"Blast it!" exclaimed Khalu. "If my brother the Caliph was here, he could see through Zafra’s plan. They have not even tried to lose us. It is almost as if they’re asking us to capture them."
"You are as capable as Banu, maybe more so."
"You are kind, Ja'var," replied Khalu, "But I think your loyalty to me has blinded you. However, that does not change my problem. What are the Al-Amin up to? And why have they brought outsiders here of all places? Zafra must have a cunning plan, or else he has become desperate."
"It may be time to put an end to this chase. We could take them as prisoners. There are no more than fifty Al-Amin warriors. It would be an easy thing, and the Ibn Jallab would be pleased if you captured Jarbi and handed him over. The Ibn Jallab would make a powerful ally."
Khalu waved his hand dismissively. "Let my brother worry about the Ibn Jallab. I am concerned with what the Al-Amin are up to. Stopping them is not enough. We must discover what they are up to. So we must wait. If I act too soon, I will never know what they are planning or why the half-bred Jarbi has returned. And it still bothers me that they have not tried to lose us. They could have tried slipping away at night. They are too content at letting us follow."
Ja'var frowned. "Do you think that it is the Karr al-Isma they have been heading for all along?"
Khalu's eyes widened, then he shook his head. "No. It cannot be that, to send an outsider to the holy mountain! Even Zafra would not allow such a thing. They are just taking the shortest way across the plains. And it is where they can water their horses."
"But still," Ja'var went on, "It is as if they wanted us to follow them. And they have brought outsiders to the edge of the Karr al-Isma. It would seem that they want us to be witnesses."
"I agree that they are acting peculiar, but what you are suggesting is too much. If I were to accuse Zafra of that, the other clans would think I am crazy."
"A trick!" Ja'var suddenly exclaimed.
"A trick? How so?"
"Yes. The whole thing has been a very clever ruse," Ja'var continued, slapping his leg as the idea dawned on him. "I should have seen it sooner. Zafra wants you to act against the outsiders." "Why?"
Ja'var smiled. "To gain strength against your brother, he must turn the other clans away from the Abu Ishaq. If you accuse him of trying find the Dawn'lah, he will accuse you of lying, or being mad. Who would believe that Zafra would try to find the Dawn'lah, or that he would choose Jarbi or an outsider to be the Ty'Azad? Zafra is respected, and none would ever think he would make an outsider the Ty'Azad. Even the Ibn Jallab would be hard pressed to believe that."
"Ah, I see what you are saying. Zafra wants us to think that he is going to let the outsiders into the Karr al-Isma. He wants us to stop them and accuse him of plotting against the Aleach clans. That way, it will be made to look as if the Abu Ishaq made the whole thing up, hoping to destroy the Al-Amin. The clans will begin to fear that the Caliph is trying to become too powerful, and they will side with Zafra. Zafra is a clever man, but I am smarter. I will turn his plan against him. If tomorrow they do not move on we will then take them prisoners and bring them before my brother. I will say only that they have traveled across Aleach without the Caliph's permission. Zafra cannot deny that. And if they do move on, we will follow."
"And if the outsiders enter the holy woods?"
"They will not," asserted Khalu. "But if they do, they will die at the hands of the keepers. And we will watch and make sure that the Al-Amin watch also. They will be our witnesses to the sins of Zafra. Zafra's people will be his accusers. Then we will bring down the house of Al-Amin."
The tent flap opened. A man in a dark turban ducked into the tent.
"What is it?" snapped Khalu, irritated at being interrupted.
The man bowed deeply. "Forgive me, Khalu Pasha, but there is an Al-Amin man outside who wishes to see you."
"What!?"
"He claims that Zafra has betrayed his people and all the clans of Aleach. He says he hopes to help you stop Zafra before it is too late. The Al-Amin's name is Faraj."
Khalu smiled. "So they are sending someone to act out the part of a traitor. No doubt this Faraj will tell me that the outsiders are going to the holy mountain and that I must stop them. Do they really think I will believe an Al-Amin? Do they think I am a fool!? No Al-Amin would turn against Zafra. But let us play a little with this 'Faraj'. I will let him think that I believe Zafra is trying to bring forth the Ty'Azad. Yes, send in the liar."
