099 - The Witching Road

For a few minutes Caj maintained his frantic pace, lashing the fast flowing waters of the Stor with both oars until, at last, he slumped back down onto his seat, his chest heaving from the effort.

He lay there, oars limp against the side of the boat - his breath ragged, muttering aloud the words "my love . . wait for me . . " over and over.

Kill him.

No . . wait . . tear off his legs first. Break his arms . . pull off his finger nails . . make him regret everything he has stolen!

Magnus' fists itched - his bloodlust rising - watching Caj from only a few feet away, thinking back to how he had suffered all the worse because . . Magnus took a deep breath. No hurry. Caj isn't going anywhere, and this curse and this gypsy, how the hells are they related to me?

"You alright there Caj? You seem awful happy from the news of someone's death. Magnus an enemy of yours?"

"*Huee* *Hueeee*" Caj took two wheezing breaths. "No! Nothing like that, nothing like that . . Magnus . . he was already dying. Nothing to do with me, mind you. You might say our paths crossed - be it fate, chance, a trick of the gods - whatever, I was cursed all the same. He . . how did he die?"

"From sickness. Something the Alchemists did to him, I think, I don't know," Magnus shrugged. "Anyways - what curse? You saying Magnus put a curse on you?"

"Oh. Thats right! My curse!" Caj took out the gold ring that was hanging on the cord around his neck. "You see this? It was his! His gold ring - I got it right from the hands of the man who ferried Magnus accross the Stor - the old man who used to own this very boat!"

"His ring? That's the Lund family ring, right? Can I see it?"

"Take it! I'm done with the bloody thing!" Caj tossed the ring and the cord over to Magnus. "The gypsy said - she said that I had to give the ring back to Magnus myself, that it was the only way the curse could be lifted, ha! He's dead! He's dead, and the curse is gone!"

It felt for a moment as if the world had congealed over - only for the briefest of instances - Caj didn't seem to notice anything, or if he did, he didn't react to it in the slightest, but for Magnus it felt as if the air had turned to glass and someone had thrown a rock - the air itself shattering to nothing. He felt his ears pop and the world snap back to normal.

Caj recovered his energy, striking out fiercely with both oars once more, this time at a steady pace, taking the boat towards the distant western banks of the Stor once more. They were still in the middle waters of the wide river, but steadily approaching the other banks.

"Wait for me, my love!" Caj sung out. "Wait for me, my red headed beau-ty!"

"Hey, Caj - you ain't said a thing - what curse? Who is your love? You can't start a story and never finish it!"

"Lars, my friend, my messenger of joy! You are right! Your news has brightened my day - given the light back to my life! Oh . . you deserve to know, no matter how foolish it may make me look - you deserve the truth. Caj the quick, Caj the fool, Caj the cursed!

My story is a simple one - I am a simple person. You might not believe it to look at me, but not that long ago I, Caj, was considered a swindler and a thief!"

"I'd believe it."

Caj cast an indignant glance at Magnus

"It's true - I was a thief and a liar . . I will not try to make excuses for myself but it was the only way I could survive, ah. For many years I have lived in rotten ways, doing rotten things to good people - you know, I have even pretended to be an Alchemist's apprentice to trick peasants? Ha! That was so much . . that was wrong, I know . . I know now.

Well, this all changed for me, you see - no, not when I fell in love . . Ah! My love! Her beautiful red hair, her smile, her scar . . *ahem* No, I only met my love recently - that makes my story all the more tragic! You see, for many years I have been this way - a scoundrel! And the worst of it . . the lowest point in my life was when I met Magnus Lund.

I only knew him for a few days . . but I wronged him. You saw him, right? Saw his sickness, the horrid black lines and stinking pus - yeah, I know - I met him quite by accident, and from the very first he helped me. See, he was looking for the Witching Road and I . . well, I was being chased by a village for . . for various reasons . . ah, nevermind, nevermind, it has nothing to do with the story!

He saved me - dragged me along with him, and I lied to him and stole from him - I thought at the time, so what? He's so sick, he'll be dead in a couple of days anyway, I might as well put his coin and his horse to good use! So, I took it - took everything he had and left him there, riding away with his gold and his horse and all his belongings . .

