The Shadow of the Rose
Chapter 3

Copyright© 2011 by R22CoolGuy

Her name was Tanith, and she was the last of the great Wyrms of the Sky, as alike to dragons as humans were to chimpanzees. She primarily walked on powerful hind legs, but ran on four. She leaped to flight on massive wings that could carry her for hours at heights that would make the most stalwart of hearts squeamish. She was as nimble in the air as the most graceful dancer on the ground. She was a platinum female in her prime and she was looking for a mate.

Wyrms were near twice the size of dragons and could spew both fire and acid. She was also sentient, able to speak multiple dialects, cast spells, and shape-shift, but most importantly, she could scribe runes with her front leg talons. Her native tongue was the first language of Eldritch, of which she was a high Adept. In short, she was a force to be reckoned with.

Crawling to the mouth of her cave, she weaved one of her right front talons in an intricate pattern and spoke a word of un-warding. Rocks moved, and the opening of her cave appeared, crawling through it she breathed deep the new air. Taking several moments to stretch unused muscles, she leaped into the air with powerful legs and beat her wings gaining altitude.

"Flight," she cried in delight as she rose into the sky in an ever increasing circular pattern. Searching from overhead for food, she spied a herd of wildebeest. Tucking her wings in, she dove down and swept by the herd snagging two young cows. Swinging the animal up into the air and catching it with her mouth she consumed one and then the other one. Circling back she made another run on the stampeding herd, grabbing two more and consuming them as well. She made several more runs before sating her hunger.

Returning to the entrance of her cave she transformed to her alter-shape. A beautiful woman dressed in a platinum sequined gown walked back down the cavern to her lair.

She was small, slightly over 90 pounds and just shy of five feet. Silver hair fell to the small of her back. Sapphire crystal blue eyes swirled in an ever changing hypnotic pattern. A single teardrop pearl hung from a platinum circlet around her forehead. Skin so pale that the blue of veins shown through. The dress was sequined in overlapping platinum disks, giving it an almost scaled appearance, scooped in the front, exposing the tops of firm breasts. A jewel encrusted gold chain belt cinched her waist.

Gesturing with her hands and speaking a word of command, a strong fresh wind rushed through and swept up the years of debris. Her den was transformed into a plush sitting room with bookshelves, paintings and tapestries on the walls, several chairs and a fireplace. Looking at a tapestry map of the western continent she pondered her next move.

After determining that the power usage had come from the east, she chose a duchy west of the old high city of Aithen to start her search. The duchy was called Malkur and it was a medium sized city-state.

"Yes," she thought. "Malkur would be a perfect place to re-enter civilization."

She packed a small traveling bag and changed from the gown to black leather pants, bloused in black leather boots. A platinum sequined bustier that flared at the hips and had off the shoulder silk sleeves. Her hair entwined in twin braids banded together in several places hung like a tail to the small of her back. Belting on a slim jewel encrusted rapier and matching parrying dagger she was ready to leave.

Walking back up to the mouth of her cave, she wove an intricate pattern in front of the mouth while speaking words of command. The rocks piled up on each other as the entrance to her lair disappeared. Satisfied with her work, she disappeared.


Aaron felt refreshed and invigorated when he woke up. He spent time in practice and form and then went searching for Reg.

They had a long discussion concerning the events from the previous evening. Reg showed him the rings and described the scene outside of the Inn. Aaron kept the part about his dream quiet, he wasn't sure he could describe it adequately anyway. They determined to press on this morning and enter the forest to get to their castle objective as soon as possible, before they encountered any other knights.

They were in the dining room eating breakfast when Miss Sara joined them. Reg had already given her a bag of gold coins to cover the damage to the inn.

"You are welcome here anytime," she smiled sitting down. "There are other improvements I would like to make."

"It does seem that I tend to tear up the place when I visit," Aaron laughed.

"Seriously though," Sara reached over and placed her hand on his arm. "There will always be a place available for you here."

"Sara," Aaron smiled sadly. "I am not what you are looking for. My path is long and dangerous and not the path for a beautiful woman. I cannot give you what you deserve and I do not want to lead you on."

"Thank you for being honest," Sara held back tears. "Have a safe trip. I have to check on the kitchen."

She got up in a hurry, nodded to Reg and walked toward the kitchen. Just before she entered Aaron saw her shoulders slump as she began to sob.

"Well, on that happy note I think it's time to go," Reg proclaimed and stood up. "Coming?"

Aaron looked up at Reg, nodded, looked back at the door to the kitchen and stood as well. He left a small bag of gold on the table and followed Reg out to the stables, where their horses were already saddled and ready.

They walked their horses to the outskirts of town toward the highway and the forest. They passed signs proclaiming the end of the protected and patrolled highway, mounted their horses and road off southeast toward an unknown fate.

Aaron instantly felt the pull of an unknown presence. The feeling and presence was the same as when he travelled on the road to Dria on the King's errand, months ago.

"Come, WitchLord, release me," Aaron heard in his head. Reining in Thorn, he stopped in the middle of the road.

"Aaron, what is it?" Reg asked.

"Nothing, I'm fine," Aaron replied. "It's that same feeling again, give me a moment please."

