Chapter Nine
The Ballad of the Bloody Bones
Karin had to admit that leaving the village to gather herbs without an escort was a bad idea during these terrible times. But damn it, she couldn't live in fear of the Tuatha forever! And she needed the reagents now, not three weeks down the road! Besides, the Ettin were more likely to kill them before those thrice-damned Fae!
As she finished filling her basket, she heard footsteps in the distance. The softness assured her that it wasn't an Ettin, and it wasn't any of their wolves, either. She stood up, rolling her eyes. Her father was far too protective for his own good. "Sir, I told you I do not require protection out here," she replied.
"I am certain that you are mistaken, Dustling," an unknown voice replied behind her, its tone sending a shiver up her spine. "After all, the world can be perilous for a beautiful maiden like yourself."
She turned around, getting a good look at her new companion. She didn't even get a chance to scream before everything faded to black.
Ω
"I have to admit," Faith noted happily, "this has got to be the quietest walk I have been on since… well, since the beginning. I didn't think such a thing existed."
Magwyr giggled as Gwyn rolled her eyes. "Such events are rare," she agreed. "I have had a few myself over the centuries. They're quite nice." She looked over at the dokkalfar. "What about you, Gwyn?"
"I don't trust quiet walks," she replied immediately. "Not only are they rare, but they are always followed by at least a few weeks of fighting and general irritation. At least, that's my personal experience."
The ladies all shuddered at that simple statement. Faith's grip on her sword tightened a little. Considering her luck, she wouldn't be surprised if it happened the second they reached their destination.
The three were left alone during their journey to the House of Ballads despite the rather dour observation. There were no wild fae attacks, nor did they encounter any bandits. As such, they made it to their destination with some time to spare.
Magwyr looked at the HoB with trepidation. "I think I'll wait right here," she decided.
Faith turned to look at her, eyeing her curiously. It was the first time she had seen her new friend look nervous. "Is there any particular reason why?" she asked.
"Let's just say I'm not looked at fondly within their Tellings. I'm afraid I won't leave in one piece if I go in there."
That was surprising, but neither Fath nor Gwyn pushed her for more information. "No problem," the latter replied. "We'll be back in a few minutes."
"I'll be waiting." Magwyr smiled as they entered the HoB, perfectly content to wait. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be, as she soon felt the all-too-familiar tugging of her magic. 'Bollocks,' she thought. 'It's time, I guess.'
She allowed herself to be transported to wherever she needed to go. Unfortunately, it was to a place she was too familiar with and with a being she knew all too well.
She could only hope that Faith would be able to put this particular face down.
Ω
"Ah, Sagrell, you have returned!" Hallum called out in greeting as the two ladies approached the main structure, a big grin on his face. "I was wondering if you would remember your part in the Telling."
Faith smiled, thinking that Hallum did seem to enjoy his stories. "Oh, I remembered. I couldn't wait to get back here… for many reasons. Unfortunately, we did have a few problems along the way that we need to address."
"The Widow is awake," Gwyn added quite bluntly. "And as far as we know, she is no longer within the Webwood."
Hallum seemed to pale at this, making it clear to them how dangerous the Widow was, even to the Fae. And for the Fae, that was saying something. To his credit, he caught himself in time before he began to panic, focusing on the conversation. "I will send a messenger to Ysa immediately. Our king must be informed of the situation before she can forge an army." He reluctantly steeled himself for what he was going to say next. "Sadly, the Telling must continue. Our magic will not allow anything else."
"...If you say so." Faith sighed. The Fae's magic was a mystery she wouldn't solve today, and she wasn't sure she wanted to try... at least, not today. "So, what's the story being enacted?"
"The Tale of the Bloody Bones. It is a tale of a renegade Fae who kidnaps a woman for his purposes. It is a tale in which Sagrell is actually in a supporting role instead of being the driving force."
"Ah. Is there anything else you can tell me?"
