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All posts for the day February 26th, 2013

Tales of Nightshade: Curse of Job (Part One)

Posted by LediaR on February 26, 2013
Posted in: Creative Writing, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Magic, Magic Book, Novella Excerpt, Witch. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

Basket of Herbs

(Photo found at this site:<http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2011/02/corgyncombe-herbary.html&gt;)

It was one of those crystal mornings.  A crisp, cool breeze fell against Luena’s face and rustled her golden hair as the sky above her shone so blue that it hurt her eyes.  She knew she should not be wasting time daydreaming; Brunda would not approve.  But the day was so glorious; Luena just could not help herself.

Her basket of herbs was not half full, a touch of contrition squeezed at her heart, but that was soon forgotten when the sound of a bird drew her attention.  She found herself following the small cardinal as it flitted from tree branch to tree branch, her task of gathering herbs for the week’s lessons totally forgotten.

A patch of clover spread out in the field before Luena.  She stopped in her pursuit and knelt beside the pungent herbs and reached out to caress the diminutive pink blossoms that grew among them.

A sudden pandemonium broke the tranquillity of the morning causing Luena’s small head to rise.  Within moments, she was surrounded by a band of horsemen.  Before she could give a cry of alarm, one of the hulking brutes reached down and clasped his dirty hand across her mouth.

Hot tears sprang to Luena’s eyes and instinctively, she sank her teeth into the meaty palm.  With his free hand, the man delivered the child a stinging slap across the face.  Luena crumpled, her small body racked with sobs…

Brunda peered out the window.  This was the third time in a week that Luena had been late completing her chores.  “Why did I ever believe I had the patience to apprentice such a young child, or anyone for that matter?”  The old witch said to Mandrake, who dozed lazily on a wooden chair.  He turned a yellow-green eye in Brunda’s direction, dampened one paw and began stroking his ears.  He paused in mid-stroke to perk up his ears, as if he heard something; then he went back to washing.

“Better go and check on her.  It is getting late and we need to start work on her lessons before the day is gone.”  The old sorceress seized her broom and was out the door with Mandrake close behind.

Brunda flew across the meadow, searching for signs of the little girl.  She soon spied Luena’s gathering basket in a crushed bed of clover and swerved toward it.  Landing her broom, Brunda noticed that the basket lay beyond the invisible wall that hid her land from outsiders.

“Now where has that child gotten to?  Luena!”  The old woman cried in vexation.  She shot a glance toward Mandrake. “Haven’t I told her time and time again not to go beyond the protective barrier?” Steadying herself, Brunda stretched forth her hands, reciting a temporal displacement spell, and waited.

(Continued… https://creativemusingsoflediar.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/tales-of-nightshade-curse-of-job-part-two/)

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