towers in the
gatehouse and two more at the corners of the wall. Erik could also make out the
sharp points of a wooden pike fence around the outside of the stone wall. He
couldn’t imagine a place like this needing such fortifications. He turned
around and surveyed the forest and field below him. Everything looked peaceful
and still.
“Don’t dawdle,”
Lady Dimwater called out.
Erik turned and
saw that she was quite far from him now. He jogged to catch up with her and
apologized. “I was trying to get a feel for the area,” he explained.
Lady Dimwater
said nothing; she just kept walking up the road until they reached the top and
stood outside of the wooden fence.
“Who goes
there?” a guard called out from one of the gatehouse towers.
“I am Lady
Dimwater, sent to speak with the Lord of Kuressar Castle.”
Erik looked up
at the tower. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that other guards were also
in the tower, and they were aiming crossbows at him and Dimwater.
“Lord Hischurn
is not seeing guests today,” the guard replied.
“He will see
me,” Dimwater insisted. “I am here as an agent of King Mathias.”
“I am sorry
ma’am, but my orders are to refuse everyone,” the guard said.
“You would do
well to remind Lord Hischurn that he does not have the right to refuse an
emissary from the king, whom he is bound to serve.”
“I will give him
your message, Lady Dimwater,” the guard promised.
“Let’s go,
Erik,” Dimwater said. She snapped her fingers to summon her magic portal, but
before she left she gave the guard a warning. “I am not known for my patience.
You tell Lord Hischurn that I will be back in one week. If he turns me away
again, it will be at his own peril. Pray that your master remembers where his
loyalties lie.”
CHAPTER
3
“You had no
right to take Erik without my express permission,” Master Lepkin scolded. “He
could have been killed.”
“It is my right to
punish intruders as I see fit,” Lady Dimwater countered. “Besides, he was not
in any danger while he was with me, you know that.” Dimwater sighed and crossed
the room to sit at her desk. “Perhaps you shouldn’t keep him in the dark.” She
pulled a paper from the desk drawer and set it in front of her.
“My secrets
protect him. He isn’t strong enough yet.” Lepkin folded his arms and glared at
Dimwater, ignoring the paper.
“Your secrets
shelter him too much,” Dimwater replied. “He is stronger than you think.”
“What is that
supposed to mean?” Lepkin demanded. His tone becoming more animal-like as his
patience stretched thinner.
“Did Erik tell
you how I found him?”
“He said only
that you caught him after he tried to enter your room with a key that Janik
gave him.”
“He was too
strong for the Natu,” Janik said from a seat on the opposite side of the room.
“You let him
face Dimwater’s wolf?” Lepkin’s face turned red and his muscles tensed. “Erik
has no knowledge of such beings! You could have sent him to his death.”
“Easy, my
friend,” Janik replied apologetically. “I had no idea that he could get past
the Natu. The ghost normally stops even the best apprentice wizards.”
“You should have
followed him to ensure his safety,” Lepkin chided.
“I did,” Janik said.
He leaned down and patted his twisted left leg. “I must have made some noise.
I’m not as quiet as I used to be you know. Erik took off running after the hall
with the wizards’ portraits. I tried to keep up, but he was far too fast for
this old cripple.”
“I’ve already
spoken with Janik,” Dimwater put in.
“As Erik’s
master it is my decision what to do with Janik for contributing to
Erik’s delinquency,” Lepkin replied. “Why did you send Erik to the tower?”
Lepkin asked Janik.
“Because he asked about you and Lady Dimwater. I thought it
would be best to send him here for answers. Tell me, Lepkin, should I have told
him the truth about you and Master
gatehouse and two more at the corners of the wall. Erik could also make out the
sharp points of a wooden pike fence around the outside of the stone wall. He
couldn’t imagine a place like this needing such fortifications. He turned
around and surveyed the forest and field below him. Everything looked peaceful
and still.
“Don’t dawdle,”
Lady Dimwater called out.
Erik turned and
saw that she was quite far from him now. He jogged to catch up with her and
apologized. “I was trying to get a feel for the area,” he explained.
Lady Dimwater
said nothing; she just kept walking up the road until they reached the top and
stood outside of the wooden fence.
“Who goes
there?” a guard called out from one of the gatehouse towers.
“I am Lady
Dimwater, sent to speak with the Lord of Kuressar Castle.”
Erik looked up
at the tower. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that other guards were also
in the tower, and they were aiming crossbows at him and Dimwater.
“Lord Hischurn
is not seeing guests today,” the guard replied.
“He will see
me,” Dimwater insisted. “I am here as an agent of King Mathias.”
“I am sorry
ma’am, but my orders are to refuse everyone,” the guard said.
“You would do
well to remind Lord Hischurn that he does not have the right to refuse an
emissary from the king, whom he is bound to serve.”
“I will give him
your message, Lady Dimwater,” the guard promised.
“Let’s go,
Erik,” Dimwater said. She snapped her fingers to summon her magic portal, but
before she left she gave the guard a warning. “I am not known for my patience.
You tell Lord Hischurn that I will be back in one week. If he turns me away
again, it will be at his own peril. Pray that your master remembers where his
loyalties lie.”
CHAPTER
3
“You had no
right to take Erik without my express permission,” Master Lepkin scolded. “He
could have been killed.”
“It is my right to
punish intruders as I see fit,” Lady Dimwater countered. “Besides, he was not
in any danger while he was with me, you know that.” Dimwater sighed and crossed
the room to sit at her desk. “Perhaps you shouldn’t keep him in the dark.” She
pulled a paper from the desk drawer and set it in front of her.
“My secrets
protect him. He isn’t strong enough yet.” Lepkin folded his arms and glared at
Dimwater, ignoring the paper.
“Your secrets
shelter him too much,” Dimwater replied. “He is stronger than you think.”
“What is that
supposed to mean?” Lepkin demanded. His tone becoming more animal-like as his
patience stretched thinner.
“Did Erik tell
you how I found him?”
“He said only
that you caught him after he tried to enter your room with a key that Janik
gave him.”
“He was too
strong for the Natu,” Janik said from a seat on the opposite side of the room.
“You let him
face Dimwater’s wolf?” Lepkin’s face turned red and his muscles tensed. “Erik
has no knowledge of such beings! You could have sent him to his death.”
“Easy, my
friend,” Janik replied apologetically. “I had no idea that he could get past
the Natu. The ghost normally stops even the best apprentice wizards.”
“You should have
followed him to ensure his safety,” Lepkin chided.
“I did,” Janik said.
He leaned down and patted his twisted left leg. “I must have made some noise.
I’m not as quiet as I used to be you know. Erik took off running after the hall
with the wizards’ portraits. I tried to keep up, but he was far too fast for
this old cripple.”
“I’ve already
spoken with Janik,” Dimwater put in.
“As Erik’s
master it is my decision what to do with Janik for contributing to
Erik’s delinquency,” Lepkin replied. “Why did you send Erik to the tower?”
Lepkin asked Janik.
“Because he asked about you and Lady Dimwater. I thought it
would be best to send him here for answers. Tell me, Lepkin, should I have told
him the truth about you and Master
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