History of Mardon Castle - 11B
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 (12:50:05)

Posted by TerishD

History of Mardon Castle
Chapter Eleven
Part 2

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Terniff had seen that expression from Tasbirn before. His face always displayed those features when he really did not care what others said. Terniff had seen that look from the man when he announced his commitment to Nalisha, so was not surprised when his words had no connection to what he had heard.

“We are out here to capture Telelum. It occurred last night. It occurred last night due to you going out and picking a fight with a swamp serpent. Telelum was spotted watching you, Terniff. You thus need to go out again.”

“It won’t matter whether I go out again or not, Tasbirn, so I am not going out.”

His face froze as he considered how to deal with her words. “What do you mean that it won’t matter?”


Ghosts appear human, because they don't act as one would expect.


History of Mardon Castle
Chapter Eleven
Part 2

Terniff approached Tasbirn’s tent wondering why she had been summoned. She had hoped to retire early tonight. The activity the previous night, along with moving today along the path Telelum supposedly followed, had her rather weary. Terniff thus entered the viscount’s tent hoping for a quick word, then returning to end the day with her husband.

She thought it strange that no one was in the front of his tent, but loudly speaking her presence Tasbirn came from the back to say, “There are no swamp serpents around here, but I was told that there were some alligators.”

“What?”

“You went out and fought a swamp serpent last night, and we caught Telelum because of it.”

Terniff really did not believe the man was making sense, and tried to correct him. “I did not go out to entice Telelum.”

“Listen, Terniff, I really don’t care your reasoning. It worked. Do you have any problems with fighting an alligator?”

“Yes, I have a problem with fighting an alligator. I don’t want to fight an alligator.”

She had seen that expression from Tasbirn before. His face always displayed those features when he really did not care what others said. Terniff had seen that look from the man when he announced his commitment to Nalisha, so was not surprised when his words had no connection to what he had heard.

“We are out here to capture Telelum. It occurred last night. It occurred last night due to you going out and picking a fight with a swamp serpent. Telelum was spotted watching you, Terniff. You thus need to go out again.”

“It won’t matter whether I go out again or not, Tasbirn, so I am not going out.”

His face froze as he considered how to deal with her words. “What do you mean that it won’t matter?”

“If the ghost had an interest in me, it was not due to my actions. Okay, maybe it was, but there was a reason for my actions. Those reasons no longer apply.”

She actually liked being able to surprise the men around her, so smiled as Tasbirn appeared flabbergasted as he asked, “What reason did you have to fight a swamp serpent?”

“I was mad.”

“Mad?”

“I healed my man, Tasbirn, and as a result the relationship between us has changed. I really was having a hard time adjusting to being Renwyn’s wife.”

Terniff really did not know how Tasbirn would take the revelation. In a way she was pleased to say such words. Before the war they were equals. Each was unmarried and playing the game of courting. Now they were again equal as young married people. She wanted to continue to have an honest relationship with Tasbirn, so hoped that he would not take her words improperly.

“Well, can I do something to help you get mad at him again? We really need to speak to Telelum.”

She wanted to laugh, but kept an outward blank expression as she replied, “I don’t want to get mad at Renwyn, Tasbirn. I should not get mad at him. I was the one that opened myself to him. I was the one that made the promises. I was the one setting the conditions on when and how he would be restored. It is my own damn fault that I am married to him. Also, he is a good man. I really could not have picked better, but I never really considered how things would be different.”

“I… well… we need to capture the ghost again.”

Terniff wanted Tasbirn to speak of his own marriage. She wanted to hear of the changes that had come to his own life. She had once loved this man, and she felt that he had loved her. Even if there had not truly been some connection, they still had a shared history. Terniff wanted to speak to this man of the new routines that were a part of their days. The little words she now said to Renwyn and Tasbirn said to his wife. The discussions of coming children. The war was over. They had their own paths to travel down the road of life, but she did not want them to become strangers. She hoped that he would simply talk to her.

As Terniff sought to form a reply, her body shivered feeling a chill. While tents were not perfect enclosures, the war had taught her that a change in air currents could mean that an enemy had managed to make some other change. She thus looked around to find the source of the draft and what about the things around her had been altered.

Tasbirn came to her side as a mist formed in the room. While Terniff had turned seeking some minor opening in the fabric of the tent, the haze simply congealed in the room without any sign of it seeping from somewhere else. She and Tasbirn pulled their weapons, then stood side-by-side prepared not to yield any advantage in an attack.

