SETISIA

Horn Hill was the kind of feature that will always be given a name if there are people in its vicinity. A distinctive shape, that of an upside-down drinking horn, as well as its size determined this. Its peak was the highest point for many miles in all directions, offering unrivalled views of its surrounds, but the hill had few human visitors. One who did sometimes make the effort to climb to its treeless, rocky crown was a young hunter and dreamer known to his community as Telli. He came there on days when he knew the weather would allow him the clearest of views. On one such day, in his fifteenth year, he came to say farewell to his homeland from a favourite seat on a flat rock at the summit.

It was a clear, bright morning in late spring. Songbirds chorused in the forest below and a squirrel-hawk circled high in the sky. Bees buzzed around the flowers under his feet, and Telli was enjoying the sights, sounds and smells he would soon be leaving. With the sun already high above rolling hills to the south east, he could see for great distances from his vantage point.

To his south there were trees, millions and millions of them, as the forest stretched so far away that even the squirrel-hawk's eye could see no end to it. Only the occasional bald, rocky outcrop like Horn Hill itself broke the view. The area of this great forest immediately surrounding the hill was Telli's hunting ground, his home from home, where he knew every shady glade and bubbling brook, and where he spent most of his waking hours.

To the west, the forest became slowly thinner and thinner until it gave way to flat prairie land. This Telli knew to be the haunt of great yellow lions, hunting its herds of giant buffalo. He had never been this way, and few men would dare to go alone, for the big cats hunted in prides of ten or more, each animal weighing as much as two grown men. Telli's own father had perished on these great plains.

To the north, at about two hours walking distance, the trees stopped abruptly, cleared by men. Telli could see his village of some two hundred wooden homes with thatched roofs, stone chimneys, and a surrounding patchwork of green and yellow fields. A tall fence encircling the village, there to protect children and livestock from the forest's wolves, was clearly visible, and he could just make out wisps of grey-white smoke from early cooking fires rising above some of the houses. The river Elne wound from east to west beyond the settlement, and further north were low purple hills where wild goats grazed on the heather. No signs of human life could be seen in any other direction. As far as the Elne-siders knew, there were none.

Then there was the east. Here the forest lay flat for some distance, then rose slowly over ridge after ridge, each higher than the last. Beyond were tree-covered hills, then higher blue-grey mountains; and behind these, looking like a line of tiny, pointed clouds above the haze, were the snow-covered peaks of the Great White Mountains. It was to the east that Telli gazed for the longest on that fine spring morning. He thought of the tales told by his uncle Takos of the prophet, Drakis, who had led more than two-hundred young followers out of their land on the far side of the mountains, crossing over perilously high, snow-covered passes to become founder of Telli's community nearly three hundred years before. Of how Drakis had planted his staff in the ground when he arrived at the small, fertile delta by the river Elne where the village now lay, and declared it to be the Promised Land. The land where his people could thrive without the terrible wars they had escaped; without the greed for power and for gold that had destroyed so much in the old country.

Looking to the east, Telli thought also of the tales his grandfather loved to tell. Stories passed down through centuries of the Great River, with its trading ships as long as cornfields and wider than houses. Of walled cities with thousands of stone buildings, and of ornate palaces with hundreds of rooms and towers far higher than the tallest of trees. Over the mountains had been the wonders of the world, and the young hunter from Drakisland wished for nothing more than to see if those wonders still existed.

His desire to see the lands in the east was not only due to a thirst for adventure, although Telli certainly had that. He felt that beyond the mountains might be found the answers to many questions he had about life; answers which could not be had in his own small community. And, most important, he wished to find out about certain traits that he thought to be unique in himself.

Sitting in the warming sun, Telli's mind wandered back drowsily to a night four years earlier, when he had discovered the most peculiar of these traits. He had been lying on his bed, playing a game in his mind, a game he played nearly every night before falling asleep. Eyes closed, he would imagine himself to be flying, as perhaps all children do at some time. Flying over fantasy landscapes, up with the birds and amongst the clouds, until the daydream merged into night-dreams, and he fell asleep. On this particular night, Telli had pictured himself as flying in the very room where he lay rather than in some exotic world of the imagination and, to his astonishment, had opened his eyes to find himself floating several inches above his bed. Falling back instantly to the mattress, he had rested there for a few minutes in a state of shock, experiencing a mixture of excitement and exhaustion, as if he had just made a great effort rather than indulging in a pleasant fantasy. On recovering, he had managed to 'fly', or levitate, once again, floating for several seconds at a short distance above the cot.

An unusual child in other ways, Telli had resolved that night to tell no one of his new found ability until he fully understood its nature and what lay behind it. He was both fascinated and worried by his discovery, which seemed to contradict the laws of nature his people believed to have been laid down by their Gods. Now, with four years' examination of this strange talent behind him, he could float up to thirty feet in any direction with great concentration and effort. He still kept to his resolution of secrecy, being no nearer to knowing why he alone should be able to do this seemingly impossible thing. He gazed at the distant peaks of the White Mountains, wondering if the answers might be found in the Old Kingdom of his ancestors beyond.

A movement below jerked Telli's mind back quickly from its reverie. He froze instinctively, moving only his eyes to see what had distracted him. Coming out of the forest onto the southern slopes of the hill was a herd of Yellowhorn, a species of dwarf deer common west of the mountains. They moved cautiously, noses and ears twitching, one or more of them looking around while the others grazed. There were many predators to fear, including Telli.

The boy hunter eased himself slowly off his rock seat on the side opposite to the herd, then licked a finger and held it up to test the wind. After a patient crawl to a point out of sight and downwind of his quarry, he fitted an arrow to his bow and moved forward on both knees until he could see the nearest animal, which had its head down grazing. Telli then stood quickly and, in the split second when he knew the startled deer would look up at him before running away, planted an arrow in its throat. The animal fell dead instantly. It was the knowledge of how his target would move as much as the accuracy of his shooting that had made the youngster already one of the best hunters in his village.

The rest of the herd disappeared quickly into the forest barking their alarms. Telli knelt to the ground to thank his Gods for the luck of an easy kill, and to show respect for the spirit of the victim as was the custom amongst his people. He then drew an axe from the sack on his back and walked down to the trees to make a wooden stretcher on which to tie the deer's carcass. This he would drag home behind him, as even the small Yellow-horn was too heavy to carry over any great distance.

Telli took about four hours to make his journey home, stopping frequently, both to rest and to gather edible roots, herbs, nuts and berries to add to his load. His grandmother would make a feast that night for the family and for many guests. It was his sister's wedding eve, and also the night when Telli must tell the family of his plans to leave them shortly. This last would not be easy, he knew, but how could they stop him? Thinking of his impending departure, he arrived at Elneside village about four hours before sundown and dragged his load through it until he reached the home of his grandfather, old Beyorn the fisher.

The old man was seated on a wooden bench by the open door of his house, where Telli and his sister, Trina, also lived. He smiled a greeting, showing all three of his front teeth.

"We shall feast well tonight, little hunter," he said. "And where did you happen across that fine beast of yours, then?"

"Horn hill. She walked right into my arms," Telli smiled back. "You've not done so badly yourself," he added, nodding towards a barrel of water teeming with silver fish, still alive.

"They swam right into my arms! Your sister is waiting for you and your grandmother will want to start work on that deerling." Beyorn picked up a net he had been mending and went back to work as Telli entered the house, dragging his load behind him into the hall.

The hall of an Elneside home was usually most of the house, that of old Beyorn and his wife, Allina, being no exception. Some fifteen yards long by ten wide, it was used for cooking, eating, working and sometimes sleeping if there was no other space available. There was a large fireplace at one end with a stone chimney, and a long oak table in the centre at which as many as thirty people could be seated on feast nights such as this one. Trina was to get married the next day and her husband would move into the house. Tonight was a welcoming party for him.

Telli's sister, his grandmother and two aunts were busy round the fireplace preparing the night's meal. They welcomed the young hunter and his burden with pleasure and a great fuss.

"We have too much meat, too much of everything," said Allina.

"Thank the Gods. We shall have to stuff ourselves full all week," said Trina, grinning at her brother. "Brill eats like a pig anyway, so it'll soon disappear."

"Don't speak of your man like that before you're even married," chided an aunt who was standing by the fire turning a spit on which a large boar was already roasting.

"Alright, I'll start calling him names tomorrow if I must wait," Trina replied, winking at Telli. Telli smiled back at her, suddenly realising just how much he would miss his sister when he left Elneside. The two were matching siblings and, if Telli had been a few inches taller, could have been twins. They shared the same dark brown, almost black hair, light brown complexion and striking black eyes; Trina's usually smiling, and Telli's more often dreamy, but piercing when he was alert and interested in what was around him. He helped the women put his contribution to the feast where they wanted it, then left through a door which led to the sleeping rooms of the house where he could change from his hunting clothes and wash himself. He would then help to prepare the food for the party.

People started arriving at old Beyorn's house just before sundown. They were nearly all relatives of Trina or her fiancé, Brill, and all knew one another well. Beyorn greeted them at the door with Trina by his side. On entering the hall, guests would be given a large cup of wine or mead by Allina, and would sit where they chose to around the long table. All feasts in this small community began in much the same way, so that all of its members knew what was expected of them. When all those invited had arrived, toasts were drunk to the betrothed couple, and the first plates of food were served. Plates piled high with meat, fish, vegetables or fruit, from which the gathering helped themselves, spooning the food into wooden bowls and making any mixture they chose.

Telli looked around the table of plenty, at the happy, smiling faces, and thought that he must be slightly mad to dream of leaving his village for lands of which he knew nothing. The Elnesiders lived well. The forest, the river and their fertile fields provided more than they needed, and they had no neighbours to compete with for land or hunting grounds. Indeed, to Telli's knowledge, no-one from the settlement had ever even seen a human being from outside the community since their ancestors had arrived there with Drakis the prophet three centuries before. But curiosity is a powerful force, and Telli was not the first youngster from the banks of the Elne to dream of a more interesting and exciting life that might be found elsewhere.

The guests at Trina's party did not remain in one place, but moved around to serve themselves food and drink, and to change partners in conversation. At one point, Telli found himself next to his sister on one side and Brakis the hunter, an old friend, on the other. He had talked to both on several occasions of his wish to see the lands east of the White Mountains. Now, with the wine starting to reach his head, he chose to announce his intention of leaving within the next few days. Trina was not having it.

"You are mad, you are still a child, and why should you want to leave us anyway?" She didn't wait for an answer, but announced loudly to the gathering that her crazed brother was talking of leaving Drakisland to die in some foreign place. Allina looked over from the end of the table where she was carving up venison.

"The boy speaks nonsense," she said. "He is as his father was -- head full of dreams and never content with the good, simple life the Gods have blessed us with -- and look what came of him." Telli's father had been killed by prairie lions ten years before while hunting buffalo (which he did not need to do).

Brakis came to Telli's defence, saying that he too had often dreamed of travelling.

"How do we know our life is so good when we have nothing to compare it with?" he reasoned. "However, the mountains are high and snows cover their peaks. Even if Telli is serious about this journey, he will probably be back within a few weeks to tell us that they cannot be crossed."

Others joined in the discussion. Most did not seem to take Telli's intentions seriously. Those who did generally tried to discourage him on account of his age, and on the basis that there was no reason to leave his Elneside home and many a good reason for staying there. Old Beyorn looked at his grandson from under bushy white brows, smiled a little, and said nothing. Conversation turned to other things. The marriage taking place the next day, which the entire population of the settlement would attend, and speculation as to other matches that might be arranged in the near future. There was talk of the weather, the crops, some gossip and scandal, some hunting and fishing news. Telli listened to the familiar talk and felt increasingly that he was different from the others present; that he was not intended by fate or by the Gods to lead the same kind of life. For one thing, whoever had heard of a man who could fly? He knew that if he told the others of this strange discovery about himself, they would not believe him until he lifted himself off the ground before their eyes, and he had no intention of doing so.

The feast continued past midnight, with less and less eating and more and more drinking. Songs were sung. Songs they all knew well. Some were Elneside tunes, but some were very old, coming from the times before Drakis had crossed the mountains and concerning near forgotten people and places. Places, Telli knew, that might still exist. His grandfather came and sat beside him, bringing two cups of the strong, sweet mead he made from wild bees' honey.

"So, little hunter, do you really mean to leave us?" The old man spoke as though he knew the answer.

"I must. I have decided. I wish to go now," said Telli. Old Beyorn sighed and sipped from his cup thoughtfully.

"When I was young, I dreamed also," he said. "I dreamed of a life that offered more than merely providing for my needs, and those of my family. Once, I even set off for the White Mountains, but turned back after three days. I was a little older than you are now and could not live without a pretty girl I knew, little Allina." He looked along the table to where his wife sat watching them.

"Then you understand?"

"I do not want you to go, but I do understand, perhaps. Yet you are different from others," said the old man, putting Telli's own thoughts into words. "Of all the young men who have left, perhaps you will be the first who does not turn back for home. Whichever way, you have my blessing." Old Beyorn smiled. "Anyway, if you have truly decided to go, we can hardly tie you down to your bed for the rest of your life, can we?"

Telli had not expected his grandfather to be so easy on him, and knew that he would find more opposition from his grandmother and from Trina. He had no worries about their welfare in his absence. Brill was a good man and would be moving into the house the next day, and Telli's grandparents were surrounded by relatives -- he was just one of their nine grandchildren. Knowing that they had brought him up in their house since his mother had died at his birth, he wished to leave with a clear conscience, and the old man's blessing was important to him.

The party reached its liveliest point. Two harps, drums and a wooden flute were being played, and two of Telli's cousins had started to dance on the table. He caught the eye of pretty cousin Rita, his own age, and with his head swimming from the mead he jumped up to join her. Others followed until the solid oak table shook beneath them. Brill and Brakis swung Trina up onto the centre of the table, knocking two of the dancers off, and Brill leapt up to join her in an impromptu wedding dance. The normally staid and reserved character of the Elne-siders was forgotten on such occasions. Even Beyorn and Allina took a turn at table dancing despite the latter's fears for her furniture.

