Chapter 8

Darkness Will Find You

The next morning, not too early, he walked to the other side of the prow and knocked on Tal's door. Ectilla welcomed him inside saying, "I will fetch mother. Please have a seat."

Tal was just in the kitchen and appeared before the young woman left. He kissed her hand. She asked, "How is married life?"

"Lovely, thank you. You knew, didn't you?"

Tal waved her hand as if it was nothing, "I guessed. You were just what she needed after Hermad, poor dear."

"Tal, I've got to ask about our past. Do you know of any women like Mrs. Skilleth here in Gondor?"

She made a face of concentration and then replied, "Two, one in particular. I only met her once but saw her with Rosaldi other times." He never knew Mrs. Skilleth even had a first name. Talareth gave her renowned eyebrow arch for, "May I ask why?"

"In Dale I fought a losing battle of wits with a witch. Reliable folk tell of similar troubles down here. These women sometimes know of each other."

Tal asked, "Is this related to healing?"

"Barely. Mrs. Skilleth had other talents. Powers now denied Dark Lords will find those of us who can wield them. I said I would help."

Tal said calmly, "Her name is Hürna. Healers congregate on the first level just north of the prow. Midwives are where you find them." Her redheaded grit emerged, "Nag Kath! Don't you kill yourself and make your pretty bride a widow!"

"I will do my best."

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Nag Kath had only wandered the first-level north of the prow a few times. This was the large market section of the city for goods that came from other lands or were made here for export. Four established herb shops were crammed along the hill side and perhaps that many more tents or booths in the open air. First Nag Kath strolled as if walking to the metal mongers just past. None of the permanent places said anything about Hürna or inductive healing.

It was time to act stupid. Poking his head in a random door he asked an herb clerk if he new knew someone named Hurma. The man did not so Nag Kath tried the next door north. This time he got the proprietress who said, "What's that to you young man?"

"I was told she could help me with a … a … well, it is a delicate matter."

"Three doors further north. Sign says Herbal Remedies."

The door was unlocked but no one was in the front. If she was good, she would know when visitors came. From the back he heard, "You're early! Give me a moment."

The woman came out of the storage room and stopped when she saw the towering lad. Except, she knew he wasn't a lad. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"I was told you could help me with a delicate matter."

"Depends."

"It always does. Sounds like you have someone coming. This can wait."

She hardened her face and demanded, "You say what you need to."

"Very well. My name is Nag Kath. Have you heard it?"

"Can't say it rings a bell."

"I was a friend of Rosaldi Skilleth. We met in Trum Dreng long ago."

Miss or Mrs. Hürna lowered her voice, "Sit down. Tea?"

"Thank you."

She came back with a pot and poured two mugs, offering him his choice. "She told me about you. Never thought you would be here."

"Me either. But now I need a few discreet answers. Some years back I ran across a witch in Dale, billed herself as a healer. She was casting Doureg spells on food and mind blocks among the gentry. Got clean away."

The woman snapped, "Wasn't me! I've been here my whole life!"

Nag Kath raised his palms, "Calm yourself, dear lady. I know that." He thought he should be intimidating, "You would have never heard me if I thought different."

It didn't work. "Rose said you weren't too bright."

"True. Hmmm, good tea. I want to know if you know of someone, possibly from Dale, lately in Osgiliath or Dol Amroth, someone who works on contract. She wasn't young twenty years ago if it is the same woman."

"Not by name. But yes. Look in Osgiliath."

Trying not to sound like a guardi Nag Kath asked, "Good with fire?"

"Probably. You go in; strike first and inquire afterwards. There might be two of them. You take care. Rose liked you more than you knew you deserved."

Nag Kath slid two silvers across the rough table before saying, "I might have more questions. You never heard of me." Pausing a moment he asked, "Can you heal those spells?"

She nodded. The coins were free so she didn't bite them.

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The changeling collected Regaldin from a post near the gate and rode to the river. They had made the trip to the Anduin many times. He stopped at the inn and left the horse at the stable before making his way to the herb district. Usually he would have found a table at a restaurant or public place and watched the door. The best he could manage here was walking into a feed store across the street and telling the lad that the tenner on the counter was his if Nag Kath could sit on a bag of seed and avoid his boss.

No one came. No one left. After dark, there were no lights upstairs or down. Nag Kath thanked the clerk and had dinner at the inn. Dawn found him inviting himself in the healer's back door. The smell explained the inactivity. She was sitting in a chair behind the main room, dead a month at least, so no landlord coming by to collect rent.

He quietly looked for clues of a second sorceress. Someone had cleaned up all the obvious traces. Nag Kath sat next to the body figuring how the killer must have approached. Seeing no sign of violence he said, "You caused a lot of trouble in Dale. I wasn't going to bring that up. Since you are dead, tell me who killed you. Take your time."

