The hearth-fire crackled quietly in the background, the smell of wood-smoke distinct and familiar as he again scoured the words and runes in The Properties and Counter-Spells of Binding Magic, searching with quiet fury for some answer, any answer, to his current predicament. If he could find a way to even loosen the magical contract's hold on him, perhaps he might relieve himself of this…obligation…and begin his search for his people. He turned a few more pages, reading through descriptions on how specific enchantments worked to hold individuals in place or within the confines of an area, usually via a magical object. He growled. Neither the stasis traps nor the barrier-stones described fit the circumstances of his own confinement, as they both required an actual physical object to be present within the vicinity of the individual being contained. He pushed the book aside, pulled a second similar book towards him, and began to read again. A cold draft brushed across one side of his face like a gentle caress.

And still the fool searches for some release, crooned a voice, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Leave me be, witch," he snarled at the flickering shadows.

Baba Yaga cackled. You will not find the answers you are looking for. But go ahead, satisfy your curiosity. You will only feel a greater fool when you realize you cannot undo what is done.

"I will not waste my time here indefinitely. I have been stuck here for thirteen moons-"

And yet far longer than that passed in the northlands. You aren't eager to get back to your tribe, hunter; you are trying to escape inferiority thrust upon you by circumstance.

He brought a fist on the tabletop with enough force to make the books jump. "I fled because I had no choice!" He shouted, his voice echoing from the walls. "Without control of the magic, my immediate return would have only left my people without a leader when I fell under Gunmar's sword."

You left because of cowardice. You are running from what you have become. And you are trying to run from me.

He slammed a palm against his head, desperate for the voice in his head to be silent. "Lies!-" He bellowed at nothing, but even he could hear the anguish in his voice.

Again mocking laughter echoed inside his head. I know your intentions, little hunter. You cannot hide your guilt from me. Imagine how they must feel, scattered by Gunmar's hordes.

He could see it as though it was happening before his very eyes; his once-proud, rugged people, huddled together in shallow caves, picking over bones and shivering in the cold, watched by the blank, frozen stares of those who had gotten caught in the sun. His whole body shuddered in protest.

"Enough," he choked, digging his nails into his face as though he could tear the images from his mind. "No more. Please."

No more running, little hunter. Your purpose is to serve MY will now. You know my power, and you know I would force your hand if I must. You will stay here.

He groaned and rested his head on the table's cool wood top. Blasted magic. "She can teach me little, though," he murmured, recalling Lady Pale's previous discussion on the subject.

Come now. You know better than that…

He glanced at the leather-wrapped volumes scattered across the tabletop. "My continued studies of these books can only end poorly. If they find out, and they will if you do not let me leave, they may try to kill me. I'm no use to you dead."

When that time comes, I will release you. And if you fail to elude them…well, you wouldn't be much of a warrior, would you? Baba Yaga cackled again.

He growled in distaste. He knew his limits well, and fighting large groups of hostile trolls ranged beyond his capabilities. Even now that he could control his magic much better, he still didn't think he had the finesse to utilize it in long-term combat.

One of these books may help you…the witch purred, her voice becoming more distant. He sat up with another low growl. She was pretty much setting him up to force a confrontation just to see what he could do. And speaking with her tested his patience; her ambiguity was easy enough for him to untangle, but it still tested his patience for the mere fact he had to put effort into making sense of what she said.

He looked over the small literary collection strewn across the table. Most of the tomes detailed binding enchantments, desperate as he had been to find some solution to the contract, but a couple had wards against arcane meddling inked into the pages. He couldn't remember if he had read them. His gaze fell on a particularly dusty book lying beyond the others, hanging half-off the table.

Animus Totems and Magical Defenses, the cover glyphs read. He couldn't remember taking it from the sorceress' library, but here it was, nonetheless. He picked it up, eyeing it like a poisonous snake, gingerly opened the cover, and began to read.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The pale stranger entered her dwell with all the preamble she'd come to expect, slinking into her peripheral like a wary wolf, his arms full of her books. She addressed his presence, not looking up from her own study of the village map and surrounding area.

"Back again? I'm surprised you haven't turned into a fat scholar by now."

