You pulled yourselves out of the mucky waters and treated each others' wounds. Soon Boamund ran off after Miguel, whose cries of terror could be heard roaming the swamps. Miguel ran into a raging stream, swimming frantically for a while but then getting caught in submerged branches and dragged underwater, as he cried for Quick Sister to save him from the “monster” chasing him. Boamund found him just in time to wade in and grab him. But as Miguel held his breath in the stream's current, he felt a strange peace come over him and a connection with Something Else that shook him from his panic. He emerged from the stream with an odd glint in his eyes, and a fervour that was soon noticeable to the others.
Meanwhile the others started heading back to meet Quick Sister. Cyroosta mused about something odd, that she'd waited a long time for you to emerge from the tree after she swam out, and later you had enough time to piece together that 2 days had passed inside that tree, not just several intense minutes. Boamund and Miguel rejoined you as you came to the big stream where you'd met Quick Sister, and where a wary Apatune reclined against a tree. Quick Sister formed herself from the waters, back in her frog-headed form, and celebrated your victory as Baronet gave her the bony skull of the demon as your quest's trophy. She messily devoured the bones, and the Baronet began to realize how different this wife would be from Inyana– was the form of Inyana she had taken earlier just a ruse or enticement that would not be as permanent as he'd hoped?
In her croaking voice, Quick Sister confirmed that she was satisfied, indeed filled again with joy and energy now that the enemy that had kept her down was gone (or was it?). She unnerved you with mention of some unfinished business that could wait until after the wedding, and Apatune spoke of something like this too… what had you gotten into? She said the wedding would be next season: Fire Season 1622, the 2nd day of 2nd week (Waterday, Harmony week) of this 2nd season, for Shaven's second bride… it was all so neat and tidy. Nothing could go wrong now? She would come to your manor grounds then for the ceremony, but she could not stay in your lands forever- the land around Toadhaven was her home and so this would be a marriage of distance, not cohabitation. Cyroosta excitedly thought about preparations, but Baronet Shaven was perplexed and disturbed. Some chuckles coming from his comrades did not settle him further…
But Quick Sister unformed and vanished into the river with a farewell, and the still-cautious Apatune said goodbye too, with a cold stare focused on Miguel, who had likewise been staring at Quick Sister with intense attention. You returned to the trail back southward to Oyesteria Major, where you'd spend the night before coming back home. Ciddar did most of the work carrying Maugis's moaning body, cursing and cussing all the way, and for a while he walked with Miguel, who soon grew tired of his complaining and clear interest in leaving the peasant caste for something less indentured.
Your journey was interrupted by a strikingly organized formation of naked Giranois, painted with red spots (blood?), and standing in your way with spears set. A voice soon spoke from behind them, shouting taunts at Baronet Shaven and accusing him of poor treatment of past loves & wives. It was Gertrude, whom some of you knew but others hadn't even heard of (clearly it was a touchy subject). Somehow she'd found out quickly about this wedding (the 2 days you'd lost inside the tree might explain some but not all of this coincidence?), and was not happy about it. But she seemed to just want to gloat and taunt/warn the Baronet that she'd make the rivers around him run red with blood if he misbehaved with his new wife-to-be, who was “kin”. She claimed to speak with the authority of “Ever-Youthful Tanosh”, who Cyroosta later reminded you was one of the Old Gods of the Giranois. Hmm… This was a lot to take in, and the anger with which Gertrude left was troubling, even if somewhat pathetic to you. But at least she left without any violence, just posturing and blustering.
You made it to Oyesteria Major and ahhh…. had a nice rest, baths, and chats with the ever-calm Embullian the Clean, and “his” fellow Perfecti. Miguel and Maugis were shocked to meet Perfecti and to see how different from normal Malkioni they are- no castes, no hierarchy, very relaxed and liberal, and pacifistic (except for their armed Pithdaran hunter-guards). That was a long-overdue period of peace. It became clear that the magical necrotic damage from the tomb was only healing naturally. Maugis had a long recovery ahead.
And the next day, you made it home! Your settlement was much as you left it, but there were tales that the two Vadeli (Skrimton and Iirkon) had been seen around. Also, there were superstitious mutterings amongst the peasants about the “short angry Earth spirits” that had been seen around the land, and also about a rumour that near St Thosos “the devil” had appeared or something. Captain and his crew, with a cleaned-up, re-dressed Ciddar, hit the waves again on the Shadow, hunting something.
But before he left, the Captain transfixed the Baronet's people with terrible tales of your exploits up north– they were left trembling and plagued by nightmares over the thought that surely soon the undead will walk amongst them and dine on their viscera and blood. Maugis was too incapacitated to help, Miguel was off chatting with the boar-folk Mraloti about something, and the Baronet and his family were too busy with thoughts of the wedding plans, and Cyroosta's plan to do a ritual to put Inyana's spirit into the town well. So despite the comfort brought by your return and news of a wedding to some odd spirit (again!), peasant morale in your land was not high.
Jett, the Baron's wily messenger, arrived after a couple of days, inquiring about your mission and concerned that you hadn't visited the Baron to bring news. This was enough reminder that you should visit the Baron, and so you did. He was in fine spirits at first. Jett had warned you not to talk to him, or put much truth in, peasant's tales of “The Chuckling Babe”– a child born to 2 peasant farmers a couple of nights earlier (not long after your tomb quest, you reckoned), who was of deep black skin and eyes, and who disturbing laughed after being born, then fell silent and only smiled, never cried or made noise. The peasants deem this to be a dire omen of the devil's rebirth. Jett, and the Baron supposedly, don't have time for such silliness, but Jett had visited the family and did find the child (named Sylbi'in, as the mother had been told in a dream!) strange– but strange does not mean the King of Evil!
You finished dining with the Baron amidst talk of the future. He was happy about the wedding to come, especially as it would tie his settlements together more, but he fell quieter about some other matter and you could tell the Rokari curse upon him had relapsed as it often does, triggered by something. After a while you could tell that he needed rest and you parted, then went home the following morning.
© Copyright - 2000-2024 - John Hutchinson, Tim Evans, Pete Nash, Colin Driver and Gordon Alford