Threads of Silver: Chapter 5 - Ripples in the Valleys
After a long time of waiting due to uni work and creative block, it's finally here! This is the conclusion to this part of TOS, but there is definitely more of this story, that might be told by some other familiar faces! This story features ocs by @camillejeaneshphm and @endlessly-cursed !!
The previous chapter can be found here !!
Chapter 5: Ripples in the Valleys
“It must be understood that in medieval society, poisonings were seen as a fairly regular and harmless practice for dealing with problems, especially when a serf or servant was poisoned, but only if the perpetrator is never caught. To fail at a poisoning, however, was a massive social faux pas, as it often had the capacity to ruin a good feast in a way successful poisonings didn’t.” - Mayson Kowalski’s History Report
It was Gabriel who broke the stunned silence that had filled the hall as Lachlann got to his feet. He looked the apprentice up and down, shaking his head in disbelief. “We all thought…I mean…it was, wasn’t it? The symptoms…the way you…”
Rowena nodded briefly, before turning back to Lachlann. “His body is still dealing with the poison, but…the more fatal symptoms don’t seem to be appearing. Now then, would anyone like to do the decent thing and own up to poisoning my apprentice?”
There was an awkward silence in the air as the many guests looked between each other, Lachlann noticing the Osadas looking directly at Mathilde and Bruna. All of the decorum between the group he had seen early had gone.
It was Mathilde who broke the silence. Between her dark expression and the accusatory look Gabriel was giving her, it seemed rather obvious now what she was notorious for. “Something you’d like to say, good sir?” she asked, her tone of voice passing the judgement back onto Gabriel.
However, it was Rousalie who spoke up. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous-”
“Rousalie, it’s alright-” Gabriel tried to interject, Baron Osada now standing up trying to calm his children down, and the Thane of Cawdor absolutely failing to get everyone to sit back down. Unfortunately, Mathilde and Bruna weren’t helping matters, and it seemed to Lachlann as if an argument would break out there and then. At least until Godric stepped away from the High Table and jumped up onto the one the others had all been sitting on. They all fell silent. Rowena merely rolled her eyes, which conveyed to Lachlann that this wasn’t the first time he’d done this.
“Works every time.” Godric chuckled to himself as he walked across the table towards the others. “Now, I hate to interject, you know me-”
“Oh, please…” Rowena hissed, Lachlann looking up to see Luxia trying to hold in a laugh.
“-but,” Godric continued, holding up his cloak to keep it from getting into any soup, “I feel like all this yelling isn’t helping matters. Let us start with what’s important: are you alright, Lachlann?”
Lachlann winced as the hall now turned to him. He was beginning to understand why Rowena thought of Godric the way she did, but he still appreciated him asking. “I…I definitely feel less faint, and the pain is lessening too…still feel rather sweltered, though.”
Gabriel nodded. “See? This is what I was talking about, all symptoms of Enchanted Nightshade!”
Mathilde chuckled. “Though you are missing the most important component of Enchanted Nightshade, namely the death that follows. Are we sure he didn’t just react badly to our food?”
Rowena tried to stop him, but to Lachlann it didn’t seem like anyone else was following social etiquette either. “Maybe the fact that a certain changeling over there projected into my mind so she can tell me I’m being poisoned.”
Lachlann didn’t need to do much to signpost who he was blaming. The glare he was giving Betwixt was enough for everyone to swivel their heads to find her clutching at the fabric of her dress and glaring back at him, also noticing the Thane of Cawdor looking increasingly agitated. “...And you’re going to all believe him over me? If I wanted to kill him I would have actually done it, not made him pass out for a few minutes, that would simply be-”
She very clearly wanted to say more, but the two changelings either side of her placed a hand on either of her shoulders, and she fell silent. The changeling on the left, the one in the dress, gestured to Godric to continue.
Godric nodded to the other two changelings, his smile fading for a moment. “Thank you. Now, maybe a better question would be “Why didn’t he die?” Because as I’m sure Mathilde knows, that could only be Enchanted Nightshade. I’ve had many a good guest succumb to it in the past few years. And the answer, from where I’m standing at least, is clear.” he said, coming to a stop a few inches from where Lachlann was sitting.
