madron waved his arm again, swishing his cloak over it as he did so and a bolt of light that blazed ice blue, dazzling Gerent’s eyes, hit Sancret.

Gerent opened his eyes again to see Sancret had stepped back but was still standing, unharmed, the hauberk was working. Madron was looking at him archly and Gerent could see he was considering what to throw at Sancret next. Swiftly a column of ice began to build around Sancret from his feet upward, but before it reached his shoulders Sancret had muttered a few words and the stones beneath Madron’s feet became like quicksand and he sank from view. Gerent, still pinned to the arch of the ceiling thought that it was over, and Sancret made the ice, which now totally enclosed him, burst apart in great shards that tinkled musically as they hit the ground. Madron reappeared as swiftly as a Brownie, his face one of rage.

 ‘So we could play these childish magiciands tricks on each other all day child!’ he sneered at Sancret, ‘I have no wish to waste my time on you or your foundling!’ and Gerent found himself flying at great speed towards the well. He hit the wall of the well with a tremendous jolt that he knew must crack some ribs and was starting to topple inward into the water.  ‘Don’t touch the water!’ Sancret cried as he rushed across to grab Gerent and haul him back up just as he was close to breaking the surface. Gerent slumped to the side of the well, nursing his ribs and Sancret turned to face his cruel laughing opponent.

‘Child mage, you show your weaknesses early, just as Zoy did, he was as weak as you, no wonder you are not stronger if he was your teacher!’ Madron laughed again but Sancret just stood, deadpan, watching for Madron’s next move, it reminded Gerent of Euny.

Madron spread his arms and a wall of water erupted from his cloak that flew towards Sancret and as it flew the leading edge changed into hundreds of distorted faces straining forward, with sharp needle like teeth in snapping jaws, all trying to take a bite out of the mage. The wave hit Sancret, who had tried to doge it, and Gerent could see blood on his arms, hands and face as the wave washed over him. Sancret wiped a sleeve across his eyes and muttered under his breath and Madron was bound about by a howling wind that turned swiftly into a tornado, which shrieked and caused all the papers and loose objects in the room to be pulled into it. Gerent could feel his hair being whipped by the wind as his put his face onto his knees to keep the dust from his eyes. Then as suddenly as it arose it was gone and Madron stood there, as before and not even his cloak was ruffled. Sancret looked baffled and Madron laughed.

‘That’s power you’ll never have and this is something you’ll never learn!’ 

Before he knew what had happened Gerent was thrown upward by another wave of Madron’s hand and sent into mid air outside the Observation room, where he hung suspended by nothing, petrified, looking down at the tremendous distance to the ground below his kicking feet.

‘Now little mage, if you do not wish me to destroy the boy before your eyes, take off whatever it is you wear that protects you so well, or he will die!’ Gerent felt himself suddenly drop and gave an involuntary yell, but he was jerked upward again back into view of the observation room. Sancret looked at Gerent who tried to tell him not to do as Madron asked. Gerent knew he would die anyway if Sancret gave in, but he found he could not speak or move any part of his body apart from his feet. He tried to make the message clear with his eyes and willed Sancret not to obey Madron, but when he saw Sancret’s eyes drop from his, he knew that the Warlock was going to remove his only form of protection. Sancret touched his breast and his lips moved saying a silent spell, Gerent stared in horror as the hauberk appeared on Sancret’s arm and Sancret laid it on a chair.