Chapter Fourteen - The Tulusbian Forest

“Three weeks?” Haela said in dismay. “You’re leaving me here alone for three weeks?”

“Three, maybe four, I can’t say for certain. And you won’t be alone, you’ll be with Nahnia.”

“Nahnia is six years old and asks where you are every day you’re gone!”

“Would you rather she came with me? That would be a sight. Okay, Nahnia, now just sit tight while…”

“What I would rather,” Haela interrupted his sarcastic comment, “Is for you to stay here and looking after us at home,” Haela said. Gaden put down his pack and turned to his wife taking her gently by the hands.

“Haela, I can’t just stay here, I have to go.”

“But why you?” She said, finally losing composure and allowing her eyes to fill with a sorrowful glimmer. “You were never a soldier before, why now? Surely Alldel has plenty of capable men to fill your place.”

“I have a duty. Haela, Adric is heir to this throne. What friend would I be if I left him to bear that weight alone? I’ll be with men of great talent and skill. I’ll be fine.”

“Men of great talent and skill do not stay where it is safe,” she said.

“The mission I’m taking is not a mission of battle.” Gaden rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand. She sobbed quietly, leaned in, and rested her head against his solid chest. He put his arms around her.

“You’re never home anymore,” she said through his shirt.

“I’ll be home as soon as I can.” Haela shook her head.

“It isn’t soon enough. I feel like I’m losing you.”

“I’m home right now. I’ll be home all night.” Haela looked up at him.

“Take me to bed. Be with me like we used to be.” Gaden leaned in to kiss his wife. Her tears of sorrow fell slowly down his cheek as her lips lovingly met his. She threw her arms around his neck and he lifted her into his arms. Their lips met once more, and he took her to the back-most room in the quiet candlelit cabin. They were not seen again, until the morning.

Gaden swung his leg over Annari’s back and settled into his saddle. Around his back, he wore his bow, a quiver full of arrows, and a battle axe, something he only carried at Avan’s recommendation. He didn’t have to wait long for Avan and Elric to arrive. They were followed by the Westerlyn village leader, Findhar, who carried a long two-handed sword.

They didn’t waste any time, but set off immediately to the west toward the Tulusbian Forest, which they would have to cross to gain access to the mountain ranges of Soceria. Many people would not go through the forest but take a longer route around the north edge of the forest and then circle back around toward Soceria. Elric, who was leading their party, had crossed the forest many times, and so they would do it again at his lead. The morning was still early. A mist hovered over the rolling hills ahead of them, and the sun was still a blood orange peeking through the crests of the snow-capped Socerian mountain range.

“So, the Tulusbian Forest,” Gaden said, looking over at Avan.

“Yeah, it should be interesting. Enjoy the sun while you can still see it.”

“How long will it take to get through?” Gaden asked.

“If all goes well, only a few days. But that may not happen.” Gaden had heard many stories throughout his life about those who lived inside the forest. But he never knew anyone who had crossed the forest. He wasn’t sure what to expect.

“Still, though, Elric has been through it several times, right?” Avan gave him a shifty look.

“Yeah, he’s been through it, but he never talks about it.”

“Have you ever asked him?”

“It’s a dark place, the forest,” Avan said. “Yes, I have asked him, but as I said, he doesn’t talk about it.”

“I didn’t think it was wide enough to take several days to cross it,” Gaden said.

“It isn’t the distance, it’s the density,” Findhar advised.

“They say it’s a very slow walk,” Avan added. Gaden dropped the subject, even more skeptical than he had been before. What could cause someone of Elric’s stature to go speechless on the topic?

They rode for a couple hours before stopping at the crossing over the Thendor River to give themselves and their steeds a quick rest. They remained at the crossing for only a few minutes before they resumed their course to the boundary of the Tulusbian Forest. After a while longer, they crested a steep hill and Elric stopped before them. Gaden led his horse to the top of the hill and looked out over the land before them. Several feet in front of him lay the outskirts of the Tulusbian Forest. A strange sensation overtook him as he gazed into the edge of the forest. All his life he had heard stories of a mystical forest that divided the nations of Alldel and Lorlea, and here he stood, before the forest itself. Something was striking about making real the stories of his youth.

“Into the depths of mystery itself, we ride,” Elric said. Gaden noticed he was twirling a new ring around his last finger on his left hand. Gaden had not seen him wearing this ring before. And so, they dismounted and led the horses into the Tulusbian forest.

