All characters belong to Obsidian except my own.
Chapter 7 Ashenwood
They slowly tramped along the dirt trail leading to the Lake of Tears Garrison. Okku was in the lead followed by Nica and Safiya with Kaji flapping at her shoulder. Kaelyn and Gann brought up the rear. Nica noticed that the weather seemed to be getting colder the farther north they went and she could see the tips of mountain tops far in the distance. "We'd better break out warmer clothes at our next stop," she thought.
For the past two days she had avoided Gann as much as she could. She was still upset with him and herself. She didn't believe that he hadn't casually dropped into her dream; dreaming of Bishop had also brought back to her all the abuse she had put up with from him and it depressed her. Her irrational rage that night had also frightened her. Yes, she had been in fights before, especially with Bishop, but those had been for a reason. But that feeling of rage had come out of nowhere all because she had seen Gann looking at her. It wasn't like her to just go off on someone for no reason. "Well, I had a reason, " she tried to justify her behavior. "He walked into my dream when I had told him not to!" But, truthfully, she had to admit she didn't know that for a fact and the punishment didn't seem to match the crime. "It must be this curse, " she thought worriedly. "It's turning me into a monster or something."
She glanced back and saw that Gann was staring at her again. He saluted her briefly with his forefinger and smiled and she quickly turned her head. It was better to keep watching Okku's big, fat, colorful butt waggling in front of her than to sneak looks at Gann. "What is he playing at?" she wondered. "I wonder why he kissed me? Is he trying to start something?"
For Nica, that was last thing she had on her mind right now. The hunger was constantly gnawing at her, but so far she had been able to control it. She found it helped to used the Orglash crystal she had confiscated from Okku's barrow when trying to suppress her hunger. Having Okku beside her seemed to help as well. The intense craving for a spirit had overcome her several times during the journey but she had exerted her will and had been able to push it down. It was not easy, but she knew she could not just let loose. It might make the craving worse. Kaelyn, especially, was glad to see that she tried to control the hunger and she encouraged Nica as much as she could.
Safiya came up to her and tried to make small talk. "So, what's it like to be a spirit-eater of Rashemi legend?" she enquired. Nica turned to her in shock and said. "Are you trying to be funny?" "No", Safiya had laughed, "I only ask because I recall some of the Academy's treatises on Rashemi spirit-eaters. When you've read a lot about a legend on parchment it's always fascinating to meet a legend in the flesh. Just be careful in your choice of prey, though."
"Hopefully, there will be no prey, if I can learn to control this thing."
"Seriously, though, " Safiya touched her arm. "We've been traveling together for a while now, long enough for me to have learned that you are trustworthy and capable. You have the drive and integrity that I see in my greatest students. I wish to teach you as we travel. It'll also take your mind off your affliction."
Nica was gratified by Safiya's praise. "Safiya, I've always valued your counsel and and I'd be happy to have more guidance."
Safiya smiled. "I've been teaching the arcane arts since I've been a child really. Spells are a small part of what I teach. Our journey will often have long stretches of travel and many idle hours around the campfire. I wish to use that time to teach you. Perception, memory and focus – all these qualities can be heightened if you open yourself to the possibility that any problem can be solved with your mind."
"I would be glad to have you teach me."
Safiya nodded as they walked together. "It will be good to be an instructor again."
That evening they made camp in a small valley surrounded by white birch trees. Nica concentrated on getting a fire going while Safiya and Kaelyn pitched the small tents they had brought and laid out the bedrolls. Okku had seen a small stream nearby and went off to catch some fish. Gann made a point of saying he had to go and relieve himself and he walked off to answer the call of nature.
As the women sat around the fire, Nica, still thinking about Gann, turned to Kaelyn. "I'd be interested on your thoughts about Gann again. You really seemed to see something in him back in the Vault of Myrkul."
Kaelyn sighed, "Gann suffers, perhaps more than most. I am unclear as to why, but I suspect it has to do with his place in Rashemen and the lack thereof." She paused thoughtfully. "I'm concerned that his suffering may bring evil upon us. His suffering feeds his impulsiveness and undermines his responsibility and loyalty to others."
Nica took offense and retorted. "I wouldn't be so eager to distrust him yet – he's become a valuable ally!!"
Kaelyn continued in her serious tone. "I did not mean to cast aspersions on our companion." She turned to Nica, "Your sentiments are good and more influential than you know."
