Disclaimer: Every single character in this story belongs to Marvel. Every single word belongs to me - except the character names which are trademark and copyright Marvel. I am not using them to make me a profit, and nor should you. However, if you have the urge, distibute, archive and use them to paper your budgie's cage. Drop me a line to tell me what you thought it about it. Comments such as: *I have never read such a load of trash in my whole entire life? What on earth were you thinking when you wrote this? Gee whiz!' and *This story changed my life! It made me realise that if *you* could get this published so could I!' are perfectly acceptable!

Carpe fabulam!

RogueStar
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The woman bent beneath the load of her firewood as she began the long climb to the Mage's castle. She was old and rheumatic, half-blind in one upturned, bleared eye, and yet every day she walked the winding path up and down the mountain to fetch firewood. The Mage watched her from his castle window, saw the tottering steps that she took and remembered a time when she once had been beautiful. When her green eyes had shone with spirit and pride - a spirit which time had quenched. When her hair had not been completely white, save for a single bright streak, like a pixie's kiss. When her mouth had been full and her face had been unlined. When he had first seen his wife.
*Come put the firewood down and talk to me. You are getting too old for this.*
*Yes, dear.* She stooped down and placed it by the fireplace.
*We have had a good life together, have we not?*
*Yes, dear.*
*You have forgotten all about that dreadful highwayman?*
He was gratified to see the anger rise to her eyes and hold there before fading, like everything else had.
*Yes, dear.*
*It was so sad that I had to execute him for treason.*
*Yes, dear.*
*That he came too late to prevent our marriage.*
*Yes, dear.*
*That your pathetic attempt to kill me failed.*
*Yes, dear.*
He grabbed her wrist, feeling the fragile bones beneath his hand. Bird-like and delicate, despite her best attempts to the contrary. A sparrow trapped by a hawk. *Did you really think I could be killed by iron like any other sorceror? Iron is the source of my power - it only made me stronger.*
*No, dear.* Her voice caught, *Ah did not.*
*Good.* He released her and let her fall to the floor.
*But . . . .* She stood up straight, seeming to shed years as she did so,
*Ah always suspected that lodestone would have th' opposite effect.*
*What?*
Terror filled his voice. She smiled a smile from forty years ago and drew the slender dagger from her pocket.
*You will send me back, or Ah will kill you.*
*Send you back?*
*Don't play coy with me. Ah've planned this foh forty years since Ah saw th' man Ah loved hang for darin' ta stand up against you. Since Ah was forced ta marry you, on th' day of his execution, in front of him before you murdered him.*
*Send you back to when?*
*To th' day that Ah went ta see Destiny . . . a week an' a half before mah weddin'. . . .*

~~~

The small hut was smoky with herbs and fire. Scented with the usual incense and musk that everyone expected of a prescient. Hams and other cured meats hung from the ceilings, so low that you had stoop to avoid being hit on the head. A table was cluttered with the implements of a fortune teller - the crystal ball, the Tarot, tea leaves and ceremonial knives for haruspicy. In the middle of this room sat a small, wrinkled woman with grey hair and golden earrings which dangled to her chin. She was dressed in the robes of her office - a simple blue dress embroidered around the hems and sleeves with arcane symbols and the signs of the zodiac. Around her neck hung a beaten silver pendant in the shape of a disc, set with four stones to represent the four corners of the world. The door opened with a creak and two people entered.
*I have been expecting you, Sabrina. Child of Sorrow.* Destiny did not look to see who had entered the room, *And you, Jubilation, apprentice to a sorceress.*
*Grandmomma Irene.* The woman inclined her head, *Ah need your help.*
*Although your father has rejected me since becoming a fine gentleman, I am pleased to see you have not.*
The younger woman sat on a cushion next to her grandmother with the apprentice beside her.
*I know you are to marry the one who has taken over our valley.*
*Magnus.* Sabrina supplied.
*I also know you are in love with the one who is to be its savior. Who is its rightful ruler.*
*Who? Remy?* She cocked her head inquistively.
*There is much which I tell you and so little time for you to learn.* Irene smiled, fetching her crystal ball from the table and placing it in front of her grand-daughter. *Perhaps it is best that I show you.*
The crystal ball clouded . . . .

