THE WIZARD AND THE SYLPH

Chapter Twenty-three

Into The Black Wood

From the outside, Belloc's old house remained essentially unchanged. Inside however, it had been taken over by a never-ending cast of strangers who came and went on business that had nothing at all to do with the old mansion and the lands upon which it resided. For their part, Palindor and Grol had taken on the task left to them by Triel of Brand: that of co-ordinating the movements of their tracking parties on the border of the Black Wood, and the surrounding lands. Upstairs, Anest

and Lily were already asleep in their old room, having only just returned from the Marshes of Morag.

Before retiring for the night, Anest had told Palindor that he and Lily intended to try to find some way of protecting the Black Wood. How he intended to accomplish this was a source of concern for Palindor, who knew somewhat of the Wood and its dark secrets.

He and Grol now considered a map of the Black Wood, which was laid out on the dining-room table. It was early evening, and the room was lighted by candles that guttered from time to time as an errant draught of air caught at them. A cheery blaze burned in the hearth, offsetting the frosty chill in the air.

"Black Heart would be a more fit name for this place," muttered Grol, darkly. "These woods give me the creeps."




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