The book, characters, and artwork are (c) Ronald J. Lebeck (that's me).

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Chapter 05 - A Difficult Journey

The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon by the time we arrived at the dock by the bridge. Boat Master Yureel was already there along with his crew.

"Good day, all," he greeted us.

"Good day to you also," I replied.

He sniffed the air and looked up through the trees for a moment.

"Looks like you should have a good day for travel, weather-wise," he said.

"After what we learned, I think the weather is going to be the least of our worries," I said.

"Oh? Something afoul out there?" Yureel asked, motioning towards the edge of The Forest.

"Something's up, alright. Eastlander warriors are traveling along the trade route at night, trying to hide their numbers and with no supply wagons; no one has apparently been moving along the route during the day for some time, and even the local farmers are staying at home," I said shaking my head.

Yureel frowned.

"That's not normal," he commented.

"No, it's not," I agreed.

"The locals are usually a friendly lot--I've personally traded with a few of them myself. There is one farmer who lives near the bridge where the route crosses the river; I met with him this spring, in fact," Yureel said. Everything seemed fine then...he was looking forward to selling some of his early crops this summer."

"Interesting. Well, I hope to be past that bridge before nightfall...don't want the chance of running into another large group of warriors, even if they are Eastlanders. Even though we've had good relations with them for some time, they might prefer to keep their actions a secret," I said.

Yureel excused himself for a moment and talked to his crew. Warri was explaining about the boats to the rest of our group, had picked up a paddle, and was showing how to use it. Yureel came back to talk with Grimm and I.

"One of my lads and I can float along with you to that bridge and then I can talk with that farmer to see what he knows. We know this stretch of the river, so we can lead the way...won't take long to get there, maybe by mid-day or so if we get a move on."

I looked at Grimm and asked, "What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Okay, well then, I guess we're ready as soon as we load up," I said.

Yureel and his crew helped with showing our group how to get into and out of the boats without ending up in the water. We loaded up our supplies, got in, and shoved off. It took everyone, except Warri, a bit to get used to how things moved, but they got the hang of it quickly. Yureel and one of his people took the lead, followed by Brown Leaf and Night Song, then myself with Red Moon and Dahmietra, followed by Grimm and both Warri and Foxfire in the larger boat and last was Smoke Fire and Snow Spear. Grimm was supplying the muscle on the oars in the larger boat and Warri was in the front guiding him. Grimm probably had the most difficult time to steer because he had to face towards the rear of the boat and couldn't see what was ahead unless he turned around. Thankfully, the current was not too fast so he had more time to make corrections to his course.

"Gee, Grimmie, this is kind of fun! I've never been in a boat before," Foxfire said with her usual enthusiasm.

"That's because you're not rowing the thing," Grimm said with a little hint sarcasm.

Dahmietra was in the middle of our boat, sitting down low as Warri had instructed her. Being on the water was both interesting and scary for her. Sometimes when she looked over the edge of the boat, she could see fish swimming and wondered what else might be down there below the surface. She tried not to let her imagination get the best of her. One thing was for certain: she didn't know how to swim, and the thought of being in water over her head with other living things swimming around down there made her nervous. Red Moon was in the front of our boat, and she seemed to be enjoying herself. It was rather relaxing in a way--the steady rhythm of paddling, the sound of the boat moving through the water and watching the scenery go by. Then again, I kept a sharp lookout for any movement around the banks of the river, as did most everyone else.

By mid-morning we decided to stop for a while to stretch our legs and take a bit of a break. Yureel seemed to think that we had been making pretty good time considering this was the first time most of us had ever been in a boat before. After taking care of any necessities, stretching and snacking on some of the dried food we had, we proceeded on down the river. About mid-day, we stopped to eat. Yureel said that the bridge the trade route road used to cross the river was not far ahead and that we might be able to see it from here. Grimm and I climbed the bank of the river and took a look. The area around us was mostly gently rolling plains, though the river itself was lined with trees that hid us from open view--the trees also could hide others from our view as well. We came out to the edge of the trees and could just see the bridge from our vantage point. It looked deserted on this side of the river, and the road for as far as we could see didn't seem to have anyone on it. Brown Leaf and Night Song checked out the other side of the river--they saw nothing on that side, either, but Brown Leaf said that she could see the farm Yureel had mentioned.

After eating, we proceeded on down the river to the bridge and stopped there. We searched the area around the bridge for any signs that others had been there, but found nothing had been disturbed along the banks of the river. The mystery surrounding the movements of the Eastlander warriors deepened a bit more. Yureel insisted on going alone to talk with the farmer who lived near the bridge, so we stayed just within the trees near the river and waited. He took a bag with him from his boat that had some things that he could trade, and struck off towards the farmer's house. Yureel came to a post along the path to the house and stopped to ring a bell that was used as a signaling device to announce the arrival of a visitor. He waited by the post until someone opened the door to the house and came out. A middle-aged man with dark hair, and wearing long loose-fitting shirt and trousers waved his hand and motioned for Yureel to come in. They met at the door and greeted each other after the fashion of the Wastelanders, and went inside. But before going in, the farmer looked around as if he was trying to see if anyone else was around. Apparently satisfied, he went inside and closed the door.

While we waited for Yureel to return, we kept a lookout posted to watch the road as the rest of us found something to occupy our time. Warri had waded out into the water and was using the two-pointed spear of his to try to catch some fish. He moved very slowly, being careful not to disturb the water any more than necessary, keeping the end of his spear in the water as he moved. Dahmietra watched in fascination as Warri very patiently waited and then suddenly drove his spear downward. When he brought the end up, he had a rather large fish impaled on the points. He caught two more fish in the same manner before climbing back out of the water.

"What are you going to do with those fish, Warri?" Snow Spear asked.

"They are good eating, once they have been properly prepared. They can be cooked several different ways, as well as dried, smoked or cured in brine," Warri explained.

"Looks like you're cooking Evening Meal tonight, Warri," I said with a grin.

Smoke Fire had been keeping watch on the road as well as on the farmer's house from a good vantage point up in a tree that had low branches that made it easy to climb. Using a pre-arranged hunting call, he signaled when he saw Yureel leave the farmer's house and head back to the river. Yureel walked at an easy pace to not to appear in too much of a hurry. When he finally got back to where we were at, we could see that he had a frown on his face.

"Edar-k'rain, the farmer, had plenty to say about what has been going on around here lately...none of it good," Yureel said.

We all found a place to sit while he related what he had learned from the farmer.

"To begin with, it seems that there has been some trouble way to the south at the port city of Crescent Bay. He's knows about the Eastlander warriors sneaking by during the night--apparently they have a hidden camp around here somewhere and he thinks they're looking for something, though he's not sure what. And then there is the mess of fish about your young friend on top of everything else, and this 'Great Gathering'. Some of their tribal leaders have set themselves up as warlords and are trying to build fighting forces. He said that he's been considering abandoning his farm and moving his family as close to The Great Forest as he thinks we might let him in hope that he could seek refuge at the outpost. I've known Edar-k'rain for some while, and I know that his farm is his life and he wouldn't just give it up like that unless he was really scared...and he is."

We all sat in stunned silence for a few moments, digesting what Yureel had just told us.

"Grimm, this information needs to get to the Lore Masters and quickly," I said gravely. "We all may soon be up to our ears in trouble if things don't go well for us. Even if we do succeed on the one issue, there is more going on than we originally thought, and our people should be ready for it."

Grimm thought about it and then looked at me--I could tell that my friend did not like what he had just heard.

"I agree. We should keep to our original plan as much as possible...perhaps it can buy us some time to build our own defenses up. Word should be sent to the leaders of all of our clans--Forest, Lake, Mountain, and Northern Reaches--to meet and hear of this. There is something far more to this, I feel, than what we have just learned."

There had not been a General Council of the Clans for a great many turns of the seasons--except for Dahmietra, we all knew the significance of the calling of a General Council.

"Would you take this information back to the Lore Masters in Hope's Spring?" I asked Yureel.

"Aye, if this is as bad as it seems, then the sooner they know about it, the better," he replied.

"Warri, can you give me a piece of parchment? I asked. "I need to write something for Yureel to take back with him."

"Certainly, Sire, just a moment," Warri said as he got his writing kit out of his bag.

I quickly wrote a note, folded and sealed it, and handed it to Yureel.

"Take this with you to Hope's Spring and give it to Lore Mistress Fire Weaver only--no one else. She will call the others so that you can tell them all what you learned from your farmer friend. Be safe."

We said our farewells and Yureel and his crewmember were on their way back upstream, heading towards The Great Forest. Once they were out of sight, we loaded up our own boats and proceeded downstream in silence.

We stopped once just long enough for a quick rest stop and then pushed on until it was near sunset. We found a place to make camp for a while so that we could eat and get a few hours rest before continuing. We made a small fire so that Warri could cook the fish that he had caught earlier, and posted watches on both sides of the river. While Warri was tending to his cooking, Dahmietra sat and watched, having never seen anyone cook over a campfire, let alone without using a pan of some kind. Warri had fashioned a kind of open wickerwork frame using green sticks that he had peeled the bark from and held the fish in such a way that the whole thing could be turned over without anything falling out. The fire was kept small so it wouldn't make a lot of smoke, and allowed to burn down to mostly glowing coals. It smelled good while it was cooking and Dahmietra couldn't wait to try some. Red Moon came and sat down next to her, putting her arm around Dahmietra and kissed her on the top of her head. Dahmietra held Red Moon's hand and leaned against her, resting her head on Red Moon's shoulder.

"This is turning out to be a lot more than we thought, isn't it, Red Moon?"

"Seems that way, Dahmi," Red Moon replied. "We just have to deal with things as best as we can."

"I never imagined any of this, Red Moon," Dahmietra said.

"I know, I didn't either, but here we are, about to jump through a door and into...what?" Red Moon asked.

Dahmietra could hear the uncertainty in Red Moon's voice and see it in her eyes, though she tried to hide it. She looked around and saw the same look on everyone's face.

Warri announced that the fish was ready to eat, so everyone not standing watch gathered around with their eating bowls to get their share. Warri set aside two portions for those who were on watch--they would be relieved in a short while so that they would have a chance to eat, too.

"This is pretty good, Warri...I don't think I have ever had fish like this before," Dahmietra said.

"Dahmi's right, this _is_good," agreed Red Moon.

We all seemed to be surprised at how good it tasted...most of us had never thought of eating fish. I've had it a few times before, but had never tried catching one.

After everyone had finished eating, Dahmietra stood up and addressed the group.

"Back when I was still in the enclave, before the High Cleric brought Mist Runner to meet me, I didn't have much of a life and my future was hopeless. All I knew was that I was going to be taken before a group of old men and haggled over like some trinket and then be handed over to some man who would probably care more for his farm animals than he would me. On the day that the High Cleric came and he summoned me, I was afraid of what was going to happen. When Sarneh and I first saw Mist Runner in the room, we were terrified because we had never seen your kind before--and here was a legend-come-to-life standing before us. When the High Cleric told me that Mist Runner would be my protector, I didn't know if he had gone mad, been possessed by demons, or...was so desperate to keep me safe that he could only place his trust in someone who was not of our kind. Luckily, it was the latter." Everyone chuckled at that remark. "In the past moon that I have been with Mist Runner, and the rest of you, I've been through a lot and have learned a lot. But I can't imagine the things you have seen, the places you've been or the vast amount of experiences that each of you must have. When Mist Runner and I first left the enclave and headed towards your village, I thought at the time that this would be just an interesting little adventure that would give me something pleasant to think of later on. But this is turning out to be more than a little adventure, isn't it?" There were murmurs of agreement. "I've heard that your kind has a knack for being in the right place, at the right time, and for the right reason--I've come to believe that. Maybe I am, too. If it wasn't for me, the High Cleric wouldn't have asked Mist Runner to be my protector, and I wouldn't have been brought to your village and have met all of you, and we wouldn't have gone to that outpost and wouldn't have found out the things we have when we have. Maybe there really is no such thing as coincidences. But for me, one thing is certain--if anyone can lead us through this mess, it's Mist Runner. For myself, I put my trust not only in him, but in the rest of you as well. I have faith that we'll see this through together."

Dahmietra put her arms around me and hugged me. Red Moon got up and put her arms around the both of us, and then everyone else got up, gathered close, and put their hands on our shoulders.

"Dahmi's right, dear, we will see this through together," Red Moon said.

We settled down to get a few hours of sleep before heading on. Now that we were outside of our borders, Red Moon and I had decided that we would keep Dahmietra between us whenever we stopped to get some sleep. If one of us had to take watch, then someone else would stay nearby. When the moon had climbed high into the night sky, we broke camp and proceeded on downstream. We paddled as quietly as we could, not knowing if anyone else might be near the river. We made a stop sometime during the wee hours to take a break, eat a little, and have a quick look around. A ways to our north there were some rocky hills, which according to Warri's map, the trade route passed near. Grimm and I thought that might be a possible location for the Eastlanders to hide a camp, though why they might want to we didn't want to speculate on. If we didn't have other matters to attend to, we might have scouted around in those hills to see if we could discover anything. At least our trackers couldn't see or hear any movement in the vicinity, and none of us could detect any scent up wind of us from either Eastlander or Wastelander.

Just before sunrise, we stopped again in a wooded area for another break. We had apparently made pretty good time, considering the stops that we made along the way. Grimm and I figured that we should arrive at the village of Cedar Knoll sometime during the second night. We pushed on through the second day, stopping only as long as necessary for breaks. By nightfall, we kept a watch for a good spot to make camp just far enough away from the village so that no one would likely see us come up from the river to the road going into the village proper. Not long after midnight, we found a suitable place to make camp. We pulled the boats out of the water, hiding them as best as we could from casual view, and made our camp in the trees. Both Dahmietra and Foxfire wore their cloaks since they would be more likely to stand out if seen. After eating, we found a good place where we could watch the village--not that anything would be happening at this hour of night. The Wastelanders were a superstitious lot when it came to the night and they seldom ventured out after dark.