It wasn’t long after they entered the forest that the sun seemed to be blocked out completely. It was as if night had fallen around them, though Gaden knew it was only just past mid-day. The forest was dense with vegetation, which explained why they could not ride. The world around them seemed to have vanished. It was difficult to think that, just moments ago, they were surrounded by the lush beauty of the land of Alldel.

They continued on for quite a while, occasionally stopping to hack away at the vines and undergrowth that blocked their path. The most disorienting part of walking through the forest was the complete lack of a sense of time and direction. Without the sun to guide them, Gaden had no way of knowing the time of day, nor how long they had been walking. He tried to keep a relative handle on the time by counting the distance between the trees they passed. But he soon lost count and gave up the idea.

Before too long, they found a small clearing in the path, Elric stopped and looked around. Gaden was worried for a moment that Elric had also lost his sense of direction. Gaden certainly had. He had been counting on Elric’s experience to navigate the dark woods. At last, he was relieved when Elric took off his traveling pack, sat down on a fallen oak, and sighed.

“Let’s stop here for the night,” he said. Gaden was grateful. He was beginning to tire of the constant weaving throughout the forest. He and Avan tied up the four horses and joined Elric and Findhar, who was trying to start a fire in the center of the clearing. Gaden sat down and watched Findhar begin to stack up old branches in a strategic pattern.

“Welcome to the Tulusbian Forest, where no guest ever goes unpunished,” Elric said, stretching out, and leaning back on his hands. Findhar sighed, and threw down his kindling, failing to achieve even a puff of smoke. “You’ll never get that lit here,” Elric said, laughing at Findhar.

“Oh yeah?” He said.

“This forest is too damp. You’ll have to do without fire until we clear it.”

“Well, it was worth a try,” Findhar said, sitting down beside Elric. Elric reached around to his pack and started digging through it, pulling out four small wrappings of something from within.

“Compliments of Nasha. A small taste from home,” he tossed a square parcel to each of them. Gaden unwrapped his to find a slice of bread and a lump of cheese. Inwardly, he sighed to himself, honestly disappointed, but put on a smile and thanked Elric.

“You’ll really thank me for that by this time tomorrow,” Elric said, winking at Gaden.

“Nothing gets past you,” Gaden said with a grin.

“I would be lying if I told you I was excited about it, myself. But it is what it is. Besides, what deer would you hunt in here?” Recognizing that Elric had a fair point, Gaden broke off a bit of cheese and began to chew. A longing for home swelled inside him.

“What is this place?” Findhar asked. Gaden perked up, glad someone else decided to ask the question. Elric sighed.

“It’s a little-known fact,” he said through a mouthful of bread. “This spot is the exact location of one of the major battles in the great war.”

“The forest?” Avan asked.

“This wasn’t a forest back then, boy. This used to be lush farmland until the king got his hands on it.” Elric spat out a bit of cheese rind and went on. “According to Amos, just before it became obvious that neither side was going to give in, the king used his influence with the Staff of Rhodhinia to curse this land. He claimed if the land couldn’t go to Rhodhinia, then it should go to nobody. So, he caused the forest to come into existence. The growth of this forest was influenced by the forces within the Staff of Rhodhinia. You can only imagine what such an influence would do over the course of several hundred years.”

“Are you’re saying the forest is alive?” Gaden asked.

“The Tulusbian forest is no more or less alive than any other forest. But there is no other forest like it. It does strange things to the mind,” Elric said, tapping his left temple. “It has a way of turning you against yourself. Your senses will soon begin to fail you, and you’ll begin to forget who you are. It’s a terrible place. We must get through it as quickly as possible.” His voice turned bitter. “But let’s not dwell on it. It’s better to keep the mind on other things. Get some sleep, we can’t stay here for long.” Gaden sat for a moment, lost in thought. And then, noticing he was the only one not setting camp, he stood up and began to pitch his tent.

Gaden had only been dozing for an hour or so. He couldn’t sleep, not here. The wind that blew through the trees seemed to wail with the voices of the fallen from centuries ago. The creaking of branches above him filled his head with the cadence of a doomed to die battalion, marching across the field – but no, it couldn’t be. That is, he mustn’t think like that, or he would lose control of his senses. Elric had warned about that.