"What do you mean?" Nica looked at her warily.
"I will not say that Gann will not help us, only that his help is likely to be swifter when it benefits him as well. Do not underestimate your abilities to sway him either. He watches your actions more carefully than he admits and with your presence as an example, I think there is great potential for healing him."
Nica looked at Safiya and they both rolled their eyes. Kaelyn was just way too serious. Although she might be right in some of her observations, she made Nica uncomfortable. "She's almost exactly like Casavir was," feeling a little disloyal at deriding her former friend. "I just can't understand these people." A strange thought came into Nica's head. 'I could see Casavir and Kaelyn having a relationship. They're so much alike. However," she giggled, "They'd both be so obsessed with their quests and holy commitments they probably wouldn't even think about having sex. Or if they did, I can't picture them going at it with wild abandon!"
She laughed to herself but then her face fell. "But, who am I to talk? I seem to be attracted to men with no honor and no scruples whatsoever. They're great in bed but then they end up hurting me. What did Kaelyn say about Gann watching me? Oh, yes, I was a great example for him back in Mulsantir. He's probably watching me to make sure I don't attack him again!"
Although Nica wasn't exactly crazy about Gann right now due to the dreamwalking incident, she did trust him. More than she realized. He had proven himself in battle, had unselfishly deferred to her decisions and he had made himself very useful on their trip. He had traveled the wild lands for years and always found good places to camp. His spell casting ability was awesome and when they had been attacked by wild spirits or animals she knew she could count on him. They fought well together. His intuition was phenomenal, or was it the spirits he could talk to? He had also kept them entertained on the journey with his jokes and his sarcastic remarks; he was constantly baiting Okku, herself, and sometimes even Safiya, who had learned by now he was only teasing and did not take offense. With Kaelyn, he was more circumspect, knowing his humor would be wasted on her.
Okku came lumbering back to the camp with several fish in his mouth and Nica hurried to take them and start cleaning them. Gann followed with several sharpened sticks and squatted down next to Nica, deftly cutting the soft flesh with his knife and securing the fish on the sticks. They placed them over the fire and sat back waiting for them to cook.
Nica hung her head. "Gann, " she said quietly.
"Yes?"
"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior back in Mulsantir. I don't know what got into me. I didn't mean to beat you like that. I feel really bad about it. I hope I didn't hurt you."
"You didn't", he said calmly. "And no offense was taken." He looked at her with a serious expression. "I suppose if there was a ravening hunger raging around inside of myself, especially if I was trying to suppress it constantly, the stress and tension I was under would eventually erupt."
She looked at him gratefully and was awed by his understanding. "Thank you! I guess that's what happened. I don't know. I'll try to keep to my temper under control."
"That might be part of the problem, " he said astutely. She looked at him in confusion. "Are you saying I should just indulge in this hunger?"
"Noooo," he said uncertainly. "But, it seems to me, trying to rein it in constantly might be worse than feeding it once in awhile. Of course," he winked at her. "Don't let Okku or Kaelyn catch you doing it."
He had gotten her smiling again and she shook her head in wonder. How could she go from hating him one minute to really liking him the next? He did have a way with words, that was sure. And he seemed to know just how to get her out of the doldrums and into a good mood.
He leaned over and nudged her. "Your fish is burning." Nica jumped up and grabbed her stick.
--
That night as all about him slept, Gann lay on his side on top of his bedroll with one arm under his head. He was supposed to guarding the group but he couldn't take his eyes off Nica. She seemed to be sleeping soundly this night. However, that last night in Mulsantir was re-playing in his head. He had a strange feeling of guilt because he had lied to her, and telling lies normally did not bother him at all.
He had walked into her dream. And what he had seen had made him very upset although he had hidden it as much as he could. To see her making love to the man named Bishop was unsettling but to see that man hit her and call her names was something else entirely. "Why should I care?" he thought. "She has a right to be with or dream about anyone she chooses." But, the fact of the matter was he did care. More than he wanted to admit. "Does she still love that man? " he pondered. "Is he dead or did he survive the collapse of that ruin?"
Since their meeting in his prison cell, Gann had been intrigued by this woman. In fact, over the past few days he had come to admire her. She was strong. She was brave. She was kind. And most importantly of all, to his mind, she seemed to enjoy him and his humor. He also felt needed. It had been a long time since he had felt useful; felt a part of something bigger than himself. He knew Nica depended on him in battle and he felt proud that he could use his skills to help her.