"We should get as much sleep as we can tonight," I said softly to everyone. "In the morning, I'll go have a chat with the innkeeper and see what I can find out."

"Do you want anyone to come with you?" Grimm asked.

I thought about it for a moment.

"I should go by myself since they're used to seeing me alone," I said.

After setting the watch, everyone else found a spot to settle down in for the rest of the night. Dahmietra got herself situated between Red Moon and myself and covered up with her cloak.

Before we said our good nights, Dahmietra asked, "Mist Runner, are there any other beings in this world that are immortal besides your kind...that you know of?"

"Yes, there are four other races of immortals, plus there are a handful of other races that are long lived...but they don't live around these parts. Why do you ask?"

"I have been wondering about that since we found out that Grimm Tooth was used as the basis of one of our myths. As far as I know, both the Eastlanders and my own people have myths and legends about other beings that are different from your kind. Do any of your people ever have dealings with those others?" Dahmietra asked.

"Of course, I have a friend among the V'Aertii, they are a race of giant birds that live in the mountains to the north--perhaps you might get to meet her sometime soon," I said.

Dahmietra yawned and said, "I'm sorry, I don't think I can stay awake any longer."

"That's okay, Dahmietra, get some sleep...we can continue this another time," I said.

No sooner than we said our good nights, Dahmietra was sound asleep, curled up under her cloak.

The rest of the night was uneventful; there were the usual night sounds, though nothing disturbed the various creatures that are awake at night and that was good. When we awoke at first light, a blanket of thick fog had enveloped the area, obscuring our view of the village.

"Well, this is going to make things a little interesting," Snow Spear, said as he looked out from the trees towards the village.

"At the very least, nobody will see you walk out from these trees to the road," Grimm added.

"Yes, that's true...but that also means that you will have to keep your ears sharp for any sounds, which will be muffled in this fog," I said.

I decided to wait a little while longer before heading into the village to give the villager's time to awaken and begin their usual morning routines.

After first meal, we gathered around to go over the plan one more time before I headed out towards the village. When it was time to go, I shouldered my bag and my bedroll to make it look like I had been traveling on foot.

"Grimm, if I'm not back by mid-day, you'd better come looking for me. The inn is the eighth building on the left as you walk along the road through the village. And just to be safe, have everyone ready to leave quickly just in case."

Grimm nodded his head once in understanding, and then Red Moon and Dahmietra both gave me a hug and told me to be careful.

The fog was still thick enough when I headed out that no one could have seen where I came out of the woods near the river. The trip into the village was uneventful--the gate was already open for the day and the two guards sitting there recognized me and just waved as I passed through.

"Well, that's good," I thought to myself, "at least they didn't stop to ask me any questions."

There were a few people out and about, mostly the local merchants and shopkeepers doing their early morning business. I arrived at the inn and went inside the common room--there were a couple of people having their first meal of the day, though they acted very surprised at seeing one of my kind walk in. The village wasn't that large, so most of the people who lived there had at least seen me before. I figured that these two must have stopped for the night here on their way to someplace else. Alnakh, the innkeeper, was busy in the kitchen taking delivery of supplies, though the servant girl, Nezcha, saw me come in and waved me back towards my usual table between the fireplace and the kitchen entrance.

Nezcha was of The People of the Eastlands whose family had been taken captive when a mob of Wastelanders attacked and destroyed their home during the night while they were celebrating their own winter holiday several turns of the seasons ago. Her father was killed during the attack and the rest of her family had been taken captive and sold as slaves. Nezcha was fortunate in that Alnakh, who did not care for the practice of slavery, bought her before someone else had. He told me one time that he had known of her family and did not like what had happened to them, so he did what he could to save Nezcha from mistreatment. He made sure that she had a decent place to sleep, good meals, proper clothing, and care. Alnakh treated Nezcha almost as if she were a part of his family. What money she earned serving meals and cleaning he saw to it that it went towards earning her eventual freedom. I always gave Nezcha extra coins whenever I stopped at the inn to help pay her bond price.

"A pleasant good morning to you!" Nezcha said as I made my way over to my usual table. More quietly for my ears, she said, "I'm happy to see you again, Mist Runner!"

Nezcha quickly peeked around me at the other two patrons, and then pressed up close to me so that I could give her a quick hug. If we had been the only two in the room, she would have put her arms around me, but since we weren't alone, she had to be more careful. Alnakh wouldn't mind, of course, but if other customers were present then she didn't dare.

"I'm happy to see you again, too, Nezcha," I said smiling at her.

I sat down in the chair near the wall so that I could watch the main entrance...and the other two men in the room.

"Would you like your usual, Mist Runner?" she asked quietly.

I nodded my head and she went off to fetch some tea for me. She came back after a few minutes with a pot of hot tea, a bowl, and some honey.

"I let Master Alnakh know that you're here," Nezcha said.

"Thank you, dear. How have you been since I was here last?" I asked.

"Okay, I suppose," Nezcha replied. "At least that one group of men has not returned again," she said with a smile.

"I suppose getting tossed across the room would tend to get someone's attention," I said with a chuckle. A little more seriously, I asked, "Have you seen that High Cleric lately, the one who talked to me the last time I was here?"

Nezcha thought a bit, and then her face brightened as she remembered.

"Yes! He was here half a moon ago and he asked if you had been here."

"That's interesting. I've come to find him and ask about this so called 'Great Gathering' that is to take place soon," I said with mild concern.

"I've been hearing people talk about that," Nezcha said. "I don't always understand what these Wastelanders say, especially when they get excited, but I do know that it has been talked about a lot lately. Something about a girl who is the descendant of some ancient holy man of theirs and what is to be done with her," she continued.

"Have you heard anything about where it is to be held at?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think it is east of here, where the two rivers meet. There have been more people come through here lately, and they seem to be heading east. I've been hearing a word repeated a lot that I don't know what it is. It's something like 'Bul'leyhna', I think."

Nezcha reached into a pocket on her apron and pulled out a piece of paper and a charcoal stick so that she could write the word as best as she could. When she was done, she handed me the piece of paper and I stuck it into my pouch and thanked her.

Nezcha went off to check on the other two customers, so I drank my tea and waited for Alnakh to finish his business with the supplies. I watched Nezcha as she went about her business, making sure the tables and floor were clean. She is a little older than Dahmietra, perhaps by three or four turns of the seasons, and about a hand's width taller (one of theirs, not mine). Nezcha wore her long light brown hair in a braid and coiled up at the back of her head; on her head, she wore a white triangular piece of cloth in the fashion of her own people. The one item that is conspicuously noticeable is the one item every slave has: a red colored, heavy leather collar around the neck with metal ring attached to the front by a riveted metal plate. Every time I see it, I feel sad and angry--sad because the person wearing it is not free to live as he or she chooses, and angry because of the barbarity of those who would impose such on another person. I know that Alnakh had paid a large amount of coin for Nezcha, probably more than he could have afforded at the time, but he felt that it was worth it in order to give her a better life than she might have in someone else's possession. Most of the people who had come into the inn were indifferent to her being a slave, though there were those who were at best unkind. Except for that one group of men whose leader had tossed her on a table, no one else that I knew of had tried anything similar. I made a promise to myself that when the High Cleric paid the rest that he owes for bringing Dahmietra to the gathering of his, I would apply that towards Nezcha's bond price. I may not be able to free all of those who were not free, but perhaps I could free the ones I could.

Alnakh finally finished dealing with the delivery of goods he had received, and came out to join me at my table.

"It is good to see you again, my friend," Alnakh said as he sat down, "your items are still safe where we hid them the last time you were here."

"It's always good to see you again, Alnakh, and thank you for holding my items for me," I said smiling. I leaned forward a bit and talked in a low voice. "How have things been around here since my last visit," I asked.

"It has been getting rather...interesting, to say the least. That High Cleric has been here looking for you and some girl, Dahmietra, I think he said her name is. This big meeting of the religious leaders--there has only been a few of such gatherings in the past thousand turns of the seasons--has everyone talking, of course. Most of it is nonsense, but I understand that some warlords are building up large numbers of warriors under the patronage of certain clerics. Most of those are a ways south of here, though. There have also been rumors of Eastlander warriors roaming the hills and trade routes at night as if they're looking for something," Alnakh said.

I thought quickly about what I should tell Alnakh of what I know.

"That girl the High Cleric was asking about, I've taken on the responsibility of being her protector...she's safe with friends of mine at the moment. I'm supposed to make sure that she arrives safely at this Great Gathering of your religious leaders, and she will be there though what comes after...who knows. I've also heard about the warlords, as well as something about the Eastlander warriors. Alnakh, just between you and me, if things get bad here, take your family and Nezcha west along the river to The Great Forest. You will be safe there."

Alnakh sat with a stunned look on his face as my words sank in.

"You would offer us sanctuary in your lands?" he asked in hushed words.

I looked him square in the eye and nodded my head once.

"That High Cleric told me the last time I was here that there is a possibility of 'terrible war', as he put it. Something is brewing, my friend, and I aim to find out what it is. In the meantime, be ready to make a run for it just in case. Tell no one else where you will be heading, not even your own family, and take only what you can carry easily."

Alnakh thought a bit and considered what I had told him.

"Mist Runner, if anyone else had told me this, I would have not believed them. But for you to tell me this...I will do as you ask. You have long been a friend to me and my family, and I have no reason to doubt your word," Alnakh said.

"You know that I would not have made this offer lightly, Alnakh, nor to just anyone," I said.

Alnakh nodded in agreement.

"May I discuss another matter with you...about Nezcha?" I asked.

"Certainly, my friend," Alnakh replied.

"How much more does she need in order to satisfy her bond price?" I inquired.

"I would have to check my records for the exact amount, but I believe it to be about one hundred and thirty in silver. Why do you ask?"

"If things go according to plan, I hope to be able to make a significant contribution towards that amount soon," I said with a grin.

"Why would you do this?" Alnakh asked.

"You know my thoughts about her situation, my friend, just as I know the reason why you did what you thought was best for her...and that it cost you dearly. This way, it helps out both of you: Nezcha can be free again, and you will have more for your family to get by on in the times ahead," I said. "I'm still trying to find anything I can about what happened to the rest of her family, though I haven't had much luck with that yet," I added.

"Nor have I," Alnakh said.

I drank some more of my tea and thought of something else that I needed to ask.

"Alnakh, by chance, do you happen to know where I can find that High Cleric? I need to meet with him before I take the girl to this gathering of your religious leaders."

"I believe he left a note for you the last time he was here...I will go look for it," Alnakh said.

He got up and went to the front where he conducted his business and looked in a desk drawer.

While he was up there, the other two men who had been sitting at a table up front got up and walked over to the counter that the desk was behind and spoke with Alnakh. Nezcha went to their table, picked up the empty plates and took them back to the kitchen. As she passed by, she looked at me and then glanced nervously towards the two men and back at me. I nodded my head very slightly once to show that I understood. I could hear them talking from where I was sitting, since it was relatively quiet in the room. I couldn't quite make out all of what they were saying, given that they were speaking in their native tongue and not in Common, but they seemed to be not very pleased with my presence or with him talking so much with me. I did hear Alnakh say rather firmly, "His coin is as good as anyone else's, as far as I'm concerned, and he's been a good customer for many years. The folk in our village have no quarrel with his kind and we wish to keep it that way." The two men walked towards the stairs that headed up to the rooms, each with a frown on his face and glancing over to me as they went. I just sat and casually watched as they climbed the stairs and drank some more of my tea.

Alnakh came back shortly with a sealed note in his hand. As he sat down, he had a frown on his face and shot a disgusted look up the stairs.

"I take it that they must not be the overly friendly type," I said with a hint of light sarcasm.

"I don't appreciate people trying to tell me who I should allow in my doors. As long as they can pay and don't cause too much trouble, one person's coin is as good as another's," Alnakh said in disgust.

"I'll try to remember that the next time I feel like tossing someone across the room," I said with a grin.

Alnakh chuckled and said, "I don't think I've seen anyone more surprised than when you grabbed that one the last time you were here."

"Well, he _was_annoying," I said and we both laughed a little.

"Here is that note for you," he said handing it to me.

As I opened the note I said, "I hope he remembered to write in the Common Tongue...I still have trouble with reading those bird scratches of yours," I said smiling.

"Well, if he didn't, I'd be happy to translate it for you," Alnakh said.

"Looks like he did remember after all," I said as I started to read the note.

Although the letters were written in an odd style, I was able to read what the note said. "Well, that answers that question--he is coming back here, and soon I think. What day is this on your calendar, Alnakh?" I asked.

"Today is the twenty-third day of Selnar. When is His Holiness coming back?" Alnakh asked.

"It says here that he will return on the twenty-fifth, so that is two days from today," I replied.

"Are you going to stay with us until then?"

"No," I said, "I need to be elsewhere for now, but I will return near sunset on the twenty-fifth. When you see the High Cleric, have him sit back here so that I can see him from the front as I come in...I don't want to have any surprises, if you take my meaning."

"I understand," Alnakh said.

"Well, I need to be heading on. We will see each other again in two days...and I will have some friends with me," I said with a wink.

I reached into my pouch a put a few coins on the table to cover the cost of the tea and for Nezcha.

"Be safe, my friend," Alnakh said as I got up to leave.

"And you also," I said in return.

I headed for the door and stopped to say goodbye to Nezcha.

"Leaving so soon?" she asked.

"I'll be back in a couple of days; there is something I must attend to."

Nezcha looked up at me and I could see the concern in her eyes. I gave her a hug and this time she put her arms around me.