A gust of wind passed over their camp, making his tent flap loudly. The odor of blood filled the air. The crackle of bones breaking rang around him. He sat up quickly, nocking an arrow instinctively. He relaxed and put the bow back down.

“It’s just the wind,” he whispered to himself. “What’s the matter with you, Gaden?” He couldn’t be losing his nerve already. Gaden rolled over onto his side, and shut his eyes trying to get some rest.

And then a blood-curdling shriek rang through his ears. Gaden jumped to his feet again, bow in hand. There was no doubt about it. This time, it was real. He burst through his tent opening and looked to his right. Before him stood an unpleasantly familiar sight. A skeletal creature, with leather-like skin stretched too thin across his bones, stood before them in their camp. The being looked directly into Gaden’s eyes and then he howled into the night. It charged directly at Gaden. Gaden raised his bow, ready to strike, but his nerve was failing him. He couldn’t steady his aim.

And then Findhar stormed from his tent, took one good look at Gaden, and tackled the creature head-first into a tree trunk on the other end of camp. The creature was faster than Findhar. In a split second he had recovered and hoisted Findhar into the air by the scruff of his neck.

“Shoot him down!” He yelled, “Shoot him down!” Gaden nocked another arrow and aimed the bow at the creature. Gaden couldn’t get a confident fix on the beast. He could so easily hit Findhar, and they weren’t in any position to treat that kind of wound. Yet, if he didn’t act, the creature would do it for him. Gaden thought of his sword resting uselessly inside his tent. Gaden pulled back on his arrow again, this time ready to strike, for what choice did he have?

And then, before he had a chance to do anything, a sudden calm wafted over him. The world around him seemed to slow down. A rhythmic beat filled him, his heartbeat? And then he heard the sound of music begin to ring throughout the area. The music seemed to flow from within his body, emanating through his very pores and into the air around him. He felt his arm slacken on his bow, and he lowered his sights, wondering what was happening. The music was soothing to him. His eyes began to droop, and he swayed on the spot. And then, the whiz of a speeding arrow, a crashing thud, and the world righted itself once more. Gaden gave his head a slight shake and looked around him. The creature lay, pinned to the tree before him. Findhar was staggering to get to his feet, clearly shaken.

“What…” Findhar gasped for air, as he stood close to Gaden. “What was that? What happened?”

“I – I have no idea,” Gaden said. They turned around at the sound of rustling leaves. Elric and Avan stood behind them, holding swords.

“Was that you?” Gaden asked Avan.

“Me, when was the last time you shot an arrow from the hilt of a sword?” He asked, holding up his weapon.

“Oh…” Gaden trailed off and then turned again. And then he saw him. Kneeling over the dead corpse that was now pinned to the tree was a thin man. The man pulled the arrow from the creature and then stood. He stood only a head shorter than Gaden. He approached Gaden and held out his two hands clasped together respectfully before him.

Up close, Gaden could tell this was not an ordinary man. His eyes were a bright, vivid green. His skin was a deep grayish brown color, and his shoulder-length hair glided unnaturally smooth in the wind, as though weightless.

“I am Gaila. You are human?” The man questioned Gaden directly.

“Um, yeah.” Gaden murmured. “My name is Gaden. Who are you?”

“I am Gaila, son of Ashburn,” he said again. Realizing Gaila was giving them his name, and not his race, Gaden smiled and nodded. With some difficulty, he repeated the hand gesture that Gaila was showing. Gaila smiled and let his arms fall to his sides. Noticing a small rough bow strapped to Gaila’s back, Gaden asked, “Are you the one I should be thanking?”

“Is it customary for humans to thank others for doing what is only their job?” Gaila asked.

“Well, um…” Gaden trailed off, lost for words.

“I accept your thanks,” Gaila said. “What is the phrase? You are welcome?”

“Um, yeah,” Gaden said, bemused. Though Gaila was small, his voice was rich, sophisticated, and commanding. Gaden was dying to ask Gaila what he was. It was clear that Gaila was not human, but Gaden had never seen anything like him before. And then Elric stepped forward. He was making the same hand gesture that Gaila had made moments ago. His new ring was held out prominently.

“I am Elric,” he inclined his head slightly to Gaila.

“I am Gaila.” Gaila repeated the gesture to Elric. As he inclined his head, Gaden noticed Gaila’s eyes flick to the ring on Elric’s finger. His eyes widened, and he paused in mid-bow.

