Carrying a large birch bark trug, over flowing with flowering herbs, Ulmus Ramcorn steps through the window doors into his study, to answer the receiver trilling on the edge of his desk. A warm fire crackles in the grate alleviating the evening chill, which comes as rapidly as the declining sun at this time of year. Placing the trug on his leather topped desk he picks up the receiver and carries it with him to the fireplace as he answers it, he can feel the autumnal chill creeping under his skin.
‘Ramcorn here…….Ah Megan how lovely, to hear from you……They’ve arrived! Wonderful, that is good news. Belili is on her way, she should be with you by midday on the morrow…….Good, good. I’ve added a little elfdock to the mugwort and valerian, that should keep everyone calm until it’s time to leave, then I suggest a few drops of bitter buttons in their morning tea……Indeed I will and you too my dear lady……Oh and Megan, please tell Mr Breakwater that I need to seen him, at his earliest convenience……Thank you my dear, farewell for now.’
Placing the receiver back on his desk, he is about to pull the bellcord for assistance when there is a firm but reticent knock upon the heavy oak panel door to his study.
‘Come in, come in. You know Ilex, if I didn’t know better I’d swear you were a Sudran, with that uncanny knack you have for answering my requests before I’ve had a chance to ask them.’
‘And if I didn’t know you better Sir, I would think you a bumbling old fool, your feign is very convincing.’
‘Indeed, indeed. Now be a good fellow and bring me a pot of your marvellous marshmallow tea with a few bachelor’s buttons in it would you. This damned chill is rather heavy in my head. Oh and would you be so kind as to take these to the still-room, I will process them later.’
Taking the trug full of flowers off of the desk, Ulmus passes them to Ilex who receives them reverently, taking the handle of the basket in one hand whilst steadying the undercarriage with the other, he gives an almost imperceptible bow.
‘Sir I came to inform you that She is here!’
‘She? Coronus?’
Ulmus looks at Ilex over his spectacles with a measure of scorn.
‘I’m sorry Sir.’ Ilex winces in anticipation of the tart tang about to touch his tongue. ‘Her Lordship the High Commissioner is here to see you, she presses for immediate audience Sir.’
‘Then I suggest for the Lady you bring an hot tisane of pheasant eye and hypereikon, with just a dash of wolf’s-bane.’ Ulmus softens his tone, ‘Lamia knows her way Ilex no need for ceremony.’
‘Thank you Sir.’
Ilex nods lightly and gracefully spins on his heels leaving the door open behind him. The clip clip of steel tipped needle heels on walnut herringbone precedes a heady scent cloud of jasmine. The clip clip stops at the door as Lamia slides her hand up the doorframe and leans into her elbow, whilst resting her free hand on her suggestive hip. Her eyes are mirrored perfectly by the malachite green couture wrapped around her curvacious figure, accented with wildberry lips and matching shoes. She breathes in deeply the smell of old books, leather and resin, breathing out with a seductive sigh of reminiscence.
‘Ulmus, darling. How wonderful to see you after all these years. You still look so……dashing.’
‘Really my dear you can save the performance for your public appeals. Take a seat and please try not to puncture the carpet.’
Lamia writhes across the room in her overly restricting frock to perch on the edge of an ample leather sofa next to the flickering flames. Ulmus remains leaning against the mantle but her presence has stollen the warmth from the fire, the chill runs up his spine and thumps into his head, as the soreness in his throat escapes a hoarse cough.
‘Oh my, is the Master Physician failing in his ability to cure all? What will the collegiate do when they discover that the Metaphysician has no magic at all?’
Timing as preordained as ever, Ilex walks in bearing a large silver tray.
‘The tisanes you asked for Sir. I took the liberty of adding a pot of gingered honey when I was remembered of your lesson on the miraculous effect of ginger upon the throat.’
‘That is very kind of you Ilex thank you.’
Deftly flicking the legs out with his middle fingers Ilex sets the table try down between Lamia and Ulmus.
‘Shall I pour for you Sir?’
