withdraw; we all know that. The Dark Lord would do worse things to him and he’s already suffered death. He is probably waiting for some sort of reinforcements from Dreaddrac.” Saxthor turned again to the Sengenwha’s senior general. “We understand the queen has left the city. Do you know where she has gone, her plans, or when she will return?”
“No, Majesty,” the general replied and said no more.
“Then you, General, must take all precautions to defend this city. It must not fall into enemy hands. Not only would the last stronghold of Sengenwhan sovereignty disappear with it, but the enemy would command the river here. They would cut off the major supply route for defenses, Botahar. You must hold the city and river.”
“I shall do my best,” the general said.
Saxthor dismissed the general. After he left, Saxthor sat down with Bodrin. “How do you feel about the city’s defense?” Saxthor asked.
“It will hold for the time being, but we don’t know what Tarquak will do next or what kind of reinforcements he’ll have.”
“Yes, of course,” Saxthor said, looking toward the window and the enemy fires on the slopes. “What’s this message you sent me about, pertaining to the seer?” He looked Bodrin in the eye. “Wrong way… does that mean troop movements or general plans or what?”
“She was very stressed. She just said you were going the wrong way. I have no idea what it meant. She wouldn’t explain it; just said it three times.”
Saxthor rose and paced the room, looking down at the floor, his thoughts trying to discern the meaning. “I’ll go and see her tomorrow.”
*
The next morning Saxthor, with Bodrin at his side, slipped out of Botahar, crossed the river, and farther upstream crossed back to find the seer’s cave. They came close enough to watch the cabin. No one seemed to be there so the men crept up to the hut. After looking around to be sure there were no orcs, they knocked on the door, but no one answered. They slipped around back, as they had done when they came to the seer on their journey back on their adventure to obtain the crown’s crystals.
“There doesn’t appear to be anyone here,” Saxthor whispered. They peeked in the small window. “No, but orcs have been here. Look at the overturned stools, the storage boxes and cases. Someone has searched through everything.”
“Maybe she’s in the cave,” Bodrin said.
“If the seer isn’t in the cabin or cave, I have no idea where to look for her.” Saxthor said. “Did she mention anything about her whereabouts? We’ll check the cave. If she’s not there, we’ll go back to Botahar.”
In the grotto, where Saxthor had seen the bubbling spring with the enchanted pool, the water had nearly evaporated. It stood still and stagnant. The light emanating from it before was gone.
“Whatever the seer held in the pool has returned to the elements with her departure,” Saxthor said.
“Or has been captured and taken prisoner by the Dark Lord’s minions.”
Saxthor looked at Bodrin, who looked back toward the cave entrance at the thought just suggested. “The source knows too much about me and my destiny to be in enemy hands.”
The two men turned to go but were startled by the image of the seer, her wispy white hair fluttering in the breeze at the cave entrance.
“Wise one,” Saxthor said. “We thought we had lost you. Where is the source in the pool?”
“Gone, as are we all,” the seer said. “The axis of the world is turning.”
“What did you mean by ‘I’m going the wrong way?”
“The king looks up,
But the danger’s below.
Beware those nearest,
Yet far away.
The tide comes in
To swallow you up,
Drown the tide,
And summon the deep.
You must topple the highest,
To become the greatest.
“What does that mean?” Bodrin asked when the seer disappeared again.
“Makes no sense to me,” Saxthor replied. “The mystery only gets worse.”
*
Saxthor and Bodrin left the
“No, Majesty,” the general replied and said no more.
“Then you, General, must take all precautions to defend this city. It must not fall into enemy hands. Not only would the last stronghold of Sengenwhan sovereignty disappear with it, but the enemy would command the river here. They would cut off the major supply route for defenses, Botahar. You must hold the city and river.”
“I shall do my best,” the general said.
Saxthor dismissed the general. After he left, Saxthor sat down with Bodrin. “How do you feel about the city’s defense?” Saxthor asked.
“It will hold for the time being, but we don’t know what Tarquak will do next or what kind of reinforcements he’ll have.”
“Yes, of course,” Saxthor said, looking toward the window and the enemy fires on the slopes. “What’s this message you sent me about, pertaining to the seer?” He looked Bodrin in the eye. “Wrong way… does that mean troop movements or general plans or what?”
“She was very stressed. She just said you were going the wrong way. I have no idea what it meant. She wouldn’t explain it; just said it three times.”
Saxthor rose and paced the room, looking down at the floor, his thoughts trying to discern the meaning. “I’ll go and see her tomorrow.”
*
The next morning Saxthor, with Bodrin at his side, slipped out of Botahar, crossed the river, and farther upstream crossed back to find the seer’s cave. They came close enough to watch the cabin. No one seemed to be there so the men crept up to the hut. After looking around to be sure there were no orcs, they knocked on the door, but no one answered. They slipped around back, as they had done when they came to the seer on their journey back on their adventure to obtain the crown’s crystals.
“There doesn’t appear to be anyone here,” Saxthor whispered. They peeked in the small window. “No, but orcs have been here. Look at the overturned stools, the storage boxes and cases. Someone has searched through everything.”
“Maybe she’s in the cave,” Bodrin said.
“If the seer isn’t in the cabin or cave, I have no idea where to look for her.” Saxthor said. “Did she mention anything about her whereabouts? We’ll check the cave. If she’s not there, we’ll go back to Botahar.”
In the grotto, where Saxthor had seen the bubbling spring with the enchanted pool, the water had nearly evaporated. It stood still and stagnant. The light emanating from it before was gone.
“Whatever the seer held in the pool has returned to the elements with her departure,” Saxthor said.
“Or has been captured and taken prisoner by the Dark Lord’s minions.”
Saxthor looked at Bodrin, who looked back toward the cave entrance at the thought just suggested. “The source knows too much about me and my destiny to be in enemy hands.”
The two men turned to go but were startled by the image of the seer, her wispy white hair fluttering in the breeze at the cave entrance.
“Wise one,” Saxthor said. “We thought we had lost you. Where is the source in the pool?”
“Gone, as are we all,” the seer said. “The axis of the world is turning.”
“What did you mean by ‘I’m going the wrong way?”
“The king looks up,
But the danger’s below.
Beware those nearest,
Yet far away.
The tide comes in
To swallow you up,
Drown the tide,
And summon the deep.
You must topple the highest,
To become the greatest.
“What does that mean?” Bodrin asked when the seer disappeared again.
“Makes no sense to me,” Saxthor replied. “The mystery only gets worse.”
*
Saxthor and Bodrin left the
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