Chapter 6

They had been left with little choice. If they proceeded down the mountainside they would either have to bear lit torches, in which case they would be pursued by the spawn when they reached the plain, or they could go in darkness. But the darkness would limit their pace, and then they were unlikely to reach the plain in time to avoid the approaching force.
      They also did not favour the idea of lying in wait just off the road, for if they were detected, by whatever means, they would undoubtedly have to engage the much larger force. As they would be unable to flee in that case, they would certainly be overcome by the enemy force.
      Their only choice was to turn and flee through the pass, though it irked them considerably to know that they had come so close to making it across the mountains at Foireách. Now they would have to ride the long way around, up to Mornaru and then through the Egladhren Pass, and the delay so incurred would necessarily be more than a few days.
      Their immediate concern was to escape the approaching force without alerting them to their presence. It occured to them, however, that there was no danger in lighting torches, so long as they kept a goodly distance from the enemy, for their torches would be assumed to be those of the Goblyn scouts that had been sent ahead. Indeed, to not light torches would likely stir the suspicions of the approaching army; so, promptly they lit them and then they began to ride with haste back up the road toward the pass above.
      When they had climbed about two miles they looked back to see that the approaching force was at the very edge of the plain and had begun ascending the road to the pass. They knew then that the force was moving with some speed and was certainly mounted on steeds of some sort. They were glad then that they had not attempted to charge down the mountain, for not only did the enemy move quickly, but they now saw that their numbers were very great indeed.
      Some seven miles more they climbed up the steep incline, urging their steeds to spare no effort in their exertions. Yet the force that followed continued to keep pace, so that the length of their lead did not grow, but seemed rather somewhat reduced. As the companions reached the pass they paused but a moment to look back as their steeds caught their breath. They then continued onward into the pass with haste.
      When they had gone perhaps a mile and a half a dull horn sounded behind them. As it echoed among the craggy cliffs the companions realised that the enemy must now have reached the pass, and thus could be little more than a mile behind. Another two miles passed, and then they encountered Falco’s pony, right where they had left him. They stopped to consider whether they might be able to bring him along.
      ‘We haven’t long,’ said Alatar as they debated their options. ‘The spawn are likely still but a mile or so behind us.’
      ‘How are they able to travel so quickly?’ complained Burak.
      ‘Firstly,’ answered Raavan, ‘their steeds are Daonracht, not horses, and they can go longer and faster over rocky terrain, and feel little or no pain if they are pushed too hard. Secondly, their riders have no compunction about pushing them too hard, because Goblyns have no compassion for any beast, be it fair or foul, and any steed that collapses from exhaustion will simply be replaced when reinforcements are brought in from Tath.’
      ‘Also, they can see very well in the dark,’ added Taoren.
      ‘So, what are we to do about Huri?’ asked Talen.
      ‘He must be brought along if at all possible,’ said Raavan.
      ‘I doubt his condition is any better than it was two hours ago,’ said Alatar.
      ‘I am afraid that cannot be helped,’ said Raavan. ‘If we leave him here the Goblyns will surely eat him, and I suspect that would be rather more unpleasant than being forced to walk on a lame leg.’
      The matter settled, they attached Huri’s tether to the pack horse while Valataque made him swallow a handful of leafy herbs which he took from his pack. These, he said, would help with the pain, though they would not take effect immediately and should ideally have been steeped in hot water first. Yet this was the best they could do in the time they had. With a little prodding they finally got the pony to follow behind the pack horse, and so once again they rode onward through the pass.
      After trotting for a few minutes they worked up to a gallop again and they kept this aggressive pace for some time, though it was now several hours after dark and their steeds were nearly exhausted from a long day of hard riding. When they were still some three or four miles from the eastern end of the pass they halted for a brief rest.
      ‘Are our pursuers still behind us?’ asked Burak.
      ‘I don’t know,’ replied Alatar, ‘though we have heard nothing of them in a while.’
      ‘Well, if the pass was their goal, then like as not they’ve halted back at the entrance,’ said Falco.
