Chapter Eight: Webwood Troubles, Part One
Arden's house was decent-sized and easy to notice if one paid attention.
Faith hadn't given it much attention as they walked past it, focused as she was on their mission. But Agarth had, making an offhand comment that the man had replaced his windows recently. He had also planted a small garden, most likely so he could collect regeants. ("We Fate Weavers tend to become pretty self-sufficient," Agarth had stated. "You have to when your popularity plummets.") All in all, a nice place to live in peace.
She had spent the bulk of their trip back staring at the ring that now adorned her finger. She was already becoming a trailblazer only a week into her new life. She was the first mortal to participate in the House of Ballads. Not only that, she now held the position of Sir Sagrell, one of their most famous warriors. When she thought she would avoid some drama, this happens. At least she had time to try and figure out what to do next.
But now, she was staring at her destination. And despite not really paying attention to it, she realized something was wrong.
She was sure Anders was not one to leave his door slightly ajar for no reason. Nor was he someone who liked to break his own windows, especially if he had just replaced them. Finally, he didn't seem like the type to entertain the Tuatha if the Prismere-clad body lying sprawled just outside one of those windows was of any indication.
Tilera looked around, her sword out. "This is the only body out here," she noted. "The others might already be inside, waiting to ambush anyone entering."
Faith nodded in agreement. Her bow was now in hand. "Gwyn, you and Tilera take a look around the exterior," she requested. "Agarth and I will take the interior. Hopefully, Anders is still alive."
The two Alfar nodded and headed in opposite directions. Faith and Agarth immediately positioned themselves on opposite sides of the entrance. Faith notched an arrow, nodding.
Agarth slowly pushed the door open, his gaze sharpening as he entered, Faith behind him. They took in the main room, looking for any potential threats.
The interior was trashed. Furniture was tossed or smashed, gouge marks running across the walls. The desk had been ransacked, and its contents spilled across the floor. Clearly, the main room had been the center of a fierce battle.
"Where are the bodies?" Faith asked. "There's one outside. Shouldn't there be more here?"
"Depends on how many Tuatha there were," Agarth replied, sword out. "I'm going to check the basement. Could you take the upstairs?"
The young Almain nodded. It was a good plan. She was also quite tired of semi-dark places. So, arrow at the ready, she ascended the stairwell. It was a short walk, as the house was only a two-story affair.
She put her hand on the door, preparing to enter. But then… she stopped. Her ears had picked up a rather faint sound; the sound of feet shuffling lightly on a wooden floor. It was coming from the other side of the door. She put her bow away, and her sword came out.
Because if she was aware of the person on the other side, the person was aware of her.
The door flew open. She rolled, barely avoiding the swipe aimed at her head. She was on her feet in an instant, blade ready as she took in her opponent.
To her utter relief, she was no Tuatha. It was a dokkalfar like Gwyn, though built slightly slimmer than the Warsworn. Her hair was far longer, trailing down her back in waves. Her garments were skimpy, not looking like they could provide any protection, but the maximum movement for dodging and striking.
'She's an assassin.' Faith deduced as she finished up her observations. 'Twin daggers, attire that allows for optimal speed and movement. A body built for speed, not power. But it looks like she can also fight for a while.' Her grip on her sword tightened. She could go for quite some time herself(the last few days proving that.) She wondered if she could outlast this one.
But then. The assassin did something Faith would never have expected. She sheathed her daggers, smiling in relief. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting to see you here," she replied. "Good to know you haven't lost your edge."
An odd thing to say, seeing as they had just met. Her stance didn't lessen. "Did you kill Arden?" she asked.
The other woman shook her head, her smile turning a bit smug. "Oh, is that his name? Well, I didn't kill him. The Tuatha I was following did. From what I could see, he put up a good fight." She gestured to the other side of the bed. "I was hoping his corpse would give me an idea of why they would come here. Now I know. They were hoping to find you." The grin grew. "I have to admit. You haven't lost your touch in angering homicidal maniacs."
