Finishing and a New Task

    The moon was glancing at the world through the dark clouds in the sky and the air was filled with the neeking and the breeking of the annoying insects of the Marsh, they kept a steady rhythm for the leaves to rustle with the passing of the wind. Every now and then a faint light flickered by the cobble paved road as if signaling from afar and upon a closer inspection one would see that a lone figure clad in black, it was leaning against the fence by the signpost that points the way to the Lone-Lands and the small hamlet of Hamglen. At a first glance the figure seemed motionless, but soon it was easy to see that it was moving, the figure's left arm was moving up and down every now and then and every time it descended grey smoke and rings would fill the air around it. It was half an hour after midnight and there were no guards at the entrance to the hamlet, odd, lately there were at least two at all times. Tonight they were recalled for some reason. The figure seemed to be focused ahead, towards the forest of Chetwood, armed with a sword and shield, hanging from the left hip and on the back respectively. The hood was covering most of the face, but a long beard that reached the chest was far from hidden.
    At first the neekerbreekers stopped squeaking, then the wind stopped and the trees stood motionless in the night and lastly the moon hid behind the clouds. The place of the wind took a frozen chill that pierced the man's clothes and skins and he pulled more on the pipe as if to break the cold with the hot smoke. He blew some smoke and smirked, in the dead of night he could hear the rustling of the grass, someone was approaching. The man kept his position and puffed smoke one last time. Calmly he held the pipe upside down to let the ash drop on the ground and gently tapped on the bottom to release any ash stuck to the bottom. He pulled a piece of brown cloth and wiped the inside of the bowl clean before wrapping and tugging it in one of the belts that ran over his chest. The rustling stopped at some distance and he frowned for a moment as he tried to spot something in the area where he last heard it.
    "You did it," whispered a voice from somewhere else. The man turned right in order to face the one who spoke. The being's shape was traced against the black clouds in the distance, clad in brown with a hood on its head. Its voice was a low tone whisper and despite the non threatening looks there as a sense of dread following him.
    "We did it, yes," replied Fiontann when he spoted him, trying to show no emotion.
    "See, my mistress was right. Where is it, give it to me."
    "I will once I know that you'll leave my people alone."
    "You know the rules, you have a task to completed, didn't your people tell you?" asked the being. The way he uttered the words your people showed scorn and amusement.
    "A task... Didn't we do enough for you?"
    "Oh no, this was the beginning, a test, if you will. Didn't your people tell you that it was at test?" said the being and Fion's chest started to puff with each breath he took. He didn't like the being's way of speaking. But, did his best to remain calm.
    "They did. What do you want us to do now?" he asked and tugged his thumbs in hsi belt.
    "The first task was easy, too easy. This is  the real task. It's harder, but you'll make it."
    Fiontann didn't reply. He waited.
    "She wants you to go East, to the Bloody Gloom, deep into it and," and fiddled with a hand in its clothes "fill this with water." and threw flask at Fiontann's feet.
    "Why don't you do it?"
    The being didn't reply.
    "You can't, eh? She has no power there, as she has no power in the ruins of the ancient kingdoms," Fiontann scoffed loudly and made a show of that by puffing his chest to show his amusement this time.
    There as no reply.
    "It will be a full moon in a fortnight. Fill it when the moon is up."
    "What if we don't? What if we come to you instead?" said Fiontann.
    "You won't. We'll come to."  said the being and made a show of taking a deep breath. "Scorched wood, next time it will be scorched flesh..."
    Now Fiontann didn't reply.
    "Where is the gem?"    
    "At the roots of the tree," said Fiontann and motioned to his left, to the tree closest to the signpost by the road. The being walked there and took it. It stopped and turned its upper half just enough to have Fiontann in its line of sight.
    "In a fortnight, during the full moon. She'll know." and walked away. The moon appeared, the neekerbreekers started squeaking again and the wind blew the dread away. Fiontann picked the flask up and started walking back to Hamglen.