The Uzan Crystal

by Lisa S. Buchholz

The men arranged themselves around the table, staying a cautious distance back from Marlaina and her protector.

  "Well, anyway," she continued. "Raffial had strayed onto her castle grounds while chasing a young colt that had gotten separated from his herd. Madina had invited him in for a cool drink. Raffial declined because he wanted to get home to me and get the colt back to the herd. He also knew that she was a sorceress and had heard rumors of her using her powers against people before and was nervous and wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. He knew he had strayed onto her grounds but thought that if he could grab the colt and get out of there she wouldn't have noticed; however, she had appeared out of thin air. Madina noticed his hesitation and became annoyed, especially when he made sure to mention my name. Madina decided to cast a spell on him, turning him into a wolf. That way no horse would ever get near him." She stroked the wolf's head. "I made an attempt to apologize to Madina for anything that Raffial had done to offend her and to ask that she restore him to his human form because I could not manage the farm without his help. I was lucky Madina didn't lash out at me. All Madina said was no and for me to get off her land before she set her sardwolves on me. I hastily retreated and never approached Madina again and have been very cautious not to set foot on any property near her."

  "What's a sardwolf?" asked Angelina.

  "As far as I know they are magically altered wolves. Their saliva is poison. If you were to be bit by one, your chances of survival are slim. I haven't actually seen one but I've heard stories," she explained.

  After she finished telling them her story, Angelina could hardly contain her excitement. "I guess it's time that we explain our real reason for being here." Angelina went on to explain why they were there and apologized for not being truthful.

  "Don't worry about it," reassured Marlaina with a tight smile. "I know that there are times when secrecy is necessary. Especially for someone in your situation."

  Elise glanced over at Kimber, "You knew about Raffial, didn't you? That's why you were laughing."

  Kimber smiled. "Of course I did. I heard it too and knew exactly where it was coming from." She was scuffing her soft slipper on the counter as she swung her pink slippered foot. "I was having some fun," she said in a pouting voice. "I knew that you would figure it out."

  "That's okay. I guess when you think about it, it was kind of funny," Elise said with a smile to reassure the little fairy that she wasn't mad at her.

  The group talked well into the night, planning their way in and what to expect.

  Marlaina insisted that they take Raffial with them. As a wolf he could surely help fight if they ran into trouble.

  The next morning they ate a leisurely breakfast, not knowing when they would have the opportunity to eat so well again. They headed out, more cautious then ever. Marlaina told them that it was only a day and a half's journey into Madina's lands and once they got there anything could be waiting for them.

  Marlaina told the group what Raffial was telling her. He suggested entering through the sewers. He had heard this from a dog. Raffial believed him because at the time the dog was very close to death. It was only after the dog died that its true shape became known. It was that of an old man who he used to see at the yearly fair. This old man took care of the stables at Madina's castle. Right before the dog died, he told Raffial that death would set him free. It was only after that, that he truly realized what the man had meant. So he knew that the entrance would at least get them inside the castle. But where the sewer would end up was anyone's guess. "I was going to try to enter the castle myself and look for something that could turn me back, but then when I really thought about it I had no idea as to what to look for. And if Madina found me, I don't think I would live to tell the tale."

  Elise and Angelina did not relish the idea of crawling through sewers, but if they had to, they would. Kimber had scrunched her nose up upon hearing that.

  The party took only a few supplies and lightened up their load as much as possible. The men removed any extra clothing that might hinder their fighting ability. The women dressed in their tunics, leggings and boots. They both strapped on daggers and placed smaller ones in hidden pockets inside their boots. Kimber had changed to a brown and green blotched outfit which seemed to blend her into her surroundings.

  Angelina was nervous now that they were getting close to the time when she would have to confront Madina. She strapped a light sword across her back as Elise was hunting through a stack of staffs that Marlaina had brought out to her. She had glanced at Kimber and briefly wished that she had such an outfit to keep her hidden as well.

  Marlaina had carved intricate and beautiful designs into staffs and sold them at the fairs before her husband was changed into a wolf. She hadn't had time to work on them since and the ones that she had finished were gathering dust in a corner. Marlaina insisted they take anything they needed. The group in front of her was the only chance she foresaw of helping to remove the curse on her husband and bring him back to her. Nothing she had or could give, she felt , would ever repay them for their help. Even if they didn't succeed, they were the only ones that had every offered to try.

  She knelt down and wrapped her arms around Raffial and buried her face in his thick fur. She held him a long time before letting him out of her embrace. He turned and licked her face before she stood. She turned toward the waiting group. "Words cannot express my gratitudeyou're your helping Raffial and I." She glanced down at the dusty earth for a moment before glancing back at them. "I wish you God speed," she continued and then looked at Angelina, "Even if you aren't able to help Raffial, I pray that you'll succeed in your mission. Madina has meddled in enough people's lives and someone needs to put that to an end." She turned back and kissed Raffial on the head. "Be safe," she whispered to him, "all of you be safe." She watched them until they were out of sight before she reluctantly began her daily chores.