      ‘That seems unlikely,’ replied Alatar, ‘unless they are waiting for reinforcements before securing the rest of the pass. But their numbers looked to be sufficient to secure both ends, judging from the number of torches that we saw.’
      ‘I have to agree with Alatar,’ said Raavan. ‘There is no reason why they would stop once they had reached the western end. If we do not hear them following, then it is either because they have slowed their pace somewhat, or simply because they do not wish for us to hear them. Either way, we cannot rest long.’
      ‘Our steeds are near to collapsing,’ said Burak, ‘especially the ponies.’
      ‘There is nothing for it, I am afraid,’ said Raavan. ‘We must at least descend to the hills below. Once we have reached the hills we can extinguish our torches and disappear into the dark, adopting a leisurely pace in some random direction. If their goal was to take the pass, then once they have done so they will likely be hesitant to venture very far beyond it. I think we will be quite safe in the hills, at least for the remainder of the night.’
      ‘Very well,’ said Alatar. ‘Then we had better—’
      Barooom! sounded a horn loudly behind them.
      ‘They come!’ cried Valainis. ‘And they are not far behind. Hearken! I hear the sound of their hooves on the rocky road. They will be upon us within minutes!’
      ‘Then, ride!’ exclaimed Raavan, and with that they all spurred their steeds forward to gallop as fast as the weary beasts could manage.
      It took them only ten minutes to reach the eastern end of the pass, yet they did not stop when they reached it, but continued on along the road as it wound down the mountainside. After several minutes they reduced their pace somewhat, though they dared not yet halt, for as they still bore lit torches, they were now very likely visible to their pursuers whether they remained at the pass or yet followed.
      When finally they reached the hills below the pass they halted and listened for sounds of pursuit. Though they heard none over the heavy breathing of their steeds they decided to travel a bit out into the hills before resting. Extinguishing their torches they left the road to head in a direction slightly north of east. They rode at a walking gait for some minutes, then dismounted and lead the steeds on foot. They continued this way for over an hour before finally halting. They could go no further that night.
       
       
      They woke to a foggy morning, which was just as well, for they did not wish to be seen. They made a small fire and had their tea and biscuits and then gave their steeds a thorough going-over. The pony Huri still exhibited a great reluctance to walk, but the others appeared to suffer from no more than a general weariness.
      After a late start they rode slowly through the hills heading north-east. Their plan was to find their way back to the Wellorn Way and then to follow this road all the way to Mornaru in northern Anyar, where they could expect to receive aid from the Dwarves. The suggestion was made that they might instead head south to pass through Merethir and then through Penyandil beyond as soon as it was retaken by the Elves, but this plan was not favoured as it would then require that they cross the open plains of Malindor and Tolor, where they could expect to encounter significant numbers of enemy forces.
      Taoren and Valataque offered to accompany the companions as far as the final approaches to Mornaru, and this offer was gratefully accepted, for none of them had been through Wellorn recently, nor had they any recent intelligence regarding this land. That the Dwarves of Mornaru had not attended the council at Valassea, though they had been urged to do so, was of course somewhat troubling.
      Indeed, of all the northern kingdoms of the Dwarves, none had been at all represented at the conference in Arvalla, and this suggested that the messengers sent to summon the delegates from those lands had met a violent end on their respective roads. That this was likely the case in Tolor did not come as a terrible surprise given the news from Kili-Nakirin of significant spawn activity in that land. Yet what dangers could have been encountered by the messenger sent to Mornaru were not known, though it seemed these soon may be revealed as the company travelled that way.
      Around mid-morning as they came back to the old road it began to drizzle, and the rain continued off and on for much of the day. Deeper into the Wellorn Hills they went, and now they began to see the remains of old castles and forts, now just piles of rubble set back some distance from the road. Gazing at these ruins as they rode slowly by Talen mused that there must be quite a lot of history associated with these places and with the kingdoms and peoples that at one time had attributed to them meaning and life.
