Sorceress

Chapter 25:

The king leads me from the banquet hall, and through a narrow corridor to an enormous underground lake. The ceiling is low, and the walls curved and muddy. The sides of the cavern are lined with torches, and natural columns rise from the water and attach to the ceiling. Kneeling by the water, the king starts whispering in ancient elvish to the murky green water. I kneel down as soon as it starts to ripple, anxiously staring into the depths. As the water begins to calm, a hazy picture starts to play out in front of me; I see a pile of bodies, and I recognize every single face from my tribe, they are all there, dead. I see a Viking lift a torch to the bodies- the king will only see a torch being lifted, but not see the person lifting it- and set them alight. Gasping, I jump back from the water, haggard gasps racketing through my body. The faerie king waves his hand through the water, and the image disappears. "Now do you believe me?" I nod slowly, still pressed up against the wall of the caverns, shocked, and horrified. Slowly I face the faerie king, and see him smiling. Furiously, I respond to him,

"You think that you are safe from the Vikings?" he begins to chuckle, "You think that they will not destroy you? I have seen their weapons, and their industry in work. You are not as untouchable as you think, and they will kill you. You may not die of old age, but you will die when a sword cuts into you," panting heavily, I frown in confusion as he laugh raucously at my reply to him,

"You are a strong sorceress, but you have get to gain the knowledge that comes with your skill. Just as the I cannot see the Vikings, they will notice neither me nor my kin- they cannot touch us, or our way of life,"

"But do you not care about the other Celtic tribes, the Southern tribes, and what the Vikings will do to them?" the king goes silent, sadness furrowing his brow,

"There is nothing I can do to help them... these Vikings are industry, and I am nature. Nature cannot stand against industry- my powers will simply not work against the Vikings." I get to my feet, gripping the rough wall for support,

"In that case, I have to leave, I have to warn the Southern tribes," the king resumes his laughter,

"They will not believe you," he stops laughing when he sees my infuriated expression, "You are a young girl, with no more than a dagger, and a pouch of herbs. You may think that your powers will make them believe you, but it is not uncommon in the South to have powers like yours. This is where my people and I will help you, we will teach you the knowledge that needs to come with your skill," bowing my head in thanks, I smile back at him,

"I do not have much time, however,"

"Another thing that you must learn, time is no matter for the sidhe, we make time, we weave it, we extend it, you will leave this place at the time that you entered."