A fine way to repay Magnus for saving my life, right? Well . . don't think too poorly of me Lars, don't! I . . I . . ha, there is no excuse. I was a fool, alright? A small minded crook . . and I paid for my crimes! You see, not even a day after I had stolen his horse I was caught at Gatten - captured by a patrol, the horse taken from me, chained up to fifty other criminals and marched north - this is the second time Magnus saved my life.

You see, sick as he was, young as he looked - Magnus was a mighty warrior! It was incredible! He stopped the convoy of soldiers and prisoners, standing proudly in the middle of the road and snatching a sword right out of the hands of a man - holding the captain of the guard captive! He demanded we be set free - you heard that! Incredible, no?

He freed us - all of us! All of us who would have been delivered to Verde, yes that hell hole! I would have been dead a second time, if not for Magnus . . two times . . no wonder I was cursed! I had a chance, see - when he freed me, I could have saved Magnus from the soldiers - rode through them and pulled him out of danger . . but instead I rode away . . Caj the cowardly, right?"

Caj rowed them across the river Stor, Magnus listened to him speak with an uneven smile.

"A great fool, no? My life saved twice, rescued twice and betrayed twice - and now that you bring me news of his death I rejoice! Ha! I can't help but rejoice! His curse - Magnus - you see, the story does not end there, oh no - my tragedy only just begins! After I escaped my dreadful fate as a prisoner on the way to Verde I rode out, to the east - thinking to make my way to Juteheim, sell the horse - make a new start, you know?

That was not to be, oh no - from then on . . on that very day the curse begun - I rode the horse east and south and, not three hours after I was freed, it threw a shoe, sent me flying, look - see this scar here on my head? Hit a rock - Bam! - cracked me skull right open, bleeding everywhere - a right mess!

Was out of it for a few days, knocked right out. As luck would have it a passing Priest found me and, bless his heart, carried me to a nearby village - that one there, see it? Right on the banks of the Stor. An old fella - Longs, the old man who used to own this here boat, he was the one to take me in - he was the fella who ferried Magnus across too, some coincidence, huh? That was how I found out Magnus was still alive.

Well, I woke up - didn't know about the curse then, I got better, and didn't quite know what to do with myself - just getting up when - chop! - see this?"

Caj held up his left hand showing Magnus his third finger, the top half of which was missing.

"Sliced off! I was in the house when the head of an axe flew in through the window and landed right on my hand! Chopped my finger right off! See this? Here, and here -"

Caj lifted his shirt revealing a dozen scars and marks, some deeper than others - bruises, cuts, burns, places where his skin had been entirely ripped off or mangled and healed badly.

"All this . ."

"Hells!" Magnus exclaimed. "Did Magnus do that to you? How'd he curse you?"

"No! No, I brought this on myself . . you see, after three weeks of being cut and burned, of tripping over onto iron spikes and having boiling water fall on my head, see this spot? After nearly a month of this - I knew something wasn't right! So, on Long's advice, I went to see the gypsy and told her all that I've told you now - and more! And she revealed my fortune, written in the stars she said - she told me I needed to wear the ring, to stay on the Stor and to wait for Magnus - that that was the only way his curse would be lifted. Ha! And now he is dead! That means . . that means the curse is lifted, right?"

Caj suddenly looked around worried.

"The curse . . I was meant to give the ring back to Magnus . . but if he's dead . . hey! Lars! Give me the ring back, would you? I mean . . Magnus is dead, but . . ah! My love! What if I'm trapped? What if my fate is to wait on this river forever? Ahhhh! Lars, the ring!"

Caj waved his hands desperately at Magnus, not willing to advance across the boat in case he overturned it. Magnus held the ring on the cord in front of him . . it was the same ring, the Lund family ring. It seemed entirely normal . . but that sensation earlier - there was certainly something abnormal going on here.

"Nah. I think I'll keep the ring, Caj."

"But I need it! you've heard my story - my curse! I need it, look at my scars!"

"A curse? A few scars and burns? You call that a curse?"

Magnus leaned back, snapping the cord with the slightest of efforts and placing the ring on his finger.

"Tell me about your love, Caj. Oh, and about the Gypsy - keep rowing! We ain't that far away from the shore now, are we?"

"Lars, the ring! It's not yours . . the curse . ."

Magnus fixed Caj with a stare saying forcefully "ROW."

Caj instantly took both oars, rowing silently for the banks of the river, his eyes filled with terror.

"Tell me about the gypsy - and about 'your love'. Go on . . SPEAK."