Gilpaen 20th

  Woe betides he who comes to this accursed island! I have long remained bound by ignorance, and the foolish belief that what haunted this isle and castle most deeply, was mere superstition, when rather it is wickedness. I shan’t believe I could prove so foolish, as to believe I have a word in my own fate by this time.

  Doubtless if you ever read this journal at all Sieghild, you shall find my tone in regards to the matter of the lady Baroness and Klove much changed in so short a period of time. The reason for this I do hope will soon be made clearer, the more you read through this entry. What you will also likely ponder is whether my wits have left me, or consider the possibility that I am making wild accusations against the two of them.

  The day after I had made my previous entry that is to say on the 16th of Gilpaen, it happened that I was startled from my sleep by Klove.

  “Brother, it appears that you have overslept, your meal awaits you in the principal hall,” Klove awoke me, shaking me from where I had fallen asleep thereupon the bed given out to me.

  For a moment, the thought occurred to me that I should doubtlessly confide in the sole servant of the castle. That mayhap he might provide some succour, from the terrors I had borne witness to the night ere this morn’ and yet, there was something that held me back. Some darkness within that prevented me, from imparting the fullness of my thoughts to the scraggly older man.

  I say to you, herein this journal Sieghild where my thoughts and feelings are wholly unfettered from the restraints of any politeness that society might have otherwise prevented me from speaking fully my mind: There was some dark spectre that lay behind the eyes, of the servant. Whether it had always been there, or if it was a trick my mind played upon itself I do not know. Only that at the time I was struck by apprehension and revulsion towards him.

  “I will follow whither to the feast-hall, if you would do me the honour of fetching me water that I may wash my face, Klove,” I expressed at once if stiffly so.

  He shrugged and did as bidden, with nary a second thought. Hardly paying my rather unfriendly mien any further thought, doubtlessly thinking it but a mere sequel to a poor-nights’ sleep.

  Once my face was cleaned, and I was wholly awake I descended the stairs, to eat. Doing so ravenously, I hardly noticed the hunk of bread, wine and cheese make their way down my throat, so lost was I in my own thoughts.

  In time the query was put forth to the servant, before I could restrain my thoughts, “Klove where is the Baroness? She never joins me for dinner or any other meal, and never joins me for discussions unless it is after night-fall.”

  “The lady is most busy in the day,” Klove replied at once, as he refilled my goblet with a shrug of his shoulders.

  This statement hardly served to encourage me, towards any warm sentiments towards her, “And where does she stay?”

  The look that Klove gave me was so suspicious that I was, left baffled and more than a little anxious now.

  Still though, he did not think to hide the truth, saying to me, “She sleeps in the western-most tower, it is accessible only to her.”

  “Only to her? What of yourself? How do you bring her, her meals if such is the case?” I asked of him, genuinely puzzled.

  In the midst of cleaning the plates from the table, he halted mid-motion to consider my words and tone ere he answered once more with a shrug of his large shoulders. “Typically, she takes her meals here, though at times she eats in the east-wing of the castle. This, after she has me clean some part of it or other, as she is very particular in regards to it.”

  It was at this moment that the memory of Sir Hermann, of the beast that had sunk its terrible fangs into him returned to me.

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  Though I did my very best, to hide my true thoughts I knew in that instant the truth though I sought to hide from it.

  It was hours after this conversation that stricken with horror and sick with a desire for home that I sought to leave the castle. It was the first attempt to do so.

  Putting together my effects and few possessions brought with me, to this wretched place I made for the doors, near to the middle after-noon. It was a foolish attempt for my part, for I had little notion at this time of the truth of my situation.

  Though, ordinarily incredibly preoccupied with other duties it happened that Klove took immediate notice of me. Startled and bewildered he attempted to stop me, from leaving barring me under the pretence that it was too dangerous still for me to leave the castle.

  “Think of the wolves’ brother, the wolves!” He reminded me fiercely, not that his words had any effect upon me.

