Weird confessions, Haradin’s half-truths, traveling through Ilenian portals, the Temple of Air at the bottom of an endless lake, the giant whirlwind, a forced march through the forests… yes, a really demanding day. But at last he could have some rest.
Kayti was taking the first watch. Komir found it strange seeing her without her white armor. She had lost it during their journey through the desert. Now the three of them were dressed in Rogdonian clothes in blue and silver, and even though they were of fine material he was still not used to the sight of them. The coat of chain-mail they had been given had been made by a master craftsman, probably the King’s own because the quality was exceptional. The leather hauberks, dyed blue with silver trimming, must have cost a fortune in gold. The leather boots were comfortable and the reinforced leather arm-pieces could certainly divert a stroke effectively. They had come back in rags and they had needed new clothes, above all Hartz, who looked like a beggar.
Watching the giant snoring gently on the other side of the fire, Komir began to feel drowsy and let himself slip into the sleep his body needed so badly. He did not know how long he had been sleeping when he began to hear a distant voice in his mind. A voice calling his name from a great distance: Komir… Komir… Komir… The voice was familiar, but sounded faraway… He wanted to wake up but he was so tired. Komir… Komir… Komir… the voice repeated. He felt sharp pangs through his entire body, as if he was being lashed, but it was not a physical pain. He fought against the torture, while in his mind an image began to take shape little by little: Amtoko’s cave.
He was greeted by a cold rasping voice which he recognized immediately:
“I see you’re still not answering my calls, young Norriel. You can’t imagine how hard it is for me to make contact through our blood link.”
Amtoko, the Silver Witch of the Norriel, was sitting beside the fire in her gloomy cave, with her enormous black cat at her side.
“And I can see that it’s just as painful as before, if not more so… You told me that the pain would get less, Amtoko…”
The Witch giggled.
“Aha! You shouldn’t believe everything a crazy old witch tells you. Another lesson of life learned, young Norriel.”
“I’ve been learning a lot of lessons lately, too many of them…”
“Ah… my dear friend, life is just a whole heap of lessons to experience and learn! Some well learned and some not so well,” she said, looking at Komir with a strange expression on her face.
“Before you try to trick me with your visions and the fate of the Norriel, I want you to answer some questions. Or else we’ll have nothing more to talk about, you and I, Silver Witch.”
“But my dear Komir, why all this hostility? I’m on your side, I always have been, ever since you arrived in our village…”
“That’s exactly what I want to talk about, Amtoko. You never told me you knew Haradin…”
The Witch gave him a cunning look.
“You never asked, young Norriel. I’m an old witch, I’ve been on this earth far too long and met a great many people… most of them dead now, others not yet…”
“Don’t you speak in riddles too, Amtoko. You know perfectly well what I want to know” he said, distressed.
Amtoko raised her hand in a soothing gesture.
“I know Haradin, yes. A good friend is the Rogdonian Mage. He’s always been a friend of the Norriel people. I’ve known him for a long time. Satisfied?”
“No, I’m not satisfied. I’m tired of you both not telling me all the truth…”
“What is it you want to know, my dear boy? Ask and you shall be answered.”
“I’ll ask you what I asked him. Do you know why they tried to kill me when I was just a baby? Do you know who sent those Dark Assassins?”
“No Komir, I don’t know. I’ve never known.”
“Haradin told me of something you did to hide me from my pursuers. What was it?
Kayti was taking the first watch. Komir found it strange seeing her without her white armor. She had lost it during their journey through the desert. Now the three of them were dressed in Rogdonian clothes in blue and silver, and even though they were of fine material he was still not used to the sight of them. The coat of chain-mail they had been given had been made by a master craftsman, probably the King’s own because the quality was exceptional. The leather hauberks, dyed blue with silver trimming, must have cost a fortune in gold. The leather boots were comfortable and the reinforced leather arm-pieces could certainly divert a stroke effectively. They had come back in rags and they had needed new clothes, above all Hartz, who looked like a beggar.
Watching the giant snoring gently on the other side of the fire, Komir began to feel drowsy and let himself slip into the sleep his body needed so badly. He did not know how long he had been sleeping when he began to hear a distant voice in his mind. A voice calling his name from a great distance: Komir… Komir… Komir… The voice was familiar, but sounded faraway… He wanted to wake up but he was so tired. Komir… Komir… Komir… the voice repeated. He felt sharp pangs through his entire body, as if he was being lashed, but it was not a physical pain. He fought against the torture, while in his mind an image began to take shape little by little: Amtoko’s cave.
He was greeted by a cold rasping voice which he recognized immediately:
“I see you’re still not answering my calls, young Norriel. You can’t imagine how hard it is for me to make contact through our blood link.”
Amtoko, the Silver Witch of the Norriel, was sitting beside the fire in her gloomy cave, with her enormous black cat at her side.
“And I can see that it’s just as painful as before, if not more so… You told me that the pain would get less, Amtoko…”
The Witch giggled.
“Aha! You shouldn’t believe everything a crazy old witch tells you. Another lesson of life learned, young Norriel.”
“I’ve been learning a lot of lessons lately, too many of them…”
“Ah… my dear friend, life is just a whole heap of lessons to experience and learn! Some well learned and some not so well,” she said, looking at Komir with a strange expression on her face.
“Before you try to trick me with your visions and the fate of the Norriel, I want you to answer some questions. Or else we’ll have nothing more to talk about, you and I, Silver Witch.”
“But my dear Komir, why all this hostility? I’m on your side, I always have been, ever since you arrived in our village…”
“That’s exactly what I want to talk about, Amtoko. You never told me you knew Haradin…”
The Witch gave him a cunning look.
“You never asked, young Norriel. I’m an old witch, I’ve been on this earth far too long and met a great many people… most of them dead now, others not yet…”
“Don’t you speak in riddles too, Amtoko. You know perfectly well what I want to know” he said, distressed.
Amtoko raised her hand in a soothing gesture.
“I know Haradin, yes. A good friend is the Rogdonian Mage. He’s always been a friend of the Norriel people. I’ve known him for a long time. Satisfied?”
“No, I’m not satisfied. I’m tired of you both not telling me all the truth…”
“What is it you want to know, my dear boy? Ask and you shall be answered.”
“I’ll ask you what I asked him. Do you know why they tried to kill me when I was just a baby? Do you know who sent those Dark Assassins?”
“No Komir, I don’t know. I’ve never known.”
“Haradin told me of something you did to hide me from my pursuers. What was it?
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