The Shadow Chapter 1.

Chapter One.

 

18 Years Later.

 

John Clothman was a Draper, and not just any Draper, as he often reminded people, but the finest in the land. He boasted that he could supply any cloth a customer desired, from the softest silks to the roughest wool.

Even so, he was rather surprised, and extremely worried, when Calizone, Witch of the Dark Forest, walked into his shop.

She handed him a folded piece of cloth.

“I want you to find more of this,” she said.

John rubbed the cloth between his fingers. He sniffed it. He tried to tear a corner. Finally, he carried it to the window and held it up to the light.

He shook his head.

“This is the strangest cloth I have ever seen. The weave is finer than the finest silk. It has no smell, no taste, and I cannot even decide what colour it is. It is not black, nor grey, nor dark brown, nor midnight blue, but somehow all of them at once. I thought I knew cloth, but I have never seen anything like this. Are you certain there is more?”

“Oh yes,” said Calizone. “I am certain there is at least one roll of it somewhere.”

“Well,” said John Clothman, “any information you can give me would help.”

Calizone sniffed.

“I want this cloth. Many years ago, there was another Witch of the Dark Forest. She was a bad Witch.”

John interrupted.

“I thought all Dark Forest Witches were bad.”

Calizone scowled. John stepped back hastily.

“No. We are all wicked, or so people say, but this one was bad as well.”

She hesitated.

“I am about to tell you things no one but a Witch should know. If you repeat them outside this room, I will be very angry. You would not like that.”

John smiled nervously.

“All trades have their secrets. I can keep yours.”

Calizone took a deep breath.

“Every Witch keeps a Diary. In it she writes everything she does, every potion, every spell, how they were made, and how well they worked. The Diary stays in the Witch’s Cottage and becomes the property of the next Witch.”

She saw John’s expression.

“And do not even think of trying to read them. Only the next Witch can do that.”

“This Witch, the bad one, did not keep her Diary properly. She wrote so badly it is almost impossible to read. It appeared, as it should, about eighteen years ago when she died. It has taken me this long to work out what she wrote.”

Calizone frowned.

“All I can discover is that she was given a piece of this cloth by a Merchant who wanted her help. Something happened to her before the cloth was delivered. There is nothing written about who the Merchant was or where he lived. I want you to find out, and get that cloth for me.”

John shook his head slowly.

“It won’t be easy, but I’ll do my best. If the cloth still exists, it will be stuck in someone’s storeroom. If it had been made into clothes, I would have heard of it.”

His face took on a crafty look.

“Mind you, it won’t be cheap to find, and no one will sell cloth like this for pennies.”

Calizone placed a purse on the table.

“I am sure there is enough gold in there to pay for any amount of searching. When you find the cloth, I will give you double what you paid.”

“I will do my best,” said John Clothman.

“I am sure you will,” said Calizone. “Everyone does their best for the Witch of the Dark Forest.”

At the beginning of the next month, Calizone returned. John had no news.

Nor the month after that.

Nor the next.

But on her fourth visit, Mr Clothman handed her a parcel.

Inside was a roll of the strange material.

“Sorry it took so long,” he said. “The man who had it died suddenly, no apparent reason. He left no will, so there was a long battle over who got what. His warehouse was locked for months. The new owners aren’t Drapers and wanted rid of the cloth. One of my agents happened to be in the town. He knew I’d be interested. I hurried over and bought everything. I was as surprised as anyone to find the material you wanted. That was all there was.”

Calizone unrolled the cloth.

“This is the right stuff. There should be enough for a dress.”

“I can recommend Mrs Diamond across the Square,” said John. “She is said to be the best dressmaker in the Seven Kingdoms.”

Calizone nodded.

“So, I have heard. Now, how much do I owe you?”

John Clothman was an honest man, especially when dealing with witches.

“I still have some of the gold from the purse you gave me. The cloth did not cost much.”

“Good,” said Calizone. “Keep what is left. There is more where that came from.”

John scratched his head.

“I’m sorry there isn’t a full roll. I think this may have been a sample, weavers sometimes send them out to show what they can make. The Merchant was like that Magalan witch of yours, he kept dreadful records. But from what little he wrote, I get the impression there was another full roll somewhere. Do you want me to keep looking? I confess I’ve no idea where to start.”

Calizone thought for a moment.

“No. This piece will do for now.”

John Clothman bowed her out of his shop and let out a long sigh of relief.

Dealing with witches was not something he ever wished to do again.