Then Telli forgot himself. Still dancing, he reached down for a cup of wine offered to him by an aunt, and drained it in one go. Then, concentrating as best he could, he leapt for a beam above him, placed his hands on it and swung his legs upright over his head. Flipping over completely, he landed with perfect balance back on the table. The other dancers gasped in amazement, then applauded, fortunately too confused with wine and the excitement of the occasion to notice that the feat was near enough humanly impossible.

"Ooooh Telli! How wonderful!" Rita's pretty eyes shone with admiration, much to her cousin's gratification.

Then Telli caught the eye of Brakis. The hunter was staring hard at him and shaking his head slowly from side to side. As Telli met his gaze, Brakis winked an eye without smiling and pressed his forefinger to his lips to indicate secrecy or silence. Telli had used his strange talent to show off in public, and the shrewd hunter had noticed that something was not as it should be.

The wedding ceremony took place at noon the next day and in the Elneside tradition it was brief, with many of the participants suffering from their excesses of the night before. The whole village attended while Trina and Brill had their union blessed by the High Priest (Telli's uncle Takos) on the common land in the centre of the settlement. They then went about their business, with only the heads of each family congregating at Beyorn's house, bearing gifts for the young couple. Later in the afternoon the fire was re-lit in the family hall, and the festivities recommenced.

Telli had noticed Brakis looking at him thoughtfully during the ceremony. He wasn't surprised when the hunter arrived at the house later and sat beside him at the long table.

"I must talk with you, son," Brakis said after eating a little. "Will you come outside?"

Telli followed him to the back of the house, where they were alone. Brakis sat down on a low wooden fence, and began to speak.

"About two months ago, I was in the forest on my way back from a morning's hunt. As I walked, I saw a figure come down from a tall fruit tree about eighty yards ahead of me. I hid behind a bush and watched carefully, because this being did not seem to be climbing down by means of the branches, but rather, was drifting down between them while carrying a load of fruit in both arms. At the foot of the tree, he appeared to look around carefully, then picked up a bundle from the ground in which he put the fruit. Then he set of in the direction of the Elne. I followed carefully, but saw nothing else unusual. I caught up with you, Telli, as you entered the village, if you remember."

"Why did you say nothing?" asked Telli.

"For one thing, the light of the sky had been in my eyes, and I was not sure until your display last night that I had seen anything out of the ordinary. There was another thing also. Something that worried me."

"Which was...?"

Brakis sighed.

"There are old stories from our people before they came here to Drakisland, which you may have heard. Stories of wise Holy Men who, by prayer and meditation, could actually raise themselves off the ground as you seem to be able to do. But there are also tales of men possessed by demons who appeared to do the same. I know you well, Telli, and although you are no Holy Man, I am certain that you are no demon either." He smiled briefly through his beard, then became serious again. "Others may not be so sure."

"Would that matter so much?" Telli asked.

"Perhaps, yes," Brakis replied. "Here at Elne-side, many years ago when my grandfather was a young boy, there was a girl of about fifteen years who was seen to lift herself off the ground without knowing how or why she had done so. The priests were convinced that she was controlled by demons, which they tried to exorcise. No one knew exactly what happened excepting the priests who were present, but in the course of their efforts to cleanse her the poor girl died. You have been discreet about your gift, or curse, or whatever it is; and you would do well to be even more so in the future, here or anywhere else you might find yourself."

Brakis then asked Telli questions about how he had discovered his ability to levitate, how far and how high he could go, and whether these distances were improving with age and experience. On receiving the answers, he smiled and commented that Telli was still a long way from being able to fly over the house, let alone the White Mountains. Then he added, to the boy's surprise, that speaking of which (the White Mountains) he would like to join Telli on his journey if he was still intending to go; if it had not been the wine talking the night before.

"Think about it," he said, "and give me your answer tonight if you can." Then he left to rejoin the merry-making inside the house.

Telli stayed outside for a while, considering Brakis's suggestion. He had only thought of journeying alone because it had not occurred to him that anyone else would wish to join him. Certainly, there was unlikely to be a more useful companion in Elneside than the hunter. Brakis was a tall, agile man, just over forty years of age, with a permanently tanned face half concealed by his greying beard, and a pair of broad shoulders on which he could carry a full-grown deer with ease. He was held in great respect by the younger hunters of the village as the best guide to and teacher of the ways of the forest. There was something else which made it likely that he might be prepared to leave Elneside for a long period of time and would not worry too much about risk to his life. Brakis had no wife or children to care for.

The story behind this was well known to Telli and to his family. Brakis as a young man had been handsome, carefree, and much admired by the girls of the village. He had fallen in love with, and married, a young woman named Esmelda, considered by many to be the most beautiful in Elneside. She was the sister of Telli's mother. It had seemed a match made by the Gods, but Esmelda had fallen ill suddenly after nearly a year of marriage, and had died at noon (the marriage hour) on the first anniversary of their wedding. The timing had seemed a deliberate blow by the hand of fate. Brakis had gone mad with grief, and had heaved a huge rock onto a shrine dedicated to the Goddess of Love, before disappearing into the forest, saying he would never return. It had been Telli's father, Brakis's best friend, who had tracked him down many months later living wild in the forest and persuaded him to come home. The carefree young man was no more, and Brakis had never trusted the Love Goddess; he had never married again.

Telli re-entered the house, his decision made. He nodded to Brakis, and sat beside him. The two talked quietly for a few minutes, arranging to meet the next day. Then both settled down to enjoy what might be their last Elneside feast. The night went on much as the night before, with eating and drinking, singing and dancing, until Telli retired to bed in the early hours of the morning, when the last of the guests were leaving. He fell asleep knowing his life was about to change, dreaming of the great White Mountains and what he might find beyond them.

The huge peaks of the White Mountains were turning slowly orange with the setting sun, and the sky was changing colour from a light blue to an eerie, glowing pink. Telli and Brakis watched a sight they had never seen before with wonder and in awe.

"The Gods are fine artists," said Brakis, and could have been reading his companion's thoughts.

They watched the changing scene in silence for a while. The mountains looked so near, but the travellers had already realised that this was something of an illusion due to the range's great height, and Brakis had guessed that they had at least another three or four days' walking before they had to worry about trudging through the snows.

This was the end of the fifth day since their departure from Elneside. The journey had been uneventful for the most part, although difficult at times because there were no paths, and they had no way to know the easiest way eastward. They had followed the Elne up river for the first two days, but when they had reached the hills the river had begun to wind around them, and they were forced to choose between a long route on its bank, or shorter, but steeper cuts between its bends. Now on a high ridge that seemed to lead straight towards the mountains, they had decided to stop for the night by a spring in a small hollow offering them some protection from the wind. A stew, consisting of rabbit and edible roots gathered on their way, was cooking over the fire that Telli had made up earlier, and smelled good to the hungry travellers.

The spring formed a stream, which flowed into a pool a short distance away. Brakis got up, went over to the pool, and started to rinse his face and hair. Telli, watching idly by the fire, saw his friend stop suddenly with his washing and stare down into the water for fully half a minute, before pulling off his shirt and plunging his head and shoulders below the surface. He came up holding something in his hands which he examined for a moment before giving it a good rinse in the pool, then looking closely at it again. Telli could see a gleam of white and his curiosity was aroused. Brakis picked up his shirt and came back to the fireside. He handed over his find.

"What do you make of this, then?" he asked.

It was a skull, complete with lower jawbone which came away from the rest in Telli's hands as he examined it. No animal that he knew of had such a skull. Indeed, it was more like a man's than that of anything else, but could not be unless it had belonged to someone hideously deformed. The nose and upper jaw were one bone, sticking forward and pointed at the end, and the lower jaw matched it, sloping upwards to a point without forming a chin. The eye sockets looked human, as did the large brain cavity. It was like the skull of a man with a beak. Brakis took it back and held it to the neck of his shirt, moving the lower jaw up and down.

"Helleeow Telli, cheep cheeep," he said in a high pitched voice. They both laughed, but Telli was uneasy.

"Do you know what it is?" he asked.

"No. I've seen nothing like it." Brakis looked serious now. "It belonged to something more like us than anything else I have ever seen. The pond is clear with a stone bottom and little mud. There are many bones, not just those of one ma—of one being." He looked at the skull thoughtfully. "Our friend here was about the same size as me, and perhaps around my age when he died. I cannot tell how long ago that was, but it was not so long. The bones of animals lying for a very long time in a stream become slowly worn down, the edges become rounded and they start to lose their shape. This skull is in good shape, so I think that this creature was walking around the area quite recently. Perhaps some of his friends still are." They both looked around instinctively.

Brakis stood up, walked over to the pond and dropped the skull back into the water.

"There are so many bones that perhaps these creatures buried their dead in the water as we do under the ground," he said on returning. "Let's eat. That stew must be ready."

The last light faded as they ate their meal. When it was finished Telli wrapped himself in his cloak and lay down beside the fire to sleep, it being Brakis's turn to watch first. Even when in the familiar forest around Elneside a night watch was a wise precaution as wolf-packs, large brown bears and tree leopards could all pose a threat to the unwary hunter. Now well away from their home ground, the travellers were more cautious than usual.

Telli took some time to fall asleep, thinking of Elneside without yet feeling homesick. The goodbyes to family and friends had been difficult, but not to the extent he had feared. The fact that he was not travelling alone, and that Brakis, of all people, was to be his companion had gone a long way to calm the fears of his grandmother and sister. His grandfather's support had also been a great help. He drowsed contentedly until, in a half-dream, the image of the strange skull appeared in his mind, and he stirred restlessly, tossing and turning before eventually the tiredness from a long day's march led him into a deep, dreamless sleep.

*

It was still dark when Telli awoke, but the sky had already turned from black to a dark blue behind the silhouettes of the mountains, announcing the imminent sunrise. He sat up sharply and turned to see the reassuring shape of Brakis sitting nearby with his back against a large rock.

"Why didn't you wake me to watch?" he asked. "It's near sunrise."

"I did not feel the need to sleep, so left you to rest well. I shall sleep now, and if we start a little later than usual it does not matter. What hurry is there? It's perhaps better if we divide the night in two like this, instead of four, to be sure that one is always awake now we are so far from the lands we know."

Brakis lay down and seemed to sleep immediately. He appeared relaxed, but Telli knew well that his friend was a little uneasy, and was probably nearly as alert in his sleep as others are when wide awake. Telli waited for a while until the day became lighter, then collected some dead wood from under the nearest trees and made up the fire. Then, nothing else to do, he started to whittle away at a new arrow he was making, pausing every so often to watch the morning light, and then the sun, rise from behind the snowy peaks ahead of him. He would leave Brakis to sleep as long as he could. True, there was no hurry at all. Only when they were in the snows would they need to move as quickly as possible while their food supply lasted, and to avoid too many cold nights.

Brakis woke at about two hours before noon to the smell of cooking, as Telli was boiling a soup of vegetables and grain from the supplies in his pack. They ate quickly and went on their way, following the ridge towards the mountains. The forest was now below them, with only a few scattered and stunted trees growing exposed to the weather on top of the ridge, and the travellers could see fine views all around them. Brakis was well rested and more talkative than usual.

"Drakis found a way over the mountains which brought our forefathers to this side south of the river Elne, where we are now. It was not far from the Elne, because they reached its south bank just three days after leaving the snows behind them, as you know if you remember your reading. We cannot do better than to continue straight ahead where we have as good a chance as any of finding that route. You can see by the break in the trees that there is a river or stream down in the valley to our right, and we know that the Elne is to our left. Brenen the scribe, whose account of the journey with Drakis is the best in detail, writes of how they followed a stream down from the mountains. We know that it did not lead them directly to the Elne, for they cut north to avoid the thick forest, and to march on more open ground. Therefore, I think that the stream they followed must flow down into the one on our right, or perhaps the next one to the south."

Telli, who had also read Brenen, both as part of his learning of letters and again recently with this journey in mind, had been thinking along the same lines. He nodded in agreement, and replied:

"We should follow each stream that flows down to the river below, going upstream as far as we can. If we do not find Drakis's route, or another, we should come back down, hunt ourselves up another supply of food, and then do the same for the next river to the south."

"You have worked it all out," smiled Brakis. "I agree."

He looked at Telli, now walking ahead of him, and thought how different his young friend was from others his own age, indeed from other people in general. The boy often seemed wise beyond his years and reserved things to himself, so that Brakis was sometimes taken by surprise when he did reveal some of his thoughts. If other children had discovered the ability to raise themselves off the ground inexplicably, as Telli had at the age of ten, they would surely have run around telling everyone and showing off. Brakis could see some of the traits of his sister in law and her husband, Telli's parents, in Telli's looks and his ways, but there was so much more that seemed to be his own, as if he had arrived at birth a complete stranger to the Elneside community. Travelling with him was like travelling with another man, the only difference being that he could not carry as much weight, leaving Brakis's pack the heavier because they had balanced their loads so that both walked easily at the same pace.

The pair marched through the day, stopping to rest only once, briefly, because they had started late. They made good progress as it was easy going along the top of the ridge, and by late afternoon the mountains were visibly much nearer. Around the time they had started to think of looking for a suitable place to pass the night, Telli saw something ahead that seemed unusual, and pointed it out to Brakis. At about an hour's walk away, the ridge rose up to a point. On the top of this was what seemed to them to be a very large rock sticking up towards the sky, with a jagged edge on top and unusually straight sides. They decided to continue towards it and, as they approached, it seemed less and less like a natural feature, and more and more like something made by man.

Brakis stopped at some distance and gestured to Telli to join him behind a low ledge which offered concealment, but over which they could look at the object, now just three to four hundred yards away.

