Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 08:08:41 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Sword of Kings - chapter 14

Legal Notice:
The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts.
The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.

Don't read this story if:
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I wish to extend my thank you to Ed for his editorial assistance with this
chapter.

If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive'
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               *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

The Sword of Kings-by BW (Fantasy/Sci Fi).       Copyright 2000 by billwstories
Chapter 14 - A winter of despair.                January 2001

Kieren waved at Beraut one final time before they parted company, then he
turned and trotted to catch up with his protectors.  Even though they were
responsible for his safety, they gave him some room to say good-bye to the
wizard in his own way.  They knew that he was feeling a great deal of
remorse and apprehension about being separated from the ancient mage again,
as he had grown very attached to him in the short time they had been
acquainted.  Already Kieren knew he would miss his mentor's counsel and
advice and, probably even more unsettling to him, he was also losing his
magical protection.  Even traveling with this group of battle-hardened
warriors and loyal friends who had already proven themselves many times, he
was still alarmingly uneasy about not having the wizard's enormous powers
and magical prowess around, in case the strength of mere mortals were to
fail them.  What if they encountered Madumda before Kieren had the chance
to locate the Sword?  He would certainly want the enchanter there to shield
him then.  When things had seemed impossible or their chances had seemed
bleak, Kieren always depended upon Beraut to guide and encourage him and
help him find his inner strength.  Now how was he going to cope with this
and being on his own?  Well, he knew that he wasn't actually alone and that
the wizard would be watching over him from a distance, but he still felt a
sense of abandonment and he felt very naked and alone in this strange land.
He bore a responsibility that no one else could share, although his mentor
had always made him feel that he was able to absorb some of that load for
him and knowing that always made him feel less burdened.  Suddenly the
prince felt as though he carried the weight of the entire world upon his
shoulders, and perhaps he did.

Kieren now began to appreciate more fully how much his boyhood friends had
done to try to comfort him and ease his mind of the immense pressures he
had felt ever since this task had been assigned to him, back in the Woods
of Wildoness.  As he considered their loyalty and devotion to him,
including acknowledging how close they had always been to each other, he
now realized that he had begun to act differently toward them when Beraut
was around.  When the wizard had been with the group, Kieren tended to pull
away from his lifelong friends and ignore them, relying instead, more and
more, on his new father figure.  Had he actually been as rude to them as he
now imagined and would his two friends understand what he was going through
and be able to forgive his sometimes seemingly callous manner?  At that
moment he decided that he would have to make it up to his youthful comrades
and seek their forgiveness before they reached Treblanc.  By now he had
caught up to the others and he trotted between Garreth and Romaric, lifting
an arm up and over each one's shoulder, and he made a quip about deciding
this might be a good time to sneak off to the confectioner's shop.  The two
young elves gave him a puzzled look and then burst into laughter when they
realized that this comment had been meant as a joke.  The boys continued to
walk like this, as one broad, single, six-legged, three-headed creature,
once again enjoying each other's company and reveling in the fact that they
were still together.

They continued on for a while longer, but now they were back walking in a
single file.  They had remembered Beraut's admonition to travel away from
the base of the mountains and to stick to the chest-high field of grasses
instead.  This sea of vegetation extended to the north, and out of
eyesight, but it would help to conceal and protect them, and the path left
by their single-file advance would be barely noticeable to anyone not at
this level.  He also warned them that, even though the winged guardian
might not notice their traces of their journey, it would notice any
movement and might be enticed to investigate such an occurrence.
Therefore, the seer had advised them to be ever vigilant, remain motionless
while the aerial watchdog was about, and to proceed as rapidly as they
could, without becoming careless.  Those words were enough to encourage
them to use extreme caution, especially after having seen that huge beast
for themselves earlier, so onward they went, as quickly as they could,
while still watching for its approach.

The going was fairly easy, as they moved through the fields of tall
grasses, and they did not encounter the types of problems they had moving
across the Valley of the Dead.  They were able to continue on at a fairly
brisk pace and had gone a considerable distance before Alaric signaled
everyone to crouch and remain motionless, pointing toward the mountain
range and then putting a finger over his lips, signaling them to also be
quiet.  The younger prince moved his head ever so slowly and soon located
what he was looking for, the familiar, dark form soaring through the air to
his right.  The group remained like this until the keen-sighted elf alerted
them that they could continue on their way and that the threat had abated
for now.  They resumed their journey forward, with the boys continually
pivoting in all directions in search of that unwanted visitor, until Hadwin
signaled them to halt.

"What is it this time?" Kieren wanted to know.

"I believe something else has also been traveling these meadows," responded
the stern-faced warrior, "as the grasses have been trampled down in various
directions, some showing signs of having been this way for quite a while."

"Can you tell what might have caused these trails?" asked Romaric.  "Was it
a war party or some other servant of Madumda?"

"From what I can tell, it appears to be an animal or a small group of
animals that have been wandering through this same area.  The ground is too
firm for them to have left any identifiable impressions but, from the
uneven trampling of the vegetation, I'd be willing to say that whatever
passed through here was not wearing boots.  I'm not sure that means
anything significant, but it would seem to indicate that they were probably
not warriors, at least not the types we are familiar with.  I would suggest
that we should all start being more vigilant about noises or movement in
this area, and that we should remain as quiet as possible, only speaking in
whispers when required."

"Oh, great!" sighed Garreth.  "Not only do we have to watch for that darn
bird, but now we have to worry about things walking or crawling around us
too."

"Aye, my irritated young friend," began Alaric, "unless you wouldn't mind
being the main course for their next meal."

"No, thank you," responded Garreth.  "It's just that we had enough to worry
about without this."

"That is true," chimed in Rhys, "but that doesn't change the situation.  We
have to learn to deal with problems as they arise.  It is better to be
aware of this new situation than to absent-mindedly wander into something
that you're not ready for."

"Of course you're right," Garreth told him, 'it's just that I don't like
surprises any more, especially the types of surprises that you are all
warning us about."

"We all agree with you on that point," Rhys agreed, "but forewarned is
forearmed.  To know that something might be out here gives you the chance
to protect against it.  We must use this knowledge to our advantage."

All three boys nodded in agreement, gave each other a little nonverbal
support, and then fell into the middle of the party as they were instructed
to do.  The trio's heads were now rotating in all directions, as they
searched the sky above the mountain range for that stupid bird, before they
did a three hundred and sixty degree scan of the ground around them.  This
constant surveillance slowed their progress significantly, but they
remained on a high state of alert in order to avoid any more surprises.
They had not gone much farther before they were again signaled to stop.
This time it was Sedain who had halted them and he came back to inform them
of the reason for this precaution.

"Hadwin has discovered another path that crosses our own and he is now
trying to determine if it might be caused by the same creature or creatures
wandering back and forth or if this path is the result of something totally
different passing through.  I will check with him and see if he has decided
which case to be true.  I will let you know what I discover, as soon as
possible."

Kieren thanked the dwarf as he was departing and then watched him move to
where Hadwin, Rhys, and Alaric were crouching.  They carried on a very
animated discussion, fingers pointing and arms waving in various
directions, as they debated amongst themselves just what had made these
tracks.  After several minutes, Sedain returned with his report.

"I believe we have reached a consensus concerning these tracks.  We believe
that they were made by the same creature or by other creatures similar to
it, though there isn't much to base this assessment on.  Once again, the
ground is not soft enough to record a good footprint or tell us what
direction the creature was traveling in.  From what we can tell, however,
this appears to be an individual or small group of animals that have been
moving back and forth, possibly in search of food.  We do not feel that
this should be of any concern for alarm, although we all agree that we must
remain watchful.  We are nearly ready to resume our travels."

The youths stood and waited for their guardians to signal them forward,
which did happen momentarily, and then they were off again.  Feeling
slightly uneasy, Kieren remembered the cloak he was wearing, the one Beraut
had presented to him before this mission began, and he slowly reached back
to locate his hood and make certain that he could find it easily should the
need arise.  They had only gone a few paces when Alaric signaled them to
halt once more and had them form in a circle around him.

"What disturbeth thee?" asked Turquinine.

"I have picked up the sound of something off to our left and I cannot make
out what it is.  It is not a sound that I have heard before and there is
nothing in my experience that I can compare it to.  It seems to be an
animal-like noise, though not quite a grunt, growl, or a squeal.  I believe
that I should go and investigate the source and identify what it is that is
out there."

