The Tower 45

"How is this done?" she cried.

"Is that Perdeen?" I countered.

She nodded and tears filled her eyes. "I haven't seen the village for years. I've come through these halls and looked out on the barren landscape thousands of times and never seen this. How am I able to now?"

"I can only imagine it's because the curse on you is broken," I replied gently. "Come."

I pulled her across the hall to the window that looked out over the castle garden. The same gasp and tears escaped her again as she stared longingly at a place that she had only seen in memory for the last twenty years. I watched her carefully and after a few moments the sadness and joy were replaced with anger.

"Curse Antheus for doing this to my people!" she exclaimed. "We were peaceful, wanting nothing but to produce our wares and be left alone."

"Evil men and women would kill for a lot less than you had," I replied. "Antheus is driven by power."

"Even if we do break this awful curse and drive him from the land, what's to stop someone else from doing the same thing?" she asked mournfully.

 I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know."

"I can't see my father creating an army to protect his borders. He's not that kind of a man. We prospered, but he would just as well give away our grapes if he were asked."

 I opened my mouth to suggest another idea, but she brushed my unspoken words away. "We won't stop growing the grapes. We have too much joy in the work to stop."

"Well until we can defeat Antheus, you won't have to worry about that problem. Let's go back to the room and see if we can find some answers."

I turned her away from the window and heard a low growl. I looked over at the tarrange and could see its hair starting to rise as another growl escaped its body. Sareanne's head snapped up and I could see her lips moving rapidly. She gripped my arm holding me in place and I watched as the circle of white rocks quickly surrounded all of us.