The night was cold as a fresh blanket of snow began falling from the sky. There was no wind so the snow fell steady to the ground. There was little light at this late hour save for the watch fires on the outskirts of the village that reflected their soft light on the snow.
"What do you see?" Quinn asked. Sizrit sat on his shoulder with his eyes closed. It took all of his effort to sift through the bombardment of visions that came to him when he began to focus his scrying.
“The spirits of this land are very strong. It's hard enough to concentrate without you asking questions" Sizrit snapped. “I’ve never seen so many paths at once. It's difficult to get a lock on her."
“Well keep trying. I think that's her hut there." He pointed to a small round hut with dark glass windows devoid of light. A black sash hung over the door, more than likely symbolizing the death of Othura. Quinn took a glance in both directions and over his shoulder, being sure there was no one watching him. He crept to the window and, gripping the sill with his hands, hoisted himself up to peer into the window. There was no one inside. He moved around to the front of the building, careful to keep to the shadows of the hut as he went.
"Oh!" Sizrit said exasperated. “It’s no use. The land's spirits are interfering with my scrying ability. I can't find her."
“I think I can though. Look there, in the snow. Footprints. I think there fresh." Quinn knelt down to examine the prints in the freshly fallen snow. "Too small to be a man. It's her alright."
“Then we had better get moving before this snow covers up her tracks." The two of them stealthily made their way out of the village, being extra careful to avoid the watch fires. They followed the tracks to the forest just outside of the village. Quinn shuddered to think of what horrible creatures lurked in the forest at night. He steeled his courage, however, and continued forward into the gloom.
“I can't see anything." Quinn whispered.
“That’s ok. I can. Just keep moving forward." Sizrit sat on his shoulder attempting to be Quinn's eyes. Quinn stumbled a few times but for the most part made little noise as he made his way through the dark brush. Sizrit tapped Quinn on the side of his head with his beak to signal him to stop.
“I can see a light up ahead. Can you see it?"
"Not yet." Quinn squinted to try and get a better look but still couldn't make out the light. “We’re not close enough. My eyes aren't as keen as yours in the dark."
“I’ll fly on ahead. Wait here and stay out of sight." Sizrit took off from his shoulder and into the palpable darkness. He returned a few moments later.
"Come on, Quinn, you have to see this." There was a strange excitement in his voice.
“What?" Quinn asked confusion plain in his voice. He probed forward in the dark to the edge of a clearing where he could now see in the light of a flickering camp-fire. His eyes widened with astonishment at what he saw. "By the bard! What's that?" Quinn gasped. Before them was a plain hut with a hay thatched, peaked roof and circular windows. The whole hut was held aloft by a giant pair of chicken legs.
“It’s called the Baba Hut." Sizrit said. “I didn't think it actually existed. Believed to be a children’s story. There's a rhyme: When Baba sleeps and dines inside, Chicken Legs will stand with pride. When Baba walks and travels out, Chicken Legs will walk about. When Baba sings and dances there, Chicken Legs will be her pair."
“Hmmm. What do you suppose it's doing then?" Quinn glanced at the tall fowl legs.
“Well, according to the rhyme, when the legs are standing like that there's someone inside it." Sizrit answered. “I would assume Aluthine is using it as a safe house."
"She's in that thing!? How do we get inside?" Suddenly there was a flash of red near the hut and two men appeared from the air.
“Get down!" gasped Sizrit. Quinn ducked into the underbrush where he could still see the clearing. The hut slowly began to lower itself like a nesting hen until the door was level with the ground. The door opened and Aluthine walked from it to greet the two men who Quinn recognized as the other two Red Wizards from the tower. To his surprise they bowed before Aluthine.
“Direz, Malek. It's about time!" Aluthine addressed the bowing men with a voice that was not her own, but that of a man. “I was beginning to think you had turned yellow." Aluthine's form began to melt and in her place stood a red robed man heavily adorned in various forms of gaudy jewelry. He was bald like the others but wore a golden circlet encrusted with black jet.
“Lord Kahn." One of the bald men said as he stood “We were delayed. We were attacked and Foreth was captured."
"I know Direz." Kahn said turning cold eyes on the mage. “He was brought to the trial and nearly blew our cover. The witches are growing suspicious of Aluthine."
“What of the Halfling?" The other man, Malek, asked.
“A nuisance is all. One that nearly cost us everything. It would have been preferable if he would have died in place of Foreth but events proved unlucky in that respect."
“Yes and that white haired bitch cost us that!" Direz spat.
“Agreed." Malek nodded “A Harper by the looks of her."
"I'm flattered." Sizrit sneered under his breath to Quinn.
“If the Harpers are alerted to our presence then we must move quickly before another of their damnable ranks decides to stick their nose where it doesn't belong again." Kahn turned to the hut “My dear it is time." Quinn gasped when he saw the real Aluthine emerge from the hut in tattered rags for clothes. She seemed to be in a daze and walked as if hypnotized towards the mage. “Let’s begin."
“We have to do something." Quinn said and began to stand. He looked around but Sizrit had disappeared. The wizards began to chant something and Aluthine moved to the fire with the mask in her hand. She began to call out to the forest in an ancient tongue. All of a sudden there was a loud crack and bright flash of light on the other side of the clearing. The wizards stopped chanting and turned snarling eyes towards the form on the other side of the clearing. It was Sizrit in the white woman's form smiling deviously at the trio.
“I’m not interrupting anything am I. “She said with a sly grin.
To Be Continued...
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