Chapter Eight

~Compiled by Catherine~

Vanya appears in Rowena's cottage, and the occupants are startled and none too pleased with Minuet when they learn that the girl is Nikolai Rhodan's consort. The faerie makes herself scarce, heading back to the castle and Nicholas.

Vanya is thoroughly unpleasant to her new companions, but Rowena gradually coaxes her into telling her story. While Rowena is thus occupied, Brother John cleans up Sebastian's mess as he and Nick chat. Vanya becomes distraught, and the ensuing commotion attracts Sebastian, who has returned from his hunting trip. Curious, he enters the cottage, finds Vanya, and proceeds to comfort her. Faran, also disturbed by the wailing, uses his magic to help.

Gemile arrives with her news; Rowena calls a meeting, and Gem fetches Daniel. When she returns, she recognises Vanya as Chastity, the child Nikolai took from her gypsy troupe 6 years earlier. Overcome, Gem rushes back to her own house, followed by Rowena. Thinking she is a danger, Faran immobilises Vanya, who in turn cries out mentally for Nikolai to save her.

While Rowena is with Gemile, Minuet returns to berate Brother John for allowing Nicholas and Bantam to be captured. John leaves for the castle. Rowena's upset when she and Gem return to find John missing, but Faran insists that they go ahead with the meeting. Gemile sets about making stew for their dinner; Nick offers to help, and she sends him for water. Outside, Nick meets Wisp, an elf child.

Meanwhile, in the Tribal Lands, Antonio is dispatched to Ashby with orders to bring back Simone. He conjures up a seeking-storm to lead him to her.

Andy and Cat are trapped in the tree while the guards search below. One of the troopers finds the bodies of the outlaws in the grass, identifying one as a deserter, Dugan. Taking up the deserter's corpse, they head back to Ashby. On the way, the guards come across what looks like a ruin in the forest, one which none has ever seen before. They remove some objects for Audra to examine at her leisure. Also in the ruin is Wisp, who mistook it for a playhouse while out in the woods. Nearly caught by the guards, the child makes good her escape, clutching a beautiful golden bracelet she's found.

Relieved that the guards are gone, the thieves introduce themselves to each other; Cat explains why she's come to Ashby. Hearing her story, Andy invites her to accompany him on a mission for his Guild. They encounter Antonio on the road; he asks them for directions, and Andy assures him that he's on the way into Ashby. In return, Antonio lets them know that the approaching storm is not natural and continues on his way.

Antonio's storm settles over Ashby Castle, where Audra and Nikolai have begun their interrogation of Bantam and Alexa in the torture chamber. Nikolai, hearing Vanya's mental scream, uses his magic to search the castle for her. When he doesn't find her, he calls on his minions in the forest.

Brother John, meanwhile, has been side-tracked by Father Roger, who's searching for that missing scroll. The abbot extracts a promise from John to join him for dinner, and he heads for the monastery. John then meets a distressed Maeve; she explains that Xanax has mistaken Charley's dogs for strays and shooed them outside, and now she can't find them. Antonio, who has been following the monk, finds Lucky and Clover and secretly returns them to Maeve. Overjoyed, the healer takes the dogs back to the Seventh Stranger, and John redirects his steps to the castle, still trailed by Antonio.

Delighted with torturing Bantam and looking for more fun, Audra orders guards to take charge of Simone. The silent woman defends herself and kills both guards with her bare hands. Audra is impressed and decides Simone can be useful to her.

Warren awakens in a magical limbo to find himself with the Flame, who declares herself for the side of goodness. They project themselves into the torture chamber to rescue Alexa and Bantam. A fierce battle ensues; Warren escapes with the children, but Audra captures the Flame.

With a knack for unfortunate timing, Brother John arrives just as the battle ends and finds himself the object of Audra's attention. The countess doesn't believe the monk's weak explanation for his presence and has him thrown into the dungeon before sweeping upstairs, Simone in tow.

In his dungeon cell, John finds help in the form of Cedric, one of the guards. He persuades Cedric, a pious man, to deliver a message to Father Roger.

Awaiting John in his chamber, Father Roger is disturbed by Brother Robard, who brings Cedric before him. The guard tells Roger what has become of John. Roger sends a return message: threaten John with a hammer--he'll understand. Once Cedric leaves, the abbot goes to the library in hopes of getting a copy of the missing scroll. Cedric returns with the abbot's message, and John waits in the dark, hoping against hope for rescue.

After John enters the castle, Antonio makes a magic foray to examine the castle's ailing heartstone. Seeing the Flame about to be raped by guards, he casts a spell that makes the guards kill themselves. After a brief rest, Antonio finds Warren, Bantam, and Alexa in the town, arguing over how to rescue Nicholas. He persuades them that he can help. They return to the castle. Antonio tricks a guard into letting him close enough to put the man to sleep.