There was a moment of confusion, before Rousalie finally exclaimed “Oh!” and pointed at Lachlann’s bowl. There was a mass of clamouring as the nobles craned their necks to see what she was pointing at, and sure enough within the bowl was still a huge amount of bread and meat. Now she’d pointed it out, it stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the other empty plates.
Bruna finally spoke, still clinging to Mathilde. “I…I don’t quite follow-”
“I do.” Rowena said, a smile now on her face. “Lam, are you alright to stand?”
“I-I think so, milady.” Lachlann said, now feeling a little self-conscious about her holding him up. She let him go and walked over to the table, picking up the bowl. Pulling out her wand, she muttered a few words and her wand glowed a faint purple. There were gasps and a few gags as the food became covered in purple veins.
Godric chuckled. “And there we have it. As Rowena so eloquently demonstrates, It’s not a matter of the food being poorly poisoned. He just didn’t eat enough. My word, this must be why poisonings only happen in noble circles…”
“What makes you say that?” Gabriel asked, squinting at the contaminated food.
Rowena moved it closer to him, Rousalie backing away as she did. “Well, don’t you see? I’m afraid Lachlann here is still getting used to a diet such as ours. Where he comes from they eat different amounts. To him, he ate a normal amount of food.”
“H-He…” Mathilde said quietly, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times. Lachlann stepped over too, and when he did she shot him a look not unlike the one Betwixt gave him. Not just irritation, but sheer disbelief that someone as low as him was able to best her. It made him feel a lot better about the whole thing.
“It was rather rich food.” Lachlann said, absentmindedly. “Does…that settle it?”
“I’m afraid not just yet.” Rowena sighed, turning to the High Table and staring at the Thane. “The last thing I want, O Thane, is for this to devolve into a messy argument that you can skew into one of your battles. As far as I’m concerned, anyone in here could have done it. I confess I’ve made my enemies, after all. I suppose I really should have listened to Lady Hufflepuff. Come, Lam, we’re leaving.”
The Thane looked as if he was about to blow a gasket (not that the gasket had been invented yet). “E-Excuse me?! You talk of me as if I am some common mercenary! My feast has been ruined by the use of magic and so it is my right to use whatever means I have to deal with this!” he spluttered. He looked to either side of him, to Salazar and the third changeling, the one in armour, who seemingly had a conversation between each other based on eye contact alone. Lachlann wondered if they were doing the same thing he and Betwixt had done. Eventually, in part due to the flabbergasted expression on the Thane’s face, Salazar turned to the rest of the hall.
“I find this reasonable. I shall use my magic in the Thane’s service to discover the culprit.” he pledged, his eyes darting across the hall for reactions. They fell on Godric, waiting for his response. For a moment, Lachlann felt as if that was it. He had almost died, but now everyone’s focus was on the Thane’s feast being disrupted. An intense rush of anger filled him at that dismissal of his life, and of Rowena’s, so much so that he almost missed what Godric said next.
“I agree…with Rowena.”. There were gasps. There were mutters. There were exclamations of “What?!”, but Lachlann watched silently. Bruna and Mathilde looked scandalised. The odd thing to Lachlann, though, was that he didn’t think Salazar was taken by surprise by this. Godric, clearly enjoying the attention to the point that he winked at Luxia, continued, “I grant that the feast is ruined, and that is a tragedy. But for you to see yourself as entitled to our services in that way…that I cannot stand. We grant our services as a gift, a price for protection. It becomes clear to me now that perhaps another approach is needed if all it gets us is petty killings and being thrust into battle against each other for the highest bidder.”
Godric leapt off of the table, grinning at the others. “I’m with Rowena on this one. I just don’t think I can stomach another pointless skirmish. What say you, Sal?”
Salazar looked between Godric, at his own apprentices who suddenly looked rather afraid, and then at the Thane. “I’ll admit that I find it slightly degrading at times, but it’s more about finding the right nobles to work…with.” he said, Lachlann unsure if he was looking at the changelings or at the Thane. “But I insist that there is no division between us. You are my friend, Godric. As are you, Lady Ravenclaw. As is anyone who seeks to ensure that magic’s purity is maintained. I imagine you shall be leaving too?”
Godric’s smile had faded once more, and he nodded. “I think that’s for the best. Luxia, my dear apprentices, shall we?”
