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The Black Chapel
© 2014 by Walter Reimer
Art by
whitearabmare
Part 31.
Just then her stomach growled, and the two women looked at each other before they both began to laugh. “You stay here,” Trasta said, “and try not to get in any more trouble. I’ll get you some water and something to eat.” She stood and walked off, still chuckling as Halvrika sat up further, drawing her knees to her chest and looking around.
The rest of the troops were eating, or getting ready to bed down for the night. In the distance a fire still burned at the Black Chapel. As she watched, she realized that the Princess had apparently ordered the inside of the building put to the torch.
The roof of the tower caved in with a shower of sparks.
Trasta brought her dried meat, bread and a full water skin, and after settling her increasingly demanding stomach Halvrika started to tell the Princess what had happened.
“So he wasn’t in the trap?” Trasta asked.
Halvrika swallowed a mouthful of water. “He was, but he’d set a trap of his own, using his thralls as a repository for the spell. As soon as it detected me, it was set off.”
“And Master Spirof?”
“It was never mentioned outside of the Order, but Spirof was very old. I think the feedback as the trap broke killed him.” She bit into a piece of crusty bread, tore off a mouthful and chewed after adding a swallow of water to soften it.
“So you were all that time in there – “
“Wait. ‘All that time?’” Halvrika looked up. “It’s night now. It was morning when I went up the stairs.”
Trasta laid a paw on her lover’s knee. “That was yesterday, ‘Rika.”
“Y-yesterday?” There was a small silence. “No wonder the Order couldn’t contact me through the ward,” she murmured.
“How so?”
“It blocked Time, Trasta. Amb must’ve known it. That’s why he took so much time and patience – he literally had all the time in the world.” She looked around, then reached out and felt around the leaf litter.
Trasta said, “The bundle you brought out with you?”
“Yes? Where is it?”
“I put it at your feet, after I cleaned you up.” Trasta leaned in closer so that they wouldn’t be overheard. “Did he – rape you?”
There was a long pause, and the doe saw the sow’s silhouette nod. Trasta hugged Halvrika tightly as the raccoon began to sob. When she finished Halvrika dried her eyes against a corner of the blanket. “What,” and after choking back another sob, “what happened af-after I went in?”
Trasta laid a paw on the raccoon’s shoulder. “You have to understand that I had no idea what to do after he, er, woke up. So, um – “
“What?”
“We tried to burn the tower down around his ears.”
A pause.
“With me in it?”
“Well, yes,” and Trasta was glad it was dark. Her blush would be embarrassing. “You have to understand that I thought you were dead or unable to stop him. And stopping Amb was a priority.”
“I understand.” A paw covered the one Trasta had placed on her shoulder. “What about the people in the tower?”
“Our men were honorably buried. The others . . . they’re still in there,” and she nodded toward the inferno.
“I understand. Amb deserved whatever he got.”
“So, what’s in the bundle?”
“I took his library,” Halvrika said, “as much of it as I could carry. The tapestry they’re wrapped up in – it has Duke Evoli’s sigil on it.”
“It does? What do you think? Was Amb working for him, or the other way around?”
Halvrika lay back and started to wrap herself back up in the blanket. “I don’t know. But I don’t think he had it there just to make the room look decorative. I’ll show it to you in the morning.”
“The thegns will want to see it – “ and the elk reached for the bundle.
Halvrika’s paw shot out and caught her wrist. “No!”
“What’s the matter?”
“The scrolls in there – the knowledge in them is dangerous. And you can see it much better in daylight.”
That made sense. Trasta relaxed and when the sow had released her paw she stroked Halvrika’s hair. “All right. I’ll see you in the morning, ‘Rika.”
“Thank you, Trasta.”
“For what?”
“For being,” and she yawned, “understanding.”
Trasta chuckled. “Good night, Halvrika.” The doe stood and walked off, and Halvrika started to fall asleep. She roused herself long enough to weave a ward around herself to fend off mosquitoes, and another to safeguard the bundle at her feet.
Unseen, she smiled in her sleep.
***
“This,” Thegn Galti said, “is a worry.”
Halvrika, wearing the spare set of clothes she’d brought with her when the forced march started, nodded as she stood with the others the following morning. The items she’d taken from the tower were now securely wrapped in a blanket that had belonged to one of the dead soldiers, and the tapestry laid spread on the ground for inspection.
