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At the top of the tenth row of steps, Feverfew saw another door. She looked around. These steps seemed to be the last row. She pushed gently on the door. A soft breeze fanned her pale face as she stepped though onto a narrow path that stretched ahead of her. As she took three steps onto the edge of the path, she was shocked to see the Silver City lay below and all around. But it was the size of the Keep that shocked her most of all. The building sat on a small hill built into the rock. Thick stone walls made of black stone, and turrets of different sizes, made up the Wizard's Keep. The misty glow of magic covered the Keep.
Feverfew looked along the path. In a daze, looking out over the Silver City she began to walk along it.
****
It took a minute for Ferol to recover and he was staring up at the Lady's worried face. Quickly he scrambled to his feet.
“Lady,” he gasped. “Those... men... they took... ”
“Yes,” said the Lady. She was relieved to see Ferol wasn't hurt.
“Lady,” said Ferol quietly. “What are we going to do? We can't go outside. That woman said she wanted, Feverfew to join their coven. What are we going to do?” he repeated.
The Lady frowned. What were they going to do?
****
Meanwhile, Feverfew was slowly making her way along the path surrounding the top of the Keep. She was still astonished at how big the Keep was. She looked to her left as she headed towards a slight bend in the path. Below, she could see the shining buildings of the Silver City.
“An impressive sight,” said a voice, as she came around the bend.
Feverfew gave a start, stopped and took a step back, as she studied the man sitting on a rough wooden chair. Beside him stood a long telescope. The man was similarly dressed to the little man she had met down stairs. He was older, much older. His face was haggard, lined, and he had a hooked nose. She could just make out tufts of silver hair peeking beneath his hood.
“Who... who are you?” she asked.
Slowly the man stood up. He smiled, his smile changing his features dramatically, as he held out a hand. “My name is Mangus. I'm extremely pleased to meet you, Feverfew. I have been waiting for quite some time.”
“Waiting,” frowned Feverfew, as she took his hand. It covered hers completely, though Mangus was barely six inches taller than she was. “Do... do you mean... for me?”
“Yes, you and the Lady Margrit.”
“Margrit? Is that the Lady's name I didn't know.” She studied the man closely. “How do you know all this? How do you know the Lady's name?”
Mangus gave a sort of laugh and sat down again. “I should know,” he said. “I'm her grandfather.”
“Wha... t?” Feverfew stared at Mangus. “Her grandfather? The Lady's... grand...?”
“Didn't she tell you? Oh, well, that's my granddaughter for you. Always keeps something back. Always has her little secrets.” Mangus bent forward to look through his telescope. “Ahhhh,” he said as if to himself. “They're on the prowl early.”
Feverfew frowned. “On the prowl? What do you mean?”
“The beasts.”
“Have they broken through into the city?” gasped Feverfew, looking now in the direction his telescope was pointing.
“Oh, no. They've been here for quite some time. The beasts killed most of the people who lived in Silver City.”
“I must go back down,” exclaimed Feverfew. “The Lady, Ferol... oh and little Salter, he'll be so frightened... I have to help them... ”
“No, you must not go down into the city,” said Mangus. “You must come with me... we have to go far beneath the Keep. Down where the Tarsis Amulet lies, is where you should be.”
****
“We have to go outside again,” said the Lady. “We must go back to the tower. We must try harder to get inside. We have to make contact with Feverfew. She is the key to all this.”
“Back... Outside? But Lady... the beasts,” exclaimed Ferol, growing pale.
“Ferol, what do you think we should we do? Just stay here... do nothing and hope the Warlocks and Alicia bring Salter back? They'll kill the prince... kill him, if Feverfew does not join them... ”
“She wouldn't... ” exclaimed Ferol, his eyes wide with horror.
“Then we have to go back to that tower. Somehow we have to get inside.”
“But the magic...” exclaimed Ferol, as they headed for the door. “It won't let us.”
“Ferol, I don't know how we are going to counteract the magical wards that protect the tower. But we have to get inside it. We have to find Feverfew.”
As she slowly opened the door and looked around, they both realized, it was getting dark. They sensed more beasts would come out when it was dark.
“Come on,” whispered the Lady, leading the way.