The form of a man could be discerned as the mist moved to a table in the room. Terniff did not really focus on the ghost, but years of fighting a war against deceptive mages had her looking for what the illusion was attempting to misdirect her from seeing. The strike of a very solid finger upon the map set on the table caused her to accept the intruder as being real.

“You are tracking me. Why?”

Tasbirn left Terniff’s side as he began his tirade upon the ghost. “Why? BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW! Eight hundred years, Telelum. Eight hundred years of us not knowing how to defeat the curse. We need information!”

Even with the ghost appearing tangible before them, his voice sounded as if it came from far away. “I could defeat the curse. I just could not do it alone. I needed my king, but he stayed to fight the pirate. I travel the land looking for my king hoping to gain the ability to restore the land.” The glare from the ghost declared that it was correcting a lie as it said, “It has not yet been eight hundred years, but I will continue on.”

Terniff had been around men enough to recognize things about Telelum. His long hair did show some fashion. The locks were not the lengthy strands of a wild man who did not care for himself, but those of an elegant socialite. The poor quality of his tresses was simply a result of being tied back or stuffed under a helmet for a number of days. The rough features of his face were also a result of being active on a mission where he had not bothered to shave since he had no audience to be impressed with his features. While the head claimed only that the man had been busy away from the cares of those who would judge him on appearances, the body reminded her of Renwyn when he had been found. A thin frailty showed in the physique of the ghost, as if he had been tortured, but a strong presence could still be noticed. That caused Terniff to speak along a different path of conversation than Tasbirn.

“You said before that you were in pain and suffered. Why?”

“I had gone out with my king to deal with the pirate Captain Igglid. He was not the normal invader to our land, but very well versed in horrid manipulations of magic. I found his ship manned by those no longer living and others who wished for death. I was captured and tortured, but I did as my king requested and bought him time to make his attack. I still must suffer as the cycle repeats every change of the seasons.”

Tasbirn spoke to seize upon the piece of evidence he felt advanced his own cause. “The spirit of the pirate lives on?”

Telelum nodded as he replied, “And the ghost of that cruel entity needs to be challenged, but I will need my king by my side to remove the curse.”

“I am the ruler of Mardon, and I will do whatever is necessary to restore my land. There are others excavating the castle. Is that work necessary?”

“Yes, as the curse is centered on the nursery. The place where the future of the kingdom was to live and play became the focus of the misery to the land.”

Tasbirn stepped up to the table to declare, “It will take time, Telelum, but we will do all that is necessary. We need to know everything however, as we have lived in ignorance for too long.”

The form of Telelum began to grow hazy as he said, “It was no different in my time. We were ignorant then as well.”

Tasbirn went about screaming, “NO! NO! NO!” as the presence of the ghost faded from the room.

Renwyn and a number of soldiers poured into the tent as the viscount rushed out screaming orders for his men to search for signs of the phantom. Terniff held her position attempting to assimilate the words she had heard while waiting for one of her superiors to give her orders. Her husband however approached having other concerns than commanding her.

“We were outside afraid not to help, but also scared that we might disrupt the presence of the ghost. I am sorry if you expected me sooner.”

She approached her man as she said, “No, Renwyn, you did right. There never has been word of Telelum attacking anyone. You should thus not have feared for me.”

“Yes, well, but still, Terniff, it is no longer your place to fight alone.”

“It is not my place to fight at all. I can fight, should I feel the need, but it is still my place as a woman to have other concerns. This is still not your battle, Renwyn. This is a struggle for those of us of Mardon. Also, it is a fight for the future, and it is my responsibility as a woman to secure the future.”

She felt the strong arms of her husband come around her, but his words were soft. “It is still your place to be there for me when I return from my duties at the end of a day. It is also my place to be there for you should you have a need. I was worried that you needed me.”

Terniff almost told Renwyn that she did not need him, but held them back considering them to be a lie. She put her arms around him as she considered what to say. Her words almost rushed out as a response came that she considered to be very true.

“I am worried about our life together. Telelum said that the cycle repeats every change of the seasons. That means that every three months we get a chance to restore Mardon. Within the year we should be able to return to your home, Renwyn. I can then begin to learn the truth about our life together.”

“There is nothing to fear, Terniff.” The man kissed her to give actions to his words. “I will always love you, and my people will love you.”

“I don’t doubt you, my lord. I am simply saying that I fear my perspective will be different.”

“Don’t you worry about that, either.”

Terniff did not seek any development of those words. Something in the manner of Renwyn speaking implied that there was an underlying reason for the statement. At the moment she did not want to challenge him, but felt a need to simply accept his presence in her life. She thus stayed with her body next to his and told herself to be at peace.


Some have plans even more grand than capturing a ghost.