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Alther Alone

While the Boggart and the canoes inding their long and co the route his old boat, Molly, used to take back to the Castle

Alther was flying the way he loved to fly, low and very fast, and it was not long before he overtook the bullet boat It was a sorry sight Ten oars on the oars as the boat crept slowly back up the river Sitting in the stern of the boat was the Hunter, hunched, shivering and silently pondering his fate, while in the prow the Apprentice, to the Hunter&039;s extre the side of the boat out of boredo back into his toes

Alther flew unseen over the boat, for he Appeared only to those he chose, and continued his journey Above hi over with heavy snow clouds, and the ht snow-covered riverbanks into darkness As Alther drew nearer to the Castle, fat snowflakes began to drift lazily down from the sky, and as he approached the final bend in the river that would take him around Raven&039;s Rock, the air becaht down, for even a ghost can find it hard to see where he&039;s going in a blizzard, and carefully flew on toward the Castle Soon, through the white wall of snow, Alther could see the glowing red embers that were all that remained of Sally Mullin&039;s Tea and Ale House The snow sizzled and spat as it landed on the charred pontoon, and as Alther lingered for a moment over the remains of Sally&039;s pride and joy, he hoped that so the blizzard

Alther flew up the rubbish dump, past the discarded rat door and made a steep ascent over the Castle wall He was surprised how peaceful and quiet the Castle was He had so to show, but it was past ht by now and a fresh blanket of snow covered the deserted courtyards and old stone buildings Alther skirted around the Palace and headed along the broad avenue known as Wizard Way that led to the WizardTower He began to feel nervous What would he find?

Drifting up the outside of the Tower, he soon spotted the s for Heoutside Marcia&039;s front door, or so it had been a few hours earlier Alther did the ghost equivalent of taking a deep breath and composed hih to pass through the solid purple planks and thick silver hinges of the door and expertly Rearranged himself on the other side Perfect He was back in Marcia&039;s rooms

And so was the Darke Wizard, the Necromancer, DomDaniel

DomDaniel was asleep on Marcia&039;s sofa He lay on his back with his black robes wrapped around him and his short, black, cylindrical hat pulled down over his eyes while his head rested on Boy 412&039;s pillows Do loudly It was not a pretty sight

Alther stared at Doain in the very saether Alther did not reh he had learned all, and yk Doant and unpleasant ExtraOrdinary Wizard, completely uninterested in the Castle and the people there who needed his help, pursuing only his desire for extreme power and eternal youth Or rather, since Doe

The Dolance, o, but as Alther scrutinized hied There was a gray tinge to the Necroround in the company of Shades and Shadows An aura of the Other side still clung to him and filled the room with the smell of overripe mold and damp earth As Alther watched, a thin line of dribble slowly made its way out of the corner of DomDaniel&039;s mouth and wandered down his chin, where it dripped onto his black cloak

To the accompaniment of DomDaniel&039;s snores, Alther surveyed the rooh Marcia was likely to walk in at any moment, sit down and tell him about her day, as she always did But then Alther noticed the large scorch mark where the Thunderflash had struck down the Assassin A charred black Assassin-shaped hole was burned into Marcia&039;s treasured silk carpet

So it really had happened, thought Alther

The ghost wafted over to the hatch on the rubbish chute, which was still gaping open, and peered into the chill blackness He shivered and reflected on the terrifying journey they all , however shostly and the living world He Caused so to happen

He sla!

Doht and stared around hih of satisfaction, he reed Back in the rooms of the ExtraOrdinary Wizard Back at the top of the Tower Back with a vengeance Do to see his Apprentice, who should have returned hours ago with the news at last of the end of the Princess and that aoman, Marcia Overstrand, not to ain The fewer of theht Doht and clicked his fingers irate It flared up and, pouf! Alther blew it out Then he wafted the s

The old Necrori I can do about that, but he&039;s not going to enjoy it Not if I can help it

It ell into the early hours of the one upstairs to bed and had had considerable trouble sleeping due to the fact that the sheets see him, when the Apprentice returned The boy hite with tiredness and cold, his green robes were caked in snow and he trembled as the Guardsman who had escorted him to the door made a quick exit and left him alone to face his Master