Berandor
lunatic
The moon shone brightly upon Usher House. The wind was torrent howling voices, chilling everyone without and finding every tiny hole in the walls to worm its way into the building.
In the living room, Lord Usher sat in his big comfy chair right next to the chimney. The fire was blazing, and the Lord's face was red from being too close to the heat. He was staring into the flames, an untouched glass of wine next to his chair on a small wooden table. On his knees lay a picture frame, showing two happy faces: his late wife and daughter.
When a loud knock sounded at the door, the Lord did not so much as look up. His servant Geroge would care for the visitors. He reached out with a trembling right hand to the glass, caressing the crystal, but not grasping it. He muttered a deep sigh.
The door to the room burst open with a loud crash, and the Lord turned his face to see the cause for this commotion. George was standing in the hall behind the door, aghast with such display of carelessness. Before him stood Marthens, breathing heavily. He was a man from the continent, and the Lord's most recent employee. Marthens had a reputation for being a supreme hunter, but instead of fowl and deer he hunted a most extraordinary game - man.
Marthens walked to the Lord, stopping a few feet short, barely containing his urge to burst out his news.
"Yes, Marthens? What is it?" Lord Usher did not try to hide his expectation. The look Marthens gave him told him everything before the man even spoke. He had succeded.
"Lord Usher, we have found the perpetrator responsible for killing your family. We have cornered her in the woods, in a small cave. The men are waiting for your arrival."
"Most excellent!" Lord Usher nearly jumped out of his chair, knocking over the wooden table. The glass of wine fell down to the floor, shattering with a piercing sound, spilling its red blood over the carpet. The picture fell from the Lord's knees as well, landing in the pool of wine. The two women were now sprayed with the liquid, but neither Lord Usher nor Marthens noticed it. They were already rushing out of the room, into the storm outside, direction of the stables.
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Lord Usher stopped his white stallion in the middle of the woods, looking around with a little concern. The trees were swaying in the wind, and some quite big branches had been torn off in the storm already. As if reassuring his doubts about the security of this place, a not-so-distant thunder shook the sky.
Usher turned towards Marthens. The manhunter had slipped out of the saddle, fastening his horse around the trunk of a mighty oak tree.
"Are you sure it's safe?" The Lord had to shout to be heard. Marthens just nodded and motioned for the Lord to follow.
A few feet further into the woods, they reached a big rock that had been hollowed out by former storms. It was not really a cave, because the Lord was able to see the back of the hollow in the light of the hooded lanterns. These lanterns were carried by seven men, not including Marthens, that had come from the city with him.
In the middle of the hollow hunched a figure. She was about five an a half feet tall, and time had lent her hips and stomach weight. However, she still carried herself with surprising grace in light of the howling wind. The woman wore a reddish suit of tight leather. Her arms and head were covered in white silk, complete with a face mask that left her eyes uncovered. Between the mask and the hood, a few strains of brown hair leaked out, slowly turning gray with age. On her back, the woman wore twin swords, the short katanas so typical for her profession, known as ninja-to in a different land.
Lord Usher nodded.
"It is her. You have found her, quicker than I expected." He stepped right between two men with lanterns, so that he could witness her death, and she would recognize him as her killer. To his surprise, the woman gave up her defensive posture, and stood up.
She raised her left arm to her face and undid the mask. Her face was old, yes, but not weak or wrinkled. Lord Usher gasped as he recognized her. It was a woman he had met years ago, when he was on the continent himself. For one night, he had fallen to her temptation and been unfaithful to his wife. It had been a night full of passion, and he had come up with a strange story of how he got the scratches on his back. His wife - god bless her - had not believed him, but she had never openly doubted his claim of a wolf attack. While the Lord still tried to bring some order into the woman's appearance, she spoke.
"The speed of my discovery is not so suprising, really." Her voice was barely a whisper, and coarse. Even though, she could be heard without difficulty in the wind, as if propelled by some dark power.
"Considering that these men work for me." She uttered a coughing laugh, more a cackle, that sent waves of ice down Lord Usher's spine. He noticed how the men had changed their position to have him in the circle as well, cornering him against the stone. Now, Marthens stepped through, standing next to the woman, showing an amused smirk.
"News tell me that my home country is in chaos. The turmoil calls for someone to bring order into the ranks of the vilains. It has been long since I was forced to live in your barbaric lands, and I will return at once to take a more suitable station." The woman retied the mask of silk in front of her face. Her eyes sparkled with derision as she regarded the Lord, still not comprehending what had transpired here.
"Kill him." With that, she took out a small flask filled with silvery powder, and sprinkled it around her. Strangely enough, the powder fell into place, forming a perfect circle around her, despite the storm. She turned to Marthens.
"You will be the new leader around here. Do me honor - or I will return. Now, get on with it!"
Marthens bowed.
"As you wish, Shadow Mother."
The woman spoke a quick incantation, and as Marthens stepped forward to meet with the terrified Lord Usher, was swallowed by the earth.
