The Villager's Tale |
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Days passed, and the full of the moon neared. The mage looked healthier everyday; he had lost
his unhealthy pallor, and indeed, seemed full of vigor. When questioned about his renewed
health, Jerym would flash a smile, and say,
Tamsin, on the other hand, seemed to be growing paler. Though she still worked her hardest, she seemed tired nearly all of the time. Most, however, put it down to a bad case of cold feet, and paid her no attention. What was so special about the full of the moon, you say? Well, for one, 'twas the night of the Moon festival, when every young swain invited his love to dance away the night of madness. A circle was drawn in the middle of the village, to guard against the madness of the moon, and within it young couples whirled and danced while the fiddlers played on. Ah, those were the days... but I digress. Where was I? Oh yes. Second, as everyone knows, the full of the moon is when a mage acquires his full power. People whispered that Jerym intended to use this power to weave a love spell around Tamsin. They could not have been more wrong. The full of the moon came, and with it, the Moon Festival. I went with Alain's youngest daughter, Susa; a nice girl, with a sweet temperament, but nothing compared to Tamsin. Surprisingly the mage was there as well, smiling smugly, with his arm around an openly unhappy Tamsin. As the fiddlers struck up, and the couples began to sway to the music, I happened to glance at my feet. There, I saw strange patterns drawn in the dirt. Patterns not drawn with any paint I knew of, for I could swear that they had not been there in the morn; and yet they would not smudge, when scuffed with my foot. I tried to erase the lines, using many methods, before a gentle tug from Susa brought my attention to other matters. Later on in the eve, I noticed from the corner of my eye that Tamsin and Jerym were dancing across the square from myself and Susa. Tamsin seemed to be in a great deal of distress, and glanced this way and that like a frightened animal; but Jerym seemed oblivious to her, so intent was he on mastering the steps of the dance. Evidently, the mage had not danced before; but then, there is always a first time, even for mages. The moon rose high in the sky, until it neared its zenith; and only then did the dancing stop. All of the young men and women backed to the edges of the circle, and held hands in a ring, as one by one, couples walked to the center of the ring, and pledged their troth. And after what seemed like an eternity, Jerym and Tamsin walked to the center, Jerym with his hood cast off his head, gripping Tamsin's wrist in his bony hand; Tamsin a-trembling like a child affrighted, with her face downcast. Jerym stood in the center of the ring, the moonlight creating a halo about his head. He slowly turned his head, looking at all of the young men and women, myself and Susa included, ensuring that he had our attention. It was then that he drew his sword. He drew it, a magnificent, bejeweled sword engraved with magical runes, from a scabbard hidden deep within the folds of his cloak. It chilled me to think that he had carried such a weapon with him all of that night; small wonder that Tamsin had sought escape! Then the mage spoke.
"Villagers!" cried Jerym. His voice echoed in the square. "I know that your forest has
long been plagued by an evil demon, twisting your trails and paths, enchanting the trees,
trapping unwary travellers in its woody confines. I have travelled from afar to rid you
of this foul creature!" Tamsin struggled to free herself from his grasp; to no avail.
She looked about wildly, with eyes full of terror; and yet no one moved towards her,
for we were all frozen with fear and apprehension.
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Page design, layout, and contents by Clockwork Penguin Productions. Backgrounds and flower
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Smilies courtesy of Miwa's Farm
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