The others reluctantly agreed with him and Doenilio volunteered to
accompany the elf on this venture.  They were just turning around, ready to
move out in the direction that Alaric had heard the noises, when several
large, white, furry creatures burst in upon them.  These animals seemed
more surprised about finding the companions than the armed party did of
having these creatures suddenly come upon them.  At least the warriors had
suspected the presence of the others, but these animals were totally
unprepared for encountering anything of this nature.  Kieren's protectors
all drew their weapons, not sure what to expect next, and these animals
soon became aggressive and began to assault the group.  The warriors
battled back, their blades flashed as they slashed and thrust at these new
opponents, and soon there were dark red stains appearing on those
lily-white fur coats.  The aggressors, stunned briefly by the ferociousness
of the defense, withdrew slightly, just out of range of the weapons, and
ceased the attack.  Quintain, recognizing his assailants, shouted a quick
command.

"Hurry, all of you, and head for the mountains.  We must get to the
Citadels as soon as we can and use the boulders to protect ourselves from
their razor-sharp claws.  Be off and take the prince with you, while my
cousin, brother, and I hold them off.  Move quickly, before they renew
their attack."

Not waiting to find out if the dwarf's assessment was correct, the others
set out for the mountains and the protection that Quintain had indicated
that the rocky slopes offered them.  Kieren glanced back to see the dwarfs
quickly moving in the same direction, while still holding off the beasts
that had surprised them.  Occasionally the dwarfs would stop, make a few
hasty swipes at their pursuers, and then resume their retreat toward the
Citadel Mountains and the others, as their opponents moved back from the
sting of the sharp blades.  The rest of the group had now reached the base
of the mountain range and they stopped and watched the dwarfs, to determine
if they needed assistance.  They soon decided that the three sturdy
soldiers appeared to have things under control, so they turned and started
moving up the mountain's slope.  It wasn't long before the dwarfs had
rejoined them.

"Move higher," shouted Quintain.  "We must move farther up the hillside and
find more cover."  The others obeyed, without hesitation, and stopped only
when the dwarf told them it was safe to do so.

"What the devil were they?" Alaric wanted to know.

"Those were snow apes," answered Sedain, "creatures of the mountains.  For
some reason they have left the Citadels to forage for food in the valley,
something they seldom, if ever, do.  They must have been extremely hungry
or frightened to have attacked an armed party."

"If they live in these mountains, then why did we head here?" asked Hadwin.

"Because it is here, in the mountains, where we can best defend ourselves
against them.  Any techniques we know of are based upon being in this type
of terrain and I didn't feel like experimenting with new methods to defend
against them in an open ground engagement.  Trust my experience in these
matters, we can best protect the prince by taking advantage of the natural
shielding the mountains will give us."

"Me no like big beasties," interjected a timid voice.

For the first time since Beraut had left them, Kieren remembered about Qaim
and he looked to find their supposed new guide.  The prince scanned the
area quickly, until he located the creature, and he was shocked by Qaim's
change in appearance.  The aignx's long dark brown coat of thick fur was a
tangled mess, once more interlaced with grass, twigs, and dirt.  He now
looked nearly as disgusting as he had on their first encounter in
Briarwood.  Qaim was slowly working his way toward Kieren, though his eyes
never stopped searching around him for those other unwanted visitors, and a
slight tremor began to creep over his torso.

"Well, I do not suppose you do," replied Kieren.  "Where have you been
hiding?"

"Qaim no hide.  Qaim here all the time."

"He's right, Kieren," interjected Rhys, "though he sometimes proved rather
difficult to locate.  He never left us at any time."

"I just haven't remembered seeing him, that's all," Kieren replied, and
then changed the subject.  "What about those snow apes?  Where are they
now?"

"They are still lurking down in the grasses, just beyond the base of the
mountain.  I still don't understand why they didn't follow us here,"
answered Quintain.  "This is their home and I see no reason why they
wouldn't have chased us here.  They weren't afraid of our weapons earlier,
so why now?"

"Perchance they thinketh us foolhardy enough to re-enter the grasslands,"
responded Turquinine.

"I don't believe that would be the reason," stated Doenilio, "for they
would be more than happy to attack us on familiar ground.  I would venture
a guess that they were more afraid of being here than they were excited
about possibly ending their hunger.  I would feel better, however, if I
knew why they did not wish to follow us here."

"I don't believe that matters," Sedain informed them, "as long as we are
smart enough to use this to our advantage.  I suggest that we stay in the
mountains until we have safely passed beyond their reach.  I recommend that
we choose a route that will take us from here to the back entrance of
Treblanc, one that would keep us from re-entering the valley and the
dangers that those tall grasses are hiding."

"Wait!  Press closer to the boulders," warned Alaric, without raising his
voice.  Everyone did as they were told, having learned that there are
generally very good reasons for such requests, and they all hugged the
boulders nearest to them as tightly as they could.  They remained that way,
not daring to move a muscle and hardly daring to breathe.  Suddenly a dark
shadow passed over them, swooping down upon the valley, and there was much
screeching in the valley, then the shadow passed over them once more and
disappeared.  The others remained motionless until they heard Alaric give
them the all clear sign.

"What was it?" Garreth asked, as soon as he felt it was safe to speak.

"It was the giant condor again," Alaric responded, sending a chill up their
spines.  With the snow apes in front of them, the others had forgotten all
about that blasted bird.  Thank goodness that Alaric had kept his wits
about him and remembered to scan the horizon.  Now he explained what had
happened.  "I was watching the grasses for the snow apes when I just
happened to take a quick peek at the sky.  Out of the corner of my eye, I
caught the flapping of those giant wings and I signaled you."

"And it was a mighty good thing that you did," declared Rhys.  "I take it
that the screams we heard was from the snow apes as they were being
attacked?  It was probably that feathered monster that scared those poor
devils out of their mountain home in the first place, and the reason they
are so reluctant to come back up here."

"Poor devils?" cried Sedain.  "Those poor devils wanted to slice us open
and make a meal out of us.  You certainly have a strange way of describing
your enemies."  The dwarf took a few seconds to regain his composure,
visibly upset with Rhys' description of the snow apes.  When he had calmed
back down, he continued.  "You are quite likely correct in your appraisal
of the situation, however.  The snow apes are most assuredly as concerned
about becoming a snack for that winged scout as we are of becoming a meal
for them."

"Madumda's pet did reduce their number by one in that attack, having
grasped one of their members in its claws before it flew back over us."

"I'd rather not stay here and discuss the situation," Hadwin commented.
"Let's get moving before the snow apes let their hunger overcome their fear
or that miserable bird returns."

"Hadwin is quite correct, so follow me," commented Sedain, and the others
soon fell into position behind him.

Sedain believed that they would be less likely to encounter more snow apes
at the higher altitudes, so they began the arduous climb upward, while
still moving in the direction of Treblanc.  Kieren was the first to notice
that it was getting cooler as they traveled higher, so he pulled his hood
over his head for warmth.  Garreth noticed him doing so and commented that
it was a good idea, so he and Romaric soon followed suit.  The others also
noticed that it was getting colder, but thought no more about it.until they
began to encounter snow.

"Isn't it a bit early for this?" Alaric questioned.

"Yes, it is early," commented Doenilio, "but not unheard of.  It probably
won't last long, because it is premature, except at the much higher reaches
of the mountains. The mountains may experience snowfall all year long, but
these occurrences are generally brief and the snow usually melts rapidly at
these lower levels."

The three boys had not been paying attention to what was being said,
because they were focusing their complete attention on the white flakes
that were gently cascading around them.  Having grown up in the Woods of
Wildoness and its moderate climate, they had never seen snow before.  They
were fascinated with its beauty and its apparently delicate structure but
even more fascinating, after enough of it had accumulated on the rocks
around them, they began to experiment with its texture and adhesive
qualities.  It didn't take them long to discover that somewhat harmless
projectiles could be constructed by compressing a bunch of it in their
hands and they used them to assault the others, thus leading to a youthful
snowball fight.  The trio began to run from one accumulation point to the
next, gathering what snow was there and making their hasty weapon before
firing it at one of the other two or, occasionally, at one of the adult
members of the party.  Even over the warning from the warriors that they
should not be wandering away like that, they were too fascinated by this
new phenomenon and they let their playful adolescence dictate their
actions.  The warriors did scan the area around them cautiously, looking
for signs of danger, but then deemed it safe enough to let the boys have
some fun, which the warriors felt might be a needed distraction for the
trio.  The boys would have to seek out areas where more snow had collected,
so they could repeat the procedure of making more projectiles and pelting
anyone who got into the line of fire.  After letting this continue for a
few minutes, the warriors finally tried to get them to calm down, so they
could resume their progress and not alert the attention of
who-knows-what-else by their activities.  At first the boys resisted
stopping, but then they gave in, as their fingers were becoming cold and
numb from packing the snowballs.  It was at this point that they ended the
fracas and tried to warm their hands by placing them in their armpits or
wrapping them into the folds of their cloaks.

