Varcola Gilpaen 20th - The Baroness' Cruelty & The East Wing

And more

Gilpaen 20^th

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 16^th 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.

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?” Vârcola 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.”

It was some time later that I was calmer, with my other leg properly bandaged by Klove, with this particular incident not at all what had hardened my suspicions towards the Baroness. It had certainly inspired a great deal of uncertainty towards her, and irritation; however what hardened my sentiments against her came later.

The incident in question was to take place on the 18^th, the next day you might have noticed. Wearied I fell asleep in my chair, only to awaken early in the morn’, wherefore I decided that I should have break-fast.

Impatient towards Klove, I went down into the bowels of the fortress to find him; it was therein the depths of the castle that I became lost.

It must have been hours, for I became lost down there, unable to find my way out of the darkness. So that when I doubled back I found that I could not quite retrace my steps half as easily as one might have imagined.

In time though, it happened that I was to happen upon a darkened chamber. Attempting several of the doors, when attempting to return from the dark tunnels that lined the grounds beneath the keep, it was thus inevitable that I attempt every door. The first one investigated, led to naught same as the next twenty or so, so that by the time that of Klove’s chambers resulted in a great deal of surprise on my part.

Most of the doors previously investigated had been locked and barred to me. This one though was not, therefore startled I was to discover a nigh on empty chamber, save for a single bed on the hard floor. A rotting oak-made table was by the bed, with an old wine-bottle and clay goblet. That was all that there was in the chamber, unable to contain my curiosity I cautiously entered the chamber nervous about what may lie within.

It was this that I soon discovered myself thrown against a wall, with a dagger to my throat, head spinning as Klove spat vile threats against me.

“What in the name of all the gods and demons, are you doing here within my chambers? Have you come at the beast’s bidding to undo me, as I did the prior man here?” He bellowed with reddened eyes, his words chilling my blood.

“Wha- what? N-no, I merely became lost,” I answered utterly terrified by the suddenness of his movement and the savagery he assaulted me with. “I had not been forbidden from this part of the castle, or so I had thought.”

Though he remained unmoved visibly by my pleading words, panting from some sort of exertion his bare chest wet as he had been in the midst of washing himself.

It was this that most alarmed me, for there were hideous scars and marks upon his flesh. The most noteworthy being those upon his back, which I was permitted to see when he at last released me and turned away to fetch for himself a proper tunic.

Dressed only in breeches, he did not immediately notice the expression on my face, yet when he did he asked of me why I bore such disgust on it.

His back I must confess was beyond compare, marked by scars, by burn wounds that were unlike any I had seen since childhood. If you will recall it was at that time that the dragon Brukyslyn, slew ten score men from the lands of Valhol who had dared to besmirch the honour of the drake, with the few survivors brought to the abbey.

Even those though lack the precision that was required to inflict the sort of injuries that he had been made to endure. The worst of his injuries was one along his left-shoulder, so fresh was it that it had yet to properly heal, and was so noticeable that I could hardly tear my gaze from it.

“How came you by those marks upon your back,” I asked of him stuttering as I spoke.

“Never you mind that,” He spat taking me by the arm as he led me from his chambers and through the serpentine halls below the castle. Thwarting any and all questions on my part, he forcefully brought me to the door which led from it and up a series of stairs out to the principal floor long ago left behind. “Find a seat, and I shall cook something for you.”

“I am quite well, thank you,” I answered as best I could.

At my words a grimace of frustration made their way to his face so that he startled me once more, “The lady insist that you be properly fed brother.”

It was at this time that a new thought came into my spirit. This thought was that the wounds upon his back and shoulders had come from the Baroness. A notion that was utterly sickening and one that I wish I could banish from my mind.

Once properly fed I was to attempt to ask after the possibility of his helping me to leave this place. The look he threw in my direction silenced me, much to my frustration.

It took hours to escape his notice, as he would not let me out of his sight, with the older man keen to have me shut up in the library for several more hours. Busying myself with the study of the history of the barony, work that was in some ways a relief and in others hardly of any great help, for I knew in the back of my brain that I was running out of time. Why time was so very important in this situation, was a mystery to me, for I had a sense that it was of ever increasing importance. The history as I was to discover, involved solely Baronesses with not one foreign invasion after the initial one by the Arns.

This seemed bizarre to my mind.

Not one Baroness had had a single son, and not one had changed their method of rule, had reportedly gone to war.

It was as I was delving deeper into the history of the barony that I thought to investigate as there had been silence from outside the door and a thorough lack of shadow looming from beneath the crack in the door.

Pleased to discover that Klove was absent, I was to once again slip out from the hallway to the nearby corridors of the east-most wing of the castle. It was there that I hoped to discover the truth to the secrets within the castle-keep.

It was as I hurried my way over to the tower where I had discovered Sir Hermann. It was up therein that blackened tower that I attempted after finding the corpse of knight missing that I sought to look out through the two large windows.

The first of the windows looked east gave no great insight into where the creature had come from, looking simply down upon the cliff-side and castle-walls. It was the western window though that gave me a hint of where the beast that had devoured him; the great western tower loomed high above the rest of the castle.

It cast such a shadow upon the rest of the castle that it could no more be ignored, than one could ignore the moon or the small amount of light it cast over the dark-isle. At once I despised it, and wished that the sea might tear it away from the land, and devour it.

