The wise one’s grumbling woke Damien from a light doze. The old druid was grinding his teeth and muttering obscenities. Who’d have thought the leader of the druids could swear like a sailor? Jen still slept on the couch he conjured for her and Leah floated in the pond, every bit as out of it as his sister.

“What’s wrong?” Damien asked.

“Eleck. He’s giving a speech, warning my people about you. He says you kidnapped me and that they need to be vigilant lest more outsiders sneak in and harm them. Lying fraud! If only I had the strength to get up there.”

“He’s certainly clever. Give the people an external enemy to focus on and they’re less likely to notice the corruption within. That’s a tactic that’s worked many times, at least according to the history books. So what’s the plan once everybody’s finished with their naps?”

“You’ll have to confront Eleck at his hidden cave. Leah can show you the way. I can’t leave the temple, but I can keep an eye on things here. I know you can’t do what needs to be done without violence, I only ask that you refrain from harming any of the innocent people Eleck has deceived.”

“I don’t know what you think you know about people from outside your little group, but we’re not in the habit of slaughtering innocents. We’ll do what’s necessary to protect the kingdom and no more. Once the threat is eliminated cleaning up the mess your protégé made is your job.”

“I’m sorry,” the wise one said. “I didn’t mean to imply you and your sister were particularly violent, I simply worry for what my people might do under Eleck’s influence. If they attack you I know you’ll have to defend yourself.”

Damien grunted, not especially mollified. A splash from the pond ended the conversation before it became an argument. Leah pulled her feet under her and walked through the shallow water back to shore. If she felt at all awkward standing completely naked in front of two men she gave no sign of it. She used her cloak to dry off and then dressed.

When she finished she stretched and joined Damien beside the wise one. “What happened?”

The wise one gave her a quick summary. When he finished Leah was gaping like a fish on the deck. “Eleck betrayed us? I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it,” Damien said. “He has two black rings and the corruption has already begun blackening his hands. Depending on how much he uses them he has at most a year or so to live.”

“What if he stopped using them and threw the rings away, could he be saved?” Leah looked at him with sad, pleading eyes.

“I don’t know. Healing isn’t my area of expertise and frankly I saw no sign that he’s in any way interested in tossing them aside. In my experience once people get a taste of power it’s very hard to convince them to give it up. I suspect Connor gave him the rings as a test. If he completes whatever task the warlock set for him a more permanent form of power will likely be his reward.”

Leah turned her sad gaze on the wise one. “How could he do this? He would have eventually taken your place. Was that not power enough for him?”

“I don’t know, my dear.”

“Maybe he got sick of waiting and decided to move things along on his own. It doesn’t matter now anyway. He made his choice and now we need to deal with him. How do we get out of here once Jen wakes up?”

“I can open a path for you out the rear of the grotto. We’re well away from the village so no one should see you leave. Once you’re out I’ll seal it up behind you.”

Damien nodded. “How far to this cave once we’re out of here?”

Leah tapped her chin for a second. “Perhaps a day. I was just wandering when I found it.”

“Follow the disturbances in the Green Path,” the wise one said. “After that massive shift the power streams will be roiled and they’ll grow worse the closer you come to the source of the shift.”

Leah slapped her forehead. “I never even considered that route. I can lead the way straight to it.”

Damien grinned. “Guess that’s why he’s the wise one.”

Leah returned the smile. “Yes it is.”

Half an hour later Jen sat up and scrubbed her hand across her face. “Where are we?”

“Safe for the moment,” Damien said. “How are you?”

Jen waved off his concern. “Fine. I just needed to rest. Is that water safe to drink?”

Damien checked it and found nothing toxic. “There’s nothing poisonous in it as long as you don’t mind the fact that Leah’s been floating in it for the last five hours.”

Leah slapped his shoulder. “What are you implying?”

“That none of us has had a bath since we left the castle.”

Jen shrugged, cupped her hands and bent down to drink. There’d have to be something pretty nasty in there to bother a warlord anyway.

When she’d drunk her fill Jen stood up and stretched. “So what’s the plan?”