<< back to part 2

The Stone of Truth - Part 3

"I can't figure why everyone is so fond of minstrels."

Lady Hialdan was looking out of the window and Laetia was trying to tie up her dress, too small now for the Lady's body.

"Why, Milady?"

"They sing about things they don't know or understand."

"But, Milady, he was.."

".. there. Yes, they all say that. Have you ever seen a minstrel on the battlefield, Laetia?"

"I don't know, Milady.. I have never been on a battlefield."

"Consider yourself fortunate."

"Breathe in, Milady."

The Lady obliged. Laetia pulled at the laces. Lady Corqurst let out her breath in a painful gasp. "I need new dressses, Laetia. I really do."

"Yes, Milady."

Lady Hialdan tensed and made a move to draw the curtains. Laetia quickly glanced out of the window. In the courtyard the Lord was talking to Mordrig, his chief advisor.

"Will there be anything more, Milady?"

"No.. not for now, Laetia. Run off to play."

Laetia liked it when her Lady joked with her. She always tried to encourage the Lady to joke more, by showing how wide she could smile. She ran off happily. Maybe the Lord was still down there and she could catch a glimpse of him before doing the daily washing.

She needn't have worried, the Lord was still there. She took in the sight of him in the riding attire, such a perfect fit for his lean silhouette. The noon sun fell straight on his smooth black strings of hair. He gestured to Mordrig one last time and headed for the entrance.

He usually passed her without a glance. This time, he headed straight for her.

"Lish, is it?"

Laetia felt her face burn red to the hair roots. She swallowed, then stammered, "Not reall.. Yes, Milord."

"Not real or yes?" The Lord was smiling at her reassuringly.

"My name is Laetia, Milord."

"I was almost there, then! Well, Lisha, have you finished your duties for this morning?"

"Almost, Milord. I still have the washing.."

"Let's take it as a yes. I have a very important job for you, Lisha. Can I trust you?"

"Yes!"

Laetia blushed deeper than before. Had she shown too much enthusiasm?

"Glad to see you so excited. Bring me a candle to the dungeon in half an hour." The Lord nodded, smiled and entered the House.

The dungeon.

She never went to the dungeon if she could help it.

She sat down on a warm stone to stop the trembling in her knees.

But her Lord needed her. She couldn't fail her Lord. He had smiled at her..

She gave herself a slap and straightened herself. She had half an hour to tear off those damning thoughts from her mind. She ran out of the courtyard, down the path to the village and into the blacksmith's shop.

"I need.." she blurted to the young attendant.

"In the back."

In the back of the shop was the room where the blacksmith forged the iron. All was there. The fire was burning steadily. She grabbed a poker and heated it thoroughly.

"Fire, water, smoke and burn,
mind return
to the realm from where I chant
from the realm of what I want."

She put the poker off in water, filling the room with smoke, then fell to her knees. She would need only two spells more, maybe.

***

The candle cast a shivering, descending light over the moldy walls of the staircase. Laetia clutched her birthstone and continued in a hurry. As the steps grew brighter, she began to catch voices.

"That girl, Lisha, should be here soon."

Her Lord was talking about her!

"I hope she's good enough, Shrain."

Something in the way those words had been uttered sent Laetia a shiver.

"She will, my friend. She will. And I hope this time we can find that fiendish wizard."

Laetia emerged into a brightly lit room. Her Lord was waiting for her with a smile. She approached him and noticed that the friend he had been talking to was Mordrig. She stepped back.

"Thank you for being on time, dear Lisha."

The antechamber was rather small and almost empty. It didn't contain the torture implements she was half-expecting. It only had a table and three chairs. Why three? And there was a big bundle on the table.

"I hurried, Milord."

Lord Hialdan took the candle from her hands and put it with a bunch of other candles. Why had he needed this candle?

"I'm sure you did." Her Lord was smiling at her.

"Come sit in this chair, my girl."

Laetia started at Mordrig's voice.

"Don't be afraid, Lisha. Would you do this for me?"

"Y.. yes.."

She walked to the chair meekly and sat. From up close, the bundle was almost the size of a man.

"Now put your hands on this table, like this."

She put her hands on the table.

Mordrig cut open the cloth in which the bundle was covered. A human hand, badly rotten, fell out of the cut.

Laetia shrieked and jumped up.

"Now, now, Lisha, don't get squeamish with me. Come sit down like a good girl."

Black spots. She was going to faint, she knew she was going to faint.

"Mi.. Milord.. please.."

The walls echoed with the sound of the slap. Laetia rubbed her cheek and sat down.

"Good. Now repeat after Mordrig."

Mordrig grinned at her and took the rotten hand in his, then placed it on top of Laetia's right hand. She started sobbing quietly. No one could hear her, she would never get out of that alive, she would never..

"Shadow come."

"Sh.. adow.. come.."

"Link be done."

"Li. linkk. Link.. bedone."

"Dead will take."

"Dead.." she looked at Lord Hialdan pleadingly. He only smiled. ".. will take." She closed her eyes. She would die with the image of that smile.

"The living one."

"The living one," she whispered quietly and she waited.

Nothing happened.

continue to part 4 >>

~~~
[1] ~ [2] ~ [3] ~ [4] ~ [5] ~ [6] ~ [7] ~ [8] ~ [9] ~ [10] ~ [11] ~ [12] ~ [13] ~ [14] ~ [15]