      Each of these sites must have had a name, or more likely a succession of names over time, yet even the names were very probably not remembered, thought the Elfling. Perhaps at Aberlaven, among the great stores of knowledge, in the weighty books that lined the dusty bookshelves, perhaps there one could find (if one spent weeks and weeks searching) some mention of these places and the names of their kings and queens and princes and lords.
      Yet, what of the common people who tilled the lands and who fed the livestock, who walked barefoot over this patch of dirt? What of the people who lived their lives and dreamed their dreams here and then passed again into the stuff of the earth when their time among the living had reached its full measure? So many lives had been lived that now were entirely forgotten. Were they in vain because they did not warrant a mention in some compendium of historical works at Aberlaven or Pencairn?
      All these thoughts and more passed through the Elfling’s mind as slowly the party trudged through the rain toward their distant goal in the north—a goal which itself was but a single step on the longer path toward Hélethrôn. There this small group of mortals hoped against hope to influence events on a rather larger scale than the common man could even fathom. Yet even this noble task, were it somehow to miraculously meet with success, would but extend the lives of Entira’s mortals by yet another finite increment of years, a paltry sum in the grand scheme of things. Yet, what else could a mortal do?
      This rain is depressing me , thought Talen, and it is making my thoughts very glum indeed. O, what I wouldn’t give for warm sunlight and a carefree afternoon to play on my fife and leave my cares to someone else! Yet, here I am—I have got the adventure I wanted, and quite a bit more, and there is nothing I can do about it but to see it to its conclusion, however it may unfold.
      Suddenly Talen became aware of a strangely familiar figure sitting on a rock wall some distance from the road. Further along the wall he saw were two more of the dark forms. Through the rainy haze he could see that these were certainly animals of some sort. Soon he saw that the creatures had wings and pointy ears and that they sat quite still except when with a quick flick of their wings they shook the rain from their wet bodies.
      ‘Gargoyles!’ exclaimed the Elfling when finally he recognised the beasts.
      ‘Where?’ said Raavan as the others reached instinctively for their weapons.
      ‘On the wall, over there,’ pointed the Elfling.
      ‘O yes, now I see them,’ said the wizard. ‘Yes, they are certainly Gargoyles, no doubt about that. I don’t think they’ll bother us, though.’
      ‘Are you forgetting the incident in the cedar grove east of Tachán?’ queried Falco.
      ‘No , I haven’t forgotten that incident,’ said Raavan. ‘But that was a case of an entire flock of the brutes preying on the vulnerability of a lone Elfling. Three or four cowardly Gargoyles sitting in the rain are no danger to a band of mounted warriors. I can assure you that we have nothing to fear from them.’
      Raavan’s words sounded very convincing, yet Talen and Falco continued to keep watch for more of the beasts as they rode slowly along the muddy road. Though never did they see more than a few of the brutes together at once, the creatures were not terribly uncommon in the hills, especially at rock walls and among the ruins of ancient man-made structures. Yet, little heed were they paid by the rest of the company, who were more concerned with the discomfort of riding in the cold rain.
      In the early afternoon they came across a rather more disturbing scene, for not far from the road were signs of freshly dug earth. Upon investigating they found that this had been the site of a large burial ground and that all the graves appeared to have been excavated and the remains of the dead removed. Everywhere the companions looked they saw empty graves, with nary a sign of the missing occupants except here and there a bit of broken bone lying in the mud.
      ‘What do you suppose happened here?’ asked Berethir of Raavan.
      ‘I have no idea,’ admitted the wizard.
      ‘These graves must be very old,’ continued Berethir. ‘I can’t imagine there was any meat left on any of the corpses, so what kind of animal would go through the trouble to dig all of them up?’
      ‘Maybe it wasn’t an animal at all,’ suggested Falco. ‘Maybe it was some sorcerer in search of skeletons. With enough magic you could assemble quite a rabble out of these remains.’
      ‘It’s conceivable,’ agreed Raavan, ‘though I wouldn’t know who to suspect. Nostaite is conveniently dead, though these excavations appear quite fresh. And I can think of no reason why Magorath would venture this far from his lair in Gôl Certhad.’
