Aglanthol 3 - The Castle of Saelethiel (The Law Cannot Be Shaken) - 5. Chapter 5

Dran stood on his field, shielding his eyes from the sun. He looked up the hill and gazed at the edge of the wood. The uneasy feeling had returned. Dran felt cold despite the warm spring sun. He felt an urge to retreat to his house. Yet, almost automatically, Dran started to walk up the hill. He fixed his eyes at the edge of the wood.

Dran entered the forest and moved on slowly. He reached the place where Magath had found him last winter. Dran did not remember what had happened to him. They had told him that he had been lying on the ground, unconscious. Dran stopped and gazed at the clearing. They had not told him the entire truth. Dran had always had an uneasy feeling.

Dran almost jumped at the sudden noise of approaching horses. He quickly hid behind a group of small trees. Six riders entered the clearing. They were dressed in black robes. Their faces were hidden by hoods. Dran recognized from their robes that the riders were Khalindash men. So the Khalindash had crossed the frontier again and had entered Aglanthol territory. What did they have in mind? What were their plans? Dran stood motionless and barely dared to breathe. He gazed through the leaves and watched the men.

The riders stopped their horses and dismounted. Their leader walked deeper into the forest. The remaining men gathered and started to talk.

"I do not like him," one man said. "As soon as he has paid me, I will quit."

Another man gave a laugh.

"He’ll pay us as soon as we have reached the Western Mountains. That’s what he said and I do believe him. He just needs an escort. We must find a path that no Aglanthol man does tread," he said.

"This should be easy," a man replied. "We’ll just move westward through the woods and then cross the plain quickly As soon as we have reached the mountains, we are free to ride back."

"What is it that he hopes to find in the mountains?" one of the men asked.

The others shrugged.

"Something that will make the Khalindash clan the most powerful in the world," one of them answered.

"And it will make him almighty," another man said mockingly. "At least this is what I guess from his crude words."

"So be it," one man said in a bored voice. "I don’t believe him. He’s a fanatic. But he pays well. So be it then."

"I would not mind if he found something that will finally make Aglanthol fall," one man said. "They drove us out of our homeland. We’re bound to live in the inhospitable north of the land. It’s time for revenge. I want to see Aglanthol fall. It’s time to punish them."

The men laughed. Their laughter was disdainful. Dran stood petrified. He did not move. He just gazed through the leaves with widened eyes.

"I heard the royal soldiers of Aglanthol made a captive recently," a man said.

One man made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

"Just a peasant. They set him free. Those lazy bastards had one busy day in months. I heard they sleep day and night in their rotting fortress. Deadly boredom drove them out of it. But I assure you the event exhausted them. They have already fallen asleep again and they will continue sleeping. They are no threat to us," he said.

The men laughed heartily, yet fell silent instantly when their leader returned. Ogol shot them a piercing look.

"This is the place. But nothing of Khaalindaan’s energy has remained," he said.

The men exchanged questioning looks. Ogol made a dismissive gesture with his hand and shot them a disdainful look. The men returned to their horses. Ogol mounted his horse as well.

He did not quite know why he had come to visit the place again. Nothing of Khaalindaan’s energy had remained. The wizard Neldor had absorbed it. Retrieving Norlorn’s sword had been Ogol’s goal. He had come too late. When he had found the place, the sword had already been removed. The wizard Neldor had won. The place reminded Ogol of his latest failure and it fuelled his thirst for revenge. That was the reason why he had come here again. Vengeance drove him. The sight of the place, the sight of his failure had recharged him. Now he was ready to accomplish his mission. Now he was ready to follow through with his plan.

Ogol looked around and his eyes rested for a moment on the tree that hid Dran from view. Dran saw Ogol’s piercing eyes. Ogol’s look was dark, menacing, and evil. Dran made a step back. Ogol lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes. At this instant, a crow cried and flew up. Ogol looked up and then pointed west.

"A sign," he said triumphantly.

He spurred his horse and then left the clearing. His men followed him quickly.

Dran stood motionless for a couple of minutes. Then he turned around and walked back the way he had come from. His mind was blank, his heart was filled with fear, and his feet moved automatically. He left the wood and hurried down the hill. He started to run and only stopped when he reached his field. Dran looked around, yet did not perceive anything. He stood petrified until a familiar voice shook him out of his almost trance.

"Dran!" Magath called out.

Dran looked at Magath who had dismounted his horse and stood in front of him.

"Dran, what’s wrong?" Magath asked, his voice slightly shaking at the sight of the deranged man.