"What do you think it is?" he asked. Telli stared, concentrating hard, and suddenly had a vision in his mind of a great grey building with battlements on top, with shouts, horn blows and drum beats sounding around it, and the glint of armour as men walked on its walls. A vision, perhaps, from the stories he had heard or read of the old country.

"I think it is, or was a castle," he answered slowly.

They both stared. No Elnesider had ever seen a building other than their own wooden houses. After watching for a while and seeing no sign of life excepting an eagle circling above the hill in front of them, they continued to walk very cautiously towards the building they could soon see was obviously a ruin. Both held bow and arrow loosely at their sides in the left hand, and their long hunting knives ready in the right. It had been a castle or watch-tower and, although the battlements were crumbling so that many fallen stones lay at the foot of the weathered walls, all four walls themselves were still standing. It was square at the base, with a round turret running from bottom to top in each corner, about fifteen yards separating each one, and stood about seventy feet high. To the travellers it seemed enormous.

"How did they build such things?" whispered Telli. Brakis shrugged, as buildings of stone were just as new to him.

"Just as interesting is why did they, and who were they," he pointed out, also in a whisper.

They circled the castle slowly and quietly, looking for an entrance, and found it on the far side. It was an archway in the wall facing the mountains, and would have made an easy way in was it not for the fact that it was about twenty-five feet up, and any outside stairway, if there had been one, had long since gone.

"I think these people had enemies," commented Brakis, dryly. "They did not want their guests walking in unexpectedly."

Curiosity overcame caution for Telli. He laid down his pack and stood below the archway, estimating its height. Then, concentrating all of his attention on it, he rose slowly from the ground, and ten seconds later was hanging from the doorstep. He heaved himself onto it and sat there for a moment to recover, grinning down at Brakis who stood below, open-mouthed. He had seen Telli cross a couple of streams on their journey without getting his feet wet, but this effort (which was about the most that his friend could manage without great risk of a fall) was spectacular in comparison. He watched as the boy turned on his seat to face inside, and saw his head moving to look down, and then upwards. After a few moments, Telli seemed to have decided that there were no obvious dangers in the castle, as he turned back and, still too careful to shout down, made gestures with his arms and hands miming someone climbing a rope. Brakis pulled their only rope, brought with the mountain crossing in mind, from his pack. He coiled a few feet of it to make a weight and threw it accurately to Telli then, on the signal that it was secure, showed his agility by arriving on the doorstep in little more time than his flying friend had taken to get there.

Telli watched Brakis as he looked around. The sight was surprising, mainly because while the weathered, rocky ridge outside had few plants growing on it, here, under the protection of the walls, they were everywhere. Climbing ivy covered most of the stonework, and on the ground below them they could see shrubs, grasses, flowers and, most surprising of all, a few trees were growing, two of them reaching well above the point where they sat. It was like a very high walled garden. All that was built of stone had stood the test of time well. They could see the large holes in the walls at every level, made for the beams that would have supported the various floors and the roof. These must have been made of wood and had long since disappeared, presumably becoming part of the fertile earth now covering the foundations. Three pillars, or buttresses, ran from bottom to top of each wall helping to support ledges, about two feet wide, which ran between the rounded corner towers on each level, joining arched doorways in their walls. Telli and Brakis were on the second ledge of six, what would have been the floor level of the third chamber up from the ground.

Having taken all this in, Telli began to move carefully along the ledge towards the tower on his left, then started, and nearly lost his balance, at a sudden noise from above. Looking up quickly, he spotted the eagle they had seen earlier flying out of the top of the castle, and the mess of twigs and moss that was its nest on the highest ledge. Shaking his head and smiling as his nerves calmed, he looked back at Brakis, who was also smiling as he sheathed his hunting knife. The eagle was good news. It would not nest there if it felt threatened by any regular visitors to the ruin, and the travellers felt more confident that they were alone. Telli continued along the ledge with increasing confidence as it felt solid beneath his feet, and reached the arch in the corner tower. Looking inside he could see that it contained a spiral staircase made of stone treads attached between the walls and a central pillar. He turned and beckoned Brakis to join him, but his companion signed back, pointing out through the castle entrance. He disappeared for a minute or two, then reappeared with Telli's pack, which he placed on the ledge before descending again for his own. This task completed, he came along the ledge to join Telli.

"Up or down?" he asked, after peering through the arch.

"Up," decided Telli, thinking of the view they might have from the top, and as the lighter of the two he led the way up the staircase. It proved to be solid, and was well lit from the two arches leading out to the ledges on each level they passed, as well as from arrow slits at intervals through the outside walls. They reached the sixth level in a few minutes and went out onto the ledge, which was slightly wider than the others and seemed strong enough. From here they had a fine view through the weather worn and slightly crumbling battlements.

It was now not much more than an hour before sundown, and the colour of the snows on the mountains was beginning to change, white turning to soft pinks, yellows and oranges. Brakis looked down towards the route they would have to follow the next day and spoke, no longer bothering to whisper.

"This must have been built by people from the other side and, from the wear on the stones, must be very, very old. I would guess that its builders were long gone from the area by the time of Drakis, who knew of no settlements in his time or before on this side of the mountains. We can also assume that our forefathers did not pass exactly this way, as Brenen and the others make no mention of a castle, or tower. Indeed, they state clearly that they found themselves alone on this side of the mountains, and discovered no signs of habitation by man."

Telli nodded his agreement, and looked down into the valley below, where he could see the break in the trees that indicated the line of the river, to their right as they faced the mountains.

"They certainly did not find this," he said, "but could easily have come down from the mountains following the banks of the stream down there without seeing the tower through the trees, as we cannot see the water itself from up here." He looked along the ridge below them as it stretched towards the high mountains. "If the castle builders came from the other side, perhaps we shall find their way over to the Kingdom in the east, whether it is the way Drakis found or not."

"True," said Brakis, "but for now I think we had better leave our fellow hunters in peace and make a camp down below for the night." He pointed upwards, where the eagle had been joined by another, and the two circled high above, clearly watching the intruders with their sharp eyes. Telli looked over at the ledge on the wall opposite, and could see the head and neck of an eagle chick protruding from the nest. It was early summer, and he knew that the chick would soon be joining its parents in flight, a magnificent flight that made his own small efforts, however unique, seem absurd, he thought as he made his way down the stairs.

Investigating the bottom of the tower they found, unsurprisingly, that the earth which had accumulated over the centuries to form the base on which the plants and trees were growing blocked the lowest arches. However, they could easily jump down onto the new ground level from the entrances to what had been the floor above. So, after retrieving their packs from the ledge by the castle entrance, they made their camp for the night under the trees inside the protective walls of the building. They found ample firewood for Telli, the tinderbox expert, to start his cooking fire, and as they had enough water in the flasks they carried with them, started to prepare their evening meal.

While waiting for their food to cook, they made a brief exploration of their surroundings, finding nothing of great interest except for some scratches and writings on the walls. These appeared to contain letters similar to their own, but were impossible to read in the fast fading light. They decided to explore the rest of the castle the next day before going on their way, to see if there were any clues as to who had built it, and why they had done so. Telli, up since before dawn that morning, fell asleep immediately after eating, leaving Brakis awake and watchful in spite of the seeming security of being within four walls for the first time since leaving Elneside.

  As he had done the night before, Brakis left Telli to sleep until just before dawn, each of them now sleeping on completely different cycles to ensure continuous vigilance as they neared the mountains. Telli started his watch sitting drowsily with his back to the wall, waiting for the light before searching for more dead wood and making up the fire. This chore finished, he decided to continue the exploration of the night before.

Keeping an eye on the camp and on the entrance to the castle from time to time, he first checked the writings they had seen. These proved to be of little interest, consisting of what Telli deduced to be names idly carved on the walls by soldiers who had served in the castle, although none were names used in Elneside. He then investigated the stairways in the three corner towers they had not visited the evening before, finding them more or less identical to the first one. Then he decided to walk along the ledges at every level of the building. It was on the second highest ledge, just below the eagle's nest, that he discovered some more interesting writings.

The writing was ancient and faded, but Telli thought he could understand the gist of the message. Someone had been forced to leave the castle, and wished to warn anyone who understood his language of an enemy in the area. Telli wasn't too worried at the warning as it had clearly been made centuries ago. After searching for a while and finding nothing else of great interest, he went back down to the camp, and started to prepare some food while waiting for Brakis to wake, which he did while the meal was still cooking. Telli described his find and Brakis went up to see it for himself. When he returned, they speculated as to what or who a wormling might be as they ate, and Brakis wondered aloud that the builders of this great tower had clearly spoken a version of the Elnesiders' own language. Telli thought that the discovery raised more questions, rather than giving answers, and he was even more eager than before to complete the journey over the mountains where he felt that some of his curiosity might be satisfied.

They left the castle, Brakis climbing down first with the packs, and Telli detaching the rope before using his strange talents to drift slowly to the ground, Brakis waiting beneath to break his fall if necessary as neither of them yet had complete confidence in his "flying" abilities. However, all went well, and the travellers set off along the ridge towards the mountains.

After about an hour's walking, they noticed that the line of the river to their right was going through a number of sharp bends and was rising up towards them. A while later, they saw a series of waterfalls ahead of them and Brakis commented that it looked as though they would join the river without going downhill. He proved to be right, as they soon reached the head of the falls at a point where the way ahead up river looked promisingly easy.

The water cascaded down several different levels until it reached a pool far below them, from which the river flowed on its way westwards, away from the mountains. Above them, the stream was not large, but was turbulent and fast flowing, swollen by the summer melt water from the peaks ahead. There were a few trees and bushes along its banks, but not enough to impede their progress, and it looked to the travellers as though they had reason to be pleased with the route they had taken so far. It was a pleasant place, and they decided to stop for a while to rest and to eat.

Telli was just about to move towards the river to refill his water flask, when Brakis stopped him with a hand on his arm and a whispered caution, pointing upstream. At about forty yards distance, an animal was moving out from behind some rocks on the opposite bank towards the water, clearly unaware of their presence. The two hunters crouched slowly, and watched what appeared to be a large cat of a type unfamiliar to them. It was a whitish grey in colour, and had a long, bushy tail, clearly used to help itself balance as it moved to a position on some rocks forming a small island in the river. Like a smallish leopard, apart from the colour and the tail, it was not large enough to cause the two watchers, armed as they were with bow and knife, any serious concern.

"A white cat — the Snow Leopard from Brenen's writings," whispered Telli. Brakis nodded, remembering the scribe's account of the beast. Both then thought along the same lines. Brenen had recorded a sighting of the cat on the other side of the mountains, when their forefathers had first reached the heights where the snows still lingered in the summer. This must then be a species that lived on both sides of this natural barrier, and probably one of the few that could easily cross it. The sight of the animal made them feel much closer to their goal.

Still unaware of being watched, the leopard was crouched low on a rock, looking intently at the river beneath it. Then, with a sudden movement, it darted a paw into the water, and the watchers saw a flash of silver as it landed a large fish on the rock.

"Good hunting," murmured Brakis with admiration. "I wish I could do that—a fresh cooked fish would go down well." They watched for a while as the snow leopard ate its catch, and then patiently repeated the fishing performance, this time carrying the fish in its mouth to the bank and disappearing in the direction it had come from.

"She has a young one and is a good mother." Brakis stood up and made a saluting gesture towards the far bank where the cat had been. It was signal of respect amongst the Elnesiders for the beasts with which they shared the land, and which they regarded as fellow creatures of their Gods, only to be hunted when there was a use in doing so.

The travellers ate cold food from their stores, and continued on their way, following the left bank of the river upstream. The going was easy and they made good progress, climbing steadily and, towards the end of the afternoon, beginning to feel that the night ahead of them would be noticeably cooler than the last two. Eventually, following a series of rapids up a steeper incline than usual, they arrived slightly breathless at a small lake, from which the river flowed. On the far side was an impressive waterfall, thundering down some sixty feet into the lake from a huge cave in a mountain rising up sheer from the water's edge. It was an unexpected sight. They had come suddenly to the source of the river, or rather, of the part of it that ran above ground.

Telli was the first to comment when they had taken in the scene for a few moments.

"Well, this cannot be on the way that Drakis came. Brenen would surely have mentioned such a place had they passed this way."

Brakis agreed. This was not somewhere easily forgotten, with the blue lake like a mirror, reflecting the scattered firtrees around its shores, the mountains behind it, and even the waterfall which fed it.

"It's still possible we may find a way up and over, either to the left or right of that," he said, indicating the mountain ahead. "Indeed, with your flying tricks and my rope climbing, it seems almost likely," he added, smiling at his young companion. "But for now, we must make our camp here, and I suggest we leave the decision on which way we shall try for tomorrow."

Looking into the clear waters of the lake, they could see that it contained some good-sized fish. So, while Telli collected wood and made up the fire, Brakis took a thin line from his pack, tied it to a stick and, using worms dug from the bank as bait, tried to catch the meal he had so envied of the Snow Leopard. After nearly an hour had passed, a cry of triumph told Telli that his friend had been successful, and the pair ate a good meal of fresh fish and boiled roots.

This ended a good day. The way had been easy, and the sight of the Snow Leopard somehow encouraging. Yet Telli felt a vague uneasiness as he settled down for the night. A feeling as if they were being watched in their exposed camp on the edge of the lake, as if perhaps the mountains themselves were aware of the two strangers who dared to challenge their might.

He fell asleep later than usual, listening to the roar of the waterfall, then woke suddenly to the sound of a cry from Brakis. Confused with sleep and the dark night, he felt something like a fishing net covering him, then strong arms holding him down as he struggled. A dark figure leant over him, and something with a strong, pungent smell was thrust into his face. Feeling sick and dizzy, he looked up to glimpse a white face above him, and a pair of pale, pink eyes staring into his own, before he lost consciousness.

