The stargazer - Chapter 6

Jupiter slapped a scarred hand over willows mouth before she screamed. If he was to get this stupid job done, he didn't’t need silly screaming girls to get in the way. In fact, that was the last thing he needed, especially with the crook still around, and he was getting fed up with this girl. She was far too bright for her own good.1

He sighed, and cautiously lifted his hand off of willows mouth. She squealed and writhed but he shook her and whispered fiercely, staring at her unblinkingly, like he had been trained to do. “Look, I’m not here to hurt you.  In fact, I just saved your life. Now, the crook is still around, and we DON’T want him to know where we are. So, you need to follow me and be as silent as possible. Savvy?” willow turned her face away, and refused to look at him. “DO YOU UNDERSTAND???” he shook her again. She looked at him, her face no more than two inches away from his. Her eyes filled with hatred, as though he had just killed her dearest friend, not an enemy’s spy who wanted to kill her. “I understand” she said coldly. He let her go, and swung down effortlessly from the branch he had been hanging from. He took his horse from willow silently, lifted his hood, and walked on. Willow followed, swivelling round to whisper to sparrow. But he had taken her advice, and had slunk off. 2

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *3

Panic blossomed in willows heart. For the first time willow realised the seriousness of what she was doing; she had stolen daggers and horses, run away from her home, lost her brother, had already almost been murdered twice, and was making friends with a sworn enemy of the kingdom.  She then also realised, with a sinking feeling in her heart, that even if she did survive this journey, she would never be able to walk her homeland again, for she would be hung. Tears filled her eyes, and she stared coldly and sorrowfully at the space in front of her. She was completely alone, and always would be from now on.  She raised her eyes to the silhouette of Jupiter, and wondered what made him join the assassination. He must be alone too, and she found herself feeling sorry for him. She had to remind herself that he was a cold blooded killer with no emotions.4

They arrived at the inn, and Jupiter had seemingly forgotten about sparrow. Just as well, willow thought, at least he might get away safely. This whole idea was a complete disaster.  Maybe he would go home…5

Her eyes filled again, and she had to quickly blink them away as Jupiter turned to her.6

“right” he said quietly, bending down to look her in the eye, “we’re booked in for a room on the 2nd floor”7

he shifted his weight awkwardly, “there’s only one bed” willow looked at him, fear and loathing in her eyes. But he spoke again “but I’m going to sleep on the floor. I’m used to it” willow nodded, her silence was slightly unnerving Jupiter now.8

They made their way slowly up the stairs and arrived in the room which was filled with firelight and the smell of honeysuckle. Jupiter shrugged his backpack, boots and cloak onto the dusty floor, and sat at the table which was near the fireplace.  9

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 10

Jupiter had been wandering how he was going to explain to willow how he came to be in the assassination, and how he came to hate the kingdom; his whole life story. How could he, a corrupt, maimed, “bloodthirsty cold blooded murderer” possibly explain all that to a innocent, naïve young girl who had been loved and looked after unconditionally her whole life, who knew no different?11

So he started from the beginning:12

“when I was born, my mother and father didn’t want me. That is, my mother didn’t want me, for I am a bastard child-conceived through rape. I didn’t know this, as my mother abandoned me and I grew up on the streets of Pakswa”13

willow shuddered. Pakswa was known as one of the most dangerous places in the kingdom.14

“when I was ten, a man called Valtien took me in as his famulas, or his ‘apprentice’. This brought me off the streets, and I was grateful to him, but it was only slightly better than living rough. He used to beat me whenever I did the slightest thing wrong. He was a master swordsman, and used to cut my hands and arms with his sword. Once, he was drunk, and he became In a rage with me, and cut off my earlobe.”15

Willow gasped, and her eyes rose subconsciously to his deformed ear. She shivered inside.16

“he got me involved in dark magic, for that was what he was- a red magician. He trained me to use the fine (but deadly) art of magic. I can do all sorts of things, but I wont tell you what, because I would  scare you and break my oath”17

she didn’t need telling. Willow had heard enough about the dark arts, and didn’t want to know more.18

He carried on:19

“at this time, I had grown to be 14, and was old enough to join the…”20

he looked around him to check no one was eavesdropping,21

“…the assassination. But first, I had to pass a serious of tests to show my strength, stamina, ability to use the dark magic, perseverance, whether I am able to keep secrets---even under torture, and, of course, whether I was able to make and use weapons to a high standard. These tests were very long, very tiring, and very, very frightening at the best of times.”22

“but, I pulled through, and I began my training.  My training included personality changes and appearance changes. As you saw.”23

Willow bit her lip and frowned; Jupiter was trained to lie, he might be lying to her now, those might not be scars, but magic designed to trick the eye.  His personality might not be this, he might not even be called Jupiter…24

Willows head began to spin, and she felt sick. Jupiter silently led her to her bed and pulled the blankets over her body.  He watched her as she fell asleep, and whispered, more to himself than anyone else, “but I do have honour, as you have seen”25

He heard a rustle near the window, and leapt over to it. He bent down and looked closely at the bush below him. He would have realised a pair of red eyes staring him suspiciously in the face, had he not been looking for sparrow…26

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *27

The gremlin sighed and lay down among the berry leaves, its red eyes staring at the sky. The eyes turned slowly into midnight blue with diamond stars studded like jewels in a priceless brooch.  He wandered how the hell he was going to his mistress, and did she even know she had a familiar? He was starting to become a little irritated; he had come all this way, and it was obvious she needed his help, so why didn’t she let him in? he sighed again, as if to let her know of his intense annoyance at being left out in the cold, and sent her a telepathic message to tell her so.28

Willow sat bolt upright as if electrocuted, and just about managed to stifle a scream. Someone---something was talking to her, through her head! The message was clear, and a little grumpy:29

“for Pete’s sakes woman, come out here and greet me like a good witch is supposed to! I’ve travelled all this way, in the freezing cold to be with you, and you cant even be bothered to greet your new familiar! I’m fed up of being “the gremlin”---I don’t even have a name!”30

willow stumbled over to the window, tripping over Jupiter as she did so, and cautiously opened the window. “hello...?” she whispered uncertainly. “hi. Your meant to talk to me telepathically. Savvy? Though I suppose, knowing my luck, I’ve been matched to an untrained witch who cant even pour some water using her mind, right?”31

“Uh, I think you’ve made a mistake, Mr whatever-you-are, I’m not a witch!”32

“Well this is just great. ‘Here you are, gremlin’, they said, ‘here is your perfect match’ humph. Now I know why they were sneering at me as I left!”33

“b-but I'm not related to a witch!” willow was very confused now.34

Sighing sarcastically, the gremlin flourished a piece of [rather crumpled] paper. He began to read: “name:willow35

Date of birth: 7th august36

Relation witch/wizard: mother”37

“ah” she understood now. “my mother died last year. She never told me she was a witch” the gremlins eyes changed from star-studded blue to a deep purple and he sighed. He would have to train his young mistress himself.38