In a whisper she said, "I wish I could leave with you."

"I know, little one. The day we can remove that thing from around your neck may be close at hand, then you will be free to stay or go as you choose. In the meantime, keep your eyes and ears open for anything unusual. I will see you in two days...be safe."

I kissed Nezcha on the top of her head and headed out the door.

The fog had not yet burned off completely by the time I returned to the point where I had come onto the road from leaving our camp in the woods by the river, so I gave a hunting call to let the others know that I was back. When I received a reply, I left the road, headed into the woods, and rejoined the others. Red Moon and Dahmietra were waiting for me after word was passed along that I was approaching camp.

"I'm glad that you're back dear," Red Moon said while hugging me.

Dahmietra hugged me, too, and then I called everyone around.

"Did you find out anything?" Grimm asked first.

"Quite a bit, actually," I said as I sat down. When everyone was seated, I related what I had learned. "Alnakh, the innkeeper, has told me that he's heard the same news of warlords gathering up warriors, although he said that most were a ways south of here. He's also heard stories about Eastlander warriors roaming the hills and trade routes at night as if they're looking for something. But the main thing is that this gathering of their religious leaders will be taking place east of here, near where the two rivers meet. Nezcha, his servant girl, told me by herself that she's heard a name used, but since she's an Eastlander, she isn't familiar with it." I reached into my pouch and pulled out the piece of paper that she had given me, as well as the note from the High Cleric. I handed the piece of paper with the word on it to Dahmietra. "Nezcha wrote down the word as best as she could...do you know of anything that sounds like this, Dahmietra?" I asked.

She looked at it and nodded her head right away.

"The word she heard was 'Buhl'lai-hna', it means 'Grand Council of Elders'...there have only been four of these in the past one thousand turns of the seasons. Since this one will be number five, it is a particularly special one among those who follow the ways of my ancient ancestor, Dahmel-Tur," she explained.

"Why is that, Dahmi?" Red Moon asked.

"The number five has special significance because Dahmel-Tur had five followers, five wives, wandered for five years with his followers and he had five sons. He was fixated on the number five because of some dream he had about the five digits on his hand."

"That explains why he had fifty warriors with him the time Mist Runner and I met him," Grimm said.

"Most likely," Dahmietra agreed. "You see, I'm descended from his fifth wife, Usantra, who was the daughter of his fifth original follower, Tamzar. Usantra was his favorite, much to the annoyance of the other four who were older as well as their kin."

"So, is this a bone they've been squabbling over ever since then?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. There is a lot more to it, but I'll spare you the details...you might go mad and hang by your tails from the trees and howl backwards or something," Dahmietra said with a grin.

The mental image of Grimm swinging by his tail in a tree, hooting and hollering made me snicker. Red Moon gave me a strange look, so I said "Tell you later."

"So what else did you find out?" Grimm asked, getting the discussion back to the original track.

"Well, Alnakh had a message for me that was left by the High Cleric. Fortunately, he remembered to write it in the Common Tongue...though the letters are written in an odd style. He had been there looking for me and Dahmietra half a moon ago, and is going to be back in two days." I said.

"May I see the message?" Dahmietra asked.

"Certainly, Dahmietra," I said as I handed the note to her. She looked it over carefully, examining the parchment it was written on, the wax seal, and even smelling it. Then she opened it and read what was written:

Selnar 10, y.1000

Mist Runner / TGF

Glorious day to you! Hope all is well with your child. If this letter finds you, please be where we met on Selnar 25 if at all possible. Have the requirements for items we discussed. Look forward to completing our trade. May the sun illuminate your path!

KKM

"These are the initials of the High Cleric, here," Dahmietra said as she pointed to them. "If anyone had looked at this when he wrote it, they would think that he was talking about a business deal. However, he hopes that I'm safe and that he has the information about where and when to be for the Great Gathering. He wants to be done with this, no doubt because he's under pressure from others. The last line is interesting, though."

"Why is that, Dahmietra?" I asked.

She looked at Warri and asked, "Have you ever run across any documents that have hidden messages before?"

Warri thought for a bit and then shook his head.

"No, I have not," he said.

"Smell this and see if you can tell if there is anything unusual about it," she said as she handed it to Warri.

He carefully sniffed the entire piece of parchment while everyone was watching intently.

"I smell both your and Sire Mist Runner's scent, and possibly two others. There is a scent of leather, probably from being in Sire Mist Runner's pouch. The scent of the ink used is similar to what I use...but, down here...there is a faint scent I am not familiar with," Warri said, indicating the bottom of the sheet below what was written.

I held my hand out to Warri and asked, "May I?"

He handed the note to me and I smelled the part in question. Sure enough, there was an odd scent to it.

"You're right, Warri, there is an odd scent there," I said.

"If you carefully hold that over a heat source, like a lamp or small fire, you might find some letters appear," Dahmietra suggested.

"I have a small candle lamp in my bag," Warri said.

He got up, went to his bag, and pulled out the metal lamp. It wasn't very large, just enough to hold a short candle and it had a shutter to allow light to come out as little or as much as needed. He opened the lamp and set it down, and then pulled out his fire making kit. After getting the candle lit, he placed it back into the lamp and closed it. I handed the note back to Warri who held it over the lamp as Dahmietra directed. In a few moments, brownish letters appeared on the parchment where none had been visible before.

"That is amazing!" Red Moon exclaimed. Everybody crowded around to get a look.

"Gee, Grimmie, you could probably use that for sending secret notes or something," Foxfire suggested.

"Indeed, it could be useful in many ways," Grimm agreed.

"What does it say?" I asked. Dahmietra read it aloud, translating the words that were written in her native language into the Common Tongue.

"It says:

"Beware the roads at night--that which moves along them are not as they seem. Do not come alone at appointed hours, wicked ones may be waiting. Trust your friends; their eyes see where ours do not. Do not fear the wild places for you are far safer there than here. May the Blessed Ones save the young and Sheh'k'tahwa punish the fools."

We sat in silence for several moments as the words sunk in.

"It seems that the message was meant for you, Dahmietra," Grimm said at last.

"Or he expected her to know this little trick so that his real message could be delivered," Snow Spear suggested.

I agreed with Snow Spear.

"I think you're right. I wonder, though, about that first line--what if we're being led to believe the Eastlander warriors are traveling at night on the roads. We've heard others say that they act as if they're searching for something. Maybe they're actually Wastelanders dressed as Eastlanders and they've been prowling around at night looking for us since our kind typically travel at night," I said."

"That does make sense in a way," Grimm said. "That farmer Yureel talked to mentioned that some tribal leaders had set themselves up as warlords and were gathering forces, and your friend the innkeeper said the same thing. Maybe this is one group who is looking to keep Dahmietra from making it to the gathering, and wanting to make it look as if the Eastlanders are behind it so that they can appear blameless and gain a better position."

"But wouldn't that eventually come back on them if it ends up getting the Eastlanders riled up?" Red Moon asked.

"The High Cleric did say that he feared 'terrible war', though I thought maybe it would just be among his own people...if these fools end up getting the Eastlanders looking for revenge on top of them fighting among themselves, it's going to be very ugly," I said.

"Fighting to the south, fighting among their own selves, fighting with those who are north of them...this is sheer madness!" Night Song exclaimed.

There were murmurs of agreement through the group.

"The last line almost seems to have Foxfire and Grimm Tooth in mind," Dahmietra said.

"Oddly enough, yes, it does though there is no way he could know," I said. "I guess we should be ready for ambushes, both at the gathering and when we see the High Cleric in two days."

The rest of the day, we didn't do much except to stay hidden from view. Once the fog burned off at midday, we watched from the trees as people came and went from the village as they went about their normal daily routine. When it finally got near dark, the gates were closed for the night and the sounds of the village grew quieter as people headed indoors for the night. Around midnight, Smoke Fire and I went out to do some hunting. We came back after a couple of hours, having been successful at taking a two-prong--a grazing animal that travels in small herds near tree lines. We had noticed one that seemed to have been injured, so we took that one with two well-aimed arrows--it dropped where it stood, probably never knowing what hit it. When we came back to camp, we sang our song of communion with Life, honoring in our way the spirit of the animal whose life we had taken so that its body would provide sustenance for others. The people of the village of Cedar Knoll undoubtedly heard us, but to them they would think it only the howls of wolves, not being able to tell the difference. Far off in the distance there were some wolves who had heard our song and they added their voices to our own. If they had been nearby, they might have joined up with us while we were in their area. I'm not sure how Dahmietra would have reacted to that, but since she was with us, they likely would have accepted her without too much fuss.

We spent the next two days keeping a low profile and avoiding being seen. Luckily, no one came by along the river. It wasn't easy to stay put in such a small area with little in the way of shelter in case the weather should turn bad. There were some storms that had rumbled by to the south, but we were thankful that they chose not to come our way. Towards the late afternoon on the second day, we decided who should go with me to meet with the High Cleric, and who should stay. I gave a bit of thought to bringing everyone, but decided that it would be best if Dahmietra stayed hidden for now. Since the plan was to have Foxfire test her abilities on the High Cleric and any others who might be present, she was in and of course, Grimm insisted on going so that he could protect his little sister. I tried not to imagine how terrified the villagers would likely be upon seeing Grimm. While Grimm and I made a rather effective fighting team, we decided that we needed one other person. Night Song ended up being our choice because she's quite a scrapper when it comes to fighting in close quarters--in fact, she fights with a highly efficient and insanely acrobatic style that no one can match. She's been known to recite poetry, make jokes, and ruthlessly taunt her opponents, as everything around her becomes a potential weapon in her hands.

"I hope this won't take too long," Red Moon said to me, as we were getting ready to leave.

"I hope it won't, either...I just want to go in, do what we need to do, and get out."

"Mist Runner, have you ever seen any men who wear all red clothing and are always in groups of three in this village?" Dahmietra asked.

The way she asked it as much as the question itself caught everyone's attention.

"I don't remember ever seeing them here, why do you ask, Dahmietra?"

"If you should see them, be very careful if you must deal with them. They are the_Shi'dak-an_, the ones who enforce the strict religious rules. They are ruthless fanatics who answer only to the clerics."

"In all of the many turns of the seasons that I've been coming to this village, I've never seen anyone fitting that description...but just in case, if we see any, we'll try to avoid them if possible," I assured her.

I gave Dahmietra a hug and then Red Moon.

"Be careful dear," Red Moon said with concern.

I gave her a kiss and said with a grin, "Always."

It was getting near sunset when we arrived at the gate into the village. I saw one of the older guards that I have known for several turns of the seasons.

"Salzar, you old crow, what are you doing on the evening watch? I thought you were usually home by now...or would that be at the inn downing a few?" I said with grin.

"Mist Runner, you half-crazed old wolf, after all this time you finally show up on an evening that I just happen to have duty. I've had Alnakh set aside a jug of his finest a long time ago just for the two of us...ought to be just about right for drinking by now," Salzar said shaking his head.

"So why did you get stuck having duty tonight?" I asked as we greeted each other.

"Well, the woman went off to visit her relatives and took the kids with her, and then one of the younger ones took a tumble and sprained an ankle. Since I had nothing better to do, the capt'n had me take his spot until he got back on his feet."

"I think I could heal a sprained ankle without too much trouble," I said with a wink.

"I wish we had people with your skills, Mist Runner...the way things have been going lately we might well need them."

"I've been hearing stories about trouble brewing--trouble down south, warlords building forces, and such. I wonder what has people so stirred up lately," I said.

Salzar glanced over at the others and asked, "Friends of yours?"

I nodded my head.

"They can be trusted," I said quietly.

Salzar looked around and said quietly, "We've been trying to keep an eye on those hills over there," he nodded his head in their direction, "because too many people have been saying that they've seen a large group of warriors out along the trade road at night, but something's not right about it. People are saying that it's Eastlanders, but you and I both know they wouldn't come this far from home to be sneaking around at night," Salzar said.

"You're right, Salzar, I don't think it is either. My people have had pretty good relations with the Eastlanders for quite some time, and they're content to stay in their lands. I know their merchants haven't been taking the trade route near The Great Forest all the way down to the port city of Crescent Bay because of trouble down south. Just a hunch on my part, but I suspect that bunch in the hills might belong to one of those warlords who is looking to stir up trouble," I said.

Salzar frowned deeply at hearing that.

"I'd believe your hunches more than I'd believe some people's facts, Mist Runner. I've wondered about that possibility myself...if it's true, we don't stand a chance here. This village is too small to defend itself against a large force," Salzar said.

"One of our patrols saw a group of about eighty warriors one night along the road. They wore rags on their feet, walked quietly in single file, had no carts of any kind, and the ones at the tail end were covering their tracks."

"Why, that's an old desert tactic if there ever was one!" Salzar exclaimed in a whisper, "Eastlanders march in triple file so that they cover three sides with those big shields of theirs."

"That's right, they do," I agreed.

"We could hold off eighty or maybe a hundred if we're lucky, but if there are more than that...," Salzar trailed off, shaking his head with a grim look on his face.

"Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that, my friend," I said putting my hand on his shoulder.

"I hope you're right, Mist Runner...I'm getting too old to have to worry about more than a few drunks or cut-purses," Salzar said with a wry grin. "And that brings me back to you and your gang...you usually don't hang around here at night, even when you've been helping Alnakh fix his place up, and I don't see any kits on you."

I could sense that he was just being curious and not having any ulterior motives for his questions.

"Since we were in the area, we decided to stop in at Alnakh's for evening meal and then we'll head back to our camp," I explained.

Salzar leaned close to me and whispered, "The big guy looks familiar somehow, but the other two...I've never seen your females before. Are they all like...," he asked, motioning with his head towards Night Song and Foxfire.

