ZIHAEN, The Shadow of the Revenaunt, Book 2

CHAPTER 17 - GOING WEST

Two days later, they departed for what should be the last part of Ghyll's quest. With a careless gesture, Bo brought the Companions with their horses and mules to Rabogst, their point of departure for the west.

The moment they emerged in the portal, the smell of aromatic oils and the sound of singing from the sanctuary let them know that the temple was back in service.

Torril was the first to step outside into the sun and he stopped short on the threshold, exclaiming loudly. Ghyll hurriedly joined him, and saw why. In the short time since their first visit, Rabogst-Village had come to life. The empty houses had all been repaired, and people had returned to them. Chickens scratched in the streets, clean laundry fluttered between the walls like banners – a street scene like a thousand others in the kingdom.

'They must have used magic,' Olle said, 'to manage all this so quickly.'

From the shadow of the temple a young, blonde girl stepped shyly forward. Ghyll recognized her as the new portal adepta whom the Red Order had sent. He couldn't remember her name.

'Avelore,' Bo said, and the tone in his voice had Ghyll look back in astonishment. Bo?

The firemage's face as he stared at the girl bore a strange mixture of desire and uncertainty.

The young adepta bowed. 'Welcome, Royal Highnesses.'

'There's been some hard work done here,' Ghyll said.

The girl beamed. 'Oh, Sire, all temples have done their best to put the village and the castle back in order as fast as possible. Now all those poor people who were lured to Derivall have come back and there even are Rabogst sheep on the heath again! We hoped secretly that you would come to see it when it was ready.'

'Am I too early then?' Ghyll said with a smile.

Avelore blushed. 'No, Sire, certainly not. The work is almost finished. You know,' she said, 'At first I wasn't happy that the temple sent me here after that foolish thing I did with a fire elemental in Leudra City, but now it's all so nice again, I don't mind anymore.'

Over her shoulder, Ghyll gave Bo, who had opened his mouth to say something, a warning frown. Then he looked at the girl.

'Was it you who let that branneman escape?' he asked quietly.

Avelore brought her hands to her mouth. 'Oh,' she said in a small voice. 'Mainal help me, you were the one who defeated the monster. O Sire, it was an accident. I'm so sorry, it was the cat, you see. My cat...'

'The cat?' Bo said. 'What cat?'

'My cat, magister; look.' Her hand disappeared into her robe and pulled out a small orange kitten. 'Tibas!' she said proudly.

The creature mewed plaintively and Avelore put it down. 'You can play here, Tibas,' she said. 'It's safe now.' The look she gave Ghyll was disarming in its artlessness. 'You see, I had forgotten to pick him up before I called that fire elemental. Tibas is so playful, he had one of my ward stones before I knew what was happening. I was too late; the branneman had already escaped before I could place the ward back. Oh, that poor Father DeLamon, it's my fault.' The girl burst into tears. 'I'm so terribly sorry.'

'DeLamon was an idiot,' Bo said fiercely. 'That he was slain by the fire elemental was his own fault, don't worry about it. But to take a cat to a summoning isn't such a good idea.'

Avelore sobbed. 'No, I will never leave him alone again when I am practicing.'

'That seems very sensible,' Ghyll said. 'Well, what's done is done, and as magister Bernabo said, Father DeLamon should have known better. Let it be forgiven, adepta.' He nodded kindly to her and turned to the others. 'Let's go and admire the village.'