      ‘Unless he had been sent by the Dark One on some errand in this land,’ suggested Alatar, ‘just as Nostaite likely had been sent to oversee the taking of Penyandil Pass.’
      ‘Right,’ said Berethir, ‘which would explain why we encountered him on the edge of Tachán.’
      ‘Just so,’ agreed Raavan.
      ‘Would not Silgoth require large numbers of corpses for his spawning of the Naegrim?’ asked Valainis.
      ‘Yes,’ answered Raavan, ‘but I can’t think why his servants would come all the way to Anyar just for corpses. There must be enough of them strewn across the land of Tath to populate ten Naegrim hordes.’
      ‘I would think that he would have needed complete corpses, though,’ said Alatar. ‘Needn’t a corpse at least have flesh on it in order for it to be transformed into a Naegrim? As Berethir pointed out, these ancient graves could have held no more than frail bones.’
      ‘It is easier if they’ve still got all their meat on them, but it’s not absolutely necessary,’ answered the wizard. ‘Well, for now it will have to remain a mystery. Perhaps we shall find some other clues along the way, but there is nothing more we can do here, and we really can’t afford to tarry.’
      And so on they went, once again following the old Wellorn Way toward the north-east as the break in the rain expired and a cold drizzle returned. Soon they came to a modest river that ran down from the mountains to wander in the hills before finding its way onto the plains. The recent rains had swelled it considerably so that they were compelled to search for a safe place to ford. The current was very swift and the banks quite slippery with mud. Eventually they came to a wide, shallow section some ways upriver, and here they all crossed without incident.
      They had now come rather close to the foot of the mountains where grew a small coniferous forest. Here they stopped briefly to assess their bearings and discuss the path immediately ahead. They had decided that they needed to angle back toward the east somewhat to return to the main road when suddenly they heard a ferocious roar from a wooded hillock near where they stood. As they looked they at first saw nothing, but seconds later a terrible, reptilian monster emerged from the woods to run swiftly toward them. It had so taken them by surprise that they had barely time to identify the creature before it had fallen upon them.
      ‘Baisk!’ yelled Berethir.
      ‘Ride!’ shouted Raavan over the monster’s brazen roar.
      As Talen regained his wits and spurred Fenfoot forward he took another quick look at the beast to see what manner of creature this was that was assailing them now. It was a terrible thing to behold. It was shaped something like a man, but with hardened scales, green and yellow, covering its body and large, pointed fins running down its back. It had a long tail and powerful arms. Instead of fingers and toes it had five powerful-looking claws, and lining its mouth were rows of terrifying, razor-sharp teeth. Its eyes were bright yellow, and a forked tongue lolled out the side of its mouth.
      ‘Flee for your lives!’ urged Raavan as the companions recovered from their shock to fumble frantically with their reins. But the beast was terrifyingly fast, and before all were able to ride off he had sunk his terrible fangs into Valataque’s neck, slamming both horse and rider to the ground as a fountain of blood shot from the Elf’s severed artery to cover the beast’s head with crimson. The Elf struggled for only a moment before the monster savagely broke his neck. Returning to his feet the beast dragged his prize back toward his lair. Valataque’s horse quickly regained his feet and ran safely away.
      When the others saw that Valataque had been injured they rode back, but it was quickly apparent that the Elf was beyond aid. If he was not yet dead he would soon bleed to death, and with the terrible monster guarding his body there was nothing the companions would be able to do in time. He was gone.
      ‘This is awful!’ cried Talen as they watched the beast disappear into the dark forest. Raindrops mingled with the tears that were rolling down the Elfling’s face.
      ‘It is indeed,’ said Raavan, ‘but there is nothing we can do to save Valataque. He is either dead or will soon be so. The Baisk is a terrible enemy to face in battle. Many a strong warrior has been carried off by such a beast to face certain death. If the brutes were not so fast it might be easier to fend them off, but their great strength in combination with their terrible ferocity makes for an opponent from which it is almost always better to flee. We shall have to be extremely wary when we are travelling close to the mountains from now on. Their numbers have been increasing in recent years; it is not unlikely that we will pass near the lairs of yet others.’
