CHAPTER SEVEN
“Master! Druid Pigleman! Don’t ye ferget the wine barrels, leave em out t’back nixt’tshed”called Bob after him as he was pulled out of the Inn by his ear.
Bessie was not surprised at all. Mrs Pigleman loved pulling things one should see what she does to her teats just to get a little milk. “How would she like it if I did that to her. Ooh perish the thought” thought Bessie.
After they had left completely heading down the mountain track to fetch Mrs Crabtree; the little breeze that had gone into hiding, returned to sit once more above the sign on two hinges.
Fourty eight years and six months ago;
Mogodawn the Dark Lord stormed back and forth in anger. He was angrier than ever. You see he had fallen in love. This made him angry. He saw it as a weakness but he couldn’t help the feeling of luvy-duviness that swirled within his head and heart and stomach and kept him awake at night. He knew women, He had, had women; lots of women; most of whom he put to death afterward to protect his reputation, but now this was different. He could not in any way harm his beautiful Matilda Te-Mazerpam. She was a cousin that he had not seen grow up, but had only met recently, on one of his many invasion campaigns. She was as beautiful as He was wicked and she had a way of looking at Him that made him melt before her.
Matilda was a dream goddess. Her skill was implying dreams upon the unsuspecting. These could be glorious fabulously rich experiences that one does not wish to wake from, or they could be nightmares. Whatever.
Matilda’s long blond hair reached to the floor and was so thick around her that she had no need of clothing. Nobody had ever seen her body due to her hirsute covering. Mogodawn lusted like his was the only lust possible. It was a lasting lust that he lusted oh how he lusted and she gave him that look which encouraged him all the more.
Therefore he was angry and put a thousand men to death to prove that he was still mean. He couldn’t have his minions think he was going soft. Everybody was too scared of him to differ.
During this troubling time he had sent out emissaries to Skard as a warning of his power. He wanted the Halfshard and they would surrender it or be Doomed. To this end he paid handsomely for the black minstrel to deliver the Curse of Elegy.(He got dressed up in order to pay his debts) Finally the minstrel had returned only a year after setting off which was probably a Guinness record.
“Tell me of the Druids response” he demanded.
“They laughed” said the black minstrel in very fear of his own life.
“They laughed!” shouted Mogodawn “I’ll make them laugh!” he said.
“You already did” piped the black minstrel.
“Go back and this time sing them THE song!” Mogodawn demanded.
“Th…the song? Not the final song? Not the Death knoll? Not the True Elegy or the absolute final song?” enquired the black minstrel.
“Yes” said Mogodawn to a drawn out silence “Amazing Grace! That will wipe the smile off their face”
“I go at your command” said the black minstrel eager to part company
“Wait! This time take the Arkwright invasion force.”
“The whole force?” asked the black minstrel stammering.
“The whole force, take all their ships every last one. Tell them that if they leave any ships behind that I will burn them. Take them all and destroy Skard and return with the Halfshard or don’t return at all”
“Oh do I have a choice then?” asked the black minstrel.
“No you fool I’m being powerfully threatening”
“oh”
Take the invasion force and destroy Skard. I want nothing left not a blade of grass.”
“That seems like a big ask!” cited the black minstrel.
“It’s a curse you fool; a burned earth policy, wherein nothing is left after my armies have passed through that place. I want the Halfshard I don’t care for anything else.
“Your wish is your wish and your command is my command and my command is to do your wish and your command…” said the black minstrel as he backed out of the room. On entering the next room he quickly turned and ran like hell.
Six months later a lookout on the hilltop of Centre Lotta not far from Costa Lotta(So named because it Costs a lotta money to get there) noticed more than ten thousand ships sailing by, heading south for Skard but Skard was by now mostly empty of inhabitants.
At that very moment five thousand ships were sailing north, carrying Skard inhabitants, to the shadow lands of the main northern hemisphere continent, of Droop.
The two Armadas passed each other without incident. All the ships were Arkwright vessels and all were maned by Arkwrights so there was no cause to fight or interact. They passed like ships in the night only it was daytime.
As they went by the black minstrel, having noticed the Amada could not help but burst into song “What Amada you hey
Why you feeln so sad hey
It’sa not so bad hey
Shut up’a you face”