Luxia got up and walked over to him, maybe milking the attention her walk was getting just a little bit, folding her arm under his once she got there, and not really paying attention to Lachlann. The Osadas, meanwhile, turned and bowed to their parents before joining up with Lachlann and the others.
“Does this happen to you a lot?” Gabriel asked, as the Thane started yelling at the group to stay, his voice undercut by Godric pulling the grand doors open.
“...Not until recently.” Lachlann shrugged, still nursing his stomach.
“I didn’t know serfs ate so little!” Rousalie said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I mean, I saw how much you ate, no wonder you survived!”
“Rousalie, please!” Gabriel said, exasperated. “Sorry, Lam, she really doesn’t mean to be this obnoxious…”
“I-It’s fine, really.” Lachlann reassured him. “Being a serf saved my life, after all.”
“Former serf.” Rousalie said, smiling.
Lachlann found himself laughing at that as they found themselves outside their carriages, as if he hadn’t been poisoned just a few minutes prior. “Yeah…I guess you’re right.”
They ran to catch up with the others, with Godric and Luxia getting into their own coach and leaning over to talk to Rowena. “Are you sure we can’t convince you to stay with us?” Godric asked, looking back at the castle. “I do worry about what that Thane might do.”
“I can take care of myself, as can Lachlann.” Rowena pointed out, opening the door for her apprentice to climb in, “We fought off the Sovereign of the Changelings after all, what’s some foolish noble who thinks he owns the place?”
Godric merely smiled at her. “You’ve been asking that question all your life, I think. Say hello to Helga for me, won’t you?”
Rowena smiled back and nodded, checking to make sure Lachlann was in the carriage. “Safe travels, Lord Gryffindor.”
“You too, Lady Ravenclaw.”
***
An hour or two passed, and before long the carriage had stopped outside a medium-sized castle, the gate already open. As the two climbed out and walked towards it, already Lachlann felt that it had a profoundly different feeling to it than the Thane of Cawdor’s abode. The flames dotted around seemed to glow more warmly, and the structure did not seem to loom over him in the same way either. Lachlann spent a moment clutching his stomach, the carriage journey had not helped his fragile stomach. He brought a shaking hand up to his hair, dreading to think what he must have looked like. A few seconds passed and a woman with blonde hair in a simple yellow dress walked out, accompanied by another blonde woman who was about Lachlann’s age,with incredibly long blonde hair that escaped her veil into two long braids. She seemed to be the other woman’s apprentice, though very clearly was also a noble.
Helga Hufflepuff stared at Rowena and Lachlann for a moment, before clicking her tongue. “I did say it was not wise to attend.” she said finally, looking Lachlann up and down. “My word, boy, what has she put you through?”
Lachlann blinked a few times before mustering up the strength to speak “I…it was not Lady Ravenclaw’s fault, milady…I have some share of the blame for my actions towards the one who hired the poisoner.”
Rowena looked between Lachlann and Helga and sighed. “...I’m sorry. Do you have any medicinal herbs? I might be able to improve his condition before we leave for home.”
Helga nodded, clicking her tongue once more. “Of course. Henriette, if you could see to gathering those, that would be wonderful. Come, I’m sure you’ll want to pick up Helena.” she said, a smile appearing on her face as they entered the castle. “She’s been very well-behaved, for the most part. Kept trying to crawl out into the corridors, though.”
“Well, she’s in a very adventurous stage at the moment.” Rowena shrugged. “You can see why I needed the extra pair of hands.”
“Indeed. I hope you don’t mind me copying your ideas.” Helga chuckled as Henriette returned with the herbs. “Finding an apprentice with connections to the King and Queen has been rather useful with my work in dealing with these pesky wars. No offence to your choice, of course.”
Lachlann didn’t react, only watching as the herbs were prepared. He looked over at Henriette for a moment, who looked back. Lachlann blinked rapidly again. “A-Apologies, um…I’m afraid I’m not exactly in the best of shape.”
“There’s no need to worry, I’m not surprised after a dose of Enchanted Nightshade.” Henriette reassured him, looking over at Helga and Rowena. “Did Lady Hufflepuff’s absence get mentioned?”