~~~

*The story I am about to relate takes place a long time ago, before the great plague, before the Mage came to the village. It is the story of one man's courage and how dearly it cost him. The village was under the rule of a lord, Jean-Luc leBeau, who was both just and kind. He believed in equality, a rare thing indeed for lords to believe in, and he treated the peasants accordingly. Taxes were low and each peasant gave only that which he or she could afford as a tithe. Naturally, as a result of this, Lord leBeau was well-loved by all but the King.*
*Why not?* Jubilation asked.
*King Sebastian was a miser who loved nothing more than the color of money. He saw his subjects as easy ways to fill the royal coffers and storehouses and cared little for their situations.*
*Like th' mage.*
*Exactly. He ordered Jean-Luc to raise the taxes but he refused as he felt that the King was claiming what was not rightfully his. This did not sit well with the King who sent his army to ride against the village.*
*The village was crushed.* Jubilation exclaimed breathlessly.
*On the contrary, the army turned back after claiming to see monsters and demons. They believed the village was under the protection of a powerful mage.*
*Magnus?*
*No. Me.* Irene looked embarrassed. *Simple parlor tricks, I'm afraid. No real magic behind illusions. Jiggery-pokery.*
*So? What happened next?*
*There is an old saying that says you should fight fire with fire. The King hired a wizard of his own, the Mage Magnus, a powerful but evil sorceror. He cursed the village with a plague. Crops withered in the ground. Women became barren. Milk turned sour. All that was wholesome became noisome. The typical curse.*
*An' he blamed it on Jean-Luc leBeau. Heard of leBeau's curse before.*
*Are you telling the story or am I?* The rebuke was gentle and amused,
*Suffice it to say, the villagers drove Jean-Luc out of the village of Salem and he was never seen again. People believed he died in the woods, torn apart by wolves or another wild animal.*
*What does this have to do with Remy?*
*Child, has he not told you the truth?*
*What? That he's a highwayman? That he steals from th' rich an' gives ta th' poor?*
*That he is the son of Jean-Luc leBeau. That he is the rightful heir to the leadership of Salem.*
*But his name isn't leBeau - it's du Melas.*
**Du' means of and, when reversed, Melas becomes Salem. Remy of Salem.*
*When he came to our hut, he introduced himself as Remy leBeau.* Jubilation added.
*All this time . . . .,* Sabrina rested her head in her hands, *Why would he lie ta me?*
*You, yourself, mentioned leBeau's curse. The name is hated and despised in the village of Salem. What good would it do him to be known as a leBeau?*
*But *me*?! His fiancee?!*
*It is hard to understand but it was for your protection.*
*How is that?*
*You would be a witch, working with him to curse the village. You would be sentenced and burnt at the stake.*
*Curse that swine. He's hurt both of us so badly an' we can't strike back at him.* Sabrina paused, *Which is why Ah came, Ah want ta know if there is any way we can kill th' Mage.*
Destiny sighed, *I do not know enough of his ruling powers to be sure . . . .*
*Best guess?*
*Iron is the enemy of magekind. It disrupts the subtle balance of mind and body, destroying the conduit that flows between the two.*
*An iron dagger might work.* Jubilation suggested, *You could conceal it in your wedding dress and stab him with it.*
The air shimmered suddenly and there was a bright flash as a portal opened and an old woman fell out onto the floor in a tangle of skirts and petticoats. The portal closed behind her, shutting off her means of return.
*What in th' name of th' Great Fire?* Sabrina exclaimed.
*Ah do not have much time.* The woman lifted her head, *Iron will not work. It is th' source o' Magnus' power - he draws upon its strength from th' earth and sky.*
*Two ruling powers.* Destiny murmured, *That would explain his puissance.*
*Here.* The woman thrust a dagger into Sabrina's hands, *Lodestone. It is iron's complement, attracting it by the use of subtle fields and forces. This should disrupt the Mage's power long enough to prevent him from retaliating or healing himself.*
*Will this work?* Jubilation asked, looking sceptically at the pointed grey stone.
*Yes, Jubilation. It will.* The woman stood, dusting off her long skirts.
*How do you know my name?*
She smiled, *You know mine if'n y'all thinks hard enough.*
*You're me.* Sabrina stepped forward, touching the woman as if she could not believe what she was seeing and needed more proof.
*Yes, Ah am.*
*Did we succeed? Did Remy find th' Horse?*
*Yes, but he was too late. Magnus executed him the same day for treason, after he was forced ta be best man at mah wedding.* She sounded disgusted, *Ah tried ta kill th' Mage with iron but Ah failed. It made him stronger.*
*So . . . Remy will be too late.* Sabrina repeated, *It's up ta me?!*
*Maybe so, maybe not.* The old woman smiled slyly, *He was delayed by a cadre of the Mage's elite guards and his companion killed.*
*Ororo was . . . um . . . will be killed?* Jubilation yelped.
*If y'all stop th' guards Remy will be on time.*
*Fine. How do you suggest Ah do that?*
*You're a woman. A beautiful woman. What do you think?*
Sabrina looked shocked and her older self shook her head, *Not that. Pretend that you are crazy *bout th' Mage. That you want Remy du Melas dead. That you will do it yourself on the day of your wedding. That it will be his gift to you.*
*Ah'll do that.* She nodded.
*One more thing before I'm forced to return to the future . . . .*
Sabrina looked expectantly at herself, *Yes?*
*Love Remy with all your heart. Ah know how painful it was ta lose him. Make sure that it doesn't happen.*
*Ah will.* She grasped the old woman's hand and looked into the blurred green eyes, *With all mah heart.*
