Knights: Legends of Ollanhar by Robert E. Keller Page B

to you, Prince Vannas. Too
much power and death, too soon. There will be time for that later, when we
confront Bellis. My instincts tell me there is a danger in using the Flamestone
too often."
    "Exactly right," said Lothrin, to the prince.
"Listen to Aldreya."
    Vannas glowered at the Ranger. "So you've been
whispering in her ear, filling her with doubts. I should have known."
    "I did nothing of the sort," said Lothrin.
    "This discussion is over," said Aldreya. "We
will move on."
    "This is foolish," said Brakthas. "You don't
know what you're dealing with here. We will pay dearly for letting these
savages live."
    "I'll take that risk," said Aldreya. "We
face many risks on this journey, but we must remember that the greater fight is
with Bellis. We must save our strength and focus for that conflict. The White
Flamestone will inevitably be used on this mission--but only when absolutely
necessary."
    "I don't like this new attitude," said Vannas.
    "I have the right to my opinion," said Aldreya.
"And sometimes I change my mind. Get used to it."
    The prince glared at her. "You would never have spoken
to me that way in Borenthia, before you were appointed Green Knight of
Ollanhar. You would have addressed me with proper respect."
    "We're no longer in Borenthia," said Aldreya,
coldly.
    Brakthas and Galandra gazed at each other, looking
doubtful.
    "I'm thinking this wasn't a good idea," said
Brakthas, with a heavy sigh. "We had it great in Red Barrel."
    Galandra could only shake her head.
    "You can break your contracts," said Aldreya,
"and walk away with what you have. It might be the wise thing to do. On
the other hand, you could be missing out on a fair amount of treasure. The
choice is yours."
    The two Rangers stood in silence for a time.
    Then Brakthas said, "I'm sticking with it--and not
just for the treasure. This is the greatest challenge I'll ever have in life.
No way I'm missing out."
    "We're silly fools," said Galandra. "Simple
as that. So let's enjoy being silly fools and see where it takes us, my friend.
Maybe we'll survive and get rich."
    Jace rose, his hands covered in dried blood from tending to
Jerret's wound. "We're off to a fine start here--ambushed by demons and
soldiers in the mountains, and barbarians in the lowlands. And I still can't
find some decent pipe tobacco." He gave an exaggerated sigh. "No one
should have to endure such misery without a good smoke. What is this world
coming to?"
     

Chapter
5:
    The Master of Illusion and
Shadow
    Ethella stood at the edge of a clearing, facing three
Golden Knights. Standing beside her was the new High Wizard of Bellis--a man
over seven feet tall named Vorhevia. They were waiting for the Divine Knights
to return from Malva so they could continue pursuing them.
    The Mud Belt had Ethella on edge. This was a savage land
where rogues and barbarians lacked respect for Bellis' authority. She had no
desire to battle some bloodthirsty clan. With the swamp offering so much
concealment for an ambush, she also lived in constant fear of a surprise attack
from Dremlock in retaliation for their slaughtered Knights. Although Lannon and
his warriors had already claimed vengeance (in the form of the Lawkeeper's
severed head), she wondered if it was enough to appease them. They might decide
to go after her next.
    That fool of a Lawkeeper had put Ethella's life in grave
danger, and she could never forgive him. She was glad he was dead and hoped his
soul was in torment. Ethella had exchanged messages with King Verlamer after
the beheading, and he had seemed dismissive of the whole affair, commanding her
to focus on stealing the White Flamestone. He also sent an immediate
replacement for the Lawkeeper--the sorcerer who stood beside Ethella and made
her flesh crawl.
    Aside from living in fear, Ethella was also greatly
annoyed. She had expected to be promoted to High Wizard after Omharal's death,
but in a surprise move King Verlamer had chosen one of his wealthy lords
instead. Not only did she