"Alas, it's not my place. However, I can give you this." Flicking his fingers slightly, a small potion vial appeared in his hand. "This is a Resurrection Potion that you must use on your partner. For more information, you must speak to King Wencen, who traditionally sends Sagrell on this mission."
"Ah, excellent." Faith looked around for a second. "Where can we find King Wencen?" she asked.
"He is in the Oratory… which is located in Ettinsmere."
Gwyn saw Faith go completely still almost instantly, eyes going blank. She quickly grasped her friend's shoulder before she could collapse, already seeing the problem. "Thank you for the information, Sir Hallum. For clarification, Ettinsmere is the same area where the Shrine of Dellach is?"
"Indeed. Past the Webwood."
"Ah. Well… we'll just get stocked up and be on our way." With that, she gently guided Faith away, heading to the shop. Her friend just wasn't catching a break today.
It took a moment for Faith to start muttering to herself. "Just left there… have to go back through… could have continued…"
"I know, I know. The House of Ballads has a weird sense of humor. Hey, look, there's an item shop here. We can stock up on antidotes before we go."
"Yes… yes… good idea."
Ω
Magwyr finally managed to pop back to the HoB, sighing in exasperation. "I hate my life," she grumbled. It was annoying having to track that bastard down and sending him on his way as always. Hopefully, the Telling would remain the same, only more permanent. The poor soul didn't deserve to go through this every single time.
Her musings were cut short when she saw Gwyn and Faith heading her way. Her recriminations about her past could wait, especially when she saw the bitter look on the latter's face. "So, your next story is set?" she asked.
Faith nodded. "Yes. We have to go meet King Wencen in Ettinsmere to get the whole story," she replied sourly. "Handed me a Resurrection Potion."
Magwyr winced, understanding Faith's dour mood a little better. "Which means we would have to go through the Webwood again." She sighed. "You know, I wish Hallum would have told you about that immediately, so you could just go there without having to backtrack."
Gwyn shrugged. "He probably didn't think about it," she replied. "I'm pretty sure most of the other Court members would just teleport back in to get their next stories."
"Too true." The Winter Fae suddenly grinned. "You know, Gwyn, you just gave me an idea. I can teleport us to the Oratory, bypassing the Webwood entirely."
Faith suddenly perked up upon hearing that. "You can?!" she asked eagerly.
"I can. I do it a good deal of the time. Then again, I usually don't have company with me."
"Oh…"
Magwyr laughed at Faith downtrodden expression. "Relax, Faith! Just because I'm usually alone doesn't mean I haven't teleported with a companion or two now and then. It will be fine!" Quickly hooking an arm around each woman, she visualized their destination immediately… and vanished in a burst of light.
They reappeared in front of a large tree, all somewhat disoriented. "Is… that always like that?" Gwyn managed to get out, looking a little pale.
Magwyr nodded, already regretting teleporting all three simultaneously as the world spun. "I must be out of practice," she muttered, finding a particular root on the ground fascinating. Granted, teleporting more than one other person was taxing, but she didn't remember it being this bad.
"No kidding," Faith moaned, eyes closed as she fought her stomach's desire to emptying its contents all over the ground. "Still, better than dealing with those spiders."
"Speak for yourself." Magwyr found her equilibrium returning, and breathed out in relief. At least the effects were very temporary. "Well, here is the Oratory. It's where the Court of Enchantments met in the old days to discuss politics and prepare for their stories."
Faith nodded, her nausea going away. "I'm guessing they don't do that anymore."
"Not really. The Oratory has been largely unused these last few Tellings. To open it up now… it may mean something else has gone wrong."
"Aside from Sir Sagrell being killed?"
Gwyn nodded. "And the Widow now defying her own instincts and leaving the Webwood. If those things can happen, who knows what else will?"
Faith took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Alright, then… let's talk to Wencen about the Bloody Bones. And hope he hasn't gone crazy."
