replied. She raised her hood high enough to show off a pair of bright eyes. "You have a good spirit, but do your words speak truth?"
"I know they do," Fred affirmed.
The old woman chuckled. "Let us look into my ball and see the truth." She stepped around to the opposite side of the cart as Fred and waved her hands over the ball. It lit up with a white and dark glow. The lights danced across the walls and high ceiling, and cast everyone in a strange, dream-like haze. The old woman leaned over the ball and peered into the glass. Fred was mesmerized by the light and stepped forward. "I see you have faced much and have much to face. You have seen many cities and traveled over many miles, and all in search of cursed stones."
Fred started. "Yes, but how'd you know that?" he asked her.
She twittered. "I see much, and I see much danger ahead." Her eyes flickered over the ball to Fred. "There is a man searching for you, a man in white. Beware of him."
Fred's face fell and he glanced at the white-robed men. He looked back to the old woman. "Could you give me a little more detail?" he requested.
"No time. There is no time." She glided a wizened hand over the ball and brushed away the flickering lights. The surface of the ball became reflective and showed the balconies above them. Fred leaned forward and his eyes widened when he beheld Pat and Ruth above them. The old woman lifted her head and Fred noticed a shimmer over her wrinkled face. Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "They come to help you, but their help will one day fail you." He recognized that beautiful face from the reflection in the creek and his time at Galaron.
"Martley," he whispered.
She smiled and glided her hand over his manacles. They fell open and dropped onto her cart. "Beware the man in white, my son. He uses the stones to search for you."
Fred frowned. "Search for me? Who? Why?"
Topper frowned and took a few steps toward the old woman. "I do not know you, old mother. Where did you come from?"
The old woman cackled. "From the grave," she replied.
Topper pulled back and whipped his head to the guards. "Seize her! She is an impostor!"
Fred grasped the cart and leaned toward her. "What are you following me? What can you tell me about my future?" he cried out.
"Fred!" yelled a voice from overhead.
CHAPTER 13
Fred whipped his head upward in time to watch Pat slide down the curtains. She reached the end of the cloth and dropped down the remaining two yards to the stone floor. Pat turned to Fred and revealed she wore a sliced part of the curtains over the lower half of her face to hide her identity. The pair of guards around Fred rushed her with swords drawn, but she drew her own weapon and battled them. Topper let out a yelp and hid behind a nearby pillar while Regis staggered back from the fight. Senilius again laughed and clapped his hands.
"Ruth, get him out of here!" Pat yelled at their gargoyle friend.
"Wait! Not yet!" Fred yelled. He looked at Martley, but she stepped back and lowered her head to hide her face once again.
Ruth jumped over the side of the balcony and dove down to Fred. She grabbed his shoulders and lifted him off the ground. He caught one last glimpse of Martley's young face before the veil fell over her again. They circled the room as Ruth sought to keep them above the heads of the old men. Unfortunately, without air currents they slowly descended so that the old men on the higher benches ducked and dove to the stone floor to avoid Fred's flailing feet.
Fred grabbed Ruth's clawed hands and snapped his head up to her. "Let me down! Martley was going to tell me something!" he yelled at Ruth.
She frowned. "But do you not need rescuing?" she argued.
"Not yet!" he shouted back.
"Very well." Ruth released him and Fred dropped to the floor.
Fred made an unscheduled crash landing into the depression, but he quickly picked himself up and turned to the cart. The old woman was gone. Fred whipped his head to and fro around the
"I know they do," Fred affirmed.
The old woman chuckled. "Let us look into my ball and see the truth." She stepped around to the opposite side of the cart as Fred and waved her hands over the ball. It lit up with a white and dark glow. The lights danced across the walls and high ceiling, and cast everyone in a strange, dream-like haze. The old woman leaned over the ball and peered into the glass. Fred was mesmerized by the light and stepped forward. "I see you have faced much and have much to face. You have seen many cities and traveled over many miles, and all in search of cursed stones."
Fred started. "Yes, but how'd you know that?" he asked her.
She twittered. "I see much, and I see much danger ahead." Her eyes flickered over the ball to Fred. "There is a man searching for you, a man in white. Beware of him."
Fred's face fell and he glanced at the white-robed men. He looked back to the old woman. "Could you give me a little more detail?" he requested.
"No time. There is no time." She glided a wizened hand over the ball and brushed away the flickering lights. The surface of the ball became reflective and showed the balconies above them. Fred leaned forward and his eyes widened when he beheld Pat and Ruth above them. The old woman lifted her head and Fred noticed a shimmer over her wrinkled face. Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "They come to help you, but their help will one day fail you." He recognized that beautiful face from the reflection in the creek and his time at Galaron.
"Martley," he whispered.
She smiled and glided her hand over his manacles. They fell open and dropped onto her cart. "Beware the man in white, my son. He uses the stones to search for you."
Fred frowned. "Search for me? Who? Why?"
Topper frowned and took a few steps toward the old woman. "I do not know you, old mother. Where did you come from?"
The old woman cackled. "From the grave," she replied.
Topper pulled back and whipped his head to the guards. "Seize her! She is an impostor!"
Fred grasped the cart and leaned toward her. "What are you following me? What can you tell me about my future?" he cried out.
"Fred!" yelled a voice from overhead.
CHAPTER 13
Fred whipped his head upward in time to watch Pat slide down the curtains. She reached the end of the cloth and dropped down the remaining two yards to the stone floor. Pat turned to Fred and revealed she wore a sliced part of the curtains over the lower half of her face to hide her identity. The pair of guards around Fred rushed her with swords drawn, but she drew her own weapon and battled them. Topper let out a yelp and hid behind a nearby pillar while Regis staggered back from the fight. Senilius again laughed and clapped his hands.
"Ruth, get him out of here!" Pat yelled at their gargoyle friend.
"Wait! Not yet!" Fred yelled. He looked at Martley, but she stepped back and lowered her head to hide her face once again.
Ruth jumped over the side of the balcony and dove down to Fred. She grabbed his shoulders and lifted him off the ground. He caught one last glimpse of Martley's young face before the veil fell over her again. They circled the room as Ruth sought to keep them above the heads of the old men. Unfortunately, without air currents they slowly descended so that the old men on the higher benches ducked and dove to the stone floor to avoid Fred's flailing feet.
Fred grabbed Ruth's clawed hands and snapped his head up to her. "Let me down! Martley was going to tell me something!" he yelled at Ruth.
She frowned. "But do you not need rescuing?" she argued.
"Not yet!" he shouted back.
"Very well." Ruth released him and Fred dropped to the floor.
Fred made an unscheduled crash landing into the depression, but he quickly picked himself up and turned to the cart. The old woman was gone. Fred whipped his head to and fro around the
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