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The House of the Sorcerer Chapter 3
Fiction
 Created on 12-12-07
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Horrors of the Dawn
Chapter 3
I had sat in that stump all night and now the morning was getting late or so it seemed to me. My patience was fading quickly because I was for one thing ready to get out of this filth ridden tree and second I wanted to go home. It had been my birthday after all. That thought was now dripping was sarcasm and irritation because yesterday was probably one of the worst days of my life, and today didn’t hold much promise to getting better. I wanting nothing more than to be out of that tree, but in all seriousness I thought that it would never happen.
Suddenly to my relief a hand reached through the tree’s crack. It pulled me up , but I didn’t get out of the tree until I saw whose hand had pulled me up. I was relieved to find that the hand had belonged to Trystan.
“ What took you so long?” I cried as I made a not so graceful exit from the tree, and almost fell flat on my face. Trystan caught me before I fell. “ Thank you. “ I said awkwardly, regaining my balance and pushing away from him. “ What took you so long? I was beginning to think that you were never going to come back.” Trystan merely shrugged and avoided my eyes. There was so much I didn’t know and so much I wanted to know. I wanted to ask Trystan a billion questions but I limited myself to just one.
“ Can you take me home?” This was all I really wanted. The thought of being home by a cozy fire with my mother, father and two little sisters brought a surge of warmth to my bones. A warmth that turned to sickness in my stomach when I thought of how worried they all much be because I never came home yesterday.
I looked at Trystan hopefully, probably giving him the saddest puppy-dog face you could ever imagine. He looked back at me and answered with no words but with a simple nod that meant, “ Yes.”
I sighed with relief and for the first time since meeting Trystan I let a smile touch my lips. “ Thank you,” I said earnestly.
He nodded again his back turned to me, and began to walk. He led the way and I followed. Our pace this time was slow and easy and not so tense as was the night before. Though I really wanted to get home, I was so exhausted that I doubt I could’ve gone any faster than a walk.
Trystan lead me deep into the forest, where I could barely see the sky. This part of the woods I was wholly unfamiliar with. I hoped that maybe one day I could know the woods as Trystan did so I paid close attention to everything. I saw a tree that looked like a dragon it’s leaves swaying high in the breeze like a flame from the mouth of the tree. I also saw a tree with a big gapping hole in the base of the trunk, where as we passed the nose of some woodland creature peaked out and then ran back inside in retreat. These markers I forced myself to remember so that I could gauge how deep I was in the woods If I was ever I got lost again.
We continued on and neither of us spoke and at first that was alright because I was mapping out the area, but as we had been walking for a considerable distance I began to recognize things in the woods. We were getting closer to home.
Walking along with Trystan a few yards ahead brought back all the swimming questions that I had pushed aside. I figured now would be as good a time as any.
“ Trystan,” I said.Naturally he didn’t speak but I assumed he heard me and was listening. “ I really don’t know where to begin.” I told him, “ But I have so much I want to know, and you are the only one who can give the answers.”
He stopped but didn’t turn around and I stopped as well but I kept talking. “ Who is after me and why? When I was in that tree I heard someone say he was coming for me and that I wouldn’t be able to escape? If you know anything please tell me.”
Trystan turned to face me his eyes piercing into mine. Something wasn’t right in his stare, it was like there was something missing. He looked almost sad, or something else I can’t quite name.
He broke off eye contact by turning his head aside. He doesn’t want to tell me I thought.Trystan ran his hand through his hair and a creased formed on his forehead as he contemplative whether or not he should tell me.
Boldly I took a step towards him. Before I knew what I was doing I place my hand upon his cheek and gently forced him to look me in the eye. “ No secrets, no lies.” I said and I took a step back, slightly abashed by how close we had just been. It didn’t seem to bother him, as he didn’t show any emotion either way.
“ The sorcerer of these hills came looking for you,” He said at length, “ it was he who summoned the fog and the wolves. He wants you for reasons I have yet to discover. Once you are taken into his fortress you can never leave without punishment. No matter what. If you leave the fortress you will always return. I would suggest that you never again enter the woods after today.”
He immediately took off walking again as he fin finished speaking. Those were the most words I had heard him speak thus far. And I was completely taken back.
A sorcerer, I thought, I thought that they all had been destroyed long ago. The fortress he lives in must be the one that my great great grandfather saw all those years ago. I was stunned, completely stunned and numbed to speaking any more words. But if what Trystan said was true though, I thought, then how’d my grandfather escape.