Telli regained consciousness slowly, becoming aware of the sound of running water, then of flickering light around him. He could sense that he was lying on his back on what felt like hard rock. As his memory began to come back, he struggled to sit up, and realised that his wrists and ankles were bound. Managing to sit after a fashion, he started to take stock of his surroundings, trying to ignore a dull aching heaviness in his head and a bitter taste in his mouth. He seemed to be in some kind of cave, the light coming from torches carried by hooded figures in dark robes. His movement had obviously attracted some attention, as two of these figures approached him and a torch was held to his face, temporarily blinding him, until they withdrew, making strange hissing sounds. In the light of their retreating torches, he was relieved to recognise the silhouette of Brakis's head and beard a few feet away, the more so because his friend also appeared to be struggling to sit up, and therefore could not be too badly harmed.

"Brakis, you alright?" he enquired in a hoarse whisper. After a few seconds, there came a groan in reply. Then Telli saw a different light beyond Brakis, and identified it as the growing light of day outside the mouth of the cave. Hearing the roar of falling water coming from the same direction, and the sound of running water just beneath him, he suddenly realised where they must be. It was the cave they had first seen the afternoon before, from which the river they had been following flowed out of the mountain. They must have been carried across the water at some point while unconscious, as well as up the cliff, because from the direction of the cave mouth to his left, Telli could see that they were now on the other bank, or southern side of the stream. Looking at the robed figures, now clustered some distance away, he felt curiosity as much as fear. If they merely wished to kill their captives, they would have already done so. Then what did they want?

His thoughts were interrupted as one of their captors came towards them carrying a flaming torch in one hand, and a bundle in the other, which he placed on the floor between Telli and Brakis. Then, drawing back his hood, he made gestures with one arm accompanied by the hissing sounds Telli had heard before. The boy stared at the creature, open-mouthed. Its very pale white face and its pink eyes brought back a flash of memory from the night before, but it was the nose and mouth, fused together and protruding to a point, like a birds beak, which triggered a clearer memory. The skull in the pool, thought Telli. His glimpse of the creature was brief, as two others had arrived by its side, and one of these threw cold water over his head and face. As he spluttered and blinked, he could tell from the stream of curses to his left that Brakis had received the same treatment.

The creatures went away, leaving them with a torch propped against a rock nearby. From its light they could see (to their surprise) that the bundle between them consisted of their own packs with their food supplies taken out and laid on top. When Brakis first spoke, Telli knew that he too had seen the features of their captors.

"I hope they do not know that we have defiled one of their graves! Even if so, it appears that they want us to eat before putting us to the sword. How are you, Telli?" He sounded in a remarkably good humour, considering their circumstances, perhaps because he had been sure that he was about to die the night before, and waking up in any situation seemed an improvement. Telli was feeling a similar effect as he replied.

"Well enough, a sore head and a few bruises on me. And you?"

"About the same. Any idea where we are?"

Telli told Brakis his theory of their whereabouts as the two of them manoeuvred into positions where they could reach the food. Their hands had been tied together in front of them, so they could feed themselves well enough.

"I think you are right," said Brakis. "Where else could we be. It was perhaps two hours before the time for your watch when they took us, and the daylight has only now arrived. They could not have carried us far. Can you fly with your limbs bound?" He added this last as the thought occurred to him.

"Not far enough to escape -- certainly not with this aching head. There are always at least three of them between us and the cave entrance, anyway."

"Yes, I noticed. We shall....here they come." Brakis was interrupted by the arrival of five or six of their captors. The prisoners were lifted to their feet, had their ankle bindings cut and ropes tied loosely round their necks like animal leads, then were shown sharp swords as a clear hint not to resist, before being led away. Not towards the cave's entrance, but the other way. Upstream, and into the core of the great mountain.

It was a strange journey for Telli and Brakis, something between a dream and a nightmare. The caves they passed through in the flickering torchlight were fantastic to them, almost beyond belief. They saw huge caverns, their roofs supported by great natural buttresses and pillars of rock. Seams of crystal glistened with different colours in the walls, and waterfalls shimmered down them. They passed through long tunnels and around deep ravines, neither of them ever having thought such wonders existed within a mountain. All this to the eerie accompaniment of the hissings, clicks and high-pitched screams that seemed to serve their captors for language.

At first, they followed the river for perhaps an hour. Then, after a short rest, they were led into a tunnel that branched off to the right and wound downward to well below the river's level, but was itself dry. They then joined a small stream which flowed through a series of wide caverns until, emerging into an enormous one, it entered a lake which seemed to the captives to be as big as the one they had camped by the night before. Here they were allowed to rest again, and had a chance to speak briefly.

"Even if these caves are the last thing I see, it's almost worth it," Brakis said. Telli agreed.

"I would want to explore them without being a prisoner. Do you think you could find the way back out?"

Brakis shook his head. They had passed so many passages branching off to each side, that to find the way back without taking a wrong turning seemed impossible. One of their guards indicated that they must move on, and they got up to be led around the lake, and into a long tunnel. This tunnel seemed to be a main route for their captors, and they started to pass some of the creatures going the opposite way. Greetings, and perhaps explanations, were hissed between their group and others, but those who had not seen the captives before did not show too much curiosity. It occurred to Telli that they must be accustomed to seeing men. If so, then it must mean that they had all crossed the mountains and must cross them regularly, as they could not have seen men on the western side, let alone be so familiar with them. Had he not been a captive, he would have been excited by this seeming connection with the people east of the mountains.

They were moving at a good speed now as many steps had been cut in the rock where the way was difficult. There were also torches set in the walls at ever more frequent intervals. The captives had no idea at all in which direction they were being led, but could tell that they were going down more often than up. Once, about an hour after they had left the lake, they climbed down several hundred steps in almost continuous flight, and the way after this continued on a downward slope until they reached a huge cavern of spectacular beauty where they stopped for a while.

Telli looked around in wonder as they entered the cave, which he later remembered as the water cavern. It was completely circular in every way, like the inside of a globe, with a diameter of about three hundred feet. Their tunnel emerged half way between roof and floor, one of several entrances Telli could see. A river ran from his left to his right, entering the cavern at the level he stood, and tumbling down to the lowest point on the floor in a series of falls, like giant steps, before flowing out through a small gorge it had cut in the opposite side. Other streams entered through the roof and walls, those highest up falling directly through the air, three hundred feet to the floor. There were hundreds of stalagmites and stalactites, varying in length from a few feet to giant pairs meeting in the middle of the huge chamber and forming natural pillars.

All of this wonder was lit by many torches and by other light sources Telli could not identify coming from shelves cut into the walls. There were many of the beak-faced creatures in the cavern, and some of the Elnesiders' captors went down a long flight of steps to join their fellows. Telli and Brakis were left at the entrance with several guards, but were standing some distance apart, and could not possibly talk above the sound of falling water, a constant and strange effect because of the echo and re-echo of the great spherical chamber. Both were slightly dazed and confused, more by their experiences of the last few hours than from the effects of the drug they had been forced to inhale when captured, which had largely worn off. However, neither had serious injuries, and they were far from exhausted as their captors had not forced the pace of the march, and seemed to understand their limitations and their needs. This was evident now as one of the guards came forward with a bag for each of them containing some of what remained of their own food supplies.

Telli sat down on a convenient rock facing towards the cavern and ate what he could, taking in the scene below, and reflecting on the puzzling mixture of rough treatment and apparent concern for their prisoners' welfare shown by the beak-men. The light here was by far the best of their journey so far, and he could see more of the features of his captors, most noticeably a very light, white or yellowish hair, which seemed to cover all exposed parts of their bodies, including most of the face. He spotted with interest a female at distance down below as she held a baby to her breast, human-like in posture, and then realised that, unlike his guards, perhaps half the creatures he could see in the cavern were female. The temperature in the caves was comfortable in general, and here seemed quite warm so that few of them were wearing the hooded cloaks Telli had already seen, and the attire of both male and female was varied in both quantity and style. He would soon have plenty of time to examine this at closer quarters.

It was more than half an hour before they moved on, following the wall around to the right on a ledge cut into the rock, rather than descending to the floor of the cavern. This led them to the opposite side, passing high above the river halfway around, over the point where it flowed out through the gorge. They stopped at the entrance to another tunnel, where they were rejoined by the rest of their guards, arriving up steps from below, and accompanied by another of the creatures who appeared to be someone of importance.

The newcomer seemed considerably older than the rest of the group, and was dressed in an elaborate robe of many colours. He inspected the prisoners, and Telli had to suppress a nervous laugh on catching Brakis's eye as the creature exuded a pompous self-importance so nearly human that it appeared comical. After some hissing conversation with the guards, the old one led the group along the tunnel, and their march continued for about two hours before the next rest stop, this time in a much smaller cavern. Another hour after this and the prisoners began to sense that the air was becoming fresher, and on rounding a bend could see the light of day, and realised that they were being taken out of the mountain.

 The two Elnesiders had been through an experience that would have been strange and confusing enough for any human, let alone those whose only knowledge of intelligent life was with the people of their own small community; and it was to continue. On arriving at the cave mouth, blinking in the daylight, they saw amongst a group of "beakmen" waiting for them, a man, the first stranger they had ever encountered. Middle aged, with grey hair and a light brown complexion like their own, it was only his goatskin clothes that lent him a foreign appearance in the eyes of the prisoners. To their astonishment, he appeared to hold a fluent conversation with the old beakman leader, making a fair imitation of the hisses, clicks and cries they were becoming familiar with. Then, to their great joy, the rope leads were taken from around their necks, their wrists were untied, the man beckoned to them, and they followed him out of the cave leaving the creatures who had captured them behind.

A few yards from the cave mouth, the man stopped, turning to speak.

"Greetings strangers," he said, without smiling. "Do you speak Allenth?" His accent was strange to the Elnesiders, but this was their language, the old written tongue of Drakis and their forefathers from east of the mountains.

"Yes, Allenth and nothing else," replied Brakis, thinking of the other's conversation with the old creature in the cave.

"I am Anolph, foreman. And you are?"

They gave their names.

"Come and look," said Anolph, simply, and lead them a short way on to a viewpoint.

They were in a deep valley completely surrounded by mountains. Immediately before them was a village of wooden houses. A stream ran through it, and around it were fields, orchards and small woods, or coppices. At a distance was a high wall, made of stone, unlike the wooden fence that surrounded Elneside to keep out the wolves at night. They looked at the scene, lit by the late afternoon sun, for a few moments. Then Brakis started to chuckle to himself in disbelief. Putting an arm round Telli's shoulders he said:

"I think we shall not need to trudge through the snows after all, my son." He pointed at the peaks in front of them, and then around at those behind.

The dying sun shone on the mountains ahead, which were tree covered most of the way up to their rocky peaks. Only the occasional patch of snow clung to the highest slopes. Behind the two travellers, in the direction from which they had come, were higher peaks covered with snow, which hid the setting sun from their view, and therefore must be to the west. Telli realised that he had succeeded in his dream of reaching the lands beyond the White Mountains, albeit by passing under rather than over them.

Anolph led them down to the village in silence, until they reached a wooden hut, which he entered indicating that they should follow. He threw open the shutters of two windows to reveal a simple and slightly dilapidated room with a stone fireplace built out from one wall, and furnished only with two wooden cots and a bench.

"You will stay here. It is all that is free at this moment," he said. Then, after showing them a barrel of rainwater for washing behind the hut, and a latrine at a few yards distance from it, he stated that people would arrive shortly with food and drink, before leaving, still without a smile.

The travellers were instinctively puzzled at the apparent lack of friendliness shown by their new acquaintance, although they had no references to indicate what should be expected when strangers arrived in a new community. Telli was wary, and suggested to Brakis that they should not divulge too much information as to their origins and the whereabouts of Elneside.

"We would not like our friends to receive an unexpected visit from the cave creatures," he said, and Brakis agreed.

They washed at the water barrel, then, for want of anything better to do, made up the fire with wood that was piled beside it even though they had no means or need to light it. Then they sat down to discuss their bewildering day and await the promised arrival of food, and the chance to meet some other inhabitants of the village. Their hut was near the edge of the settlement on the side they had come from and, Anolph apart, they had only seen a few people at distance on their arrival. Brakis insisted on apologising for their having been taken captive during his watch.

"They were silent and I heard nothing above the noise of the waterfall until the last second before they were upon us," he explained. "There was a small noise from the rock behind as they threw some kind of net over us, and though I had my knife in hand, I could hardly move my arms in the mesh, and was hit on the head before being smothered by something pressed to my face. I thought I was dying, and was very pleased to wake up in the cave as soon as you spoke and I realised that it was not the underworld, or that if it was, at least I had company!"

Telli smiled at this, remembering his own elation at finding himself alive, in spite of the seemingly desperate circumstances.

"It was some kind of sleeping drug they made us breathe in," he said, adding thoughtfully that there were perhaps many interesting things to be learnt from the "beakmen" as he called them for want of a better name. They discussed the strange creatures and the sights they had seen underground, until voices outside and a knock on the door told them that their food had arrived.

Two women and a man entered the hut, laden with pots, plates and cups. The women introduced themselves by name-"I'm Marth" and "I'm Gretal"-and nodding as the Elnesiders did likewise, placed their burdens on one of the cots, then withdrew, bidding the strangers to eat well. Both were elderly, and dressed in goatskin robes like Anolph. Unlike him, they had smiled a little in welcome, making Telli feel slightly more at ease. The man placed a large pot he was carrying over the unlit fire and, taking something from a pocket, crouched before it and produced a bright flame that lit the wood immediately, to the surprise of the pair watching him. He filled three cups from a large flask, passing them round and drinking a long draught from his own, before introducing himself as Seth.

Seth was a massive man, not so much in height as in breadth, with muscular arms as thick as Telli's legs hanging from the broadest pair of shoulders the Elnesiders had ever seen. Although appearing to be a few years younger than Brakis, he was completely bald, the firelight shining a reflection from his smooth head. He lit two lamps he had brought, producing a surprisingly strong light sufficient to illuminate the entire room well. Then, seating himself on one of the cots, he began to question the travellers after asking them politely if he could stay for a while and eat with them.

