Read Ritual of the Stones (Ballad of Frindoth) for Free Online Page B

distinguished the figure from the
other villagers’ attire, but Rhact knew instantly it was the witch from the way
she strode through the crowd with an assured confidence.
    As
she walked up the steps to the stage, she lifted the cloak from around her
ankles, a simple motion to prevent her tripping that somehow came across as
dramatic. Mayor Pinkleton hastily vacated the stage. Rhact figured the mayor
had already spent more than enough time in the witch’s presence.
    The
witch reached the centre of the stage and turned to face the crowd. The silence
that engulfed the village was oppressing, even the Mistdrop, the icy river that
ran through Longcombe, seemed to be muted. The witch raised her hands to her
hood to throw it back and then lowered them, thinking better of it. This single
action filled Rhact with dread. Suddenly he could well believe the stories he
had heard of her. This woman considered herself too powerful and too important
to waste her time revealing herself to the whole village. Rather than coming
across as arrogant, it served to increase the mystique surrounding her. When
she spoke she did not waste time with pleasantries.
    “The
Ritual has begun. The location of the stones has been revealed to the Order,
and we know who has been chosen to come to Lilyon. By dawn the day after
tomorrow, you will know who you are. There will be no need to report to me, you
can say your good-byes or you can sneak off quietly, it makes no difference.
    “Rest
assured, though, I will be watching you. I will know if you deviate from your
destiny. If you haven’t set off by dusk four days hence, I will come for you.”
    She
paused. Up until this moment the hood had been covering the majority of her
face, and the villagers could only make out a mouth, two full lips mesmerising
everyone with the rich tone of her voice. Now she raised her head and although
the shadow cast from the hood still covered her face, two brilliant green eyes
were visible. “You really don’t want that to happen.”
    Rhact
did not doubt the warning for a second. He didn’t believe anyone else would
either. His body was rigid. She addressed everyone, but Rhact felt she had
reached into his soul and personally sent him the message. He wondered if the
other villagers felt the same.
    A
hand went up tentatively. The witch gave a slight nod to acknowledge the
villager had her attention. Rhact was not too surprised to see it was Andre
Hollington. He was showing no sign of his exploits from the night before. Rhact
thought he was the only man in Longcombe who had enough courage to address the
witch directly, although there was a slight waver in his voice when he began
talking.
    “How
will we know if we are selected?” he said.
    “You
will know,” the witch said. “The stones will find you.”
    “Stones?”
    “Yes,
stones,” the witch’s reply contained an amused tone to it. “There are three of
you.”
    Taking
advantage of the stunned silence that followed her revelation, the witch
departed from the stage. Rhact’s mind was racing. To the best of his knowledge,
never had there been more than one person selected from the same village, town
or city. Now three had been selected from Longcombe? What could that mean? Was
it just ill-fated luck, or was there something more significant going on? The
uneasy feeling crept into his mind again. Something was wrong, very wrong. He
needed to speak with Kiana and Mertyn.
    The
majority of the crowd began to disperse, lost in their own thoughts and keen to
get back home. There were still a few pockets of people that remained sombrely
discussing the witch. He spied Kiana and his stomach dropped. Standing beside
her and talking very closely in her ear was Maxhunt. Rhact hesitated, debating
whether or not to approach her.
    Kiana
looked at him nervously. She still spoke to Maxhunt and was truly sorry for
what she had done to him, but she was also aware how uneasy it made Rhact. He
was not the jealous type, but he was