The Evil Mage

Postby lozzanozza » Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:26 pm

The following story is set in a time after the ice age, but before farming had spread to Europe…
(Feargal: Furr-gull)
(Aoife: Eff-a)
(Ainmire: Arn – Mier)
(Derryth: Der-rith)
Aoife pulled on her deer skin leggings, and called after Feargal
“Feargal, Feargal, why the rush Brother?”
Although Aoife and Feargal were not siblings it was a common theme in the clans of this time to refer to each other as ‘brother’ or ‘sister’ “They only stole your Red Deer horns. It is an offense to be punished, but we will find them. You are the best tracker in the forest.”
“Aoife. Time is of essence. We must find the thieves. Before the situation worsens”
Even though the two children were only 15 summers old, they were wise and knew the way of the forest well, often travelling from their own clan for a moon each year. This year, however, they had set off in the hope of tracking a clan of the deep forest, that was believed to been stealing the open forest clan precious resources.
“I understand. Should we not get the help of Ainmire? He will understand the ways of the deep forest much better than us. He once stayed with them. Many summers ago” Ainmire was the clan leader. A wise, widely respected man.
“We could but could it not worsen the situation? I mean, I know he is powerful but he-he likes to take control. This is for me to do. Not him” Feargal took a step to Aoife and took her shoulders “We shall walk for a few horse tracks. And keep your eyes open. We don’t want to walk into anything…dangerous.” Feargal slung his boar skin pack over his shoulder and kicked soil onto the cooling ash of the night before fire. Aoife did the same and followed him on the walk that would last for a few hours.

The night came soon, and the two tired wanderers stopped in a sheltered alcove and pulled the braches over heard, strapped them together with the incredibly strong, unbreakable woven horsehair, and pulled leaves on the top to waterproof the structure. Aoife lit a fire and open her pack to produce a dried salmon cake, from the summer before. She and Feargal broke a eighth off and tucked it between two branches as an offering to the forest, to look after them well.
“We should leave earlier tomorrow. We didn’t get as far as I hoped today” Feargal mumbled
Aoife watched him stare into the fire, his clan tattoos on his forehead glowing orange from the flames, his eyes aglow from the fresh air.
“I shall go and collect some fresh grasses and leaves for pulp, in case, you know, anything happens. We are near deep forest territory now. They don’t like outsiders. But Derryth taught me well. I know much mage craft now”
“Okay. But be careful.”

Feargal was getting worried by now. It was raining and Aoife and been gone for much longer than necessary. He left the safety of the shelter, and followed her tracks, looking for where she could have stopped. By the large oak, and the juniper berry bush. He gave his thanks to the forest for helping him. It was near the open when he saw what had happen, Aoife’s deep red hear was caught on a branch, and there was signs of a struggle in the mud.
“Amon, but how did he know?” Feargal ran back to the camp and picked up his pack. It was time.

Amon. The feared one. The name that meant ‘the hidden one’, he was like the one that scared all the children through bed time stories. Aoife hadn’t realised it was him until she saw his face, she took a step back and stumbled, forgetting she was so close to a steep bank. He advanced on her, his face contorted with evil and with a fast swipe of the hand, his mage powers made her collapse. He attempted to bundle her into a bag, dropping her in the process. He eventually got her in and left, melting into the trees.

