Dreich Cheerless's Arc

Chapter 1 of 10

Dreich pressed her palm against the ancient oak's bark, feeling for the pulse of magic beneath. The mirth spell hummed there, hidden in the heartwood where no one would think to look. She'd spent three years weaving protection charms around Mirthwood Meadows, disguising joy as ordinary forest sounds. Her enemies hunted laughter like wolves tracked blood. They could never find it here. But the oak was dying. Brown spots spread across its leaves like rust. In six months, maybe less, the tree would be hollow. She needed a new hiding place, somewhere permanent. The blighted ruins north of the meadow would work. Dark stone walls still stood among the wreckage, glowing with that strange blue-green light that kept most creatures away. First, she had to throw her enemies off the trail. Dreich walked to the message board at the meadow's edge and pulled out her knife. Red ribbons hung from every post, warnings about dangerous magic in the eastern woods. She cut them down one by one. The pile at her feet grew bright as blood. Let her enemies chase shadows in the wrong direction. She folded the ribbons into her pocket and headed toward the market square. Her booth waited there, wooden counters ready to unfold, fabric panels hiding the secret compartments beneath. She would sell herbs and trinkets, smile at customers, and listen. Information was worth more than gold. By the time she moved the spell to the ruins, she would know exactly where her enemies were looking, and it wouldn't be here.