"Black Rose, Red Rose; do either of you know who is calling me?" Aaron asked his swords.

"My Lord, you called?" the swords answered in unison.

"Did either of you know who is calling me?" Aaron asked again, this time slowly.

"My Lord, is there something you require?" the swords asked in unison.

"No," Aaron replied, clearly exasperated.

"Well, that is certainly strange," Aaron thought. "I don't like this, either they are being vague, or being blocked. Either way that spells trouble for me."

Urging his horse forward, he started down the road, "I'm fine, Reg. Let's put some distance behind us."

Entering the forest was like walking into a darkened room. One moment daylight and blue skies, the next moment twilight and broad live oak, ash, and maple trees whose canopies blocked out the sun. The forest was alive though with bird songs, squirrel chirping, and insect noises.

Like everywhere else that the highway went, the forest grew right up to the edge of the road but didn't encroach on it. No weeds, grass or tree roots ventured onto the stone work. The highway kept nature at bay. Here and there Reg saw flashes of movements behind the trees bordering the highway.

"Aaron, I think we are being followed, or at least watched," he remarked, seeing movement behind a tree.

"Yes, for the last hour or so," Aaron replied, scanning the area. "I don't think we are in danger. Not yet, anyway."

"That's comforting," Reg chuckled. "You always know how to put a positive spin on things."

"Have you noticed that it feels as if time has stopped?" Reg asked. "I mean, I know we have been on the road for a few hours, but it seems like we are getting nowhere. Everything looks the same, like we are walking in place."

"Reg, you are being paranoid," Aaron replied. "It's because the canopy is so thick you can't see the sun marching across the sky. Look there, the road is bending to the left, turning more easterly, so we are making progress."

Sure enough the road did bend more easterly in direction. They rode on for a little while longer and started looking for a place to stop and eat lunch. Presently they rounded a bend and came across a small trail off the highway, heading south toward what sounded like bubbling water - a brook or stream.

They left the highway and took the trail which opened up into a small clearing next to a pool of water fed by a stream. Dismounting, they began to break out fixings for lunch when they were surrounded by 15 creatures holding cocked arrows from short bows.

The humanoids, both male and female were approximately four feet tall, green skin with hair the color of gray moss and eyes the color of tree bark. Angular faces, pointed ears with several piercings, small noses, high cheek bones and no eyebrows.

The males were dressed in loincloths of animal skins, the females adding a leather halter, both were bare-footed. Long knives on leather belts, quivers of arrows across their shoulders. They may have been little, but they looked formidable.

"You are trespassing on protected land," a female warrior approached Reg. "When you left the protection of the road you forfeited your life."

"We didn't know," Reg responded. "Who are you?"

"We are called Sidhe and we are the protectors of this forest," she responded. "Remove your weapons and lay them down."

"If our lives are forfeit," Aaron asked as he slowly moved his hands toward his sword hilts and started drawing power from the forest. "Why should we surrender to you?"

Aaron sent a mental picture to Black Rose of his intentions and then had Black Rose teleport him behind the female sidhe who addressed them. Aaron reached out and held her fast with his right hand and placed Red Rose at her throat.

"Stop!" he commanded as magic flowed all around him. "If one of you moves she dies first!"

No one moved for several moments and then an elderly sidhe male appeared at the edge of the clearing. Walking with the aid of a staff he entered the circle facing Aaron.

"Be at peace, WitchLord," he said. "We mean you no harm."

"That's not the impression I got," Aaron replied, still holding the sword at the warrior's throat. "Who are you and why do you call me WitchLord?"

"Reg, are you okay?" Aaron asked, staring at Reg, who wasn't moving.

"My name is Cael," the old sidhe replied. "Your friend is immobilized, as are my warriors. We name you what you are or what you will become."

"Well un-immobilize my friend," Aaron replied. "Or you will not be at peace."

"We did not command them to stop, WitchLord," Cael replied smiling. "You did. Eldritch combined with words becomes magic, real magic. Only you can undo it."

"Well since I'm not sure how I combined the two," Aaron replied, stepping back from the woman, "I don't know how to reverse it. Perhaps you would instruct me?"

"Yes, we can do such a thing," Cael replied. "Reach out and feel the binding in place, then just pull the magic back and release it."

Aaron felt with his inner self and saw the magic flowing around the circle holding everyone in place immobilized. Drawing the flow back in, Aaron released the magic.

It was as if time started again, the warriors all dropped their bows, arm muscles fatigued from holding bow strings taut for too long. Reg breathed a big sigh of relief and looked around.

"Aaron, don't ever do that to me again," Reg exclaimed. "I could hear everything but my body wouldn't move."

"Sorry, Reg," Aaron replied with a sheepish grin. "Cael, why did your warriors initially ambush us, and why do you now say we should be at peace?"

"WitchLord, we have protected this forest from intrusion for many years," Caleb explained. "The hunting party was merely fulfilling their responsibility. They did not know who or what you were, and therefore treated you like any other intrusion. Being in communion with the forest, we felt its power being used and came to investigate, and realized what you truly were."

"I don't understand," Aaron replied. "What am I?"

"You are a WitchLord," Cael answered and then smiled. "Ahh, now we understand, please forgive us. That name has no meaning for you, does it?

 
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