Elenis (The Witch of Laverlock)

Chapter 17 The road to Laverlock

They walked in silence passing through the dense woods.  It was not a long journey but for Wulfric it felt agonizingly long. His rib pinched and his random bruises started to sting. Despite his ordeal he had to follow her for it was God's own luck he found her.
Elenis was held spell bound by the crow. It circled around the trees, diving within the dense forest, hurling upward into the sky in a zigzag fashion. There were time she thought she lost sight of it but whenever she was about to stop, the crow surfaced. It was as if it waited for her . The boy had been quite accurate so far, she thought, wondering if he would surface at any moment.  There was no such luck.
They came across a narrow path of rocks which they carefully maneuvered until they finally reached what looked like a barricade made of giant thorns. Elenis and Wulfric looked at the daunting fencing.
"I have never seen anything quite like this before" he spoke her thoughts out loud.
Looking to the sky the crow circled around them before it dashed down and rested on one of the giant throne as if waiting .
Elnis saw that the fencing was like a wall that stood way above her, she followed its height with ther eyes wondering how she could ever get through it. The thorns were woven like a net and it seemed like there were hundreds of layers of it.
"It's alright Elenis, don't be frightened, your almost there" the voice whispered making her turn around but she did not see anyone except for Wulfric who was eyeing her curiously.
"It seems we are at a dead end" he stated looking back at the fence.
Elenis was inclined to agree with Wulfric. However were they to cross the thorns without getting maimed in the process? They were cleverly woven like a basket of nettle, looking through the layers she could probably fit her body but she would have to slither through it like a snake. It was useless, she thought feeling weighted down.
"Don't give up Elenis look within" the voice echoed.
What other choice did she have, closing her eyes she summoned her energy and it surged powerfully grasping every cell in her body gasping for air she was drawn to the fence until she saw the way to open it. Lifting both her hands she imagined the thorns were in her palm. Turning them to fists she started crushing the small thorns until they turned to debris.
The fence seemed to have reacted to her energy for they started to pry apart like timber falling after it had been chopped the thorns fell away and opened out a path.
Wulfric started in astonishment as he saw the thorns begin to part. He turned to Elenis and was doubly shocked by her expression, her eyes were glazed and she held her fists in the air.
"Quickly!" She ordered.
They both ran through the path until they reached the other side and then the thorns latched back to its original form. Wulfric turned to Elenis curiously, many questions raised through his mind however now was not the time for answers. When he turned back to look at their destination he was surprised to find six men dressed in full armor and one wearing a golden tunic with dark braies.
"You finally made it! Clever girl"
"Justin Fitzhugh, " Elenis replied amicably eyeing the knight in the golden tunic who smiled broadly. He hadn't changed much since she last saw him, his face held the same strong features and his long hair was tied neatly behind him. He looked real sitting on top of his white stallion and from his triumphant  expression he was expecting her.
"I have been waiting for a long time my dear and now, here you are. Welcome to Laverlock" his gaze locked with her for a moment as if studying her before turning to Wulfric . An expression of disdain passed across his face before he said "Put him in chains, he was not invited."he ordered his men.
One of them dismounted making his way to Wulfric when Elenis jumped in front of him "Why do you need to shackle him?"her questioned maintained a certain edge of curiosity but she was far from it.
"That's what we do with dogs such as he" Fitzhugh retorted.
"Not if the dog has a master" she replied coolly eying the knight with disdain "call off your man my lord!" She commanded evenly silencing Wulfric with a look. Had she not done so he would have fought tooth and nail, but her expression told him to play along. Like a humble servant he stayed down.
"Stop!" Fitzhugh told his man "Give the lady a horse that she may ride" he barked.
One of them dismounted and brough a dark stallion to her, helping her mount. She reached out her hand at Wulfric who mounted behind her.
"Show me your demense my lord" she said smiling serenely as she guided her horse to follow the white stallion of Overlord. Elenis dared not question what was before her, instead she reached out with her emotions.
There was a massive shift in energy, Elenis felt its pull immediately gliding through her body in sharp waves. It felt like being reborn. Clearly there was something that made it happen, could it be the place she was in , or simply Justin Fitzhugh? There was no mistaking her immediate reaction to his presence but she was reminded that behind her sat Wulfric.