‘No thank you Ilex I’m sure that the Lady and I can manage for ourselves from here, you have been kind enough. And besides I wonder if you could locate Tallisien, I do believe I heard him arriving when I was in the garden.’
‘Of course Sir I would be glad to.’
Bowing lightly Ilex leaves. Ulmus stoops down to the tray pours a cup of marshmallow tea, stirs in a spoonful of gingered honey and helps himself to a frosted cupcake.
‘Mmm, delicious! Do try one of my rose petal and lavendendula cupcakes with your tea, they are quite delicious, even if I do say so myself.’
Lamia leans forward and pours her tea. Holding the saucer in the palm of one hand and steadying the cup with the other, she brings it close to her nose and passes it back and forth whilst breathing deeply, trying to read its ingredients.
‘It isn’t poisoned my dear if that’s what you think, just something soothing and mild. It may want a little honey though.’
Lamia looks up at Ulmus with suspicion, hatred and a drop of childlike adoration. Ulmus bends to replenish his cup, the corners of his mouth creasing into a smile.
‘My dear Lady the feelings are mostly mutual and if I wanted to kill you it would be with more honesty than poison. Besides, you know as well as I that there have to be seven. So enough with this charade, what is your purpose here?’
‘I have come to collect Roshan. I feel that it’s time that she had a more…. feminine influence, especially as her mother is incapacitated. As one of the Sisters I feel honour bound to take that responsibility on myself. We will, of course, drop in on Ilinedd on our way home.’
‘Oh come now, we both know that there is no honour in you that can be bound to anything Lady!’
Lamia rises from the sofa allowing her full weight to fall into her heels until she feels the resistance in the carpet pop beneath the steel. Bringing her full power into play the room shrinks away from her. Ulmus remains propped against the mantle sipping his marvellous marshmallow tea.
‘Be mindful metaphysician, you may be the Grand Master but I am Lamia of the Seven Sisters, carrier of the chalice and Lord High Commissioner of the Confederate of Councils and I AM LAW. You are bound to me Ulmus Ramcorn. Now bring me the girl.’
‘All of that may very well be, my dear, but I can not bring you the girl. She’s gone, along with her mother.’
‘WHAT DO YOU MEAN GONE! HOW DARE YOU?’
Not strong enough to squeeze the life from his throat with her thought, she is however strong enough to hold him still with it. Unable to move he can not recoil as she lies herself against his body, slides her knee between his legs pressing her thigh into his groin, and brings her lips up to his. Bringing her free arm around to the back of her head she removes the long hair pin holding up her finger curled bob and firmly presses it to Ulmus’s throat.
‘And under who’s authority did you think you could do that?’
‘Yours of course my dear.’
‘I AM NOT YOUR DEAR! I AM YOUR LORDSHIP…….And when did I supposedly authorize this movement?’
She jabs the hairpin enough to puncture. A little blood trickles.
‘Your regulations quite clearly state that anyone showing signs or symptoms of Serpenplasitis are to be sent to the Whitelands immediately for quarantine. I was following your orders, your Lordship.’
‘What nonsense is this?’
‘Ilinedd’s last set of tests came back as positive and as the Master Physician it is my responsibility to consider the wellbeing of all of the citizens of the confederation.’
‘And Roshan, why has she been sent?’
‘Because she had visited her mother within the forty-eight hour window of quarantine by association. Your rules Lamia, remember, I protested against them.’
‘ARGHHH!’ Lamia pushes away from Ulmus, in angered frustration, using her knee in his groin. ‘I will have you one day Dog and on that day you will be on your knees begging me for my forgiveness.’
With a barely perceptible grimace he remains leaning against the mantle.
‘I fear we will all have been burnt to a crisp by Azrael’s fire well before that day arrives Lamia and besides I did not take you for a believer of Old Granny’s Tales.’
‘You are not so clever as you’d like to think Ulmus, I know what truth lies hiding in myth, your feign does not work on me old man. The Hounds of Achren are real. I will soon discover the identities of your pack and I will leave no dog left to howl.’