Foxfire was wearing her cloak with the hood over her head and holding it close to her so Salzar couldn't get a good look at her, but Night Song wasn't being so reserved. I looked down at Salzar, nodded my head, and smiled. Because of the way he was facing at the moment, Salzar didn't notice Night Song slipping behind him--when she slipped an arm around his shoulders and brushed up beside him, I thought the poor man would faint.

"And who do we have here, Salzar, is it?" Night Song said seductively. I could see the sweat beading up on his forehead as he managed to nod his head. "Well, my name is Night Song," she introduced herself as she ran a hand lightly over the top of Salzar's head. "You know, I kind of like--older--males," Night Song said sweetly.

"Y-y-you do?" Salzar stammered.

"Night Song, um, I should tell you that Salzar has a mate...cublings, too," I said.

"Really? Poo! Well, I guess she must be one lucky female then." Night Song gently cupped Salzar's chin in her hand and brought her nose to almost touching his. "See you later. Woo!" Night Song slipped her hand from his chin and turned to walk away, brushing her tail against him. She walked a short distance away, stopped, and gave a sultry look over her shoulder. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry," Night Song said licking her lips, and then proceeded to walk in the direction of the inn, swaying her hips and flicking her tail from side to side.

Salzar and the other guard just stood there and stared as she walked away. He blinked his eyes a few times and then wiped the sweat off his forehead. I clapped Salzar on the shoulder and said, "I guess we'd better catch up to her. See you in a while, my friend." I motioned to Grimm and Foxfire to come.

"Yeah, sure," Salzar said as he stood there watching after Night Song.

When he thought we were out of earshot, the other guard asked Salzar, "Hey Sarge, how old do you think she is, about twenty or so?"

"It's hard telling with them, lad. I've heard say that their kind is older than we can imagine, and I believe it," Salzar said.

"Why's that, Sarge?"

"I've known Mist Runner for at least twenty turns of the seasons, and he hasn't aged a day since I first met him," Salzar said.

We caught up with Night Song before she got very far ahead.

"Gee, Night Song, you were getting rather frisky with that poor man," Foxfire said.

"I'm sure Salzar isn't going to forget that any time soon," I added.

"Indeed, was there a particular reason you had in mind other than just toying with him?" Grimm asked.

"Sure," Night Song quipped, "I always have a reason."

"Would you mind sharing it with us, then?" I asked.

"Certainly, Sire. A good distraction will keep a person from asking too many questions, and I've given him something completely different to think about instead of why we aren't carrying our traveling gear with us. Earlier today you walked into the village with your bedroll, bag and such...now you don't have them with you. That would mean we must be camped around here close, and what better place to look for our kind than in the trees by the river? If he had noticed that detail, someone else could have as well. The older one may be your friend, Sire, but the younger one...who knows if he might talk to others or not. If he does, then his imagination will be on...other things, if you get my meaning," she explained.

"I grudgingly admit that she does have a point," Grimm said.

I thought for a moment, and then asked Night Song, "What would you have done if he had reacted differently than he did?"

She glanced over to Grimm and then back to me.

"Then either it would be a very interesting experience, or my tail would be in a sling...or maybe both," she said with a wry smile.

I asked Grimm, "Is she always like this?"

He nodded his head and said, "More or less."

"Night Song...you're nuts, I hope you know that," I told her.

Night Song cocked her head and got a wicked grin on her face, then just slinked along slightly ahead of the rest of us while quietly humming some odd little tune.

Foxfire whispered in my ear, "I think you're right."

There were a few people out walking as we headed towards the inn. While I would usually get some looks when I was in the village by myself, the sight of four of our kind walking together was a little much for some of the folk who hurried across the road to avoid us. Who received the most looks was probably divided mostly between Night Song and Grimm Tooth. Foxfire was keeping herself wrapped up in her cloak even though it was probably rather warm for her to be doing so.

I entered the inn first with Night Song behind me, then Foxfire and Grimm, who had to duck to get through the door. Thankfully, this wasn't one of the busier nights, so there were not as many people in the common room of the inn having their evening meal. Nezcha saw me as I walked in and a smile quickly appeared on her face. She started to give me a little wave, but then she saw the others come in behind me and froze. The patrons who were there suddenly became quiet when they noticed the four of us enter the room. I heard some gasps and an eating utensil dropped on the floor. I didn't see the High Cleric anywhere, nor did I catch his scent in the air. He could be up in one of the rooms or doing something at the temple. Hopefully he would keep his promise and make an appearance soon as I wanted to get this over with quickly and head back to our camp.

As we walked on back to the table I usually sat at, I stopped by Nezcha and said quietly to her, "I told you I'd be back. Come, I'll introduce you to my friends." I took Nezcha by the hand and walked to the table. "This is Nezcha, the one I spoke of earlier; Nezcha, this is Night Song, Foxfire and her brother, Grimm Tooth," I said, making the introductions.

"Glad to meet you, Nezcha," Night Song greeted her with a wave.

Grimm held out his huge hand to her, palm up.

"A pleasant good evening to you," Grimm said as she hesitantly took his hand.

When Foxfire pulled her hood back to greet her, Nezcha's eyes grew very wide as she put her hand to her mouth and gasped.

"Hello there, sweetie," Foxfire said warmly.

The red leather collar around Nezcha's neck drew Foxfire's attention. She lightly touched the collar with her fingertips and sadness came across Foxfire's face. She looked up and met her brother's eyes who looked at the collar and back to her. Grimm slightly nodded his head once and Foxfire dropped her gaze. When Foxfire looked up again, she looked back at Nezcha, tenderly held her face in her hands, and leaned close.

"The next time we meet, dear, that horrible thing will be gone and you will be free." Foxfire pulled Nezcha towards her and gave her a long hug. When she was finished, Foxfire looked up at me and then spoke softly to Nezcha. "Go to Mist Runner for now, dear. You will be okay."

Foxfire gently kissed Nezcha on the forehead and then guided her to me. When I took Nezcha from her, Foxfire pulled the hood back over her head and sat down, drawing her cloak around her closely. The normally flippant Night Song remained quiet--this was the first time both she and Foxfire had ever actually seen a slave. The symbolism of the collar was heavy on their hearts; Grimm and I had seen it many times before, though it never ceased to bother either of us every time we saw it.

I took Nezcha from Foxfire and walked her towards the kitchen entrance. Doing the same for her as I had for Dahmietra when she first met Foxfire, I used my skills to pull Nezcha back to the "here and now." When she was able to focus again, she looked up at me with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Are you okay now, Nezcha?" I asked.

"I-I don't know...everything went white and warm and fuzzy, I felt like when my mother used to hold me when I was a child, and...I don't know, I just can't describe it!" Nezcha tried, but just couldn't find the words.

"I understand, Nezcha," I said. "Oh, by the way, we're going to eat here tonight, and we will need some to take back with us...enough for six others."

When I got back to our table and sat down, I could see that everyone was wondering about Nezcha.

"She's going to be alright...she apparently was affected about as much as Dahmietra was that first time she met you," I said to Foxfire.

"I've heard about these people making slaves of others, but this is the first time I've actually seen it for myself," Night Song said.

"Me, too," said Foxfire, "it's horrible!"

"It's a long story about Nezcha," I explained, "but Alnakh has been letting her earn the money for her bond price...and every time I've been in here, I've given her extra coin towards it. When that High Cleric first approached me to be a protector for someone, I decided that I would use the silver he promised for payment to pay off Nezcha's bond price. The down payment he gave me I used to buy things that Dahmietra needed."

"That's really nice of you, Mist Runner! Hmm, so when we come back this way after going to that gathering, she can be free again," Foxfire said.

I nodded my head in agreement.

"Then I will add to that," Grimm added.

"How much more does she need?" Night Song asked.

"When I was here two days ago, Alnakh said that it was about one hundred thirty in silver," I said.

"I'll add what I can, too," Night Song said.

"This should make Nezcha happy tonight," I said with a grin.

By the time our food came, most of the other people had finished their meals and left to go home.

"Ever tried Wastelander food before?" I asked Foxfire and Night Song.

"I haven't...is it good?" Foxfire asked as she speared a piece of meat with her fork and sniffed it.

"I haven't, either," said Night Song, "this is the first time I've stepped foot inside one of their eating places. It smells good, though."

Night Song dived right into hers, as did Grimm and I; Foxfire was a little cautious at first, but then seemed surprised.

"Wow, I've never had anything like this before!" she exclaimed.

"This is rather mild compared to some of their food I've tasted. One time Alnakh had me try something that was so spicy it burned all the way down. Then he gave me something to drink right after that which burned almost as bad, but in a different way...I swear if you had struck a flint by it the stuff would burst into flame!"

Grimm snickered, "I remember you telling me about that. I think I've drank something similar once myself...I don't know how they can stand it, personally."

"Once was certainly enough for me," I said shaking my head.

We enjoyed our meal and after the plates were cleared away, Nezcha brought out some tea and a platter of little sweet cakes. While we were enjoying our dessert, a small group of men entered the inn. I recognized the High Cleric right away, though the other two men who came in with him I did not know. One was older and the other much younger, perhaps an assistant of some kind.

"I see that the High Cleric has arrived, finally," I said to my friends, using our speech. "Be ready for anything." I got Nezcha's attention and motioned for her to come over to our table. "Listen very carefully, dear. The High Cleric is here and I'm supposed to meet with him, however I received a warning of sorts about possible treachery. Have you noticed anything unusual tonight?"

She thought for a bit, and then remembered something. "The other morning when you were here, those two men who argued with Master Alnakh...I've seen them talking to another man outside who is like one of those men you stopped from hurting me," she said. "I saw them when I was cleaning the windows. Whenever somebody else walked by, they stopped talking."

"Where is the innkeeper now? Should he not be here?" Grimm asked.

"Strange, he should be here," I thought aloud.

"Oh, Master Alnakh went upstairs to see about some problem one of the guests had," Nezcha said.

"But I haven't seen him since we've been here," I observed.

Nezcha frowned and glanced up towards the ceiling.

"How many people have rooms for the night, Nezcha?" I asked, getting a bit worried.

"There are only two rooms that are being used tonight, the one right at the top of the steps and the one just down from it," she replied.

"Which one has those two men in it from the other morning?" I asked.

"They were in the next one down the hall," Nezcha said.

"The other room...do you know who is in it?" I asked.

She thought for a moment and then shook her head.

"I did not see who was put into that room; Master Alnakh took care of it while I was helping in the kitchen."

Grimm looked at me and asked, "Do you think something is wrong?"

I closed my eyes and concentrated on sensing feelings in that direction.

"Something isn't right," I said after a couple of moments.

Nezcha's eyes grew wide at my comment.

"Night Song, would you mind checking it out...quietly?" I asked.

"Certainly, Sire," she said, getting a sly grin on her face.

Night Song grabbed a couple more of the sweet cakes as she got up and headed towards the stairs. The High Cleric and the other two men with him stared at Night Song as she walked across the floor--of course, she noticed that they were staring at her, but she ignored them until she got to the stairs. Night Song put her hand on the railing and took the first step up, then stopped and slowly looked over her shoulder at the three men, giving them a sultry look before climbing the stairs.

Night Song went up the stairs as quietly as she could and then waited in the hallway outside near the two rooms that are occupied. The hallway was lit by three evenly spaced candles in holders on the wall--one in the middle, the other two halfway between the center and the ends of the hallway. Although the candles provided more than enough light for her eyes, she wished it could be darker in the hallway so that she could see if there was any light coming from underneath the doors. Night Song listened very carefully, waiting for the slightest sound that would give her an indication where the innkeeper was being held. After several minutes had gone by, she heard some scuffling noise coming from the room that had the two men in it. Night Song slipped quietly against the wall near the door of the room, waiting to see if someone would open the door and peek out. She could hear two people whispering, though she couldn't understand the words because they were not using the Common Tongue. The whispering stopped and shortly thereafter, the doorknob slowly began to turn.

"Well, this could be interesting," she thought to herself, knowing that people just don't normally open doors quite so slowly unless they are trying to be cautious or sneaky.

The door slowly opened a crack, allowing the person on the other side to peek out. Once the door was unlatched, that was all she needed to surprise those on the other side of it. Night Song hit the door hard, sending the person opening it sprawling backwards onto the floor. She ducked low and dived into the room, avoiding the person standing next to the wall who took a chest height stabbing swing with a dagger. As soon as Night Song landed on the person sprawled on the floor, she bounced up and spun around, drawing her own knife. The man on the floor had the breath knocked out of him and wasn't quite able to move much, so she concentrated on the other man next to the wall. He took one look at the feral grin on Night Song's face and bolted out of the door. She sprang after him, grabbing a chair on her way out. The second man headed down the stairs, but he didn't get too far--Night Song threw the chair at the man, hitting him in the back with enough force that he was completely knocked off his feet and landed on the floor below with a thud. He was out cold. Night Song dashed back into the room to find the other man struggling to get up. She heard a moan to one side of the room and saw someone tied up on the floor.

"That must be the innkeeper," she thought.

Night Song grabbed the man on the floor and lifted him up so that his feet were off the floor.

"I've always been curious to know if your kind can fly," she said in Common to the man she was holding.

Night Song looked at the innkeeper and saw that he was conscious.

"Hmm, seems that you have a little bit of a rodent problem. No worries, I'm more than happy to take care of it for you," she said with a smile.

Night Song carried the other man out of the room and over to the top of the stairs.

Looking down, she saw Mist Runner and Grimm Tooth looking at the one she hit with the chair, and said, "Got another one for you."

She looked at the man she was holding and said, "Birdie, birdie, sweet little birdie. Time to fly, fly away home!"

Night Song tossed him down the stairs--luckily for him, though, that Grimm was able to catch him in time. As soon as the man saw who caught him, he shrieked and then passed out.