Aoife woke with a start, he wrists bound tightly with the woven horse hair that she herself carried in her pack. Her elbows bound tightly also, as were her ankles. Amon was stood above her smiling.
“Good morning, Aoife. I hope you are feeling well” mocked Amon
“Amon… What is it? What the hell do you think you are doing? Let me go! Get this off me”
“Shhh…shhhh …shhhh. Now, why don’t you tell me what you and your…Feargal are doing? Shall we begin there?”
“What? We were tracking our Red Deer antler. It is not an offense to be protecting our resources!
“Oh, oh I see, you are trying to fool me? The greatest mage in the forest? I know there is more to this than meets the eye, young Mage. So get talking”
“I promise you. That’s all we are…were doing”
Amon struck Aoife hard across the cheek, and grabbed her face between his fat, powerful fingers.
“Have a think about that pretty one” And he took her arms and dragged her into the back of the cave that they were staying in.
There appeared to be a large stone ring sticking out of the back of the cave. The evil mage hacked through the horse hair ankle bindings and tied her wrists using boar skin strips to tie her wrists to the stone ring.
“Your Feargal is a good tracker…correct? I give him 4 hours. I would worry dear”
He walked in the larger area of the cave, leaving her in the dark shadows at the back of the cave, that couldn’t be seen from the entrance. She tugged at her bindings but they were too strong and she just irritated her wrists. She slumped onto floor.
“Feargal. Where were we really heading? What is happening?”He face was beginning to swell from Amon’s rock fist.

Feargal had been following the evil Mages tracks for many hours, and was about 100 horse tracks away from a cave that they appeared to lead to. He had sent a message to Ainmire a few acres back, and he hoped that he would arrive in time. Aoife was his only real family left, and she meant the world to him. He stalked the exterior of the cave, waiting to see of anything of interest happened

A few hours had passed since the evil mage had left Aoife alone, and he reappeared out of the middle of the cave.
“My young mage. There is good news. My owl has told me your pretty boy is stalking the outside of the cave. How wonderful. Correct?”
“Feargal! Lea-“The mage cut her off short.
“Sh-sh-sh now. Let’s see” He took more Horse skin material from his pack and knotted it in the middle, using his strong hands he forced it into Aoife’s mouth and knotted it tightly. Aoife groaned in pain, and shook her head as he tied it. He then retied her elbows and ankles tightly, leaving her hands tied to the rocky surface. Now let’s just wait for him.

Feargal dropped his pack a few metres away from the entrance, leaving as an indication to Ainmire. He took his bow and quiver, and nocked an arrow into the bow. He entered the cave moving slowly. All at once torches flared up either side of him, illuminating everywhere, but the far end of the cave.
“Feargal, how nice to see you… So you found out did you?” Amon appeared from the shadows, leaning on his bow and quiver
“A-Amon. Where is Aoife?” He lifted his bow, and pointed it at the mage.
“Aoife? Oh, your little girlfriend?”
“She-she…it’s not important. She is the only friend I have, and you have angered my entire clan. Let her go, and”
The mage raised his hands and the torches flared up in the shadows, and Feargal lowered his arrow in surprise
“Aoife! You disgusting man! Let her go! She doesn’t even know” He glanced at Aoife, she didn’t look too good, her wrists were tightly bound together and to a stone ring, her elbows her also tied together, making movement impossible for her. He ankles were bound together so tightly that he could see the flesh around the binding bruising, and she was gagged with boar skin, she tugged her bindings and winced in pain. Her left cheek was a purple mess, swollen, her hair and chin matted with dried blood.
“Let her go. And we will leave. Please”
“What about an exchange? You for her?”
Feargal, prayed that Ainmire was outside, about to make a surprise entrance
“Well?” Amon questioned
Feargal raised his bow
“I decline your offer” drew back his bow
THUD!

THUD!
The arrow had hit him with such a force that he jolted. He dropped his bow and fell to the ground.
Aoife cried out and tugged at her binding. The tears pouring from her eyes
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to kill him. But, he wasn’t going to do it was he?”
He then went and spat on the dead body of Feargal.
The tears were really pouring out now. When all the colour drained from Amon’s face and he too fell to the ground, as Ainmire ran through the cave, to hold her
“I’m so sorry Aoife”




Wow. I hope you like it. I know that a lot of it has no tie up-ness. But I enjoyed writing it. I thought it was a bit different…I don’t know how much of the stuff, like clans and the offerings but I added it :) Thank you. Please comment