Hello everyone this is my first attempt at a fanfic story, i hope you all enjoy it:) And please review but be kind im a little fragile about this story:)
Karigan sighed contentedly as she shoved the outpost door open exceedingly glad to finally be crossing its threshold. It had been a long day made even longer by the harsh icy winds, frequent snow flurries and the horrible sludge covering most of the main roads. Making travel upon them not only difficult but arduously slow. Winter had announced its official arrival in Scaordia a few weeks ago by lashing the countryside with some of the fiercest blizzards seen in years.
She had been hoping that because their course took them off most of the main thoroughfares into the fresh untouched snow in the more forested areas that the going would be easier and enable them to move with more speed. But thanks to large snowdrifts and black ice, they were several days behind schedule.
She sighed again this time in exhaustion and flopped down into a chair and stared into the dark and empty fireplace. No wood was stacked next to it, that was the sometimes the problem with the Northern Waystation it was not always as well stocked as the more frequented outposts.
One of them would have to go and retrieve some if they wished a fire tonight. She contemplated whether they actually needed a fire, not really wanting to venture out again to retrieve firewood. Alas her commonsense and the cold of the cabin won out.
She hauled herself up out of the chair ignoring protesting muscles and made her way down to behind the lean-to. Stopping along the way she checked in on Fergel as he tended to Sunny asking if he needed her help.
"No we're fine, I'm almost finished anyhow." Fergel said throwing a blanket over Sunny and patting her nose affectionately. She had to admit his care for the horse was improving on each run. Looking in on Condor she saw him munching happily on his grain. Outside the weather had actually started to clear up now that they had stopped for the night. Hopefully it would not be too cold a night for Condor and Sunny in the lean-to.
After rummaging through the already cut firewood for something dry enough to burn she headed back up to the cabin. Along the way something strange caught her eye.
"No, it's impossible." She whispered.
But there it was, the top of a Bayberry bush in full bloom poking out from a deep snowdrift.
She smiled to herself and inhaled the plant's scent her mind filling with memories of the two eccentric old ladies. It then occurred to her that this was her first time back to this Waystation since that first eventful run.
So much had happened since the last time she was in this place. It was ironic really that then all she had wanted was to reach King Zachery and now all she wanted was to be as far away from him as possible. No she shook her head that wasn't what she really wanted. Unwelcome thoughts flooded her mind, accompanied by the all too familiar ache in her chest.
Lost in thought she did not hear Fergel walking up calling out to her "Karigan…Karigan...Karigan!"
When he finally managed to get her attention she jumped in fright and dropped most of the firewood.
"Are you alright? What were you thinking about?" he asked with a questioning look upon his face. He had been confused by her somber and quiet mood so far in their journey.
"I'm fine; I was just um…never mind help me take this in" she grumbled dumping some of the firewood his arms. But before she started back up the path she tore of a sprig of bayberry and put it in her pocket.
They both sat back in their chairs warm and feed. Karigan stared blankly at the circular burn on the floor thinking of the clumsy rider who had made it. If he had never become a rider would his path still have lead him to the woman in the stall? Did the call bring him to the one he loved? Would they have found each other if he hadn't heard the call? If that was true why did the call seem to favor some so kindly and others so cruelly? The call seemed to lead so many of her fellow riders to nothing but early deaths. She no longer resented the path her life now took but she could not stop thinking about why she came to walk upon it. And what was at the end of the road.
A chuckle beside her drew her out of her reverie. Looking over at Fergel she saw him engrossed in a letter.
"Are you going to share the joke?" she asked with a raised eyebrow
"Huh… um oh you probably wouldn't find it very funny" looking up he grinned sheepishly.
"Try me" Meeting his grin with a deadpan expression.
"Ah … You know what I'm really tired I think call it a night. Do you want the bed? I'm more then happy on the floor." he stood up quickly motioning to the one bed in the cabin.
She watched him squirm for a moment under her gaze before answering him "Alright thank you."
"Of course um no problem."
"Goodnight Fergel."