"Oops, too bad, I guess the little birdie couldn't fly," she said with wicked grin before heading back to the room.

Night Song knelt down beside the innkeeper who tried to pull away from her.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you...I'm with Sire Mist Runner. Here, let me get these bindings off you."

Night Song carefully removed the gag and cut the ropes that bound him. After she put the knife back in its sheath, she checked him over to see how bad his wounds were. There was blood on him, but not enough to suggest anything major, so she gently picked him up in both arms and carried him downstairs.

When we heard a door being violently opened and something large thumping on the floor above us, Grimm briefly closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh.

"So much for 'quietly'," he said.

When the man came running down the stairs only to be struck in the back by a hard thrown chair, I winced.

"Yep, so much for 'quietly'."

Grimm and I got over there just in time for Night Song to toss the other man down. Grimm's quick reflexes kept him from getting any broken bones, though given the way he screamed in terror and fainted, he probably thought that it was "Sheh'k'tahwa" who had caught him. As I tended to the first man, Nezcha fetched something from the storeroom that we could use to secure them. When I had finished, Night Song was carrying Alnakh down the stairs in her arms.

When she saw the look on my face, she said, "He's alive...looks like they roughed him up a bit, though."

Nezcha took off her apron and wadded it up into a makeshift pillow to put under his head as Night Song laid Alnakh on the floor.

"Nezcha, would you please go get some clean water and a clean cloth from the cook?" I asked.

She nodded her head and hurried off to the kitchen. Alnakh opened his swollen eyes a bit and looked at me.

"Don't try to talk just yet, my friend," I said gently.

He nodded his head and coughed a bit. I got up and went to the High Cleric's table.

Pointing at the young man, I asked, "Is this one an assistant?" He nodded his head. I looked at the young man and asked, "Do you understand my words?" He nervously nodded his head. "Good, run to the gate on the west side of the village, get the sergeant of the guard there by the name of Salzar; tell him that Mist Runner needs him quickly. Go!"

The young man looked with wide eyes at the High Cleric, who said in their own language, "Go on! Do as he says!"

The young man quickly got up and bowed, then ran out the door to get Salzar. I gave the older man an intense look that caused him to shrink back, and then I faced the High Cleric.

"Both of you come with me." I went back to where Alnakh was lying and knelt down beside him. Nezcha had brought a bowl and pitcher of water, along with some clean dishtowels from the kitchen and Foxfire was already beside him, cleaning his wounds, and comforting him by humming a little tune. I took hold of his hand and laid my other hand on his forehead, and then summoned my healing magic. Before everyone's eyes, his bruising faded, cuts and scratches closed up and the swelling around his face subsided. Both the High Cleric and the older man with him made some sort of sign with their hands and spoke something excitedly in their own language. I looked at Nezcha, who was no less amazed at what she just saw.

"He's going to be a little sore for a day or two, but he'll be okay," I told her. I slowly stood up and pointed over to the other two that Grimm was keeping an eye on, "Do either of you know these two? They were in here two mornings ago and had a bit of an argument with Alnakh."

They looked at the two men who were tied up and sitting against the wall. Both the High Cleric and the older man shook their heads.

"No, we do know their names, though they have been in the village for a few days," the older man said.

"Alnakh tugged at Nezcha and said, "Get...book."

Nezcha hurried to Alnakh's desk and pulled out the guest book he keeps for the rooms above. When she returned with it, he indicated that she should hand me the book. I opened it to the last page with entries on it, and tried to read the names he had written. About that time, Salzar burst into the inn with two other guards, along with the young man I had sent to fetch them.

"What's the trouble here?" he demanded.

I pointed at the two by the wall, and said, "Those two were holding Alnakh prisoner up in their room for some reason. They had him bound and gagged, and had beaten him. Alnakh wasn't down here when we came in and when he still had not made an appearance after we ate, I sent Night Song to go look for him. I saw those two in here two mornings ago and they had some kind of argument with him then."

"Well, then, I suppose that they will have some explaining to do. Which room were they staying in?" he asked.

"I'll show you," Night Song said.

"Go with her," Salzar ordered one of his men.

"Here are the names they used for the rooms," I said as I handed the guest book to Salzar.

As he was reading the names, Night Song called down. "Sire, I think you ought to see this!"

Grimm and I shot quick looks at one another.

"Now what?" I groaned. I ran up the stairs with Salzar coming right behind me. We saw that the door to the room next to the stairs was open and both Night Song and the guard had their weapons out.

"We found the door open a bit when we came up here," the guard said.

Salzar had his hand on the hilt of his sword as he slowly entered the room first. From behind and looking over his head, I could see that the window was open and there was a rope tied to the bed and going out the window, apparently with a weight on the other end. Cautiously we went to the open window and looked out. On the other end of the rope was the room's occupant. I reached out the window and carefully pulled him into the room. The man had been dead for a while, it seemed, since he was already stiff.

"Ye gods, will you look at that!" Salzar exclaimed.

I looked to see what he was pointing at.

"By The Great Circle! Who could have done such a thing?"

The poor man had been brutally tortured by someone who knew what he was doing. When the initial shock passed, I closed the man's eyes and went to grab the blanket off the bed to cover him.

When I pulled the blanket off the bed, I said quietly, "Salzar...looks like it was done here."

The mattress was soaked with blood, and there were pieces of rope attached to the frame.

"This is not a simple killing," he said. "We might get a few fights now and then; perhaps a theft or two, but nothing such as this."

"In all of the turns of the seasons that I've been coming here, there certainly has not been anything quite like this that I've known of," I said.

"I'd better get the Capt'n," Salzar said.

We covered the body and left the room. Salzar instructed the guard to stay and watch both rooms. Before he left, we took a quick look in the room where Night Song had found Alnakh. We saw the ropes she had cut to free him, and saw a flat wooden box laying on the nightstand. Salzar opened the box and saw the instruments it contained.

"Looks like your friend stopped them before they did any more harm," he said.

I growled quietly at that thought.

Salzar put his hand on my arm, "Come, I think we've seen more than enough for now."

I nodded my head and went out into the hallway. Night Song saw the pained look on my face when I left the room.

"Bad?" she asked, motioning towards the other room.

I looked at her and shook my head.

"Worse," I said quietly. "Much worse."

Salzar descended the stairs briskly and ordered the other guard to watch the two men we had captured until he got back. He hurried on out the door to get the captain of the guard. I stayed at the top of the stairs with Night Song and leaned against the wall.

"I pulled that man back inside--he's been dead for some while. When I laid his body on the floor, we saw what had been done to him...it was horrible, the sheer cruelty of it." I shook my head, and Night Song looked at me with concern. "When I pulled the blanket off of the bed to cover the body, I found that they had had him tied down when they...," I paused to try to push the sight out of my mind. "That box on the table by the bed, in the other room, has the things they used on the poor man." I looked at Night Song and said, "Seeing people killed in battle is hard enough to deal with...but this...I think I'm going to have to have a long visit with Lore Master Spirit Feather when we get back home."

Night Song made a quick glance at the guard and then said, "Um, this might be a bit inappropriate, not that I usually care one way or another, but...," she hesitated a moment and then hugged me.

We held each other for a several minutes, until the guard coughed. She glanced over at him again, then got her usual little sly grin like she was up to something, and then she gave me a kiss. When she pulled her head back, she looked at me with that same sly grin.

"Night Song..."

"Yes, Sire?"

"You're nuts, you know that?"

"It helps," she said with a wicked grin.

Salzar returned with the captain of the guard, along with a few additional men, fairly soon. The captain, unlike most of his men, was a well-seasoned warrior. He was also very much a professional and took his job seriously. As he looked around the room to see who was present, he paused when he met Grimm's eyes.

The captain acknowledged the presence of the High Cleric, and then asked, "Who is the one called Mist Runner?"

Grimm, who was standing over by the stairs with his arms folded, pointed up.

"Very well. Are these the prisoners?" he demanded as he pointed to the two men tied up by the wall.

"Yes, Capt'n," Salzar replied.

"Put these men in irons--if they're responsible for what you've told me, I don't want to take any chances of them escaping."

"Yes, Sir! Corporal! Secure these prisoners!"

The corporal motioned for two other junior guards to put the irons on, then removed the ropes and searched them for any items. When they were finished, the corporal took custody of their personal effects. The captain then instructed the scribe to take statements from everyone, including Nezcha and the cook.

"Sounds like Salzar has returned with his captain and others," I said to Night Song.

"Yes, Sire, seems that way," she agreed.

"I suppose we should join them. They'll probably want to hear our side of things," I said trying to smile.

I don't think I succeeded at being terribly convincing.

When Night Song and I came down the stairs, Grimm, Foxfire, Nezcha, the High Cleric and the others, all saw the look on my face. I didn't speak a word as I walked by Grimm and sat down next to Alnakh and hung my head.

"You saw, didn't you?" Alnakh asked quietly.

I nodded once.

After a couple of moments, I raised my head and looked at Grimm. "In all of the many turns of the seasons we have walked this world my friend, I have never seen such...cruelty...as I have this night."

Foxfire heard the pain and sickness in my voice and removed her cloak, letting it drop to the floor, and walked over to sit down next to me. Everyone else in the room--Grimm, Night Song, and I excluded--was suddenly struck dumb when Foxfire revealed herself. She put her arm around me and I laid my head on her shoulder.

"You must have seen something horrible, I can feel it," she said as she stroked the side of my face with her hand.

Foxfire started singing--it was a song of life and joy and of the deep green forests; one of our respect for all life and of being free; a song of love and hope and dreams, where bad things faded away in the distance. As her words washed over me, I felt the pain in my heart of being fade away into the night as the stars and the moon filled me with their peaceful light.

When Foxfire was finished, I don't think there was a dry eye in the place. Even the normally stoic (and immune) Grimm Tooth, was moved by Foxfire's song.

"Thank you," I barely was able to whisper.

She kissed me on the cheek and slowly stood up. Foxfire gave Alnakh a motherly hug and whispered something in his ear. I saw him nod his head a little and then she smiled. Foxfire cocked her head a bit, paused, and then walked up to Salzar. She held his face in her hands and looked into his eyes--I saw a similar expression come over his face as had happen to Dahmietra when she met Foxfire for the first time. Foxfire gave Salzar a hug, and whispered into his ear. When he nodded his head, she returned to the spot where she had dropped her cloak and picked it up, putting it back on with the hood over her head. Foxfire went to her brother and put her arm around his and leaned her head against him.

"That...was the most beautiful song I've ever heard," he whispered.

Foxfire looked up at him and smiled.

"Thanks, Grimmie."

Nobody else moved for what seemed like several minutes. Night Song and I came around before the others.

"Wow, Foxfire!" Night Song said quietly in our language. "That was awesome!"

Foxfire just smiled shyly. "

I wonder how long they're going to be like this," Night Song said.

"I don't know, but maybe...," I started to say, and then I went over to the High Cleric and used my abilities to snap him out of it.

When he came back to his senses, he looked at me in surprise. Grimm, Foxfire, and Night Song gathered around close to him.

"Now do you understand something more about our people?" I asked him.

"I-I think so," he said in a hushed voice.

"Good, now tell me quickly about the place I'm to take Dahmietra to," I said.

While he was giving me the information, Grimm went and knelt down by the prisoners and looked them directly in the eyes.

"You will tell the guards everything--why you came here, why you did the things you did, and for whom you work for. If you do not, I will come for you and I will make what you did look like a trip to a pleasure house. No one will ever find you...it will be as if you have been wiped off the face of the world, because that is exactly what will happen to you. Do you understand me,mortals?"

The now terrified prisoners rapidly nodded their heads.

"Good. See to it that you remember that," Grimm growled in a very low and menacing tone.

He stood up and glared at them one more time before coming back to stand next to Foxfire. When the High Cleric had finished giving me the details, he reached into his robes and pulled out a small roll of parchment.

"Take this, it might help with other things," he said.

I nodded my head and stuck the roll into my pouch.

"Oh, I would like to make arrangements for the rest of Dahmietra's things to be brought here and given to Alnakh for safe keeping until I can pick them up," I said.

The High Cleric got a puzzled look on his face. I held up my hand to silence him before he could ask why.

"The less you know, the less you have to worry about," I said, smiling. I turned and addressed the others, "I think they're starting to come around, back where you were standing...quickly," I whispered.

We all hurried back to where we were at prior to when Foxfire took her cloak off.

The captain and Salzar were the first to become aware again and the rest shortly after them. They all blinked their eyes and shook their heads as if coming out of a deep sleep. The scribe went back to taking statements from everyone and the captain went up the stairs, taking two other men with him who were carrying a litter. They came back down after a while with the body covered up with the blanket on the litter, their faces grim from what they had seen.

"Take the body to the undertaker and have him give me a thorough report."

"Yes sir!" the men said as they saluted, then took the body away.

"Sergeant, I want the effects of all three men from both rooms taken to the guardhouse, along with the prisoners."

"Yes sir!" Salzar replied, taking some bags up with him. As he climbed the stairs, he glanced down at me and shrugged his shoulders.

"Anything else you need from us, captain?" I asked the officer.

"No, I don't believe so, I have your statements, and the prisoners seem willing to talk for some reason. Horrible thing, what they did," he said, shaking his head. "As soon as my men finish up upstairs, we'll be done here. I'm sorry for the disturbing events that took place here tonight, this is most unusual."

"Glad to have been of some help, captain," I said.

"I should thank you, if it wasn't for you and your people, Alnakh might be dead, and they would have gotten away," the captain said.

He smiled and headed back to his office, leaving Salzar in charge of the cleanup.

I asked Nezcha to go have the cook put something together that we could take back for the others. Alnakh waited until she was out of hearing range.