“You have met our people before,” Gaila said, and then his eyes widened even more. “You are Elric!” he said, with more enthusiasm than before. Elric bowed his head once more.

“My king would speak with you, Elric,” Gaila said. Elric did not respond. “My king is most anxious to speak with Elric.”

“I am afraid we are limited by time. We must get through the forest as quickly as we can.

“But, my king… It is essential that you follow me.” Elric thought for a moment. “You must follow me to my city. There, the king will speak with you.”

“We hoped to be clear from the wood within the week,” Elric said.

“Please follow me, and I promise it will be worth your while.” Finally, Elric nodded.

“In the custom of your people, I thank you, Elric.” Elric bowed to Gaila once more.

“He’s a wood nymph!” Gaden whispered to Avan.

“Yes,” Avan said, just as fascinated

“And we’re going to meet with his king!” Gaden said again. Avan raised his eyes in wonder and then turned to his tent. Gaden began to pack up the remainder of his things. They untied the horses and set off, following Gaila through the trees.

“I think it’s time you told us about your ring,” Findhar told Elric.

“Many years ago, while traveling through this forest, I happened to meet the nymph king. He gave me this ring as a token of appreciation for something I did for him. He told me if I ever needed to pass this way again, to wear the ring on my middle finger, and I would be protected by the wood nymphs.”

“So, why are we being taken back to them?” Avan asked, mumbling under his breath.

“You will see, son of Elric, it is not my place to discuss it.” It took Gaden a moment to realize Gaila was speaking to Avan since Gaila was at least fifty feet in front of them. Gaden could barely hear Avan and couldn’t imagine how Gaila was able to hear him.

“My apologies to you. I am Avan,” he said in response.

“I am Gaila.” Gaila repeated. He led them deeper into the forest. Though he stood slightly shorter than they did, his pace was swift. They struggled to keep up with him.

Finally, just as shortness of breath threatened to take over, they reached the edge of a clearing in the woods and Gaden gasped in disbelief. Before them stood towering white buildings. This area of the forest was as bright as morning dawn over the edge of a mountain. Alder trees towered on every street corner. Small bridges hung between openings in the buildings, connecting one structure to another. A babbling brook flowed gently through the center of the town fed by a waterfall at the far end of the woods.

“Welcome to Alderhaven,” Gaila said to them. He led them to the center of town. Roads of stone had been carved to perfection into the forest floor. The buildings turned out to be towers of wood with intricate designs carved carefully into their sides by skilled artisans.

“What if your lights were to set a building on fire?” Gaden asked. Gaila chuckled, amused by Gaden’s question.

“These woods do not burn,” he said simply.

“But your lights, and what about when you cook?”

“We cook over a fire, just as you do,” Gaila said. Gaden was confused.

“And that doesn’t hurt your buildings?” Gaila laughed again.

“These woods do not burn,” he repeated, exactly.

“Yes, but…” Gaden was interrupted when Gaila showed them to the door of an unusually large building in the center of town. Two tall wooden doors were opened for them by two other wood nymphs as they approached.

They were shown into a large room that took Gaden by surprise. By the size of the building from the outside, he would not have guessed it to be this large on the inside. A white floor was lined by an ornate black carpet that stretched out far in front of them. Fires burned inside fireplaces along each side of the entrance hall. Gaden was confounded even more to see that the fireplaces seemed to be made of wood. The walls were plastered with paintings of what Gaden supposed were old kings of the wood nymph realm.

They were led to the far side of the room and through a doorway to the left before their progress was halted by another nymph. He had shorter brown hair, and his eyes were yellowing with age. When he spoke, his voice creaked like dry branches swaying in the wind.

“Your weapons,” he said to Elric, and he held out his hand. Elric handed over his sword, a long sling, and his hunting knife. The old nymph took them from him and proceeded to Findhar.

“Your weapons,” he repeated. Findhar handed over a sword to the nymph, and then stood still. “Your weapons,” he said, again, more demanding than he had the first time.

“What I have is yours,” Findhar answered, making direct eye contact.

“Findhar,” Elric said, sharply. But before Findhar could react, the nymph raised his empty hand and reached intrusively into Findhar’s jacket pockets. He withdrew a knife and looked at him sternly.

