‘No nothing new Warden; we’ve spent the whole night worryingabout you. It wasn’t until I scried Miranda’s body at the HiddenOne settlement that we knew you were even alive. We were unsurewhether to just show up or wait. Lord Darkmantle was ... err ... alittle upset with you risking his daughter’s body.’
‘I’m sorry I put you to so much trouble, Prendergrass. I raninto a little trouble with an anti-magic storm on top of themountain while watching the volcano eruption and one thing led toanother. Anyhow it has worked out in our favour. Now, how far arewe from the stronghold?’ replied Aquitain.
‘About two hours by foot or we could teleport if you wish toget back urgently.’
‘Err you have a Hidden One with you Warden?’ heasked.
‘Oh yes Prendergrass. I’d like you to meet Gizel. She’s ourdaughter Tigerlilly’s tutor.’
‘Your daughter Warden?’ asked Prendergrass.
‘Yes Miranda and I have a daughter. That’s her withGizel.’
‘Umm. I’m not sure that Lord Darkmantle is prepared for this.’he replied.
‘Well, let’s get it over with.’ said Miranda getting quiteapprehensive about meeting Darkmantle in his new role as herfather.
‘Let’s teleport.’
‘As you wish, Your Highness.’
Aquitaindismissed the Illusion and Gazel picked him up and they were allsoon gone.
Chapter 16 Gizel’sStory
The transformation ofLord Darkmantle caught both Aquitain and Miranda by surprise. Hesuddenly turned into a doting father and grandfather overnight. Hethanked Aquitain countless times for saving his daughter andgranddaughter. He was a bit confused as to who was in what body butseemed to accept it.
He showeredMiranda with gifts including several magic items her mother hadleft behind when she left all those years ago. Lord Darkmantlespent two whole days with Miranda, Tigerlilly and Gizel askingMiranda countless questions about her life with her motherSnowbelle.
He made a roomavailable just for her, Aquitain, Tigerlilly and Gizel wheneveryone else was jammed in tightly together. Gizel was embarrassedbeing housed with the Warden and Miranda but Miranda laughed andsaid it wasn’t as if the Warden and her could do anything intimatewhile he was a small green statue or a big green illusion.
On the thirdday Miranda finally had some time alone with Tigerlilly andGizel.
‘Okay Gizel. I want to know everything about you as youalready know everything about me.’
‘Oh Your Highness, your story is so wonderful. It is a trulylegendary story that not even dreamers’ dream. I feel so privilegedto hear it. I am a scribe. May I someday write a little of whatI’ve heard down for people in the future.’
‘Not at the moment! Perhaps in the future!’ saidMiranda.
‘As you wish, Your Highness.’ replied Gizel.
‘Look Gizel. You have joined my family. You will get to knowmore about us than anyone. We are dangerous people. We have enemieswho would like to know about us and that will endanger us all. Soit best that nothing is written. Now, in private like this I wouldlike you to call me Miranda. That is my name and I feel comfortablewith it.’
‘Yes Your Highness, I mean Miranda.’ replied Gizel.
‘Now tell me about yourself from the beginning.’ commandedMiranda.
So Gizel toldMiranda how she was an orphan fostered by a kindly Llanllean familywho thought that she was a Llanllean child. Normally Llanlleanchildren born to Newman mothers would gain their Llanllean heritageand be able to change to spider form somewhere between the ages of5 and 12 years old.
When Gizelturned 13 and had not been able to change to spider form her fosterparents called for help from the Queen’s Healer Yllandril whoexamined her closely and revealed that she was not truly aLlanllean. That didn’t go down well with her foster parents. Theyhad her apprenticed with the Royal Library as a scribe within sixmonths and rarely visited her after that.
She worked inthe library and they taught her how to be a scribe. She studied thelaws and helped various people and rose to the position asassistant to the Keeper of Law. This gave her access to all manyrestricted documents including the scrolls on the legendary talesand soon spent all her spare time reading the stories.
About a yearago things became difficult. All Llanlleans and Llanlleanssympathizers lost their jobs or were demoted. She lost herjob.’
‘She left to try and work in one of the more remotesettlements but they were raided by the Queen’s troops and she wascaptured and made a prisoner. The Hidden Ones attacked thesettlement and freed all the prisoners and offered them protectionamongst the Hidden Ones. She accepted and joined the Hidden Onesbut found them strange and very afraid but she would be everthankful that Miranda had saved her from a boring and tediouslife.’
It sounded soordinary and believable that Miranda couldn’t believe it. There wassomething strange and special about Gizel. She couldn’t see it butshe could feel it. Aquitain had said the same thing and he couldn’tunderstand it either. What was it? Aquitain knew the face butcouldn’t place it. What was so special about Gizel.
‘When were you born.’ asked Miranda.
‘In the year of the ghost.’ replied Gizel.
‘I think my body was born then. I am older than you but mainlybecause I spent time on Mudrun which has a faster time rate thanhere.’
‘What is your birth date.’ asked Miranda.
‘I was born on the seventh day of the Blue moon cycle.’replied Gizel.
‘What! That is my birthday.’ shouted Miranda as she quicklyrecalculated her birth year.
‘That is uncanny! We were both born on the same day. Are youlying to me? How did you know my day of birth? Are you aspy?’
‘I am not lying Miranda that is the truth!’ criedGizel.
‘Hmm. There is some scheme here! I am forever plagued withschemes of the powerful.’
‘Show me your body.’ And Gizel made her glamour vanish andMiranda began walking around Gizel looking at it from differentpoints of view.
‘You are very attractive but there is nothing special that Ican see. A body is a body. It is little different to mine.’ shereplied.
‘Therefore the difference is in the mind and since you cannotdisplay your mind for me to see I can’t see why you aredifferent.’
‘You are deceiving me but I’m not sure how?’ saidMiranda.
‘Miranda I am not deceiving you. I am what I am.’
