Adventuresome

Chapter 21

The marsh spirit, breathing heavily, closed her eyes for a moment. Then she shook out her hair and stood firm and stoic once more.

"I am Dominick, the ancient spirit of the wind. I am telling you I trust these humans to do what they can to right the wrongs done to you. Well," he added lazily, "I know little of the crewmembers. But I urge you to allow me to take watch over them and guard them carefully while we pass through your marsh."

Lilliana looked from the staff in her hands to the marsh spirit standing before them. The marsh spirit looked anything but happy. The spirit looked at the corpse laying at her feet. Even Lilliana could see that the marsh spirit would rather kill them all than do as Dominick said. But Dominick was the more powerful spirit.

Dominick had belonged to her family for untold generations. He had been an integral part of the empire since its creation. How could she, Lilliana, be worthy of weilding him? She felt so useless.

"You are not welcome in this hallowed place." The marsh spirit said softly. "Leave this part of the marsh and never return. I will allow you to follow the path that leaves the marshlands towards the north. Do not mistake this for generosity." She added. Then the ripples in the water disappeared, the reeds became still, and the marsh spirit turned her back on the travelers.

She walked further in towards the graveyard. While she walked, a mist pulled up around her and she faded into it, her corporeal form dissipating.

Perrin sheathed her sword at last.

The injured rower scrambled away from the corpse he had fallen over. The other three rowers stood in the distance, still far too afraid to come closer and hear what had happened. Lilliana was surprised they had even stayed within sight of the events.

"What happens now?" the injured rower said.

"Now we leave," Dominick said shortly. "Stand up you fool and get moving."

In silence, the group carefully walked out of the graveyard. They passed the dry barren patches and this time Lilliana recognized them as having been burned.

She knew the marsh spirit would be watching over them carefully while they stayed in her marsh lands. They would have little room for mistakes. Should they wander into another of her sacred sites as they had with the graveyard, Lilliana doubted it would be so easy to appease her.

They walked some ways away from the graveyard before the path the marsh spirit had spoken of revealed itself. The ground here was still damp and unpleasant, but easier to walk on than crossing the wetlands had been before.

After they had walked for over an hour, Lilliana finally dared to ask Dominick.

Please, can you explain to me what the marsh spirit meant?

At the same time that she asked him silently, Perrin spoke out loud.

"Enough already, this silence is oppressive. Lilliana, Dominick, whoever can answer my questions. What happened back there? And what was that girl talking about with the invading army?"

"I, well, I'm not sure either what exactly happened." Lilliana admitted.

"Great." Perrin said. "Just great. I knew I shouldn't have followed you from the city. Ever since I met you things have just gotten more complicated."

"Well I apologize for breaking you out of prison." Lilliana said, sharper than she meant to. "And you know that staying with us has been your best chance to get out of the city safely."

"Yeah, safely." Perrin said with a snort.

The rowers were farther back, not listening to the conversation but having some kind of discussion of their own while they helped NAME walk on his injured leg.