"Mist Runner, I thank you and your friends greatly for saving my life...how can I ever repay you?"

I put my hand on his arm as I said, "It's what friends are for Alnakh...we watch out for one another."

Alnakh patted my hand with his other hand and smiled,

"That is so, my friend." He looked off into some distance only he could see for a bit, and then turned to look at me again. "After you came back down the stairs and sat down by me, something very unusual happened, I think. It seemed as if the world had just stopped and then I saw...something...oh, how to describe it!"

Night Song thought with a smirk, "Was it white, furry and so drop-dead gorgeous that even trees can't think straight?"

"It was like a vision! And I heard such singing as I cannot imagine!" Alnakh exclaimed.

I could sense Foxfire's feeling of happiness as well as the sense of profound wonder in the Wastelanders. At least we now have an idea what kind of effect Foxfire can have on these people, though I wish it could have been under better circumstances. Even with Foxfire's help, what Alnakh, Salzar, and I saw in that room will take time to overcome.

Nezcha returned from the kitchen with the food we would be taking back with us to our camp.

"I packed this as best as I could," she said, putting the bag on the table.

"Thank you, Nezcha," I said, "it looks like you got a lot in there. How much do we owe for our meal tonight?" I asked, reaching into my pouch.

"Keep your silver, my friends--you kept my wife from becoming a widow this night, and gave my children back their father. Although I would certainly feel safer if you would stay with us this night, I know you have other things to attend to," Alnakh said.

"At least take this--for Nezcha."

I handed Alnakh some coin that I would have left for her anyway. Grimm and Night Song also handed him some as well as their contribution.

"I will do that, my friends," Alnakh said with a smile, "you are most generous. Nezcha, bring me your box, child."

Nezcha got the lock box from its place in Alnakh's desk and brought it to him. He took the key from around his neck, opened it, and counted out the coins. When he was finished, he took the piece of paper from inside the box and added the count to the total.

"Ah, it won't be much longer, Nezcha, look!" Alnakh said excitedly as he showed her the figures. One hundred and seven more pieces of silver left to go. Nezcha was excited--if business continued to be good, she could be free by the holidays at the end of the year.

Salzar and the other guard came back down the stairs after they finished gathering up the personal effects of all three men.

"On your feet, maggots!" he barked at the two prisoners. The guards roughly hauled them to their feet. "I'll send a couple of guards to stand watch here for the night to make sure you're safe until we can get to the bottom of this, Alnakh," Salzar said.

"Thank you, Sergeant Salzar...that would be most appreciated," Alnakh replied gratefully.

"Alright men, let's get these two to the guard house. Move out!" Salzar barked.

The guards gathered around the prisoners and as they headed towards the door, Salzar stopped briefly to say something.

"I'll let you know what we find out the next time you are back this way, Mist Runner. If you don't see me, ask one of the guards at the gate...I'll leave word that they are to come get me when you show up again."

"Thank you my friend. We'll stay and keep an eye on things until you send those guards back," I replied.

As soon as Salzar and his men left with the prisoners, the High Cleric and his two companions paid for their meals.

"I think we should return to the temple for the night, before it gets any later. Brother Alnakh, we will pray for you tonight. If there is anything that we can do to help, please let us know. May the Blessed Ones watch over you and your family," the High Cleric said.

Alnakh bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Holiness, may they watch over us all in these dark times."

After the High Cleric and his companions left, Alnakh went and sat down at the table nearest the fireplace. We joined him at the table and shortly after the cook came out with some food and tea. The old woman and Nezcha sat next to Alnakh as they ate their meal. While there was enough for the rest of us to snack on a little, we mostly had tea and a few more of the sweet cakes. We sat in silence for a time as they ate, nobody really feeling like saying much. After Alnakh and Nezcha finished their meals, the cook took their plates and made her way back to

the kitchen. When she was out of sight, Alnakh let out a deep sigh.

"I suppose I'll have to lock that room for now, until I can get someone to clean in there. I'll have the bed removed and burned...perhaps I could get the clerics to come and do what they need to do in there as well."

"I will clean the room first thing in the morning, master," Nezcha offered.

"No, child...it is a heavy enough burden on my shoulders to see you wear that_thing_ around your neck, though hopefully it won't be for much longer. I will not send you into that room--your eyes should never have to see such a sight. I would rather send you away with our friends here than for you to see any of what I saw this night."

Nezcha was surprised at Alnakh's words--the way he said them and the look on his face, she had never known him to say anything like that. Whatever he saw it must have been awful.

"Alnakh," I said, "perhaps it would be best to just lock that room for now and let someone else deal with it. You have had enough for today."

Alnakh looked at me with a weary grin.

"You're right, my friend. I will get the keys and lock it up."

As he got up to fetch his room keys, Foxfire watched him walk to his desk and then head for the stairs.

"I'll be right back, Grimmie."

She got up and intercepted Alnakh before he got to the stairs.

"I will walk with you," Foxfire said to Alnakh when she caught up to him.

He looked a bit startled, wondering why this one member of Mist Runner's party who kept herself covered wanted to go with him upstairs. Alnakh gave me a questioning look, so I just nodded my head to let him know it was all right. I didn't know what Foxfire had in mind, but since there was no one else upstairs (the guards having searched the guest quarters for anyone else already), I figured that she must have some reason or another.

Foxfire took Alnakh's hand into her own and walked up the stairs to the rooms above. He dreaded going back up there since the experiences he had were still all too fresh in his mind, but yet there was something familiar about this cloaked figure that walked with him to the source of his dread. When they reached the top of the stairs, the door to the room in which the man had been killed was still open. Alnakh suddenly began to tremble and his legs threatened to give out beneath him.

Foxfire quietly said to him, "I'm right here with you...you're safe, Alnakh. The bad ones are gone, dear, only the room remains. The room can't hurt you."

"But I saw what they did...they made me watch! They said that they would do the same to me unless I told them!" Alnakh said with much fear in his voice and eyes.

Foxfire pulled the hood of her cloak off her head and tossed the edges of her cloak behind her, and Alnakh went down on his knees. Foxfire knelt down with him and looked very calmly into his eyes while holding his hands.

"Alnakh, do you remember me now?" she asked him. Though his eyes were still wide with fright, he slowly nodded his head. Foxfire smiled gently. "Look into my eyes, Alnakh, and hear only my voice. You are safe. It is just you and me here. Do you understand?" He calmed down and stopped trembling, and then nodded his head. "That's good, dear. Now, can you tell me what the bad men wanted you to tell them?" she asked.

He nodded his head again.

"They want to know where the child of Dahmel-Tur is and the names of those who are hiding her," he said.

"Well, I don't think those two will be hurting anyone else again. Too bad we don't know who they were working for--if we did, I'm sure my brother could persuade the person to stop trying to stir up trouble," Foxfire said thoughtfully. "Let's lock up the room now, shall we, Alnakh? You have had enough worries for one day. Let's do this one more thing together, and then you can go be with your family and get a good night's sleep."

Foxfire helped Alnakh to stand and then she helped him close and lock the door. When that was done, she covered herself again with her cloak and they went back down stairs to be with the others.

"I think it's time Alnakh went to bed. The poor dear has had bad day today, and he should be resting comfortably with his family," Foxfire announced after they rejoined the group.

Grimm, Night Song and I all exchanged quick glances at each other, wondering what Foxfire was up to.

"I'll take him to his den," I said.

I got up, took Alnakh from Foxfire, and headed to the door at the back which lead to his family's living quarters. Alnakh's wife was very concerned to see me bringing him in--I didn't want to frighten the poor woman, so I just said that there was some trouble but that it had been taken care of and he really needed to get some rest. After leaving him with his family and rejoining the others, I asked Foxfire what went on when she took him upstairs to lock the room up.

"Oh, I just thought that he might need a little help, after all he's been through today," she said with a slight grin. "And by the way, I also found out what those two bad men were up to," she added.

"What?" we all exclaimed at once.

"They wanted to know where the child of...oh, what was that name? Ah, it was somebody named Dahmel-Tur, I think. Yes, that was it...and they wanted to know the names of who was hiding her. Now wasn't that foolish of them? Poor Alnakh wouldn't have a clue where she is."

"How did you find that out, Foxfire?" I asked.

"Why, I just asked Alnakh...very nicely, mind you, and he told me," she replied.

Grimm gave me that "I told you so" look of his--I remembered what he has said about his little sister being cunning, so I just nodded my head a little.

"Well, I guess the thing now would be to know who wanted this information," I said.

"It might be reasonably safe to assume that whomever it is that has warriors roaming around the hills and along the roads at night looking for something would be the likely suspect," Grimm suggested.

I thought about that for a bit and the more I thought on it, the more I felt the need to do something about it. Grimm understood the expression that was forming on my face.

"You're getting that 'dangerously annoyed' look again, Mist Runner," he said.

"That's because I am," I replied.

"Shouldn't we be getting back to camp?" Foxfire asked.

"As soon as those guards come back, we will head out," I replied.

It wasn't very long until two of the guards who had been there earlier had returned to keep watch for the night. They took up their post next to the door to his family's quarters and then I had a few words with them.

"Alnakh and his family are friends of mine, as is the girl, Nezcha. I trust you two to do all that you can to keep them safe. This whole business tonight is bad for your village--I've grown rather fond of this place and it greatly annoys me to know that something like this has happened here. Stay sharp."

"Yes, sir! If anyone tries to get by us, we'll give 'em a good fight," said the senior of the two guards.

"Then I'll leave things in your capable hands." I returned to our table and said, "Okay, the guards are set for the night; we should head back to camp. Nezcha, does the cook need someone to walk her home tonight, or is she going to stay here?" I asked.

"Just a moment and I'll ask," Nezcha replied and then went to the kitchen speak with the cook.

When she came back, the old woman had her shawl wrapped around her and a small lantern in her hand.

"She would appreciate it if you would walk her home tonight," Nezcha said.

"We will see to it that she makes it safely home, then. Is everything locked up for the night?" I asked.

"Yes, the kitchen door is locked and barred, I just have to lock and bar the front door when you leave," Nezcha said.

I nodded my head and then offered my arm to the old cook.

"Let's get you home," I said.

The old woman never spoke much, though the look in her eyes as she took hold of my arm said more than any words of thanks. Nezcha gave us all a hug as we left and as soon as we got out the door, she secured it for the night and put out all but a few lights towards the back before heading into Alnakh's family quarters. We walked the cook home to her simple little cottage and made sure that she was safely inside for the night. From there we headed for the gate on the west side of the village, stopping to talk for a few minutes with Salzar.

"Alnakh's place is secured for the night and we walked his cook home," I said to Salzar as we met.

"That was nice of you to do that," Salzar said.

"We're heading back to our camp...the others are probably wondering what has been taking us so long," I said. "

We'll see each other again soon, Mist Runner...hopefully I'll have some useful information for you then," Salzar said, trying to be cheerful.

"Let's hope it will be under better circumstances," I said with a wry grin.

I patted him on the shoulder and he opened the small gate for us to pass through.

As Night Song passed Salzar, she lightly touched his cheek and bent her head down so that her nose was nearly touching his. She gave him a sultry look and quietly said, "Woo." She flashed him a big toothy grin and then walked on out the gate, swaying her hips and flicking her tail.

"I wish she wouldn't do that," he thought to himself as he watched Night Song walk away.

The other younger guard who had been there earlier, said, "Sarge, I kind of think that one likes you." Salzar sighed, shook his head, and closed the gate.

"I wonder what's taking them so long," Red Moon thought aloud.

She was beginning to feel uneasy about the length of time her mate and friends were away from the rest of the group. Red Moon normally wasn't much of a worrier when it came to Mist Runner--he could handle his own in almost any situation, and he had Grimm Tooth with him, so there wasn't much they couldn't deal with when together. But still, there was just something about this little side trip that was making her uncomfortable. Brown Leaf and Smoke Fire were keeping watch on the road and Snow Spear was sitting nearby watching the river, while Red Moon, Dahmietra, and Warri had been trying to find something to occupy their time with until the others returned. Once it got dark, Dahmietra couldn't see anything and it made her a bit uneasy being in unfamiliar surroundings and knowing that her own people were hunting her. She had felt safe while in The Great Forest, but out here, near a village she didn't know, it was a different matter. Of course, she would feel better when Mist Runner was back though she was trying to be brave and not jump at every little sound. It seemed like hours since Mist Runner and the others left for the village, and she was getting hungry.

"Someone's coming," Brown Leaf said quietly using her people's hunting speech instead of the Common Tongue.

To Dahmietra's ears, it sounded like a wild animal made a sound near their camp and she tensed up. Warri, who had been sitting close enough to touch her, sensed Dahmietra's alarm.

He reached out to her with his mind, saying, "Brown Leaf says someone is coming, so be very still for a bit until we find out who it is."

"That was Brown Leaf?" Dahmietra thought back after hearing Warri in her mind. "I thought some animal was wandering into our camp!" she added.

Warri smiled to himself.

"I wish you could see as we do at night," Warri thought to Dahmietra.

"So do I!" she thought back. "Can you show me what you see?" she asked in her thoughts.

"I don't know...I'll try, though," he replied.

Warri had discovered that communicating with Dahmietra using his mind was relatively simple enough--almost like talking normally with some practice, though the farther away she was the more effort it took. Trying to keep the mental link between them and let her share what he was seeing, he found, required a lot more effort. After a few tries, Warri managed to figure out how to show Dahmietra what he saw with his eyes. Dahmietra stifled a gasp as she began to see what he saw--and found it rather strange to be seeing her own self! But that was not all, she also found that she could suddenly hear and smell things she never thought possible.

"Warri, I can see and hear and smell everything you can! It's so amazing! I never knew your senses were so great!"