      Of course, they all were rather upset by the incident, especially Taoren, yet none doubted that Raavan’s words were true and that their best recourse was to resume their journey toward Mornaru with the greatest vigilance and care. With another incident or two like this one their entire mission could be jeopardised. Clearly, that must not be allowed.
      It was now getting on toward evening and still the rain came steadily down from the leaden sky. They had little hope of finding a dry place to camp for the night, for the land all about them was saturated. Though they would have liked to find a nice, dry cave in which to spend the night, they were reminded that these were exactly the types of places where Baisks and Oghors tended to be found. So they resigned themselves to finding a place where they could at least set up the tarpaulin to shelter themselves from the falling rain.
      As luck would have it they came at dusk to a very old fort just off the road, the outer walls of which stood quite high in most places, and here they decided they would seek shelter for the night. Raavan, Alatar, and Burak all remembered having camped within the fort before, for it was conveniently located on the road to Mornaru and thus was frequented by travellers to and from that Dwarvenholt.
      Of course, the popularity of the place meant that they would find no spare firewood, but given that any wood they found would have been soaked through from the rain, it was of little consequence. They would instead have to be satisfied with a place under the canvas where they could at least keep dry while curled up under their warmest blankets.
      They found a likely spot behind one of the taller structures still standing at the fort. Under the spreading branches of an enormous pine they stretched out the tarpaulins, one on the wet ground and another above it to act as a roof. While the rest of the companions unrolled their blankets inside the makeshift shelter the first two sentinels took up their positions at either end of the fort where they could watch the road.
      The storm had not abated, for the rain and the thunder were as abundant as they had been all day. The companions lay awake in their crowded shelter with little to do but listen to the miserable weather all about them. Though it was quite dark it was not yet very late, for the lengths of the days were waning as the year approached its end. They were lamenting the lack of a fire’s warmth and light when Talen suddenly remembered the glowing orb which he had discovered in the tomb of Folláineádlan. Rumaging through his pack he then brought out the tightly closed pouch and untied its draw-strings.
      ‘Well, at least we can have some light,’ said Talen as bright rays streamed forth from the orb.
      ‘You shall blind us,’ complained Valainis.
      ‘Yes, cover it up a bit,’ said Falco.
      With that, Valainis drew a silk kerchief from his pocket which he placed on the orb to dim its light.
      ‘What is this?’ asked Valainis as he took the orb from Talen.
      ‘I found it in a tomb,’ replied the Elfling.
      ‘What tomb was that?’ asked the Elf as he inspected the bauble more closely.
      ‘It was the tomb of King Folláineádlan of the Unquoril dynasty,’ answered Raavan, ‘one-time ruler of the kingdom of Imrë Aithiúil.’
      ‘In eastern Aresse?’ said Valainis.
      ‘Just so,’ said the wizard.
      Just then the Elf seemed to observe something in the orb’s light which he had not noticed before. ‘Look!’ he said. Now he held the relic closer to the tarpaulin which hung just a few feet above their heads. The light of the orb shone through the thin silk cloth to illuminate the canvas roof with many fine points of light.
      ‘What is the matter?’ queried the others.
      ‘Don’t you see?’ replied Valainis. ‘Look at the tarp. The lights: they are stars! It is a projection of the night sky.’
      Now the others saw that it was true, for among the many points of light that shone on the canvas above they could with ease pick out the shapes of familiar constellations. Suddenly they felt as though they were looking up at the clear night sky and seeing the true heavens wheeling above them.
      ‘And not only do these points of light form the constellations we would see at night in this place, but those constellations occur in their proper positions for this time of night,’ asserted Valainis.
      ‘Yes, that is correct,’ said Taoren who also being an Elf knew the heavens and the schedule of their rotations like no man or Dwarf could.
      Now Valainis rotated the orb in his hand beneath the silk kerchief. Yet as the glowing sphere turned, the stars remained still, for the orb automatically adjusted its light so as to remain always correctly oriented.
      ‘Fascinating,’ said Talen.
