Sorcerer in Hiding

It was dark, and had been for some time, before Will dared to even stand up inside his pitch back cupboard. The result being that his head ended up colliding with the very hard, and very low ceiling.

Silently cursing to himself for forgetting how small his prison was. Will grabbed and jiggled the door handle. Before he remembered that the door would not be unlocked until morning.

Groaning, Will sat down on the least uncomfortable piece of grimy floor that his prison had, and stared at the door.

He didn’t know what made him do it. But he placed his shaking fingers back on the lock, and began to mutter. “I want you to open. I want you to open. I want you to open.”

Will had expected this to do anything. He wasn’t a sorcerer, they were all evil. And more importantly, dead. That was what everyone told him.

That was until he heard the sound of the lock clicking, opening the door.

This sound caused Will to nearly crack his skull open once again, as he stood up so quickly and forgot about the low ceiling. But his throbbing head didn’t matter anymore, and as he pushed the door, it began to slowly open, creaking loudly, but opening, nonetheless.

Now that he was free, it took a lot more courage to simply leave the cupboard. His stepparents might be as thick as a log. But unfortunately, neither of them were deaf, and even they would have heard the sound of the door opening in the quiet night. Eventually though, and after several false starts, Will crept out of his small prison, and into the bar area.

Turning, Will swore he saw a shadow pass on the wall. But his fears subsided when neither one of his stepparents emerged from their shared room. Instead, the shadow came from a drunken customer, lying in a stupor on the floor, groaning from a headache that was seemingly almost as bad as Will’s was.

Quietly as possible, and stepping over the sleeping form of one of the Inn’s more frequent customers. Will headed to the front doors. Leaving this place was bad, but staying here, and waiting for his stepparents to find him out of his cupboard was basically an attempt at suicide at this point.

But out there was freedom.

Will opened the door, amazed, and slightly relieved that he didn’t have to do magic to open it and headed out into the darkness.

Will had never walked around Harthpoint at night. He’d been confined to the inn, or had left the town entirely for the fields beyond.

But now he was walking down the street, and he didn’t like it.

He had never liked the town, but until now he had never been scared of it. Everyone he walked past kept staring at him, there gazes continuing to burrow into the back of his head as he slowly put one foot in front of the other.

He was in the back streets, where the usual crowd who drank at The Black Sheep lived. In other words, he was in the back part of the town that was in the back part of the world.

The town square, that was where he’d go, at least there were guards around. Sure, they were Mayor Harth’s guards that didn’t do much. But it would at least give him the feeling of being protected. Even at the cost of being found by his stepparents.

With his destination set, Will took the shortcut that he’d found with Alice that would cut two streets off his journey.

Before he could take more than a few steps, he found his route blocked by a tall, dark figure.

“And what’s your name boy?” The Witchfinder asked peering down a long nose at him. “You haven’t come to register like the rest of your town people.”

Will blinked, he could have sworn that the newcomer had not been in the street at all.

“William.” He was about to give his surname, but something about the way the man was leering at him, made Will reconsider that cause of action. He didn’t want to tell the man his surname. In fact, he wanted out of this conversation right now. “Just Will.”

“William.” The Witchfinder repeated back at him, the name sounding a lot more sinister than it normally did in this man’s mouth. “And what is your family name, William?”

Will thought hard about how best to respond to this. The man was clearly onto him now. Why though, he wasn’t sure. He had been alone when he cast that spell. At least he thought he had been. Maybe someone had heard him. Or maybe these guys could track magic. Maybe that was why they were so good at catching sorcerers.

“I don’t have one.” Will replied quickly, then deciding on the spot to fully commit to the story, he added. “I’m a bastard.” Not exactly much of a lie either, as he didn’t know anything about his parents. Maybe he was a bastard, maybe he wasn’t, but one thing was for sure: bastards didn’t have family names, and he didn’t want this man to know anything more about him.

The Witchfinder blinked once at this, and almost recoiled, like Will was carrying some exotic disease from the Dragon Isles. “Yes I thought I could smell it on you.” The Witchfinder said as he moved his hand inside his robes. “Well run along William the Bastard, I do not require someone of your taint clogging up my work in this good town.”

With a quite literal swish of his cloak, the Witchfinder prowled back off and disappearing into the night.

Trying his best to forget the encounter with the Witchfinder, Will resumed his walk to the town square, which once he arrived, he found to be a lot busier than he’d hoped. It was crowded, full of people clamouring at Mayor Harth’s doors, still trying to get answers as to why the Witchfinder had come to their home.

But the doors of the Town Hall were closed and most likely barred, only being guarded by the few men that the Mayor employed to keep him safe.

“BACK OFF!” One of the Guards shouted into the night crowd. The man’s sword was drawn, but looked like it hadn’t been used to do more than threaten. This was not surprising as the men were outnumbered about five to one.

“RETURN TO YOUR HOMES!” Another Guard bellowed into the din.