“I will assume your human memory forgot about this and spare you any further questioning. You must know that I am not quick to pry into the minds of others where I am neither welcome nor desired. But my first duty is to the king, and I will do what I must, that which is my duty to do, even if it is not convenient or desirable for me. I would encourage you to be more mindful of what is your duty, sir. Next time you may not be so fortunate. Or perhaps I might not be quite so…” he paused in thought, “Understanding. Do you think because we are small, and you are tall, that we are unintelligent and lesser than yourself, or do you…”

“It’s nothing like that.” Findhar interrupted, ashamed. The nymph moved on down the line. His words had been cold and accusing. A heavy silence followed them before he proceeded to Gaden, and then to Avan, encountering no more opposition. Once they had been cleared by him, he led them to the next room.

A door swung open before them revealing an abnormally long table. The table looked as though it had been carved directly from the trunk of an old oak tree and polished so deeply, he could count the pores in his face. At the far end of the table sat another nymph. This nymph wore a robe that brushed the ground at his feet, a cape that covered him from his chest around his back, and his hands were dressed handsomely with beautiful jewelry. There was no doubt who this man was.

Upon catching sight of the man, Gaila placed his left knee on the floor and held out his hands, folded as they were when they had met him in the forest. Elric was quick to imitate Gaila, and so the others followed Elric’s lead. The king approached them and signaled for Gaila to rise, and he did.

“Welcome back to the halls of Alderhaven.” The king said.

“King Kaocin.” Gaila folded his hands once more in greeting to the king. “The prophets spoke the truth. Elric has returned seeking your counsel.” King Kaocin faced Elric, and he smiled.

“It has been long since we spoke last,” Kaocin said. Elric saluted him with the customary greeting of the wood nymphs. “No, please,” Kaocin said, before returning the salute to Elric. “This honor belongs to me.” And the king placed his left knee on the floor before Elric.

“You are too kind, King Kaocin. I should salute you.”

“Would you deny me my wish to express to you my gratitude?”

“Of course not.” The doors opposite them opened as the king stood to face Elric again. Several more wood nymphs came through, carrying trays of food.

“Well then,” said the king, “I have had a feast prepared for your arrival. Come, let us sit.” And he motioned them to the long wooden table. Gaden began to position himself to sit at the bench behind the table, but Elric put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“Wait for the king,” he whispered. Gaden waited. Kaocin walked to the head of the table and sat gracefully before them. Once he situated himself at his plate, Elric sat, and so did Gaden.

“You are as knowing as ever,” Elric said to the king.

“Yes,” Kaocin said, rather abruptly, before taking a bite out of a small tomato as though it were an apple. “It is rare that the prophets should be wrong.”

“If it’s not too bold, how did these prophets know we would be here?” Gaden asked.

“Fire, dear boy, fire,” Kaocin said, simply. And he continued to fill his plate. Gaden reached for a cut of meat.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Gaden said, feeling pushy. But Kaocin seemed not to mind.

“The prophets have learned, over the years, that they can interpret patterns from the plumes that rise from the flames of their remarkable incense,” he took another ravenous bite from a tomato. Speaking through a full mouth, he said, “You see, they believe that all living things possess a distinct aura that emanates from within them. It is a subtle science, but with their highly tuned senses, and with a little guidance from the types of incense they choose to burn, they can detect slight changes in the patterns that are generated from their fires. It is an ongoing process. They must keep records of the things they observe, or they will be unable to detect any pattern at all. I am sorry, I was never much of a prophet, myself. I can hardly give you an adequate description.” Indeed, Gaden found his description difficult to comprehend. They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying their meal.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to Gaila, here. He was of great help to us in the forest,” Elric said.

“You owe no debts within these halls, sir Elric.” The king sounded defiant on this issue.

“You are kind, as always. Still, you must allow me to express my gratitude.”

“Humans often express gratitude where it is not required. I fail over and over again to grasp such an impulse. Must Gaila expect gratitude for something it was only his duty to perform?”

“I think it is reasonable to express that I appreciate his willingness to honor his obligations,” Elric said casually.

“Another human custom,” Kaocin said with a grin. “I mean no disrespect to you or your people, Elric, but I must remind you that appreciation for a task done that was expected from the start is not needed when people are faithful to keep that which is expected of them.”

“I’m sorry, Kaocin, but I still can’t believe you receive unswerving obedience from everyone beneath you.”