Brakis gave a brief account of their journey, but deliberately left out any indication as to where Elneside might be, and gave the impression that it was part of a much larger community. This proved to be both wise, but perhaps unnecessary where Seth was concerned, as the big man interrupted him at one point, warning him to be guarded with such information although not immediately explaining why. While Brakis spoke, Seth rose from time to time to stir the contents of the pot cooking over the fire, and to refill their cups. He was also obliged to interrupt at times because the difference in accent and usage of words between his own dialect of Allenth and that of the Elnesiders was sufficient to mean that some clarification was necessary, although the gap was far from being insurmountable.

When Brakis had finished his account, Seth turned to Telli and asked:

"Telli, your name, is that after Tellimakis, conqueror, the first great King of my land this side of the mountains?" Telli nodded and explained that the story of the King was known to his people through the writings of their forefathers, the followers of Drakis. Seth seemed well pleased at this clear connection between their two cultures, and also, on further questioning, at finding out that both of his new acquaintances could read. He became increasingly friendly, suggesting that they might teach his own children their letters, as only three or four people in the village could read, and those not too well. Then the conversation took a strange turn.

"I shall ask for you to be sent to work with me," Seth said to Telli. "I am a smith, and make tools and weapons. It is easier for the youngsters to assist us than to work at the mining."

"Work--er--mining?" Brakis was confused. "We are hunters, and would be happy to assist in hunting some supplies for the village before we go on our way."

"We do not hunt. We have nothing to hunt and nowhere to hunt. You will work as we all must." Seth looked from one puzzled face to the other before him, and sighed.

"You will not be going on your way, as I could never leave once here. We have no choice in this. We are slaves."

Slaves. Words like "slave" and "mining" were nearly forgotten in Elneside. People who were doing arduous jobs, chopping firewood or harvesting a crop, might still declare themselves to be "working like slaves," a reference passed down through generations from a distant time and place. But after their experiences that day, the meaning of Seth's words was fairly clear to Telli and Brakis. The motives of the cave creatures in capturing them, without inflicting unnecessary injury, were explained. So was the high stone wall around the village, not there to keep wolves out, but to keep people in.

Seth busied himself for a while, serving portions of food from the pot into bowls and refilling their cups while the Elnesiders absorbed his information. Every cloud is said to have a silver lining, and the weary travellers soon discovered this to be true of their present predicament. Slaves maybe, but the food, a thick, richly flavoured stew, was excellent. So was the drink, a brew made of fermented apple juice, which Seth drank at an almost alarming rate. Brakis decided it was just the thing to help digest the news that he might spend the rest of his life digging holes for the "beakmen," and drained his cup, holding it out for more and saying:

"It is not every day a man falls asleep free, and wakes a "slave" as you call it, so I think I shall celebrate."

Seth gave a rare smile as he filled the other man's cup.

"Have you been here a long time?" Telli asked.

The big man looked down at hands like shovels, shaped by his work as a smith. Telli saw a dreamy look come to his eyes as he replied in the slow manner of speech that was his nature.

"I was nine years old when the Khrelling took me, stole me from near my home as I was walking back one night alone after a visit to my grandmother in the next village. I do not know how far away it was, for like all here, I do not know exactly where we are, and I was drugged for most of the journey here. For the first three years I worked the fields with the women, as all our children do here. Then I started in the forge, and have been there since, more than twenty years. My wife was born here, as was her mother, but not her father who was taken as I was. Nearly all here were born slaves. Only a few like myself have some memory of another life; and there are only three others who, like you Brakis, reached manhood before coming here."

"Do you not think of escape?" asked Brakis.

The question made Seth visibly uneasy, and he replied gruffly that he would speak of that the next day, as he had the day off, and had been told by Anolph to show them around. The mention of Anolph's name led Telli to another question.

"Can you speak the language of the creatures you call Krelling?"

"Khrelling," Seth corrected him, starting the word with a hissing sound in the back of his throat, so like the noises the creatures made themselves that the others laughed. "I understand a little, perhaps a little more than I choose to let them know. It can be useful to hear things not meant for one's ears at times." Seth laughed also, and Telli, who had been noticing the way their new acquaintance became increasingly relaxed in their presence, realised that the big man instinctively liked the newcomers. He guessed shrewdly that what Seth liked, whether he knew it or not, was that they smiled and laughed with ease; that in spite of their recent capture, they had not begun to behave like prisoners or slaves.

Brakis seemed to have decided to take their situation philosophically, and indicated as much by complimenting Seth on the food and the apple wine, and asking if he could spare some more of the latter. Telli had come to know his friend well, and knew that he also had guessed Seth might like to stay and talk with them for a while. Brakis might seem determined to enjoy himself, but was also trying to guide the mood of the big man in such a way as to make him reveal as much as possible about their new situation. Telli smiled to himself at the guile of the hunter, as the two men started to drink cup for cup of the brew together, while he drank slowly, keeping his young head clear and taking in the conversation.

The Elnesiders learnt that the village was known simply as the "camp", the slaves lacking the affection for the place to give it a proper name, unusual for people in such a beautiful and fertile valley. When Brakis commented again on the quality of the food, Seth stated that the Khrelling went to great lengths to ensure that their slaves had the means to produce plenty to eat for themselves.

"In my village we kept oxen as beasts of burden, to pull our ploughs and our carts. Only a foolish man would starve his oxen. He would get less work from them, and if they did not die they would still have lost value if sold at market. The Khrelling are not fools, at least not in that way. Their own diet is completely different from ours, and they have no reason to take any of what we produce."

It appeared that the Khrelling were very much creatures of the caves, and when outside them, were creatures of the night. They saw well in the dark and their eyes did not like bright light, like other night animals. Their pale skin needed to be covered when in direct sunlight, as it would burn. They could swim very well, and could climb rock faces far better than men, their hands and feet specially adapted to do so. Important in their diet were blind-fish and a white fungus, both plentiful inside the caves, and when outside they preferred scratching in the ground for insects to anything else. One of the main reasons for keeping slaves was that their ability to make and use tools was not nearly as good as the men who worked for them. Seth indicated that he considered himself very valuable to his masters, and Telli noticed that Brakis found this particularly interesting. The big smith explained that "Khrelling" meant "masters" in the creatures' own language, leading Brakis to comment that the slaves of the camp must then have other less polite names for them, drawing another smile from the big man.

Seth stayed for the evening, leaving once for a few minutes to return with another flagon of wine and some cakes, which he presented as a gift from his wife. By the time he left, the Elnesiders had learned quite a bit about their new home, but were still curious and puzzled as to many things.

"We must be careful," said Brakis, as they lay down on the cots for the night. "I think our new friend is a good man, but there is much he has not told us, and some of his hints lead me to believe that we cannot trust some of our fellow slaves, as well as the Khrelling. We shall find out more when we see the camp tomorrow."

Telli agreed and, too tired to talk much, they both fell asleep at the same time for the first night since their journey had begun. Already captives, there was no need to watch.

The sun was already rising over the eastern peaks of the mountains surrounding the "camp" when Telli woke Brakis, who was still feeling the effects of the apple wine. They had slept well and late, and Telli felt more relaxed and refreshed than he had on any morning since leaving Elneside. He was building up the fire from the previous night's embers when Seth arrived with some food, this time accompanied by a young boy whom he introduced as his son, aged ten. Telli smiled at the introduction, hardly necessary as the youngster was already his own size, and resembled his father so closely in every way (excepting the bald head) that the sight of the two together was almost comical. Indeed Brakis, coming in with his head dripping wet after an attempt to clear it in the water barrel, laughed aloud as he guessed the relationship, and clapped Seth on the back, congratulating him in typical Elneside fashion on having such a sturdy offspring. Seth was obviously pleased, and stated that he would be back shortly to show them around the camp, wishing them a good appetite before leaving with his son in hand.

The food was plentiful and good, and it was difficult for the Elnesiders to feel anything other than optimism in their present circumstances. The memory of the day before seemed like a receding nightmare as they sat down on a pile of logs outside the hut to eat. It was such a beautiful day, the lush green valley and the splendid mountains to the west bathed in sunlight, that contrast with the dark caves and their hissing, squealing inhabitants could hardly have been greater. Several neighbours passed and greeted them shyly. The apparent health and wellbeing of the camp's inhabitants added to the impression, so strange for two people who had just lost their freedom, that all was going well with their journey. They had, at least, passed the highest of the great White Mountains.

When Seth returned, the three of them set off on a tour of the village and its surrounds. The houses were all on a similar model to the hut allocated to Telli and Brakis, although most were larger. There were few people around, but as they emerged from the village, they passed several groups of women and children working in the fields and picking the summer fruit in the orchards. Seth led the newcomers directly towards the boundary wall as if sensing their inevitable interest in the practical nature of their imprisonment, speaking of escape as he had promised the night before.

"When I first arrived here, though only a boy, I thought of little else than of finding a way out of the camp, and of returning to the family and friends I had left behind. You will do this also, as all new captives do, and indeed, many of those who are born here. It is impossible to escape! I have been told to show you why this is so. Only a man who could fly could possibly leave the camp."

Telli deliberately showed no reaction to this chance remark, but was sure that he could feel the smiling gaze of Brakis, walking a step behind the other two, on the back of his head. They were approaching a wooden fence which ran parallel to the high stone wall at about thirty yard's distance from it, and could see a man sitting on a small platform at the top of some steps beside it. On arriving at the fence, Seth introduced the man, who was elderly and grey-haired, as Hanith, a "fence-guard" by occupation. He asked the Elnesiders to join Hanith on the platform, and when they had done so, he untied a goat that was tethered to the foot of the steps. Lifting it easily in his great arms, he then carried it up to the platform beside them, and dropped it on the other side of the fence.

"This is the boundary we cannot pass. Watch the goat," he said simply.

They watched as the goat struggled to its feet and limped away, bleating in protest at this unexpected treatment. The area between the fence and the wall was covered in long grass and shrubs, and there were several large ponds in sight. The watchers saw nothing unusual at first, then there was a splash from one of the nearest ponds, and the grass seemed to part at an ever-increasing speed in a direct line from the water's edge to where the goat now stood. The animal reared up suddenly with something large hanging from its throat. Telli and Brakis watched in astonishment as the goat fell to the ground and they could see its attacker clearly. It was a massive lizard, perhaps nine feet long and looking like an enormous version of the green fly-catching lizard that lived on the banks of the Elne, but which never to their knowledge grew to more than two feet in length. As they watched, the monster was joined by two more of its kind, and while they tore into the flesh of the goat with huge jaws champing, and tongues longer than a man's arm flickering in and out, red with blood, others started to arrive from further away. Fights broke out over the meat, the beasts swinging their tails at each other with such force that a single blow would surely have killed a man. After a few moments, nothing was left of the goat but a few bones.

As the great lizards moved away, Brakis let out his breath in a long whistle, and commented that he would not be going any nearer to the wall in a hurry.

"Cannot lizards climb trees?" he asked. "Are we safe up here?"

The fence they stood on was about twelve feet high, and Hanith told them to lean over and look at the inside. They could see that this was covered not with wood, but with squares of smooth slate, each layer overlapping the next from top to bottom.

"Their claws cannot grip this," he explained. "If it was made of wood, only a fool would stand here."

They climbed down from the platform, saying goodbye to the old man, and started to walk beside the fence while Seth talked about the barrier to their freedom.

"The fence is watched by men like Hanith, too old or sick to be of much use as workers in the caves like the rest of us. They do not guard the fence because they wish us all to remain prisoners. Each one is held responsible for a section of the boundary while they are on duty. Should another slave pass that section, whether he succeeds in escape or not, the fence guard will be thrown to the lizards and will die." Seth waited for this information to sink in before he continued.

"The wall itself is guarded by Khrelling. As you can see, it would seem impossible to pass both fence and wall in daylight without being observed. You must remember I told you that the Khrelling are cave creatures, and creatures of the night. The watchers on the wall see far more clearly than we do in the dark. Their sense of smell is also far stronger than ours, and their hearing slightly better as well. Trying to outwit the Khrelling at night is like racing another man who has no burden when you are carrying a heavy weight."

Listening to all this, Telli felt himself losing some of the optimism of that morning. The news that they could not pass the wall without causing the death of another man was particularly hard to come to terms with. He identified a concern, a small nagging worry that he had felt since the night before without knowing its source. Tolerating slavery might be easier for some than for others. Brakis was a free spirit if ever there was one, and Telli, confidant in his own ability to act the part of a docile slave and wait patiently for the chance of escape, was worried that his friend might do something rash and offend their new masters.

As Seth led them along a path that followed the curve of the fence round towards the south side of the camp, Telli's line of thought led him to ask an obvious question of their guide.

"Has anyone ever escaped the Khrelling since you have been here, Seth?"

"No. No one at all, although there have been attempts. Three fence-guards have been murdered in my time, but only two by the Khrelling. One of the guards was an uncle of my wife." Seth did not elaborate on the escape attempts, and was silent for some time as they walked. The Elnesiders began to understand how a bid for freedom might divide the slaves and perhaps offend those who were resigned to a life of captivity.

At the southernmost point of the enclosure, they crossed a wooden bridge over the river, which ran north through the village. A fence-guard sat on a platform above the river where the barrier ran through it about twenty yards from them. There were many holes in the fence to let the water through, though these were far too small to let a slave swim out or a giant lizard swim in. Brakis broke the silence to ask about the lizards, what they were, and where they had come from.

"They are just what they appear to be; lizards. Only these are far larger than any I heard tell of as a boy, and all others who come here from outside say the same. They are always hungry, and will eat anything that moves, which is why the Khrelling capture them and put them between the fence and the wall. They are native to this valley. I have seen them outside the wall, and once saw one attack and eat a leopard."

"You have been out?" Brakis was surprised.