It wasn’t very clean. It was also faded and a bit threadbare, but it clearly depicted three eagles’ claws in golden yellow on a sky-blue field.
The arms of House Kojaran, Duke Evoli’s family.
“A sign of favor,” another thegn ventured. “Perhaps.”
A third snorted and poked the fabric with a booted toe. “I doubt it was appreciated. Look here,” and his toe indicated a dark brown smear on the tapestry.
“What’s that?”
“From the look of it, I’d say the fellow wiped his arse on it.” A loud chuckle ran around the gathering of officers. “Wouldn’t call that a friendly act, don’t you know.”
A stallion strode up and nodded to the Princess. “General, scouts report a body of riders approaching.”
“How many?” Trasta asked.
“Ten. I’m told that they look like housecarls, and they bear the Duke’s personal banner.”
The elk doe frowned. They obviously weren’t expecting too much trouble; her force was nearly five times as large. The ducal banner was either a sign of a formal embassy, or the actual presence of the Duke. “Increase the number of scouts, and raise our banner. Send a rider back to the baggage train and fetch the banner and prisoners.”
As the thegns and officers moved off, Halvrika rolled up the worn tapestry. “What do you want done with this? Should I clean the shit off it?”
Trasta grinned. “Please. Oh, and Halvrika?”
“Highness?” There were others about. Intimacy would have to wait.
“Please, I’d like you to use your Sight. No more surprises.”
Halvrika laughed. “I’ve had enough surprises to last me a lifetime, my Princess.”
A few hours later the group of war-beasts were reined to a halt, the lizards growling and hissing at the hard riding around the lake. Several Shugan men-at-arms stepped forward to hold the reins as the party dismounted, then led the beasts to the lake so they could drink.
The wolf with the banner stepped forward and announced, “His Serene Grace, Duke Evoli of Kojaran,” and dropped to one knee as a tall and well-built fox in armor took off his helmet.
Trasta was in her own armor, and she doffed her helmet at the same time. “Her Highness, Princess Trasta of Issem and Shuga,” her own banner-bearer replied. Her thegns were arrayed in a line behind her, and Halvrika stood a short distance away, her eyes closed.
Halvrika Saw, now that she knew what to look for, that there were no inimical spells or taint adhering to any member of the group. Her Sight touched on the Duke, and she was pleased to See that he, too, was untainted.
The fox’s tail twitched, and the raccoon Saw him direct his own perceptions at her. So, the Duke had some magical talent, but only enough to sense it. He lacked the necessary training.
Evoli stripped off his right gauntlet and saluted Trasta, right fist to his heart, then stepped forward to shake paws with her. “I am very glad to see you, Highness,” he said, his highland accent only slight. “I’d heard that there’d been trouble,” and he very pointedly glanced back at the smoldering ruins of the Black Chapel. His brush swished, and a brief irritated look flashed across his face.
“Yes, we have had a bit of trouble,” Trasta said dryly. “If you’d care to hear about it, I’d be happy to tell you.”
He nodded, then glanced at the building again. “Was it necessary to burn it? It was part of my personal demesne.”
“I deemed it necessary.” The fox gave her a look that Trasta interpreted as ”How dare YOU” and she added, “Amb Tokarv and the four women he’d kidnapped and tortured to death were cremated, in the traditional manner.”
“Yes, your royal father had informed me of your expedition,” he said. “Where is your Adept?” he asked, sniffing the air.
“Adept Hringurhali?” Halvrika came forward, the tapestry under one arm. “Adept Hringurhali, I present His Serene Grace, the Duke Evoli. My Lord, Adept Halvrika Hringurhali of the Order of the Surveillant Eye.”
“Charmed, I’m certain,” the vulpine said with a friendly smile. “I’m always pleased to meet one of the Order. What is that, Adept?”
“I recovered this from the tower, my Lord,” and the raccoon unrolled the cloth.
The Duke looked it over as his retinue glanced at each other. “Hmm, yes, I recall giving this to the fellow as a gift. Very good of you to clean it.”
“So you knew of him?” Trasta asked. She glanced around at her thegns. “We were given to understand that you didn’t.”
© 2014 by Walter Reimer
Art by
whitearabmarePart 31.