“That is because you are human. It is expected that humans will, from time to time, fail.” An incredulous look from Findhar made Kaocin raise a hand, and he spoke over Findhar. “This is not out of inability, but a general lack of discipline on the part of those who do not perform adequately. Therefore, it is expected to express gratitude for a job well done to help encourage faithful performance, and so it is your impulse to do so. The same is not true for wood nymphs. We know that what is expected will be done. Therefore, it is not true that we would receive gratitude for our common duties.”

“That makes life a thankless job,” Findhar said. Gaila grinned in appreciation.

“Yes. Now you are beginning to understand,” he said with delight.

“That wasn’t meant as a compliment.”

“What if Gaila had failed to save us. What if the beast had killed us, or had killed Gaila?” Avan asked.

“Then Gaila would have died doing what was his duty to perform,” Kaocin said. “If you had died in his place, he still would have performed his duty.” Elric shook his head and put down his fork.

“Enough,” he said to his team. They dropped the issue without argument. “Gaila also mentioned to us that you would speak with us,” he said.

“And now we come to it,” Kaocin said, putting down his fork as well.

“I would love to know exactly what it is we have come to,” Elric said with eyebrows raised.

“The prophets have, for some time, been eyeing a disturbance from the foothills of Lorlea. I believe you are bound for Soceria, am I right?”

“As ever,” Elric said.

“You must not go to Soceria. You must go to Lorlea.”

“We have good cause to go to Soceria, we can’t just change…” Kaocin cut him off.

“The intricacies of King Amos are not an area of concern for you. His secrets are his own, and I can assure you, you will not find answers within his halls that sway your position in this war.”

“How can you be sure?” Elric said.

“We owe our existence to him. His secrets are within us.”

“Can you shed some light on…”

“It is not my place to uncover the secrets of Amos. Elric, I implore you, go to Lorlea. You must infiltrate the walls of that city. They move to strengthen the Rhodhinian empire.”

“Nonsense. Lady Narda was just in Alldel. She attempted to treat with us.”

“That treaty is nothing more than a distraction. She knows you will not accept its terms. She means to distract you because Rhodhinia will give her the power she seeks to claim the throne as her own, and not as a stewardess.”

“How do you know this?”

“My prophets have kept a very close eye on the throne of Lorlea since the throne was vacated. Lorlea is in a position poised to cripple this corner of the world. You must stop her before she can get a good hold on her plans.”

“And what if your prophets are wrong?” Elric asked.

“My prophets have never been wrong, Elric,” Kaocin said, with somber sincerity. Elric knew this was true but chose not to acknowledge it.

“And what would you have me do with my current orders?” Elric said.

“Do not attempt to deceive me. You have no orders.” Kaocin looked directly into Elric’s eyes. Finally, Elric yielded.

“It’s a good thing I trust you. Your knowledge never ceases to scare me,” he said.

“Elric, I have already sent a delegation to your steward. They have made him aware of the situation, and he has sent his seal of approval and a new set of orders for you and your team.” It was a mark of how fast the nymphs were capable of traveling that, in the time they had left Alldel and traveled this far, the nymphs had time to leave Alderhaven, arrive in Alldel, and return to Alderhaven. Kaocin passed a roll of parchment across the table to Elric. He unrolled it and held it where Gaden could read.

Elric,

You and your team are requested to abandon all attempts to reach Soceria and instead make for the gates of Lorlea. You will covertly enter Lorlea and aid the Lorlean resistance from inside. This is a covert operation, any capture of you or your men cannot, and will not receive direct aid from the Council of Alldel. The decision is yours to make with your team, but I will choose to rest easy knowing that I can count on you to do what is needed.

The letter ended with his signature and wax seal. There was no doubt this had come from Thale. Avan, who had been sitting across from Elric, and was unable to read it, looked at his father for confirmation. With somber eyes, Elric nodded at Avan and Findhar. Kaocin did not need to wait for an answer. His acute wood nymph senses told him all he needed to know.

“I will not allow you to go alone. I have given orders for Gaila to accompany you to Lorlea. I know you appreciate his service, and I know he will serve you well. You will need all the help you can find.” Gaila rose from his chair, and the others followed him.

“I will serve King Kaocin.”

“I knew you would, Gaila. I am granting you a promotion to the rank of captain. May you serve it well.” Kaocin held out a badge to Gaila, who accepted it, saluted his king and said,

“Hail, King Kaocin.” Kaocin returned the salute.

“You may sleep here tonight. By orders of Lord Thale, you ride at dawn.”