"Several times. The Khrelling sometimes take slaves out under close guard to cut down trees for firewood and building, both for their own use and ours. But you will not go."

"Why not us?" Brakis guessed the answer as he spoke.

" I have a wife and four children inside the boundary when I am out," Seth said. "Many of us here think no longer of our own escape, but rather of the end of slavery for all in the camp. We can always live in the hope that one day our children, their children, or their children's children will know what freedom is."

The three walked on in thoughtful silence for a while, heading towards the cliff at the western end of the camp, in which the Elnesiders could already make out the outline of the great cave mouth they had emerged from the day before. After some time, Seth spoke again.

"I do not think that the Khrelling care so much about the loss of one or two slaves. They do not go to such lengths to keep us within the boundary for that reason. I think they fear what might happen if just one from amongst us was to carry the news of this place to other men, and those others should make it their business to set us free." The big man now spoke with great emotion for the first time since the others had met him.

"I would like nothing more than to see that day, nothing more," he said, punching his huge right fist into his left palm, and gripping it until his knuckles went white. Telli felt that he would not like to be the Khrelling standing nearest to Seth if and when the big slave's wishes became true.

They continued their walk past the cave entrance, where they could see how the wall joined the sheer cliff on either side of it, then they followed the fence as far as the northernmost point of the enclosure, where the river flowed out under the barrier. Here Seth suggested that, as they had walked three-quarters of the length of the wall, they should now follow the riverbank back to the village and eat something, it being already past midday.

On arriving at the village, the Elnesiders saw for the first time a large number of its occupants gathered together in an open area not far from their hut. All were men and boys, from about Telli's age on upwards. Seth explained that these were the afternoon work team, which assembled here before going off to start their 'shift' in the caves. As they approached the hut, he started to talk about the work that was expected of them.

"We are divided into three teams, and work continues throughout the day and the night. As one team finishes, another starts You will be starting tomorrow night on the same team as I. We start after sundown, and work eight hours until sunrise. The next team takes over and works through until early afternoon, and the team you have seen gathering just now works until we start our next shift. So it continues for seven days in a row, until all stop for a break of two days, ending what we call a 'period' of nine days. After each period, the teams change hours, those on the night moving to the afternoon, the afternoon to the morning, and the morning to the night. You are in one sense lucky, as you will be starting on the second to last night of the period, and will only work two shifts before the first break."

Seth stopped at this and pointed to a large hut, which he said was his own. He explained that, while he had been given the night before off so that he could greet them and show them around, he would be working that night and must now leave them as he needed to rest before starting. He added that two women who had no families to feed had been given the job of catering for the newcomers, and would arrive at their hut shortly if they were not already there.

Leaving Seth and arriving at their hut, Telli and Brakis found that the women had already been there and had lit the fire leaving a pot cooking slowly over it. They now found themselves with time to discuss their unexpected situation. To Telli's relief, Brakis seemed to have resigned himself to the idea that they must be slaves for the time being, until they knew more of their circumstances and could find a way of escape.

"There seems to be no choice for the moment," he said. "However, I have no intention of becoming an old man in this place, and will be looking all the time for a way out. You must do as you think fit, Telli. If you see a chance to get out with your flying, then you should take it without thinking of me. There is always the possibility that if one of us escapes, we can bring help for the whole camp."

"The barrier is too much for my flying as far as I can see," said Telli. "The wall alone is higher than anything I have managed so far, and to cross both fence, wall, and the distance between in one flight is well beyond my powers. I certainly do not wish to rest for too long between the two and become a meal for those lizards."

They discussed the slaves they had met, and the Khrelling. Telli reminded Brakis of the message they had seen carved into the wall of the watchtower on the other side of the mountains.

"The Khrelling might have been the 'wormling' feared by the castle builders. They live in holes, and the name seems to suit them."

"Quite possibly," agreed Brakis. "It seems that they are interested in us only for our value as workers. This is in some ways not so bad, as we can see that the slaves are well fed and healthy, and that if they obey their masters, they can live a life of sorts. But have you noticed how seldom they smile compared with those we know back home? It is no life for a human being. We need space, and some control of our lives. We are not goats or tame fowl to be reared for the needs of others."

Telli speculated as to what the work would be like. They agreed that they must rest well the next day as they would be required to work throughout the following night. Then, having eaten, they set out to explore the camp for themselves.

Telli and Brakis were leaving their hut the following evening as the last of the daylight faded when they heard a long horn-blast, which they knew to be the signal for their work team to assemble. As they made their way to the meeting place, Telli felt a nervous anticipation at the prospect of his first night as a slave-worker for the Khrelling. On arrival, they were approached by Anolph, whom they had not seen since the afternoon of their arrival in the camp two days before. In his dour manner, he stated that he was the foreman of the team, and called over two other men whom he introduced.

"This is Brent who is in charge of the mining team on which you, Brakis, will work for the moment; and this is Harren who leads the smith's shop where Telli will learn his trade, being apprenticed to Seth whom you have already met. You will go with them into the caves, and they will show you your work places." With this he left them to join an equally grim looking pair of men who appeared to be counting the workers as they arrived.

Telli noticed several men looking up at the darkening sky above them, and following their gaze, let out a gasp of surprise. Flying from west to east was a flock of creatures he soon identified as bats; but bats far larger than any he had seen before, and flying in a constant stream in the same direction, rather than hunting moths alone as they did on the banks of the Elne. Their bodies were so heavy that they dipped up and down with each slow flap of the wings, and Telli could see the outline of a pointed nose and large ears on the heads of the lowest, not more than fifty feet above him.

"Flying rats, we call them. They eat our fruit if we let them."

Telli turned at the familiar voice to see Seth.

"They come out of the caves as we must go in. Come Tellimakis, apprentice, it is time to start with your new trade." The big man walked off behind Harren, and Telli followed.

At the entrance to the caves were several well-armed Khrelling, who seemed to be counting the workers as they entered. Anolph walked at the head of the team of about one hundred men, and led them down the tunnel, keeping to the right hand side. The men of the afternoon shift passed to their left on the way out, and some from the two teams exchanged greetings. After a few minutes, Harren turned off down a tunnel to the right with Seth, Telli, and about twenty others following him.

They reached the smithy, a large cavern with a number of furnaces cut out of stone around its walls. There were shafts in the ceiling to let out the smoke, and Telli noticed with interest that he could see starlight at the top of one as he passed under it. The men took off their goatskin jackets against the heat, and went to their work places. Harren, a tall wiry man in his forties, came to Telli to explain the work to him.

"Here we make all the tools and weapons for the Khrelling, and also the tools we need ourselves for our farming, and the building of our homes. You will work with Seth, whom you know, and with Stellakis, who has just moved from apprentice to smith." Harren pointed out a young man, who grinned at Telli, and told him to call him "Stell" as everyone else did. Telli liked the look of him, and felt that even though a slave, he appeared to be lucky in having two friendly work-mates. Harren continued.

"Your job is to keep the two furnaces they are working on fed with wood and blackstone. Come with me." He led the way to one end of the cavern, where there was a huge pile of wood and beside it a pile of shiny black stones.

"Have you seen these before?" he asked, indicating the stones.

When Telli replied that he had not, Harren explained that this was a type of stone that burned, and which the Khrelling used for fire and light.

"Most men coming from outside think it a miracle to burn stone," he said, "but it burns more slowly than wood, and with greater heat. The wood you use only when the fires are low, and you need to increase the heat quickly." After pointing out a small wooden handcart, which was used to carry the fuel to the furnaces, and a shovel with which to fill it, Harren led Telli back to where Seth was standing. The big smith was beating out a length of hot iron with a large hammer. Harren left them after giving a few more instructions, and saying that Seth and Stell would be able to tell him anything else he needed to know.

So Telli settled into his first night of work. He wheeled the black stones, wood, and sometimes other stones containing iron ore, from the storage piles to the furnaces, fuelling them to the instructions of the two smiths. When he was ahead on this work, he helped the pair in any way they needed. Seth sometimes found time to explain to him various aspects of the smiths' skills. Telli also took away the finished tools made by the pair, storing them in a chamber adjoining the smithy. The hardest thing for him was becoming accustomed to the heat and noise of the work place. At least one of the fifteen or so smiths would be hammering on metal at any given moment, making a clamour such as he had never heard before. He tried not to think too much of his previous way of living, hunting freely in the beautiful and tranquil Elneside forest.

Halfway up one of the walls of the cavern was an opening with a stone balcony in front of it. From time to time, one or two Khrelling would arrive in the balcony from a passage behind, and look down on them. This was their only regular supervision, and the practical running of the workshop seemed to be left largely to Harren. Telli made a rough count of his work-mates, reckoning there were fifteen smiths, and six or seven young apprentices like him. They all seemed to work steadily, for the most part in silence. Stell was an exception. Although he worked with great energy at his furnace, he was anything but silent, taking every opportunity to talk and joke with those near him, and singing as he beat his iron tools into shape. His behaviour brought an occasional word of warning from Harren, after which he usually remained silent for a few minutes, before starting up with a new song, or a shouted conversation with another smith.

The workers stopped only once, briefly, to eat the food they had brought with them. Seth advised Telli to fuel the fires well before this break, so that he would not have to rush at his work after eating, as he must not let the fires cool too much at any time. The same went for the end of the night's work, when he must pile enough of the blackstone on the fires to ensure that the smiths on the morning shift could start work immediately on their arrival.

When this time came, and a horn-blast announced the sunrise outside and the end of their shift, Telli, now tired and bleary eyed from the smoke of the forge, was led out of the caves with the others. He found Brakis, looking soiled and weary, and they walked to their hut together, comparing notes on their respective jobs. On arrival, they found that the fire had been lit, and food was cooking over it. Brakis was accustomed to catering for himself, and explained to Telli that, although he greatly appreciated the efforts of the women, he was uneasy with the system.

"Because we slave for the Krelling, then the women are also slaves in that they must make up for the work men would do in the normal course of things. One of my work-mates told me that most men find some time when they can help in the fields. If we cannot escape this place immediately, then I think that we should do the same."

Telli agreed. He thought his job seemed tolerable, at least for a short while, and wanted to know the details of his friend's mining work, and whether he felt the same way about it. Brakis described his experience as they ate.

"We were led some distance into the caves to a site where they mine the black burning stone you use in the forge. Then we were set to work as a team of eight men, four chipping at the rock face, and four carting the blackstone away. We would change jobs every half-hour, the carting of the stone being a welcome rest from the work with pickaxe and shovel. I am fit, and will not have too many problems with this kind of work when I become accustomed to it. However, it is not something to be done for a long time. Some of the older men have painful joints, from too much of the same repeated actions, and some have coughs in their lungs from the dust created when the blackstone is broken. It is not natural for men to work in this way. I am glad Seth arranged for you to work with him in the forge, although it may not be much better."

Exhausted, the Elnesiders lay down on their cots soon after they had finished their meal, and after some more discussion of the night's experiences, both fell soundly asleep.

The next night at work passed more easily for Telli and Brakis, and certainly for their fellow slaves. While this was only the second shift for the Elnesiders, the others were on their seventh consecutive night. However, the knowledge that they would all have two days' rest to look forward to on its completion made this in many ways the easiest of the seven. The atmosphere in the forge was clearly different, with Stell singing more loudly than the night before, others joining in at times, and Harren largely ignoring them.

Telli learnt a little more about his job, and increased his acquaintance with some of the other workers, particularly the apprentices with whom he would meet and exchange a few words when they arrived at the fuel piles at the same time as he did. They talked much of the following night when, free from work, they intended to drink vast quantities of the apple wine Telli had tasted on his first night in the camp. One of them, a lad of about his own age called Beyorn (a name familiar to Telli, as were some others amongst the slaves), invited the newcomer to come fishing with him the following afternoon, an invitation he gratefully accepted. The apprentices were understandably eager to talk with someone who had experienced another world outside the camp.

When the time came to finish work, the smiths joined the stream of slaves leaving the caves, most now smiling and laughing, a contrast to the generally subdued and depressed behaviour in the camp experienced by the Elnesiders up to this time. Beyorn said that he knew where Telli's hut was, and would call for him in the late afternoon, when they were rested from the work. Seth said he would come to the hut at sundown to show the newcomers the way to the meeting house, where many gathered to celebrate the break from work.

Beyorn arrived at the Elnesiders' hut in mid-afternoon, accompanied by Stell who proved to be his cousin. They were equipped with rods and nets, and when Telli introduced Brakis, insisted that he also should join them at the river. The pair were good company, especially Stell, one of those people who seemed to exist for the sole purpose of making others laugh. Beyorn led them to a site on the far bank, which he insisted was the best place to be sure of a good catch. However, they were unlucky there, and in the end it was only Brakis, choosing his own place a little further upstream, who landed a fish of a size worth eating. Fishing was to become his main pastime in the camp, where he could not hunt, and he soon gained a reputation as a provider of fish to his neighbours, this contribution saving him much of the obligation he had felt to help the women and children in the fields.

The afternoon ended with Stell falling in the river as he tried to net a fish. Once there, he decided to stay for a while, fully clothed, shouting to the others that it was warm, and that they still smelled of the week's work and needed a good bath. They forgot their fishing, stripping off to join the young smith in the water. Refreshed and hungry, the four made their way back to the village.

Telli and Brakis were questioned thoroughly by their new friends about their life in Elneside, and their capture by the Khrelling. They answered all they could, only misleading the others as to the whereabouts of their home and the size of the settlement, now having agreed with each other on stories that were consistent in case they were questioned separately. Brakis did mention the Khrelling skull in the pool while describing their journey towards the mountains, and Stell confirmed his guess that the creatures buried their dead in water.

"They eat mainly fish, and believe that they must return their own flesh to the fish of the caves on dying," he explained. "The caves are rich in fish, most of them blind as they have no use for eyes."

"He knows so much about Khrelling that we think he will become one," said Beyorn.