The woman smiled and vanished, whirling into disincorporated atoms which slowly blew away on the wind of time.
*That was strange.* Jubilation commented.
*You know what you must do.* Destiny said, *I shouldn't delay you any longer.*
*Ah can't return ta th' village.*
*You will and must. For Remy's sake.*
*Do you want me to come with?* Jubilation asked.
*No.* Sabrina shook her head, *Find your mistress an' tell her ta stop searching foh th' Horse. That Ah know how ta kill th' Mage an' that Ah might need their help.*
*Anything else?*
*Yeah.* She nodded, removing a simple gold ring from her finger. *Give this ta Remy. Tell him that Ah love him an' that Ah'm thinkin' of him.*
*Sure.*
*Then go and take with you the blessing of Destiny and the assurance that you will succeed.*
The apprentice nodded and opened the door, stepping into the crisp air. The sky was a brilliant shade of azure and white clouds drifted lazily across it, metamorphosing into different shapes as they did so. The trees formed green avenues, soft carpeted with humus and rotting wood, and it was down one of these that Jubilation began to walk. She watched the floor, as she often did when looking for the herbs and flowers which Ororo used in her magic. A habit which was to cost her dearly - she did not see the guards which stood in front of her. The tall men dressed in black who had dedicated their lives to the service of the Mage.
*Where are you going, little one?*
She looked up, startled, like a rabbit before a hunter. She smiled, resorting to the lisp which had served her well in the past.
*Nowhere, thir. Thimply going to thee my aunt and uncle.*
*Where is your travelling permit from the Mage?*
*Mom thaid that she packed it in my pouch.* Jubilee scrounged in her pocket, feeling around for a small bag of powder. *Will this do inthead?*
She flung the powder into the Guard's face, covering her eyes instinctively against the flash which should have accompanied it. Nothing and she realised, heart in her boots, that she had thrown the wrong powder. A simple compound used to treat wounds.
*Come with me,* the guard grabbed her arm roughly, *I'm sure the Mage will have plenty to say about you.*
Jubilation screamed and kicked, scratching and clawing at the guard's arm, as she was dragged up the hill to the Mage's castle.

~~~

Remy whistled tunelessly to himself as he walked along the rocky path that was cut into the mountainside. Occasionally he kicked a stone, watching it skip along leaving a puff of dust at each jump. He had been walking for a few hours now along this monotonous road and there still seemed to be no end in sight.
*How much further?*
*About a league.* The elegant sorceress replied. The journey had not been kind to her and her long white robe, indicative of her status as a weatherworker, was torn and filthy around the hem. Sweat glistened on her forehead and upper lip, and she occasionally wiped it with a browned hand.
He nodded and resumed his whistling.
*What song is that?*
*An ol' French one dat Pere used t'sing,*He added self-deprecatingly,
*Ain't very musical though.*
*You have not spoken much about your father.*
*He was killed by de Mage when I was a kid, f'r opposin' King Sebastian's laws.*
*Oh. A highwayman like you?*
Remy laughed, *Non. Mon pere was de Lord of Salem an' all de surrounding lands. Lord Jean-Luc leBeau de First.*
*LeBeau's curse?*
*Dat's de one.* He grimaced, *De superstitious villagers bought every word of de propaganda dat Magnus toted out *bout ma famille being cursed. Dey drove him out an' den killed him under de direction of de good Mage.*
*So then you are the righftul ruler of the village? Not Magnus?*
*Oui.* He kicked a pebble, *Either way Sabrina's gonna end up bein' a lady.*
*Does she know of your heritage?*
*Non. Can't bring m'self t'tell her.*
*Why not?*
*Chere, my name is worse dan poison around dere. People spit after sayin' it, like it leaves a bad taste in deir mouths.* Remy said, *I know Sabrina will unnerstan', but de rest o' de villagers would drive her out f'r darin' t'love a leBeau.*
*Oh.* She paused, *Could you sing the song for me?*
*Ya would'n appreciate it - don' t'ink ya speak french.*
*No, but I would still like to hear it.*
*Bien.* He cleared his throat, *Don' have much of a singing voice t'speak of.*
*Nor do I - my Master said that my chants sounded more like curses when I sang them, I am sure that I will survive.*
He nodded and began in a surprisingly rich baritone:

*C'etait une journee jubliee, It was a forgotten day,
un jour perdu dans les vents de temps, A day lost in the winds of time.
quand il est arrive au village. When he arrived at the village
Le mal qui etait bienvenu. The evil who was welcome.
Et a cette journee, le droit est mort And on that day, right died.
et a ete chasser dans le bois. And was chased into the forest
Et les hommes ont dit avec bonheur And the men said with gladness
que les loups le mangeaient. That the wolves ate it.
Maintenant, dans le village triste Now, in the sad village
ils attendent pour un homme d'autre They wait for another man
qui les sauvera et le mal tuera, Who will save them and kill the evil.
donc le droit peut vivre encore.* So that the right can live once more.

~~~

To be continued . . .

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Footnotes: 1. Haruspicy - I'm putting it here as it is not a common word and not in many dictionaries - is the art of examining an animal's entrails to predict the future. It originates from Roman times where a haruspex was appointed to perform this task. Note to any RSPCA or PETA people reading this - no animals were harmed in the writing of this fanfic.
2. The four corners of the world originates from early celtic beliefs that the world is ruled by four elements each which has its own corner - the four elements are: fire, wind, water and earth.


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