Legends from The Warlock's Chair - Book One - Ravengaard

Chapter Twenty-nine - Return to the Cottage

Danielle sat huddled against the rain, still wrapped in her Elven cloak.

She was thoroughly miserable now, tired, wet and hungry. It seemed like days since they had set out to find the Dwarves.

The trees stood grey and damp in the swirling wraiths of mist that ribboned the valley floor. In the midst of it all, the great bulk of Ravens Bane thrust skywards. Flickers of light still pulsed within its walls and directly above the clouds roiled thick and black as the dark matter spewed into the atmosphere feeding the malevolence which hung there. Spreading its foulness out into the world around it.

Beneath its ramparts, the Goblyn army begun to stir. Above the clamour of armour and weapons being readied, she heard the shouts of Goblyn commanders giving out their orders.

She stood and looked out over the valley, hoping to detect some sign of civilization, but there was none. The world they knew was being reborn. The forest seemed to have spread even further during the night. Coblynbridge, which should have been visible from their position, had disappeared as if it had never existed.

What had become of the people that lived and worked there?

Even Ceridwen's cottage, its smoking chimney usually visible had vanished from among the trees.

She wondered what would happen if the magic continued to spread and reached Ludlow and the other towns and villages. What about her Nan and aunts and uncles and all the other people that lived in the area?

No! Danielle chided herself, she needed to believe they could stop it, reverse the magic and set everything back the way that it was.

Beside her, George and Jessica began stirring. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, George sat up.

'Any change?' he asked hopefully.

Danielle shook her head, 'Nothing. No word from Eldon, Holt or the Dwarves.'

George stood and stretched; pulling his cloak tighter around himself he joined his sister.

Danielle gazed down into mist and half-light of the valley and could just make out ragged lines of Goblyns forming up around Ravens Bane. Thousand upon thousands of them, ready to push out into the surrounding countryside.

In the dark recesses at the base of the keep's walls, she could see movement. Heavily muscled Trolls, their bodies gleaming with sweat, tugged on thick chains, trying to drag something out of the shadows. Reluctantly the thing moved out into the murky daylight. A demon from The Dark Domain. It walked on four muscular legs, its huge feet armed with razor claws raking the ground as it moved. An elongated reptilian body, covered in red scales, twisted against the chains threatening to pull the Trolls off their feet. It shook its wide spiky head, yellow eyes flashing with anger. A black forked tongue flicked out between rows of needle-like fangs, sampling the air. With its long, spiked tail whipping through the air behind it, the creature roared its fury out across the valley floor.

Other Trolls raced forward carrying long prods which crackled with energy. They jammed them against the beast's flanks, bright blue sparks arced across its hide, forcing it to move forward.

Another of the draconic creatures followed. Trolls dragged and prodded at it. One Troll lost its footing in the mud and fell, releasing the chain it held. Before the others could react, the lizard demon was on him, there was a crunch of flesh and bone and the Troll disappeared into the creature's gaping maw. Another Troll raced forward to grab the chain, wrestling to bring the creature under control.

Even as they watched, a Goblyn, larger and more muscular than the others, strode to the demon's side. It snatched one of the energy prods from a Troll and reaching for the straps of a harness mounted on the creatures back, hauling itself up into the saddle. Grasping the chains attached to its massive jaws, the rider touched the prod to the beast's flanks spurring the creature forward.