Dawning of a Seer

Marwolaeth's Wrath

After a fretful morning of worry, Winter had come to the knowledge tree to seek Luna out and broke the news that Blossom was suffering a fever and would need to remain in confinement. Her demeanour towards Luna was warm and cheerful, which at first made Luna wary of her intentions. Winter encouraged her to go out into woodland to replenish the required ingredients for the enchantments, adding it would be good to get fresh air and sunshine. In the evening Winter had returned, her demeanour unchanged, and assisted Luna to finish the preparations required and caste the nightly enchantments that protected the woodland herself.

Now Luna sat at alone at Blossom's table covered in opened tomes and dried herbs watching the candle flame flicker as she pondered the strangeness of the day that was almost gone. Luna's eyes were weary and she fought to stay awake in fear that she might unleash some magical catastrophe whilst she slept, but she soon succumbed to slumber.

As Luna came to her senses she could smell the sweet and musty scent of hay and horses so it was no surprise to see two chestnut mares tethered to a nearby tree as she turned towards the light of a campfire where Baine was bent down stacking wood. The Seer was nowhere to be seen and instead of alerting Baine to her presence she watched him from the shadows. His strong arms flexed as he assembled the logs into a pile in readiness to add them to the flames as the fire burnt down. For some reason, the memory of his scent filled her senses and she suddenly longed for him to turn towards her and look at her with his dark eyes.

A twig snapped behind her and she swung around to find the Seer walking towards her, the orb atop his staff bathing her in a soft blue light. "Your powers are growing indeed," commented the Seer placing his hand on Luna's shoulder as he walked past her towards the camp.

"What do you mean?" Luna followed him, feeling her cheeks blush as she noticed Baine was now watching her.

"I did not summon you here." Said the Seer as he sat himself down on the furs that covered the ground near the fire.

"Then how . . . ?" Baine started to ask.

"She is where is wishes to be," the Seer smiled as he ignored their glances and stared into the fire.

"You mean to say I came here by my own free will?"

"So it would seem." The Seer looked thoughtful.

..........................................

Grot's mouth was dry but he managed to summon some spit from somewhere and spat as he cursed ceremoniously to his god before he crept out from the boulder as the death hounds drew closer, their high pitch howls reverberating inside his mud shell. He knew he had to move quickly, but his movement was now much impeded.

The three-headed hound rose from his haunches and snarled in anticipation as the iron of the Mortis Gate behind him began to grind against the rock as it wound itself back ready to release the death hounds from the realm of shadow into the mortal world beyond. The snake started to sway it's hooded head, knocking its bed of bones across the cavern floor as it's body wreathed about as if entranced by the sound of the howls.

Finding it now difficult to move his legs properly, Grot decided to take tiny jumps towards the gate but his movement caught the attention of the snake guardian who quickly propelled itself towards him knocking Grot off his feet, causing him to roll into the path of the other guardian as his giant clawed feet stomped just inches from where Grot came to rest, lodged against a boulder. As the snake coiled back around and darted towards him the heads of the hound bowed down, teeth bared in snarls mistaking the snake's intentions. The snake quickly drew back and the three-hound advanced towards it, snapping ferociously.