Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Four

[JMaytr]

Jonathan opens his eyes and looks at Norzak. It is clear the boy is exhausted.

"Norzak! I am so pleased you are here! I was afraid the witch had claimed you all."

[steveflam]

Norzak lays a hand on the lads shoulder. "Tis okay, laddie. We be safe an we thinks the witch be gone fer good. Rest now, yer in good company. We kin talk in tha morning."

[JMaytr]

Jonathan smiles and closes his eyes, falling quickly back to sleep.

[ewancummins]

Wat continues his tale-


''Almost half the night passed as Rollo waited and watched, staying hidden in the tree. He did not dare to fall asleep, lest some hungry beast or evil thing come upon him and do him harm. Near midnight, he began to yawn in spite of himself, so weary was he.''

Your host leans forward to jab the wood in the hearthfire with a sooty stick, which sends sparks dancing up the chimney.

'' Rollo was just beginning to yield his body to sleep- when he heard the hoofbeats in the wood. He listened closely, holding his breath....he heard the clank of armor. He knew at once that it must be no mortal man, but the deathly Rider-in-Iron! He held fast to the tree limb on which he rested and prayed to the kind gods that the Rider would not notice him.''

''As the Rider passed below the tree, Rollo couldn't help but peek at him. The Rider was as pale as dead fish, in his black iron armor. The wind carried no scent of him. His mount was the most ill-favored of horses- a huge beast that was as frightful to look upon as its master.''


''Just then....''


CLOP, CLOP, CLOP

Wats's story is interrupted by loud hoofbeats on the roof of the cabin.

[JMaytr]

Jonathan bolts out of bed quickly. His movements are slightly awkward as his body awakens.

[ewancummins]

Wat gasps in alarm and at stares the ceiling, his face white as a sheet.

The two dogs begin to whine, crawling across the floor to cower beside their master.

[steveflam]

Norzak moves towards the others as Wat relates the tale of the Horseman. Then there's the sound of hooves on the roof? Jon bolts from bed. "O course he be tellin this tale an o course we gonna run into the subject o his tale. We sure be lucky." Norzak orders his shadow outdoors to spy what is on the roof. Be careful, jess get a good look then get back in ere.

"I'm sending me shadow to check it out. If this thing ain livin, we need some silver weapons or magic ones."

[ewancummins]

Norzak's animate shadow skitters out the front door, slipping through a chink between door and door-jamb.

Wat recoils in horror, seeing the living darkness obey the dwarf. The woodsman huddles with his hounds ,near the hearthfire. He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing intelligible comes out, just frightened babbling.

[Adam]

Bennedict drops the pen from his hand, eyes widening at the sound of the hoof beats.

"Nein, no way are we this unfortunate, nein nein nein."

He sees Wat recoiling from the shadow and holds up a comforting hand towards him. "Worry not, it is simply a magical spell of the dwarf's. It will not harm you."

He turns a withering glare towards Norzak as their host wets himself.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"No my eyes have not recovered . As if they would seemingly recover from one night of fitful sleep from the curse of a ghost-witch !!!" Alain pauses in his eating to reply sarcastically to Dorgios question.

In the wake of Alain's outburst, both of Wat's hounds waken and begin to howl.

Dorgio is glad Alain can't see his look of exasperation, followed by a grin when the dog echoes his sentiments. "I was wanting to be certain," he tells the blind man. "Her attacks against myself and Cirdan seem to be recovering, so I was not knowing if the same was true in your case. You fought better blind than I sometimes do with both eyes, though, my compliments."

After that, he listens to Wat's story intently, a smoldering cigarillo in his left hand. At the sound of the hooves, he nearly starts, dropping a hot ember onto his leg.

Seeing Wat's distress, Dorgio takes a place next to him, produces a flask of palinka, and then offers the man a swig.

[ewancummins]

Wat takes a swig of the palinka. He coughs.

Fortified by the fiery liquor, he regains his power of speech, whispering,

''The Rider comes for our souls!''


Cirdan, who had been taking off his armor, now grabs his sword and looks up at the ceiling.

Again, you all hear hoofbeats above you.

CLOP CLOP CLOP

The hounds begin to scratch at the rough wooden floor, as if trying to dig a hole in which to hide themselves.

[JMaytr]

Jonathan gets close to Norzak and whispers in his ear hoping he is the only one who can hear his words.

"Should I change? Maybe the beast can defend us."

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio accepts the flask back, and takes a long pull for himself. "Now might be a good time," he tells Wat, "To finish that story."

[steveflam]

Norzak whispers back "I dunno what they'll think about that. Lookit what appened ta Wat when e seen me shadow. Fer now stay 'uman. Them mutts might go berserk at ye, laddie."

Turning to Benn, he says "Would you prefer one a us goin out to look an get killed? If that's the case, next time you kin go see, k?"

[ewancummins]

Wat takes a moment to watch the ceiling with a nervous eye. He cocks an ear upward, listening intently.

None of you hear any noise on the roof, except the gentle fall of rain. A full minute passes....still only rain drops and the trees swaying in the nightwinds- but no hoofbeats.

Norzak's shadow returns. It slithers to its master to whisper a report.

Wat regards Norzak and his talking shadow with a suspicious eye, but soon recovers his courage and manages to pick up where he'd left off with the tale:

''Rollo watched from the tree, holding his breath.
The tree limb creaked...and then it broke, dropping him in front of the Rider!

The Rider reared its mount and drew its sword. Rollo told my grandfather, years later, that he was so scared he could hardly get to his feet, but that he knew he'd die if he turned and ran or if he didn't get up off the ground. Somehow, he got up and faced the Rider, though his heart was frozen with fear.

Rollo cried out-

''Please don't kill me!''

The Rider spoke. Its voice was hollow and cold-

'MY QUEEN COMMANDS ME TO SLAY ALL ENEMIES!'

Rollo had managed to regain his wits, at least as much as anyone might in such a terrible place.

Rollo thought to trick the Rider, for he knew he'd never be able to get away unless he had a lead- and a refuge in which to hide till morning came.

He reached into his bag and grabbed the first valuable thing he could find- a little tin mirror he'd bought from the Tinker-folk. He held it out to the Rider and said-

''I'm no enemy of your Queen. See, I've brought her treasure!''

The Rider-in-Iron took the mirror from Rollo and held it in front of his dead face. The Rider stared so long that Rollo saw this as his chance to escape.

Rollo ran through the trees as fast as he could. He could hear the Rider in pursuit. Remembering that a bog lay not far away, he made for it with all his might. He dove into the muck and hid himself. Three times , the Rider circled the bog, but it gave up at last and rode away into the night. Rollo hid in that cold, stinking mire till the sun rose. The Rider was gone, and only hoofprints of withered grass showed that it had ever been there... ''