Weaver's Curse

It had been two days since Toby’s group had started their journey up the mountain. They were covering a lot of distance, and Kaedwyn mostly seemed to know what she was doing.

“Alright, will someone tell me if this is a new memory or not?” Isaan said suddenly.

“Okay.” Kaedwyn said. “Go for it.”

“The Tower of Alaak.” He said.

“I don’t think you’ve mentioned it.” Kaedwyn said. “What is it?”

“Home to a witch.” Isaan said.

“Which witch?” Kaedwyn said.

“I don’t know.” Isaan answered. “An important one?”

“Ah that clears things up.” Kaedwyn said.

“So what does the Tower of Alaak have to do with you?” Allie asked him.

“I went there at some point. I don’t know why, though. It had something to do with King Deled.”

“I’ve never heard of this place.” Toby said.

“Neither have I.” Allie agreed.

“Nor I.” Kaedwyn said.

“Maybe it has another name.” Allie said. “Maybe the Tower of the East?”

Toby knew the tower Allie was referencing; a towering structure built from black stone hat stood on Loann’s eastern coast. It had once been occupied by some coven of witches that had cursed the land with locusts or something in that vein. He’d slept through that lesson, like most of them.

“No, that’s not it.” Isaan said. “Oh well. Maybe I’ll remember something about it later.”

Wouldn’t count on it, buddy, Toby thought, shooting the man a sympathetic glance.

Allie looked deep in thought, almost as if she might know what Isaan was talking about.

She’s weirdly knowledgeable.

“Uh… guys?” Kaedwyn called. She was examining her map.

“What’s up?” Toby asked.

“Does that rock spire over there look fish-shaped to you?” Kaedwyn asked.

“Yeah.” He said.

“Damn it!” Kaedwyn shouted. “Okay, bad news guys. We passed by that village I was trying to get us too. But there’s another one we should reach tomorrow!”

“Don’t worry about it!” Allie said, slinging an arm around Kaedwyn’s shoulder. “We don’t mind sleeping on the ground, do we guys?!”

I sort of mind, actually.

I can’t help it though! I was raised sleeping on featherbeds all my life, okay?

“I actually prefer sleeping on the ground.” Isaan said.

Madman!

“I can’t say I share that sentiment, but I really don’t mind being on the ground.” Allie said.

“No thanks.” Kaedwyn said. “I’ll take a nice warm bed over a blanket in the grass any day.”

“I’m with you there.” Toby said.

That night, they sat around a small fire that Kaedwyn had allowed them to make while Isaan cooked a rabbit he’d managed to kill earlier.

“I don’t think I’ve interrogated you on why you chose an adventurer’s life yet, Toby.” Kaedwyn mused.

“The life of a foppish wastrel called to me, I guess.” Toby said. “I’m just running from my responsibilities right now.”

“…okay.” Kaedwyn said. “Well that could be interpreted in a lot of good ways, so I’m going to choose to interpret it as you being a deadbeat dad.”

“What? Why?” Toby cried.

“I don’t know, you just kind of give off that kind of energy.” Kaedwyn shrugged.

“I do not!” Toby protested. “Allie, tell her I don’t give off that kind of energy!”

“He doesn’t.” Allie agreed with him. “The responsibility he’s dodging is obviously a large debt he owes someone.”

“That’s only marginally better!”

“Maybe you’re both right.” Isaan suggested, looking up from his rabbit.

“C’mon, man!” Toby said.

“So we have an amnesiac, a rake, a rebellious teen, and me.” Kaedwyn said. “What interesting motivations we all have.

“You’re a rebellious teen?” he asked Allie.

“It’s a story for another time.” Allie said, glancing at her lap.

“Why another time when we’re gathered around a campfire in the middle of nowhere? Also known as ‘the perfect setting for a good story’.” Toby said.

“Fine…” Allie said, hint of a sigh in her voice. “My family were very… stifling people. They wanted me to get married to someone that would ‘get me to settle down a little’. But… I’m only seventeen.”

“That’s way too young to be getting married.” Kaedwyn agreed.

I agree there.

“Right.” Allie continued. “So I just left. And honestly? I’m not sure I ever plan on going home. Or getting married.”

He felt a tinge of disappointment at that.

Whoa, slow down there buddy. She’s sweet, and funny, and attractive, but you’ve known her for just a few weeks, he scolded himself. And she never said she was against dating.

“I don’t blame you.” Kaedwyn said. “Marriage is a dangerous game, especially when someone else is trying to pick your partner for you.”

She’s right.

“Yeah. Don’t let anyone tell you whether you can or can’t marry, or who you can or can’t marry.” Isaan said to Allie.

See, maybe they would be understanding if I told them my actual story.

They ate the rabbit, and went to sleep.

Toby woke some time in the middle of the night. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was the bright moonlight, or the soft crunching of footstep, or the cool temperature, or the frond of grass tickling his chin…

Wait. Footsteps?

He sat quickly sat up, and saw that the three piles of blankets that had been laid around him when he’d fallen asleep were gone. The others were nowhere to be seen.

They left. They figured out my identity and they abandoned me, was Toby’s first thought.

That’s absurd, he told himself a moment later.

There! There was Allie!

She was walking in a slow, shuffling manner off into the darkness, as if asleep.

Toby leapt to his feet, hurriedly scooping his blankets and pack into his arms and jogging after her. For once, he was glad he’d fallen asleep with his boots on.

“Allie! Wait up!” he called.

She didn’t react to his voice at all. There was no indication she’d even heard him.

He quickened his pace and caught up with her, and saw that she did seem to be awake. But… her eyes were glazed over, and staring at nothing. Her mouth hung open slightly.

He waved a hand in front of her face, and got no reaction.

“Allie! Can you hear me?” he asked her.

No reaction.

He stumbled over a rock, and grabbed onto her to rebalance himself. She kept walking, causing Toby to fall flat on his face. He picked himself up, scrabbling for his blankets.

Something caught his eye up ahead. A cave entrance that glowed with a faint blue light. And Allie was walking straight for it, her pace quicker than it had been before.

He remembered what Mr. Hexing had said about the cursed places in the peaks, and fear shot through him.

“Allie! Stop!” He shouted, running for her. “Please, just stop!”

He lunged for her, and tried to grab for her to yank her backwards. Instead, he tripped over a second rock, and knocked both of them straight through the cave entrance.