The Blight of Muirwood

Colvin stood firm, hand in the air, willing it to depart. She could feel his thoughts pressing from his eyes, exuding from his entire body. He was the master of the situation, not the beast. It must pay homage to him. Lia’s courage was bolstered by his. She also sent her thoughts at it, demanding it to depart. Together, their intent shuddered the air.

All at once, the mist began to lift. It did not reveal the creature. It was gone.

Relief swelled inside her chest. After waiting a moment more, they fetched their weapons. When they turned, they saw the mountainside ended abruptly off a jagged cliff, not a dozen paces more from where they had stopped. Lia gasped and clutched at Colvin’s tunic. Had they continued their blind charge down the mountain, they would have run directly over it. The clearing mist revealed the danger.

It also revealed an Abbey nestled in the crags below.

* * *

It was an Abbey hidden in the mountains. It was not the same size as Muirwood. It was more squat and square, rising with a steeple towards the jagged cliffs that dwarfed it. They approached from the rear, and from the mountainside Lia could see the cloister hidden in its shadow, with several small buildings connected with stone and mortar representing the different abodes for crafts. What struck her eyes immediately was the fact that she could not see anyone roaming the grounds. There were no learners walking between the cloister. In fact, it looked overgrown. The grounds were lush and thick, not trimmed by sickles. Wildflowers grew throughout the expanse. It looked abandoned. There was, however, smoke rising from the hall of the main manor, outside the Abbey walls. There was also a small garden, blocked off by rings of stone where vegetables and fruit trees grew. It was a small patch, though. Quail and deer trespassed across the grounds. She studied the scene, watching closely.

“The ruins of Tintern Abbey. This must be Tintern. What do you make of it?” Colvin asked, crouching low next to her.

“My first thought was it is abandoned like the farms from yesterday, but there is a small garden which looks as if it is tended. And the smoke. This does not make sense. Look how the ivy has crawled on the walls. Normally the servants would have cut it down. Perhaps this is where Martin has taken her, a place hidden where people would not see her. I want to see that garden up close before we decide what to do. It does not make sense to me that there is a garden here. Who would be tending it if the Abbey is abandoned?”

Colvin nodded and together they stayed low and crept down the final incline, moving from tree shadow to tree shadow to disguise their approach. Other than the thin plume of smoke from the main chimney, there was no other sign of life manifested. How curious, Lia thought. Tintern Abbey itself was carved out of a reddish stone, and it was probably half the size of Muirwood. The thick woods of the mountains provided the necessary cover and they both approached the garden from the outside. The wall was high enough that deer would not be able to vault it. Colvin helped Lia over first and she dropped to a low crouch, watching for any sign of movement. Colvin followed with a soft thud, also dropping low.

The garden was thick with vegetables, cut into even rows and tethered by stakes and strings. The earth was a rich black loam and Lia pulled a massive carrot from it that was nearly as thick as her wrist. A small patch of strawberries, shrewberries, and blueberries grew along the wall, each with full ripe fruit. Lia snatched one of the strawberries and bit into it. The juice was sweet and tender, perfectly ripe. She stared around, amazed, for the harvest season was over. Juice dribbled down her chin and she mopped it with the back of her hand.

“Look,” Colvin pointed out in a low voice. In the center of each wall segment on three sides were Leerings carved into the stone. They exuded such quiet power, she had not recognized their presence. They were ancient stones, worn away by storm and snow. “Do you recognize the feeling?” he asked her.

It took a moment, and she did. “The apple tree in Maderos’ garden. I remember it now. Even though it wasn’t the right season, there were apples growing on the tree. I think the purpose of these Leerings is to preserve food.”

Colvin nodded. “So maybe the Abbey is truly abandoned. What does the orb do? Does it point towards the manor house?”

She withdrew the Cruciger orb and held it in her hand. The orb spun lazily and pointed directly at the manor house. Writing appeared on the orb. Excitement burned inside her. Ellowyn was inside. She was certain of it. Looking up at the sky, she noticed the sun starting its downward slope. She did not relish the thought of returning to the mountains in the dark.

“Maybe they are sleeping,” Lia suggested. “Now might be the right moment to free her.”