Ω
Lorian finished setting up her camp, then made for the water, stripping as she went. She had been traveling for three months without stopping save for sleep. Hence, she had three months of dust and dirt to wash off before she reached the nearby village. Thankfully, she was pretty good at cleaning fast. She had to, especially since she was in Ettinsmere. She had heard what the region's residents did to those they captured.
Bath finished, she quickly washed her clothes, then returned to her campsite, eager to get the runic protections up. Once they were set, they would create a cloaking field and repulsion charm, ensuring that the Ettin couldn't find her. Thankfully, she had mastered this years ago and had it done in ten seconds. Satisfied, she hung her clothes up to dry, then reached for her shift.
"A maiden such as yourself should not waste their time wearing such frivolous garments."
"Huh?!" Lorian quickly whirled around, shift clutched tightly against her as she looked around frantically. There was no way anyone could have found her so quickly, let alone get close enough without her hearing them. So who had…?
Her last sight was that of a rather dark skinned fae, bare chested and grinning. Her last thought before she lost consciousness was, 'How did he manage to do it?'
The Bloody Bones looked down at her unconscious form, admiring his latest trophy. "Your Runic work is most impressive, young Dustling," he complimented, picking her up. "I think I shall keep you as well." With that, he carried her off, not even caring about her possessions.
The Ettin could have them.
Ω
The Oratory was far larger than Faith had expected. It also looked far dustier.
Gwyn seemed to agree as she took a look around. "They need to hire a new maid," she noted.
Magwyr smirked. "Of course, because that is the biggest problem they are facing right now." She looked around. "Though, to be fair, I expected it to be a little more rundown. Perhaps they have been repairing it for some time." Her gaze swept the area. "Wencen is at the far end.
Faith nodded, stepping out of the way of a fae squire as he hurried past. "Okay. You two wait here while I go talk to him."
"Good idea." Magwyr quickly guided Gwyn over to a bench. "Why don't you tell me some stories about the Warsworn while we wait?"
Faith made her way through the Oratory, smiling a little. Magwyr certainly was someone who loved a good story. And it was nice to see the two of them being so comfortable around each other. If nothing else, it meant that the Fae and the young races could coexist peacefully.
Her smile faded as she approached her destination, adopting a more somber expression as she prepared herself for this briefing. "King Wencen?" she asked.
The Fae in question opened his eyes, rising to his feet. He indeed looked like a king, as his garb was far more elaborate than any other Fae she had met. He also held himself with the grace of a king as he turned to observe her. She kept herself firm, not shirking away from his gaze.
"When Hallum told me a mortal had taken the empty seat, I didn't believe him," he finally stated, surprisingly free of judgment. "But here you stand before me. Impressive."
Faith didn't find it impressive, but considering what happened to the rest of the considered 'contenders,' maybe he had good reason to think that. "I'm just sorry about your colleague. He should be the one standing here."
Wencen nodded. "It is a pity about Sagrell, a grand hero, but there is no time to raise the King's Token in his honor. We need every hand carrying a sword for the coming battle."
"Understood. So what is this 'Ballad of the Bloody Bones?' I was only given the bare bones summary of the plot."
"Well, while you play a role in it, the ballad truly belongs to Sir Farrara, our brother in the Court of Enchantments. He currently is in pursuit of his nemesis, for Bloody Bones has emerged, poised to abduct a maiden for his Mistress. So goes his song."
"I see." At least he had an actual motivation outside of kidnapping someone for laughs. "What is my part in this?"
"You will need to revive Farrara after the battle," Wencen replied. "I can assume that Hallum would not have sent you unprepared for this task."
Faith nodded. "He gave a Resurrection Potion."
"Excellent. Go to Farrara, and quickly. When the two of you finish, I will await you at the House of Ballads in the North." Wencen paused for a second, hesitating. "Be careful, Sagrell," he finally added. "I have been made aware of the Red Legion, and I am certain they will appear."