Now the group continued their climb upward, moving gradually into the upper
reaches of the mountains, until they discovered a ridge, running almost
parallel to the valley floor, and decided to use this as their route
forward.  This discovery offered them a somewhat flat walkway, over which
they could travel fairly easily, and the dwarfs thought this looked as if
it would take them close to their destination.  Carefully they set along
this narrow shelf, but they had to proceed in single file.  As they
continued to move forward, they found the snow had begun to accumulate on
the ground around them and that it was beginning to adhere to the soles of
their boots.  This made it more difficult for them to walk, as their
footing continued to grow more treacherous, and their pace slowed to not
much more than a crawl.  This whole process was tense and tiring.  They had
to carefully watch where they stepped, so they wouldn't lose their footing
and plummet down the mountain slope, and the accumulation of snow on their
boots was making their footwear heavy and taking more energy to continue
lifting them as they walked.  The dwarfs quickly assessed the situation and
realized that they would all need to stop and rest soon, but this ledge
wasn't wide enough for that luxury.  Out of necessity they continued on,
though Quintain, who was at the front of this column, volunteered to go on
ahead and search for a place they could stop and make camp.  The others
agreed to allow him to do this, but they also continued to press on as the
dwarf slowly disappeared from sight.  It was quite some time before they
saw him again and, when he returned, he was able to tell them that he had
located an area that would be suitable as a campsite.

"I have found a place that is fairly open and flat, but you will have to
make a somewhat arduous climb to reach it.  It is a little higher up the
mountain slope, but it is the only location that I found that would be
suitable for a camp and would protect us from the elements."

After a brief discussion, the others agreed to move to this new site.  The
dwarf had not underestimated the climb, for indeed it was a difficult place
to reach.  Quintain led the way, pointing out where there were hand and
foot holds in the rocky slopes, so the others would find it easier to made
the climb.  The others willingly followed him, though it was difficult and
their fingers and toes started to grow numb almost from the beginning of
this climb, but slowly they made their way higher, toward this safe haven.
The other two dwarfs brought up the rear of the group, to help the
stragglers and to protect their backsides in case other dangers should
suddenly appear, as they were the most experienced in this terrain.

The inexperienced mountain climbers began to encounter difficulties in
their ascent and they had to be continually encouraged and coached by the
three dwarfs.  The novices found that their hands were not only becoming
frozen and numb, but they were also being cut and bruised by the jagged
rocks and the sharp pieces of ice that covered their path.  They were fast
losing feeling in their fingers as the cold seeped down under the skin and
numbed the nerves in their hands and arms, which also prevented them from
feeling where the skin had been cut open or pinched between the rocky
surfaces.  The boys were just beginning to feel that they could go no
farther when they reached their destination.

It was a good spot, as Quintain had stated, and it turned out to be on the
leeward side of a wall of boulders.  The ground here had only a moderate
covering of snow, which was far better than the amount covering the
surrounding areas, but it was still not completely ideal.  The boulders,
which blocked the wind and kept the drifting snow from accumulating in this
place, could also be used as one side of their shelter and the base from
which they could secure their makeshift tents.  Hadwin had suggested that
they could use some of their blankets to construct tents, and he was now
giving them directions on how to rig them.

Each of the boys quickly donated one of their two blankets, agreeing that
they could huddle together using their remaining bedding, and the three
dwarfs did the same.  Hadwin and Alaric also agreed to double-up, thus
freeing up some of their blankets for this purpose, but everyone agreed
that Turquinine and Rhys were both too large to share a blanket with anyone
else.  For that reason, those two remained to sleep alone, which they later
confessed was the one time their size was a disadvantage.  By having to
sleep alone, they were not able to take advantage of a collection of body
heat under their blanket and they regretted this fact throughout the
evening, and they shivered as the cold worked its way right through to
their bones.  Qaim, on the other hand, already had his own fur blanket
attached to him and he always shied away from the others when sleeping,
preferring to rely on his own instincts and wits, which had served him so
well in the past.

Hadwin was actually the one who came up with the method to make their
shelter, connecting some of the blankets together in such a way to make one
very large piece of cloth, which was then used to be the main part of the
tent.  The rear of the shelter was secured about the boulders, while the
front was supported by the warriors' weapons, as a pike and a lance were
jammed into the snowy ground to support the cloth.  He used the remaining
blanket to make a flap, which covered the front of the tent and completed
enclosing their temporary home.  Once inside, they found it was rather cozy
and it offered a welcomed relief to the gusting wind and falling snow.
When the front flap was closed, it grew very dark inside, so they braced
open a corner of the flap to let in a little light.  The others commented
on Hadwin's talent at improvisation and then they told him how appreciative
they were for his ingenuity.  Hadwin accepted the praise with great
humility.

They all took this opportunity to change into some dry clothing, shedding
their wet garments quickly and drying as best they could, before they put
on the new apparel.  They moved quite quickly, as it was still very cold
out, but they all felt much better once they were dressed in dry clothes
again.  At that point they sat down on their remaining folded blankets,
giving them someplace dry and not freezing to chat for a while before
turning in.

"Do you think that damnable bird will discover us here?" asked Rhys.

"No," responded Sedain.  "First of all, I believe the weather is too bad
for it to fly around in and, secondly, I'm sure the snow is accumulating
quickly enough on the exterior to make our sanctuary blend in with the
surrounding area and cover any signs of our passing.  We should be able to
rest safely here until morning, though we will still post a guard just to
make certain."

Convinced by his answer and being able to put their worries aside, they all
began to realize how hungry they were.  This was due to several factors,
including the long time since their last meal and the fact they had exerted
so much energy on the climb to this place.  They immediately rummaged
through their gear to select something suitable to silence their grumbling
bellies.  It was not a sumptuous feast, but it served its purpose, and now
they could move on to other things.  One of the boys asked if they couldn't
find materials with which they could build a fire and help keep them warm,
but it was decided that this wouldn't be prudent.  Even if they could find
material dry enough to burn, the light from the fire would be enough to
disclose their location to whoever else might be out there.  The firelight
would be noticeable for leagues in the dark and would be a sure sign to
anyone noticing that there were intruders in the mountains.  Qaim asked if
they could put the fire inside the tent, and one of the soldiers had to
advise him that the smoke would collect inside and overcome them or, if
vented, could be smelled by others, including that bird, if it should fly
over again.  Once anyone picked up the scent of smoke, those smelling it
would come to investigate the source and discover their camp.  No, no
matter how uncomfortable it would be, they would have to do without a fire.

By now they were engulfed in darkness and it was the youthful trio who
first decided that it was time for sleep.  They had previously picked out
their spot to set up, spread some of their clothing on top of the snow, to
insulate them from the cold, and then they placed one of the blankets over
that.  Now they settled down on that area, before they drew the other two
blankets up and over them, to trap their body heat and to help to keep them
warm.  They were already nearly asleep when the others followed their lead,
crawling into their bedding, which they had set up in a similar fashion,
and turned in for the evening.

It was a far from pleasant night's sleep, having to adjust to the cold that
still crept into their bones from below and from the frigid air within
their makeshift tent, but they were able to drift off from time to time,
with the length of time varying for each member of the party.  The boys
actually slept the best, as their youthful resilience and higher metabolism
seemed to counteract the effects of the cold, while Turquinine and Rhys
slept the poorest.  This was primarily from not having the additional body
heat to help warm them and because they each tried to use their two
blankets as one, with half folded under them and half wrapped over their
torso.  When the members of the party awoke the following morning, they
were suffering from varying degrees of soreness and stiffening of their
muscles, as well as from different levels of tiredness and bad-humor.
After some grumbling and spending the first few minutes trying to warm up
and get the blood circulating again, they grabbed another quick meal,
anxious to get moving once more.