"Night uh… sir" the last word had been accompanied with a slight smirk. That was quickly wiped from his face when she turned and glared at him. She climbed into bed too tired and cold to take anything other then her boots off.
She had a pretty good idea who his letter was from having seen it arrive from Selium with a letter for her from Estreal. But she had no want to get involved in something that was really none of her business. And besides Fergel was a good kid really, despite his amazing ability to annoy her.
It would only become her concern if he did anything to hurt Melry. Then he would not only have the Capt Mapstone ready to skin him alive but her too. Although she was quite sure the Capt had no idea of Mel and Fergel's correspondence and she certainly wasn't going to be the one to enlighten her. Anyway the Capt seemed unusually busy with the King of late, most likely because of the wedding.
No! She was not going to let that be her last thought before she went to sleep. She would have one of those dreams again. And even though Fergel slept like the dead, a herd of beasts could stampede through the cabin and he would be completely unaware. She was still terrified that one night she would say something in her sleep.
Drifting off to sleep she smiled thinking of a prank Tegan and Dale had once played on a certain heavy sleeping rider recruit.
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The stooped cloaked figure made their way slowly through the dark forest, the ground littered with blackened leaves and slush. A lantern held aloft in their right hand a beacon in the dark night. Many pairs of glowing eyes blinked in the underbrush watching the figure hungrily but made no move to attack.
The hooded figure came to a stop before the crumbling ruin of a large black stone statue which had at once resembled a man. Looking up at the statute while pulling back the hood of the woolen cloak and bowed reverently.
The old women then bent down to the weathered and time worn plaque at its base, half hidden in the darkened earth. The plaque which until recently had been covered in vines and moss, now reveled a set of raised runes. She pulled out and turned one of these raised symbols with a gnarled arthritic hand while speaking softly. The ground then shock and an opening appeared in the back of the base revealing a set of stone stairs.
Moving to the opening and placing a hand to the wall inside for, she carefully descended down into the ground.
The stairs lead her to a large circular chamber with curved shelves lining most of its stone walls full of yellowed parchments, ancient leather bondbooks, and strange artifacts.
Suspended from the ceiling with thick rusty chains where four large bronze cisterns filled with foul smelling black oil hung. There were no windows and only the one door leading in and out of the room.
In the center of the room was a large rectangular stone table with crusted dark stains upon it. She approached the table upon entering the room, bowing before it and kissing its cold stone surface.
She then moved to one of the walls and hung the lantern on a hook the shape of a dragon's head. Staring into its flame she slowly opened her hand palm up and spoke a series of words. Suddenly a purple flame appeared in her hand and she raised it high above her head.
The oil in the cisterns ignited and the chamber was filled with strange light and a strong musky odor. She reached within the folds of her cloak and withdrew a bulging brown woolen bag. And then laid it upon the table and removed from it a small leather pouch, various strips of yarn, and a long black bird's wing.
The wing had been cut from one of the great avian birds that dwelled within the dark forest. Moving around the room she gathered a grey lead bowl, and an object wrapped in a soiled cloth and a leather covered parchment. Carefully placing the leather tomb onto the corner of the stone table.
She removed the cloth to revel a large black iridescent crystal. She still could not help the awe that filled her at its sight. She stroked the crystal and it seemed to smolder the black and silver threads swirled across its surface. Even though its light was faint, she could feel the crystals immense power.
To think that she now touched something the Great One had not only touched but created!
Through the reading of the dark ones Grimoire she had discovered how it had been forged. The beautiful moonstones fascinated im but it would not respond to his power.
The Eletians refused to tell him its secrets when he interrogated them and were killed. And rightly so, how dare they deny him the right to use the moonstone. He was a God!
But his genius prevailed and he discovered a way to make the stone obey him. He took the Arcosian black gemstone nocturnia krustallos, the night crystal and forcibly combined it with the moonstone. The night crystal had been a gift from the Arcosian Emperor to his son on his departure from their homeland. It was the color of the blackest night.
Calling down the lighting from the sky he fused them together which enabled him to use its power. And now with these sacred artifacts of the Great One she would wield that power, just as he had instructed her.