‘Well until then do be a dear and close the door as you leave.’
Lamia spins her steel tips into the carpet giving Ulmus an incendiary glare as she does so and slithers sedulously out of the room. She had dressed for seduction not sedition.
Ulmus waits to hear her vitriolic commands spat at the driver, a thunderous clap as the harma door slams shut and finally the unmistakable crunching of gravel beneath rolling rubber tyres, before ringing the bell for Ilex to return. He pokes the fire and stokes the flame, there is still a bite in the air left by Lamia, a chill runs down Ramcorn’s ageing spine. Peering into the conflagration he searches for insight. As his glare glazes over his focus, tiny thermal columns appear in the flames and from within them a trio of Dermus come forth.
‘Thank you for answering my call friends.’
‘We are glad to help the Grand Elm. How can we be of assistance?’
‘I fear that our hands will be forced before the preparations have been completed. The Sisters are not yet brought to safety and there is doubt in my mind that such a place can be found. What news from our Lady?’
‘A council is called it will meet the dawn after next. The Elders have returned.’
‘Ah this is good news indeed. I will ensure that a Hound is present no longer can we leave our seat untended.’
‘We will inform the Lady. As for the Sisters they will be safe with the Draconholm.’
‘Ah yes of course they will. Thank you for your wisdom friends I will send them across the waters to the west. I need to ask you to do something for me if you can friends.’
‘If it is with in our power to aide we will of course do what we can.’
‘Thank you friends. I need you to get word to the Oak and the Hornbeam that the Fire Maiden and her Flower are escaped and safe from the Viper’s fangs. The Earth Maiden must be secured as the Chalice is in hand.’
‘It will be done. Master Elm you must prepare the Last for the Fires of the Forge before time is undone.’
‘Yes, I am rather hoping that it will not come to that, but yes it will be done.’
‘There can be no renewal with out and end, Metaphysician, you of all should know this truth.’
‘Fear not friends I will not fail.’
‘We will bid you farewell for now then.’
‘Farewell friends, farewell.’
The flames crackle and spit with a momentary flare before settling back to their gentle consumption of wind fallen oak, Ulmus continues to stare into them whilst his mind comes to rest, one arm bracing his bodyweight on the mantle as his bent back leans his head in towards the fire. Sensing a familiar presence beside him he straightens himself up out of the fire-trance, noticing that the silver tray with teapots and crockery have been replaced by a hovering, heavy, cut class tumbler filled with a golden amber elixir who’s unmistakable caramel laden liquor fumes fill his nostrils.
‘Ah braichleann, just the medicine I need, thank you Ilex.’
Ulmus takes the glass and almost empties it in one draught.
‘I thought that you could be doing with something strong and soothing after having to deal with that poisonous Hobblebush.’
Ulmus nearly spits the braichleann back into his glass but manages to hold it with a snigger before letting it slide warmly down his throat.
‘I should reprimand you for insulting the “Lord High Commissioner” so, but I fear her semblance was much more to that of a chokeberry.’
The two men laugh heartily for a moment.
‘We may well jest but she has become a formidable foe. She had me pinned there for a moment Ilex, it was all I could do to keep her from squeezing the life from me. We can not afford to dally. Our moving of Ilinedd and Roshan was not a moment too soon brother, but they are not yet safe.’
‘Did the Dermus offer any insight?’
‘Yes indeed they did. There is much to prepare Ilex. Did you find Taliesien?’
‘I did, he has word form Arboria. Brian is returning tomorrow, he would trust nothing to message. What ever it is must be of great import for him to leave the mission on the eve of execution, especially with a snake in their midst.’
‘I wondered why the slithering Jainus was not with her Lordship earlier. This is troubling news Ilex but we can not consume ourselves in it now. We must wait for Brian. Is Taliesien well fed and resting? I fear he will need to fly out again before we lose the light. I need him to take word to the Hidden Lake on his way to Draconholm. It is time to ready the Keeper.’
‘The Lady is calling her Hounds to war then Grand Master?’
‘She is Brother and we will answer her call.’
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