Leaving the protection of their temporary shelter, they soon discovered
that it had been completely cloaked with a fair accumulation of snow and
all traces of their journey had been completely obscured by the falling and
drifting flakes.  Quickly they set about disassembling this structure and
repacking everything for the next leg of their journey.  Turquinine offered
to put the entire combined covering into his pack and carry it for the
duration of the march, so they wouldn't have to continue to take it apart
and put it back together each time they camped.  He felt that he would be
able to take the additional weight of this gear better than the others, for
he knew that he was the strongest of the group.  Even though the blankets
didn't weigh that much alone, having absorbed some of the moisture from the
snow gave them more weight, and the knight had decided to accept that
burden.  No one was willing to argue with his generous offer, so the giant
of a man soon folded up this collection of blankets and stowed it with his
other things.

It was still snowing when they resumed their march, though it was more of a
gentle snowfall now, but they didn't seem to mind it that much, especially
as their bodies began to warm up from the exertion of continuing forward.
The dwarfs had located a new path, which was fairly flat and would help to
make the hike slightly easier, and they trudged onward through the gently
falling flakes.  This leg of the journey was not without some discomfort,
however, as they strained to lift their legs upward to wade through the
accumulation of white stuff on the ground.  Alaric maintained a watchful
eye on the horizon and soon discerned the movement of the giant condor in
the distance, and he signaled the others to take cover.  Quickly they found
whatever hiding places they could, hiding in the shadows of nearby boulders
and staying motionless until that annoying creature was once again out of
sight.  Kieren was worried that the giant beast would notice their tracks
through the snow and he mentioned that fact to the warriors.  They said
that they had considered this too, but they concluded that the condor's
vision was also slightly impaired by the white haze of falling snow, making
it difficult for it to discern such minor incongruities, as it might have
done on a nicer day.  Their concerns proved unnecessary, however, as the
snowfall began to increase and the drifting surface flakes effectively
covered any traces of their journey just a short time after they passed
through.

They continued on like this until it neared midday and then they held a
hasty conference concerning a break.  Each member was polled as to whether
he wished to stop, eat, and rest for a short time or take the option of
trying to eat what they could as they continued on.  It was their unanimous
decision to keep moving and eat along the way, but they stopped long enough
to rummage for something from their packs first.  Kieren took this
opportunity to watch the others as they marched along, studying their
facial expressions, noticing how they carried themselves, and noting their
general disposition as they struggled forward.  He was trying to determine
how each member of this party was holding up under these conditions, noting
that the warriors seemed to slough these hardships off as commonplace.  He
almost burst out laughing when he finally located Qaim, for the shaggy
haired creature was covered with snow and looked like a giant snowball on a
pair of spindly legs.  Despite his appearance, Qaim seemed to be among the
least affected by this run of bad weather and he continued on with a bit of
a spring still left in his gait.

The snowfall continued to increase steadily as they moved forward, until
they were now facing near white-out conditions.  The blizzard was making it
impossible to see even a short distance in front of them and it was
increasing the chance of mishap.  Sedain stopped the party briefly and took
a collection of ropes from the various packs.  He tied them from the waist
of one person to the waist of the person in front of him, so they wouldn't
accidentally get separated in this blinding storm and, if someone did
stumble or slip, they would not plummet down the mountainside before
someone could save them.  After this had been completed, they continued to
trudge onward at the dwarfs' urging, as these diminutive mountain-men knew
that it was be unwise to stop or slow down, letting their body temperature
begin to drop, putting them in jeopardy of suffering from hypothermia in
these extreme conditions.  To prevent this from happening, the dwarfs urged
their companions forward and attempted to encourage them by using any means
possible.  Even though they kept the others doggedly moving forward, they
couldn't keep their spirits up.  Try as they might, their friends' spirits
sank with every passing minute, as the increasing snow was making them cold
and miserable, as well as making the journey more arduous.  They were
becoming very tired from all this strenuous effort, as well as being cold
and damp, and their stomachs were swearing at them for not putting anything
into them for hours.  They considered eating on the move again, but gave up
on that idea quite quickly, as they would need their arms and hands to help
keep their balance and to catch themselves in the event that they slipped
or stumbled.  All of them now, including the dwarfs, were losing their
optimism and depression was beginning to run rampant among the small
contingent.  Kieren recognized this and he immediately tried to think up a
way to distract the others from their concerns, like he had done before by
getting them to share information about their lives.  This time, however,
he could not come up with a plan he thought would be effective.

As their pace slowed and their spirits slipped even lower, they knew that
they would eventually have to stop for the night.  Without saying a word to
each other, they all knew that they wouldn't survive in another makeshift
camp, like the previous evening, because the weight of the much greater
quantity of falling snow would collapse the tent in no time at all.  It was
Turquinine who eventually solved this problem, quite ingeniously and
unexpectedly.  They were passing an area where the drifting and
accumulating snow had left a mound of considerable size, when the knight
went into action.  Because of the weight of the snow involved and the fact
that it was a wet, packing type of snowfall, the mound was very dense and
quite solid.  The knight asked to borrow Doenilio's battleaxe, which the
dwarf parted with rather hesitantly, and the giant of a man got down on his
knees and started to hack away at the leeward side of the mound.  He
chipped away at the icy mass, hollowing it out as he went, when the three
dwarfs recognized his intentions and urged him to let them take over the
task.  They explained that their experience with tunneling made them better
suited for this type of activity and the Mitikuan was more than happy to
accede to their demand.  This was not only due to the fact that it was a
grueling effort, but his hands and fingers were already beginning to numb
from the extreme cold of the material he was burrowing in.  The dwarfs dove
into the task with pure relish and a great deal of vigor.  Though the
others couldn't see into this hewn chamber, they watched intently as the
dwarfs emerged every few minutes, dragging blankets full of snow they had
removed from inside.  The others would take this snow and pack it into the
outer areas of this mound, to increase its size and allow the dwarfs to
make the room inside even larger.  It also kept them from letting their
body temperatures drop to dangerous levels and having to deal with any
signs of hypothermia or frostbite as a result of inactivity.

The dwarfs were beaming with pride when they finally announced to the
others that their sanctuary had been completed and they invited them inside
to check it out.  It was surprisingly large inside this snow lodge, meaning
that it was large in all directions except for the height of the chamber.
The boys soon discovered that they could walk about on their knees, but
they couldn't stand on their feet unless they bent at their waists.  The
larger warriors had to move around on all fours, while the dwarfs could
actually walk about almost normally.  No one was bothered by any of this,
seeing it meant they would get their extra blankets back tonight, and they
would actually be able to use them to keep themselves warm.  They did use
one blanket to cover the opening and keep the wind and anything else from
sneaking inside.  They tied the upper ends of the blanket to knives they
had stuck into the icy walls, and they placed the packs against the sides
and base, to hold it securely into place.  That way they could move them
easily to go in and out, especially when nature called.  They began to
settle in, spreading excess clothing over the snow before they placed a
blanket over it, to make a comfortable mattress.  Once they had finished
this task, they sat on their bedding and eagerly dug into the packs for
food.

"Does anyone know how far we've come?" asked Kieren.  They all looked at
each other, scanning faces to see if anyone had a clue about how to
respond, before Quintain broke the silence.

"I have not been in this mountain range very often before this, but I would
venture to guess that we are only about halfway to where we need to go.  I
can't be certain, but I would say that we should find the entrance to
Treblanc in two more days."

"Two more days?" Romaric asked.  "You mean we still have to spend two more
days traveling through all that snow and wind?"

"That would be my best guess," the dwarf told him.  "I know that's not a
pleasant prospect, but it's no easier for any of the rest of us.  I'd say
the worst is nearly over and we won't need to climb any higher.  I also
suspect that the weather should be improving and that will make it a little
easier for us to continue on our way.  Within a week's time we should know
if our suffering through such hardships was worth the effort or whether our
sacrifices were made in vain.  By that time we will also know if it will be
Kieren or Madumda who will be in charge."

"Wow, I still can't get used to the idea the Kieren is going to be king
someday," Garreth chimed in.  "I mean my friend is going to be the most
important person in Tarolia and maybe even the entire world."

"I'm not used to it either," added Kieren, "and I'm not sure that I ever
will be or that I'll ever be totally prepared for that much
responsibility."

"Maybe we should turn our thoughts to more pleasant things," Rhys
suggested. "Don't any of you have something less dour to discuss?  What
about you, Alaric?  The elves have always been known for their
entertainment prowess and for their intriguing stories.  Isn't there one
that you could share with us now?"

