Both Sanson andthe High Druid exchanged a few words and then the high druidchanged shape to a naked Featherdown. He spoke a few words of magicand was instantly clothed in his battle leathers. He walked over tothe paralysed priest, pried open his jaws and cut out his tonguewith a small sharp knife. He removed the rings off the priest’sfingers checked for other magic items, removed them also thenplaced some iron manacles around his wrists and legs. He thenstrolled over to Aquitain.
‘To havesurvived this battle unharmed you are obviously more skilled andcapable than you have led me to believe. I told you I would getCurbut. I am a man of my word. He is now dust. Are you content? Wehave also captured a priest who the new High Druid said was justour imagination. I shall enjoy seeing him squirm and we might findout a bit more about what’s happening.’
‘I didn’t knowthat you could turn into a dragon.’ said Aquitain quiteimpressed.
‘It was just anillusion.’ replied Featherdown.
‘It lookedpretty real to me.’ replied Aquitain.
‘Ah. That’s themark of an expert illusionist.’ chuckled Featherdown andwinked.
‘Thank you foryour help.’ said Sanson using mindspeak.
‘I’m sorry youlost so many warriors I did what I could to help.’ replied Aquitainusing mindspeak.
‘I am honouredand a little surprised that you chose to help us since we fightunder the banner of Queen Snowbelle.’ said Sanson.
‘Even thoughthere might be tension between Princess Miranda and her mother thatdoes not mean that she would abandon her people in a time of need.The princess would expect me to aid you. I also had a personalquarrel with their wizard leader and that priest.’ repliedAquitain.
‘Are you awarethat the Princess Miranda passed through the gateway bound andhooded some hours ago led by an Elendari hunter?’
‘What!’exclaimed Aquitain. ‘Are you sure? She was supposed to be visitingthe Wolf people’s village.’
‘There is nodoubt. I have known her scent for years as I have watched her growfrom a small child to the confident woman she is today. I wouldhave intervened and asked the hunter why she was wounded and boundbut I feared that I might ruin one of her schemes to pass throughthe gateway. She must have smelt Crin nearby but didn’t utter aword.’
‘Damn.’ thoughtAquitain. ‘It looks like someone wants me in Moonmist urgently. Ibetter get a move on.’
So he glancedto see if any members of the Elendari escort were visible at thekeep entrance but they weren’t.
‘I need to goto Moonmist.’ he said to Featherdown. ‘Can you give me a gatepass?’
‘I wouldn’tadvise going there.’ replied Featherdown.
‘It’s not anice place. It’s dark all the time. They don’t seem to have a sunlike us, only a faint moon. Everything you eat there is toxic andwill drain your memory. Time is different too. One day there isroughly equal to five here.’
‘Miranda hasbeen taken there against her will I think.’ said Aquitain.
‘By the Powers,you’ve corrupted her. She used to be such a nice young girl. Sinceshe met you she can’t keep out of trouble! You better go and saveyour chosen I suppose. I’ll give you a gate pass. You’ll also needa magic item as toll and be careful of the gatekeeper she can be aproblem. If you have trouble with her change to your Llanllean formthat should help.’
Aquitain wasn’tquite sure whether Featherdown was joking or not so he let itpass.
Quab finishedhealing the Crin and came over to them.
‘We had betterget moving or the real High Druid might appear.’
‘Hello AquitainI’m glad to see you alive and well. Congratulations on yourbetrothal. Please tell Miranda that I’m really sorry and deeplyembarrassed that I lost faith in her. After Featherdown told mewhat had really happened, I felt so stupid. It won’t happen again.You both have my absolute trust. Take care. May The Lady be withyou.’
‘Thank youQuab, I’ll tell her when I find her.’ replied Aquitain.
‘What do youmean when you find her?’ asked Quab a little alarmed as Featherdownhanded Aquitain a hastily written gate pass.
‘This shouldget you through the guards at this end. The other end is yourproblem but I’m sure that you’ll find a way.’ he said with a littlesarcasm.
‘Before I gosomething strange happened during the fight. Perhaps you canexplain it.’ queried Aquitain and he told them about being attackedby the winged creature wearing golden armour with the big sword. Hetold them that he had stunned it with a mental attack and it hadevaporated.
‘You must havea hidden guardian.’ replied Featherdown.
‘The goldencreature you have described is likely to be a holy avenger, a sortof holy assassin employed by the gods. They usually attack underthe cloak of invisibility or darkness. The priest probably prayedto his god to send it. You were extremely lucky that your attackimmobilized it and it decided to leave.’
‘What wouldhappen if I killed it?’ asked Aquitain curiously.
‘I would besurprised if you could kill it but if you did I would imagine thatit would simply be resurrected by its god. However, you wouldundoubtedly attract the interest of the god that sent it.
‘That’s what Ithought might happen.’ muttered Aquitain a little worried.
‘Thank youFeatherdown I need to go and find Miranda.’
Aquitain wavedthem goodbye and ran off towards the gate. The live Crin had formedgroups and were carrying their dead. One group after the otherteleported away and by the time Aquitain entered the keep thebattleground was empty except for the small pools and splashes ofcongealed blood on the ground rapidly drying in the hot sun.
‘Thank you forsaving my life.’ he said using mindspeak to his hidden guardian butgot no answer. He would have liked to be able to sit back andcontemplate what had happened but there was no time. He now knew hehad a hidden guardian. He was quite pleased in some ways. He wasn’talone anymore.
‘Do you thinkthe death of that holy avenger thing will attract the attention ofthe Powers.’ he asked.
‘Without adoubt.’ replied a voice. ‘We are being tested. Avoid fighting andthey will not be able to gauge our true strength. Now forget aboutme.’ And all thoughts of the guardian disappeared from Aquitain’smind.
Aquitain didn’tneed a pass. Most of the keep guards had watched the fight and werenot prepared to challenge him in