Just then her stomach growled, and the two women looked at each other before they both began to laugh. “You stay here,” Trasta said, “and try not to get in any more trouble. I’ll get you some water and something to eat.” She stood and walked off, still chuckling as Halvrika sat up further, drawing her knees to her chest and looking around.
The rest of the troops were eating, or getting ready to bed down for the night. In the distance a fire still burned at the Black Chapel. As she watched, she realized that the Princess had apparently ordered the inside of the building put to the torch.
The roof of the tower caved in with a shower of sparks.
Trasta brought her dried meat, bread and a full water skin, and after settling her increasingly demanding stomach Halvrika started to tell the Princess what had happened.
“So he wasn’t in the trap?” Trasta asked.
Halvrika swallowed a mouthful of water. “He was, but he’d set a trap of his own, using his thralls as a repository for the spell. As soon as it detected me, it was set off.”
“And Master Spirof?”
“It was never mentioned outside of the Order, but Spirof was very old. I think the feedback as the trap broke killed him.” She bit into a piece of crusty bread, tore off a mouthful and chewed after adding a swallow of water to soften it.
“So you were all that time in there – “
“Wait. ‘All that time?’” Halvrika looked up. “It’s night now. It was morning when I went up the stairs.”
Trasta laid a paw on her lover’s knee. “That was yesterday, ‘Rika.”
“Y-yesterday?” There was a small silence. “No wonder the Order couldn’t contact me through the ward,” she murmured.
“How so?”
“It blocked Time, Trasta. Amb must’ve known it. That’s why he took so much time and patience – he literally had all the time in the world.” She looked around, then reached out and felt around the leaf litter.
Trasta said, “The bundle you brought out with you?”
“Yes? Where is it?”
“I put it at your feet, after I cleaned you up.” Trasta leaned in closer so that they wouldn’t be overheard. “Did he – rape you?”
There was a long pause, and the doe saw the sow’s silhouette nod. Trasta hugged Halvrika tightly as the raccoon began to sob. When she finished Halvrika dried her eyes against a corner of the blanket. “What,” and after choking back another sob, “what happened af-after I went in?”
Trasta laid a paw on the raccoon’s shoulder. “You have to understand that I had no idea what to do after he, er, woke up. So, um – “
“What?”
“We tried to burn the tower down around his ears.”
A pause.
“With me in it?”
“Well, yes,” and Trasta was glad it was dark. Her blush would be embarrassing. “You have to understand that I thought you were dead or unable to stop him. And stopping Amb was a priority.”
“I understand.” A paw covered the one Trasta had placed on her shoulder. “What about the people in the tower?”
“Our men were honorably buried. The others . . . they’re still in there,” and she nodded toward the inferno.
“I understand. Amb deserved whatever he got.”
“So, what’s in the bundle?”
“I took his library,” Halvrika said, “as much of it as I could carry. The tapestry they’re wrapped up in – it has Duke Evoli’s sigil on it.”
“It does? What do you think? Was Amb working for him, or the other way around?”
Halvrika lay back and started to wrap herself back up in the blanket. “I don’t know. But I don’t think he had it there just to make the room look decorative. I’ll show it to you in the morning.”
“The thegns will want to see it – “ and the elk reached for the bundle.
Halvrika’s paw shot out and caught her wrist. “No!”
“What’s the matter?”
“The scrolls in there – the knowledge in them is dangerous. And you can see it much better in daylight.”
That made sense. Trasta relaxed and when the sow had released her paw she stroked Halvrika’s hair. “All right. I’ll see you in the morning, ‘Rika.”
“Thank you, Trasta.”
“For what?”
“For being,” and she yawned, “understanding.”
Trasta chuckled. “Good night, Halvrika.” The doe stood and walked off, and Halvrika started to fall asleep. She roused herself long enough to weave a ward around herself to fend off mosquitoes, and another to safeguard the bundle at her feet.
Unseen, she smiled in her sleep.
***
“This,” Thegn Galti said, “is a worry.”
Halvrika, wearing the spare set of clothes she’d brought with her when the forced march started, nodded as she stood with the others the following morning. The items she’d taken from the tower were now securely wrapped in a blanket that had belonged to one of the dead soldiers, and the tapestry laid spread on the ground for inspection.
