She refused to ever allow herself to be so vulnerable again.
After what seemed like an hour of practicing all the spells that she knew, she felt confident that she'd mastered most of her spells, including flying, and changing forms. Although she had no one to try the mind control spell on, and didn't dare attempt it anyway without more practice. The few times she'd tried it had failed.
While she was practicing the spells, an idea had come to her for a plan of escape. It was a risk, but she had to try it. Now that she had met Lord Oberon and had spent enough time to memorize his features, she felt confident she could cast the spell of self-illusion. Hopefully he was sleeping now, as she guessed it was quite late at night. And hopefully the prisoners were sleeping as well, although perhaps the sight of Lord Oberon was not a strange sight to these prisoners, as Sebine was sure there was a good reason for these men to be here instead of being dead.
After she cast the spell, she marveled at the completeness of the vision, including the slight trembling of the arms, a common symptom of old age. She tried to walk normally down the corridor, keeping her chin high and eyes haughty, but none of the prisoners roused as she passed their cell. One snored fitfully, and the sleeping prisoners seemed inured to the maddening sound. She climbed the stairs from where she had entered, hoping no guards patrolled the area. Before reaching the top, she listened for a few seconds, and found the area quiet.
At the top of the stairs she froze, spying a guard standing in attention at the far end of the hallway, but relaxed when she noticed he had dozed off. This was perfect. She strode over to the man, and cleared her throat.
"Do I pay you to sleep?" Her voice sounded old and tired, almost identical to Lord Oberon's. She hoped she'd matched the actual features of his face.
The guard jolted in surprise, his eyes wide with horror as realization came over his face. "M-m-m'lord?" So the guards could speak, they were just trained not to interact with prisoners.
"I said, do I pay you to sleep?"
"No, m'lord. I'm sorry, I must have dozed off... Did you want something, m'lord?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." Sebine narrowed her eyes at the guard in a look of suspicion. "Can I trust you, guard?"
"Absolutely, m'lord! Anything, you can trust me with anything you need."
Sebine tapped her foot on the ground, inspecting the man. "In absolutely confidence?" At the bobbing of the man's head, she leaned in and whispered in his ear. "I suspect a traitor in our midst. It could be a guard, it could be my clerk or one of my advisors, or it even could be my witch..."
"Your witch m'lord? You mean Jesmia might be a traitor?" The guard had lowered his voice as well, and his expression had hardened to one of concern and suspicion.
"Yes, though I doubt it, I have to consider every possibility. Though I can trust you, right? You'd never betray me..."
"No, no, never Lord Oberon! You saved me from the fate of the Whispering Ones. How could you have anything but my absolute loyalty?"
"Good, very good." Sebine gave him a long, pondering smile. "Then let us go. You are free to leave your post and follow me. I require a test of loyalty. Where did Jesmia take our young prisoner, Tael Shalinor? He left my office..." Sebine knew she was taking a bet, but thought it likely that the witch was interrogating or even torturing Tael for information. If she could find Tael, she believed they had a chance of escaping. They question was, could she cast the spell of illusion over Tael?
"Down in her laboratory, m'lord." The guard glanced at him warily, as if wondering why he would ask such an obvious question.
"Excellent. Take me to them at once. I have a few questions for the young man. Answers I hope will help me uncover this traitor." The guard nodded, but his eyes still held suspicion. Perhaps she'd gotten something wrong in her memory of Lord Oberon's face? As they were
After what seemed like an hour of practicing all the spells that she knew, she felt confident that she'd mastered most of her spells, including flying, and changing forms. Although she had no one to try the mind control spell on, and didn't dare attempt it anyway without more practice. The few times she'd tried it had failed.
While she was practicing the spells, an idea had come to her for a plan of escape. It was a risk, but she had to try it. Now that she had met Lord Oberon and had spent enough time to memorize his features, she felt confident she could cast the spell of self-illusion. Hopefully he was sleeping now, as she guessed it was quite late at night. And hopefully the prisoners were sleeping as well, although perhaps the sight of Lord Oberon was not a strange sight to these prisoners, as Sebine was sure there was a good reason for these men to be here instead of being dead.
After she cast the spell, she marveled at the completeness of the vision, including the slight trembling of the arms, a common symptom of old age. She tried to walk normally down the corridor, keeping her chin high and eyes haughty, but none of the prisoners roused as she passed their cell. One snored fitfully, and the sleeping prisoners seemed inured to the maddening sound. She climbed the stairs from where she had entered, hoping no guards patrolled the area. Before reaching the top, she listened for a few seconds, and found the area quiet.
At the top of the stairs she froze, spying a guard standing in attention at the far end of the hallway, but relaxed when she noticed he had dozed off. This was perfect. She strode over to the man, and cleared her throat.
"Do I pay you to sleep?" Her voice sounded old and tired, almost identical to Lord Oberon's. She hoped she'd matched the actual features of his face.
The guard jolted in surprise, his eyes wide with horror as realization came over his face. "M-m-m'lord?" So the guards could speak, they were just trained not to interact with prisoners.
"I said, do I pay you to sleep?"
"No, m'lord. I'm sorry, I must have dozed off... Did you want something, m'lord?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." Sebine narrowed her eyes at the guard in a look of suspicion. "Can I trust you, guard?"
"Absolutely, m'lord! Anything, you can trust me with anything you need."
Sebine tapped her foot on the ground, inspecting the man. "In absolutely confidence?" At the bobbing of the man's head, she leaned in and whispered in his ear. "I suspect a traitor in our midst. It could be a guard, it could be my clerk or one of my advisors, or it even could be my witch..."
"Your witch m'lord? You mean Jesmia might be a traitor?" The guard had lowered his voice as well, and his expression had hardened to one of concern and suspicion.
"Yes, though I doubt it, I have to consider every possibility. Though I can trust you, right? You'd never betray me..."
"No, no, never Lord Oberon! You saved me from the fate of the Whispering Ones. How could you have anything but my absolute loyalty?"
"Good, very good." Sebine gave him a long, pondering smile. "Then let us go. You are free to leave your post and follow me. I require a test of loyalty. Where did Jesmia take our young prisoner, Tael Shalinor? He left my office..." Sebine knew she was taking a bet, but thought it likely that the witch was interrogating or even torturing Tael for information. If she could find Tael, she believed they had a chance of escaping. They question was, could she cast the spell of illusion over Tael?
"Down in her laboratory, m'lord." The guard glanced at him warily, as if wondering why he would ask such an obvious question.
"Excellent. Take me to them at once. I have a few questions for the young man. Answers I hope will help me uncover this traitor." The guard nodded, but his eyes still held suspicion. Perhaps she'd gotten something wrong in her memory of Lord Oberon's face? As they were
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