Lachlann shrugged. “It might have happened in the time I was unconscious, but it also came up when Lady Ravenclaw was dressing down the Thane.”
Henriette smiled at that. “I am glad to hear it. You are very lucky to have a mage like her teaching you. I’ve heard a lot of things about her spellcasting and knowledge, it’s wonderful to have her active once more.” She said, sagely.
Lachlann nodded along with what she was saying. “Yes, her knowledge of magic is second to none. I’m glad that I’m able to help her. Which reminds me-” he said, walking forward to help with Helena briefly, Henriette following behind.
“It’s alright dear, I’m here…” Rowena whispered, her daughter sobbing for a moment before swiftly calming down as she settled into her mother’s arms. “Thank you, Lam. I see you two have been introduced to each other. I’m sure this won’t be the last time we visit, though perhaps next time we will be able to stay for longer. Alas, Helena needs her cot, and Lam here needs to sleep off the rest of the poison.”
Helga laughed out loud at that, placing a hand over her mouth. “Apologies, my boy, apologies. You’ve been through the wringer tonight, I can see that. And you’re still trying to help where you can. You’re already a fine apprentice, and I’m sure you’ll be a fine wizard as time goes on. I’m sure we’ll see you both again soon, especially if the Thane continues to rage about his feast being ruined.”
Henriette passed over the herbs to Lachlann. “I look forward to seeing you at full health soon.” she said, smiling softly at him.
Lachlann took the herbs and bowed. “Thank you. I’ll try not to annoy the changelings or Lord Slytherin’s lot too much for a little bit.” He turned to leave, feeling a lot better than he had done, and looked across the hills and valleys, covered in silvery moonlight. The wind rushed through the grass, creating waves of movement that scattered themselves across the Highlands. It occurred to Lachlann that this was the second time someone had tried to kill him in the past week. He felt a peculiar sense of pride in that he’d been able to defend Rowena’s beliefs in this way, and as he boarded the carriage and started eating the herbs, he wondered just how much of the magic at work in the realm could be used to push back against those who sought nothing but control.
This is where the night ended for Lachlann of Wexford. But it is not the end of the night for many of the others who attended that ill-fated feast.And thankfully, records exist of their night as well. Across the windy valleys, the ripples blew from the grass to the trees to the fires of the Thane of Cawdor’s castle, that one by one were being blown out. In the courtyard, staring as the last carriage left, Salazar Slytherin stood with the castle’s owner.
“I shall fire all my cooks, just to be sure!” the Thane insisted, unable to look Salazar in the eye, “I cannot apologise enough for what happened! For you to be accused of poisoning like that! I do wonder just what Lord Gryffindor teaches those apprentices of his.”
“Lord Gryffindor is a close personal friend.” Salazar droned in an icy voice. “Please, do stop grovelling. You ought to go and oversee that process personally, I doubt you would want any more of your food to be contaminated, am I right?”
“Y-Yes, of course!” the Thane said suddenly, running off into the castle. A few moments later, a blonde woman and a woman with red hair walked out and towards the waiting Lord of Magic.
There was a moment where he stared at the two before sighing. “I want to hear nothing of portion sizes and what kind of serf or peasant he was. You failed. I ordered you to poison a magic-user and you failed.”
“I’ll say!” came a voice from the open gate. A woman in a deep purple dress walked out, followed by two others. They angrily walked towards the others, holding their dress above the ground as they did so. “I’ve never felt such rage before. I thought you said peasants were supposed to be the weakest of mortals?” she fumed.
“I said that non-magical serfs were the weakest of mortals.” Salazar replied, giving Betwixt no more attention as he turned to the two changelings behind her. “Monarchs Eadar and Sgàthan, I hope this night has not diminished your opinion of mortal feasts.”
The two looked at each other, shrugged, and proceeded to change, their hair turning white as snow and their skin becoming pale and then purplish. When they opened their eyes, there were no pupils. The one in the suit of armour, Eadar, spoke first. “Not at all. We do not share our daughter’s anger at the serf, nor his mistress. Nevertheless, two slights such as these against the Silver Kingdom cannot go unaccounted for.”
“Three, if you count the silver this Lady Ravenclaw is harbouring.” Sgàthan pointed out, dusting down her dress. “You mortals have such fragile lives. I wonder why you put them in danger so frequently.”
