Chapter 4 A Spider’s Dream
Chapter 4 A Spider’s Dream
The horse was panting, she patted his neck and wondered why after only an hour the animal was already exhausted. She was using a more common means to travel by, so as not to draw attention. Attention would ruin her plans and that was not why she had come all the way down here. Her sources had informed her about the whereabouts of Lillen, hiding in Baerlon apparently. The horse seemed to mind the dirt road a lot and was pulling in its legs as she reined him in. Soon they would arrive at the destination and she had no time to waste now. Lillen could hear of her arrival and flee the scene, this was not something Lanfear was prepared to take, she wanted her justice settled. Lillen had not yet broken the pact, but she had made it damn difficult for the others to stand by their word with her running off like that. Lanfear sighed and descended from the horse, tied the reins to a branch and studied its leg. It was cut, the horse had been running with a gasping wound in its left front leg for over an hour. Lanfear stared at it and then back into the horse’ eyes, “You did well, now sleep,” and with a hand over the horse’s eyes she put an end to his suffering. He sank down though his legs and rested against the tree, she stared at it for a long minute and then unpacked the saddle bags. Having brought only the cloak over her shoulders and a small pack she did not have to carry much.
The road was empty save for the woman in the dark blue cloak walking alone, having left her horse by the tree, in an endless sleep. She soon found the building her sources had described to her earlier and noticed how it looked completely empty. “The spider hides her web well,” she spoke softly and then started to walk again. The cloak flew up once, the wind got hold of it as if to peek at the beauty under the hood. But she pulled it closer around her, the element of surprise needed to remain in place and soon she would reveal herself. Soon enough she would face the woman who had let her cowardice overcome her duty and that of the others. They had shared the burden, although it was clear there was only one at fault, one who had asked them all to keep to their pact. “They will pay, and he will know the price of his betrayal to the Great Lord, he will pay the price for all of our betrayal, all of us together will find the answer and will ask for mercy when he returns.” The words rolled empty from her lips, she herself was responsible, without her they could not have done what they did. It hurt, the truth hurts.
“Mierin,” the voice was light, a hint of fear drew into it as the woman who uttered the phrase realized she had spoken. She had thus given away any chance of running, Lanfear was grateful for that much. “I do not use that name anymore Lillen, you should have remembered,” she said and used a light trick of Air to push the woman back. Back into the cell she called her home now. She had a good look around while the other woman scrambled back to her feet, it was dark and only lit by a few candles on the walls. She found a large bookcase filled with what looked like molded old rubbish. A long table with a few chairs around it and in the far corner a simple bed. It made Lanfear almost shudder in horror, but she kept herself calm and studied the woman’s face instead. “The spider came out of her web and failed in her task, thus she retreated to the darkest corner of the house she called her home,” Lillen stared at her and said, “If you do not use your name, then let me keep mine, Moghedien,” and Lanfear nodded. She cared little about names now and if this was something that would hold the other woman together then fine. “Alright, tell me what you know, tell me what I want to know,” the other woman brushed some of her raven black hair from her face and let her eyes dart over the floor before facing Lanfear. “I can’t tell you more than you already know Lanfear,” she said.
This was progress to say the least, she took a hint and seemed unable to hide from the gaze that rested upon her. “I want to know why you followed him, why you did not stop him when he suggested we go against the Great Lord,” Moghedien’s lips trembled. “I never could,” she finally said. Lanfear did not miss the pity that was drawn from those eyes. The woman was sulking now and settled herself in a chair, not offering her guest one, so Lanfear remained standing. As Lanfear waited for Moghedien to gather herself back together, she donned the cloak over the table and stretched out her arms a bit. Another look around the room gave her an even worse feeling of gloom and she smiled softly as her icy stare gazed back over the woman sitting down. Lanfear stared at the other woman and said, “Tell me, I shall not be able to leave before you tell me.” Moghedien nodded, “It was our betrayal, you were there, you know what happened and that we had no choice, I only followed you and the others, I had no choice of my own in the matter.” Lanfear’s face turned to a sour grimace. “You always have a choice,” she replied. “Even a lesser darkfriend with no hope of surviving has the choice to die in dignity. We all have a choice and we made the wrong one.” Her words cut through the air like a razor and she could feel the other woman trying to duck back. Moghedien was trying to hide from Lanfear’s words and this brought her not an inch of pleasure, she was not here to rule over the woman, she was here to get an answer.
The answer finally came. “I do no know Lanfear, I bow my head in shame and I hold on to the thought that he will rise again.” Moghedien shunned the other woman’s gaze and indeed bowed her head. Lanfear smirked at this and then started to laugh. The joy never reached her eyes, it was the ridiculousness of the situation that made her burst out in laughter. “You truly believe that after what happened there will ever be another reign of power?” She stopped laughing as instantly as she had started, “You are so small, so ignorant of your own actions and what you have done.” Moghedien started, “It was not just me, you are at fault as much as I am,” and then rose from her seat. “Sit!” Lanfear said and pushed her back with a thread of Air, but this time the other woman seemed prepared. Moghedien pushed the flow of Air back against Lanfear who was now pushed back up the door. “Good, you are learning,” she said and stroked off her skirts. Walking back up to the table she did not stop until she reached Moghedien’s fragile form. The woman was ducking back, moving away from Lanfear’s touch. Lanfear’s hand moved over the woman’s shoulder and then gently pushed down on it, “I will never forget this Lillen, and we will talk again…once all the angels have fallen we will talk again.” She paused and then said, “I will come back to tell you what the reason is, you in the meantime, will ponder over your actions.” She pushed her fingers deeper into the woman’s shoulder and could feel the skin breaking under her strain. “And you will have an answer when I return.” With that she released the woman’s shoulder and took a step back. “Try to find a more suitable place for us to meet next time, and ward your dreams my little spider, or you might find an unpleasant surprise crawling up to you.” A last smile which did not go past her lips and then she was moving out the door. The cloak back around her shoulders and the hood covering her face from anyone who tried to catch a glimpse.
