Carack

Carack Ch7 p4

Gerent spent the morning being pushed around by N’zar as they went out onto the castle walls and walked around the castle. N’zar told Gerent he was lucky he was not back in the cell, which was due to the fact that he had produced the hauberk to help Sancret. By lunchtime Gerent was getting fed up with being poked in the back and almost wished he was in the cell. He had decided to say nothing until he could speak with Sancret, but they did not have any news of him during the morning. At lunch the Brownies were sombre and quiet, Umberstan appeared for a brief momnet to tell them that Sancret was looking better but his condition had not altered much. After lunch N’zar went to sleep on the settle and Cam and Wampa took over guarding Gerent, they at least did not push him around. They were interested to see the castle though and Gerent showed them around, although he avoided the long gallery and the room at the end. 

The evening passed in the same cold silence and Gerent was locked in his room before the sun had set, as though everyone was fed up guarding him.

Gerent was woken by the sound of muffled cheering, which seemed to come up from the lower floors of the castle; he raced to the door and banged on it shouting to be let out. No one responded and the sound of cheering died away, Gerent dressed as quickly as he could and again banged on the door shouting to be let out.

‘’Oi be not deaf, quit yer hollerin! Oi’m tryin’ to turn the blessed key Master Hugh.’ came Wampa’s plaintive voice from the other side of the door and indeed Gerent could hear the sounds of someone fiddling with the lock. Eventually Gerent heard the huge key turn and he pulled the door inward, almost yanking Wampa inside as he did so.

‘What was all the cheering about?’ he asked.

‘’How should ‘Oi know? ‘oi been sitting here all night.’ Wampa complained and Gerent started to run down the corridor, ‘wait for me!’ shouted Wampa hurrying after him, ‘Master ‘Zar will ‘ave my hide if you appear without me! ’Oi’m suppose to be on guard duty.’ Gerent slowed to allow Wampa to catch up and then carried on, as fast as Wampa would go, towards Sancret’s room. The door was closed and Gerent opened it a fraction, to peer in without being seen. He sighed with relief. Sancret, though still looking fragile, was sitting up in bed and eating soup. N’zar, Cam and Meendhu were around his bed and there were two Brownies sat crossed legged on it, one of whom was holding the soup bowl. Sancret glanced up at the part opened door, gave a weak smile and waved his hand in invitation for Gerent to enter. Everyone turned to look, so Gerent pushed open the door further and edged his way into the room, his head down. Sancret held his hand held out and Gerent crossed over to him. Without saying a word, Sancret took and squeezed Gerent’s hand, as if to say that he knew Gerent had not meant to harm him. After this he leaned back against his pillows again, smiling but with a tired look and Umberstan ushered everyone from the room.

They all went down to the living room where N’Zar and Cam had already had breakfast. Gerent and Wampa sat at the table and the giggly Brownie appeared. She took Wampa’s order but was not very pleased to see Gerent and asked him in a short manner what he wanted. When he asked for fried egg on fried bread she tossed her head and turned on her heel before disappearing. On her return she banged the plate down in front of Gerent and disappeared at speed as if afraid of being told off for her rudeness. N’zar, Cam and Meendhu had sat on the settles and had their heads close together, whispering; Gerent was almost tempted to repeat one of his mother’s favourite sayings, ‘don’t you know it’s rude to whisper?’ But decided discretion was better and kept quiet.

Wampa went to sleep after breakfast and Gerent got the impression that none of the others were inclined to guard him when he got up and walked out of the living room and no one followed or tried to stop him although he knew they had seen him go. He wandered around and found himself in the long gallery, glancing over his shoulder to see he was not followed he went into the room at the end of the gallery and looked up at the ‘Milky Way’ cloud as he had dubbed it. The cloud was thicker and circling again, not as fast as it had the first time he saw it, but certainly better than when he had last seen it. The planets contained within the cloud had solidified, but still had some way to go before they were back to full strength. The cloud was a uniform grey colour, the variations had not yet returned and yet Gerent knew Sancret was getting stronger.

‘I wish you knew I didn’t mean to hurt you and how sorry I am.’ he said up to the cloud.

‘I do know’ Sancret’s voice whispered in his ear. Gerent whirled round, there was no one there. He spun around to face the other side of the room, but still he was alone.

‘Come and see me’ The voice said and this time it seemed to come down from the cloud. Gerent looked up at it, smudges of charcoal grey were appearing within the mass. Gerent felt afraid, Sancret wanted him to go to his room and, with a feeling of reluctance, Gerent turned on his heel. Heclosed the door behind him as he went, telling himself he would have to face this first interview at some point.

Gerent pushed open the door of Sancret’s room and found the young Warlock sat up waiting for him and loking straight at him as he entered. Gerent stepped into the room and was relieved to see a smile on Sancrets wane face.

‘Come, sit beside me Gerent, you have seen my sawol is looking better?’ Sancret patted the covers right beside him.

‘Your what?’ asked Gerent, perching on the edge of the bed near his feet.

‘My sawol, you would probably think of it as a cloud mass. It’s in the room at the end of the long gallery, the sawol room.’

‘Yes, But what is it? How could you be hurt because I - what’s a sawol?’ Gerent leant forward as he asked.

‘A sawol, you don’t – you didn’t know?’

‘No.’ Gerent shook his head.

‘That explains it; I knew you would not hurt me on purpose. I just knew. I told Meendhu you wouldn’t. Sawol in your world would be – ah – soul, that’s it, a soul. That cloud mass is my soul.’ Sancret explained.

‘No way. You mean your soul is not in you, like we have ours inside us?’ asked Gerent in amazement.

‘Oh it was once inside me, the same as you and everyone. I suppose it sort of still is really, you see this castle is now part of me, its power is my power and my power is everywhere in it and so the castle is a sort of extended body to me. Nothing comes for nothing and to be the Warlock of this castle the price I had to pay was to promise to remain here until I cease to exist. Part of honouring that pledge was to envelope the castle into my psyche. It is a story that is a well known part of the Widenbrea myth everywhere. N’Zar, Meendhu and even I assumed you would have heard it somewhere, from Madrom perhapes. It’s partly my fault this happened. Me and my studying. I should have shown you around yesterday instead of leaving you fend for yourself.’ Sancret said.

‘I should have known better and left it well alone as I didn’t know what it was, I’m really sorry.’ Gerent hung his head.