With the sudden rush of excitement Dahmietra felt, Warri's concentration was broke and he lost the mental connection between them. The great effort momentarily left him a little disorientated and his head felt like the times when he had been studying for too many hours without rest. Dahmietra reached out and found Warri's arm and then found his hand and took hold of it. He didn't have to hear her thoughts to understand that she concerned, so he gently squeezed her hand once to let her know that he was okay. About that time, Brown Leaf called out with a low hunting call...there was a slight pause and then a reply; Mist Runner and the others were coming back.

The moon was about to come up in the east as we were approaching the trees. Brown Leaf had no trouble recognizing us in the faint light, given that her eyes were more sensitive than others--one of the reasons why she was so good at being a tracker.

As we walked by, she said, "Good to have you back...we've been getting a little concerned."

I just placed my hand on her shoulder for a moment as I passed by; when Night Song got to Brown Leaf, she hugged her and whispered, "You are not going to believe what happened!"

Brown Leaf knew her friend well enough to know that something hadn't gone right while they were in the village.

Red Moon and Dahmietra both jumped up as soon as we walked into the camp proper. I hugged Red Moon tightly for several minutes, and then I hugged Dahmietra just as closely though a little more carefully.

"We brought some food back with us for you," Night Song announced as she set the well-packed bag down and opened it up.

"Snow Spear, have you noticed anything moving about that shouldn't be while we were gone?" I asked.

"No, Sire...it's been a quiet evening out here," he replied.

"That's good," I said with a sigh of relief. "Maybe we can afford a small fire tonight for some tea then."

"I'll get one going, Sire," Snow Spear said and then went about gathering up twigs and such for the fire. I sat down with Red Moon and held her while Night Song divided up the portions for those who had remained in camp. It didn't take Snow Spear long to get the fire going and a pot of water heating for tea. Red Moon shifted her position so that while she was still next to me, she was facing me and I could see the concerned look on her face.

"What's wrong, dear? You have hardly said anything since you've been back."

"Something very bad happened at the inn," Foxfire said quietly.

"Bad?" Red Moon asked as she looked quickly to her friend and back to me.

"Two males I saw there a couple of days ago had taken Alnakh prisoner upstairs and forced him to watch as they brutally tortured another man to death. Night Song rescued Alnakh and we made sure those two weren't going anywhere. I had the guards summoned and they dealt with what they had to do. The High Cleric was there, too, so Foxfire got to try her skills...though it ended up being more for help Alnakh, Salzar and myself after what we saw had been done. But, she did sing a most beautiful song...you should have heard it."

I tried to give a little smile, though Red Moon knew that behind it was a sadness that she had not seen in me before.

Brown Leaf asked, "Why did they kill that person?"

Foxfire replied before I could find a way to answer, "They wanted to find out where the 'child of Dahmel-Tur' is and the names of those hiding her."

Dahmietra's expression suddenly changed from concern to shock.

"They're looking for us...and me!" she exclaimed.

"If anything, this incident strengthens my resolve to keep you from harm, though once you are safe I will hunt down those responsible and make sure they can't come after you anymore...or ever hurt anyone else," I said with firm determination.

"And you won't be alone on that hunt," Grimm added.

"Better make that a threesome," Night Song chimed in with a grin.

"If there's hunting to be done, you'll need a tracker, so I'm in," Brown Leaf said.

"You can count me in, too," Smoke Fire added. "

Well Sire, we know that Night Song is pretty wicked at tossing the furniture and Smoke Fire can turn a bug into a pin cushion in a blink, and while there's nothing wrong with Brown Leaf's eyes it wouldn't hurt to have another good pair looking where she's not. So, while you two are doing the thinking, you're going to need someone with experience to help herd these young cubs--you might as well count me in as well," Snow Spear said.

"I guess the rest of us will be with Dahmi and getting her settled in back home," Red Moon added.

I saw the hint of wistfulness in her eyes and heard it in her voice as she spoke. The possibility that we might be separated again as soon as this current quest was finished wasn't something she relished. I gave my mate's hand a gentle squeeze and held it for a few moments to let her know that I understood. Even though the passage of time means little to our kind, Red Moon and I still prefer to be together as much as possible--something that we have had little chance for lately.

No one spoke much as the rest of our group ate the food that we brought back from Alnakh's inn. Dahmietra, though, enjoyed having a "taste of home" after a fashion, and it seemed to lift her spirits a bit. Warri took his time eating his portion, choosing to savor the taste and textures of the unfamiliar food. Red Moon at first cautiously sniffed her food, but once she tasted it she found it to be to her liking.

"I can see why you like stopping at the inn here to eat," she teased.

I smiled and said, "The old woman who cooks for Alnakh does a pretty good job...she's been working there since he opened his doors for business. She rarely ever speaks, though...I'm not sure why."

After they had finished their meal, we talked about what to do next.

"The High Cleric gave me some information about the place we are heading to while at the inn. If we leave out before first light, we should be able to arrive near the location of the gathering within two days. Once we find a good spot to hide the boats at, we can send two out along with Warri to scout the area," I said.

"So, are we still going to make the side trip to that place you met Dahmietra at?" Brown Leaf asked.

"No, that's no longer necessary. We found out what we needed at the inn, so that is one thing we can cross off our list," I replied. "Oh, by the way, Dahmietra, I told the High Cleric that I wanted your things from the enclave sent to Alnakh so that he could hold them until we can come for them. I didn't let him ask why; I just told him that the less he knew the less he'd have to worry about. Hopefully he will make sure they get there eventually."

"Thank you," Dahmietra replied, "I didn't have a lot, just some clothing and a few small things. We were not allowed to have much, just what they considered 'necessary' items."

"That sounds boring," Night Song quipped.

"Ha, you should see her den, Dahmietra!" Brown Leaf snickered, pointing a thumb towards Night Song.

"So, what's wrong with my den?" Night Song asked with mild indignation.

"Oh, nothing...you have a nice den. You just have so many things that I wonder how long it will be until you can't get to your bed...you can still get to your bed, can't you?" Brown Leaf asked jokingly.

"Of course I can, dear...my collection isn't that big. Yet," Night Song replied, sticking her tongue out at her friend.

"Ladies, please!" I interrupted before the conversation got too far off track.

"We can discuss that another time."

"I agree," Grimm added, "we need to be concerned with how to proceed with the quest."

"What was on that little roll of parchment that the High Cleric slipped you, Mist Runner?" Foxfire asked with a sly smile.

It took me a moment to recall that he had given me that. Grimm gave me a questioning look as I got into my pouch to retrieve the small roll. The roll was only as wide as the length of Dahmietra's hand and had been secured with a thin leather thong.

"I have no idea what this might be about, only that it 'might help with other things', whatever that could be," I said as I tried to untie the little knot.

Dahmietra held her hand out and offered to untie the thong, so I handed the roll to her to try. With her smaller fingers and skill at doing intricate needlework, Dahmietra was able to quickly untie the knot and hand it back to me with a smile on her face. I unrolled the parchment and found that it was actually several sheets rolled together, all written neatly and in the Common Tongue. Everyone leaned a little closer as I examined the writing in the firelight, waiting for me to speak.

"Well, this is certainly...interesting," I said after looking over the small sheets of parchment.

"What is it, dear?" Red Moon asked.

"Well, it seems to be a list of names, places, and such," I replied as I handed it to her.

Dahmietra looked at the sheets with Red Moon.

"I recognize the handwriting," Dahmietra said. "It's that of the High Cleric's personal scribe...I've seen his writing many times in the enclave."

"Do you know what it is about, Dahmi?" Red Moon asked.

"It appears to be more than one list--look here at this one: this is a list of tribal leaders and where their holdings are," Dahmietra explained. "Oh, my...it seems that it also shows by these marks the various tribal allegiances. I recognize some of these names...," Dahmietra trailed off, as she looked closer at the list. "By the Gates of...!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"What is it, Dahmi?" Red Moon asked with great concern.

"I know this man! His name is Khel-Sehk, and he has come to the enclave several times this past turn of the seasons trying to persuade the High Cleric that since he is a direct descendant of Tamzar's cousin, Mal-Sehk, that I should be given to him according to tribal custom. And, one of his tribes' holdings is in the hills near The Great Forest!"

We all looked at one another in surprise at this particular revelation.

"So perhaps this 'Khel-Sehk' might be the one responsible for what has been going on along the trade route, the night-time searches, and maybe even the events at the inn," Grimm suggested.

"It's a possibility," I agreed.

"Wait a moment, Dahmietra. You said the name 'Mal-Sehk'...that was supposedly a 'cousin' to Tamzar?" Warri asked with deep concern on his face. "Yes, that is correct," she replied.

"What is it, Warri?" I asked, "Do you recognize that name?"

"Yes, Sire...in my studies, I've come across that name before, only...he's not one of Dahmietra's kind."

There was dead silence.

"What do you mean, Warri?" I said after a few moments.

"Mal-Sehk, as the Wastelander's call him, is actually Ma'al-Sekt of the Dark Blood Clan," Warri said quietly.

Grimm and I stared at one another in shock.

"You remember them, don't you, Sire?" Warri asked.

"No one has uttered that clan name for...a very, very long time," I said quietly.

Members of The Dark Blood Clan are also one of the first who walked this world when it was young. Unlike our kind who protects life and all things wild and free, they craved power for the sake of power and delved deep into the dark places of the world to hide themselves from the light of the sun, moon, and stars. They have magical abilities as we do, but theirs tend towards being of a dark, hateful, and destructive nature. When the Eastlanders, and others like them, first appeared in the world, the Dark Blood Clan found their people to be easily manipulated. We and the other Immortal Ones battled with the Dark Blood Clan since the beginning of the world, though for the past few thousand turns of the seasons they have been quiet. Perhaps they have been elsewhere in the world, or perhaps they have simply retreated to the deep, forgotten places to bide their time. This revelation that Dahmietra's progenitor was the daughter of a Dark Blood female and a male who was perhaps somehow related to the Dark Blood Clan, and that a male claiming to be a descendant of that relation has come forward seeking Dahmietra...opens up a whole new barrel of concerns.

"Dahmietra, do you know what exactly the tribe of this Khel-Sehk does in the hills near The Great Forest?" I asked after a few moments.

"Certainly, they mine precious metals and gems from caves in those hills," she replied.

"Caves...," Grimm Tooth started to say while looking right at me.

"...Deep, forgotten places of the world," I continued as a deep shudder coursed through my body.

"What's wrong, dear?" Red Moon asked with great concern as she held my hand.

"I fear that a great and ancient evil is at work here," I replied solemnly. After a moment of silence, everyone started talking at once so I held my hand up for quiet. "Dahmietra, you said the other day that Usantra, who is the origin of your line, was the daughter of Tamzar who was in turn a cousin of the one you know as Mal-Sehk, and that the other four wives of Dahmel-Tur and their kin didn't like her because she was his favorite. And I remember you saying that Dahmel-Tur 'was not the good man he is made out to be'. In all of your studies, do you know when he met Tamzar, and when he started to act strangely?"

"Of course, the story of that is well known among the scholars of my people," she explained. "As a young boy, Dahmel-Tur worked as an apprentice in a small mining camp located in the mountains in my people's homeland. While there, he made friends with some of the other boys who were also apprentices. Then one night he started having visions after he had done some work down inside the caves. He kept volunteering to go deeper and deeper into the caves to search for gems and whatever else he could find. One day after coming out of the caves, the other boys noticed that he was grinning for no apparent reason. When asked, Dahmel-Tur said that he had seen a girl with fiery hair and eyes that shone in the dark and she had given him something. He opened his hand and they saw a beautiful necklace made of dark stones that seemed to shimmer with an inner light. No one had ever seen such a thing, but the other boys couldn't believe that he had seen any girl down in the caves. They thought he had been overcome from heat. But that night, which was the dark of the moon, a girl did appear in the camp who matched the description he had given. Apparently, only Dahmel-Tur and his friends saw the girl, or so they thought. One of the boys, whose name was Tamzar, had an older cousin who also saw the girl and seemed to know her. The older cousin of Tamzar, Mal-Sehk, said that she was a distant relative of his named Ahng-Shi. She flirted with the boys and played games with them, before deciding to be with Tamzar. Dahmel-Tur was upset that she had not chosen him, so Tamzar made a deal with him: if they were to have a daughter together, then when she was old enough he would give her to him. This appeased Dahmel-Tur, so all was forgiven. Eventually, Tamzar and Ahng-Shi did have a girl child who also had fiery hair like her mother, and when she came of age, they gave her to Dahmel-Tur to be his fifth and last wife. Ahng-Shi, with Mal-Sehk's help and Tamzar's friendship with Dahmel-Tur, worked to make her daughter Usantra his favorite and put her over his other four wives."

"Dahmi, do you understand what this means?" Red Moon asked.

Dahmietra thought for a bit and said, "No, I'm not sure what this has to do with anything now."

"Dahmietra, what they're getting at is that you have Dark Blood Clan in you, and this male you have seen at the enclave, Khel-Sehk, is likely one of them or related to them in some way," Warri explained gently. "They have probably been manipulating your line for some reason or another for all of these generations. Reddish hair is rare in your people, yet yours is of a reddish color, which marks you as a descendant of Ahng-Shi. I wouldn't doubt that Mal-Sehk also had flame colored hair...as all of the Dark Blood Clan is known to have."

Dahmietra's face paled in the firelight of the thought that she was related, however distantly, to ancient evil beings.

"But, I'm not like those beings, I'm not evil!" she blurted out as tears began to well in her eyes.

"Dahmietra, we know that you are not evil--I know that you are not," I said as I reached across Red Moon to put my hand on her. "Besides, The Great Forest would never have allowed you to enter, let alone make it as far as to our village. That is the one place in this world that the Dark Blood Clan can never enter--The Great Forest is forever protected against them and all others with evil and hate in their heart of being, and it is the one place you will always be safe."

