Here I am again! I really don't know how many chapters this story will
have. I guess I'll finally come to a total of eight. But don't count on it!
But now: Please read Part Three of The Bloody Baron!
***
Liz followed the Baron closely, so she always felt the coldness radiating from him. Sometimes, she thought she saw a movement at the corner of her eyes, but when she turned to look, there was nothing.
Once, she thought she saw one of the people on a family portrait yawn, but dismissed the observation. It just wasn't possible that she'd seen something like that.
She soon found out, however, that the person HAD yawned, and that all the other portraits moved too. Her breath quickened, as did her step. She wanted to get away from the stares of the portraits.
"Baron!" She called softly, so as to be heard only by him. He turned to face her, but went on gliding along the corridor.
"They're moving, aren't they? Is that normal?" She at least needed the confirmation that she wasn't the only one seeing things, even if her only reference was a ghost.
All the Baron did was nod curtly, then he turned away from her again and led the way swiftly, never slowing his pace. Liz followed him, still shuddering. If those things could move, it was absolutely possible that they could think too, and that bothered her somehow.
After a while they reached a section of the wall which was far from all portraits and only dimly lighted. The Baron showed Liz a lever, which opened a door to a small chamber.
With a wave of his hand, the Baron lighted a fire in the fire place. Before Liz could stop him, he vanished and left her to herself.
After her long sleep in the infirmary, Liz wasn't about to go to sleep here. Instead, she began to explore the chamber the Baron had showed her.
It was held all in green and silver. The thick carpet, the furniture and the tapestry were in that colour. The middle of the mantelpiece was decorated with a coat-of-arms, Liz had never seen before. A lion, a serpent, a badger and a raven were grouped around the letter 'H'.
Underneath the device stood the motto: "Draco dormant numquam titllandus." that was latin, and Liz haltingly translated it into: "Never disturb a sleeping dragon."
A door led into a bathroom, with rather old, but clean towels laying ready, each of them with an embroidered version of the device on it. In a wardrobe were two black robes and one green and silver robe, also with the device embroidered onto them.
Liz decided that the coat-of-arms belonged to the owners of the castle. That was the most logical explanation. She made an on-the-spot decision to bath and then put on one of the robes.
No sooner had she put on one of the black robes and exited the bathroom, that she was again confronted by a cold presence.
"What's up?" She asked in a mild tone.
The cold presence twirled around her and at the same time a high-pitched wail assaulted her ears.
This couldn't be the Baron! His methods were far more subtle than that, Liz was sure.
"Baron!" She called. "Baron!"
the laughter ended suddenly.
"The muggle girl calls for the Baron's help, she is insane!" A high-pitched voice cackled. "He will scare you, tear you to pieces and eat you for lunch, girly girl, silly girl, silly gilry girl!"
A waft of cold suddenly covered Liz and the cackling ghost suddenly fell very silent. In the stillness, Liz heard a cold, raspy voice whisper, that sent shivers down her spine.
At the same time, the Baron took shape before her. The voice was his, yet it scared her immensely. No conscience, no warm feeling was in it, just coldness and terror. Yet, .yet, he was saving her again. Sending away the ghost that had disturbed her.
"Thank you, Baron." She whispered, letting herself fall into an armchair. "He was quite disturbing."
The Baron hovered in front of her and seemed to assent.
"Peeves." He breathed, contempt clearly showing through. He only spoke in whispers, his voice toneless and hollow. "Peeves, the Poltergeist."
"Are there more of his kind in this place?"
"Noooo." Again the raspy, breathy voice.
"Are there other ghosts like you?"
"There are others."
Are they like you?" Liz insisted.
"Noooo." Was that amusement she detected in the Baron's voice? He definitely looked somewhat haughty.
She opened her mouth to go on asking question, but he vanished quit suddenly before she could say another word. Obviously, he'd had enough of her curiosity.
Liz yawned. The bath had made her drowsy. She climbed out of the armchair and worked her way over to the four-poster. Soon later, her eyes closed to a dreamless sleep.
