David Wells - Cursed Bones

“These are harmless … unless you eat them,” she said. “Now all we need is wolf lichen. It’s a bright green, loose-hanging lichen that grows on the shady side of trees.”

While they were searching through the grove of trees, Isabel thought she saw a cave along one wall of the valley. It was covered in dense bushes with shiny green leaves. When she started toward them, Ayela stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“You don’t want to touch those,” she said. “You’ll be scratching for a week and the more you scratch, the more your skin will welt.”

“Oh! Thanks for warning me,” Isabel said, making a mental note of the location for future investigation.

“I think we’ll have better luck over there,” Ayela said, pointing to the north side of the grove. A few minutes later she stopped, pointing several feet up the side of a fir tree … yet another species of tree very out of place in the swamp.

Ayela used a stick to scrape off a chunk of the lichen, which she stuffed into her jar.

“That’s all we need, except for some water and a fire.”

They returned to an empty cottage. Isabel suspected Hazel had Hector and Horace hard at work mending a fence or something equally as mundane.

Ayela started filling a pan with some water to make blackwort. “First, we bring the water to a boil,” she said. “Then we add the bluecaps.” She’d removed the other ingredients from the jar, leaving only the bluecaps to dump into the boiling water.

“Let them cook for a few minutes until they get soft, then smash them into mush against the side of the pan. Let the mixture boil for another few minutes, then add the Fly Agaric and the wolf lichen. Set the pan off to the side of the fire and let it sit for about an hour, then remove the Fly Agaric and the wolf lichen. Reduce the liquid that remains until it turns black and starts to thicken, stirring frequently.”

Ayela worked carefully and attentively, explaining each step until she held up a vial of blackwort and handed it to Isabel.

“Cook some onto your blade and your enemy won’t survive,” Ayela said.

“Blackwort is dangerous, Child,” Hazel said from behind them. “Where did you learn to make such a thing?”

Ayela shrugged innocently. “My mother taught me. She taught me about most of the medicines and poisons I know how to make.”

“Ah, well, who am I to question a mother’s wisdom,” Hazel said. “Make sure you scrub that pot with sand before you use it for your dinner.” Hazel left quickly, almost too quickly.

“Thank you, Ayela,” Isabel said. “I’m always amazed at the wonders nature has to offer.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Ayela said, looking down into the fire and falling silent.

Isabel waited for her to continue.

“I’m going to miss you, Isabel. I’ve never had many friends. It’s nice to have someone to talk to who treats me like a person, like an equal.”

“It’s not too late to change your mind,” Isabel said. “You can still come with us.”

“I know, but the more I think about it, the more certain I am that my place is here, for now anyway.”

“I hope you’re right,” Isabel said.

The following morning, Isabel woke suddenly. She’d been dreaming of Alexander, except the dream seemed more real than most and he’d been desperate to find her, to warn her.

Hazel was sitting by the fire. She turned and looked at Isabel as if she knew.

“Release your hold over Hector and Horace,” Isabel said. “Return our weapons and let us go, today.”

“You’re hardly in a position to be making demands,” Hazel said.

“I know you’ve been lying to us,” Isabel said. “I know the Sin’Rath have moved on, yet you continue with your lies. What’s your game?”

“I give you shelter in my home and this is how you repay me?” Hazel said. “With baseless accusations and suspicion?”

“My husband came to my dreams last night and warned me about you.”

“Impossible,” Hazel said, though Isabel could sense growing alarm from the old witch. “This place is protected from such magic.”

“Alexander is very persistent and more powerful than you might imagine,” Isabel said. “What’s more, he knows where you live. I’d be very careful if I were you.”

“Don’t threaten me,” Hazel snapped. “Even if I believed you, your husband is a world away. You left him, remember? He can hardly help you and I doubt very much he would long mourn your loss.”

“Don’t count on that,” Alexander said, materializing beside Isabel. “It took me quite a while to figure out your defenses. I have to admit, even I was surprised by what I learned in the process, but that’s beside the point. If you harm Isabel, I will wage total war against you until I have your head. I will set aside my battle with Phane and postpone my war with Zuhl and I will focus all of my efforts on finding you and killing you.”

“How can this be?” Hazel said, standing with a look of shock and dismay. “My defenses have never been breached. They’re impenetrable.”

“Are they now?” Alexander said.

Hazel’s eyes narrowed and a bit of the color drained from her face. “It can’t be … yet how can it be otherwise? You’re like the one who watches.”

Alexander smiled ever so slightly, just to communicate understanding to the old witch without revealing the existence of Siduri to Isabel. He wasn’t ready for her to have that information, not as long as Phane had his hooks in her.

Hazel looked around like a trapped rat.

“There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide,” Alexander said. “But I’ll make you a deal-release Isabel and her companions, all of them, and I’ll leave you alone.”

Something within Hazel seemed to snap, as if years of planning and effort was about to be washed away and it was more than she could take.

“Never,” she snarled savagely, tossing a pinch of powder into Isabel’s face. “You can have your wife, she’s more trouble than she’s worth, but the rest are mine.”

Isabel slumped to her knees and fell over. A glance at her colors told Alexander that she was alive but unconscious.

“If you know what I am, then you know there’s nowhere you can hide,” Alexander said. “Especially now that I’ve figured out how to penetrate your warding spells. Release them and I will leave you in peace.”

“I can’t,” Hazel said. “I need them. I’m so close. You don’t understand. I’ve been working for over a century to defeat the Sin’Rath, and now I finally have the means, but I can’t do it without them.” She pointed to Hector, Horace, and Ayela who were standing over their bedrolls, watching the exchange.

“Had you simply asked, I’m sure Isabel would have been willing to help you,” Alexander said.

“I doubt that very much,” Hazel said.

“What have you done to Isabel?” Ayela asked.

“She’s just sleeping, Child,” Hazel said, dismissively. “Pack your things. We’ll be leaving today.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you until I’m sure Isabel is all right,” Ayela said.

“Don’t be a fool,” Hazel snapped. “Do as you’re told.”

“No,” Ayela said, drawing her dagger. “Isabel is my friend.”

“Hector, be a dear and take her weapon,” Hazel said.

Hector grabbed Ayela by the wrist and calmly pried the blade from her hand.

“This is your doing,” Hazel said to Alexander before she stepped up to Ayela and blew a pinch of powder into her face. The Princess of Karth blinked a few times, then her eyes went glassy and her face went slack.

“Pack your things,” Hazel said.

Ayela slowly started gathering her belongings, moving in a methodical, almost shambling sort of way.