"I know. Where is the Lair of the Bloody Bones?"
"To the Northwest in Uduath, on the shores of Ettinsmere. It is sealed by a powerful spell, but Bloody's magic is weak, and you should be able to gain entrance."
"Thank you, Sir." Faith gave him a bow and made her way back to her friends. The story seemed simple enough, and it hopefully meant that no one would die this time.
Of course, that was only if the Red Legion didn't show up.
Ω
Gwyn couldn't really believe how much fun she was having just telling someone about her relatively minor exploits. Those who were Warsworn were indifferent, since they also had similar if not greater feats. In fact, compared to most of them, she was relatively unknown.
Not with Magwyr, who was listening to her story with a wide-eyed wonder and a big smile. After a moment's confusion, she remembered that most Fae loved stories. And Magwyr, in the short amount they had known, seemed to enjoy spending time with Dustlings more than with her own people.
"Wow," Magwyr breathed out as Gwyn finished speaking. "I never knew the Erathi had built something like that before."
Gwyn grinned. "Neither did I until I accidentally turned the thing on. Now it resides in the Warsworn Vault, never to be seen again." She shook her head. "And no, I can't let you see it."
"Don't worry, Gwyn, I'm well aware of the need of keeping those kinds of items away from the public. And I am quite certain that many dangerous artifacts should never see the light of day again."
"That's true. So, do you have any stories? I'm pretty sure that anything you have done would blow my accomplishments out of the water."
"Well…"
"Hey, girls!" Faith suddenly called out, startling both of them. "We're supposed to head toward Uduath and help Sir Farrara in his story."
Gwyn sighed as Magwyr pouted. 'So much for learning something new about our Fae friend," she griped silently. 'Faith, you really do have the worst possible timing.'
Ω
In the distance, a shadow watched.
Alyn was happy to have finished her mission concerning the Tuatha and, without another mission to take care of, decided to come back and check on Faith. She was curious to see how she was doing.
To her surprise, Tilera and Agarth were not with them, though they may have simply stayed in Canneroc. (She had heard about the situation in the Webwood, but quickly guessed that it had been dealt with. Probably by Faith.) However, the Warsworn dokkalfar was still there, as was an Unseelie Fae. She hadn't expected that.
Closer inspection gave her a clue as to the identity of the Fae. That was even more of a surprise. She hadn't expected her of all people to help out, especially considering her history.
She decided to follow them until her superiors contacted her with a new mission. If that Fae decided to try and kill Faith, she would ensure that she would be removed from the equation sooner than expected.
Ω
"So, what do you know about the Ballad of the Bloody Bones?" Gwyn asked Magwyr as the three of them walked along the road. "How did it become an integral part of this over arcing story?"
Magwyr pondered for a moment. "You know… I don't know the answer to that last part," she replied. "It's actually a story that predates the Maid of Windemere, as well as one of the strangest. For you see, the Bloody Bones was once a member of the Main Summer Court."
"Wait, seriously?" Faith couldn't believe it.
"It's true. He used to be Famor, an advisor for King Ysa. Was very good at it, too. However, he had a flaw that inevitably came out, and he ran off with the King's betrothed." The Winter Fae sighed. "As you can imagine, Ysa didn't take kindly to that. Once he caught up with Famor, he cursed his former friend, ensuring that he would never rejoin the Great Cycle."
The others winced that that. For the Fae, that had to be a fate far worse than death.
"So, what happened afterward?" Gwyn inquired.
Magwyr grinned. "Well, the Bones would awaken every few years and kidnap a young maiden. It didn't matter if it was a Alfar, Fae, Almanian, Gnomish,or Varanian. He would have them all." She paused for a second. "Though now that I think about, I don't think the Maidens minded too much after the fact."
Faith chuckled. "He must have been a great lover," she joked.