"I don't know what game your playing Elenis but it seems to be working" he whispered in her ear. His breath fanning her neck immediately made her uncomfortable.
"Hush, he hears us." She whispered back silencing him.
"I don't understand any of it, but for now I should follow your lead." He replied sitting back.
They rode slowly reaching the town of Laverlock. It was a busy place, full of people going about their business but as soon as they saw their overlord they bowed to him making way for their passage. She saw Justin wave to his people smiling as he greeted them.
Stall were strewn about with vendors selling various wares. Behind them were a cluster of small buildings made of stone and wood. The town seemed to be thriving, completely oblivious to what surrounded them. She wondered if the people ever attempted to leave through the thorny fencing.
"They don't go that way, they believe those woods to be cursed" Justin said amicably.
So he did read her thoughts "Are the woods cursed?" She asked derisively.
"It depends on how you look at it." He shrugged turning slightly to see her "Some see wards as curses, I only see them as a way to keep unwanted visitors at bay." Giving Wulfric a disdainful glare before turning his attention back to the road ahead. "There are many ways into Laverloch , and many ways out. My people know them, visitors however are restricted to certain pathways. The one you took is rarely every ventured but here you are. I hope you will not make it a short visit, there is much to see in my demense" he said proudly.
"I'm sure there is" she replied succinctly. She heard Wulfric give a snort of disapproval but for most of the way he remained silent, she presumed it was largely due to the pain on his side.
It didn't take long before they arrived at the porticullis of Laverlock castle. Awed by the immensity of it she could only gape in wonder at the massive stone structure of the castle. The walls were higher than those of Bricklow castle, flanked by four towers on each corner of a rectangular keep. They went across the draw bridge that was surrounded by a moat.
As soon as they were inside she saw the inner Bailey was surrounded by stone  dwellings, again it was densely populated by men , women and children. There was a garrison to the left and and immense stable beside it. They dismounted by the courtyard walking up a small flight of steps, the massive wooden doors were opened to receive the overlord. Just then the crown appeared landing on the shoulder of Justin. He patted its head, murmuring a few words before turning to Elenis and Wulfric.
"The castle awaits my lady" Justin smiled bowing slightly as he waited for Elenis to reach him. They entered the castle together, she looked about the large receiving hall surrounded by four pillars, at the center was a huge throne mounted on a platform with steps leading to it.
There was a fragrant smell to the fresh rushes, tapestries hung about the walls. There were four massive Windows close to the ceiling allowing the light of the afternoon to filter through. Torches hung about on the pillars adding light to the hall. Two archways flanked the throne platform presumably leading to another room.
Three massive mastiffs came straight for Justin, they greeted their master before turning to the guests, one of them approached Elenis, sniffing her feet before resting its head on her hand.  It started to lick her hand waiting to be petted.
Elenis smiled at the dog scratching its ears.
"It seems my pet likes you" Justin smiled indulgently watching her pet his hound.
"What's it's name?" She asked as she bent toward the dog. It started to lick her face making her giggle.
"Her name is Bella"Justin replied, he called to the hound who immediately went to his side. "You must be tired from your journey, Beaty will show you to your rooms" a servant came forward, bowing toward Elenis. "I shall have a bath sent up and some food."
"That would be kind," Elenis replied.
"Guards show sir Fitzwilliam to the garrison "Justin ordered.
Elenis turned to see the guards approach, turning calmly to Justin "I would rather he stayed with me. You see, I lost my companion along the way and Wulfric has been kind enough to fill in for him. I would appreciate if a fresh set of clothing be sent for him as I would prefer he stay by my side."
Justin lost his smile as he eyed Wulfric challengingly "You would not have need of his protection while you are here lady Elenis"
"On the contrary, since I have accepted his companionship I would prefer he stays close to me." She said firmly but her voice remained calm.
"As you wish my lady" he bowed but was clearly put out by her request. Clearly he was a man not to be trifled with. She was pushing her luck but she released no emotion for the time being.  She could not.