Faith sighed, finally dropping her stance. Somehow, she wasn't surprised that they had come looking for her. "It's a gift, apparently," she grumbled, looking at the woman more carefully. And there was that spark of familiarity she had been looking for. She should know her but from where. "Who are you? And how do you know about me?"
"Don't you remember me? I'm hurt." The doakkalfar sighed. "My name is Alyn Shir." Definitely someone she used to know. "And as for how I know about you… well, let's say that the Tuatha weren't the only ones who knew about the Well of Souls project."
"Of course." Faith shook her head. So much for the project being a well-kept secret. But she did know one thing. Alyn Shir was no threat to her. "Do you have any idea why the Tuatha are after me?"
Alyn shook her head. "I don't. And unfortunately, I don't have any time to help you find out why. The Tuatha are still on the move." She inclined her head. "I'm certain that we will see one another again. Soon." And, before Faith could do anything, the dokkalfar threw something to the ground, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Faith stood there for a few seconds, not sure what to make of the conversation, before remembering why she had come up here in the first place. She made her way over to the bed, taking in the sight before her.
"Agarth!" she shouted. "Up here!"
It didn't take long for the Fateweaver to join her, his eyes widening. "Arden's dead," he whispered. "But why? Why kill a harmless old Fateweaver? They couldn't have known that you were heading here!"
Faith frowned a bit. "Judging from what I have learned, that was exactly why they were here," she replied. "I think they were hoping to catch me as well. Thank the Maker that we decided to head to the House of Ballads first, eh?"
"Yes… it would appear so. ...You know, he owed me a week of drinks."
"I'm certain the bottles of ale will mourn his passing." She looked around. "This place looks nearly as trashed as the rest of the house. I don't think I was their only priority. They were looking for something else."
"...You know, you're right." Agarth frowned. "Faith… could you give me a moment alone, please? I need to search this room for something. It's something only Fateweavers are allowed to see."
"Yeah… I'll go get Tilera and Gwyn. Tell them the news." She made her way out of the room, now more confused than ever.
What was it that was so important that only Fateweavers could see it?
Ω
Agarth waited until Faith had gone down the stairwell, turning around to look at Arden's body. "You died here," he murmured sadly. "Just like you Saw." He looked around. "But you made sure you were nearby to it. So… where did you hide it?"
He looked over at the mirror on the wall, a thought forming. A member of the young races would likely figure it out, but would a Tuatha? He went over to it, running his fingers along the sides. 'Yes!' he thought when he found that it could open. Pulling the mirror away, he saw a small cubby. In the cubby, he saw a small black bag. Quickly grabbing it, he peered inside. "Oh, thank the Gods, it's still here." Closing the bag, he slipped it into a pocket. "Ander, I shall guard this for as long as I am capable to… which admittedly won't be much longer. But now… let's get you to your final resting place…"
Ω
To give Agarth enough time to take care of whatever business he had, Faith had joined Tilera and Gwyn in the sideyard, taking note that there were no other bodies here. While waiting, she brought them up to speed with what had transpired.
"Alyn Shir?" Tilera repeated, surprised. "Are you sure?" Of all the people she had expected to hear about, she was definitely not one of them.
Faith nodded, a little surprised to see that Tilera knew about the woman. "Yes. Do you know her?"
The Ljosalfar nodded. "I do, as do most of the upper echelon of the Alfar Army." She took a breath. "Alyn Shir is a mercenary used for their dirtiest jobs, ranging from stealing to assassinations. She has a high success rate, and most people don't dare cross her."
"Well, I think it's safe to say the Tuatha do love crossing her," Gwyn replied, frowning. "You know, I think she may have been part of why we survived back at the ruins."
