We were awake and dressed when Sim arrived at our door. He informed us he would bring the recording to the dining room where breakfast waited. As we sat, we wondered how one leprechaun could do so much. Anna and Sloth revealed the spells that created unseen servants plus the food.
Sim brought the recorder in, but did not seem pleased. He flopped into his seat and carelessly rolled the glass on the table.
"Nothing, absolutely nothing. Castle Night is silent. The battle field is the only activity in the area. Your bird purged as far as my instruments can see. My research is ruined."
We were at a loss. We felt for Sim, but releasing trapped souls was far more important than research. We ate in silence, letting him sort out his emotions. His plate and the recorder were the only things he would look at as he ate. Mentally, we discussed leaving today to not remind him of our actions. He was still stewing when we finished and left to pack.
We had nearly finished when Sim entered.
"Perceptive girls. You already predicted my position. I am sorry to part on such a note. I cannot concentrate on my work with you here. I will tell you a few things. The governor's palace is nearly due south. The road will, eventually, get you there. Going across country will not only get you there faster, but the forest will cut off the biting winter wind. You will have to cross the river Castle Night sits in, but that should be easy. There are a couple of villages between here and there for you to rest and get supplies. I will be busy and, most likely, not see you leave. So, farewell, Ladies, and safe travels."
With that, Sim walked out.
We finished packing and left Castle Day.
The land around was fairly empty and Callie was able to warn us of soft spots and we avoided them easily. The area seemed lighter, like a great weight had been lifted. We came to the conclusion that the spirits' departure was the cause. Our companions did notice the increase in animal activity. They seemed pleased. We actually heard bird song for the first time since leaving the Faerie Realm.
Stopping for a break and a bite, we all felt around the area. Lisa and Sarah reported "health" returning. Callie actually felt some of the soft spots getting stronger, as if the very land had been made weak by all of the spirits that were stuck here. While Gretta had nothing to report, being in this area seemed to strengthen her and give her confidence a boost. Anna and Alice told us the histories were "sorting themselves out", not being "stirred" by the spirits. I felt a peacefulness that I had not felt since arriving. Only nature spoke to me.
We continued south all afternoon. We found a nice clearing near sunset where we made camp. Our companions found good hunting and were well fed. Our supplies were still plentiful, but we rationed them anyway. We raised a shield just in case it rained during the night.
Day 323 (301):
The swords woke us just before dawn, letting us know a visitor was approaching. Feeling around, we felt the Treant guardian from the other day. Mentally, we welcomed him to join us at our camp. He wove his way to us and sat as we broke camp.
"Well met, again, Ladies and friends. A wonder has occurred since our last meeting. Hoards of spirits have left these woods. My trees and the land grow stronger with each passing moment."
We told him about Castle Night. He was delighted. He confirmed the draining effect undead and spirits, in mass, have on all living things and how animals flee from such energies. He confirmed the location of the governor's palace. He wished he could take us there himself, but we were too many for him to carry and that area was under another's guardianship. He did volunteer to mark the best path to the end of his territory to guide us. We thanked him for all of his help. He rose and headed south, disappearing into the forest.
We followed his path all day, finding another clearing to make camp. We sensed moisture in the air and decided to raise a shield in case of rain or snow.
Day 324 (302):
Good thing we had the shield as a wet snow had fallen during the night. A half-foot mound encircled our shield, perfectly outlining its edge. The Treant's path was still easily followed, both visually and by feel.
In a few hours, we were looking at Castle Night. Just as we viewed it in the mirrors and through Set, it was a dark uninviting place. Even in direct sunlight, it was still dark. Tiny arrow-slit windows were placed asymmetrically over its surface. Its dark reflection in the slow river made it look twice as tall. Even though the river was slow, we knew from Set's swim that it was also deep. We searched for a way to cross. Set volunteered to freeze the water, but we were not sure it would work.
"Sarah, talk to the water," Anna suggested, "Maybe it or someone in it will help us across."
Sarah cleared her throat and approached the river. In the mermaid language, she asked if anyone called the river home. We waited a few moments, but received no answer.
"I guess the spirits scared them away," Sarah speculated.
We all spread out to search for a way across. Our flyers went over the water in both directions and at different heights. We seven searched the shore. Anna and Callie felt that a secret construction had taken place, but they could not narrow it down to a single location.
During our searching, Bo let out a mental "omph". We all spun to look at him, which was hard in the fog rolling off the warmer water into the colder air. We headed his direction, pass the castle, down river. Bo was flying around a large area, trying to fan the fog away from that area. In clear spots, I spotted blurs of color. Set, Dawn, and Echo flew over to Bo. Echo was flying at full speed, then tried to slow down or stop. With a slight "thud", Echo hit something hard. Set caught her before she hit the water. As he rose, Set scraped against something that sounded like rock or stone. We got closer, the blurs of color began to take shape.
Anna and Callie shouted in unison, "A bridge! An invisible bridge!"
They and Alice began telling us about it. Built after the castle had fallen into the river, locals built a way to cross the now much wider river. During its construction, workers disappeared and strange sounds issued from the castle. By its completion, less than half of the original workers were still there. They returned home. The lich returned and inspected the bridge. He also saw the added spirits of the workers in the castle. He gave the zombies new orders: patrol the bridge and seize any who used it. They performed their tasks well, causing the bridge to be seen as cursed, sharing the castle's cursed state. Locals began avoiding both. The lich returned once again. For reasons known only to him, he rendered the bridge invisible. The zombies, apparently, didn't need to see the bridge to continue patrolling it. Over time, the stones that were the beginning and end of the bridge separated from the main body.
During their tale, Set and I focused on it, wondering why it fluctuated between visible and invisible. The colors, we decided, was the magic used to conceal it. Something was wrong. Callie finally gave us the solution.
