The Scrolls of Skava

The Ruby Keep - Part 3

     “Let’s hope so,” said Garnet. “If they find out they’re duplicates, they may not trust what’s written on them.”

     “They won’t find out,” replied Jasper confidently.

☆☆☆

     The translation spell ended while Thomas was still reading the last few sheets, but that part was only a warning from the long dead priest, directed at other priests who might want to use the information. Thomas had had time to read all the important parts. The parts that mattered. He sat there, a look of horror frozen on his face until the others noticed and came racing back. “What is it?” demanded Diana in concern. “What’s wrong?”

     “He’s gone as white as a corpse!” declared Arroc.

     “Tom!” cried Shaun, grabbing the wizard’s shoulder and shaking him. “Tom! What is it?”

     Thomas looked up into the soldier’s eyes and swallowed nervously. His whole body began to tremble. “These are the Scrolls of Skava,” he said at last. “We’ve found them.”

     “What do they say?” demanded Naomi.

     Thomas said nothing for the moment, simply putting the scrolls back in the casket and closing it. There was a faint flash of light as the locking spells were re-activated.

     “Well?” repeated the black girl impatiently. “What do they say?”

     “I think it would be better if I didn’t tell you,” said the wizard, his face still pale with shock. “I think I understand why Resalintas wants the scrolls, and if I’m right then it’s something the enemy must on no account be allowed to find out.”

     “The less we know, the less we can reveal under torture,” said Dennis dryly. “Is that it?” Thomas nodded, looking embarrassed.

     “But Resalintas said it was all right for us ter know,” pointed out Arroc. “So that we could return the information ter him should the scrolls be lost or destroyed.”

     “If that happens, I can give him the information,” said the wizard, “but we have to balance it against the risk of the enemy learning it. I have to ask you to simply trust me on this. Please?”

     “That’s good enough for me,” said Shaun. He turned to the others. “Di and Me’ve known Tom for a long time. We trust him completely. If he says its better for us not to know, then I don’t want to know.”

     “That goes for me too,” agreed Diana.

     Thomas blushed with embarrassment and gratitude. The others grumbled about it, all of them clearly bursting with curiosity, especially Naomi who looked for a moment as though she were going to challenge him further, but in the end even she gave in and agreed not to ask again. The wizard thanked them, and promised them that the time would come when he would be able to tell them. “If I’m right, then it’s something that could turn the tide of the war,” he said. “That’s all I can say.”

     “Would you have any objections if we took the scrolls with us?” Diana asked Jasper and Garnet.

     “They’re no good to us,” replied Jasper, spreading his hands. “Neither of us being able to read a word an’ all. Be my guest, young lady.”

     “Thank you,” said the cleric, smiling in gratitude. “I hope you find happiness here together. May the Gods watch over you and keep you safe.”

     “And you too, young lady,” replied Garnet, bowing low. “Lots of luck wherever you go and whatever you do.”

     They left immediately, in case the real owners of the castle changed their minds and decided to hold them prisoner. Thomas was especially anxious to leave, being acutely conscious that something had been done to him while he’d been asleep. Jasper and Garnet seemed friendly enough, but he wasn’t going to risk alerting them to the full extent of his knowledge in case they suddenly turned nasty, in which case he suspected that they would turn out to have powers and abilities totally beyond their abilities to resist. He just wanted to get out of there, and breathe the clear, fresh air under the open sky again. They said their farewells, therefore, and the two old men showed them the way back out into the courtyard.

     The sky was darkening as they crossed the drawbridge, the yellow sun having already dropped from sight behind the mountains, and most of the light came from a pair of large comets lying close together in the sky above them. Once again Thomas felt a faint tingle as they passed through some kind of barrier or threshold, and then they were out and standing on the reassuringly solid rocky floor of the valley. They paused for a moment and looked back at the Ruby Keep, its topmost spires and turrets still gleaming as they caught the dying rays of the setting yellow sun and the first rays of the rising red sun.

     Thomas had a strange feeling as he gazed up at the walls and battlements, the thin arrowslits and the fluttering pennants with their design of the two legless dragons. He had the unmistakable feeling that the first chapter of his life had come to an end, and that a new chapter had just begun. He imagined some historian of the future writing the story of his life and ending the first volume with the words ‘Little did he know that his life would never be the same again.’ It was true, he realised. He did feel different, although he couldn’t have said in what way. It was as though he were a little less then he had been before. Or perhaps a little more.

     They did something to me in there, he thought fearfully. But what? And why? Maybe I should have asked Jasper and Garnet. Maybe I still can. He took a step forward, but stopped when he realised he was too afraid to go back in. The not knowing was bad enough, but the prospect of going through it again was worse. Besides, he had responsibilities. They had to get the scrolls back to Resalintas.

     “Come on, we’re wasting time,” he said therefore, and he led the way back towards the mouth of the valley.