--
"Elwin! Wakeup!"
The voice spoke in a soft whisper, but there was an urgency to the tone. No longer a heavy sleeper, Elwin quickly came awake. It was still night and his tent was dark except for the dim light of a partly shaded lamp. "Who's there?" demanded Elwin.
The lamp shades were pulled open, casting shadows across the tent. Elwin blinked. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw that it was Lord Rodan. "What is happening?"
Rodan handed Elwin some clothes. "Here, you have to get dressed. We have to leave. Now!”
“Where’s the Druid?” asked Rodan looking around for Faynn.
Taking the clothes, Elwin sat up. “I don’t know, he was here when I went to sleep.” Holding the clothes in his lap, he was reminded of another time. Elwin had done this before. In the same way, his father had woken him up. That night he had escaped the Ceredigion city of Llanbaedarn. In that one night Elwin's life had changed. He had been swept away by forces he could neither control nor understand. Things seemed to have changed little in the years since then.
"What’s the matter?" asked Elwin, shaking the memory from his head. "Have the Abu Ishaq attacked?"
"Nothing so simple," Rodan responded. "I will tell you as you dress, but you must hurry. Faraj has betrayed us."
Elwin started putting his clothes on, then stopped. He looked up. "What?" Faraj was a cruel man, but Elwin would never have guessed that he would go against Zafra Pasha's orders. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Dress. I don't know how much time we have." Elwin did as he was told.
"Faraj plans to turn us over to the Abu Ishaq," explained Rodan. "He has already left for their camp. If he returns before we have escaped, we will be taken prisoner."
Elwin pulled on his shirt and began to lace up the front. "Why would he do that? Why would Faraj betray Zafra Pasha?"
Rodan shrugged. "I cannot be certain. It could be me. As you know, I am not his favorite person. In his eyes, I am Isham. However, the Karr al-Isma is most likely at the heart of it. To the Aleach it is a sacred place, Faraj may have decided that Zafra Pasha has asked too great a thing. To help an Isham and outsiders to enter the woods is asking a lot. It is a forbidden thing. If the Abu Ishaq knew, a thousand men would be here to stop us. However, the reason does not matter, Faraj has gone over to Abu Ishaq and we must run. Once Faraj tells Khalu what we are planning, the waiting will be come to an end. We need to escape. Now!"
Elwin finished dressing by pulling on his brown leather boots. He strapped his sword to his side. "How do you know this?"
"Not all the Aleach are our enemies. I still have a few friends here."
Rodan frowned as he looked across the tent. “We must hurry if we are to find the druid.”
Elwin shook his head. “Faynn will not be coming with us. He feels he will be a liability to us once we meet up with the Guardians. If we meet up with the Guardians.”
“We can’t just leave him here. The Abu Ishaq will kill him.”
“Don’t worry about Faynn, he knows what he is doing. I doubt they will find him until he wishes to be found.” Elwin finished dressing, looking over the tent once more to make sure he had not forgotten anything he turned back to Rodan. “I am ready.”
Turning, Rodan blew out the lantern. "Good, then lets us get moving." Carefully pulling back the tent flap, the Reidh lord looked outside. A cold breeze blew in. "We must hurry." he whispered. "Morning is not far off." To Elwin, Rodan appeared tense. Then again, Lord Rodan always seemed tense. Perhaps it was ju
st the danger of being discovered, trying to slip out of camp, but Elwin suspected there was something more to the Lord’s mood. It was if Rodan was feeling guilty.
"The others are getting the horses ready," continued Rodan. "They will be waiting for us just outside of camp. Come. If you see anyone, we will have to make a run for it, so stay alert."
"Okay," replied Elwin in a hushed whisper. "Let's go."
Silently, Rodan replied with a quick nod.
As he crept out of the tent, Elwin readied himself. The Aleach camp was always well-guarded. His muscles tightened as he prepared to run. Following Rodan, he stepped out of the tent and into the night. Surprised, he found that the camp was still and quiet. The only sound was the soft whisper of a cold breeze. Strange. His gaze swept across the encampment. The Aleach had never left their camp unguarded before. Only a short way off, fires burned like bright orange stars, yet they too had been left untended. The camp appeared to be abandoned. With a questioning look, Elwin stared at Rodan.
