Chapter 12

Maruska slowly trudged up the wet, slippery mountainside. She was deep in thought, and barely looked up from the ground as she walked.
Was this the end? she wondered. Would she never think of Anton ever again? She wasn’t sure about that. The only thing she was sure about, was that she felt horrible at the moment.
Eventually, she came upon the gnarled birch tree. She stopped and looked behind it and saw the mouth of the cave they had set up camp in the previous night. She went into the cave and saw a smouldering campfire, and lying next to it a bundle of blankets, underneath which was her apprentice, Fog, fast asleep. Maruska entered the cave and sat down next to the dying embers of the campfire.
Fog, who was rather light sleeper awoke when she heard her Mistress sitting down. Fog sat up, rubbed her eyes and said, “You’re back, Mistress! How did it go?”
“I have done what I came here to do,” said Maruska.
“So it worked?” said Fog, “She was turned into a stone statue?”
Maruska nodded, “Aye.”
Fog didn’t know what to say. All this time she always had a small, lingering doubt that the petrification orb would not work; that such talk of magic and petrification spells, was all hogwash.
“What was it like?” said Fog.
“Terrible,” said Maruska.
The two sat in silence for a moment.
“She was fearless, you know,” said Maruska.
“Who? Anton’s wife?” said Fog.
“Yes,” said Maruska, “She didn’t run. She just stood there and took it. I always imagined that she would be running. She didn’t even look scared.”
“How do you feel now?” said Fog, “Now that you’ve done it.”
“I feel horrible,” said Maruska, “Revenge. It has a bitter aftertaste, I have learned.”
Fog resisted the urge to say ‘I told you so’ and held her tongue.
“What will we do now, Mistress?”
“We will return to the castle,” said Maruska, “Let us leave at once.”
“Now?” said Fog, “Can we not leave in the morning? This is a very cosy cave. Good for sleeping.”
“No, I wish to leave this place as soon as possible,” said Maruska, “I want to leave it all behind me. And all that I have done here.”
Fog knew better than to disagree. She got up and began to pack up her belongings. Maruska in the meantime merely sat and stared at the burning embers in the campfire, and thought about what she had done.

Reviews

[thuaners]

Thanks scarlett! Yeah i wanted this scene to get straight to the point :D

[ScarlettTheDreamer]

good chapter. You've said what's needed alone and avoided the rant. so this is good. loved it :)