      ‘And now I know what this is,’ declared Valainis: ‘This is a Hemiglobe , a navigation device which the ancient mariners used to keep track of the passage of time at sea when the skies were cloudy. With such a tool ships could be navigated with precision even at night and in a storm such as this.’
      ‘Very interesting,’ said Raavan. ‘I was not aware of these things.’
      ‘They were crafted in Sulunerea many centuries ago,’ continued the Elf, ‘and in very modest numbers. Over the years they were lost to the sea or wound up in treasure chests or in tombs like the one you explored, so that all are now effectively lost to the waking world. You are very lucky to have this, Talen. It is an ancient talisman, and not an unmagical one, either. It may guide you in more ways than one.’
      Of course, this pleased Talen very much, and when the Elf had passed the relic back to him he looked on the strange object with renewed interest and wonder. For the next hour or so as they lay there softly talking he left the orb to project its starry panorama onto the tarpaulin above. As the time slowly passed they saw that the constellations did indeed follow their normal trajectories as though across the night sky, and it was impressed upon all that this would indeed be a useful device to any who needed to tell the time but were unable to see the true firmament high above.
       
       
      They did not know the time, for Talen had long ago returned his orb to its pouch, but it was certainly late, when Taoren returned to the tent to wake them.
      ‘Riders,’ he said quietly as he woke the companions. ‘Seven or eight of them; and I believe they are Goblyns.’
      Falco was sent running to the other end of the fort to inform Alatar as the man kept the watch at that end. When the pair returned all the companions were armed and ready. The rain had stopped, though the air and the ground were damp and many a drip-drop could be heard around them as the boughs of the few lone trees there shed that portion of the rain which they could not absorb.
      The party now learned that Alatar also had seen riders on the road approaching from the opposite direction. Though he could not be certain, they appeared to be an even smaller group than the first—two, or three at most. And they also appeared to be Goblyns. Without delay the party made their way swiftly to the fort’s main entrance. There they hid in the deepest shadows upon either side of the wide gate. From this location their steeds were quite hidden from view, though it was their hope that the spawn would not even enter the old fort. Indeed, it seemed there should be little of interest there for them.
      On the southern side of the gate were Talen, Falco, Burak, and Valainis, while Raavan, Alatar, Taoren, and Berethir hid upon the northern side. Talen watched as Falco quietly drew his blade an inch to see that it glowed bright red, indicating that the riders were indeed spawn. Now they could hear Daonrach hooves upon the road by the gate. Gruff voices came to their ears, and it sounded to them like a disagreement was perhaps in the making. Soon the voices quieted again as footsteps approached the gate. Now they heard them again, more clearly this time, and in a language they were surprised to be able to understand:
      ‘... b’cuz ware s’posed to checks ap on eny place whare travlers might b’ loiterin’, an’ ’iss here stinkin’ place be wan ’av ’em.’
      ‘Olroyt, well, a midnoyt snacks don’ bother me none.’
      ‘Way don’ gets t’ ate ’em y’ buffoon! Way gots to drag they sorry stinkin’ carc’ses off t’ the tower—the Ol’ Man’s orderses. An’ no esseptions, neither!’
      ‘Aaah, orderses-shmorderses. Why should doze ugly blokes up at de tower gets de freshest vittles when all we gets is dried ’orse flesh an’ roaches?’
      ‘Nah, ye dumb boob! Dey don’ gets t’ ate ’em neither. Dey all goes into de pot. De Ol’ Man ’as ’em all trown into dat infernal black pot, and den when ’ey comes out dare another wan o’ dem bloody Nedgegoblurs.’
      ‘Aw, I hates dem dung-eatin’ Nedgegoblurises. I hates ’em, I do.’
      ‘Ya, well yoo best keeps yer ’ates ’ems t’ yerself, or dey jes’ mite trow yoo in ’at bloddy caldrun.’
      ‘Dey can’t do dat—ken ’ey?’