Did the other woman, probably a woman, live here or did she just work here? Only the poorest woman would take every stitch of clothing she owned so he thanked his hostess and tried not to squeak going up the stairs. Nag Kath rifled the smaller room first. It still had all of the clothes and personal items. Who was mistress here?

The larger room had been almost cleared. There were matches, a shawl, a summer skirt and shoes with a hole worn through one of them. He thought them about the same size as Eniece's little feet. And there was a hair, less than a foot long and dark. He would look at that in better light. Nag Kath felt a trace of power in the room but had no feel for its origin. His last stop was perusing the spices.

It was time to act dim again. Nag Kath walked into the milliner's one door up with an obvious limp. Shuffling to the counter he whined, "Ma'am, do you know where the healer went? She hain't been there for weeks and my cure hain't takin'."

The woman looked at the poor lad in obvious distress and said, "Which one dear?"

Cain't remember her name. Small, short dark hair. Sometimes wears a flowered knit scarf."

"That's Dierdreth. Haven't seen her in a while. Maybe Mrs. Ingrall knows how to find her."

Mrs. Ingrall wasn't saying so he pulled at threads. "Dierdreth? First name or last? Oh, please forgive me, I don't mean to beard you like this."

"Don't worry, young man. I don't mind. I never knew her last name."

He said ruefully, "I suppose it don't matter now." He shifted as if his groin was on fire. "Do you know if anyone else was taking her patients?"

The dear lady thought a moment and said, "You might try Saucerze, though that's in the Florand district." She winced at his discomfort, "Something of a walk, I'm afraid."

"Oh bless you ma'am. I'll go there straight away."

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Saucerze; no Northman name for sure. There was a tavern across the street from a business selling herbs in bulk to smaller shops. Nag Kath had an early lunch with a pint and told the server to keep the change of a tenner. That bought him a window seat and a reason to sit there as long as he liked. A well-dressed man left for lunch and came back an hour later. At closing time he and a younger woman locked the door and went in different directions. The sorcerer followed her. If she was involved in fell curses, she did not act guilty. The woman made her way east and climbed the back stairs of a rooming house after petting a cat near the horse trough.

The next day at noon, Nag Kath tipped his hat to the man leaving the store for his lunch and walked inside. The woman came forward to help. She had long, curly Rohan-red hair and bigger than average feet. Nag Kath said, "Your pardon, Miss, the lady next to Dierdreth's said this place might be able to help with my healing since she is not there."

Again, there was no apprehension in her demeanor. The woman cleared her throat and answered, "I took a few folk when she left but that's been a while. What ails you, young man?

"Oh, the usual. In truth, I need some answers. It seems she has ruffled some feathers in the south."

The woman became defensive, "Then you will need to talk to Mrs. Ingrall!"

"Someone put a knife in Mrs. Ingrall's eye." He stretched the truth but needed to make an impression. "Unless you feel like explaining that to the guardi, I suggest you tell me what I need to know." When a reddish complexion goes pale, only the freckles are left. By the time the proprietor returned from lunch, Nag Kath knew everything the redhead did.

Dierdreth Iburlnith took the ferry south to Pelargir and presumably from there to the Ethir Anduin. And if she was up to mischief in Dol Amroth, she would have needed a horse or a ship to get there. He figured a ship. So she had money. Nag Kath was not going to learn more in Osgiliath so he stopped in at his house if anyone needed him and then back to Minas Tirith for snuggling with Flor.

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_~ / ~ / ~ / ~ / ~-_

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"Thank you Sire, she is well. And good day, Colonel."

Rosscranith offered his big hand and followed with, "Hello Nag Kath. His Lordship and I were just recalling old times."

Nag Kath sat at the table in the King's private office and folded his hands. This was his idea so he started, "Yes, there are some old ghosts come to call. I am probably not betraying any state secrets and they serve the need of friends and allies. Sire, this goes back to the time when the Colonel and I met in Dale. "One of the southern Thains was under the influence of a witch and contracted with dissident Easterling mercenaries for dirty jobs. The woman was poisoning Queen Delatha with sorceries and later tried to kill the King by affecting the mind of the Thain's daughter. The conspiracy was traced as far as one of Bard's advisors but, as far as I know …," looking at Rosscranith, "... the witch was never exposed."

Rosscranith had no objection to the old story coming out and helped, "Indeed. My Lord Bard was able to make a lasting peace with the survivors. The Queen bore a fine son who is now heir and the Easterlings settled their internal squabbles, at least to the point that they seldom spill over the river … especially after Nag Kath here chopped the mercenaries into small pieces."