I thought in silence all while following behind Trystan. The passing of time and distances were the last thing on my mind as we walked and so when we finally broke through the tree line I was completely taken by surprise.
I was not only surprised because I was home but home was not as I had left it. I could smell the scent of burning flesh on the wind and there was blood in the air. Hardly any noise from the town could be heard. The town looked a bit broken apart and scattered. A chill ran down my spine. Something has happened I thought terrified something bad.
I turned to speak to Trystan but when I did, he was not there. He had gone off without saying good-bye. I was a little put out, but I didn’t dwell on it because I had to find out what had happened to Silas.
With a surge of adrenaline and concern I took off running around the lake. My tiredness for that moment faded and I was alive with new energy.
I hope everyone is all right I thought as I rounded the lake. I ran up to Silas’ north gate, passing a pile of burning corpses that weren’t human, and passed through without seeing a soul.
Upon entering the town I stopped. The street was totally empty, and all the shutters and doors of the houses were sealed shut. The ground was unsettled and trampled. Empty market bins, cloths, and debris was littered everywhere, as though there had been a great struggle. My heart pounded fast and I felt a tear drip down my cheek. I quickly wiped in away.
Surely they’re not all.......I would let myself think it. I refused to let myself think that all of Silas was gone. I had to prove it to myself that they weren’t. Tears built of inside me fighting to be released but I didn’t let them. In my resilience I called out in the loudest voice I possessed. “ Is any body here?” I called. “ Please answer me!” I heard nothing. And dread filled me. I am alone. I thought. I am really alone. They’re all gone.
I clenched my fists as my hands began to tremble. I was about to fall to the ground when I heard a creak from a door opening behind me. I spun round hopefully.
Behind me stood the skinner’s house, where animal skins were made and sold, and in the crack of the door I saw Keeley. She was the skinner’s daughter, and my best friend since childhood. She looked out with concern, ferocity and a hint of weariness. When she met my tear filled eyes a look of relief and joy spread all across her features.
“ Cassandra!” She yelled throwing open the door. We ran to each other and embraced hard, both falling down on our knees. “ I thought you were dead!” Cried Keeley after some time of holding one another.
“
I got lost, and had to wait until dawn to find my way back.” I said. I really didn’t fell that the specific details of the last twenty-four hours was necessary to share at this time. “ What happened here?” I asked brushing the tears from my eyes.
Keeley leaned towards me and said. “ When you didn’t come back your father organized a search party for you but before we could round the lake we were attacked. There were wolves. A great pack of wolves surrounded the whole of Silas and ran wild through the streets, attacking anyone in sight. We fought them off, the injured are a numerous count, but we had only a few deaths. Luckily.” Her stare was sad and solemn. Her green eyes looked weathered with much thought and lack of sleep.
Death. So I’m not the only one who’s been through an ordeal, I thought.
I looked around now realizing that more people had emerged their houses and were watching and murmuring about Keeley and I sitting in the middle of the street. “ Is father and the others alright?” I asked suddenly remembering them.A bit of cheer came upon Keeley’s face as she answered. “ They are all safe and sound.” I threw my arms around her again and let out a cry of delight. We stood up together and I asked. “ How is your family, I pray they too are well?”
Keeley grimaced. “ Kale was hurt. “ She said referring to her older brother. “ But he will be fine in time.” I grabbed both her hands and kissed them. “ I know he will be.” I replied ad I meant it. “ Now, I must depart. You go and care for your family and I must go see to mine.”
“ Of course,” said Keeley smiling. “ farewell.” I called farewell to her as I took off for home on the out skirts of the western part of town. I ran all the way there. I saw many other towns people poke their heads out of windows and doors as I passed and a few waved at me.
I got all the way to west side of town and I could see smoke rising from my chimney. Home I thought excitedly. I neared the house and I could see that my house was the only one not bared up. Through the open windows I could see the back of my fathers head as he sat in a chair beside the fire.
“ Father!” I cried slowing my pace a little as I came up towards the house. “ Father I’m back!” My father whipped his head around to see who was calling. I stopped in my tracks at the sight of my fathers face. A few stray tears tumbled down his cheeks.
I didn’t realize that I was crying as well. I saw his mouth whisper “Cassandra,” and he bolted out the door to come and greet me followed shortly my mother and two little sisters.
I ran to my father and he threw his arms around me. I cried in to his chest and he refused to let me go. The horrors of the previous night, the dawn, and of when I though all of Silas was dead, they all faded there in my fathers arms. I have little memory as to what happened next but after getting embraced by my mother and two sisters I was taken inside and I collapsed on my bed from exhaustion.
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