"They have gone to their tents,” Rodan answered in a hushed whispered response to Elwin's inquisitive look. "What they do not see, they cannot stop nor be blamed for."
Elwin nodded. He realized that the Aleach were allowing them to escape. Rodan evidently had more friends than he was letting on.
Slipping past the last tent, Rodan and Elwin left the camp behind and headed out into the plains. Moments later they found the others hiding in a patch of tall grass. Elwin quickly climbed up into Sah-Ib's saddle. Already mounted, Pallas reined in beside him. A wry smile slid across the red headed youth's face.
"Are you always late?" he jested, "or just when we need to escape?"
"Enough!" snapped Rodan, cutting off Elwin's smile. "We have to hurry. Faraj will be returning soon."
Aidan looked around. "Where is Faynn?"
"He is not coming," answered Rodan.
"What!?" demanded Colin. "We can't leave him back there!"
"He chose not to come," Elwin stated, “He had a good reason. I can tell you all later. Now we should get out of here.”
With that, they headed off into the night. Elwin sat back in his saddle, wondering where Faynn was. Silently he hoped the Druid would be safe. It was going to be ugly in camp when they turned up missing.
The night was clear and the sky was filled with bright twinkling stars. From one horizon to the other, stars beyond human comprehension stretched out across the night sky. Sitting beneath that canopy of light, Elwin felt small and insignificant. His eye caught the three eyes of Buachaille and he wondered if the prophecies could be right and he was destined the free the Dark lord upon the world once more. Pushing the thought from his mind, he tapped the hilt of his sword and matched the speed of the others as they rode towards the mountain.
An hour passed and the land began to slowly rise before them. As Elwin tried not to think of the Karr al-Isma or what may or may not lie ahead, the quite night was suddenly shattered. From somewhere behind them a shout broke out, followed by the blaring of horns, followed by more shouting. Rodan looked over his shoulder. "It would seem that Faraj has returned and has discovered that we have slipped out of his trap."
Pallas smiled. "I wish I could have seen his face when he found out."
"A dangerous wish," uttered Kayno, "Yet perhaps it would have been worth it."
"It would at that," Pallas laughed in agreement.
"Will they come after us?" asked Colin seriously. He saw nothing funny about this night.
"They will try," replied Rodan, "But we have a head start. If we hurry, we will make the woods long before they can catch us."
"Then what?" asked Colin, adjusting the strap that held his sword across his back. "Will they follow us into the woods?"
"No. I am the only Aleach foolish enough or desperate enough to enter the trees of Karr al-Isma. They will not follow. You can save your sword, Colin, until we reach the trees. It is what lies ahead that you need fear, not what we leave behind." Rodan then kicked his mount into a quick trot, pulling ahead from the others before they matched his pace.
Slowly the sounds of their pursuers grew, and with each passing moment the Aleach seemed that much closer. However, Rodan, acting as if the plainsmen posed no real threat, kept their pace at a steady trot. The whole time, Rodan kept his eyes focused on the dark form of Thunder Mountain. Like a man on his way to the gallows, Lord Rodan Macay was in no hurry.
"They’re spreading out!" warned Kayno in a loud voice. "They are trying to out flank us."
"Should we not move faster?" asked Aidan. Despite his dislike of horses, Aidan hated the idea of being overtaken by the Aleach even more.
"They will not catch us," reassured Rodan.
The dark night slowly gave way to a false dawn. Light, the color of a pink rose ascended above the steep slopes of Thunder Mountain and the darkness began to give way to the coming dawn. The great mountain became a dark towering silhouette against the brightening sky. The edge of the woods was not far now. Gazing up at Thunder Mountain, Elwin felt a chill as if the mountain was calling out to him.
The shouts behind them grew louder.
"They have spotted us," warned Kayno.
"They are close enough," said Rodan, "It is time to be done with this." He kicked his horse forward.
The others did the same and the six men raced towards the mountain and the waiting trees. The Aleach tried to pursue, but they had pushed their horses hard, while Rodan had kept their horses rested. The small party of outsiders quickly put more ground between themselves and the pursuing Aleach. Breaking out over the steep southern slope of Thunder Mountain, the sun announced the day's arrival by bathing the six men in its glowing warmth. Soon the day would grow hot, but by then Elwin and his companions hoped to be in the shade of the woods and the coolness of the mountains foothills.