Smiling toward Justin she followed Beaty waving to Bella as she passed the hound. They passed the archway which led to another grand hall filled with tables before they came upon a massive staircase. They followed the servant in silence, walking a narrow corridor until they were upon a wooden door that opened out to a room. There were two windows on either side of a massive bed. The room was large having a hearth a couple of tables and several chairs.
Elenis noticed that a gown had been placed on top of the bed, walking toward it, she lifted the garment feeling it's soft threads. The servant left promising to return with refreshments and a bath. As soon as they were alone Elenis walked to the window looking at the view of the inner Bailey.
"Elenis...."Wulfric began, but she turned to look at him putting a finger to her lips to signal silence. He took his queue and waited watching her walk around the room as if searching for something.
"You may speak now Wulfric, the room is safe from prying ears. He cannot hear us." She said sitting on one of the chairs and untying her boots.
"How did you do that, back there when we saw the thorn fencing?"he asked bluntly unable to keep his curiosity at bay.
Sighing deeply she looked at her toes wiggling them to get the blood circulating. She wasn't surprised by his question thinking of an appropriate answer but what was the right answer?
"I just knew what to do." She shrugged, avoiding having to explain herself.
"Elenis, you raised your hands in the air and it came apart, how do explain that? And what about your wounds?" He was unconvinced by her dismissive response.
"What about them?" She looked at him.
"I saw those men hit you on the head, but you've come away without a scratch."
"Perhaps the blow wasn't as hard as yours." She replied.
Shaking his head he continued watching her as she did him "Something about you has changed."he mused.
"Don't tell me the same hasn't happened to you?" She replied tartly. "You left four years ago Wulfric, you broke your promise to me and in that time things have happened to the both of us that do not need any further explaination."her voice was firm and frankly that was all she felt like saying at that moment.  She did not want to pry.  She didn't really care.
Even if she did not want to explain herself, he had to. He tried to get up from the chair but the pain on his rib made Him clutch his side. Wincing in agony he sat back once more.
Elenis saw Wulfric turn pale and knew instantly he was suffering inside. She stood and walked toward him bending to feel his rib. The current that passed through her hand and travelled up her arm was strong and biting. He was clearly suffering from internal injuries that needed immediate attention.
He stayed her hand on his injured side looking into her brown eyes that seemed distant "I need to explain my side."
"Your hurt badly Wulfric, this injury needs attention" she declared "There's time for an explanation  later."she said coolly standing to open the door , surprising the servant who was just about to knock. She saw the woman bring a tray of food.  There were others behind her who dragged a tub and brought fresh clothing for Wulfric.
Ushering them in she told Baety to summon a healer for Wulfric, although she could easily mend the damage to his rib, he was asking too many questions she was not prepared to answer. How could she even begin to explain when questions burned in her soul?
The servants prepared the hot bath and left when Beaty returned with a female healer. She was old and bent but her eyes as she took in the sight of Elenis and Wulfric sparkled with an intensity.
"I'd be Morgana" she addressed them both "I see the lad is suffering in his side" she quickly assess the inured and approached Wulfric. "Can you walk to the bed"
He glanced at Elenis briefly seeing her nod, he lifted himself from the chair and walked slowly to the bed. Seeing that Wulfric was in capable hands she motioned to Beaty to help her with her gown. As soon as she was naked she slid into the tub and accepted the ministrations of the servant while she closed her eyes. She could hear the healer fussing over Wulfric as she managed to coax him to remove his soiled shirt. Elenis couldn't help the smile that played on her lips as she closed her eyes. By the time she was done with her bath Wulfric was fast asleep.
Thanking the healer she told them to leave but the healer stood in her tracks eyeing Elenis curiously.
"Is there something you wanted to say?" She asked the healer.
"You have a look about you that reminds me of her." The healer stated flatly.
"Her who?" Elenis asked.
"His mother"the healer's voice was raspy, hardened with time. "They burned her, claiming she was a witch. The lord was  too weak to save her, you see." She shook her head "but he paid dearly for that!" She said before she left the room, leaving Elenis stunned as she watched them leave the room.
Walking toward the table, she pulled up a chair, reaching for the food she began to bite into the cheese, washing it down with mead. She pondered on the words of her grand aunt , thinking about her own tale that finally convinced Elenis to make the journey.