      ‘O, dey bloddy ken, dey bloddy dam-well ken. I seen ’em do it t’ Narsly. Dey trown ’im in ’air two days ago, after Ugak dumped ’is entrails on ’e floor. Dey jes’ scooped ’im up, guts an’ all, an’ trew ’im in de pot, and when ’e came out he warn’t Narsly no more.’
      ‘Well wat was ’e den?’
      ‘Yoo got maggots fer brains? ’e got turned into a Nedgegoblur, jes’ like all de odders.’
      ‘’Snot nat’ral. No good’ll come ’av et.’
      ‘Not fer yoo et won’t—not ef yoo don’ shut yer moth an’ do yer job.’
      Now the two Goblyns were within the fort, for during their prattle they had wandered in through the front gate and just a short distance beyond. Of the others who waited without there was neither sight nor sound, though as the sound of hooves riding off had not been heard it could only be assumed they waited yet upon the road.
      Now the two Goblyns drew their blades and began wandering around the main yard. Though they were not aware of it, arrows waited drawn full upon bows to speed through the air and sink deep into their flesh should Raavan give the word, for both of the Elflings and also both of the Elves maintained their aim upon the unsuspecting pair. As Talen watched it seemed that one of the Goblyns sniffed the air. Dropping to all fours it then put its flat nose to the earth and snuffed loudly.
      ‘I thin’ sombody’s been ’ere recently,’ said the kneeling Goblyn. ‘Corp’ral, brang in yer troops. I wanna do a full sweep o’ dis—’ Suddenly the Goblyn fell dead with an arrow through his neck and another sunk deep within his chest. As the other Goblyn looked on in surprise he suddenly realised that two shafts were now protruding from his own chest. Clutching at them in shock he fell over on top of his fallen mate, but not before dying himself.
      Now the companions would have to finish the task, for the others surely would not leave till their commanders returned, and that was now rather unlikely given their current state of health. Raavan signaled for the other companions to wait as his team stole through the darkness round the main yard to come around to the other side of the gate. There they quickly agreed in whispered tones that fetching their steeds would give them no advantage, for the enemy would hear their approach. It was decided instead that the four archers would jump out the gate first and let fly two or three rounds of bolts to take out the Daonracht. Then the others would charge on foot to finish off the unhorsed riders.
      On the count of three they made their move. Talen jumped out with Falco, Valainis, and Taoren and then taking aim released the arrow which he had already nocked. Before that bolt met its target he had reached over his shoulder to pull out a second missile from his quiver and was now pulling back the string. Another aim and another missile away. As he released the third arrow Berethir and Alatar were rushing by him toward the spawn. In two shakes he had drawn his sword and unslung his shield, and now he was ready to enter the fray.
      The melee did not last long. Talen and Falco finished off two Goblyns who had been pinned down by their fallen Daonracht while the other companions struggled with the ones who had escaped their steeds unharmed. Where Noromendor flashed green in the night Goblyn limbs flew severed through the air. Fheoir and Tuin also bit into Goblyn flesh, as did the blades of Berethir and Valainis and Taoren, and before long the only part of the enemy that yet moved was the black ichor which oozed from their lifeless corpses.
      When he had recovered his breath from the brief exertion Raavan spoke to the company: ‘We shall have to move the camp.’
      ‘You think more spawn will come at us tonight?’ asked Berethir.
      ‘I think that if any do come by they will see our handiwork and suspect that we may still be in the immediate vicinity,’ said Raavan. ‘We can hardly expect that they will fail to check the fort, and when they do they will come more stealthily than did these. These poor bastards clearly weren’t expecting to find us here, though apparently they’ve been ordered to check all of the old forts along this road.’
      ‘Ordered by whom, I wonder?’ said Burak.
      ‘I don’t know, but that hardly matters right at the moment,’ said Raavan. ‘Let’s collect our things and get on with finding another camp site. We’re not getting much rest just standing here, and I fear we may have great need for all our energy over the next day or two.’