A few members of the crowd did follow the orders, but more pressed forward.

Will pushed his way through the crowd, trying to get to the front in the hopes that he could get inside. But it was no use. The crowd was too thick and riled up to allow the short and skinny Will anywhere near the closed doors.

So, with a feeling of doom. Will rushed off towards the sides. The front doors may be guarded. But his time sneaking about with Alice and Oscar had taught him of other ways of getting onto the grounds.

This way came by means of a small gap in the hedges that surrounded the Town Halls gardens. And eventually finding it, Will crawled through breaking the through twigs that had not hampered him before. Clearly he was a lot bigger now than the last time he’d tried this route.

That was when the problems started, his head began to ache more and more as he got closer to safety. Secondly, he quickly found that his secret entrance was not as secret as he thought, coming as a result of someone grabbing his ankles whilst he was halfway through the hedge, and yanking him backwards.

“What are you-!” The Guard shouted as Will covered his face, waiting for the beating. “Oh, what are you doing here young William?”

Will stopped covering his face to see Sir Gwaine Gorth. The captain of the Mayor’s guards staring at him, sheathing his sword. He felt his heart rate drop at the sight of the man. They weren’t exactly friends, but the captain was one of the few guards that did not treat him with active hostility. Mostly because of Will’s friendship with Alice. But it was nice to know that not everyone here was against him.

“I wanted to speak with Alice, sir.” Will replied, knowing that the man’s mood would increase if he answered his questions quickly.

“Thought so Will.” Sir Gwaine said scratching his chin. “Can’t let you though I’m afraid. Mayor’s orders. No-one on the grounds after darkness.”

Will’s heart fell. He’d been counting on this place to offer him some safety from his stepparents.

“Can’t I-” Will started.

“No.” Sir Gwaine said calmly and firmly, with a tone that told Will that the discussion was over as far as he was concerned. “But I will let you sleep outside the hedges. But you move if anyone says otherwise. Understand?”

Will did. He didn’t like it. But he was smart enough to realise that this was the best possible deal in the current situation. “Yes sir.”

“Good. Don’t let me catch you using this hedge gap again Will. Elsewise I’ll have no choice but to throw you into The Cliffs.” Sir Gwaine said before smiling and walking off.

The Cliffs. Will knew, were the only thing that even constituted a prison in Harthpoint. Hardly anyone went there though, it was a one-way ticket. Most criminals in Harthpoint were just thrown in the barracks to sober up and then be discharged. The Cliffs were for the serious prisoners. The ones that the guards wanted nothing to do with anymore.

Finding the most comfortable and secluded rock, Will laid his head against it, trying to fall to sleep over the clamouring of the crowd and the pains coming from his head.

Will wasn’t sure what had awakened him. It was either by the sounds of the Witchfinder in the town square, or his head which was somehow even worse. It was whining constantly, driving the sound into his ears.

Slowly, and massaging his forehead, Will stumbled upwards and headed towards where the Witchfinder was giving his address right outside the Town Hall.

“Good citizens of Harthpoint.” The Witchfinder said, his voice carrying across the town square, even though he hadn’t seemed to raise it that much. “I’m afraid I was correct in my initial suspicions. This town, is harbouring a sorcerer.”

Will, one hand on his temple, weaved through the crowd, trying to get a good look at the man, without drawing too much attention to himself.

“I trust that you know the penalty for hiding these creatures.” The Witchfinder said cooly. “However, I am willing to show mercy to you all, if you assist me in my task of rooting out this monster.”

The murmur of the crowd began to grow louder and louder. It was driving Will insane. His head was already throbbing, and now it was bringing him to the verge of nauseousness.

“So, fan out brothers and sisters of light!” The Witchfinder chanted to his enraptured mob. “Go out and find this demon. Those that help, will be spared the flames! Those that don’t will burn with the Sorcerer!”

At this, the crowd dispersed. Will did too, purely to blend in, he had to go back to the inn. He had to hide away, at least until his head stopped throbbing.

That was when he knocked into someone, causing him to fall to the ground.

“Sorry.” Will groaned, looking to see who it was.

It was Alice. She was staring down at him with a look of horror.

“Will. You look really unwell?” Alice said as she helped him back to his shaking feet.

He was, Will’s head was now ringing at such a fever pitch that he was struggling to hear the crowd around him disperse.

The inn was no longer an option, Will decided, it would be searched he was sure. And even if it wasn’t, he still had to get away from here. He had to get away to somewhere…

Will grabbed hold of Alice’s shoulder, partly to get her attention, mostly though as somewhere to hang onto.

“Come with me.” Will said, his vision starting to cloud over, though not so much that he couldn’t see the look of confusion on her face. “Please.”

Will waited for the response. Though if it took any longer he’d thought he might just collapse from the pain.

“Sure.” Alice said, and she was half led, half dragged out of the town limits towards the fields.