Faith was inclined to agree as she remembered the battle. They hadn't faced the full force of Tuatha that day, and had needed clarification as to who or what had taken out the rest. She caught sight of Tilera's confused expression. "On my first day back to life, we were forced to run into some nearby Erathi ruins with a Tuatha horde nipping at our heels. We thought we had gotten them all… but some were left outside to catch us unaware."
"And Alyn Shir probably picked them off herself," Gwyn finished, thinking for a second. "But why? Why would she do that?"
"Isn't it obvious? She was following me." She frowned once again. "She seemed to know me. Like really know me."
Tilera smiled. "Well, count yourself lucky then that she likes you. Most people she knows usually end up dead."
Faith could believe that. Alyn was built to kill quickly and efficiently, aided by what could only be a decade of experience. She felt like she knew how the other woman operated.
How she was…
An image of a young dokkalfar girl, bright-eyed and earnest, learning how to kill a person via a training dummy. A cold, hard, and impersonal voice critiquing her form, yelling at her to strike harder and faster. Telling her that she wouldn't last past her first mission if she didn't. So many different insults were hurled at her in varying degrees. A look of fear, replaced by a look of determination…
Faith blinked, putting a hand on her head to balance herself. "Whoa," was all she could get out. That was a little longer than before.
Gwyn quickly figured out why she was reacting and moved closer. "Another flash of memory?" she asked.
Faith nodded. "Another flash of memory." She frowned. "I think I saw Alyn when she was a child, training to become an assassin. I heard… a cold voice hurtling verbal insults at her, trying to break her down." She shook her head. "That's it."
"Still, it's something. Hopefully, more will come."
"Yeah… hopefully." Still, that wasn't something she had ever wanted to see. If that was enough to unsettle her, she wasn't sure she wanted to see anymore.
Her attention shifted slightly. "Here he comes."
Agarth walked over to them, looking far more somber than they had seen him to date. "This is cold comfort, but he doesn't have to worry about the Weave anymore. His affairs are already in order, as he didn't have any family here." He looked at Faith. "You know, this is twice now that I have buried the bodies in your wake."
Faith nodded, Hughes' fate fresh in her mind. "I had the same thought."
Gwyn looked at the house. "What about his residence?" she asked. "What will happen to it?"
"Someone else will claim it. That house has had at least three owners over the last decade." He sighed. "Unfortunately, this means we'll have to find another way to discover your future."
"Is there?" Tilera asked.
"… ...Yes, yes, there is." Agarth sighed. "I had hoped to avoid this, but… I think I am going to have to have to take you to Dellach."
"Dellach?" Faith asked.
"It's a sacred place to us Fate Weavers, a place that I was hoping to avoid."
"Any particular reason?" Gwyn asked.
"My own, Miss Anwy."
The WarSworn almost took a step back in surprise. In the time she had known him, he had never shown such grit or anger in his voice. Whatever happened to him in Dellach must have been terrible if he wanted nothing to do with it.
Agarth took a breath, visibly steeling himself. "I had been hoping Arden would be able to take you, but I guess it comes down to me. No sense getting anyone else killed over it."
"Good point." Faith could understand where he was coming from. But now, figuring out what she was supposed to do was becoming increasingly important. It was a mission that needed to be done.
Tilera, on the other hand, didn't look nearly as enthused. "Dellach is deep within Ettinsmere," she reminded him. "One of the Ettin tribes will have undoubtedly laid claim to the Shrine, and others will be roaming, waiting to strike at unsuspecting travelers going near it."
Gwny suddenly thought of something as well. "And in order for us to get to Ettinsmere, we're going to have to go through the Webwood," she added.
Faith frowned. "The Webwood?"
"...It's where the Silk Spiders live."
The Almain shuddered a little at that. "Oh, great," she got out. "Is there any other way to Ettinsmere that doesn't require us to go near the spiders?"
"...Sorry, but there isn't." Gwyn rubbed Faith's shoulder sympathetically. "Don't like spiders, huh."
"No, I do not."