"This young fool says that because I speak the tongue of the cave maggots better than almost all in the camp," said Stell, flicking his wet shirt at his cousin. "But I am no fool. There are few of us able to communicate between man and Khrelling, and the masters can ill afford to harm those who can."

They had reached the village, and the Elnesiders bade their new friends goodbye, and made their way to the hut to eat, and to await Seth.

The meeting house was a long wooden shed with stone fireplaces at each end and rough wooden tables and chairs set around the walls. When Telli and Brakis arrived with Seth, there were already over a hundred people present, both men and women. This was the night for all to relax as there would be no work done in the caves until the morning team started at dawn on the day after next. Although it was clear to Telli that the slaves were happy that night to have a rest from the grind of their work, the atmosphere of the gathering held undercurrents he had never experienced at an Elneside party or feast. The apple wine flowed freely, as did other strong drinks, but many of those present seemed to be drinking to forget their situation, rather than to celebrate.

People were eager to meet the newcomers to the community, and Beyorn, who arrived shortly after the Elnesiders, took an obvious pride in already having met them. He introduced Telli to many others of his own age, too many for him to remember most of their names. One name he did remember was that of Nina, a pretty girl with long black hair, and large, dark brown eyes through which she gazed at him with a shy curiosity. Telli managed to talk with her a little, while Beyorn went to fill their cups with wine. She stated that she could not stay too late at the gathering as she must rise in the morning to pick some fruit that was too ripe to leave even though it was a rest day. Telli found himself volunteering to help in the orchards, much to the amusement of Brakis, who was standing nearby.

The night wore on, and the Elnesiders enjoyed themselves well enough. It was the first party they had ever attended where they were meeting people whom they had not known for all of their lives. It was this novelty, something only people from the most isolated human communities would be able to comprehend, which made the first few days of their experience as slaves not only bearable, but almost enjoyable.

The rest period passed all too quickly. Telli helped out in the orchards on the morning after the gathering in the meeting-house, and managed to get to know Nina a little better. She seemed at home in the fields, and lost some of the shyness of the night before, plying him with questions about Elneside, and answering his own about life in the camp and work in the fields. Telli found himself the victim of strange emotions. While unworried for the time being about his own situation as a slave, he found the idea of Nina being condemned to know nothing other than life in the camp almost unbearable. Remembering Seth's show of feeling when he talked of his dream that the whole community might find freedom, Telli now realised that he was already thinking in the same way. If he found a way to escape himself, he would not be able to rest until he had also found a means to free the other captives.

The Elnesiders decided to settle into their pattern of work for at least another two nine-day periods before any serious consideration of escape. They did not feel that they were in any danger, as long as they managed to obey the rules laid down by the Khrelling, and it would clearly be unwise to attempt anything without a much better knowledge of their surrounds. Brakis spoke at length on this subject during the morning following their first two rest days while they waited in their hut for the horn-blast to signal the gathering of their first afternoon shift.

"There is a danger less obvious here than death at the hands of the Khrelling," he said at one point. "Many here have died in part of their minds. It is not only the barrier that keeps the slaves here, and it is not only the attachment to family and friends, which most in the camp certainly have. If a man can tolerate the work here, then all else is easy for him. He does not lack food, or clothing, or anything else he needs in life. To ask why some might like to stay in this place is then a bit like asking why we two are the only ones who have chosen to leave Elneside in our times. Like our people, they want for nothing that is essential to them. Although they do not have the freedom, so valuable to you and me, to roam at will in the forest, and they do not rule themselves, few of them have experience of these things."

"I do not think that either of us will fall into the trap of comfort here," said Telli. "If we were in danger of doing that, we would not be here in the first place, but in Elneside, where folks are clearly more content with their lot than are those we see around us now. Did you not feel the atmosphere in the meeting-house?"

"Yes, and elsewhere. However, the others here know nothing of Elneside. Their origins are to the east of the mountains. We must remember the stories of war, plague and famine told by our forefathers, as well as the tales of the great wonders of their world. Then, perhaps, it would not seem such a bad lot in life to be a slave here. Speaking of the meeting-house, how is young Nina? Could not such a person become a 'trap of comfort' for a young man in a few years time, or even now?" Brakis's voice was teasing, and his eyes smiling. The horn sounded for their shift, sparing Telli's blushes, and the two made their way to work.

Three nine-day periods passed quickly for the Elnesiders, with much to learn, and many new acquaintances to be made. They became more accustomed to the Khrelling, who frequently toured the work places in groups, usually accompanied by a human translator. Brakis hated the creatures, understandably, but Telli's dislike for his masters was tempered by interest in them and their ways. He asked Stell to teach him some of their language, which the young smith tried to do. The pair made Seth laugh as they attempted to set aside days in which Allenth could not be spoken, and the business of the forge must be conducted in the hisses and clicks of Khrelling. Telli became teacher as well as pupil, attempting to teach Seth's family (adults as well as children) their letters, with some success.

While resigning themselves to life as slaves for a while, both Telli and Brakis were on a constant lookout for a means of escape, and it was not surprising that Telli was the first to identify a possible route for himself, considering his ability to 'fly'. It was towards the end of their second complete 'period' of work, the first on a morning shift, that he decided to explain his idea to Brakis, whom he had joined for an afternoon's fishing. They sat lazily on the riverbank, their rods propped against a rock, watching the lines dangling in the stream below for signs of movement that would indicate a catch. Midsummer was approaching, the days reaching their longest, and the hidden valley was truly beautiful under the afternoon sun. The irony of discussing escape on such a day as this was not lost on Telli, as he looked up at the high mountains surrounding them, and broached the subject on his mind.

"There seems no need for haste in escaping the camp for the time being, but it is certainly about the easiest time to do so," he began.

"In what way?" asked Brakis, adjusting the angle of his rod with a foot, and lying back against a convenient rock, eyes closed.

"We passed under the highest of the mountains when we were taken through the caves, but the peaks to the east are still high. The way over them will be free of snow for another two months, maybe three. Even though it may well be possible to pass them after the first snows, the choice of ways would be limited. I fear that the easiest passes may be well watched by the Khrelling, not only in the event of a slave escaping, but also to ensure that there is not a chance discovery of the camp by men from the Kingdom to the east."

"True, too true," Brakis murmured drowsily.

"I think I may have found a way out," said Telli, as he looked around to make sure that the pair were alone. Brakis sat up, suddenly wide awake, and looked around also.

" Where's that?"

"From the forge. There are shafts cut in the roof of the cave to let out the smoke. Looking up two of these, I can see the light of day. But these two are in the centre of the ceiling, and are too high for me to fly up to even if I could do so without being seen. One of the others, however, would be possible for me to enter, although far from easy. The opening is as high as the others, but it is in a corner of the forge, and there are uneven patches on the walls where I can find a grip, and so rest on the way up. Most important, this opening is not in the line of sight of the other workers when at their usual places, nor of the Khrelling should they arrive on the lookout balcony, unless they have a particular reason to look in that direction. I cannot see daylight at the top of this shaft, but in the dim light, it appears to be crossed by another passage, perhaps twenty feet above the forge's ceiling. Smoke from our furnaces drifts slowly into the entrance, which means it must surely lead to an exit from the mountain somewhere, whether directly or indirectly. I think I should try it." Telli looked at his friend, not knowing if he should expect encouragement in this course, or warning of the obvious dangers. Attempts at escape were punishable by death.

Brakis looked thoughtful.

"Assuming you make it into this chimney, or whatever it is, what happens if the way out is blocked, or guarded, or if there is no way out at all?" he said, slowly.

"Then I shall return to the forge as quickly as possible, hoping that I have not been missed. The timing will be important. I have already tried piling up the fuel on the fires I tend, then leaving for the fuel piles, and staying away for ten minutes, or slightly more. As long as the fires are burning well, no one takes notice. Remember that we are locked into the forge by an iron gate when we enter. The only open exit from it is halfway up the wall behind the balcony on which the Khrelling guards arrive from time to time to observe us, hardly a likely escape route. That is to say, the only exit apart from the chimney shafts, and one other hole, which is important to my plan-look, look at your line." Telli interrupted himself to point out the twitching of Brakis's fishing line, indicating a catch.

Brakis pulled in the line carefully, and landed a large fish, nearly the length of his forearm. He looked at it carefully, not recognising the type, then held it out for Telli to see.

"Look at the head," he said. "This is Khrelling food."

Telli saw that the fish had no eyes, only markings on its scales, like scars, as if they had once been there.

"The river must flow in or out from the mountains, perhaps both," said Brakis. "There seem to be many entrances to the caves. That is of interest to you if you intend to go wandering in them." He threw the fish into a catch net, adding:

"It may be good eating for the cave worms, but I shall have to check with Seth whether it is good for us. What were you saying about another hole in the forge?"

"There's a hole in the floor where we piss."

Brakis laughed, despite the seriousness of the subject.

"You're not planning to dive out down a piss-hole if you cannot fly out of your damned chimney!"

"No. The hole may be just about big enough for someone my size to squeeze through, but I am sure it would be suicide to do so. I can hear fast running water down below, and anyone trying that way out would surely drown, or be bruised and crushed to death against the rocks. This is why it is left open."

"Then what part can it play in your plans?"

"It can give me more time. I want the Khrelling and our fellow slaves to think I have gone this way, and hopefully to assume my death."

Brakis looked closely at his young friend, beginning to sense that the boy might have a well thought out plan that actually did have a chance of leading to escape.

"Go on. Tell me how you intend to make them think that," he said slowly, his brow creased in concentration as he tried to picture the layout of the forge, which he had never seen.

"My goatskin coat will be found by the piss-hole. I will have mentioned to Seth, Stell, and others my desperation to escape, that I feel so strongly as to take suicidal risks, and, in a manner half joking, that I have even dreamt of diving down that stinking hole. Then I disappear, my coat is found, and of course it is not possible for a slave to leave the forge by any other way, not unless he could fly, and we all know that no man can do that! Therefore I must be dead, and with luck the Khrelling will not search too hard for my remains; and most important, they will not see a reason to blame Harren, Seth, or even you, as my friend, for my foolish suicide."

Brakis was impressed with the plan, but cautious, and reluctant to let Telli take the risks involved even though he would certainly have taken them himself, given the chance.

"You must not rush into this, however good your plan may be. With your talents, an easier way may present itself, and as you say, there is no immediate pressure to escape."

Telli agreed, saying that he still had much preparation to do, even if he did decide to attempt a bid for freedom from inside the caves. However, as the pair picked up their rods and their catch, and headed towards the village, he was almost sure that he would soon be either free of the camp, or facing the consequences of failure.

Two weeks after his conversation with Brakis by the river, Telli was ready to try out his escape plan. Now on an afternoon shift, he entered the caves with the other workers, butterflies in his stomach and a nervous sweat on his palms. He knew that there were sometimes random searches of the slaves as they came in and out of the caves, although these were rare, and he would be unlucky to be caught out at this stage of his plan. Concealed under his goatskin clothes was enough food to last him several days, and a long, sharp knife. The food he might be able to explain away, but the knife was of a description strictly forbidden to the slaves when within the caves, and might well lead to awkward questions and confiscation even if found in the camp. All went well, however, and he passed the guards without attracting attention, despite the feeling that each pair of pale pink eyes was staring at him with more than the usual attention.

On entering the forge, he settled into his normal work routine, keeping his furnaces well fuelled and waiting for an opportunity to be alone by the fuel piles. When the first chance came, he went quickly to the concealed corner under his chosen escape shaft and pulled out the food supply and knife, stuffing them into a bag he had brought for the purpose. He then "flew" to a ledge that was about fourteen feet above the cave floor, gripped it with one hand, and shoved the bag into a small hole above. Here it joined two other bags of equipment he had already smuggled into the forge, well concealed from anyone who might pass beneath them. Dropping back to the floor, he returned to the fuel piles and loaded his cart as usual, before wheeling it around to the furnaces.

All was now ready. Telli had decided to make his final move towards the end of the shift. At this time it would be evening, but a summer's evening, with enough light outside to make any way out of the caves easily visible from within. If he managed to identify a way out, there would not be long to wait for the cover of night. Although he knew that the Khrelling had good night eyes, Telli still felt that he would be far more exposed in daylight. However, he did not know whether he would attempt to leave the caves immediately, even if there was a likely looking exit. The alternative was to hide within the caves until any hue and cry caused by his disappearance had died down. He had great hopes for the 'piss-hole decoy', as Brakis had come to call the part of his plan which should lead the Khrelling to assume him dead, all being well.

Working through the afternoon with his shovel and handcart, Telli ran through the list of things he would need over the next few days. He knew that if he thought of anything important not already stashed in the hole beneath the shaft, the escape could always be put off for another day, or even longer. Food--he had enough to last a few days, if he rationed himself with care. Light--a khrelling tinder-box and lamp would provide this, both being far superior to anything he had known in Elneside. In the small iron tinder-box, friction between two stones of a kind Telli had never seen before lit a powder mixed with some kind of fish oil, producing the instant flame he had first seen when Seth had lit the fire on his first evening in the camp. The lamp, also made of iron, burned the same oil, and Telli had included a small bottle of it in one of his bags in case he had to pass some time in the caves. Tools--arrow-heads he had made from flint, along with a bow-string of goat's gut, intended for a time after his escape from the immediate region of the Khrelling caves, when he could make a bow and arrow-shafts in order to ensure a continuous food supply--and, of course, his knife. He could not really take much more as he must remain lightly burdened for flying, not only during the exit from the forge and the caves, but perhaps later, should he be pursued.

