"DRUIDS BANE" A Tundrawolf Story

DRUIDS-BANE 'Discovered'

Part Five     3500 BC

     In the flash of a moment Arthfael came alert. He chanted to himself a spell of strength he somehow remembered from the sheepskin scrolls and whipped his staff around in an arch so fast it was a blur. The staff hit the possessed Druid square on the side of his head so hard it shattered sending pieces of it flying throughout the cavern. The Druid slammed into the wall breaking clay urns and scattering old bones as he went down. The Black Druid spirit inside the man had made its move too soon and did not have enough control over the body. It raised the arm too late to protect itself. Arthfael then went to the table and pulled the stone knife from his sisters chest and went to the stunned body of the Druid struggling to regain his feet. With no hesitation he drove the flint blade into one of the flaming green eyes as they started to look up. The body of the Druid Priest screamed. Arthfael quickly pulled the knife from the skull and then drove it again into the chest over the heart all the way to the hilt. The body crumpled over and laid out on the ground, the fight was over.

     Judoc and Drest came running into the cavern as the fight was ending followed by the Sergeant and several of his warriors. The two boys felt the disturbance in the black bond they shared with Arthfael and came as fast as they could. They had been up at the entrance watching the trails and roads leading to the barrow for any search parties that might wander their way. It took them a few minutes to run down to the tumulus once they felt Arthfael's distress.

     "Arthfael, art thou unhurt?" Judoc said as he looked at the body of the Druid Priest.

     Arthfael's back was to the entrance of the tumulus. He too watched the body of the Druid Priest. He was the only one who could see the black shadow oozing out of the body to form a puddle on the ground. Arthfael watched as it slithered slowly to a corner of the cavern to hide amongst other shadows made by the torches.

     "I art fine mine brother," Arthfael said in a quiet voice. "The Druid Priest wert stronger than methought. Hath thine men take'eth the altar table from this tumulus, tis time to be gone from this place."

     Arthfael stayed and observed the shadow in the corner to make sure it did not try to possess any of the warriors as they strained and groaned while moving the slab behind him. He was shaken by the experience and did not want his acolytes to see so he ordered them back up to continue the lookout. As Arthfael watched the shadow creep farther into the corner he vowed to himself never to be taken by surprise like that again. The shade who was the Black Druid Lugubelenus could not be destroyed, but the tunnel  leading to this tomb could be brought down sealing it in for all time.

     Judoc came back down after a bit to ensure the warriors removed all of the items important to them and found only one thing left. The stone cauldron which sat under the altar table to capture the blood of a sacrifice. When they went to carry it away Arthfael stopped them and ordered it smashed to pieces. The only purpose of the cauldron was to hold the life blood to feed the shade of Lugubelenus. It was of no use to the sacrifices they performed and he wanted nothing more to do with it. Three of the strongest warriors lifted the rune covered bowl high into the air and threw it onto the stone floor. As it shattered Arthfael could see the shadow of the Black Druid become more feeble and shrink in size. He felt the shade become weaker and less of a threat and knew he could now leave the cavern.

     As Arthfael walked back up the tunnel he worried little about any tokens he or his friends left laying about the crypt. The collapsing of the passageway would hide any sign they were there, but as he walked out into the daylight he realized he should have been more concerned. All about the entrance men were moving about in a flurry of quiet yet earnest activity. Bands of warriors with Druid Priests were closing in on the ancient barrow.