  Chapter 42

  Journey into Madina's Lands

  It was mid afternoon on the second day and they were less than two miles from the castle. It was time to continue on foot. They dismounted from their horses, removed the saddles and bridles and let the horses graze. They stacked the saddles and bridles near some bushes and covered them with brush. This way, if they didn't make it back the horses were free to roam. They headed out on foot. It was a very somber group that left the horses, all aware of the impending danger that they were about to face.

  It was slow going because they didn't want to be seen. They hugged the tree line where possible and avoided the open fields. It was late evening when they crested a hill and saw Madina's castle. It was set high atop the far hill.

  The group quietly retreated back down the hill and into the nearby woods. No one spoke until they stopped at a small clump of trees and sat down.

  "Well," began Bishoff, "it looks to me that we have to cross a large expanse of grassy fields. That's not giving us much cover at all."

  "No, it's not," responded Thaddious in thought as he rubbed his hand over his beard.

  "We have to make a difficult decision," explained Pendrake as he sat on a nearby rock. "We either travel across the grassy plain, which as Bishoff has already pointed out, isn't going to provide us with much cover or we have to backtrack, circle the hills and come up on the other side of the castle."

  "I say we make camp for the night," responded Sir Taz, "then sleep on the decision. If we go across the plain it has to be at night anyway and it's too late to start this evening because everyone is already exhausted from hiking all day. And if we have to backtrack, we won't be able to do that until it gets light out, so either way we're here for the night."

  "I agree," commented Sir Matthew as he and Corbin began to clean away some brush so they could sleep. The bush they cleared away was positioned around the group, giving them a little more cover from any prying eyes that might be out there.

  Raffial told Elise that he would scout out the area to determine what looked the best for them. He quietly pad
ded off and was quickly swallowed up by the night.

  It wasn't long before everyone was settled in and ready for sleep. Angelina was thinking about Airic and for a moment wondered if she were doing the right thing. She glanced around at her traveling companions in the dimness of the evening, some of them hardened warriors who had been in numerous battles, some of them younger who had seen a lot less of it. Then there was Corbin, Elise and herself who were probably all on their first adventure and weren't experienced much at all. Was it worth the risk to allow any of them to come to harm? She glanced over at her friend Elise and knew she had already suffered a loss when Merk had been pulled under the sand, two of their companions gone so quickly. There was nothing they could do to help them. Would there be anything she could do to stop anyone else from becoming a victim? She shook her head to clear her thoughts and rolled over on her back to stare up at the sky. She had to remind herself that each one of them was there because they wanted to be. They knew the risks but insisted on continuing on with her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of how much she loved some of them and knowing that they were there because of the love they had for her. It was hard enough losing Dax and Merk, it would be unbearable to lose anyone else. They had grown so close with each other over the months and she felt as if they were all family. She hastily wiped her eyes and was glad that it was too dark for anyone to see her face. It would be hard enough to face Madina, but that encounter would be made a little easier knowing that her friends were there. She trusted them with her life and knew that they did the same with her. She silently prayed for their safety and for a positive ending to their journey. Her eyes slid shut as she drifted off to sleep. It seemed like only moments later that she felt Elise softly shaking her awake. It was still dark out.

  Chapter 43

  A Run In with the Scarred Face Man

  It was time to go, time to face a powerful sorceress. She smirked at that. What could they do to defeat someone so evil and powerful? She could smite them down with one blow. She scolded herself for thinking such thoughts. She didn't come this far to fail.

  The group quickly ate some dried meat and cheese and had just started out when Elise called out for everyone to hold up for a minute.

  "We have to skirt the open field and get around that hill to the side of the castle." She pointed toward the way that they would travel as she spoke. They looked at her and were about to ask why she thought that this would be best when she explained. "I heard from Raffial. He told me that we should go that way. We can reach the sewers easier from there."

  A few seconds later, Raffial appeared. Kimber was riding on his back.

  "Fine," replied Sir Taz. "Now we have a plan."

  They had cleared the woods on the far side of the hill when the attack came. It was the man with the scared face, he and about two dozen or so men sprang up from the fields and charged them.

  Corbin quickly pulled his bow free and started to fire his arrows. He was able to fell two before they were too close.

  Elise and Angelina were roughly pushed to the back of the group, away from the fighting. Angelina grabbed Elise's arm and hissed at her not to use her magic. Madina may already know they were there but she didn't want her to be alerted to the fact that one of them could use magic.

  The women knew the men were outnumbered and being pushed back. As if they read each other's minds, they joined the battle.

  Elise struck the nearest man on the head with her staff and he hit the ground, knocked out cold. She then swung at her next attacker.

