| History and Life of Father Cuthbert, Part II
I knew that Paws and now New Paws was the oldest existing town in Britannia. It was all in the books. Its history is long of which much is now long forgotten. Apart from that I did not know where I was really going. I remember saying something like this: “Is there an end to this swamp?” to which someone replied, “It depends where you are going to?”. At the time New Paws was somewhat prosperous town. Nothing big at all and it wasn’t rich either. It stayed alive and its people were happy. It was amazing that the swamp really could produce anything – at least everything the people there needed. There were farms that produced crops and vegetables. Fishermen brought fresh fish daily. I remember when I first met Father Severinus. Already then he looked old, much older than old Farnham had looked the last time I saw him. At the time few carriages drove to New Paws on their way to Trinsic, stopping at the Town Hall. Father Severinus was a tall and thin man. He was warm and kind from the beginning and I instantly felt welcome there. Father Severinus was the mayor of New Paws and he lived on the second floor of the Town Hall. Up north of the Town Hall were the rather small centre of the town, where I was accommodated. The Centre of the town consisted of small shops. There was the millers and tanner. Petre seniors shop that produced the town with fresh fish daily to name the largest ones. The room I received was small but I liked it. It felt like home. I found myself in the daily life of the town, helping in the fields, fishing, enjoying myself with others at the Cat’s Paws Tavern after a hard days work.
It was first after six months that Father Severinus spoke to me about the ways of the arcanist. Before that we had done our normal work, guiding the spiritual life of the town and helping it prosper. We were sitting outside the tavern smoking pipe when Father Severinus spoke, “Brother Cuthbert, am I right to say that you have settled well? And that you have found peace here?” to which I nodded and said that I was very well settled to New Paws. Father Severinus continued, “You have formed a special bond with the land? You can feel it?” I thought for a moment and answered. “I feel warmth though the pools of the swamp are cold. Though there also is something I quite cannot put to place.”
“Something confusing…perhaps?” Asked Father Severinus.
“Yes…something confusing” I answered.
“It is the fens of the dead that make you feel uneasy and confused when you communicate with the earth. Fens of the dead are always restless and in motion. You will understand this eventually.” Father Severinus said.
“Is it why you are here?” I asked him. Father Severinus smiled faintly and answered, “You see and understand much to be one so young. You are correct. There are things that live on the other side of the swamp, but they don’t come here, not while I am here.”
“What things?”
“I will take you to see them one day.”
“Where did they come from?”
“That is a question I cannot answer, for I do not have the answer for it. The history of the Fens of the Dead has long vanished into the murky pools of the swamps.” Father Severinus said.
“You said that they don’t come here while you are here?”
“They stay away because they know if they come here they will do my bidding. Also they keep away and leave us to our business. We seldom go there and they seldom come here.”
“You can control them?” I asked. He nodded smoking his pipe and said. “This is something I will teach you. There is a long and hard road ahead of you.”
I sat in the carriage on my way to Yew. After all these years and after all these roads I was returning there. I was 18 years old when I left Yew and went to New Paws. I was 50 years old when I returned. 32 years I had been away. Empath Abbey had a new Abbot, Father Malachi, but I suspected that the real power still lied in the hands of the old Abbot, the venerable Jorge. It felt good to be back after such a long time…
That day I did not know that five years later at the age of 55 I would receive a letter from my old friend and mentor...that day began a new chapter in my life... |