Return Journey

"Will the drain when that piece is joined affect you in the same way?" Astra asked, concerned for him. "Or if Aethir holds the two conjoined pieces when the third is added, will only he and Belboz be affected?" "We don't even know for sure yet whether Belboz will consent to his piece being joined. If he does, then I suspect that he will have some magical means to prevent the drain occurring. Which is a long-winded way of saying that I don't know the answer to your question, but that I don't think we need worry too much. Now please help me up, Astra."

Simon was a little unsteady on his feet at first, but after a minute or two he seemed much better. "You've probably guessed by now, Astra, that even without the wish to help you I would have had to come to the Wood. It's a strange coincidence that led both our paths here. However, my desire to help you is perfectly genuine for all that, so let us see if the Fire Moss and Spirit Willow that we collected are still where we left them." Aethir's eyes widened. "Fire Moss and Spirit Willow," he said. "So that's your curse, Astra." Astra nodded. "I'm sorry that I was less than frank before, but I wasn't quite sure then that you were really you, if you know what I mean." "You were quite right to be cautious," Aethir replied.

The moss and willow twigs that they had collected had not been touched. Presumably the faeries had not considered them items of any value, unlike Astra's cloak and sword. Their journey back was uneventful. Whilst they were still in the Wood they were on the alert for anything unusual, but it seemed that with the destruction of the Tree the Wood had been abandoned.

Returning to Belboz's hut, they found the necromancer waiting on the doorstep with another fur cloak for Astra. Once greetings had been exchanged, Astra thanked Belboz for the cloak. "I was afraid that you might be out of cloaks," she said with a smile. "If you lose this one, then you will have to make do with a threadbare woollen one." "Not that unlikely, I fear. I sometimes think that I have a second, less serious, curse that causes me to lose my clothes. Now, how long have we been gone?" "Two weeks, all but a day. I was beginning to be concerned, for I cannot scry things that occur within the Wood."

Astra whistled. "I must have been asleep for very nearly a week, then. No wonder my nails grew so. And talking of growth, do you have a sharp pair of scissors? I want to give Aethir a haircut and to trim his beard, so that he looks a little more presentable. And similar treatment wouldn't hurt Simon either, for that matter."

Once that had been accomplished, they got down to the more serious business of lifting Astra's "curse" and discussing the potential joining of the third piece of the amulet.

Meanwhile, Fred brooded. Belboz knew what he was [3099], and also knew that Fred knew that he knew. The more Fred had learnt about Belboz's former links with Aethir and Simon, the less likely it seemed that he could rely on the necromancer's silence about Fred himself lasting indefinitely. Even for him, though, to attempt to kill Belboz would be a very risky undertaking. If he tried it, it would have to be when the wizard slept.

1. As Belboz made his preparations for curing Astra, she asked him if he had any magical means of locating Andrea.

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