"He probably was… and then he took the maiden of Sir Farrara. He pursued the Bloody Bones to Uduath, where they proceeded to slay each other. Thankfully, Sir Sagrell, who had come to his brother Fae's aid, was able to bring him back with the very potion you have in your possession. And they all lived happily ever after." The Winter Fae shrugged. "Until the arrival of the Maid of Windemere, of course."
"Of course."
Gwyn frowned. "Magwyr… who is the Maid of Windemere?" she asked tentatively. "I mean, we know she is the villain of this whole Ballad, but what was she like?"
Magwyr was quiet at that, clearly deep in thought. It almost looked like she was hesitant to answer. "Well, she is just that, the villain," she replied at long last. "She tricks and schemes with the best of them. The Thresh of Gorugath, Nix the Troll, and her kidnapping of King Wencen, are all because she wanted what she could not have. Very despicable acts that would see her justifiably killed." She sighed. "But she wasn't always like this. She used to be a great hero of the Winter Fae."
Now that was a twist that neither of them would have anticipated. "Do tell," Faith requested, curious.
"Well, she was a member of the Winter Court, in much of a similar position as the Bloody Bones. "When there was a threat in Klurikon, she was the one that dealt with it. She was the standard that all Winter Fae were held to."
"So, what happened?"
"Well, one day, she felt a pull to a distant land. She didn't realize what that pull meant… or what she would lose in the process."
"She tried to take something that wasn't hers," Gwyn surmised.
"Yes. The love of Wencen. She convinced a thresh to kidnap a dustling, tricked Nix the Troll into believing he was an almainian, and essentially declared war on the Court of Enchantments. In the space of two years, all of her accomplishments, her good deeds, were forgotten, if they were ever known outside of the Winter Fae."
Faith slumped a little as she pondered this. "The more she learned about the Fae, the less certain she was concerning their magic. It was beginning to sound like it was far more sentient, moving them all around like pieces on some game board. Not something she ever wanted to experience herself.
On the other hand, it did make her even more curious about herself. What had she been like before? A few images and feelings were not a whole lot to go by. (Though what she had seen so far, she was banking on not having been a good person.)
Her musings were cut short as they approached a small fishing village… one that seemed to be in an uproar. "How are people living here?" she asked curiously. "Wouldn't the Ettin have destroyed them?"
Gwyn shrugged. "They avoid the Ettin," she replied. "The village is built on the islands themselves, and are connected by a series of plank ways. The planks can be retracted should the Ettin approach, simply because those creatures can't swim."
"Ah." Now that was impressive. It was clear that the village had had a great deal of planning put into it before they even began construction. But she could admire the fruits of their labor later. Right now, she was wondering what all of that noise was about.
Magwyr frowned, her head tilting slightly as she listened. "Someone's daughter has gone missing," she reported. "She was gathering reagents for potion making a few hours ago and has not returned." She looked at Faith. "I think we may have discovered who Bones has taken."
Faith frowned. Something about that didn't sit well with her. "Has that ever happened before?"
"Every time… except it has never been someone from the village before. It was inevitable, I suppose… but still unusual."
"Where are they?"
Magwyr pointed. "That way. I think that's their village square."
"Well," the Almaninan started forward, "let's go have a talk with the village head."
Ω
In the distance, a shadow watched as the trio entered the village, grinning. So, the erstwhile Unseelie Fae had finally revealed herself. Red Idward and Karth would be very pleased to hear about this. Who knows?
Perhaps they will get the order to kill both her and those troublesome ladies from Gorhart immediately.
Ω
Okay, so the Ballad of the Bloody Bones in the game is corrupted when someone(who is heavily implied to be the Maid of Windemere) goes to Bones and convinces him to kidnap a bunch of farmers instead of a single maiden. It's also implied that Bones is tired of his role in the Telling and wants to break away from it. It ends with your character killing him after he decides that he wants to keep you. I'm going to try something a little different.