Ok here it is. Capricorn's fortress is described differently here than it is in inkspell, but that's because the book wasn't with me when i wrote it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart. Cornelia owns everything


Chapter Three

Capricorn's Fortress

It took three days for them to reach Capricorn's hideout in the Wayless Woods.

They hadn't bothered to make camp after taking Dustfinger prisoner. He thought it was very stupid on their part because night time is when all the big wild cats came out. The three men didn't know their way around the forest nearly as well as Dustfinger did; he was sure they had gotten lost twice already. Throughout the entire trip they were constantly cursing the forest, and the fact that they had to drag Dustfinger behind them only made their moods even more unpleasant. Dustfinger had been kicked in the shins several times already. Finally they reached the place where Capricorn's fortress was.

It lay deep in the Wayless Woods where the first of the Giant tracks could be found. There were things even more terrifying that haunted the area, though. Things like Night-Mares, creatures who liked to scare their victims to death, and Redcaps.

The fortress sat on a gray slope, the same exact color as the stones it was built out of. There was a small castle with many houses in front of it where the men lived. In addition, there was also a twenty foot wall that started at one side of the castle and ended at the other side, surrounding the houses in a semicircle. Drawings of eyes and goats with flaming horns covered the walls. Men stood guard on top of the walls, on the watch tower, and in the stair wells. There were men everywhere, all wearing knives and swords at their belts.

It wasn't the men or the thought of Night-Mares that frightened Dustfinger though, as he was led up the path to this terrifying place, it was the sight of the gallows that stood on the left side of the fortress. People hung from every single one of the eight gallows. He even recognized two of them to be Motley Folk, but didn't know them personally.

They stopped in front of the large wooden gate and the redhead, who Dustfinger now knew was called Firefox, banged on one of its doors.

A mocking voice came from the other side. "Yes, who is it?"

Firefox scowled. "You know perfectly well who it is, Pitch-Eater. Now let us in, we have someone Capricorn wants very much, and if he asks us why it took us so long I'll be sure to let him know it was your fault if you don't let us in right this minute!" He screamed the last part and shook his fist at the gate.

"Geez, Firefox, no need to threaten me!"

There was the sound of latch being slid over the gate and then they opened with a loud creak.

The man, who, apparently, was called Pitch–Eater was very tall with short greasy hair. "So, this is the fire-eater Capricorn sent for?" He asked, as the small group walked through the gateway. Instead of answering, Firefox merely grunted.

Why does Capricorn want me so badly? I've never even met him before, Dustfinger wondered.

They led Dustfinger down a narrow street in between all the houses, which were very similar to a charcoal burner's hut, only they were squared instead of circular. There were many more men on the inside than on the outside, some of them were patching roofs and others simply just walking down the street. As they got closer to the small castle, Dustfinger started to smell a strange odor in the air that he couldn't identify.

They reached the base of the small castle and they led him through a set of double doors. Inside were three long tables with long benches set on either side of them.

This must be where they eat their meals, he thought.

He was marched past the benches to the other side of the room and they went through yet another door.

The room they entered was very large, capable of holding at least one hundred people. Capricorn and two other men were at the front of this room.

Dustfinger was very good at hiding his true emotions; he had practiced it almost as much as he had practiced playing with fire, but now, remembering all the stories told about Capricorn, his hands began to shake violently.

They were only a few feet from him now. Dustfinger could see that Capricorn looked exactly the way people described him: white as a sheet of paper, with eyes that were the color of water.

Dustfinger could see that the shorter of the two men with Capricorn was wearing a white shirt under his black jacket and had a habit of narrowing his eyes. The other man was of average height and had a slightly slumped back.

Capricorn was talking to them in a low voice, so Dustfinger couldn't hear what he was saying. He stopped when he noticed them in the room.

"Ah, so you've returned from the forest," he said in a dark voice.

"Yes, and we found the fire-eater you wanted," Cockerell said.

Capricorn nodded and turned to look at Dustfinger. It was a look that a hunter would give an animal caught in his trap. "I suppose you don't know why I've had my men bring you here?"

Dustfinger shook his head and plucked up the courage to say, "Why have you brought me here?" It came out in a whisper. He knew if he spoke any louder that it would betray his fear.

"My request is very simple; teach me how to play with fire."

Dustfinger stared at him in disbelief. "Huh?"


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