In the forest, Nikolai's minions are on the hunt for Vanya. One orc stumbles into the North Road and threatens Cat and Andy. Andy manages to kill the orc with a well-placed blade, but there are more where it came from. The thieves head into the trees again.

Tamerlaine Stoutheart, knight of the Hound Table, watches this running battle from the safety of the undergrowth, revealing himself when it seems Cat will be caught. He joins the thieves as they make their way to the Last Chance, the inn at the Crossroads. On the way, Andy discovers his new sword is very dangerous indeed and quietly curses his Guildmaster.

At the inn, Andy makes contact with a barmaid who has information for him. After a hearty meal, he and Cat go to their room and part for the moment as he returns downstairs. While waiting to talk to the barmaid, Andy is accosted by Rafe, a finder from Arcadia, who has a few words for him regarding Cat . . .

Meanwhile, back at the Hidden Village, Rowena and the others sit down to their stew. Invisible, Minuet approaches Vanya and coaxes her to the privvy, where she makes a deal: if Vanya helps Nicholas, Bantam, and Brother John, the faerie will return her to Nikolai, perhaps with some fae gifts as well. Vanya agrees, and Minuet brings her before Titania, the Fae Queen. Titania refuses to bestow any gifts other than friendship upon Vanya, disappointing the girl and Minuet. The faerie returns Vanya to the castle. Vanya briefly searches for Minuet's friends, but, unsuccessful, she retreats to her chamber.

When Vanya leaves for the privvy, Faran overhears her conspiring with Minuet and raises the alarm. Rowena is too late to stop the pair, and so she returns to the cottage to fortify the magical protections on the village. She and the others plot to warn John about the danger he is in from Audra, using Nick's resemblance to Nikolai to gain access to the town if necessary, while outside, Wisp and her big sister Willow fight over the bracelet.

Charley the wandering minstrel wanders into the wrong part of the castle and discovers Nicholas, caged in Audra's chambers. He takes pity on the boy, wrapping him in a bear-skin rug and fetching some food for him. Once Nicholas has eaten, Charley sings him to sleep. Finding the minstrel with the boy, Audra places a spell on Charley that causes him to confuse his nouns.

Audra changes for dinner and heads for the dining-hall, where she finds Simone and Simon, fresh from his dalliance with Madeline. She also meets Sabrella Martagere, a stranger to the town, indeed to this world. An experiment gone awry has brought Sabrella and a portion of her castle (which has been found by the guards) to Ashby Forest. Since hitching a ride to the castle with Sir Guy, Sabrella has been suffering intense questioning by Stewart the steward. Fortunately, she and Simone seem to be forming a bond.

After dinner, Audra takes Simon to the dungeon, requiring his talents while she questions Brother John. Simon is taken aback to find images of his sister in the monk's mind; still, he doesn't want to see harm come to John, so he tries to project answers to Audra's questions into John's head. He's not entirely successful. Audra leaves the monk with dark hints at what will come. Before following her, Simon urges John to co-operate, or he'll be tortured to death.

Upstairs, Nicholas is being tended to by Miranda, one of the castle servants. After her young charge has been fed again and bathed, Miranda reluctantly locks him in the cage again, where he falls asleep.

Meanwhile, Minuet has returned to Rowena's cottage to ask Sebastian for his help in rescuing John and Nicholas. The cat agrees, and they head for the castle.

At the Seventh Stranger, Maeve uses her magic to prepare dinner quickly, and she takes food to Lysander. Percival Petal then arrives and asks Maeve to treat his embarrassing boil.

Healing done, and pleased with her magical success in the kitchen, Maeve retires to her room and casts a spell to draw to her the man of her dreams, who just happens to be . . . . . .

Orlando Bloom, filming Lord of the Rings in New Zealand. Spirited to Ashby by Maeve's magic, he believes himself to be, for all intents and purposes, Legolas Greenleaf. He lands outside the Hidden Village; Anya, one of the elf guards, spots him and sends young Finn to warn Rowena of an intruder.

To be continued...

<< Back to the Introduction <<Chapter One <<Chapter Two <<Chapter Three <<Chapter Four
<<Chapter Five <<Chapter Six <<Chapter Seven Chapter Eight >>Chapter Nine >>Chapter Ten >>Chapter Eleven
>>Chapter Twelve >>Chapter Thirteen >>Chapter Fourteen >>Chapter Fifteen >>Chapter Sixteen >>Chapter Seventeen
>>Chapter Eighteen >>Chapter Nineteen >>Chapter Twenty

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