Party of Four

"Good day to you, ladies. Things might have gone better, but they might also have gone far worse," said Simon surprisingly cheerfully. "For the four of us are alive and uninjured. And in this otherwise deserted valley, there was no-one else that the two of you could have harmed. I'm afraid that your lycanthropy is beyond my power to cure - at least on my own. I think we should go to see Belboz the Archmage. He's an old colleague of mine, and lives not many days' journey from here. In fact I'm quite looking forward to leaving the valley and also meeting Belboz again. I've remained here altogether too long, and it must be - what? - twenty years or more since I last saw him."

"We know of Belboz," said Astra. "We visited him on our outward journey. Didn't Frederigo mention it? He said he could help me, but it would take time. [3119] With the full moon imminent, I didn't have time then, but now it is different. Oh, did you know that they call him Belboz the Fell nowadays? He has turned to necromancy and has acquired a very dubious reputation - though I must say he treated us well enough."

"Really?" said Simon, sounding surprised. "I wouldn't put too much faith in rumours like that, myself. He was always a good friend to me. Now, we've brought some provisions with us. No clothes, I'm afraid - unless one of you would like the garments I'm wearing now? They're the only clothes that I own." The two women looked at the filthy rags that were all that Simon wore, and each of them repressed a shudder. They declined as tactfully as they could. Frederigo had no spare outfit either, and he did not make the same offer as Simon.

Andrea thought over what she had learnt from the anchorite. She did not trust Belboz - or Frederigo, for that matter - and in any case she was far from sure that she wanted to be cured of her lycanthropy. If she could but learn to control it, then she need no longer fear harming anyone - which was the only drawback to the condition as far as she was concerned. Perhaps she should look for an opportunity to slip away from the group at some stage of the journey? But if she did that, she would feel that she was somehow betraying Astra, for she knew that the princess still felt guilty about having infected her. If she did decide to go ahead in spite of that, this time she would have to make sure that she was not ignominiously brought back.

Astra insisted that she must reclaim her sword before they left the valley behind them, and she found it easily enough where she had left it. "Now I feel properly dressed again," she said with a grin. For her spirits had risen now that she could hope that Belboz - perhaps with aid from Simon - would be able to cure both Andrea and herself.

Then the strange foursome headed for Cicatrice...

1. By the route that Astra had taken.
2. By the route through the fens that Frederigo and Andrea had used.

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