“Getting to the point…” Betwixt seethed, also returning to their white hair and eyes, “We came into an agreement with you because you promised you could take out anyone opposing our claim upon these Isles’ silver. And now, that bastard and the woman he babysits for have all the motivation in the world to start gathering allies against us!”
“I doubt Rowena would do anything so rash.” Salazar pointed out, his attention finally turning back to his apprentices. “She will concoct a plan of some kind to achieve her goal. Which gives us valuable time. So I ask you both…what are you going to do with that time to help uphold that agreement with our friends here?”
Mathilde and Bruna looked at each other, clearly feeling a great deal of unease at the way Salazar was talking to them. “Lord Slytherin…Majesties of the Silver Kingdom…” Mathilde began, only now beginning to truly process what had happened. Only now processing that someone had gotten the better of her. Someone lower than her. “We will do whatever is necessary to get rid of them. I will correct my error and ensure that the next time he is brought down by my poisons, he does not wake up.”
Bruna nodded along with Mathilde. “And I pledge myself to that same goal. I will assist in devising a strategy that not even Lady Ravenclaw could predict.”
Salazar smirked and turned to the changelings. “There, I think that settles things, no? Rest assured that soon the serf will be dead, and Rowena…well, her responsibilities that she hired that boy to help with will be too much, I’m afraid. You needn’t worry about her opposing you then.”
Sgàthan nodded approvingly. “Very good. We shall return to our kingdom. Come, Betwixt.”
Betwixt sighed, glaring at Mathilde and Bruna. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing the both of you.” she said, chuckling darkly. “I’d quite like to be there to watch him splutter…” she said, shapeshifting into Lachlann and mimicking him clutching his own neck “...and choke..and turn blue…” before quickly returning to her initial form, laughing aloud as she followed her parents.
The three humans bowed, before turning to the carriage. Before they could get on, however, Salazar put his hand in front of them. “This conversation is not over. I want to know exactly what your plan is and soon. There can be no distractions from this, either. If your family comes calling once more…” he said, pointing at Bruna, “...I cannot promise I can hide you from them. Especially not without the changelings supporting us.”
He moved his arm and allowed them into the carriage, glaring up at them before taking a seat near the front. The carriage moved out of the courtyard, and Bruna and Mathilde turned to look at each other, each with an expression that a thousand words would not be enough to describe, but most of which involved killing Lachlann Doherty.
***
It was late now, and Merula put down the book she was reading from with a sigh. “...There we go. Sorry if that took longer than I thought it would.” She looked up, half-expecting to see them all asleep, but instead she saw Mayson, Persephone and Matthew all still watching intently, smiling.
“Thanks, Mer!” Mayson exclaimed before being shushed by Persephone, “That really does help. I’ve got this assignment in the bag now!”
“I, too, am grateful.” Persephone admitted. “And I appreciate the amount of gossip and scandal that occurred. Such devious plans those nobles had!”
“I do wonder if I’m a walking spoiler for whether or not he makes it through though, um…” Matthew pointed out, at which the group laughed.
“Yeah, well, that’s history for you. About how you get there, not the destination…though that’s still pretty important too.” She said, staring at Matthew for a few seconds before shaking herself out of it. “Right! You two, off to bed, and Luther here has to sneak his way back to Ravenclaw Tower.”
The two lower-years stood up and headed for their respective dormitories, waving goodbye. “Thanks again, Merula!” Mayson said, “I’d prefer you teaching over Binns any day!”
It was now just Merula and Matthew. She started piling up her books, hoping she wasn’t too pink in the face. “I could…walk you up to your room, if you wanted. Keep you out of trouble, and all that.”
Matthew smiled, taking a step closer to her. “As much as I’d like that, um, you look really quite tired. You need sleep too, you know.”
“Oh…fine.” Merula sighed, pulling him close and kissing his cheek. “Go on, get out of here. If I had a bar of silver I could just pull Ravenclaw Tower closer, couldn’t I?”
Matthew blushed and nodded. “Maybe you could. If anyone could figure out that world of ancient magic, it’s you.”
He turned to leave, Merula looking down at her notes, about her ancestors, his, the founders, and the strange and wild magic that roamed. To her, it suddenly didn’t feel all that far away.
