Chapter 3 - Shadows in the Night
A few hours after they had set out, the trio rode into a small crossroads village. It boasted only a single inn, but the stables appeared large enough to house a decent number of horses. The rest of the buildings in the village were simple cottages with small patches of land set aside for gardening.
“Not particularly busy,” Celia noted, glancing around the empty street. A group of women hurried between buildings, their arms wrapped around each other for support. At the front of every cottage, a man and his sons watched Celia and her companions from the porch. Their grim faces were enough to tell they didn’t appreciate the visitors. Something strange was afoot in this village.
“Indeed,” Eloise said. “There’s a dark presence in this village. I can’t sense what it is exactly, but it’s most certainly not the type I’d want hanging around my home.”
Celia’s hand dropped to the hilt of her dagger as they rode down the street to the inn. The stable doors were shut closed, so Celia dismounted to push them open. A middle-aged man and a younger boy, his apprentice Celia assumed, jogged over to greet them.
“Any open stalls for two horses?” Celia asked.
The older man whistled soundlessly. “For a Gransvelt Pureblood? Always.” He gestured to his apprentice. “On with you boy, get those horses settled in. Be careful with the Pureblood. They’re feisty. And a word of advice, I wouldn’t stay long if I were you. I’m sure you folks realize there’s something going on in our village.”
“Really,” Celia said sharply. “I did notice the streets looked a little empty.”
The man looked around his stable, then leaned in. “Aye,” he whispered. “Disappearances and the like. All young girls, too. They just up and leave. Old Barin woke up to find his little girl scraping at the door. Just five years she is. He had to chain her to the bed.”
“No one has any ideas as to what’s causing these disappearances?” Eloise asked.
“Well, there’s talk of dark magic,” the man said, lowering his voice even further. “They’re saying a magician might be at work."
Eloise frowned. “Is that what you believe as well?”
"To tell you the truth, I’m a little inclined to believe it myself. Old Barin’s girl hasn’t been the same since that night. They couldn’t let her out of the house without the girl making a break for the woods.” The man scratched at the back of his head. “But my ma was gifted with a little bit of magic, and she never went around kidnapping young girls, at least to my knowledge. She could do little things, like talking to bees and birds. It’s a good thing she’s in the Archon’s hands now. Only they know what manner of suffering the villagers would’ve inflicted upon her. Like poor Lee’s girl.”
“What happened to Lee’s girl?” Celia asked.
“They stoned her and sent her off with some soldiers,” the man said, staring at his boots sheepishly, clearly ashamed for the actions of his village. “I didn’t partake in it, but many of my good friends did. I can’t help but wonder what they would’ve done if it was my own ma up there.”
“It sounds like you need to reconsider just what type of company you want to keep.”
“Is the girl still here?” Eloise inquired. “I’m a physician. Maybe I can help.”
The man shook his head. “You would’ve been appreciated here just a day ago. But Old Barin took his girl to the monastery. No offense, lady, but I don’t think you could’ve done much for her. Even a passing doctor from the city couldn’t do anything.
“We’ll take a look around,” Celia said with a grim frown. “I don’t like the idea of girls going missing in the night, especially if we’re to be staying here.”
Celia paid the man in advance, and once they had unstrapped their bags from the horses, they were on their way to the inn.
“Is it normal for people to be stoned?” Rain asked as they left behind the thick stench of manure.
“Maybe in small hamlets and rural backwaters,” Eloise answered dryly. “But any mob who would attempt such a thing in any of the big cities would find themselves thrown in a dungeon. It’s one of the reasons learned magicians and sorcerers flock to civilization. Imagine living next to pigheaded idiots who have no qualms about dragging you out of your home in the dead of night and tying you to a burning stake.”
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"That doesn't sound very pleasant," Rain admitted.
“So, what do you think is plaguing this village?” Eloise asked Celia. “This could be very well magic. It’s certainly not the kind I’d dabble in, but I’ve known peers who were able to master the art of mind control. It’s a twisted thing, and it oughta be banned from every reputable nation on the Blessed Lands.”
Rain spoke up for the first time since entering the village. “Lugo was able to do something like that. It wasn’t like what happened to that girl, though. He was able to make people do what he wanted with words, even things they didn’t want to do.”
Eloise sighed. “That’s a different type of magic, boy. Mind control is a skill far above influencing the weak-minded with magically weighted words. Your master might’ve been able to push a group of disparate brigands to turn on each other, but to convince a young child to leave their home in the middle of the night?”
“I agree,” Celia mused. “This is likely magic. The question is where exactly our culprit is operating from. They could be anyone from the village or even camping out in the backwoods.”