  Angelina pulled her sword free and ran to where Corbin was trying to fight off two men at once. Angelina engaged the man on Corbin's left. She blocked the sword as the man's blade hammered down at her. She wasn't used to the heaviness of the blows and she stumbled backward and almost fell. She caught herself with her outstretched arm and quickly stood up.

  He laughed at her. "Oh, come now," he smirked, "you don't expect me to go easy on you because you're a woman, do you?" He was mocking her.

  She was on the defense and was barely holding her own. She had to change tactics before she got herself killed. It didn't bother him in the slightest that he was fighting a woman. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying every moment of it. She was much better defending herself when it came to hand-to-hand combat, this wasn't what she expected. As her attacker hammered another blow down at her, she swiftly stepped aside to allow the blade to make a clean sweep past her. He was surprised at her agility and came off balance, as he thought she would block his blade. Angelina swung her sword at the attacker's leg. He dropped to the ground as he felt her blade slide against the back of his thigh. Before he could turn, she brought the sword handle down hard against the base of his skull. He fell to the ground and didn't move. She stepped back and lowered her blade. She couldn't bring herself to finish him off.

  She quickly scanned the scene to see that Lord Farley was down, not killed but injured. Sir Asen stood before him holding the attackers at bay. The tide had turned and it was the attackers that were being beaten back. A few had backed off slightly when they saw the wolf tear into one of the men. Angelina ran over to Elise as Elise slammed her staff on her attacker and knocked him down. She put her foot on his chest and swiftly placed the end of her staff against his throat and told him not to move.

  The rest of the men that had begun the attack turned to run. Sir Taz and Thaddious had circled behind them while fighting and now stood between them and the woods. The men dropped their weapons and surrendered. One of the men broke away and began running full force toward the woods. Sir Matthew pulled out his bow and arrows and let fly. The man dropped to the ground as two arrows penetrated his leg. The attackers that were still alive were hauled off to the woods and tied to the trees. They were gagged as well. It wasn't until then that they realized that the leader, the man with the scarred face, had disappeared. This was not a good sign. He would be able to alert Madina that they were on their way. Angelina had a sinking feeling that she already knew and was waiting for them.

  They took a few minutes to assess injuries and treat them, most being fairly minor except for Lord Farley's. A blade had caught him in the side, down the length of his ribs. His ribs had kept it from penetrating too deeply, but it was still bad. Pendrake helped Sir Asen remove Lord Farley's tunic and undershirt. They ripped two strips from the undershirt. Using what was left, they folded it to make a bandage. They used the two strips to secure the bandage by tying it around his chest. They then replaced his tunic. Angelina insisted that he stay behind to rest, but he refused. He said that he would be better off with them.

  Angelina felt as if her legs were going to give out on her. The realization of what had happened and of her fighting had caught up with her. She glanced at Elise and she was leaning on her staff returning the look. It had been the first time they had been in battle and Angelina realized that practicing did not prepare you for the real thing. She found a nearby fallen tree and sat down. She had to rest her sword against the tree because her hands were shaking. It certainly wasn't what she had expected. She had imagined time and time again, how she would beat the attacker and finish him off with her sword. It seemed like it would be smooth and easy. She rubbed her hands over her face and rested her elbows on her legs. She closed her eyes for a few minutes to pull herself together.

  "Angelina, are you feeling alright?" asked Pendrake, concerned at seeing her sitting there with her head in her hands. "Were you hurt?"

  Angelina looked up, "No, I'm fine thank you. It's that I wasn't expecting it to be so....", she trailed off not knowing how to explain it.

  "Don't worry," he assured her. "We've all been there. Consider yourself lucky to be alive and use the experience as one to learn from."

  She smiled at him, "Thanks, and I certainly will." Angelina got up and wiped the small stain of blood from her blade before she sheathed it. They regrouped and started out once more.

  They were alert for any other possible danger. The wolf continued on and they fol
lowed. Elise had cleaned off as much of the blood as she could from around the wolf's mouth with some water. She said he had communicated to her that he didn't like having to attack anything in his current state. It was disgusting to him to tear at someone's flesh and he didn't want to have to taste the blood any longer than necessary. That had been part of his curse.: to be a wolf but not have the thirst for blood. He was as much human as they were, except he wore a wolf's shape.

  They were almost to the entrance of the sewer tunnel. Everyone had kept their weapons drawn. Angelina had pulled out a dagger instead of carrying her sword.

  The wolf had gone on ahead and now returned. He stopped and sniffed the air, looking around before turning to the rest of the group. He communicated to Elise and she told the group that the sewer entrance was small and they should put their weapons away. There was a grate at the beginning of the entrance and they would have to remove it. When everyone was ready to continue, the wolf quickly dashed across the short open area and down over the hill into the sewer ditch. One by one they hurried across as quickly and silently as possible. Dawn was approaching. Already the sky was streaking an orange-yellow in the morning sun.