The gamble to move away from the town paid off, as Will dragged Alice further and further away from Harthpoint. As he moved, his head began to ease, his mind began to clear until finally it stopped as they reached his place, his refuge whenever the Shephards got really angry with him.

It wasn’t until they were at his field that Will finally stopped and turned. He half expected Alice to have left him a long time ago. But she was still there, just staring at him.

“Alright we should be safe to talk here.” Will said and looking around, double checking that nobody else was here. If anyone heard what he was about to say. Then both of them would probably be dead.

“Will. Why have you brought me out here?” Alice asked, leaning against a tree as she stared at her friend.

“Alice. Something’s happening to me.” Will said, his head was throbbing. He didn’t understand. Sure, he had knocked it pretty bad back in the cupboard. But that was yesterday. Why was it still hurting now? “It’s like I can do stuff now just by thinking it.”

With that, Will told Alice everything, everything he knew, and everything that he’d suspected was happening to him.

“So, your stepfather forgot to lock the cupboard Will.” Alice said, her brow furrowed at why her friend had dragged her all the way out here for that piece of news. From what she had heard, Edward Shepard was only one day away from losing his mind completely. “That doesn’t mean-”

“He didn’t. I told you.” Will said cutting his friend off. “Trust me, he never forgets that. But I was able to open it by just talking.”

“So, you think you’re the sorcerer?” Alice asked, taking an instinctive step back, before correcting herself.

“I dunno.” Will replied. He didn’t want to be, he quite liked not being burnt alive by angry Witchfinders, and would like to keep being alive.

“Because if you are Will. Then this is bad.” Alice said, quite literally, deadly serious. “Like really bad. We have a Witchfinder in our town. He’s staying at my house. And he’s promised my father not to leave until he finds out who the sorcerer is.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Will retorted as he slumped down against the nearest tree, his head in his hands. Then he clasped on an idea so desperate it verged on being brilliant, in his kind at least. “If I am a sorcerer. Then why now. Why didn’t magic happen all the other times that my stepparents were throwing me around.” Will said, he was trying to reassure both Alice, and himself now that this was probably just a huge misunderstanding, and that he’d probably made the whole thing up. He knew that he was scaring them both with this talk of magic and wanted to try and backpedal hard.

“Will. I’ve known you a long time. And you are many things: An idiot, sure; An insufferable gloater on the few times that you actually win at anything, definitely.” Alice said.

“Okay get to the point.” Will replied sarcastically.

“The point is Will, it’s that you ain’t a sorcerer.” Alice said.

Will couldn’t help but smile at this. Even though most of it was about insulting him. It felt good that someone other than himself was trying to talk him down from the idea that he had magic.

It was nearly evening by the time that Will and Alice rounded the corner into the town square, they had spent most of the day out in the fields which was causing Will to smile to himself. He wasn’t a sorcerer, Alice had said so. And even if he was it probably didn’t matter, he’d just have to hide it. He could do that when other people were around, like he had done in the cupboard. And only do it in front of his friends. More importantly, he’d spent the whole day alone with Alice and hadn’t managed to mess it up. Maybe there was still a chance for him after all.

“Thanks Alice.” Will said looking at her, almost seeing her for the first time. “I don’t know what’s going on with me but-”

“YOU!” Will spun around and saw the two people in the world who could probably make this whole situation worse: his stepparents. They were striding across the town square, cutting through the rest of the town’s residents. It was Edward that had been the one to shout. But looking at the pair of them right now, they both looked like they were going to murder him.

“Get away from me!” Will screamed backing anyway he could. But it was no good, the commotion had drawn in what seemed like the entirety of the town. And they had now created a ring around him and his stepparents.

In his panicky state, Will hadn’t noticed the Witchfinder, who was standing out by the entrance to Mayor Harthpoint’s home, his beady eyes fixed on the scene that had unfolded below him. A look of triumph in his eyes.

As Will continued to dart his eyes around, trying to find an opening. He saw Alice rush over to him.

“Will please calm dow-” Alice tried to start, but before she could finish, Edward began bellowing again.

“WILLIAM! GET YOUR WORTHLESS, FILTHY HIDE HERE NOW!” Edward shouted as he advanced forward, grabbing Will’s tunic by the neck and attempting to drag him off.

“Sir, please remove your hands from that boy, this instant!” Sir Gwaine shouted as he too stepped forward, his sword drawn. A few of his fellow guardsmen followed, most of the others didn’t though.

It was this that caused Will to really panic.

“GET OFF ME!!” Will screamed as he began to shake violently. Tears were running down his face as he felt the pressure inside his head continue to build and build.

Then it snapped.

BANG!

The ground around Will shook violently, and was then followed by a blinding flash of light, then by screams.

Will felt himself collapse to the ground as the smoke began to erupt around him from freshly created cracks in the ground. His head was spinning, and he couldn’t open his eyes. He began to feel something hot and sticky drip out of his nose and ears. Which was when he lost all consciousness.