Chapter 6

In which Holisz is revenged upon the baron, and departs the great eastern wood.

The aroma of fresh bread had spread from the kitchen. The bard looked meaningfully at the tap-man, and that worthy brought to the table a loaf, still warm from the oven, as well as a pot of fresh butter. He returned again shortly with a fresh jack to replace the empty one that sat in front of the bard.

The bard sliced a thick end from the loaf, buttered it, and chewed in satisfaction, washing the fresh bread down with a draft of ale even as his audience fidgeted at the delay.

But soon he was ready to continue the tale of Holisz, and did so.

“Something had to be done, for Holisz woke to an itch and found a flea! He made short work of the creature, but mayhap the next time a relative might lodge in a place he couldn’t reach. The rat-like claws were useful, but should he have need to search around his privates or scratch his arse, great care would be needed!

He glared at the rat, which tried to look innocent. Holisz accepted this not; innocence poorly fits a rat, and oft did he awake to find the creature snuggled next to his belly for warmth and protection. Know ye, a rat has few friends, and the fur of desert rats is sparse indeed, too sparse to keep the creature warm. Could wizardry remove the fleas and other vermin that infested the hide of his—well, verminous—companion? For rats are accounted no more than vermin themselves, as all men know!

Holisz eyed the rat and lifted the crystal on its thong from where it hung beneath his jerkin. Concentrating, he looked at the small beastie, which stared back uneasily. But the rat had nothing to fear the nonce, nor did the fleas and occasional ticks on the beast’s hide; the feel of gathering power that men call wizardry remained stubbornly absent.

Then it was that Holisz bethought himself of what he’d read in the opening chapter of Johannes’ tome:

‘Wizardry ariseth from the intimate connection between the wizard and his crystal; for only by surrounding the crystal with the substance of the wizard can the arcane connection form and the wizard’s power grow. Know ye, crystals are the tools given to mortals by the gods themselves, to be used according to their will by such humans as would seek to borrow their magical abilities.’

The hands looked like they were a true part of Holisz now, but perhaps the seeming was not substance! They looked almost like hands, behaved much as hands would behave, but belike were not hands as the gods perceived such to be.

Holisz sighed. Needs must, so he withdrew the crystal from where it hung beneath his jerkin and took it into his mouth, thong hanging from his lips.

Something would have to be done about this as well! There was the strong taste of salt, and Holisz realized the crystal had become coated with rather more of Holisz’ essence than he wished to taste! ‘I’ll wash the crystal before I attempt to use it in wizardly fashion again,’ thought Holisz. But with the crystal in his mouth, the feel of growing power was soon established and Holisz turned his attention to the rat.

The creature first tried to scratch at his itches, then wriggle free, all to no avail, and shortly a succession of dead and dying creepies and crawlies vacated the animal’s hide before Holisz relaxed his will and removed the crystal from his mouth. The rat eyed him most reproachfully whilst looking for a still-itchy place he might scratch. But soon, the animal settled down in amazement; there was no need to scratch! For the first time in the beast’s short life, nothing was biting his hide or sucking his blood! ‘Twould be wondrous kind if we humans could so easily vanquish mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, usurious bankers, royal tax collectors, lawyers, and all such bloodsuckers that plague our existence! Alas, bloodsuckers are many and wizards few, doubtless another jest of the gods who ever amuse themselves at the expense of such as we!

Holisz examined the crystal when he was done; was it only imagination, or had it shrunk even more? Troubled, he hung the bauble beneath his jerkin and resolved not to use it except under the most dire of fell happenings. Mayhap he could find another crystal, indeed several such?

As the old wizard his mentor had said, “Crystals are valuable; those are worth having!” Holisz was beginning to understand the wisdom of this!

The great eastern wood was filling up with people.

Holisz understood not the why of it, for he knew naught of what was transpiring in Barony Baldwin’s Junction; he understood only that he could not long bide in the forest without being discovered. Discovery, if notice of such be carried back to the baron, would soon make His Excellency Georg most wroth!

Naught remained but to find a way to leave, lest Baron Georg rethink him the idea of shortening Holisz by a head! He would have to leave his home barony, the only one he’d ever known, but how? He needed a horse, not that the ancient beast gifted him by the baron would have served, for never was such intended. But perhaps Holisz might steal a better? He was a rider, after all, and horses there were in plenty that dwelt in the baron’s stables. A gelding that was normally ridden by a guard would be quite suitable! With luck, and a measure of pluck, even a pack-horse might be had! And security of the stables, as Holisz well remembered, was so light as to be more a witticism than true warding!

So; a horse to ride, a pack animal, saddles for the two, and perhaps even food, human food rather than berries, nuts, and the occasional mobbit? Tasty such were, if small for one with an appetite such as Holisz possessed, but as he’d found they were better than no meat at all! He set off that afternoon as soon as the dark crept across the wood. He had far to go and was anxious to get there ere he could once again ride upon something other than his own two feet!

He made good time, did Holisz. In part this came about because the rat seemed to know his need and scouted ahead, humping along in the peculiar slinking way common to rats and politicians.

Holisz soon realized that feeding the animal and ridding it of fleas had given him an unusual advantage. He benefited by the rat’s presence, just as it did from being close to Holisz himself! Only once did he have need to pause during the journey, and that occurred when the rat ran back to him and crouched at his feet. Together they waited silently as something large passed to their front, leaves whispering against skin and fur. It might have been a wolf; it might have been something even more fell, known but to the laughing gods. Whatever it was, Holisz felt it was best avoided!

The rest of the trip was uneventful, and the moon was down when the two arrived.

Castle Baldwin’s Junction dozed. The great gates were closed and locked, so what matter if the guard in his gatehouse slept too? Holisz disturbed him not, and sought other means of entry.

An assault on the gate by one man and a rat would never succeed! Breaking in via the sally-port gate was also doomed to certain failure. The great brick-and-stone walls towered above to a height that four tall men, even should they stand one upon the shoulders of another, would be unable to lift the topmost such that he could set finger atop the battlements that crowned the walls. Nay, none could reach e’en as far as the spaces between the merlons that sheltered defenders from arrow or thrown spear.