"Well, I suppose I could share with you one of my favorite tales, one that
as a young elf I had hoped that I would be able to prove true.  It is about
a land that my people have always claimed existed somewhere over the Great
Western Sea, a land that one of our ancient ancestors had inadvertently
stumbled upon during a voyage to find new ports for trade."

The boys, having been raised in the land of the Wood Elves, had never heard
of the story that began this way and they moved closer to Alaric, so they
could hear better.  They wanted to make sure they wouldn't miss anything
the River Elf said, because they wanted to remember even the smallest
morsel of what was to follow.

"When that seaman had returned home, he was suffering from a bout with sun
fever and it affected his memory enough that he could not recall later
exactly where this land had been.  He searched for it again, spending the
remainder of his life pursuing that singular goal, but it was all to no
avail.  Many times he set out from port, selecting a new heading in attempt
to search a different section of the vast ocean, but he was never able to
locate the land of his memories or find any proof that it had ever existed.
Many people began to believe that it was all a hallucination, caused by the
sun fever, or that he had merely dreamed it during that torturous voyage.
He denied that and swore until his dying day that this land did exist and
that he had actually been there and had seen that wondrous place.  This is
the story that he told.

"While out in a merchant vessel, in search of new ports and trading
partners for our goods, his ship ran into a storm at sea.  The captain and
the crew fought bravely the entire day, just to keep their vessel afloat.
The choppy seas and strong winds took them way off their course and they
had no way to determine just how far off course that was.  When the storm
finally ended and the sea began to calm, the lookout cried out 'land ho'
and we headed straight toward it.  The ship was anchored in a small harbor
and they rowed the landing boats ashore, there to discover a land of great
wealth and beauty.  The natives who called that place their home were
extremely friendly and they welcomed the crew very warmly, holding a great
feast in their honor.  This turned out to be a great celebration, with the
food and drink flowing freely, when the chief of this people offered to
take the crew on a tour of his homeland.  As they walked around the island,
the elves began to notice that there were a large variety of precious gems
just lying about on the ground, a veritable fortune for the taking.  There
were diamonds, rubies, opals, emeralds, and sapphires scattered all over
the ground.  The natives treated these about the same way we treat the
various indigenous rocks that clutter our ground, using them as tools and
weapons and carelessly tossing them about.  They didn't realize there was
any value to these gemstones, only thinking that the colors were pretty and
they were hard enough to perform a variety of functions.  That meant that
there was a king's ransom just lying about the countryside, where anyone
could scoop them up and claim them as their own.

"The natives continued to show them around and eventually they led them to
their temple, a place where they worshiped some unknown heathen gods.  The
crew stood in awe from the minute they passed through the outer wall of
this primitive structure, because nearly everything within was made out of
pure gold or silver.  There were numerous statues with human bodies and
animal heads, and then there were others with animal bodies and human
heads.  They claimed that these idols were the physical representation of
their gods and the focal point of their ceremonies of worship.  There were
also numerous plates and goblets, to be used in the ceremonies and
sacrifices, and they were all made from the same materials.

"The elves remained in this wondrous land for nearly a month before they
decided to return home, barely able to drag themselves away from their
paradise that fate had led them to discover.  They planned to, one day,
come back and barter their goods for some of those valuable rocks and
metals, thus making them rich while giving the natives things they couldn't
even imagine existed.  On the journey home different members of the crew
began to take ill, having contracted some rare disease that only existed in
that garden paradise.  This malady spread throughout the ship, as no one
could get away from those who had taken ill.  After a couple of days,
people began to die and this kept up until there the crew was so sick and
depleted that the vessel just drifted aimlessly.  For some strange reason,
one man did not come down with the illness, as he left the ship and got
into one of the landing boats, feeling that he'd have a better chance of
surviving that way.  He started to row the boat in the direction he thought
was his home, but in the open craft he was unable to hide from the glaring
sun overhead.  Soon he was suffering from another infliction, a severe case
of sun fever.  He was delirious and the boat floated, as if without a
rudder, until he was rescued by a group of fishermen.  After being nursed
back to health, the seaman began to tell his tale to anyone who would
listen.  Several fishermen offered to take him out in their boats to search
for this land and they spent many days and nights looking for the
mysterious island.  They never did find it and soon people began to doubt
his story.

Even though the majority of people questioned the veracity and accuracy of
his recollections, there was a small group that stuck by him and helped him
to continue his search.  Others questioned their motives, believing that
they were only going along with him out of greed, hoping to share in the
wealth if these treasures did exist.  They spent years trying to find this
once visited place, but no one ever got to share in the priceless jewels
that were reported to sprout from the ground like grass.  I also shared
this dream, not solely for the financial gain, but to prove that such a
place was out there and that it wasn't a delusion created by disease or
loneliness.  Alas, that was not to be, as my sensitivity to ocean travel
and the effects that it produced made my dream unattainable.  I have not,
however, forgotten this tale or lost my hope that some day, someone from my
race would locate that island again and bring fame, honor, and wealth to
our homeland."

As soon as the others realized that the elf had no more to say, they
thanked him for his fine rendition of this tale and for giving them such a
marvelous diversion.  When the excitement and chatter generated from this
discourse had ended, everyone moved to their sleeping areas and settled in
for the evening.  Even though they were still giddy from thoughts of this
wondrous place, they were all very tired from the grueling hike and the
strenuous activity preparing this shelter, and they couldn't wait for the
comfort of sleep.  Even though they all had their blankets returned, the
boys had decided to continue to sleep together and they had donated one of
their blankets to Turquinine.  The dwarfs had decided to do the same thing,
donating one of their blankets to Rhys.  Hadwin and Alaric also slept
together, as they had donated their blanket to serve as the covering to
their temporary abode.  The warriors had concluded that a guard would not
be necessary this evening, as they were well disguised and nothing would be
out on a night like this, but Turquinine slept sprawled across the
entranceway, ready to defend the others if they should happen to have
misjudged the situation.  Soon all you could hear was the gentle hum of
their snoring.

Romaric had stayed awake and he gently nudged Kieren, to see if he also was
not sleeping.  When he discovered his friend was still up, he whispered in
his ear.  "Would you mind if we talked for a little while before we went to
sleep?"

"No, not at all, but we must keep our voices low, so we don't disturb the
others."

"Of course."  Romaric hesitated before he spoke again.  "Kieren, there is
so much that I have wished to tell you and ask you, but until now I haven't
had the opportunity to do so.  Until these past few days, we haven't been
as close as we used to be and I was wondering what was wrong.  It seems
that it's been like that since we left Thorold and I don't know what caused
this.  Garreth and I were both beginning to think that we had done
something wrong, something terrible that had caused you to ignore us."

While Romaric was speaking, Kieren was trying to ease his friend's doubts
by shaking his own head from side to side.  As soon as his friend had
finished speaking, Kieren responded to him.  "Ignore you?  Never!  How
could I ignore the two best friends I have in the whole wide world?"

"Well, we had noticed that you suddenly liked to be alone most of the time
or that you would leave us to go off and talk to Beraut privately.  We
thought you were either complaining to him about us or that you felt that
you could only talk to him and not to us any more."

"That's not it at all.  It is true that sometimes I do need to be alone to
think or to just collect my thought.  It is also true that I do talk
privately with Beraut, but that is so I can discuss things with him that
only he can help me with.  It's not that I don't want to talk to you or
that I don't trust you any more, it's just that I don't want the two of you
to worry about some of the things that I have to think about.  Beraut has
become like a father to me and I can go to him to share my thoughts and
seek his advice, trying to use his vast knowledge and the wisdom he has
gained over the years to my advantage.  If I gave you the impression that I
didn't need you or that I didn't enjoy your company, then I'm extremely
sorry and I want to apologize for that.  I want to set the record straight.
I not only need the two of you in my life, but I am truly grateful for all
that both of you have done for me.  I don't think I can express in words
how important you two are and how much you mean to me.  No matter what is
going on in my life, I know that I can always count on your loyalty and
friendship.  I can't tell you how badly I feel to think that I have hurt
your feelings like that and I want you to know that I love you both dearly
and I couldn't possibly love the two of you more, not even if we shared the
same blood.  I never want us to grow apart, either physically or
emotionally, and I think that losing either one of you would be would kill
me as surely as stabbing a blade through my heart."