“Well, if it’s mind control, that narrows it down to in the village,” Eloise said. “I’ve never heard of any magician being able to influence minds from a considerable distance. And if they did have that ability, I’m sure they wouldn’t be mucking around in a backwater like this.”
“We can discuss more later,” Celia said, patting at her stomach. “For now, let’s get something to eat.”
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An hour and a half later, they had settled into their room, washed up, and gone down to the taproom for lunch. Celia was pleased to find out from the young barmaid that plenty of hot stew was available. Like always, she picked out a table near the front door.
“Slow day,” Celia commented as the barmaid brought over their food.
The girl sighed glumly. “Ever since those girls started disappearing,” she said, setting their food down on the table. “Some of them were my friends too. A gal like me can’t help but worry if she’ll be next. If this goes on, I might just have to leave.”
“We could try to solve it,” Celia said. “Is there a reward going for whoever stops these incidents?”
“Some gold coin for anyone brave enough to try,” the girl replied, rolling her eyes. “We’ve had all sorts of specialists try at it, but none of them amounted to much.”
“Maybe you just haven’t had the right people try,” a man said from a table over. He was dressed in a handsome overcoat and a large, floppy hat adorned with hawk feathers. Although the brim of his hat drooped well below his eyes, covering half of his face, he looked to be a good-looking man. His beard was finely trimmed, and his hair hung down to his shoulders in thin braids. A Gransveltian, Celia noted. Only they ever had their hair done in such a style. “I was a Crusader under the Red Warden’s banner. This reeks of magic.”
The barmaid looked over him with interest. “Do tell us then. How are you going to solve this?”
The Gransveltian winked. “Trade secrets, darling.” He rose to his feet. “I’ll do some investigating, I suppose. Tell the village head to have my reward ready.”
Celia watched the man depart from the taproom out of the corner of her eye. If he indeed really was what he said he was, then she had some questions for him.
“What do you think of him?” Celia asked Eloise.
The noblewoman made an unladylike sound as she looked up from her bowl. “I. . . wasn’t. . . paying. . . attention,” she managed to say in between mouthfuls of stew. “Was he someone important?”
“I hope not,” Celia simply said.
They spent an hour in the taproom gathering information, and with Eloise constantly asking for more stew, Celia thought they’d never leave. The three of them paid what they owed and went back up to their room. There was more than enough room on the bed for three, but Rain was insistent on taking the rug. Eloise found the whole situation amusing, much to Celia’s bewilderment.
“Where do we even start? Celia asked, leaning against a large drawer placed against the wall. “The girls who wander off are all older than three, yet no younger than twenty. And they all head for the woods. The local hunters have tried to track them down, but the constant raining clears their prints.”
“And it isn’t just local girls being taken,” Eloise added. “A family traveling through lost a daughter just a week ago. If all else fails, I can try consulting the Academia.”
“What’s that?” Rain asked.
Eloise smiled all-knowingly. “It’s where all the best magicians and mages from all over the world gather to study and exchange information. If I’m recalling correctly, I still have a mirror to there somewhere around in my bags.”
“No,” Celia said. “We’re not contacting them.”
Eloise rolled her eyes. “Just a little conversation wouldn’t-”
“We’re not contacting them,” Celia repeated, with even more emphasis. “I’d rather see Lachlan Mornleaf be named emperor of all the Blessed Lands than ask those old crones for help.”
“You wouldn’t,” Eloise exclaimed, bursting into laughter.
Rain cocked his head.
“Focus on the task at hand,” Celia snapped. “We’ve got a mystery to solve.”
Eloise sobered in an instant. “If you find contacting the Academia so distasteful, we won’t. But we won’t solve anything by just sitting around here.”
“I doubt either of us could pass for teens,” Celia said.
The two looked to Rain, who stared innocently back from his rug. “Perhaps if we fit him in a dress,” Eloise suggested. “He might be able to pass.”
The boy instantly reddened. “Absolutely not,” he said, shaking his head. “We’re not doing that.”
“No one’s going to force you into anything,” Celia said with a grimace. “Once it gets dark, I’ll patrol the streets. With enough luck, one of the girls will lead me straight to our culprit.”
Eloise didn’t look convinced. “This isn’t something you should do alone.”
“I’ll be careful,” Celia assured. “And I won’t engage unless I know for sure whether I can win or not. You know how I operate.”
“Fine,” Eloise said, yawning into her palm. “I think I’ll take an early night. Take care not to get yourself killed.”
Rain glanced at the noblewoman curiously. “But it’s only noon.”
“A lady needs her sleep,” Eloise snapped. “Now go fraternize with the local children and listen for any gossip on the disappearances.”
Celia turned to the door.
“And I’m serious,” Eloise called out, already sprawled out on her bed. “Be careful.”
"I always am." Celia managed a shaky smile, then left the room.