Conan the Barbarian 113

Major Characters

 * Conan (Last appearance in CB-112; next appearance in CB-114).

Minor Characters

 * Erfu (Last appearance in CB-112; no further appearances to date).
 * Moraga (First and only appearance to date); wood witch.
 * Naj (First and only appearance to date); Moraga's son.

Locations

 * Shem

Time Frame

 * Two days

Synopsis
On the road to Akharia, Conan and Erfu are ambused by Shemites, and Erfu is shot with an arrow in the arm and falls off his horse. Conan fights off the Shemites, but Erfu is too injured to travel. The Stygian puts his faith in the healing powers of a wood witch that he hopes lives nearby, and Conan sets up camp to wait for either the witch or Erfu's death. Luckily, the witch Moraga and her son Naj emerge from the trees, and Moraga uses her knowledge of herbs and medicine to minister to Erfu. Naj sense danger in the woods, and though Conan vows to protect them, Moraga tells him of her exile from her village many years ago. She was accused of sorcery and was chased out, but a shadowy presence slaughtered her village and advanced on Moraga. She is cagey about what happened after that, but the event turned her hair white and she tells Conan she and Naj must leave. Erfu's fever breaks as Moraga and Naj return to the woods and when he wakes the next morning, Conan tells him what happened. Conan hears something odd in the woods, and he goes to find Moraga and Naj confronted by a demonic beast who demands the boy. Conan leaps to their defense but is badly outmatched by the demon. When all seems lost, Erfu emerges and casts fiery magic at the demon, who bursts into magical flame. The creature returns to his gate to hell and Moraga admits the demon is Naj's father who wants to return to hell with his son. Erfu volunteers to stay with the two to help protect Naj, and the three leave Conan behind to ponder which side Naj will choose as he grows.

Reprinted

 * The Chronicles of Conan 14 - Shadow of the Beast and Other Stories