A strange feeling of sadness overcame him. "But what difference does it make?'" he thought gloomily. "This curse could kill her." And it affected his relationship with his spirits. They hated her, were afraid of her. They were constantly telling him to get away. But...he could not leave her.
He rolled over on his stomach trying to not look at her, but the thoughts of that night kept returning. Displacing Bishop in her dream had been easy, easier than he had thought possible at the time. "Maybe she doesn't really care for him that much." he hoped. He savored the feel of her that he had been able to experience for a short time. She had responded to his caresses and didn't seem concerned that Bishop had disappeared. He had traced the jagged scar on her chest with his fingers and seeing it had made him want to protect her all the more. When her hunger had arisen, it had frightened him for a moment, however he was experienced enough with the dreamworld to be able to pop back out of her dream instantly.
After she had awoken, when he had grabbed her and held her against him, he could feel her firm body again through the nightshirt she had been wearing. He had wanted her so intensely in that moment his hardness had pressed against her buttocks. Luckily, she had been so busy trying to fight him off that she hadn't noticed.
If he had been another kind of man, he could have taken her right there on Lienna's bed. But, he hadn't. He didn't want it be that way. He wanted her to come to him; to want him as much as he now knew he wanted her.
"And, just why is that?" he thought to himself. "I have nothing to give her, besides myself. There is no future for us if the curse cannot be lifted. Hells," he thought disgustedly, "She owns a castle, she's a knight, she has a life I know nothing about. What would she want with me?"
Feeling sorry for himself, he lifted his head and saw that Okku was staring at him. "What is it Father Bear?" He whispered, propping himself on his elbows. Okku shook his head at Gann and in a low, gruff voice he said, "Be warned, hagspawn. I will not allow you to hurt the little one." Normally, Gann would have made some disparaging remark to Okku, but he held his gaze, sighed, and softly said. "Not to worry, Old King Bear. She will be safe, even from myself."
He rolled over on his back and gazed up at the stars.
They reached the garrison the next day around noon. As they had climbed up towards the fort, the snow had become thicker and lay in huge drifts all around them. Gann had made a quip to Okku about how a nice, warm, bear hide would be just the thing right about now to keep out the chill. Okku bared his teeth at him and stalked on.
The snow was still falling as they approached the wooden barricades. They could see a battle going on up ahead. Strange creatures seemed to be attacking the garrison. They rushed up and helped the berserkers defeat them. After the creatures lay dead, a masked witch came over to them. "I am Nadaj, we were told of your coming by Sheva Whitefeather."
"What's going on here? Why were these tree-like creatures attacking you?"
Nadaj replied in a serious tone. "We are no longer wanted here. The Ashenwood has decided."
Nica looked at her strangely. What in the hells was this witch talking about?
"Look, we're here to find the Woodman. Do you know where he is?"
"No, he has not been seen for a long time. Now the forest is attacking us. There is a blight on the trees and another part of the forest seems to be burning. We've sent berserkers into the forest to search for an answer but they have disappeared."
"Does that mean I won't be able to find the Woodman?"
"Perhaps if you help the forest overcome these afflictions, the Woodman may show himself. But you'll have to speak with Dalenka. Only she can grant permission to enter the Ashenwood."
They trudged into the compound and found Dalenka's small house. As they approached the desk, an old, wizened, grumpy looking witch stood up and said. "The forest has gone mad and I can find no explanation. I ask the spirits, I pray to the Gods, I search within my heart. Nothing! To think all I had to do was wait and the answer would walk through the front door drawn here for reasons as hollow as its soul."
"Nadaj sent me to talk to you," Nica said, ignoring Dalenka's insult. "I need to speak with the Woodman."
Dalenka seated herself and folded her hands on the desk. "I know why you have come, stranger, and the answer is no. I will not abet this fools errand of yours. I will not be the one who allowed you to complete the destruction your kind has wrought here."
Nica leaned her arms on the desk and stared Dalenka straight in the eye. "I seek no destruction. I'm only looking for a cure to this curse!!"
"I know what you are, stranger," Dalenka's eyes locked with Nica's. "In the face of that, who you are matters little. I don't have the manpower to keep you out of the forest but you shall receive no guidance from me! May you meet your fate as swiftly as my berserkers met theirs. Good day!"