King Elessar had not heard that part of the tale and Nag Kath did not correct the Colonel. People believe what they want. He did take the story from there, "Colonel, the witch is dead at least a month in Osgiliath, and probably at the hands of an assistant or student of greater power. The woman took a ferry down the Anduin. And now, Sire, I must ask what she has been up to."

Aragorn was troubled. "Can either of you describe the symptoms or sorceries in the northern realm?"

Rosscranith looked at Nag Kath who was looking at the table. The Elf raised his eyes and saw it was still his turn. "In the first case, the witch was casting a spell over a common cooking spice that causes an unborn child to drain his mother. We think the counselor administered it. The Queen was very sick. I removed the bulk of the spell. Then an honest local healer made sure it was gone. At the same time, we think the witch had affected the minds of both the Thain and his daughter. The young woman was conditioned to assassinate King Bard. When the first part failed the second part was doomed, but the poor girl was sore confused. Again, I healed most of the spell and the expert finished the job."

King Elessar thought for a moment and then said, "Colonel, I am sorry to take you away from your mission but this seems to affect us all. Erchirion, second son of Prince Imrahil, has been … unwell, confused, imagining things that are not there. One might think he was just another man whose mind is taking him from the harshness of life, but he had been an exemplary knight until recently."

Nag Kath asked, "Has he been recently treated for a more common malady?"

The King replied, "I do not know."

Rosscranith offered, "Good point, Lord Kath. That was the pattern in Dale. The old Thain had stomach complaints and hired a healer who was secretly in the employ of one of Brand's counselors. I would like to have put the healer you found to the question."

Nag Kath continued that line, "One must watch both the knife and the hand. These women work for hard cash. Sire, where is Erchirion in the line of succession?"

Aragorn did not know the changeling was a lord. Smiling slightly he admitted, "Lady Arwen keeps up with such things better than me. He has an older brother who has a son and a younger brother as well. His sister is the Queen of Rohan."

The Colonel took it like a terrier, "Please tell me if this is out of my purview, but it would seem the Prince is the ultimate target. Does the afflicted man have children of his own?"

The King shook his head, "I cannot say, but we can discover that directly." He rang a small bell on the table and the attendant walked in. "Please have Scribe Ostlieth attend us." The attendant walked outside and only a few moments later a small man with a confusion of sandy hair stepped in with his folio and bowed. Aragorn asked him, "Does Lord Erchirion have children?"

Ostlieth was the keeper of facts, the memory of the land. "Two teenage daughters. I sent them hairpins in your Highness' names for their birthdays this year, Sire."

"As always, thank you." The man bowed and left.

Nag Kath looked to the Colonel and asked, "Whatever happened to the girl from Nauthauja? I lost track after the upset."

Rosscranith thought back and replied, "I think she moved to Belfalas."

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_~ / ~ / ~ / ~ / ~-_

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It was time to visit Mrs. Hürna again. In very sober dress and with one of his brim hats he walked down to the first level for herbs. The woman was in the front of the shop helping a midwife from the north-fourth restock her supplies. Nag Kath waited patiently.

"So you're back. Thought you might be. Find anything interesting?"

"Indeed, Mrs. Hürna. You were right on a pair of points. It was Osgiliath, a Mrs. Ingrall, now dead as fall leaves. She had someone working with her who left town in a hurry, downriver it seems. I suppose I should ask; are you available for longer-term consulting?"

"Ha! What do you think? I reduced a goiter last week that had me spewing for two days. Not as young as I used to be. Rose said you could just fling 'em off."

"I am out of practice. And I never developed my sorceries. Let me tell you a story." He explained what happened in Dale with particular detail on the Lostorin poisoning and confusion. That included his well-meant but fumbling counter-spells. "And now, similar trouble is brewing in Belfalas. I have been asked to explore options."

She evaluated him unsparingly, "One of these days maybe you'll tell me what you are. In the meantime, what is this to me?"

In his best Elf-Lord face, Nag Kath leaned forward, "Help me and you will retire in style. It means travel, hard choices and nobody knows nothing. Here is a Florin on faith."

She had not seen a real gold Florin in years. It would buy the store with everything in it and she still could not make change. Nag Kath continued, "Give me a few days to get what I need and then we will take the ferry to the Ethir Anduin. From there we sail to Dol Amroth. Do you know anyone in your line there?"

"Probably not. What do I need?"

"I think you had better assume that the remedies you use cannot be had there. Get nice clothes and something to suggest you are a widow-woman retired from the dullest trade anyone would be sorry they asked. I will arrange transportation."

"Do you know what you're gotten into Nag Kath?"

"Not yet."