"We have always felt that way about you too," Garreth whispered, rolling
over to let the other two know that he was also awake and that he'd been
eavesdropping in on their conversation.  Suddenly the three of them were
embracing each other and an occasional tear would streak down one of their
cheeks.  "We'll always be here for you, Kieren, no matter what happens.  I
pray that the day never comes when one of us doesn't need or want the
others around."

"Fear not, my brothers," Kieren told them, "for I shall never reach that
point.  If anything, I shall need your companionship even more as I grow
older, for I know that I can trust anything you do or tell me."  The three
hugged again, sat back, and smiled at each other, but no one spoke again
until Garreth asked Kieren a very serious question.

"What do you think is still ahead of us and are you going to be able to
defeat Madumda?"

"I've asked the same question of Beraut, and he told me before he left that
I should never doubt that we will succeed.  He also told me that we had
less than a week to find the Sword and that I must do it while Madumda was
preparing for or engaged in battle.  He warned me to find the Sword
quickly, for I would not be able to face him without it."

"I think we already knew that, but aren't you scared about having to do
it?"

"Scared?  I'm terrified!  I have never known or imagined the kind of fear
and doubts that I have now.  I keep thinking about the things I need to do
and then I wonder if I will be capable of pulling this off.  Even Beraut
has said that he doesn't know how he would fare in a face-to-face showdown
with Madumda, so how in the world will I defeat him?"  He saw the questions
forming on his friends' lips, but he held up his hand to silence them
before they spoke out.  "I know, it's the Sword that will defeat him, but
I've got to find it first and then I have to use it against him.  I pray
that I have the strength and good fortune to pull this off."

"You will!" Romaric almost shouted.  "You have many things to support that
opinion too, the prophecy, our belief in you, the warriors' confidence in
your abilities, and Beraut's faith in you.  Isn't that enough?"

"Hardly.  I will need more than the support of others to make this happen,
I will need a great deal of luck and hope that Madumda will make some major
blunders, which will aid my efforts.  I haven't even been in a serious
fight with anyone, other than a few boys around my own age, let alone
having been engaged in combat with someone even a fraction as powerful as
Madumda.  To make matters worse, I'm not just going to be fighting a
trained warrior either.  I'm going to be in life-or-death struggle with the
most powerful person in the known world.  How will I be able to defeat
someone as powerful as that?  How could someone our age stand up to and
destroy someone with the combined powers that the Dark Lord possesses and
the decades' worth of wisdom about how to use it?  Some nights I dream
about this encounter, or should I say I have nightmares about it, because
it invades my thoughts continually.  Each time I see this confrontation
taking place, Madumda strikes me dead in a matter of seconds or minutes,
without even exerting much effort.  After seeing that happen in my mind, I
wake up in a cold sweat, shaking like a small child who has just been told
a scary story.  I am usually on the verge of wetting or messing myself
before I realize that it was only a dream, but then I am still unable to
fall back to sleep.  I would then spend the remainder of the evening asking
myself questions like, why do I have to be the one to do this?  Why did I
have to be born heir to the throne and the one the prophecy proclaimed?
Why couldn't this duty have fallen to someone older, braver, or physically
and emotionally stronger than I am?  What chance do I have of being
victorious?  Tell me that, if you can!"

The trio sat speechless for several minutes after Kieren's outburst, their
minds racing over the possibilities, trying to come up with a suitable
answer to these questions.  Kieren needed reassurance and some small ray of
hope that he could succeed, and his two companions wanted desperately to be
the ones to soothe his apprehensions.  As they groped for the words to ease
his troubled soul, they searched every fold of gray-matter in their heads
to come up with that one idea that would give him solace and guarantee his
victory, but this was not to be.  The two elves had always looked to Kieren
when they were in doubt or when they needed a confidence boost, and now
they had failed him when he needed them most.  They had failed their
acknowledged leader and potential savior, but worst of all they were
letting down their friend and brother.  They searched again, to come up
with something appropriate for this situation, something that would
alleviate the doubts that plagued the prince's soul, until Romaric decided
it was time to break the long silence.

"I don't claim to be as smart as either of you, for you have both always
done better in your studies than I have, but I know you, Kieren, and I know
that you always find a way to accomplish anything you set your mind to.  I
also know a little bit about Beraut and I know that he is much smarter than
we are and that he has greater foresight concerning matters of this
importance.  He is also privy to knowledge that the rest of us couldn't
possibly understand and he has reasoning powers far greater than any mere
mortal.  He does not give his trust or encouragement easily and, if he
believes in your abilities and tells you that you will prevail, then there
is no doubt in my mind that you shall.  Besides, as long as I can remember,
I have consistently been told that goodness and right shall always be
triumphant over evil and greed, and you have those qualities on your side.
That means that you have the advantage here, at least on that score, plus
everything else I have mentioned before.  So be of good cheer, my dear
brother, and believe in yourself and the righteousness of your cause and
you shall prevail in this confrontation."

Kieren did not respond immediately to what Romaric had said, but he did
think about the things he had told him.  Finally he did speak.  "You have
made me rethink how I feel about many things and you have said many of the
same things that Beraut told me before he left.  He also told me that good
shall prevail and that the prophecy will be fulfilled.  He also told me
that I must not doubt my own ability or Madumda would use that uncertainty
to destroy me."  He paused and thought some more.  "I understand what both
of you are trying to tell me, but I just can't eliminate all of my doubts
completely.  I do feel better about what I have to do now and it is easier,
knowing that others believe in my abilities, but will that little bit of
doubt that I might still have end up destroying me?  I don't know the
answer to that and I don't know what else I can do to remove those final
doubts that I have about whether I can succeed."

"You certainly won't do it dwelling on only the negative," cautioned
Garreth.  "You've got to convince yourself that you can do this, that it's
not impossible, and that your eventual success has been written in the
stars.  Romaric and I believe this to be true and we are convinced that you
can defeat Madumda.  By sitting here and questioning your own ability, you
are playing right into the Dark Lord's hands.  You cannot doubt that you
ARE the one who is destined to do this and you have to have as much
confidence in yourself as the rest of us have in you.  Yes, Kieren, even
these mighty warriors are certain that you alone can save Tarolia and free
them from this terrible threat.  I have heard them talk amongst themselves
about this when you are not around and they even say prayers of protection
on your behalf nearly every night.  They do not feel that they are playing
nursemaid to some royal brat and they feel honored to have been chosen to
accompany you on this mission.  When this is all over, you will be the High
King of Tarolia and even King Dylan and King Brolin will, to some extent,
have to obey your commands and honor the laws that you establish.  When
this is over, the people will follow you willingly and will gladly swear
allegiance to you and your heirs because you will have freed them from
Madumda's tyranny.  Kieren, just think about what all of this means will be
happening.  You are going to be the High King of Tarolia, that powerful
ruler who each of us pretended to be when we played our games as children,
but you won't have to pretend any more.  You WILL be the most powerful
person in Tarolia, even more powerful than any of your ancestors.  You WILL
fulfill the prophecy, you WILL defeat Madumda, and you WILL become the
greatest ruler this land has ever known.  I believe that with all my heart.
I believe that more than anything I have ever believed in my life, because
I believe in you.

"I am proud to have grown up with you and to have been a part of your life,
and I am even prouder to be here with you as you go to confront Madumda and
free us from his threat.  I am proud to do anything that I can to help you
accomplish this, but my greatest pride comes from the fact that I have and
will always call you my friend.  Through your veins flows the same blood
that has coursed through the hearts of the greatest kings of Tarolia.  It
is the same blood shared by Ethelbert and Orthilue, as well as the
multitude of others who ruled this land in between, as well as your parents
and grandparents.  You are their descendant, the one the prophecy had
foretold of, and the one who will become an even greater leader than any of
them were or could hope to be.  They had also fought to prevent Madumda
from coming to power and they kept him from taking control, but you will
destroy him and remove his threat forever.

"Wow, I've never seen you so forceful before," Romaric told Garreth, after
he'd finished speaking.  "You're usually the quiet one when it comes to
things like this."

"Yes," Kieren added, "and I hope that I can feel as strongly as you do
about my chances and my abilities.  Romaric is right.  I've never seen you
this passionate about anything before and I guess that if you can be that
certain I can do this, then I'm beginning to think that I can do it too."

"Well, if that's not enough," Romaric added, "then look at it this way.
Isn't it true that your mother and you are the last of the royal
bloodline?"

"Yes, but you already knew that."