It wasn’t very clean. It was also faded and a bit threadbare, but it clearly depicted three eagles’ claws in golden yellow on a sky-blue field.
The arms of House Kojaran, Duke Evoli’s family.
“A sign of favor,” another thegn ventured. “Perhaps.”
A third snorted and poked the fabric with a booted toe. “I doubt it was appreciated. Look here,” and his toe indicated a dark brown smear on the tapestry.
“What’s that?”
“From the look of it, I’d say the fellow wiped his arse on it.” A loud chuckle ran around the gathering of officers. “Wouldn’t call that a friendly act, don’t you know.”
A stallion strode up and nodded to the Princess. “General, scouts report a body of riders approaching.”
“How many?” Trasta asked.
“Ten. I’m told that they look like housecarls, and they bear the Duke’s personal banner.”
The elk doe frowned. They obviously weren’t expecting too much trouble; her force was nearly five times as large. The ducal banner was either a sign of a formal embassy, or the actual presence of the Duke. “Increase the number of scouts, and raise our banner. Send a rider back to the baggage train and fetch the banner and prisoners.”
As the thegns and officers moved off, Halvrika rolled up the worn tapestry. “What do you want done with this? Should I clean the shit off it?”
Trasta grinned. “Please. Oh, and Halvrika?”
“Highness?” There were others about. Intimacy would have to wait.
“Please, I’d like you to use your Sight. No more surprises.”
Halvrika laughed. “I’ve had enough surprises to last me a lifetime, my Princess.”
A few hours later the group of war-beasts were reined to a halt, the lizards growling and hissing at the hard riding around the lake. Several Shugan men-at-arms stepped forward to hold the reins as the party dismounted, then led the beasts to the lake so they could drink.
The wolf with the banner stepped forward and announced, “His Serene Grace, Duke Evoli of Kojaran,” and dropped to one knee as a tall and well-built fox in armor took off his helmet.
Trasta was in her own armor, and she doffed her helmet at the same time. “Her Highness, Princess Trasta of Issem and Shuga,” her own banner-bearer replied. Her thegns were arrayed in a line behind her, and Halvrika stood a short distance away, her eyes closed.
Halvrika Saw, now that she knew what to look for, that there were no inimical spells or taint adhering to any member of the group. Her Sight touched on the Duke, and she was pleased to See that he, too, was untainted.
The fox’s tail twitched, and the raccoon Saw him direct his own perceptions at her. So, the Duke had some magical talent, but only enough to sense it. He lacked the necessary training.
Evoli stripped off his right gauntlet and saluted Trasta, right fist to his heart, then stepped forward to shake paws with her. “I am very glad to see you, Highness,” he said, his highland accent only slight. “I’d heard that there’d been trouble,” and he very pointedly glanced back at the smoldering ruins of the Black Chapel. His brush swished, and a brief irritated look flashed across his face.
“Yes, we have had a bit of trouble,” Trasta said dryly. “If you’d care to hear about it, I’d be happy to tell you.”
He nodded, then glanced at the building again. “Was it necessary to burn it? It was part of my personal demesne.”
“I deemed it necessary.” The fox gave her a look that Trasta interpreted as ”How dare YOU” and she added, “Amb Tokarv and the four women he’d kidnapped and tortured to death were cremated, in the traditional manner.”
“Yes, your royal father had informed me of your expedition,” he said. “Where is your Adept?” he asked, sniffing the air.
“Adept Hringurhali?” Halvrika came forward, the tapestry under one arm. “Adept Hringurhali, I present His Serene Grace, the Duke Evoli. My Lord, Adept Halvrika Hringurhali of the Order of the Surveillant Eye.”
“Charmed, I’m certain,” the vulpine said with a friendly smile. “I’m always pleased to meet one of the Order. What is that, Adept?”
“I recovered this from the tower, my Lord,” and the raccoon unrolled the cloth.
The Duke looked it over as his retinue glanced at each other. “Hmm, yes, I recall giving this to the fellow as a gift. Very good of you to clean it.”
“So you knew of him?” Trasta asked. She glanced around at her thegns. “We were given to understand that you didn’t.”
Category Prose / Fantasy
Species Cervine (Other)
Size 249 x 568px
File Size 21.2 kB
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