The Stone of Cuore

Donkey Cart

  Dark clouds clung to the western horizon covering the distant mountains. Having made another journey with the donkey cart to the village, Kaspar had purchased a quantity of freshly butchered meats and many bags of flour. Platov waited after loading the cart while Kaspar went off to purchase a few more items for the long winter ahead. Once he returned more barrels were loaded onto the cart while Ewald, the donkey brayed in protest. With Kaspar tugging on the donkey’s leads they ambled down the rutted road toward the dark forest. Already a cold wind was blowing, but Kaspar was confident that they had enough provisions for the oncoming season if not the siege that Wraith had promised.

  There had been no sign of Tancred yet. Klara had sent him a message via a pigeon some days earlier. Nor had there been any indication that Wraith intended to carry out his threat. The calmness just before the first storms of winter was about to end. Kaspar was of the mind to wait and see what really happened. Should the wizard of the house not return in time then Kaspar had a few tricks up his sleeve to fix the old ghost real nicely if he decided to show up. As for Platov surrendering the Stone of Cuore and the Sage to Wraith, Kaspar merely chuckled over that preposterous notion.

  Platov had been watching and listening to Kaspar and Klara. While Platov had no idea of just what the two had planned should Wraith arrive, he felt a strange confidence. Twice already, the Stone of Cuore perhaps under the control of the Sage had vanquished Wraith. A third attempt on Wraith’s behalf appeared foolhardy. Perhaps the old ghost of a wizard was just thickheaded. Kaspar had said just that word when describing Wraith.

  The walk through the dark forest with the wind picking up and the very last of the autumn leaves tumbling from the trees was uneventful. Birds were screeching, but that was nothing unusual. The donkey was stubborn and brayed repeatedly as the cart was heavily loaded with provisions. Kaspar was talking about taking the fresh meat right to the smokehouse as soon as they returned. Dark clouds were closing in on them while a few stray snow flurries rushed past them in the bitter wind.

  “Come along old Ewald,” Kaspar tugged on the stubborn donkey’s leads. “We best be getting before the storm breaks.” Then with a chuckle he looked over Tate. “Old Ewald, he does not take kindly to being wet. He be sitting down in the middle of the road braying like the stubborn old mule he is.”

  A gust of wind sent leaves swirling around followed by a splattering of icy cold rain. Platov glanced off to the side of the rutted road and noticed an elf. In a blink of an eye the brown clad wood elf vanished but appeared further along the road. Then as Platov watched carefully as wood elves can be very fast, he noticed that there were quite a few of them peeking out from behind boulders, trees, and bramble. The deeper into the forest they walked the more Platov became aware of just how many elves there were. Fleeting and often hidden behind the trunks of trees, the elves were nearly everywhere. As quickly as Platov saw them, they would vanish only to reappear elsewhere. He pointed them out to Tate.

  “They be watching out for Wraith,” Kaspar chuckled. “Wood elves don’t take kindly to sinister types. Tancred has always been their friend. He owns all these woods and lets the elves go about their business. Better to stay on the elves good side! They can be quite a menace otherwise. Mischief is their middle name. Come along Ewald, let’s get on home before the storm breaks.”

  Ewald brayed but followed Kaspar at his own steady pace. Breaking out of the thick forest, the gatehouse tower of the castle loomed ahead. Gray and covered in tenacious vines that had turned brilliant red, the dark tower rose up over the parapets of the curtain walls. Behind them the wind of the oncoming storm rustled through the trees. With renewed effort, Kaspar tugged on Ewald’s leads determined to have him in the stables before the rain began to fall.

  “After me and old Ewald get inside, you both go and raise the bridge,” Kaspar said. “I be taking old Ewald to the stables. Then come to the smokehouse, we got plenty of work to be doing.”