  “Bah, doubtlessly they have left by this time, they shan’t have remained in place to menace me, after so many days,” I sneered indifferent to his warnings and angry. “I am a brother of the faith, and the faith will protect me.”

  “Really now?” Klove asked with a hint of derision in his voice, “Still I must protest this sudden, and rather rash decision on your part.”

  “It is not rash,” I defended at once though I knew deep within my spirit that it indeed was. “I have concluded my business here, done my duty and wish now to return home!”

  “Not without leave you do not,” He retorted at once as obstinate as I was, in his rage and sheer loathing for me. Though there was such desperation in his own voice that it almost gave me pause, “You shan’t leave until the lady has permitted it!”

  His ill-sentiments and desperate words were ignored, just as my own concerns were by him. He might well have stood against me, were it not for a sudden outburst of uncharacteristic irrationality on my part.

  Though you might find this shameful, overtaken by a sense of rage against him, I seized him and cast him aside in my mad attempt to step out from within the castle-keep. From behind me, came a thunderous if feminine voice that pierced the air just as my hand came to rest upon the door.

  “Where is it you think to depart for, brother Arnfried?” It was the Baroness who spoke, having appeared as the day had passed to night, at the summit of the staircase from seemingly nowhere. “Have you been given leave of my hospitality?”

  Bewildered by her enraged word, I nonetheless paid them no mind so that I turned about to head out thither for the wilderness.

  It was with more than a little disconcerting to discover that the wolves outside the castle, resting out in the courtyard. Shocked and horrified, I was to back away ever so slightly mouth agape at the knowledge that the wolves had not returned to the forest but come to abide hereupon the peak of the mountain.

  “I had thought you wished to leave my castle, Arnfried?” Varcola inquired not far behind me, her voice sonorous as always also with a hint of sinister amusement.

  “Er- how did they- I should think that,” I stammered utterly flabbergasted and defeated by the discovery of the wolves which slowly began to comet o awareness of our presence.

  No less uncomfortable than I was, Klove sought to close the door yet with a glance the lady stopped him, mid-movement.

  Once more she turned to me, the same cruel expression on her face as before, ere that moment she had turned to him if briefly so. “I should think that if it is to leave my humble abode, you desire to leave you ought, to do so at once.”

  Frightened by the wolves which began to awaken, and look upon me with cold yet hungry eyes that pierced through me.

  For several minutes she struggled to push me out, while I struggled to close the doors wherefore she asked of me. “Why do you resist? Why do you insist upon staying, if you wish to stay? Could it be that you wish to stay within my castle-walls?”

  “Yes, yes! Please milady!” I pleaded pathetically, hardly able to tolerate the fear that had overrun me in this moment.

  It happened that one of the wolves had leapt forward, with his fangs digging into my dear-skin boot and into my leg. This time it was not the same leg that had been bitten into, during my previous clash with the canines.

  Hardly disturbed by the beast Klove did little at all save gave over a large cane, asking as he did so. “I imagine brother you might appreciate, this particular item that is if you would prefer to escape its grasp.”

  Hardly seeing him and seizing the cane whilst he worked to close the doors, I struck at the foul beast with the wooden cane. Mayhap a half dozen or a dozen blows were struck, until at last the wood was weakened and broke in two.

  Frustrated and angered by this, yet undeterred I was to seize it and stab at the wolf’s face in desperation. This did not gain much more than growls and glares until at last I succeeded in aiming the stick far more correctly than ever before, so that it struck the wolf in the eye and frightened it away. Releasing my leg instinctively, it was soon made to leap away from Klove’s blade which flashed through the air with murderous intent.

  Once the doors were closed, my throbbing leg pulled back and clutched nearer to my person, there was a hint of triumph in the Baroness’s voice as she uttered. “It would seem that you shall have to stay until your other leg recovers, brother Arnfried. Mayhap, you will in the days to come consider telling me more, of thy lords and those whom the Emperor favours.”

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