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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
"There now." Nosnra said in a deep, calm, voice. The noise from
the Great Hall was muffled but still present as a background hum. The
Chiefs private hall was filled, Hill Giants for the most part, but
a trio of grey skinned Stone Giants stood against the outer wall, silent
and still as their name implied. Most noticeable though was a round headed
bull-necked ogre. He stood only shoulder high to his giant masters, but
no one would mistake the scarred and heavily muscled figure as a youth
or question his right to stand among them.
"All the elders of the kindred are present my Thegn" Thiodolf
declared.
"Where is Engenulf?" Nosnra demanded.
"He is here!" A powerful voice replied. A cold wind swirled around
hm and a pair of monstrous dire wolves cavorted at his feet, puppy-like.
"Well close the cursed door." Nosnra shouted back. Thiodolf
gestured and the youngest warrior among the gathering jumped from
his seat and ran to shut the outside door.
"What is this?" Engenulf questioned. "Holding a witenagemot
without the witan!"
"You're late is all," Nosnra yelled back. "and trying to bluster
your way out. Well enough of this, we have serious business. Have you
heard?"
"I've heard some, and I sense some, but you tell me." Engenulf
said.
"Huon's dead." Nosnra said abruptly, as he had said it before
in the watchtower."And Eadnoth, but he is bespelled as well, his body
is there but none can see it."
"Ahh.." Engenulf intoned. "Yes, I know that spell. Easy enough
to break."
Nosnra felt a wave of relief. How could Eadnoth's spirit join
with the kindred when it could not be seen by them.
"Is there more?" Engenulf asked.
"Isn't that enough... but yes, there is more." Nosnra replied.
"Come," he stood and walked over to the witan. They were of an age,
though Engulfen had been much older than Tofig, he had sired a son that
was born within days of Nosnra. The two had been fast friends and boon
companions, one destined to rule and the other to counsel. Now they
buffeted each other verbally as they had pummeled each other physically
in their youth.
"Eadnoth needs to be cleansed of this vile enchantment and
honored by the feast." He led Engenulf by the arm toward the long passage
and the Great Hall. "Thiodolf," e called back, "Bring everyone but the
outer guards to the Great Hall."
"Yes Thegn!" Thiodolf nodded respectfully and sent an unhappy
young warrior on another errand.
"What else has happened?" Engenulf asked quietly as they walked
down the passage. The witan looked concerned. Somethinghad greatly
disturbed his friend, much more than the death of two warriors. Always
unpleasant but death and life intermixed, giants did not often die old,
especially the warriors of the kindred. He reached out and gripped the
Chief by his shoulder lending his own strength.
"I felt this." Nosnra said. "A I lay asleep, I felt the wrongness
come to the Steading. I did not know then, but now...I felt the death
of Huon and of Eadnoth. Why? Many of the clan have di, some by my own
hand most obeying my commands. I felt nothing like this before."
"How many have died inside these walls, or even upon this hill?"
Engenulf gestured, sweeping his arm out from under a long fur cloak. "Your
father held this hall against the last of those who would callenge our
clan. None have come against us since." He stopped Nosnra before the
wide double doors that opened upon the northern edge of the Great hall.
"This Steading, this Hill, it is part of you, as you a part of the
kindred. But what else is there? I sense something more?"
Nosnra paused, then looked into his advisors face. "I saw a
phantom..." he began. "It appeared as a giant, one of our own kind,
but insubstantial it did not heed my call."
"There are magics involved." Engenulf closed his eyes to see
beyond the mortal ken, "I can feel them. If there is something more,
some touch of the spirits upon our world, I do not feel it, but
I will cast the bones and we shall see."
* * *