They all heldhands and seconds later reappeared in a small clearing. The groupscattered and went to ground. A minute later three troopers weresent out to scout. Five minutes later they walked back reportingthat somehow the rebels must have been warned as the rebel camp wasdeserted but there was evidence of very recent occupation, such aswarm cups of tea, clothing and a fire still smouldering.
The captain wasupset. Darkmantle would be fuming. He ordered them to scatteraround and look for evidence which way they had gone but suspectedthat they would have teleported. Miranda kept a close watch on bothLash and the small dark brown spider although it was difficult tosee in the dark even with the dark vision ritual that they hadundergone.
They allwandered through the deserted camp and eventually the spiderstarted to move closer to Lash. It touched Lash on the leg with oneof its legs and Lash told it to get lost or it would feel her whip.The spider moved away. Miranda felt that it must have been Aquitaintrying to contact Zephira only to find she couldn’t remember him.This was her chance she had to take or leave now before they werecalled together by the Captain.
She carefullymoved close to the spider so that it could see her andwhispered.
‘Aquitain it’sme, Miranda. I know I don’t look like her but I’ve beenpolymorphed. Can we talk?’
She was totallyunprepared for the power word that stunned her and didn’t see thesmall spider’s body go limp and lifeless as the malign spirit leftit to possess her body. When she came back to her senses she sawLash staring at her from several paces away. She saw the dead bodyof the small spider at her feet then realized to her horror whatmust have happened. How could she have been so foolish?
A voice insideher head said.
‘Hello Miranda,it’s me, your worst nightmare. Why don’t you tell me all about yourfriend Aquitain or you’ll soon pray fervently to all the gods increation that you were never born.’
Shortly afterthey left Glammer appeared and removed the old leather collar offthe dead Llanllean body, she noticed Slivver was gone then she toovanished.
**
Miranda feltclaustrophobic. Somehow the spirit that possessed her had managedto constrict her spirit and restrain it to a small part of herbody. She was no more than a passenger. The spirit teased her byshowing her glimpses of where her body was, but nothing more. Itwas up to something but she didn’t know what.
She felttricked, annoyed, used and useless all at the same time. How was itable to possess her so easily? How was she going to get out of thissituation? As far as she knew it didn’t know about the specialability of her bracelet or the portal stone in the pouch at herside.
‘You’re goingto learn to hate me. He he. I took your friends body and sent hismind mad. He he. Now his body is dead and I have you to play with.He he. ’ It said then blocked her off again.
Her mind froze.Aquitain was dead. It couldn’t be true. She wouldn’t believe ituntil she saw proof. She would get him resurrected again but shewas trapped. What if this horrid creature killed her body? Whatwould The Lady do?
She feltherself teleport. Then she was allowed to see through her own eyes.There were a large number of troops wearing Darkmantle’s coloursall standing around weapons drawn and waiting. There must have beenat least a hundred of them. She couldn’t remember seeing that many.They must have been hidden somewhere. Someone behind her beganchanting arcane words that she recognized immediately. It was agateway opening power. She saw the soldiers line up and startrunning into the gateway and all vision and sound was cut off. Shehad a bad feeling about this.
She felt themagic of the gateway as she passed through it, then nothing forseveral minutes. Finally she was allowed to see again and her worstfears were realized. She was in her own home. She saw her peopleand Crin lying dead and dying everywhere. She saw her scimitar inher hand covered in Crin blood. Her view turned and followed Lashas she came running up to Darkmantle.
‘I think we’vegot them beaten, Milord. There are still a few hiding in buildingsand the odd couple putting up resistance but we should be able tocontain them soon.’
‘Good don’tkill them all. Try to get them to surrender. Put them in chains andwe’ll use them in the games at the Queen’s ball. It should be quiteentertaining. Won’t Snowbelle get a surprise to discover she hasn’tgot a home anymore. Ha ha ha ha. I think we’ll go home and preparefor the Queen’s ball. Ha ha ha ha.’
She heard alittle girl scream in a building. She felt her body running towardsthe building, enter the door. A little girl … it was Torna lying onthe floor with a soldier standing over her with his sword out. Sheheard herself tell the soldier to leave and call the little girlover to her. The soldier left and Torna stood up ran over to herand cuddled into her still crying. She saw herself pull Torna offand place her hands around the little girls throat. She saw thelittle girl gasping for breath as the life was choked out of her.She saw the terrible look of fear in the little girl’s eyes.
Miranda wantedto scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to hate. Why was The Ladyallowing this to happen?
‘Hello inthere.’ said the spirit.
‘Don’t you justlove these occasions? Do you know that you killed three of the antwarriors yourself? And this poor little innocent little girl, thefear on her face as you choked her and the curious way her eyespopped out. It was so delicious. Wait I think I hear another childcrying. I better have look for the poor little darling. This issuch a lovely body. I just can’t wait to share it with a few of thesoldiers. I’ve picked out a couple of the more brutal ones just foryou. He he he.’
Miranda wasmore distressed than she had ever been in her whole life. She