"And isn't it also true that your mother is too old to give birth to any
more children?"

"Of course she is, so what's your point?"

"My point is, if your mother can't perform this task and she is too old to
have any more children, then you are the only one left to fulfill the
prophecy.  Therefore, it has to be talking about you and you are the one
who will make the prophecy come true.  There is and will be no one else who
can do this so, if it isn't you, it will never happen and the prophecy will
have been wrong.  If you are killed, then all hope is lost and Madumda will
get what he desires."

"Gee, I had never thought of it like that before, but how do we know that
the prophecy really is true?"

"Because of how long it's been around and that everyone, including Beraut,
believes it to be true.  It's not like someone made it up a little while
ago to fit the situation.  This has been around for hundreds of years and
there was no way that the oracle who first proclaimed this could have known
about you.  This was something written about in the heavens by the gods,
read by someone with abilities that most people don't possess, and left to
be proven true by the passage of time.  No, Kieren, it is as true as the
mathematical formulas we've studied in class and every one of us knows that
you will be the one to prove that it IS true."

"Maybe you're right about that, but all I can think about is how Orthilue,
the greatest king besides Ethelbert, was killed by Madumda."

"That's true too, but Orthilue was overcome by deception and treachery, not
for lack of power or courage.  You will not be deceived, because Beraut has
warned you about Madumda's tricks, and there will be no treachery from
anyone in this group.  We all want you to succeed and we care too much for
you to see you fail.  Trust in yourself and trust in us to be there for you
when you need us."

"I know that last part is true and I want to believe in myself, but
sometimes I think that it's too conceited for me to believe that I'm this
important person that everyone has waited for to save them.  I'm only a
puny boy, who's more scared than anyone could ever know, and I have more
weaknesses than I have strengths."

"But that could have been said about anyone who ever lived, including King
Ethelbert.  It's just that people can rise above their limitations and do
things they never thought possible.  Besides, you are too quick to sell
yourself short and you are unwilling to give yourself credit for all the
positive traits you have.  It's not conceit to believe in yourself or if
you trust in your own ability to do what needs to be done.  You CAN and
WILL do this."

"What would I ever do without the two of you to be there when I need you
most?  You are there to kick me in the behind when I need it, but you're
also there to pat me on the back or to push me forward when I need that
too.  Everyone should be as lucky as to have a pair of friends like you.
Thank you, and I love you both."

The three of them united in one big embrace, feeling a new sense of
strength and warmth from this contact, and then they settled into their
places to get some sleep.  No one was sure later about who actually made
the first move that night, but soon they were groping at each other, hands
roaming freely over every part of their anatomy, and heads began to duck
under the covers to take care of long neglected needs.  With no guard
posted and all the warriors sound asleep, the boys got a chance to enjoy
some sexual relief.  This was not just a purely physical act, for there was
much love and tenderness involved in tending to each other, but the chance
to enjoy this simple pleasure allowed the trio to finally fall asleep
completely contented, wrapped in each other's arms, and with a sense of
peace and love that they had almost forgotten had existed.

That night, Kieren dreamed of his eventual encounter with Madumda once
more, but this time he wasn't destroyed in just a few minutes, as he had
been in his previous dreams.  This time he was able to defend himself
against the Dark Lord's onslaught and he was even able to mount a brief
offensive move against him.  Just as he was about to learn the outcome of
this conflict, he was gently shaken awake.  As he slowly opened his eyes,
he saw Garreth hovering over him, with a reassuring grin on his face.

"Good morning, sleepy head.  You better get up and get something to eat, so
we can be on our way.  Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, better than on previous nights and I even had some better dreams.
You know, maybe you and Romaric are right.  Maybe I can do this after all."

"I'm glad to hear you say that.  What was it that finally convinced you?"

"I guess it was my dreams.  Last night I had another dream about fighting
Madumda, but he didn't kill me this time.  He might have, but you woke me
before I could find out, but I actually saw myself defending myself and
holding my own against him.  The medallion shielded me, to a large extent,
against his magical powers and I was able to fight sword-to-sword with him
for many minutes.  I'm really beginning to believe that I can do this."

"Of course you can," Romaric said from the entrance, as he stepped back
inside the shelter after relieving himself.  "We've never doubted that and
now I hope you don't either.  Come on, the others wanted me to hurry you
along so we don't waste any more time."

Kieren grabbed a quick bite to eat while the others stowed their gear.  By
the time everything was ready and they had emerged from their snowy
fortress, they were on their way again.  It was actually snowing harder
than it had been the previous day, but it didn't seem to bother Kieren, as
he was feeling much better despite the rotten weather.  The two elves had
once again saved their friend, only this time they had saved him from his
own fears and doubts.  They continued to chat and remain upbeat, even
though the others were in a less than happy mood, and they were once again
enjoying each other's company.  Doggedly they plodded forward through the
nearly knee-deep snow, lifting their legs high to extract their foot from
the accumulation of snow and then stretch their leg forward, in an attempt
to take another step.  The travel was very difficult and quite exhausting,
but they continued to move forward, if only at a snail's pace.  About an
hour later the snowfall began to let up and it ceased completely shortly
thereafter.  Slowly the clouds drifted away and the sun filtered down
around them, making everyone feel better about the day.  They soon found
that they were snow-blind and had difficulty being able to make anything
out through the sunlight as it reflected off of the surface of snow.  They
used their hands to shield their eyes as much as possible and gradually
they became better able to deal with the sudden brightness.

The day had improved greatly, as the temperature continued to rise, and
everyone would have enjoyed the almost pleasant conditions if it weren't
for the vast accumulation of snow from the previous days.  Despite this
inescapable fact, their spirits soared and they plodded forward, moving
closer to the sorcerer's den.  It was now that Kieren noticed the line of
peaks rising above them and stretching on into the distance.  He pointed
this fact out to his youthful companions and they quickly asked the dwarfs
if they would be climbing to the top.  When told that they would not be
going any higher, the boys were somewhat disappointed that they wouldn't be
able to enjoy the spectacular view, but they were relieved to know that
there would be no strenuous climbing to have to do, in addition to the
arduous task of walking through the snow.

As they continued on, the boys now saw another set of peaks rising up
before them, and they enquired as to what they were.  The dwarfs told them
that those were the peaks of the Devil's Horseshoe, their destination, and
it was somewhere in that region that they would locate the opening to the
secret tunnels that led into Treblanc.  This gave them hope and the
realization that they were almost at the end of their journey, and they
made an even greater attempt to reach it as quickly as they could.  It was
a few hours later when they reached the junction where the Citadel
Mountains merged with the Devil's Horseshoe and they began to search for a
way to get across the gap that separated them.  It was Sedain who told them
what they would need to find.

"We must now locate one of the natural land bridges that lead over the
chasm that divides these two ranges.  It will not be easy to find them with
this much snow on the ground and we must be careful that we are not misled
by a false span.  We must be careful about how we move and where we step,
as seemingly solid ground could turn out to be only a false span or only a
snowy covering over a crevice, which would collapse under our weight.  We
shall need to spread out, in a straight line going to my left.  We will
secure ourselves together with ropes first, and it will take just a few
minutes to do that."  Before the dwarfs could extract the ropes, they heard
Romaric call out that he had found what they were looking for.  Without
waiting for instruction and forgetting about their dwarf's warning, Romaric
darted forward and began to walk out on the bridge.

"Wait, Romaric," Doenilio cried out.  "Stay where you are and do not go
near it until we've had a chance to check it out."

No one could say whether Romaric had failed to hear the warning or if his
youthful exuberance had led him astray, but the young elf was stepping out
on the structure, gleefully demonstrating his discovery.  It appeared to be
a rather thick span, though it was completely covered in snow and ice, and
Romaric continued to move forward, despite the fact that the entire party
was now calling for him to stop.  He was almost halfway across when he
turned to see what they were saying and he waved to let them know he
finally understood what they were trying to tell him.  He had just started
to take a step back toward the others when the bridge gave way and Romaric
plummeted out of sight.

Kieren screamed out as his friend disappeared from view and he and Garreth
prepared to sprint to the place where they had last seen Romaric when some
of the warriors grabbed hold of them and restrained them from also doing
something foolish.  They explained that the ropes would have to be secured
before anyone else moved forward, and then they'd cautiously creep to that
spot, to see if they could discover what had happened to the elf.  Kieren
thought it was taking forever to get the ropes secured, but finally it was
completed and he and Garreth tried to move ahead of the others.  When they
got near the brink of the chasm, the boys got on their stomachs and crawled
forward in the snow, looking down to where their friend had dropped.