As they raced eastward, the ground beneath them began to rise into rolling grassy hills and soon they were passing the first isolated trees. Like a dry savanna, the trees were scattered over a large area. These lone trees were on the outlying reaches of the Karr al-Isma. The actual Woods of the Mist still lay a short distance ahead. Leaning across his horse's thick neck, Elwin raced ahead of the others. True to its name, Elwin's horse ran like the wind. The black stallion was a proud animal and ran as if it had a full night's sleep. Cresting a small hill, The Karr al-Isma lay before him. A line of thick trees stretched out to either side. Sitting up in the saddle, he pulled in on his reins. Sah-Ib quickly responded. Turning the black mare about, Elwin waited for the others. There was no way that the Aleach could catch them now. Rodan reined in next to Elwin. His sweating horse breathed heavily beneath him. Sah-Ib danced to one side as if he were ready to start off again.
"The Aleach have given up," said Elwin pointing down the hill to where the plainsmen sat upon their tired mounts.
The clansmen were quiet now. Their shouts had come to an end, and they were no longer racing in pursuit. Now they sat quietly upon their mounts watching the six men they had just shortly before been chasing.
A moment later, the others caught up to Elwin and Rodan. Rodan pointed. "That is Khalu there in front." Khalu's head was bare. His gray turban had been lost during the chase.
But Rodan knew his face too well to ever forget it.
"Isn't that Faraj?" asked Elwin pointing as will.
Rodan nodded. "Yes, I believe it is."
Faraj raced up to the Caliph's brother, he appeared angry and was gesturing wildly.
Another Aleach grabbed Faraj and dragged him from his horse.
"What's happening?" asked Elwin.
Rodan gave a small smile. "Faraj seems to have gotten himself into some trouble."
Kicking and screaming, Faraj was dragged away from Khalu. "Stop them!" he yelled loud enough for Elwin and the others to hear. "They will go into the woods! You have to stop them!"
"Why are they stopping?" asked Aidan, pulling his horse around so that he could see better.
"Khalu does not believe that we
will truly enter the woods," answered Rodan. "He is waiting for us to come to him. Evidently he does not believe Faraj."
"Then let him sit there and watch us enter the woods," said Elwin. He turned Sah-Ib and faced the trees.
Below, the Aleach matched their pace but made no attempt to catch them.
Swinging a leg over his saddle, Rodan dismounted with the grace of an Aleach raised on the backs of horses. Silently he stood starring into the dense growth of towering trees. The woods was so dark that they could not see far into shadowy forest. Close to the forest's floor, a thick fog covered the earth, making the woods look like it grew out of a great cloud. Like a living thing, the misty fog twisted and flowed around the tree trunks. Staring at the fog covered ground, Elwin shivered. Even in the light of day, there was a feeling of foreboding about the woods. Before him was a place of darkness surrounded by a land baked by the sun. Here was a place that the sun never touched.
And it is here that the Guardians of Light live, thought Elwin. It makes no sense. He wondered if he had misunderstood the Guardians of Light. In the World of Dreams, Sileas had appeared to him and told him that it was in the Woods of the Mist that he would find Leina. Now confronted with the place that he had traveled so far and so hard to find, he wondered if it was not a trap set by Torcull. Then Elwin remembered Faynn's warning. 'The Guardians of Light are not to be trusted.' Elwin was beginning to believe the druid might be right.
Discovering that Colin was watching him, Elwin turned his back and dismounted, only to find that Kayno, also was looking at him. "Blast it!" he mumbled under his breath. "Why won't everyone leave me alone?!"
Kayno gave a shrug. "It comes with being a prince and someday king. You had better get used to it."
Refusing to even look at the woods, Rodan began taking the saddle from his horse's back.
"We will leave the horses here," he announced. His voice was flat and void of any emotion.
"Horses have more sense than humans and they will not enter the woods." Not too far away, the Aleach, both the Al-Amin and the Abu Ishaq, watched and waited, still not truly believing what they were seeing.
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