river wound through its heart. There were signs the river had once been much bigger, but not for many years. A hamlet of dour flat roofed buildings huddled together on both sides of the river’s meager water. A bridge, far too big for the river, provided a crossing point, though I suspected you could walk across the river without getting the tops of your shoes wet.
“That's it, that's Sparse.” Urda sounded excited. Had I come across the place on my own I would have hopped straight home. It didn't look the slightest bit inviting. It was three or four miles away and I looked for a good spot to hop to. A long dead, massive tree stripped of its lower branches dominated the landscape about half a mile from the town. I took Urda's hand and hopped us to it.
“This is the Wishing Tree,” Urda said happily. “It's said if you put a hand on its trunk and make a wish it will come true.”
“And in all these years, nobody's wished for rain?”
Urda gave me a disapproving look and I did my impression of 'Happy Jake' giving her a broad smile. She pushed me onto the track beside the tree before smiling at me.
“You're a rat, Jake Morrissey.”
I gestured towards the hamlet ahead. “Perhaps my Lady Urda would care to lead the way?”
Urda led me through the maze of huddled homes. It would be unfair to call the dust tracks we trod streets or alleys, they were simply barren ground between the buildings. We saw no one. A few dogs and goats lay listlessly in what shade they could find, but there were no people in sight. Nor did we hear any human activity. If it hadn't been that the goats were tethered and not starving I would have concluded that the town had been deserted.
Urda stopped besides a squat ugly baked-mud house and tried the door. It was locked so she banged on it. There was no response.
It takes time to learn what you can do as a wizard. I gently moved her to one side and used magic to lift the three internal bars locking the door. They fell heavily to the floor and the door only half opened before they blocked it. Halfway open was good enough and Urda slipped through the gap. I followed her, breathing in to get through. I stopped just inside the door as I waited for my eyes to adjust to the gloom. The room was much hotter than outside, not surprising as all the windows were shuttered.
Two adults cowered in the far corner. They had their backs to us and I could make out little more than there were two of them.
“Mother, Father? It's me, Urda.”
The larger of the two waved an arm behind him as though warding off something.
“We have done nothing. Take someone else.”
It was a man's voice and he sounded desperate.
Urda put a hand on his shoulder and he cringed away from her.
“It is your daughter, Urda.”
A muffled female voice screeched at us. “Father Drog took Urda. It wasn't our fault. He said the Lord would punish us if we didn't and we believed. You shall not suffer a witch to live.” The woman cackled insanely. It was all beyond me and I hoped Urda would give up soon and we could go home.
“Where's Anna?”
The couple started moaning and huddled closer together. Urda's temper seemed to be rising as she looked around the hovel. She stared down at the floor of rotting wooden boards covered by a small threadbare rug.
“Is she in the cellar?”
The woman started shrieking as though someone was stabbing her. I flinched because it was a horrible sound.
Urda went down on her knees and flung the rug at her parents. A crude hatch was underneath with a rope handle. She pulled at the rope but the hatch didn't move.
“Help me, Jake!”
I took the rope and used magic to free it. It came completely away as there were no hinges, revealing a cellar beneath the floor.
Urda's parents struggled to their feet as they heard the hatch bounce on the floorboards. They stood with their backs to the wall, still cringing and keeping their eyes focused on the ground.
I took a small flashlight from my pocket
“That's it, that's Sparse.” Urda sounded excited. Had I come across the place on my own I would have hopped straight home. It didn't look the slightest bit inviting. It was three or four miles away and I looked for a good spot to hop to. A long dead, massive tree stripped of its lower branches dominated the landscape about half a mile from the town. I took Urda's hand and hopped us to it.
“This is the Wishing Tree,” Urda said happily. “It's said if you put a hand on its trunk and make a wish it will come true.”
“And in all these years, nobody's wished for rain?”
Urda gave me a disapproving look and I did my impression of 'Happy Jake' giving her a broad smile. She pushed me onto the track beside the tree before smiling at me.
“You're a rat, Jake Morrissey.”
I gestured towards the hamlet ahead. “Perhaps my Lady Urda would care to lead the way?”
Urda led me through the maze of huddled homes. It would be unfair to call the dust tracks we trod streets or alleys, they were simply barren ground between the buildings. We saw no one. A few dogs and goats lay listlessly in what shade they could find, but there were no people in sight. Nor did we hear any human activity. If it hadn't been that the goats were tethered and not starving I would have concluded that the town had been deserted.
Urda stopped besides a squat ugly baked-mud house and tried the door. It was locked so she banged on it. There was no response.
It takes time to learn what you can do as a wizard. I gently moved her to one side and used magic to lift the three internal bars locking the door. They fell heavily to the floor and the door only half opened before they blocked it. Halfway open was good enough and Urda slipped through the gap. I followed her, breathing in to get through. I stopped just inside the door as I waited for my eyes to adjust to the gloom. The room was much hotter than outside, not surprising as all the windows were shuttered.
Two adults cowered in the far corner. They had their backs to us and I could make out little more than there were two of them.
“Mother, Father? It's me, Urda.”
The larger of the two waved an arm behind him as though warding off something.
“We have done nothing. Take someone else.”
It was a man's voice and he sounded desperate.
Urda put a hand on his shoulder and he cringed away from her.
“It is your daughter, Urda.”
A muffled female voice screeched at us. “Father Drog took Urda. It wasn't our fault. He said the Lord would punish us if we didn't and we believed. You shall not suffer a witch to live.” The woman cackled insanely. It was all beyond me and I hoped Urda would give up soon and we could go home.
“Where's Anna?”
The couple started moaning and huddled closer together. Urda's temper seemed to be rising as she looked around the hovel. She stared down at the floor of rotting wooden boards covered by a small threadbare rug.
“Is she in the cellar?”
The woman started shrieking as though someone was stabbing her. I flinched because it was a horrible sound.
Urda went down on her knees and flung the rug at her parents. A crude hatch was underneath with a rope handle. She pulled at the rope but the hatch didn't move.
“Help me, Jake!”
I took the rope and used magic to free it. It came completely away as there were no hinges, revealing a cellar beneath the floor.
Urda's parents struggled to their feet as they heard the hatch bounce on the floorboards. They stood with their backs to the wall, still cringing and keeping their eyes focused on the ground.
I took a small flashlight from my pocket
Similar Books