"It's a risk but also a blessing," Agarth replied, grinning slightly. "The Spiders are extremely powerful, and the Tuatha dare not enter their territory. We'll just need to be careful not to go near their webs."
"...Alright then, how long of a journey do we have?"
"Four day's length. Longer if we run into any of the tribes once in Ettinsmere. But it shouldn't be too long afterward. With a little luck, we'll have you back at the House of Ballads with time to spare."
Faith nodded again. "Alright, let's go, then."
Ω
A day later, Faith was beginning to regret this.
The Webwood was everything she expected a haunted land to look like. The spiders had created vast webbing throughout the trees, creating a block against sunlight. The air was also still as if the wind was blocked. There wasn't any visible movement, no animals wandering around. It was accentuated by her knowledge of why that was.
The Webwood was well-named because it was where the Spiders made their home. And hundreds, if not thousands, of arachnids lived here. And, as Faith had learned in Allestar, she didn't like spiders.
Even now, as they walked down one of the paths, the young Almain had a death grip on her sword, though she hadn't unsheathed it. Her eyes darted in every single direction, hyper-vigilant to the point of sheer absurdity.
Gwyn looked at her, a slight smirk appearing. "I think you may have understated your dislike a little bit," she teased.
Faith looked at her. "How big are the spiders here again?" she asked.
"The venomsplitters are only a few feet," Tilera replied. "The silk wrappers are at least triple that size."
"Exactly! I'm not going to get caught off guard by those eight-legged monsters of destruction!"
"The Spiders tend to keep to themselves, Faith," Agarth stated, grinning widely. "They'll only go after you if you get caught in their webs or go after their broods. And we're not going anywhere off the roads. We'll be fine."
"And if we run into one that acts differently, there is always Canneroc to go to," Tilera added.
Faith's eyes widened in shock at this. "People live here?!"
"Well, yes. The webs the spiders create make the finest silk in all of Amalur. It's used to create dresses, robes, and even slippers. It's a very lucrative deal."
Faith didn't think it was a good trade-off for dealing with bloodthirsty arachnids, but she also decided that this was not her place to decide. All she wanted was to get to Dellach without running into any of them.
Well, let it be said that the Gods hear all hopes and prayers, but their answer is usually no. But sometimes, sometimes, they want to screw with someone. And today, they wanted to screw with her.
Because as soon as she had had that thought, she heard the sound of many, many feet scrabbling along the ground. She quickly looked around. "Uh, Agarth… you just said that they won't attack us if we stay on the roads?" she asked.
"Yes." Agarth looked at her. "Why?"
Faith pointed to her right. "You may want to rethink that. Because here they come."
"Huh?" He looked, his eyes widening. "Oh, dear."
Gwyn and Tilera had also looked in that direction, both of them going rather pale. "Well, this is a problem," the former stated.
"Head for Canneroc!" Agarth shouted. The four immediately started running.
They were followed immediately by at least thirty spiders, all clearly wanting a piece of them.
"Our assurances are really worth nothing!" Tilera noted.
Less talking, more running!" Gwyn shouted.
Faith didn't even say a word. She just picked up the pace. Taking the hint, the other three followed suit. Nothing like a good healthy dose of fear to get the old adrenaline pumping. If they were lucky, they would be able to make it to Canneroc before the spiders overran them. But unfortunately for them, their luck wasn't very good today.
The chase hadn't gone very long before another fifteen spiders suddenly appeared in their path, literally coming out of the ground a burst of dirt. Just like that, they were surrounded.
The four pulled their weapons out, Faith charging up her magic(which she hadn't seen any real use for,) getting ready for the fight of her very-short life. There was, quite literally, a fight they couldn't win.
But damn it, she wasn't going down easy.
The spiders didn't give her that choice. They all charged as one, venom and webbing spitting out in unison. She managed to get a lightning burst out before finding herself wrapped up. She saw the one who had struck her leap right at her and closed her eyes, bracing for the end.