Firefox got up from where she had been sitting and knelt down in front of Dahmietra, taking hold of her hands.

"Oh, don't cry, sweetie, we know you're a good person, don't we?" Everyone voiced their agreement as Foxfire looked around the group. "I have a feeling that there is another force at work here that has been guiding us all along. Ever since you were brought to us, we've kept getting little hints and nudges here and there, and we've been able to find out some interesting things because we've listened to the little whispers that we don't hear and yet do. Well okay, maybe not all of the things that we've found out have been quite so nice. But still, they needed to be found out, and we can deal with them now. Mist Runner is right, you know...about The Great Forest and all." Foxfire thought for a moment and then said, "Maybe we should get a little rest now before we head out."

"I think I have to agree with Foxfire," I said. "It's been a lot to deal with for one evening."

I let Grimm deal with figuring out who was going to stand watch and proceeded to spread out my bedroll. Red Moon and Dahmietra came and spread theirs out next to mine--it wasn't long before those of us who were going to rest first were bedded down. As much as I wanted--needed--to have Red Moon next to me, we continued as we had been doing since we left The Great Forest by having Dahmietra lie between us. I spoke quietly to Red Moon in our own language and also used my talent to send my feelings to her.

"I wish you and I were alone in our den together right now, my love--I need to just set everything else aside for a while and be with you."

Red Moon reached across and lightly stroked the side of my face and said, "I know, my dear, I wish that, too...we'll be home before long and then we can have some much needed time to ourselves."

I leaned over and kissed her, looking longingly into her eyes for a few moments, before settling back. I could tell that Dahmietra was struggling with all that she had learned this night, so I gently pulled her towards me and held her.

"Dahmietra," I said in the Common Tongue, "I know this is a lot for you to have to deal with in so short amount of time. When we first left the enclave together, neither one of us expected all of this, but as Foxfire said, there seems to be some reason that we've been guided so that we would learn these things. Wherever this path is heading, we're on it together--you, me, Red Moon, Grimm, Foxfire and the others. And just as soon as we can get you back home after completing our task at The Gathering, Red Moon and I are going to make you a part of our family and our clan, so you will really have a place to call 'home'."

Dahmietra hugged me tightly and sniffled, burying her face in the fur on my chest. Red Moon moved closer and nuzzled Dahmietra.

"We may not be the ones who brought you into this world, Dahmi, but we'll love you and take care of you as one of our own for as long as you're with us," she said giving Dahmietra a kiss on the cheek.

Dahmietra hugged Red Moon just as tightly as she had me and said, "Thank you that means a lot to me, to finally have a ma and da who loves me," she said with tears in her eyes.

"Even if they're furry?" I asked with a grin.

"Even so," Dahmietra managed to chuckle.

We got a couple hours of rest before waking up. It wasn't getting light yet, though the birds were already starting to stir a bit. Dawn would be soon coming, so we got up and broke camp. We got the boats back into the water, loaded up our supplies, and removed the traces of our campsite as best as we could. The air was still and a light fog was beginning to form in the low areas near the river as we started down the river. We paddled as quietly as we could until we were well past the village of Cedar Knoll to keep from attracting unwanted attention. About midmorning, we stopped to stretch and rest a while among the trees along the banks, snacking on what was left of the food given to us at the inn the night before. No one spoke much throughout the day as we traveled closer to our destination--even the usually cheerful Foxfire seemed to have a look of concern on her face. We stopped for the day near sunset in a location that provided good cover and made camp. Warri was able to spear some fish for our meal, and Brown Leaf found some wild herbs growing nearby for seasoning the meat. Watching Warri spear fishing was like watching a long legged water bird move slowly and stealthily before making a sudden strike. He certainly has a lot of patience for it, one has to give him that, and he never seems to miss. Even though we were only about a day away from the location of the gathering, we made a small fire to cook the fish and to make tea. Brown Leaf, Snow Spear, and Smoke Fire didn't see anyone in our vicinity, though they did see what might have been smoke from campfires over the horizon in the direction of where the gathering would be taking place. We decided that we should get some rest until it was good and dark, and then push on through the night to get as close as we could undetected. While we ate our meal, Dahmietra sat next to Warri and talked quietly together.

"Warri, are you going to tell them what you can do?" Dahmietra asked him after a few moments.

"I don't know...I'm concerned how they might react. I don't want people to think that I can hear everything they are thinking whenever I want without them knowing it," he replied.

"I can understand that...but with what might be ahead, it could be useful, even necessary. If they knew you can send your thoughts, they might not think they're going crazy or get distracted at the wrong moment," Dahmietra argued.

"I suppose that's a good point. Still, it isn't going to be easy to tell them," Warri said with some apprehension.

Dahmietra took Warri's hand and said, "We can tell them together."

Warri looked for a long moment in Dahmietra's eyes, then lowered his ears slightly in resignation and nodded.

After we had finished our meal, put things away and waited for it to get dark, Dahmietra and Warri came over to where Red Moon and I were sitting.

"May we talk with you about something?" Dahmietra asked the both of us.

"Why certainly, what's on your mind?" Red Moon asked as she patted the ground in front of us.

Dahmietra sat down close in front of Red Moon and Warri, with a slight amount of hesitation, sat close next to Dahmietra and in front of me. I could see that something was weighing heavily on Warri's thoughts even without sensing it, though I could feel his apprehension.

"What is it, Warri?" I asked gently.

"Well, Sire...I-I'm not sure how this is going to be taken,"

Warri started to explain, lowering his ears and trying to look small.

Dahmietra took his hand and said, "Go on, Warri, you can tell them."

He cleared his throat, paused, and continued.

"Sire, you know how you can sense what others are feeling and also project what you're feeling to them?" I nodded my head. "Well, I...found that I can do something like that, too...only, more so. I wasn't sure about it until Dahmietra and I discovered it while at your den. We were out in the front when it happened."

Dahmietra broke in and added, "We tested it to see how far he could do it. It wasn't too far at first, but he's been getting better at it...at least with me."

Red Moon and I exchange confused glances with each other, and then I asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Well, it seems--at least between Dahmietra and I--that I can hear her thoughts and send mine to her. I can 'talk' to her using my mind: she hears me and I can hear her."

Red Moon and I just sat and stared.

"And that's not all," Dahmietra continued, "somehow he was able to show me how he sees things at night and I could also hear and smell all the things he could. It was amazing! He was touching me and I could see myself through his night sight...it was really strange, but now I have an idea how sensitive your senses are."

"It really was difficult, and it made my head hurt for a while, and I couldn't do it for long," Warri said.

Seeing the expressions on our faces, Dahmietra added, "He's been really concerned about telling anyone about it because he's afraid that everyone will think that he can just 'listen in' on whatever they're thinking without them knowing about it, but it doesn't seem to work like that...at least he hasn't tried to. I thought maybe he should say something about it because of what might be ahead...it might be useful, or even necessary."

After a moment or two, I said, "That's quite a talent you have there, Warri. I can't think of anyone I've heard of who can do what you just told us. But you know, before we left home, Grimm and I wondered if maybe you might have such a talent...or were just really intuitive because you seemed to be able to anticipate what was needed before anyone said anything to you about it."

Warri seemed almost visibly relieved that I had already suspected.

"Sire, I must admit that sometimes I can hear what others are thinking when they're close, but not always. I never really thought much about it until recently when Dahmietra and I have experimented with it. I can also sometimes see things before they happen, though I haven't really tried to work on that yet--just has been too much going on lately to have enough quiet time to try."

"I understand, Warri. It takes time to learn about and understand a talent when it begins to manifest itself. Foxfire, for example, has had quite a time with controlling hers since it's active all of the time and has been since she was just a little cubling. And even for myself, it took me a while to understand my ability to sense feelings and project my own...my ability to heal others was expected, but my ability to travel by the Hidden Ways was rather unsettling at first."

Dahmietra asked, "Is one of your parents a healer?"

Warri looked at Dahmietra and said quietly, "Lore Mistress Fire Weaver is his mother."

Dahmietra's jaw dropped in astonishment.

"You didn't know he was so highly placed in the clan, did you, Dahmi?" Red Moon asked, smiling. "I didn't realize it myself until Mist Runner told me one day that I was invited to have evening meal with his dam--that was shortly after I had moved in with him," she added. "

Warri, would you mind giving me a little demonstration of your mind-speak ability?" I asked.

"I'll try to, Sire." Warri shifted his thoughts and reached out to me with his mind. "Sire, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Warri, I can hear you loud and clear," I replied in my thoughts. "How far out do you think you can do this to?" I asked.

"So far, Dahmietra and I have tried as far as about twenty paces and have been successful...I think I might be able to go much further than that for a short while," Warri replied.

"That is remarkable, Warri! It was so clear...was it any different for you to do that with me than it is with Dahmietra?" I asked excitedly.

"Well, actually Sire, it seemed easy enough to communicate with you that way...maybe because your empathic abilities are similar in nature it didn't take much effort at all," Warri said thoughtfully.

"That's a possibility," I said.

"Try with me, Warri," Red Moon offered next.

Warri shot a quick look at me and I nodded my head for him to try.

"Dam, can you hear me?" Warri sent to her.

"Why, yes I can! Wow, I wish I could do this, too! I could really tell Mist Runner...," Red Moon's thoughts drifted to something of a more private nature and Warri immediately broke off contact.

"Please Dam, it helps to keep your thoughts to just talking...I...don't wish to hear what else you might be thinking!"

Warri was rather embarrassed at inadvertently catching part of what else Red Moon had on her mind. At first Red Moon was confused, then when she realized what Warri was talking about, her eyes grew wide, and she covered her mouth with her hand in surprise. "Oh, my...!" was all she could say. Dahmietra had to look away to hide the smile on her face and to keep from giggling. Having become "tuned" to Red Moon's feelings, I sensed the underlying emotion to the thoughts that got Warri embarrassed, so I had an idea as to what had happened. I tried not to chuckle.

"Well, okay, I guess we have a pretty good idea now," I said with a grin. "I suppose we should tell the others, though perhaps we should keep the demonstrations to a minimum...and it probably wouldn't be a good idea for you to try with Foxfire. That might be too much for you to deal with."

"Warri seems to be able to block her effect to an extent," Dahmietra said.

"How did you find this out?" I asked.

"It was back at the outpost...when Night Song was bringing that kettle of stew towards the room," Dahmietra explained. "The three of us were at the back of the room while everyone else was ready to jump on whatever might come through the door. Warri was between Foxfire and me and we were doing the 'mind-talk' thing while holding hands. I could feel a strong, motherly sensation wash over me and things were beginning to get fuzzy again, but then I felt it get pushed back so I asked Warri if he was somehow blocking the effect, and he said that he was trying to."

"It was quite a strain, Sire...I didn't think I was going to be able to hold it back from affecting Dahmietra for very long. Thankfully I didn't have to," Warri continued.

"So, does Foxfire affect you like she does everyone else?" Red Moon asked.

"While we have been traveling in the boat together, I'm always aware of her presence, but I build a wall in my mind to block as much of it as I can. To answer your question, though, yes she does," Warri explained.

"Well, then I guess the two of us have the best chance of blocking her effect," I said to Warri.

"What about enhancing it?" Red Moon asked excitedly.

"Why would we want to do that, dear?" I asked rather puzzled by her question.

"To make it stronger, cover more area--for The Gathering," Red Moon replied.

"Well, it's a thought, but Dahmietra and I are going to be catching the full force of whatever Foxfire is going to do...and I need to keep my wits about me long enough to get us out of there," I countered.

"Oh, I forgot about that," Red Moon said with a bit of embarrassment.

"That's okay dear; it might be something to try at some point. Well, I guess we should let the others know about Warri's ability so in case he needs to use it they won't be surprised by it," I decided.

The announcement to the rest of our group about Warri's talent seemed to be taken well, much to his relief. Grimm did have an interesting question about whether or not Warri could send his thoughts out to more than one person at a time, which of course he hadn't tried to do yet.

"Just try shouting out something in your mind and see if we hear it," Snow Spear suggested.

It seemed like a simple enough idea so Warri tried it.

"Behind you!" he yelled in his thoughts, not directing it to anyone in particular.

Foxfire was startled by the intensity of the mental shout (Warri normally being soft spoken) and instinctively turned to look behind her, half expecting something to jump out of the bushes.

"Gee, Warri, that was certainly attention grabbing!" Foxfire said with mild embarrassment.

Grimm was suitably impressed as was the rest of the group, though I had to put a hold on the questions and discussions because we needed to get a bit of rest before pushing on after it got dark. I was getting anxious to get this thing over with and head back home so that I could tell the Lore Masters what we had discovered...and to be able to have some much needed time alone with Red Moon.

As soon as it was dark, we broke camp and set out, our minds on our destination--near the location of the Great Gathering of religious leaders of Dahmietra's people, the Wastelanders. Around midnight we made a rest stop and saw a small herd of two-prongs. It would have been nice to hunt, but we had other more pressing concerns to deal with. The Wastelanders did not seem to be particularly skilled at hunting, preferring instead to keep their food animals in pens and tending their crops. This also meant that they were not particularly skilled trackers, which was good for us, since we can move at speed in the dark and they are nearly night-blind. We can be long gone before they are able (and willing, given their fear of the dark) to go out looking. A few hours of traveling on downstream from our last rest stop, we finally arrived close enough to our goal that we could easily cover the remaining distance on foot. We found a suitable hiding place for the boats and covered them, marking their location in a way that we could find them quickly but the Wastelanders could not. The easy part of our journey was done--now it was time to convince the Wastelanders that Dahmietra was no longer theirs to squabble over, and also if possible, to stop them from inciting a war with the Eastlanders...and our own people.