But now: Please read Part Three of The Bloody Baron!
***
Liz followed the Baron closely, so she always felt the coldness radiating from him. Sometimes, she thought she saw a movement at the corner of her eyes, but when she turned to look, there was nothing.
Once, she thought she saw one of the people on a family portrait yawn, but dismissed the observation. It just wasn't possible that she'd seen something like that.
She soon found out, however, that the person HAD yawned, and that all the other portraits moved too. Her breath quickened, as did her step. She wanted to get away from the stares of the portraits.
"Baron!" She called softly, so as to be heard only by him. He turned to face her, but went on gliding along the corridor.
"They're moving, aren't they? Is that normal?" She at least needed the confirmation that she wasn't the only one seeing things, even if her only reference was a ghost.
All the Baron did was nod curtly, then he turned away from her again and led the way swiftly, never slowing his pace. Liz followed him, still shuddering. If those things could move, it was absolutely possible that they could think too, and that bothered her somehow.
After a while they reached a section of the wall which was far from all portraits and only dimly lighted. The Baron showed Liz a lever, which opened a door to a small chamber.
With a wave of his hand, the Baron lighted a fire in the fire place. Before Liz could stop him, he vanished and left her to herself.
After her long sleep in the infirmary, Liz wasn't about to go to sleep here. Instead, she began to explore the chamber the Baron had showed her.
It was held all in green and silver. The thick carpet, the furniture and the tapestry were in that colour. The middle of the mantelpiece was decorated with a coat-of-arms, Liz had never seen before. A lion, a serpent, a badger and a raven were grouped around the letter 'H'.
Underneath the device stood the motto: "Draco dormant numquam titllandus." that was latin, and Liz haltingly translated it into: "Never disturb a sleeping dragon."
A door led into a bathroom, with rather old, but clean towels laying ready, each of them with an embroidered version of the device on it. In a wardrobe were two black robes and one green and silver robe, also with the device embroidered onto them.
Liz decided that the coat-of-arms belonged to the owners of the castle. That was the most logical explanation. She made an on-the-spot decision to bath and then put on one of the robes.
No sooner had she put on one of the black robes and exited the bathroom, that she was again confronted by a cold presence.
"What's up?" She asked in a mild tone.
The cold presence twirled around her and at the same time a high-pitched wail assaulted her ears.
This couldn't be the Baron! His methods were far more subtle than that, Liz was sure.
"Baron!" She called. "Baron!"
the laughter ended suddenly.
"The muggle girl calls for the Baron's help, she is insane!" A high-pitched voice cackled. "He will scare you, tear you to pieces and eat you for lunch, girly girl, silly girl, silly gilry girl!"
A waft of cold suddenly covered Liz and the cackling ghost suddenly fell very silent. In the stillness, Liz heard a cold, raspy voice whisper, that sent shivers down her spine.
At the same time, the Baron took shape before her. The voice was his, yet it scared her immensely. No conscience, no warm feeling was in it, just coldness and terror. Yet, .yet, he was saving her again. Sending away the ghost that had disturbed her.
"Thank you, Baron." She whispered, letting herself fall into an armchair. "He was quite disturbing."
The Baron hovered in front of her and seemed to assent.
"Peeves." He breathed, contempt clearly showing through. He only spoke in whispers, his voice toneless and hollow. "Peeves, the Poltergeist."
"Are there more of his kind in this place?"
"Noooo." Again the raspy, breathy voice.
"Are there other ghosts like you?"
"There are others."
Are they like you?" Liz insisted.
"Noooo." Was that amusement she detected in the Baron's voice? He definitely looked somewhat haughty.
She opened her mouth to go on asking question, but he vanished quit suddenly before she could say another word. Obviously, he'd had enough of her curiosity.
Liz yawned. The bath had made her drowsy. She climbed out of the armchair and worked her way over to the four-poster. Soon later, her eyes closed to a dreamless sleep.