Larkspur Mittel: The Lark & Owl Trilogy

29 - Woven

Adelmus, Ivan, Aggie, and Marcus all looked at Hero. Her face flushed, and her hand automatically fell to her satchel.

"No need to insult these poor children, Dillabomba, they've been through 'nuff as it is," Pa-nush interrupted.

Samoht ignored him.

"Brought grim news from your city, told us what we already knew, of the King's disappearance and so on. A rotten mess, eh? We shared some bread, and then he was off again while the sun was still kind. He'd of made it through the Fen well before sunset and without problem. Twas' a brief visit. Had urgent business afar, he said."

Hero and Adelmus looked at one another hopefully.

"Master Ogdin was here! Well that's a relief!" Adelmus blurted.

"Why?" Samoht asked sharply.

"Well, he- I guess it means he might be looking for us?"

"And he might not!"

Adelmus sat back in his chair, unsettled by the grumpy Samoht.

"Who else was here?" Hero asked, hoping to calm their host once again, and to perhaps hear news of Gaulus.

Samoht scratched the nest on his head, and pulled out a short piece of reed which had been stuck there. He threw it into the fire.

"A few of them soldiers from the city, scaredy-macs, that's what we called 'em, Pancake and I! The Mistress says they carry evil in their hearts. Turned back to the city on their big beasty long-legs once they reached evening in the Fen. Didn't fancy being Fen nosh, I reckon."

"Soldiers all the way out here?!" Marcus cried, truly alarmed.

Pa-nush sat up straight in his chair.

"How long ago was that?" he asked.

"Oh maybe four or five nights afore. Taking inventory, they said!"

"Inventory?"

"For that wandought Grimsoll Bolvekr- for the lands he hopes to rule. Though they didn't say as such. Mistress told me. She said-" Samoht lowered his voice here, "that Grimsoll was hungry. Starving. Raving-mad guppered for revenge. The more his hunger grows, the darker his power has become. A far-reaching wicked power that sets him apart from all others."

He glanced at his mistress in the corner, and nodded as though she'd just said something and he was agreeing with her.

"What do you mean, 'revenge'?" Hero asked.

"He wants his city back. He wants his arm back too, ha!"

"His arm?" Ivan asked.

Samoht quickly relayed to them the story of how Grimsoll Bolverk lost his arm, of the northern lark woman who was never found, and how the uncle, Hallus Bolvekr, had fallen to his death from the northern minaret.

"Who was the woman? Why didn't they find her?" Hero wanted to know, watching as Aggie picked up the little dog and put him on her lap. The fish soup had given Aggie some strength, she noticed.

"They say she might have been a lark spirit, though that's just talk. More likely she was just very brave, and found herself in a situation where her choices were limited," Pa-nush replied.

"That's one way of putting it!" Samoht laughed, and then just as quickly grew serious again and turned to Marcus.

"Ye asked about his power...Grimsoll Bolvekr has a fierce skill passed down to him from that uncle who reared him. He only has to look at a man to curse and cut him to pieces. Ay, even though some say he is just an old fustylugs, we have heard that his power is masterly now in his old age. And like all creatures that grow fearful when closer to death, his particular skill has unleashed itself into our world with a gnashgabbing rage!"