lands east of the Brandy River until Manfred had seized his lands earlier this year. Manfred had sent men hunting for Kaleb since the summer and, apart from rumours that he was hiding in the dark forest, this was the first sign of him.
Manfred would certainly be interested to know that Kaleb had gathered enough men to accomplish what he had this day and perhaps now the Baron would listen to his commander and give him the extra men he needed to root out this troublesome outlaw. The commander ordered his men back into formation and turned to ride back to White Falls to deliver the news. The winter had turned hard already and if Kaleb’s threats were more than just idle then they were in for a difficult season. He shuddered as the thought of forced patrols and the bone-deep chill that came from cold weather and fatigue from standing the watch. The commander gave one last glance over his shoulder as he disappeared into the falling snow.
*****
In the mountains to the northeast, the snows had been falling steadily for many weeks, making the trails and even roadways all but impassable. Still, one lonely figure urged his horse onward through the drifts and gusts so strong it seemed as though they might whisk him right from the saddle. His horse snorted its own disgust with the weather that he was forced to labor through but did not complain too much since he felt perfectly warm carrying his master up and down the steep mountain passes.
None who looked along the trail would have seen either the horse or its rider. If anything, they might think they had glimpsed a deer, or some other creature of the forest. Despite his every effort to remove it, the enchantment that bound Anonymous held firm, leaving him unheard, invisible, insignificant to all but one, the young man named Aaron, who he had recently come to know.
Anonymous had traveled to the northeastern mountains to investigate rumors of strange lizard men and to both his delight and dismay, most of what he had heard had proven true. The Darga, as they were called, existed in great number, which was most interesting because Anonymous had hitherto believed them to be nearly extinct, only existing in small tribes in the eastern lands. He wondered how the Darga had come back into force and with such population but, despite his endeavors, he had been unable to find out. He did know that the priesthood was somehow involved with the Darga and that bothered him somewhat. He had observed the mage priests for many years, watching their order grow and take root among the population of mages, using the power of the book to increase their numbers among the unwilling. It was all leading to a point, a goal and the plan of the priesthood was no secret, at least not to him. They were preparing for the arrival of their god.
He frowned as he thought of it. As much as the things he had told Aaron about creating the book were clear in his mind, the rest of the details remained elusive to him, as though his memories had been blurred. He had little doubt, however, that his curse was somehow intertwined with the god of the priesthood, and he sought to learn all he could about the matter. Perhaps, with the coming of this god who was using the book in such a way, there would be a chance, an opportunity for him to have his curse lifted, a chance to take action in this world once again. He had come to understand that all the lifetimes of knowledge he had accumulated were worth little if he could not use what he had learned or at least share it in some way.
For now, he would be pleased to get out of these mountains and to a more reasonable road that would take him back to Maramyr. At least the curse kept him from weather’s harm. As much as he left no track or sign of his passing, neither did the snow touch him or his mount. The grey gelding was yet another mystery of his curse as the horse seemingly was to share his fate. It had stayed with him for centuries and was always near when he needed it.
Manfred would certainly be interested to know that Kaleb had gathered enough men to accomplish what he had this day and perhaps now the Baron would listen to his commander and give him the extra men he needed to root out this troublesome outlaw. The commander ordered his men back into formation and turned to ride back to White Falls to deliver the news. The winter had turned hard already and if Kaleb’s threats were more than just idle then they were in for a difficult season. He shuddered as the thought of forced patrols and the bone-deep chill that came from cold weather and fatigue from standing the watch. The commander gave one last glance over his shoulder as he disappeared into the falling snow.
*****
In the mountains to the northeast, the snows had been falling steadily for many weeks, making the trails and even roadways all but impassable. Still, one lonely figure urged his horse onward through the drifts and gusts so strong it seemed as though they might whisk him right from the saddle. His horse snorted its own disgust with the weather that he was forced to labor through but did not complain too much since he felt perfectly warm carrying his master up and down the steep mountain passes.
None who looked along the trail would have seen either the horse or its rider. If anything, they might think they had glimpsed a deer, or some other creature of the forest. Despite his every effort to remove it, the enchantment that bound Anonymous held firm, leaving him unheard, invisible, insignificant to all but one, the young man named Aaron, who he had recently come to know.
Anonymous had traveled to the northeastern mountains to investigate rumors of strange lizard men and to both his delight and dismay, most of what he had heard had proven true. The Darga, as they were called, existed in great number, which was most interesting because Anonymous had hitherto believed them to be nearly extinct, only existing in small tribes in the eastern lands. He wondered how the Darga had come back into force and with such population but, despite his endeavors, he had been unable to find out. He did know that the priesthood was somehow involved with the Darga and that bothered him somewhat. He had observed the mage priests for many years, watching their order grow and take root among the population of mages, using the power of the book to increase their numbers among the unwilling. It was all leading to a point, a goal and the plan of the priesthood was no secret, at least not to him. They were preparing for the arrival of their god.
He frowned as he thought of it. As much as the things he had told Aaron about creating the book were clear in his mind, the rest of the details remained elusive to him, as though his memories had been blurred. He had little doubt, however, that his curse was somehow intertwined with the god of the priesthood, and he sought to learn all he could about the matter. Perhaps, with the coming of this god who was using the book in such a way, there would be a chance, an opportunity for him to have his curse lifted, a chance to take action in this world once again. He had come to understand that all the lifetimes of knowledge he had accumulated were worth little if he could not use what he had learned or at least share it in some way.
For now, he would be pleased to get out of these mountains and to a more reasonable road that would take him back to Maramyr. At least the curse kept him from weather’s harm. As much as he left no track or sign of his passing, neither did the snow touch him or his mount. The grey gelding was yet another mystery of his curse as the horse seemingly was to share his fate. It had stayed with him for centuries and was always near when he needed it.
Similar Books