Nica reluctantly turned and left Dalenka's office. "What do we do now?" she looked at her companions. Before they could speak, Nadaj came running over. "What did Dalenka say?"
"She won't help me. She obviously thinks I'm going to go eat up every spirit in the forest." Nica shook her head in disgust. "Do you have any advice for me?" She questioned Nadaj. "Do you know where I can find this Woodman?"
"No. No telthor spirit has seen him lately. But I believe the attacks on the garrison are caused by the Woodman's disappearance. I don't think he's missing; he just may be too weak to show himself. Perhaps if you can pacify the forest, he may appear."
Nica looked thoughtful. "Just who is this Woodman, anyway?"
"He's the soul of the forest, you might say."
"So if I take care of the problems in the forest, he might show himself?"
Nadaj nodded. "I believe so, yes."
Nica turned to her companions. "Gather your gear and weapons. We need to go to the Ashenwood."
Upon entering the forest, Gann paused and touched her arm. "There is something wrong here. It's as if the forest is ...alive. Yet it does not feel like the Woodman but something else." He stopped and looked around. "The forest is filled with spirits."
Okku spoke up. "I can smell them everywhere."
They proceed down a snowy slope and in the distance they could see a golden glow. As the approached they could see a huge oak tree with shimmering golden leaves. There was no snow around the tree. The grass below the tree was a vibrant green. "This great oak still bears its summer leaves, " Gann said. "If the Woodman has a home this would be it."
Off to the left, Nica spotted a lone dog pacing back and forth near a stream. The trees surrounding the stream seemed stunted and were a sickly green color. "That looks like the blighted trees Nadaj spoke of."
As they made their way down the path, they noticed several corpses lying on the side of a hill near a small campfire. Nica searched their packs but could find nothing to identify them. She tried to call the dog, but it would not come to her. "I wonder...", she thought and reached down and ripped a piece of the ragged shirt from the corpse. With her hand holding the piece of cloth, she slowly approached the dog letting it smell the rag in her hand. The dog seemed to recognize the scent and came closer. Eventually, Nica was able to reach out and pat the dog's head. Its tail wagged slightly.
However, when Okku and the others came up the dog cowered back in fear.
Gann spoke up. "You should back off Old King Bear. Your presence is traumatizing that dog. It probably fears you will eat it – or mate with it!"
Okku grunted in disgust. "You would make a better meal, hagspawn. Perhaps I will gnaw some meat from your bones the next time you are deep in dream." He looked at Gann knowingly.
Gann chuckled, "Forgive me, Old King Bear, but I would rather you devour me than mate with me. But enough of your clumsy threats. Can you speak to it or not?"
Okku looked at the dog. "Hmm. This dog is tamed and it is a stranger to the wild. I doubt it will fully understand my words."
Nica held the dog but it whined and whimpered. Okku could not get it to understand him, so Nica let it go.
As they entered the grove of trees, Nica could see a large tree lying on the banks of the stream with its limbs slightly writhing. It started to speak to her when they approached. She found out the tree was called Gnarlthorn. When she questioned it about the blight it told her that perhaps the blight could be cured, but she would have to visit the goddess at the Red Tree of Imril Vale. He also told her would she need two ingredients and would need to mix them with pure water as an offering. He gave her some of his withered leaves to take with her.
They then proceeded to the part of the forest that was burning, fighting off blighted Shambling Mounds and Treants which were easy enough to kill. However, the group of eight or nine Fell Trolls they encountered were much stronger and tougher. They had an annoying habit of sitting down when they were nearly dead and going into a trance. In this position magic and weapons were useless against them. After a few minutes they would get up and be partially healed and only then could weapons damage them somewhat. The companions had endured numerous wounds before Nica called them off and they all ran back up to the Golden Tree. "We can't get by them, no matter what we do, " Nica panted. "They're going to kill us all and I'm running out of healing potions."
"If I may be so bold?" Gann spoke up.
"Yes, Gann, what is it?"
"It seems to me that we are too few to tackle them all at once. I would suggest that I go out alone and try to draw one out with my bow. If I succeed and it follows me, I can lead it back here. We can then overpower it. In this way we may be able to succeed in killing them all."