Dran pointed at the edge of the wood.

"I was up there and I saw them," he said in a ragged voice. "Their leader is the devil himself."

Magath moved closer. He placed his hand on Dran’s shoulder. First, the man stiffened, but then he relaxed. Magath led Dran to his house. They sat down on a wooden bench in front of it. Dran reported his observations.

"For heaven’s sake," Magath said. "So we are right."

"What?" Dran asked in confusion.

Magath looked at the confused man. He placed his hand on Dran’s shoulder again.

"You’ll better come with me, Dran," he said. "I’ll take you to Gwyn. She has some remedies. She will help you."

Dran grimaced and shook Magath’s hand off.

"I do not need the help of an old woman," he said grumpily.

Magath did not reply. Dran grumbled some more. But then he went to the stable and returned with his horse.

"I’m going to pay her a visit. Haven’t seen the old lady in a while," he said. "Guess we have much to talk over."

Magath smiled.

"I guess so," he said. "Good idea, Dran."

Dran gave a brusque nod. Magath rose to his feet and went to his horse. Dran followed him. They mounted their horses and took the path that led around the hill. They avoided the path up the hill and through the forest. Half an hour later, they knocked at Gwyn’s door.

~~**~~

Gwyn kept cool at the sight of the deranged man. Magath said in a low voice that he would speak to her later. Gwyn was worried, but she hid her concern. She welcomed the man warmly. She had just started to cook a meal. And so she invited the man to eat with her.

Dran was a bachelor and not a good cook. Gwyn’s invitation was tempting. The prospect of a delicious lunch made Dran relax and it raised his spirits. Gwyn made an opulent meal. Soup, meat and vegetables, and fruits for dessert. Dran helped himself. The uneasy feeling had gone. He started to recount his story.

Gwyn and Magath exchanged a furtive look now and then, but both of them did not comment much. They just listened to Dran. Magath finally took his leave for he expected Qildor to come to his house in the afternoon. Dran, unsure whether he should leave or not, rose to his feet also. Gwyn, however, offered him tea and honey cake. Dran sat down again quickly.

Magath recounted Dran’s story to Qildor.

"Our feelings were not deceiving us," he said. "Something is going on and now we have evidence of it."

"I have no idea who the man is," Qildor said pensively. "Back then, Neldor and I were speculating. We thought that the Khalindash had a powerful leader, but we finally dropped the thought since we had no evidence of it. I even travelled north to find the ancient town. But neither did I meet a wizard nor did I hear any rumours about one."

Qildor shifted his position in his chair.

"Of course, I have not talked to many people. I had entered Khalindash territory and I travelled secretly. But the two or three men I met did not mention anything," he said.

Magath leaned back in his chair.

"They would not have told you anything. They knew you were an Aglanthol man," he replied.

"Sure," Qildor said with a nod.

He leaned back as well, thinking.

"We should not have dropped the thought. We should have inquired Leandor, the librarian of the Castle of Saelethiel. He could have told us of the man probably," he said.

"Why? Do you think the man visited the castle?" Magath asked.

"If he is a magician, he probably has. The castle holds magical secrets. I suppose the man was there to learn. The Castle of Saelethiel is the training centre of the magicians," Qildor explained.

"He’s just a fraud perhaps. He’s not necessarily a wizard," Magath replied. "He heard of the castle perhaps. He wants to get hold of a treasure. Or he is just a common villain. The group that Dran watched was probably just another Khalindash group scanning the area and looking out for a future target for their attacks."

They looked at each other.

"I’m not so sure," Qildor said. "Why would they gather in a wood on Aglanthol ground and then leave without having accomplished anything? Dran saw them leave and ride west. I don’t think they were scanning the area."

"They were maybe looking for Norlorn’s sword. They don’t necessarily know that it was retrieved," Magath said in a dismal voice. "What if the black rider was a Khalindash magician? A man powerful enough to seize a mighty magical tool that is hidden from mankind since the time of the early wizards. He must have lived in secrecy, preparing his plans. Who would be able to stop him?"

"Neldor would be able to stop the man," Qildor said. "If only Neldor had replied to my message."

He had just finished his sentence when they heard a knock at the door. Magath rose to his feet and opened it. The wizard Neldor stepped in.

"Speak of the devil!" Qildor said.

"Mind your words," Neldor said brusquely.

The wizard dropped a bag and took off his cloak.

"I thought I come and reply to your message in person," he said.

~~**~~