She would travel through the ground, and emerge in her homeland.
Soon.
In the living room, Lord Usher sat in his big comfy chair right next to the chimney. The fire was blazing, and the Lord's face was red from being too close to the heat. He was staring into the flames, an untouched glass of wine next to his chair on a small wooden table. On his knees lay a picture frame, showing two happy faces: his late wife and daughter.
When a loud knock sounded at the door, the Lord did not so much as look up. His servant Geroge would care for the visitors. He reached out with a trembling right hand to the glass, caressing the crystal, but not grasping it. He muttered a deep sigh.
The door to the room burst open with a loud crash, and the Lord turned his face to see the cause for this commotion. George was standing in the hall behind the door, aghast with such display of carelessness. Before him stood Marthens, breathing heavily. He was a man from the continent, and the Lord's most recent employee. Marthens had a reputation for being a supreme hunter, but instead of fowl and deer he hunted a most extraordinary game - man.
Marthens walked to the Lord, stopping a few feet short, barely containing his urge to burst out his news.
"Yes, Marthens? What is it?" Lord Usher did not try to hide his expectation. The look Marthens gave him told him everything before the man even spoke. He had succeded.
"Lord Usher, we have found the perpetrator responsible for killing your family. We have cornered her in the woods, in a small cave. The men are waiting for your arrival."
"Most excellent!" Lord Usher nearly jumped out of his chair, knocking over the wooden table. The glass of wine fell down to the floor, shattering with a piercing sound, spilling its red blood over the carpet. The picture fell from the Lord's knees as well, landing in the pool of wine. The two women were now sprayed with the liquid, but neither Lord Usher nor Marthens noticed it. They were already rushing out of the room, into the storm outside, direction of the stables.
------------------
Lord Usher stopped his white stallion in the middle of the woods, looking around with a little concern. The trees were swaying in the wind, and some quite big branches had been torn off in the storm already. As if reassuring his doubts about the security of this place, a not-so-distant thunder shook the sky.
Usher turned towards Marthens. The manhunter had slipped out of the saddle, fastening his horse around the trunk of a mighty oak tree.
"Are you sure it's safe?" The Lord had to shout to be heard. Marthens just nodded and motioned for the Lord to follow.
A few feet further into the woods, they reached a big rock that had been hollowed out by former storms. It was not really a cave, because the Lord was able to see the back of the hollow in the light of the hooded lanterns. These lanterns were carried by seven men, not including Marthens, that had come from the city with him.
In the middle of the hollow hunched a figure. She was about five an a half feet tall, and time had lent her hips and stomach weight. However, she still carried herself with surprising grace in light of the howling wind. The woman wore a reddish suit of tight leather. Her arms and head were covered in white silk, complete with a face mask that left her eyes uncovered. Between the mask and the hood, a few strains of brown hair leaked out, slowly turning gray with age. On her back, the woman wore twin swords, the short katanas so typical for her profession, known as ninja-to in a different land.
Lord Usher nodded.
"It is her. You have found her, quicker than I expected." He stepped right between two men with lanterns, so that he could witness her death, and she would recognize him as her killer. To his surprise, the woman gave up her defensive posture, and stood up.
She raised her left arm to her face and undid the mask. Her face was old, yes, but not weak or wrinkled. Lord Usher gasped as he recognized her. It was a woman he had met years ago, when he was on the continent himself. For one night, he had fallen to her temptation and been unfaithful to his wife. It had been a night full of passion, and he had come up with a strange story of how he got the scratches on his back. His wife - god bless her - had not believed him, but she had never openly doubted his claim of a wolf attack. While the Lord still tried to bring some order into the woman's appearance, she spoke.
"The speed of my discovery is not so suprising, really." Her voice was barely a whisper, and coarse. Even though, she could be heard without difficulty in the wind, as if propelled by some dark power.
"Considering that these men work for me." She uttered a coughing laugh, more a cackle, that sent waves of ice down Lord Usher's spine. He noticed how the men had changed their position to have him in the circle as well, cornering him against the stone. Now, Marthens stepped through, standing next to the woman, showing an amused smirk.
"News tell me that my home country is in chaos. The turmoil calls for someone to bring order into the ranks of the vilains. It has been long since I was forced to live in your barbaric lands, and I will return at once to take a more suitable station." The woman retied the mask of silk in front of her face. Her eyes sparkled with derision as she regarded the Lord, still not comprehending what had transpired here.
"Kill him." With that, she took out a small flask filled with silvery powder, and sprinkled it around her. Strangely enough, the powder fell into place, forming a perfect circle around her, despite the storm. She turned to Marthens.
"You will be the new leader around here. Do me honor - or I will return. Now, get on with it!"
Marthens bowed.
"As you wish, Shadow Mother."
The woman spoke a quick incantation, and as Marthens stepped forward to meet with the terrified Lord Usher, was swallowed by the earth.
She would travel through the ground, and emerge in her homeland.
Soon.
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