A Timely Warning

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 15614

As Astra and Andrea reached the outskirts of the village of Chante, the first person they saw was a woman hanging out her washing. "Good day, Mistress," said Astra politely. "We are looking for a mage, and we understand that there is a warlock who lives within these woods. Can you tell us whether we are heading in the right direction?" The woman thought for a moment. "I know of no warlock," she said. "There's only old Mother Shipton, who some say is a powerful witch. But she lives deep in the forest, some ten miles south-east of here."

Then the woman took a closer look at Andrea. "Aren't you the Lady Andrea?" she asked. "I saw you once, when we visited Croix Keep for the big fair a year or so back." Before Astra could nudge Andrea to warn her that anonymity might be advisable, the girl said: "Yes, I am Lady Andrea. The news is bad. The Keep has fallen to the dragon's men, and but for me all my family are imprisoned or dead. Would it be possible to organise a resistance movement from here?"

"No, My Lady," said the woman brusquely. "I would advise you to keep your voice down, and to leave the way you came rather than passing through the middle of the village. The Elders have received orders this morning to arrest you on sight. They may not like those orders, but they are too frightened of the possible consequences to risk disobeying them. And I doubt you'll do any better anywhere else. We are told that the dragon's men now control all of the towns and villages within the eastern half of North Umbria."

Andrea was stunned by this news. She could hardly believe that her family's fiefdom could be taken over so quickly and so easily. So it was left to Astra to thank the woman, and to almost drag Andrea back the way they had come.

As the path led them back into the woods, Andrea rediscovered her wits and her voice. "We must go to Caemlyn and warn the King. If the dragon controls North Umbria, then he has effectively cut Allaria in two, for the Fens of Canmoor form an almost impassable barrier running from west to east from our eastern border. To the north, Anfang will be isolated and in great peril." "All very true, My Lady, but first let us try to find my witch. If her home is south-east of here, then it should lie close to our route to Caemlyn, so visiting her will not delay us. See, a small path forks off from this one just ahead, and it looks as if it runs in the right direction."

  1. But before they could take the fork, their retracing of their steps brought them right into the ranger who had been pursuing them.
  2. They took the fork, and found the witch readily enough.
  3. They took the fork, but finding the witch's dwelling proved difficult.

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JH

4/8/2001 9:37:31 AM

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