Nica looked worried. She did not want Gann venturing out alone. "What if he gets killed?" That thought really bothered her. She looked up into his smiling face and it hit her just how important this man was starting to become to her. She quickly lowered her eyes and thought desperately. "We can't get to the burning woods without going through those trolls. But I can't let him go alone."
He seemed to know what she was thinking. "Although I am fairly fleet of foot, perhaps the group could move up closer to the trolls. You would then be able to see me and I would not have to run as far. Would that be better?"
Nica felt relieved. Now why didn't I think of that? "Yes, that might work. Let's try it."
Gann loped down the hill, drew near to the closest troll and started shooting at it with his acid-tipped arrows. The trolls had bows also and Gann took a few hits, but the closest one to him started to break from the group. Nica's heart was in her throat as she watched the huge troll getting closer and closer to Gann. When the troll was almost upon him Gann blasted it with a Call Lightning spell and turned and swiftly ran about fifty yards away and stopped. She could see Gann laughing and taunting the troll. The angry troll kept following him waving its fists. Eventually he led it close enough to the group that they were able to slaughter it easily.
"One down, seven or eight more to go, " he yelled and ran back to the next troll in the group. "He's really having fun doing this, " Nica thought. She looked at Safiya and Safiya shrugged. "It seems to be working," she said with a smile and started to ready a spell for the next one. Over the course of an hour or so, they were able to take down all the trolls.
Gann was beaming when the last troll fell. Nica wanted to run up to him and give him a big hug, however, all she could say was, "Good work, Gann. Let's move on to the burning woods." and she walked off. His face fell slightly, but Safiya and Kaelyn went up to him and congratulated him on his skill and bravery. Kaji was flapping excitedly at Safiya's shoulder piping, "That was bee-u-tee-ful."
Even Okku went over and growled roughly, "Nice work, hagspawn. Apparently you are of some use after all," and he lumbered off after Nica.
They eventually reached the burning woods and discovered a spirit was setting the trees on fire. It turned out this spirit was a former guide who had led another spirit-eater to the forest so he could try and eat the Woodman. The Woodman had cursed, then killed the guide and upon his return to this plane he had become a Spirit of Fire. Since the Woodman had disappeared, he had become more powerful and was burning the woods in retaliation for what the Woodman had done to him.
They were not able to get him to stop, just yet, and he seemed immune to their weapons, but Nica grabbed some bark cinders to mix with the potion they needed to bring to the Red Tree.
When they returned to the Golden Tree they could see a small island in the distance with some huge figures moving around. Standing nearby was a telthor spirit of a berserker. When questioned he told them some Frost Giants had come along, driven all the spirits from the island and had displaced the spirit of the Sacred Pool. For a moment Nica's hunger rose and she was tempted to consume his spirit, but she forced herself not to.
As they had been leaving the burning woods, Nica had sneaked off, pretending she had to relieve herself. When alone, she had spotted a lone telthor badger and had eaten its spirit. A rush of adrenaline had traveled through her and the feeling of exhilaration had been strong. It had felt so good to assuage her hunger for once. But, almost immediately she experienced guilt and the craving had returned stronger than ever. Even now, having just eaten a spirit, she was hungry again for the berserker. "Well, now I know how it really feels, " she thought willing herself to keep suppressing the hunger. "The more I eat spirits, the more I'll want to keep eating them. It's like a strange addiction." Gann was looking at her oddly with pursed lips and a furrowed brow, so she tried to shake off the gnawing feeling inside of her.
Nica needed the pure water from the Sacred Pool for her potion. They crossed over to the island and she found that by challenging the Jarl to a fight she could become the Jarl and then order them to leave the island. She and her companions had no problem in defeating them and they kept their promise and departed. Nica scooped some water out of the pool and then deposited a spirit essence in the pool she picked up along the way.
Safiya came up to her and said with a smile, "How does feel to be a Frost Giant Jarl?"
Nica laughed, her hunger forgotten for a moment. "Don't tell me you read about Frost Giants Jarls at your Academy?"
"No, believe it or not I was trying to make a joke. I think Gann is rubbing off on me." She put an arm about Nica's waist and they walked together down the slope.
Nica paused in front of Gann and held out a pair of enchanted gloves. "Here, Gann, " the Giants left these by the Pool. No telling who they belonged to, but, they look like they might fit you."
He accepted them with a bow and they left the forest, preparing to go the Red Tree of the Imril Vale.