"The spell is being stretched as the two stones separate from the bridge. Plus, Dawn's magic the other day weakened it a bit. She might weaken it more, but not enough to be completely visible. Kayla, you and Set are the only two who see it. You will have to lead us over it."
The rest agreed, even though Lisa, in her stubbornness, tried to feel for it only to smack her hand into its unseen rail. We formed a chain. Set was first, as the heaviest and largest of us all. Callie took his tail, to warn of weak spots. Anna, Alice, me, Sarah, Gretta, and Lisa to guard us from behind. The other three companions flew around us to protect, watch, and warn. The starting stone was firmly on the ground. The first step after that was a bit of a stretch, Anna and Sarah had to nearly jump from visible ground to invisible bridge. Trust was the only thing that assured them they were hopping the right way. Slowly and cautiously, Set led us across. Callie reported no weaknesses. Save for Set and I, we shuffled over the invisible stones, uncertain of where to place their feet. I mentally and verbally encouraged my sisters, letting them know they were safe. Some of them had their eyes closed to avoid the disorientation of the water moving under their feet with "nothing" under them. A few minutes later, we hopped onto the other stone and solid ground. My sisters were panting as they had held their breath most of the trip across. Lisa took up a handful of sand from the shore and tossed it onto the bridge, which lay wetly on the invisible stones we had just crossed. Gretta asked if we could send a message to Snathdubh to let them know this area was free of spirits and undead. We thought that was a good idea. We penned a letter to the Magistrate, explaining what had happened. Visualizing his desk, I sent it through kirlan to lay upon his desk. Hopefully, he would not be frightened by its arrival. We found the Treant's path again and continued south.
The rest agreed, even though Lisa, in her stubbornness, tried to feel for it only to smack her hand into its unseen rail. We formed a chain. Set was first, as the heaviest and largest of us all. Callie took his tail, to warn of weak spots. Anna, Alice, me, Sarah, Gretta, and Lisa to guard us from behind. The other three companions flew around us to protect, watch, and warn. The starting stone was firmly on the ground. The first step after that was a bit of a stretch, Anna and Sarah had to nearly jump from visible ground to invisible bridge. Trust was the only thing that assured them they were hopping the right way. Slowly and cautiously, Set led us across. Callie reported no weaknesses. Save for Set and I, we shuffled over the invisible stones, uncertain of where to place their feet. I mentally and verbally encouraged my sisters, letting them know they were safe. Some of them had their eyes closed to avoid the disorientation of the water moving under their feet with "nothing" under them. A few minutes later, we hopped onto the other stone and solid ground. My sisters were panting as they had held their breath most of the trip across. Lisa took up a handful of sand from the shore and tossed it onto the bridge, which lay wetly on the invisible stones we had just crossed. Gretta asked if we could send a message to Snathdubh to let them know this area was free of spirits and undead. We thought that was a good idea. We penned a letter to the Magistrate, explaining what had happened. Visualizing his desk, I sent it through kirlan to lay upon his desk. Hopefully, he would not be frightened by its arrival. We found the Treant's path again and continued south.
We were out of sight of both castle and bridge when we took a break to rest and eat. Dawn's influence had ended and no animals stirred around us. The forest was nearly silent, save for wet snow sliding off branches. Our maps indicated a small village not far from our location. Rested, we continued on. Dawn took up her scouting while Set did some scouting of his own. Now that we knew what to look for, he began looking for anything invisible or spectral. The rest of us kept an eye out for anything misty or the pendants glowing.
The evening sun was making the forest dark when we arrived at the small village we had hoped to encounter. Just like Snathdubh, Coille (CO-lee) was a non-permanent town. It had no "wall" but there was a metal fence that looked like it could be folded if needed. We walked up to a gate of sorts, manned by two young male leprechauns. They looked at us, trying to decide if we were real or spirit. Gretta greeted them and introduced us all in fluent leprechaun. This eased their minds and they allowed us to enter. Here, unlike Snathdubh, only the leprechaun language was spoken. This made Gretta our speaker as we looked for any place to spend the night. Finally, we found a man who would let us use his shop, provided we cleaned it and didn't let our "beasts" destroy anything. We gladly accepted his terms. Bo's whirlwind easily picked up the loose dust, sawdust, shavings, and other debris. He sent it out the door or placed it near a pile of cut logs. Set's ice provided the water needed to clean work benches, tables, chairs, and all the other surfaces. Dawn and Set used fire to burn rust off of saw blades and other metal items.
Through Anna and Alice, we learned how this shop had deteriorated to such a sorry state. The man was a master carpenter and lumberjack. His apprentices use to keep the place tidy. Unfortunately, all of them had been taken by the spirits of the area, never to be seen again. Unwilling to "feed" the spirits any more, the man stopped taking apprentices. Forsaking his shop, he maintained only a small workbench in his home and used only wood he could gather in sight of Coille. We felt his sadness, even though he refused to show any emotion. By full dark, the shop was ready to be used again. We laid our mats out and stoked the fire. The carpenter, Sean, came running into the building, chattering at full speed. He looked around, very confused. Gretta told us he had been listening, even though he did not understand what we said. When we had grown quiet, he panicked, afraid something had gotten into town and taken us. Gretta calmed him, letting him know we were just settling down to sleep. This confused him. He looked around the shop, utterly amazed that we were finished. He could not find a speck of dust, dirt, nor crumb. With a puzzled look, Sean left in silence.
We did not follow him. We laid our mats in a large empty area next to the fireplace where we had a fire going. Our companions piled upon the front stones. Set encircled Dawn and Bo as they curled up in front of the fire. Echo found an edge to hang from that was close enough to stay warm.
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