Sacred Mountain

Chapter 10: An Accompanying Elder

Voices drifted through the haze and into Daisy's consciousness.

'I think she's coming round. The healing's worked, thank the Goddess! What did you think you were doing Cressida? She's far more sensitive than you realize. I won't let you endanger her again.' Gerda's voice, angry.

'I'm sorry, Gerda,' Cressida's voice was tight with worry. 'I didn't think that would happen but you know what's at stake here.'

Daisy's head was throbbing like it was being hammered by a blacksmith. She cracked her eyes open. The room spun but when it stopped she saw she was lying in bed in her cottage. Jemima and Cressida were at her bedside, leaning over her, brows creased with worry. Gerda was pacing up and down, wringing her hands.

'I'm fine,' she croaked and tried to push herself up to a sitting position but dizziness overcame her. Her vision blurred and she slumped back on the pillow. Jemima wiped her forehead with a wet cloth and whispered shh but Daisy wouldn't be silenced.

'What were . . .who . . . whose were those bones I saw in the cave? They were bigger than any animal I've ever seen,' she stammered.

The two elder Wise Women exchanged a look. Gerda's lips were pressed tightly together.

Cressida sighed, 'They were giants' bones, Daisy.'

'What?' Jemima's voice came out louder than usual. It echoed in Daisy's ears. 'Giants are extinct on the Tarthian continent! They have been for hundreds of years. Wiped out by the Golden Knight's men in the Great Battle, in the time of Hubert the Bold.'

'They were driven back as far as the wilderness north of Crosstain,' Cressida explained, 'but not destroyed completely. The Golden Knight couldn't defeat them so he begged the Burned One for help. She in turn appealed to the dragon and since then, every time a giant has ventured too close to human habitation, the dragon has . . . well, you saw the bones.

'The knight asked the Wise Women to keep the giants' continued existence secret, to let everyone think they'd been wiped out. People had lived in terror of the giants for so long. For generations they'd had to sacrifice their children to feed the Giant King who would eat only human flesh and their livestock had been plundered by his subjects regularly. They were so happy to believe those days were gone. The Wise Women agreed to keep the secret and while the dragon lives to keep them in check, Tarth is safe. But if . . .'

'We won't let that happen!' Daisy interrupted. 'We'll fly to Sacred Mountain – Jemima and I. We're the only ones that can get there fast enough,' she pushed herself up on her elbows. 'We'll heal the dragon. Jemima will think of a plan . . .'

'No, Daisy, I won't hear of it. You know we can't send uncloaked Wise Women alone on a dangerous mission. The Code forbids it and Karin won't survive another long flight like that.'

'Maybe we could bring Daisy's Cloaking forward?' Jemima suggested. 'We could do it tonight even. She's been studying so hard, I'm sure she's ready.'

'She's only thirteen. We're not allowed to Cloak an acolyte under the age of fourteen; the Code's very strict on this. Daisy's birthday's still a week away. We need to find someone to accompany you but there are no Wise Women in Crosstain . . .'

At that moment, Jemima slapped Daisy on the shoulder and shot up from her chair. Her eyes were wide and excited.

'I have an idea!' She rushed out of the cottage, not even bothering to put her cloak on.

Two minutes later she was back, carrying a heavy leather bound book in both hands.

'I got this from the library.' She held it up to show them – gold embossed lettering on the front proclaimed its title, The Codes of Practice of The Wise Women. She laid it on Daisy's bed, opened it up and started rifling through the pages.

'Let's see. I know it's here somewhere . . . Yes! Here! Page three hundred and ninety one: Rules for the Deployment of Acolytes.' She read aloud following the words with her finger, 'Rule thirteen: Uncloaked Wise Woman must not be sent into dangerous situations unless accompanied by an elder. An elder! I was right! Don't you see? It doesn't have to be a cloaked Wise Woman, just one who's over cloaking age.' Gerda and Cressida looked back at her, eyebrows rucked, uncomprehending.

'Annifer!' Jemima almost shouted. 'She's nearly twenty and she's a trained Wise Woman! Alright, she's never been cloaked but according to the Code, that doesn't matter.'

'Annifer?' Gerda asked incredulously. 'But she's on her way to the castle in Loska to be married to Larnick.'

'Poppy can go in her place. You're always saying how similar they look. Nobody from Crosstain has seen Annifer in years, they won't know the difference. Poppy can tell the Crosstainian king that her maid took ill on the journey and they had to send her back, that will explain her arriving alone. She just has to pretend to be Annifer long enough for us to heal the dragon and defeat Morwain.'

Cressida's face clouded over, 'We couldn't expect that of Poppy. Impersonating a royal's a treasonable offence. If the king of Crosstain found out he could have her executed.'

'She'll take the risk,' Daisy interrupted. 'Poppy nearly died when Morwain released the Red Plague in Frailing. My sister will do whatever it takes to stop him.'

'But what about Annifer?' Gerda asked.

'Are you kidding?' Daisy giggled. 'She'd do anything to put off marrying Larnick even if it's a dangerous Wise Woman mission.'

'Let's think,' Jemima wrinkled her forehead. 'Judging by where we saw them on the road yesterday, they'll be sleeping at the last Waystation before the Crossroads tonight. If we fly out tomorrow morning, we should meet them at the Crossroads before they turn off towards Loska. What do you say, Cressida?'

Cressida stared at her hands, her features scrunched in concern. Daisy knew instinctively what was on her mind. Many years ago, two young acolytes in her charge had died - killed by the gorgon. She couldn't bear it if the same thing happened again. Daisy covered the old woman's hands with her own and softened her voice.

'We'll come back safe, Cressida, I promise you.' The Burned One turned her face to Gerda one eyebrow raised in a question. Gerda raked her fingers through her hair, let out a sigh and nodded.

'Alright,' Cressida spoke at last. 'The three of you will go together. Go with my blessing. Gerda, prepare them a strengthening draft.'

And for the second time in as many days, 'You leave at first light,'

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