The Gate under the Moon Chapter 2.

Chapter 2:

 

A message from Rembrien.

 

Early next morning, Colonel Smike arrived with two strangers. Sophrayni came out to greet them.

“This pair were wandering around the Forest last night looking for you,” he said. “It was late, so I took them to the Palace. They were tired, hungry, thirsty, and lost.”

Now that she could see her visitors clearly, Sophrayni recognised the woman. “Good morning, Martha. What brings you all the way from Stump?”

Martha carefully dismounted. “We spent the night in the Palace,” she said breathlessly. “And we met the king.”

Sophrayni laughed. “Yes, he’s a decent old stick, isn’t he?”

Martha looked taken aback at Sophrayni’s casual comment about King Syldan.

The man with her got off his horse and stood beside Martha. “Never mind meeting the king, tell the Witch why we’re here.”

“Sorry,” said Martha, blushing. “This is my brother, Simon. He’s right. We need to pass on the message as quickly as possible.”

“Message?” Sophrayni raised her eyebrows and glanced at Colonel Smike. He shrugged and shook his head.

Martha began, “It’s hard to know where to begin. Do you remember that we had no charmer? We didn’t need one because we had the unicorn’s horn that cured all our illnesses.”

Sophrayni nodded.

“Well, last week my son Jed cut himself, and the cut went bad. I did as we’ve always done and passed the horn over it. It didn’t heal like it usually does. I had to do it two more times before the cut got better.”

“Odd,” said Sophrayni.

“Other people said the same,” Simon interrupted. “So we went to tell Lord Rufus, our Kingsman. He was the one who got the horn in the first place.”

“Half the town was there, in the square, wondering what to do, when this huge hare came, lolloping, I suppose, straight into the square. It ignored everyone and went right up to Lord Rufus’s door and sat down.”

“Hares are normally timid,” said Martha. “But this one wasn’t bothered at all. It stamped its foot on the cobbles, a very loud noise. Lord Rufus came out to see what the fuss was. The hare went right up to him, no fear, nothing.”

“Unusual,” said Sophrayni. “And?”

Simon answered. “There was a pouch fastened round its neck. Lord Rufus bent down and undid the string. Then the hare just turned round and lolloped out of town.”

“There was a letter in the pouch,” said Martha. “Lord Rufus read it out. It was from the man who lives in the house on the hill.”

“Rembrien,” said Sophrayni.

Martha nodded. “The letter said he needed to send a message to you, and that it had to be sent as soon as possible because there wasn’t much time left.”

Sophrayni sighed. “Another message with the same warning.”

“There was another letter in the pouch with your name on it,” said Simon. He reached into his pocket and brought out a folded piece of what looked like paper. He held it out to Sophrayni. She tried to take it, but snatched her hand away.

“That is magic,” she said, blowing on her fingers. “I cannot touch it.”

Colonel Smike stepped forward. “Allow me.” He took the letter. “Shall I read it out?”

Sophrayni nodded.

Smike unfolded the letter with great care. He examined the material closely. “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he said. “It’s not paper or animal skin.”

“Never mind what it is,” said Sophrayni impatiently. “Read the message.”

“Sorry.” Smike began to read.

“You must come at once. Bring no more than those you trust with your life. Time is shorter than even I feared. My garden is dying. The unicorn’s horn is losing its power. We need to act now.”

Smike cleared his throat and read the final lines.

“…I cannot explain more in writing. You must come as soon as you are able.

, Rembrien”

He folded the message again, very carefully, and offered it to Sophrayni, who shook her head.

“That’s all?” she asked.

“That’s all,” Smike confirmed. “No details. No explanation.”

Martha looked anxiously from one to the other. “We thought you would understand what he meant. Lord Rufus said the message must reach you immediately.”

Sophrayni shook her head slowly. “If Rembrien says time is short, then something is wrong. But what, he doesn’t say.”

Simon crossed his arms. “He sent a hare all the way down the hill to deliver that. It must be serious.”

“Oh, it is serious,” Sophrayni murmured. “But without knowing why, I cannot judge how serious.”

Smike looked at her. “What do you want to do?”

Sophrayni hesitated. She looked at the letter again, though she still refused to touch it.

“He would not summon me unless he had no other choice,” she said quietly.

Simon shifted uneasily. “So… you’ll go?”

“Yes,” Sophrayni said. “I must. But I still do not know what awaits me.”

Smike stepped closer, worry etched across his face. “Sophrayni… will you be all right?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I know this: Rembrien would not call for me unless the need was real.”

She watched Martha and Simon mount their horses again.

“Thank you for bringing the message. Go home. Keep your people calm. Until we know more, fear will only make matters worse.”

They rode away, glancing back until the trees swallowed them.

Smike tucked the message into his jacket.

Sophrayni stood deep in thought. “Time is short,” she whispered. “But short for what?”

Smike watched her, brow furrowed. He didn’t interrupt; he knew the look of a witch reading the invisible threads of the world. He waited until the silence grew heavy.

Finally he gave an apologetic cough. “You’re not planning on going alone, are you?”

“I cannot ask anyone to face an unknown danger,” said Sophrayni.

“I’ve spent my life facing unknown dangers,” said Smike. “And I’m not about to let you go riding off on your own, even if you are the Witch of the Dark Forest.”

“But will King Syldan let you go galloping off into the unknown? You’re a captain in the Foresters. You have duties.”

Smike grinned. “I’ll tell him you ordered me to go with you. I doubt he’d want to upset such a powerful witch. Besides, he’d probably order me to go anyway. He’s rather fond of you.”

Sophrayni nodded. “Having company makes the journey much pleasanter.”

“I’ll go and talk to the king,” said Smike. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He glanced up at her cottage. “Odd. I’ve never seen the roof looking as damaged as that.”

Sophrayni whirled round. The thatching was coming away from the rafters.

“The cottage is kept in good condition by magic,” she said. “If it’s beginning to crumble, then something is wrong with the magic.”

“Then the sooner we go, the better,” said Smike, and he rode away.

Sophrayni went inside. She lifted down a candlestick with an unlit stump of candle. She sat at the table and stared at the wick, ordering it to burn. Nothing happened. She concentrated harder. The candle lit.

She nodded and turned to the cat, who had been watching her. “That proves it,” she said. “There is something wrong with the magic.”