"I see him," Garreth yelled.  "Down there, but he's not moving.  Is he
dead?"

"Of that we can't be certain," Quintain told him, "for it was a quite a
distance that he fell.  He's about two hundred meters down the slope and
I've seen climbers fatally injured from lesser falls.  That doesn't mean
he's definitely gone, because that would depend on a multitude of factors,
but we won't know until we can examine him."

"He's got to be all right," Kieren mumbled, mostly to himself.  "He's just
got to be.  I would be able to sense it if he were dead, but I don't feel
any change.  We've got to get to him and pull him back up."

"A rescue will take much valuable time and shall be very exhausting for
us," Sedain told them.  "I'm not sure if we can afford to spend the time or
energy to do this and, even if we do, the chances of his surviving are not
all that good."

"We'll just have to risk it," Kieren stated quite bluntly, "for I shall not
take another step unless we do."

"But my liege," Turquinine began, "that wouldst jeopardize thy mission.
Art thou certain thou canst afford such gallantry?"

"Wouldn't you have tried if it were Selvaggio lying down there?  He's not
just a friend, he's my brother and I couldn't go on if I didn't give him my
best effort to save him.  Please, we've just got to do this."

After some hesitation and some conversations between the warriors, Doenilio
answered him.  "We will try, but we will follow all possible safety
precautions while doing so.  If we reach him and find that he is already
gone or beyond help, then we will leave him where he lies.  Agreed?"

Kieren hesitated before he replied.  "Only if he is already gone.  I will
not leave him if there is any chance he could survive.  How will we do it?"

"Well, we'll have to lower someone down on a rope, preferably someone small
and light.  He will connect a rope around Romaric, under his arms and about
his chest, and then the rest of us shall pull both people back up."

"Then I volunteer to go," Kieren announced.  "He saved my life and now I
want to help save his.  Besides, I'm about the lightest one here."

"NO!" Hadwin told him, quite emphatically.  "You are the one this mission
revolves around and we cannot put you in such a dangerous position.  It
will have to be someone else."

"Then use me," Garreth answered, before Kieren had time to protest the
decision.  "I don't weigh much either and Romaric is like my brother too."

"But this will be very dangerous and we could lose whomever we send down
there, as well as Romaric," Quintain advised him.

"Then it should be me, because I am also the least valuable member of this
group when it comes to guarding Kieren or when it comes to the pure
strength that will be needed to pull two people back up.  Lower me down
there and I will save Romaric.  If things go wrong, the rest of you can
take Kieren and go on."

"Don't talk like that," Kieren told him.  "You will go down and both of you
will come back.  I wouldn't have the heart to continue if I should lose you
both."

"Very well," Sedain informed them, "we shall lower Garreth down to rescue
Romaric.  Just give us time to prepare things for this attempt."  The
dwarfs rummaged through the packs, pulling out what supplies they would
need, and then they conferred with each other.  After some discussion,
Sedain addressed the others again.  "We will have to do things a little
differently.  We don't have enough rope to secure two people over that
distance.  We have enough for one, but then he'll have to tie a smaller
rope to his waist and then around Romaric.  We'll have to pull them back up
together, as a pair instead of separately.  Do you still want to be the one
to do this, Garreth?"

"Yes, it has to be me.  How long before we can get started?"

"It will take a few more minutes to tie some of these smaller ropes
together, to make one that will reach that distance, but we shall proceed
as quickly as possible."  While the others were busy tying the pieces into
one long rope, Garreth and Kieren inched toward the place where they could
look over and check on Romaric.  Alaric spotted them and scolded them for
their actions.

"You two young fools get back here now, before we end up having to rescue
you too.  Just what were you thinking?"

This sudden, loud admonishment startled the two boys and caused them to
jump up in response.  They spun around quickly, facing the others, and they
sped back to where they were supposed to be.  As they ran to rejoin the
others, they let their eyes and faces drift downward, realizing they had
made a serious error in judgment.  After being scolded some more and made
to promise that they wouldn't do anything that foolish again, they set
about to rescue Romaric.

Slowly they lowered Garreth down the mountainside.  As he half walked and
half crawled down to where his friend was sprawled out, his speed being
controlled by those anchoring the rope, he approached the motionless form.
Seconds seemed like minutes and minutes seemed like hours as he inched his
way closer, but now he was in a position to see his companion more closely.
Was it just his imagination, or could he actually see Romaric's chest
rising and falling?  Was it wishful thinking, or was his friend still alive
and breathing?  He turned to yell up to the others that it looked as if the
elf was not dead, when there was a cracking sound, then what seemed to be a
low growl that steadily grew louder as the snow began to move beneath his
feet and he started to slide down the incline with the moving sheet of
snow.

"Avalanche!" Sedain sang out.  "Pull the boy up quickly or he'll be ripped
from our grasp."  They did just that, straining to handle what seemed like
an immediate increase in Garreth's weight, as the snow clutched his legs
and tried to take him with it.  Finally they pulled him free of the tidal
wave of snow and dragged him back to the top.  The lad was scared and
tired, having done his best to help with his rescue, and Sedain spoke once
more, as soon as he was safe again.  "Everyone stay close together and move
over there, near that rocky wall."

"What happened?" asked a frightened and confused Garreth.

"A snow shelf gave way under your weight and started an avalanche.  We must
all stay here with our backs against these rocks, until we're sure it's
safe again."

"Are we going to be all right?" Kieren wanted to know.

"We should be safe here, as the damage will be done below us.  We just have
to make sure that the noise and vibrations don't cause the snow on the
slopes above us to do the same thing.  We must wait here until everything
settles down again, just to be on the safe side."

Kieren thought briefly about what he had been told and then he blurted out
his next question.  "What about Romaric?  He was just below that same
shelf, wasn't he?  What about him?"

"Yes, I'm afraid he was," Doenilio told him.  "We'll just have to wait
until the commotion is over to see if he escaped, but I seriously doubt
that."

"No, he's got to be all right and I must know now."  Kieren tried to bolt
forward, only to find himself in Rhys' firm grasp.  He had grabbed the
prince's arm, pulled him backward, and now had his other arm wrapped
securely about his chest.  Kieren tried to struggle, but he soon realized
that was fruitless, so he went limp and began to weep.

"He can't be gone, he just can't!" Kieren cried out, as the tears flowed
down his cheeks.  This outburst also affected the other young elf.

"It's all my fault, isn't it?" Garreth sobbed.  "I killed one of my best
friends by causing that avalanche.  We could have saved him, but instead
I've cost him his life.  How could I have let that happen?"

"You didn't cause a thing.  You did everything you were supposed to, but
unfortunately there were more problems than those caused by your
over-anxious friend.  We cannot be sure what happened to him and it isn't
certain that he's dead, though the chances of that being the case are quite
high.  Until we discover differently, we shall assume that he is still
alive.  As soon as we feel it is safe to do so, we will go back to check on
him.  Until then, we'll just take a brief rest."

The tension was high, as they all fretted about Romaric's fate and waited
for it to be deemed safe enough to proceed.  When the time came, Doenilio
led them back to the brink of the precipice and he was the first to peer
over, looking for any sign of the young elf.  Sedain and Quintain kept
everyone else back, to avoid further tragedies, until Doenilio had finished
surveying the area.

"I'm afraid there is no sign of Romaric," Doenilio told them, as gently as
he could, "and I'm afraid there is nothing more we can do.  Even if he did
survive the initial fall, it appears that the avalanche finished the job.
He has most likely been swept all the way to the bottom of that slope and
buried beneath a great mound of snow, but there is no way for us to help
him now.  Even if we did go down there, most likely we would not be able to
find and recover his body until after the spring thaw.  I am sorely
saddened by this great loss and I am sorry that he did not heed our
warnings about the dangers of the mountains, but there is nothing more any
of us can do now."

Neither Kieren nor Garreth could hold back their emotions any longer, and
the tears burst forth, like water from a bursting dam.  They were in the
throes of unbearable grief and their groans of anguish echoed all around
them, as their chests heaved up and down with each sob.  Their stomachs
felt as if they had been tied into a giant knot and their minds were groggy
from all that they had been through, as their hearts were breaking from
losing someone so young and such an important part of their lives.  How
could they possibly go on now?

                   *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.
E-mails may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.