      With that they returned to the fort and packed up all their gear. Mounting up once again they rode out of the old fort and went over the hill opposite the road. Beyond this was an even larger hill, and when they had ascended that they found a level stretch of ground where stood several large menhir, or standing stones. Beside the largest of these they set their tarp on the ground and then lay themselves upon it while the next pair of sentinels took up the watch. The rain did not return, and as no Goblyns or other monsters troubled their repose, the sleeping travellers slept and the watchers watched, while the night wound down toward daybreak.
       
       
      There was no tea the next morning, for again there was no fire. But as the sun promised to emerge and chase away the few clouds that remained they at least had hope that tea would soon be back on the menu. In the meanwhile they munched on their waybread and looked out over the lands that the daylight now was beginning to reveal. They were now in the heart of the Wellorn Hills, though no grand spectacle did that bring, for the hills were rather plain to look upon, with mostly brown grasses and tiny groves of grey pine providing the only cover.
      When they had finished their cold breakfast and were packed up they continued on their way toward the north-east. They decided to keep off of the main road for now, for they had gathered from the events of the previous night that there were more spawn in the region and that they likely were using the roads to get around.
      ‘What I couldn’t follow was all the talk about a cauldron,’ said Talen. ‘Do you know what that was about, Raavan?’
      ‘I’m afraid I do,’ answered the wizard as they rode slowly along. ‘The Goblyns were referring to the manner in which Naegrim are manufactured from the corpses of the dead. The process involves the use of some of the blackest sorcery, as well as a large cauldron in which the abominable monsters are spawned. It is a foul procedure that would likely give you terrible nightmares were you to witness it. And it is said to give off a horrible stink, too.’
      ‘So, they can just stuff a corpse into some big kettle, cast a spell, and out comes a living monster?’ said Falco with a shudder.
      ‘In a manner of speaking, yes,’ said the wizard. ‘It is by no means an easy process, which is what has got me rather worried.’
      ‘How so?’ asked Burak.
      ‘Transmugenesis generally requires the kind of power that only a Deathlord would have,’ explained the wizard. ‘But from the way our guests were talking last night there is somebody doing this locally—somebody who has taken up residence in one of the old towers in the mountains. Of course, it is very unlikely that Silgoth would abandon Hélethrôn to take up residence in Wellorn, so that leaves the question of who this enterprising fellow is, and how he came into that kind of power.’
      ‘Perhaps he is in league with the Deathlord,’ said Berethir.
      ‘That seems very likely,’ said Raavan.
      ‘So, you think Silgoth has hired this fellow to spawn the Naegrim somewhere here in Wellorn and then send them back to Tath to join Silgoth’s army?’ said Falco.
      ‘Possibly,’ said Raavan.
      ‘Or maybe not,’ said Valainis. ‘Mayhap the Naegrim that are spawned in Wellorn are intended to stay in Wellorn.’
      ‘But why?’ asked Berethir.
      ‘Well, if Silgoth has found some way to delegate his spawning abilities to his servants abroad then he may have them working simultaneously at various locations throughout Entira to build him a Naegrim army—an army that needn’t make the long march from Tath to Arnedia or Pilinon or Arenya,’ explained Valainis. ‘His army already would be deployed when he was ready to invade. He would simply need to give the command for the hidden forces to come down out of the mountains and assault the nearby kingdoms. In that case, the enormous numbers of spawn which he is openly amassing in Tath would act merely as reinforcements for the main force of Naegrim warriors.’
      ‘Holy Angwë!’ cried Berethir. ‘Merely reinforcements? Given the numbers that Alatar cited, if those are only reinforcements then there is no hope of resisting the invasion—no hope at all.’
      ‘There is precious little hope,’ said Alatar, ‘yet, there is some.’
      ‘Alatar is right,’ said Raavan: ‘Let us not give up hope just yet. Consider that if our task succeeds, then overcoming Silgoth’s horde may become rather easier, for without their leadership many of them will very likely lose the will to fight.’
      ‘I suspect that is true,’ agreed Taoren.
      ‘That said, we are yet far from completing our task,’ continued Raavan. ‘So let us pick up the pace, for if we are not at least able to arrive at Hélethrôn before the eclipse then I’m afraid there truly will be no hope of avoiding utter destruction.’