Ghost Stories: Denna's Turn: The Wizard's House
"Once upon a time, there was a house. It was a Wizard's house, and there were rumors that it held treasures beyond imagining: a mirror that showed other worlds, an elixir that could cure any wound, a great Sword that could slay any foe…
"Well, Lord Rahl sent a group of his best Mord'Sith to collect these treasures, for the further glory of D'Hara. And they were led by a strong and brave Mistress—let's call her…Hera. Mistress Hera led her Sisters into the house, and a fierce draft blew out their torches and slammed the door behind them. But Mistress Hera was so intuitive that she could see in the dark, and she wasn't afraid. 'Follow, cowards!' she called to her Sisters, when they stopped in their tracks. They were so ashamed by Mistress Hera's bravery that they inched forward after her.
"But Mistress Hera was impatient and headstrong, and she went into the treasure room without waiting for her Sisters.
"Instantly, the door closed behind her, and blinding light filled the room. When Mistress Hera could see again, she realized the room was empty!
"Empty, that is, except for her—and a thousand mirror images, reflected from the shining walls. Mistress Hera turned and turned, but none of the mirrors showed her true image as she knew it.
"In one, she was dressed as a princess, crying; in another, her hair was shorn off and she was drawing her bow—she was a mother, two mewling brats in her arms and more clinging to her skirts—she was dead, eyes glazed and open to the sky—she was trapped in bandages, alive but unable to move for all eternity—
"They say Mistress Hera's scream was heard as far away as the frozen Northern reaches, as far as across the boundary—that it woke Lord Rahl—
"Her Sisters hurried to break open the door, and they carried her away. But they found nothing in the room—no treasure, no mirrors. It was empty and silent—as the grave.
"And from that day, Mistress Hera never spoke again. Lord Rahl had her installed in a tower room, where she could watch for her ghosts, and she stayed there, and stayed there.
"After many years, they say she uttered these words: "All is sound and fury, signifying nothing," and collapsed to the ground.
"But even the release of death was denied her. And they say Mistress Hera bides in that tower still, watching, and waiting for the end of the world."
And Denna waited for one dramatic moment—and then leaned back and gave Triana, Garen, Cara and Dahlia her trademark smirk (they were not to know how she watched Lord Rahl and spent hours in front of the mirror, practicing).
Their eyes were wide with morbid fascination, and Denna knew she had gotten to them.
No one had even interrupted once—not even Cara.
Pride filled Denna's heart. She could make even Mord'Sith shiver in their leathers—fear was her specialty.