Suddenly several explosions erupted around her, knocking her and the others to the ground. Eyes opening in shock, she saw over a dozen spiders immolating in a massive fireball. She quickly began struggling, trying to break free of the webbing.
Agarth quickly helped her, tearing the binding away. "Looks like someone's looking out for us!" he shouted over the roar of the flames. "Don't know who it is!"
"I don't care who it is! I'm just glad someone is!" Her sword came out, and she was stabbing a venomsplitter right through the mouth as it came too close for her liking. She hated spiders.
Tilera was also cutting through any remaining resistance, her blade moving so smoothly that it was like she was slicing through air. Two more venomspitters and a giant spider fell to the ground, half of their heads now separated from their bodies.
The remaining arachnids were preparing for another charge when they suddenly stopped, then turned around and ran away. It was almost as if they had decided on a tactical retreat.
Faith shuddered as she cleaned her sword off. "Oh yeah, we're perfectly safe on the roads," she mocked.
Agarth winced. "To be fair, I haven't been in the Webwood for nearly two years," he admitted. Something may have changed."
"Then it happened over the last week." Gwyn leaned on her spear, breathing hard. "It wasn't like this when I passed through the area."
"You wouldn't be wrong," a new voice stated. "This started three days ago and hasn't slowed down since."
All four quickly whirled in the direction of the voice, surprised by how close they were. How could they get that close to them without them even hearing them?
Of course, they could deduce that this was not a Tuatha. That was obvious, as Tuatha wouldn't try to hide their movements. But who they were seeing was no Summer Fae either.
Gwyn's grip tightened on her spear. "A Winter Fae!" she hissed.
Tilera nodded, very confused. "I'm curious about how she is here," she noted.
Faith also needed clarification, though for a different reason. There was Winter Fae out there who hadn't become Tuatha?
And this one marked herself as different from her Summer Brethren. For starters, she wore garments that looked more like tree branches, twisted and formed into a suit of armor. (Faith had to admit, it looked rather impressive on her.) Her hair, done up in what she quickly discovered was typically how all Fae styled it, was a bright blue. Her weapon of choice was a staff that looked custom-made. (Something she attributed to the Fae as a whole.) She was dangerous to those she deemed enemies.
Obviously, she didn't classify them as such. If anything, she was smiling a little.
Faith looked over at Gwyn, gesturing for her to relax a little. Gwyn caught her silent command and nodded, relaxing her battle stance. She remained tense, though. This last week had shown that enemies were all around them, even in the face of those who would come and help them.
Agarth looked around to see if there were more spiders in hiding. "You said this literally just started a few days ago," he mentioned. "Any idea what caused it?"
The Fae shook her head. "Unfortunately, I do not. However, I do know that they have been acting more akin to an army," she explained. "Most of their attacks are on the silk farmers, but they have also launched attacks on the village itself."
"...Canneroc is under attack?"
"It is."
Faith sighed. As much as she wanted to say no, her conscience wasn't going to allow it. She looked to Agarth. "I think we'll have to postpone our trip to the Shrine for a bit."
Agarth nodded. "I couldn't agree more. Innocent lives are at stake." He looked at the Fae, smiling slightly. "Thank you for warning us about this, Miss. Perhaps we can save the village from whatever curse has afflicted it."
The Fae's smile grew a little at this. "It is my pleasure, Sir," she replied. "The villagers don't deserve to be destroyed for whatever reason." She paused. "Is it alright if I... join you for a time? I'm not really certain, but I wish to help you with this situation."
"… … If you want to," Faith finally replied, sticking out a hand. "I'm Faith, by the way. And you are…?"
The Fae took her hand, shaking it. "A pleasure to meet you, Faith. My name is Magwyr."
Ω
And this is part one of Webwood Troubles, which is going to be based somewhat on the series of quests you can take in the village concerning the Webwood, starting with A Tangled Web.
To those who are very familiar with KoA: Reckoning… yes, Magwyr is exactly who you think she is.