"I'd be a fool not to use your library," he responded stiffly.

She glanced at him, smirking. "True. Any progress with the counterspell?"

"No." His tone brooked no further conversation on her part.

She turned back to her map, considering him. He had noble intent; coming so far, studying under her though he clearly didn't enjoy it. But she couldn't help questioning his motives and wondering whether or not the story he'd told was complete bogus. She'd kept careful track of the books he'd been taking from her library, and the list was disturbing. The tomes he'd been reading almost exclusively related to magic enslaving the mind, body, or (Gorgus forbid) soul. Many of these books contained counter-spells to the binding magic as well as the spell themselves, but a select few did not. Perhaps he was using the knowledge to help research his counter-spell to the great (and yet unconfirmed) evil of Gunmar's spells, but she had to consider the fact he was not, and the story he'd told her was pure lies.

The door clattered a little as he disappeared again, carrying off yet another armful of books. Her gaze drifted to the deep gash he'd cut into the wood on that second meeting. How should she address this potential threat? She was already having the guards follow him around on hunting trips. Though she'd given strict instructions for them not to interfere with his direction (unless they knew they were being misled), not a single one had any complaint against him. Quite the opposite, in fact; they all seemed impressed with his hunting ability, despite the fact he turned a cold shoulder to their presence. He was, unintentionally or not, working himself into a position of influence by winning their favor; they would spread word of his skill. If her people knew the true impact of his talents on the food supply, they might not want to throw him out, even after she, their chieftain, revealed the fact he was studying forbidden and evil magic.

She crossed to the bookshelves and analyzed their contents; as expected, he'd taken a mix of dark and counter-magic books, but nothing to definitively prove he was studying the black arts. Calling him out wrongly might damage her leadership capabilities; her people, fed by both the stories of his hunting skills and the results of said skills, would likely defend him. But she also knew she couldn't sit passively and continue to teach him, not if he posed a threat to the village. She had to come up with a more delicate solution.

"M'Lady."

She turned. Kaius was standing in the doorway, the muddy tracks behind him and the lowered crossbow in one hand a testament that he had just come back from guard duty. His face looked grim, his eyes glimmering darkly beneath his heavy eyebrows

"I was hoping you'd show up. What news do you have for me?"

"Our scouts saw a river of torches a week's journey on foot west of here. They're coming this way."

She stiffened, a frown momentarily creasing her face. "They likely do not know we are here yet. There's little we can do that we haven't already done to prepare; for now we must wait and watch…and hope."

He grunted, but nodded in assent.

"In the meantime, there's something I need you to do for me."

"Name it, Chief."

"The visiting stranger - Angor- he's been studying dark magic extensively. He said it was for the purpose of trying to unwind Gumar's sorcery, but lately that claim has been cast under scrutiny. I need one of your guards-any idle one should do- to slip into his dwell and try to gather information on him."

Kaius growled in displeasure. "I told you there was something not right about him. You should have thrown him out."

She rubbed a hand across her forehead. "I know, Kaius. I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner. But I don't have any proof, and I still don't. That's why I need you to watch him with double the scrutiny."

The guard captain grunted and hefted his crossbow. "He does always carry that pack with him, and he always has a book in there. I thought it might have been a field guide, but… " He trailed off, lost in thought.

Suspicious. "Hmm. See if you can get your hands on it. I'll send him out hunting every night so your men get a chance to do surveillance and gather some information."

"And If we find something suspicious?"

"Be careful not to reveal the fact you know, and bring the information straight to me. I'll need to make a decision on how to handle him, and I don't want you getting caught in a fight with him. He may not look like much, but he nearly bested me before he could control his magic. I am concerned what he's learned since then."

Kaius' scowl deepened. "Accursed magic."

"Agreed. Don't disturb him now; he'll be in his dwell, reading. Good luck, and be careful."

The guard captain nodded once and left. Lybran turned back to her map, not really studying it, one question swimming around and around in her head.

Angor Rot, who are you?

A/N: Gorgus help the poor soul if Angor catches them spying on him. Next chapter is the final confrontation in the village, and then the REAL hunt begins.

I am SO looking forward to it. Heeheehee...

Hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you next chapter!