This irrational hatred of the wretched castle could only grow when at last I caught sight of the very most unlikely of things near it. It happened that the Baroness, it seemed was in the midst of climbing down from it, moving thither towards the library window.

Using a series of hand-holds she moved with a swiftness that could well have fooled any observers into thinking that the stone ledges were but mere stairs for her. Lit only by the moonlight, as she moved from the west-tower’s high window down to the library she hardly paid me any mind.

Unable to believe my own eyes, I stumbled out of the tower hardly daring to believe them. I do not recall at once what it was that came to pass, but I seem to have in my shocked state manoeuvred my way from the tower down into the main corridor, and from there to a principal hall on the first floor of the east-wing of the castle-keep.

Somehow when at last the horror of seeing the Baroness climbing her way about the towers of the castle began to ease its hold over my mind, I was to awaken to find myself seated in a large chair in the middle of a small hall. It was grey, with a small chimney which I lit a fire inside of, keen to have some sort of warmth with which to rely upon to chase away the cold that knifed its way through me.

It was an unpleasant time, and somehow I soon found myself dozing. When at last I awoke it was to a shriek of pain and horror as a darkened, hideous figure clutched at his hand as one wounded.

The figure was bald with wispy dark hair to the sides and back of his skull, wide dark eyes and long canine teeth in the likeness of those that the Baroness bore. The figure was dressed in rags and was if he did not bear such a frightful appearance he might well have seemed pitiable.

The tall figure writhing in such agony as though his hand were burnt, his hand bearing the symbol of Orcus the light-god of Erebus with there being the strange stench of burnt flesh that tore through the air. It was only at this moment that I took notice of how my pendant of the god Orcus, gifted to me just before my departure from [nom] no longer hidden behind my robes that I realized belatedly that he must have attempted to steal it.

The rage that painted its way onto his hideous face, made me trip over myself in an attempt to escape him. Thankfully, just as I put the large chair by the chimney between us, it was only at this moment that the rattling noise of a chain struck louder than before. The mad-man was pulled to a sudden halt, just shy of where I stood, due entirely to the chain that were shackled to his feet.

Relieved by this, even as I fell back, the animalistic man seemed to almost curse, once he realised I was just out of his reach.

I was to pull myself farther away; well might I have slipped up the stairs and into the principal wing of the building when a voice thundered through the air, cutting through the air better than any knife could. “What is this? You dare to attempt to lay hands upon my guest?”

The bestial man, broken as much by time as by her hand pleaded pitifully in that moment, his voice guttural and hoarse from proper usage. “N-no, he-he lie hereupon this seat!”

His plea of the Baroness was so very pathetic that he might well have pulled at the heartstrings of a softer woman. But not the Lady Vârcola, who was made of far sterner stuff than any other woman I had ever met.

Sneering at him, she was to draw near to him scowling with such fury that the man shrank back frightened, hissing as he went his fangs clacking against themselves helplessly.

“Back you fool; you will never menace my guest again!” She hissed at him which drew more pathetic pleading from him.

It happened that she turned away from him; so as to hurry to my side grabbing me by the arm with her froze fingers. Still horrified by what I had seen, I was to attempt to ask after the figure I had seen chained to this separate hall.

“What could well have possessed you to dare to do such a thing, without my permission?” Vârcola demanded impatiently.

Quiet for some time, I answered her with some sort of spluttered excuse yet even as I spoke I could tell that she was displeased. The anger that flashed from her eyes was such that it silenced me, and induced shakes and trembling in my person. It happened that she would not accept such an outburst.

In place of humouring me for much longer, she was to drag me to the doors informing me as she did so, “I have had the castle-gates closed though there are three of the wolves still within the courtyard. I should advise you to take refuge amidst the stables and to latch the door closed until Klove comes for you in the morn’.”

Bewildered by these words, ere any response could be spat out at such a cruel decree I was thrown outside the doors of the castle. Quite how she had managed to lure away the majority of the wolves, seal the gates closed and retain three of the canines within the courtyard all without them attacking was a mystery.

The wolves still in the courtyard stared with gleaming eyes from where they had been resting near the gates, each of them watching with keen interest as Vârcola threw me outside. It was peculiar how strong the lady was, for her vice-like grip over my arm was unlike the soft touch of any woman I had ever met before her, so that her strength which reminded me of that of Minotaurs that worked out in the fields or as monks.

Thrown from within the building to the tender mercies of the wolves, whilst my legs remained wounded still was a wicked deed.

You might well have expected me, Sieghild to rage at the doors but the moment I heard them bolted shut frightened I know not at this time how it was to come to pass that I moved so swiftly. My legs ached and burnt (they still do), and I was to plunge into the stables as advised mere inches ahead of the wolves, wherefore I sealed the door shut and backed away from the entrance, for one of them pierced a claw through the wood. The door which had been closed opened and shuttered once more held firm thankfully, against the latter two wolves.

It was one of the most terrible moment, as it clawed at the ground, then came the inevitable moment that one of the horses panicked, alarmed by the sudden arrival of the wolves. It took several moments to calm it down, to sooth its instincts. There were other horses that required such assistance, ere I could recline against a nearby wall to note down the events of the past several days.