Finding himself alone by the fuel piles about two hours before the end of the shift, Telli decided to take the plunge. As calmly as possible, he went first to the piss-hole, leaving his jacket beside it. Then to the corner of the forge under the shaft, where he made a quick flight to retrieve his bags. He stuffed the two smallest into the largest, and put this on his back, using two shoulder straps he had attached for the purpose. Looking up and concentrating hard, he took off without hesitation, aiming for a cleft in the wall, about twenty feet up and offering a handgrip. After a few seconds' break to regain his concentration, he floated up another twenty feet, finding another grip, this time inside the shaft. He was now invisible to anyone in the forge unless they stood directly below and looked up, so could rest a little longer before the third leg of his flight. This took him up to the opening he had seen cutting across the shaft. Pulling himself into it, he rolled onto his back, panting and sweating from his efforts, and lay for half a minute, recovering and listening.

The clamour of the forge continued as usual, rising and falling as the smiths beat their weapons and tools into shape without regular rhythm. Telli waited for a lull in the noise, which might indicate that he had been seen in his flight, but none came, and he relaxed a little. The dim light from below showed that the horizontal passage he was in led off both sides of the shaft through square entrances and, like the shaft, was clearly an artificial addition to the natural caves. He wondered briefly whether the work had been done by Khrelling or by man. Decisions had to be made quickly. Seeing no light above him, Telli pulled tinderbox and lamp from his pack and, as soon as he could see his way, set off along the passage he was in.

It was narrow, and the ceiling so low that a full-grown man would have needed to stoop at times to pass. Telli moved cautiously, stopping frequently to listen and shuttering his lamp at the same time so that he would be able to identify any other source of light. He heard nothing but the receding sounds of the forge, reassuring because he was sure they would cease once his disappearance was noticed. About fifty yards into the tunnel he saw a faint glow ahead and, proceeding carefully for the same distance again, came to another vertical shaft. A wooden ladder had been placed across this one and the passage continued on the other side. The light came from below. Telli placed his shuttered lamp on the floor and lay down beside it to peer over the edge. The shaft opened into a well-lit chamber, or passage, about twenty feet beneath him, and he could see its floor clearly, perhaps another ten feet down. Possible flying distance he thought immediately. Turning to look up, he saw that there was no sign of an opening from the caves above him, as with the other shaft he had just left.

Telli had to make another decision. If he was to return to the forge, as he had planned to if the escape shaft proved to be a dead end, he must do so shortly, the risk of discovery growing as time passed. Heart beating fast as he concentrated his mind, knowing what he did now was crucial, literally a matter of life and death, he decided against returning. Although he had not found a direct exit from the caves, he now felt that he had a sufficient number of routes available to mean that he had a good chance of doing so. If he failed to get out that night, he was also fairly confident in the chances of finding hiding places within the great cave complex, as he searched for a way out.

The ladder across the shaft looked strong enough, but Telli had no need to risk it and flew the few feet to the other side, then continued his way along the tunnel for several minutes until he reached another junction. This was a larger passage entering the one he was in from the right. After listening carefully, and hearing nothing but the now distant sounds of the forge, he held up his lamp to examine the two choices of route now open to him. Ahead, his passage had clearly joined a natural tunnel, becoming much higher, with rough walls and a distinct downward slope. To his right, he could see steps going upwards just a few yards into the new passage. Having no real sense of direction in the caves, he decided that up might mean out and, turning to his right, started to climb the stairway.

After going up about thirty steps, Telli heard a loud noise above him, the clang of metal on metal, followed by the clicks and screeches of Khrelling calling to one another. Freezing in his steps and instantly shuttering the lamp, he listened for a few seconds. Hearing footsteps approaching from above, he turned and stumbled down the steps as quickly as possible in the dark and then, feeling the wall on his right until it ended, turned into the natural cavern, uncovering his light as he did so. He hurried down the sloping floor, searching the walls left and right for a place of concealment, and found what he was looking for about thirty yards into the cave. In the opening to a recess on his right was a thick stalagmite, behind which he crouched, shuttering his lamp. He muttered a prayer of thanks to the Goddess of Luck that he was in a natural cavern rather than a straight-walled passage, such as the one he had followed so far.

Telli soon heard the sound of Khrelling voices above that of his own heartbeat, then saw their torchlight as they reached the bottom of the stairway and rounded the corner, coming his way. They passed his stalagmite and, as the torchlight faded, he dared to peep around it, seeing that there were three of them, one carrying a torch and the others large bundles slung over their backs. When they had gone, Telli stayed in his hiding place for nearly five minutes until his nerves calmed, and he could start to think about his next move.

Creatures of the dark have senses adapted to their world, relying on hearing, smell, touch, and on eyes that see well in a dim light, like the pink orbs of the Khrelling. Man, if deprived of sight, will also adapt in the mind, concentrating on the remaining senses. Telli now realised to what extent he had been doing this. On his way up the stairs, before hearing the Khrelling, he had sensed the air becoming fresher, a feeling now familiar, which he associated with leaving the caves after every shift of work. In spite of his recent scare, he decided to retrace his steps and try this route again.

This time he reached the top of the stairway and an opening into a natural cavern. The air was definitely fresher, but there was a musty tang to it at the same time which he could not identify. Shuttering his lamp, he saw a dim light to his right, and felt an immediate rush of excitement. It was not the flickering orange of torchlight, but the steady bluish-white light of the evening outside. Creeping cautiously towards it, he soon reached an iron gate, which blocked his path completely. Beyond was a very large cave and, about forty yards from where he stood, an opening from it to the outside world.

After listening carefully for a moment, he raised his lamp and saw before him the source of the strange smell, now much stronger. Clinging to the ceiling of the cave were hundreds of bats, the giants he had seen before, flying over the camp at dusk. Just beyond the gate, he could see the corpses of several of the animals looking like large rats, the more so because their wings had been removed. Telli remembered Stell telling him that the Khrelling made their clothes almost entirely from the strong, waterproof skin of the bats' wings, and realised that the three creatures who had interrupted him on the stairs had probably been collecting this material.

The iron gate had a lock on one side, only the second time Telli had seen such a thing in his life, the other being on the gate which shut the smiths into the forge. Elnesiders had no reason to lock their doors, but Telli knew that he needed a key to pass such a barrier, having watched the Khrelling guards when he was amongst the last to enter the workplace. While he examined the gate and its lock, wondering if there was any way to break through without a key, unexpected help arrived.

Alerted by a distant noise behind him, Telli ran back the way he had come, having no place to hide by the gate. Seeing the flicker of torchlight coming up the stairway he had just climbed, he continued beyond it, allowing himself enough lamplight to search for a hiding place as he had done previously on the lower level. This time he was less fortunate, finding only a shallow recess in the wall just a few yards beyond the point where the steps from below reached the cavern. He stood in this, back to the wall, and shuttered his lamp, every muscle in his body taut as he readied himself to flee should he be discovered.

The torchlight became stronger, along with the hissing sounds of Khrelling speech. Telli held his breath, then let it out slowly as his senses told him that his enemies had turned to their right, and were headed towards the bat cave. His luck had held for the moment and he looked out to see the Khrelling, this time only two of them, nearing the iron gate. They stopped a few feet before reaching it and one of them, holding their only torch and clearly visible in its light, reached up to the wall on his right and took something down from a small ledge. The pair had already opened the gate and passed through it before the watching fugitive realised the significance of the scene he had just witnessed. His luck was truly holding out. He now knew the hiding place of the key.

Telli decided to stay where he was until the Khrelling left the cavern, assuming they would go back down the stairway to the lower levels. After what seemed an age to him, they emerged from the bat cave carrying bundles, which he now knew contained bat wings. The torch carrier closed the gate behind him, locked it, and to Telli's great joy, concealed the key on its ledge. It occurred to him that, even if he had been missed by now in the forge, there was certainly no sign in the behaviour of these two creatures to indicate that alarm had spread here to the higher levels of the caves. But no sooner had this thought entered his head than a shiver ran down his spine as sounds he had never heard before in the cave system came to his ears.

Sounding like a horn call, the first noise started low in pitch, then rose higher and higher until it ended in a prolonged wail, like a wolf howling in the night. As the echoes died out, similar calls, some sounding further away and some nearer, answered it. The two Khrelling, who had just reached the top of the stairway, stopped in their tracks, and Telli could hear the hisses and clicks of their voices, raised above the wailing from below. Then the torchlight faded quickly as the pair hurried down the steps.

Telli unshuttered his lamp and made for the iron gate once sure that he was alone. Certain that the horn calls were alarms caused by his disappearance, the young hunter now experienced the intense feeling of being the hunted for the first time in his life. Trembling slightly, and sweating profusely, he reached the gate and jumped up to the ledge before it, grasping the key. After struggling a moment with the unfamiliar mechanism of the lock, he had opened the gate and slipped into the bat-cavern, where he stood for a few seconds, thoughts racing as he decided what he should do next. Locking the gate behind him, he realised that he could not leave by this route without leaving a clue for the Khrelling. The ledge on which the key was kept was too far away, and he could not replace it.

The alarm calls behind him had ceased as Telli made his way across the cavern towards its mouth. Bats rustled their wings above him, restless as the evening turned to night and the time to fly in search of food approached. The floor of the cave was soft beneath his feet, coated with a thick layer of the animals' dung, and the walls were irregular, offering many hiding places. He reached the cave-mouth, a large slit about ten feet high by forty wide, and peered out cautiously.

Night was fast approaching, but Telli could see well enough to understand why this exit did not need to be well guarded. The lip of the cave mouth projected several feet further than its roof. Telli crept to the edge and looked down a sheer drop of more than a hundred feet to the valley floor below. He was not surprised to find himself above the camp as he had assumed the bats to be those he had seen flying over it. He could see the men of the night shift assembling in the square, and directly beneath him was the point where the boundary wall left the cliff on the north side of the main cave entrance. Telli estimated that if he fell to his death from this point, there was a good chance of landing to the left of the wall, and so dying a free man! Above him, the cliff overhung the cave mouth. He knew he must use his flying if he was to leave the caves from this exit.

The first of the bats flew overhead, soon followed by others, until there was a constant stream of them heading east over the camp. Not all of them took this direction, some turning right or left as they came out of the cave-mouth. Impressive and daunting though these creatures were when seen in flight from just a few feet away, Telli had no time to feel the fear that even smaller bats seem to inspire in man. They seemed to have no interest in his presence and, as the flow of flying rodents increased, the quick thinking fugitive realised how they could be of use to him. Anyone looking up from below and seeing a shadow fly across the cliff face in the fading light would surely assume it to be one of the bats. He crawled to the left as far as he could go, concentrated hard, and took off for a ledge about twenty-five feet away, deliberately not waiting to think about the drop below. Pulling himself onto the ledge, he found it to be a good choice, being wide enough to lie on in such a way as to be invisible from the mouth of the bat cave and from below. He felt safer now than at any moment since the alarms had sounded, and relaxed a little, taking time to assess his situation.

Telli did not know much about the Khrelling, how their minds worked and how they would react to his disappearance. He felt it safe to assume the worst. For example, he couldn't count on the piss-hole decoy working, or even having the effect of confusing the creatures and delaying any pursuit. The obvious thing to do first if a slave disappeared within the caves would be to alert the guards at all possible exits, and to send others to watch unguarded openings, such as the bat-cave. Khrelling arriving at the iron gate would find it locked, and might leave guards there thinking no-one could have passed. But he must assume that they would look for the key and, when finding it missing, suspect that their quarry had passed that way. Then that they would find traces of him, perhaps footprints in the bat dung.

Thinking in this way, always fearing the worst, renewed Telli's sense of urgency. He looked out of his hiding place, searching the cliff-face for likely places within his flying range. Finding several, he decided to go up, away from the eyes of the Khrelling guards he knew to be on the camp wall. Three careful stages and he had reached the top of the cliff, where he rested for a few minutes, exhausted by the concentration required for his flying. Then, standing up on the gently sloping shoulder of the mountain which he had observed many times from below, Telli started to feel truly free for the first time since his escape from the forge.

It was now night, the last reflected light from the sun having disappeared. Telli would have to move as best he could by the light of the stars, and by that of the half moon hanging above the mountains to the north. He planned to skirt the valley of the slaves on the lower slopes of the surrounding mountains, using the cover of their trees. He would head north, then east, before looking for a way over the mountains to the lands he had left Elneside to find, the Kingdom he now knew still existed from the accounts of his fellow slaves. This might take him some days, but for the moment he wished to put as much space between himself and the Khrelling caves as he could.

Progress was slow in the dark, but Telli moved northwards as best he could for about four hours, walking, climbing, and with the occasional short flight. Then, tired from the considerable efforts of the evening, he found himself a shallow recess about fifteen feet up in a rock face offering concealment, and after eating a little, lay down to sleep.

The night was warm enough, but Telli only slept fitfully. He had been asleep when first captured by the Khrelling, and the memory was still vivid. When the first signs of dawn appeared behind the mountains to the east, he took stock of his surroundings, and was pleased to see that the trees around him seemed to be part of a continuous forest, which should provide him with cover until he left the valley. From the cave, he spotted a tree considerably higher than those around it just a short distance away. Flying down, he made his way to its base, then flew up to the lowest branches, and climbed the rest of its height, until he found himself well above the canopy of the forest. From this vantage point, he could see that he was still on the western side of the valley, but would soon be able to turn eastward while still keeping to the relative safety of the wooded mountain slopes. He must resist the temptation to head directly towards the eastern peaks by cutting across the more exposed valley floor. Looking back the way he had come, the wall of the camp was visible, being perhaps only an hour's walk away by the most direct route.

Telli climbed down and went on his way, making much better progress as the full light of day arrived. He moved silently through the forest, like the good hunter he was, stopping frequently to listen, and looking carefully at the trees and plants he passed for possible sources of food to supplement the supply he had with him. He used his flying only occasionally when necessary, as it was tiring. Knowing that the Khrelling had a good sense of smell, he felt more secure in the knowledge that small flights would leave gaps in his trail likely to confuse the best of trackers if the creatures were following him.

After about two hours, Telli stopped to rest, and after eating sparingly to ration his food, climbed another tall tree to get his bearings. He saw that he had already more than doubled his distance from the camp. His way ahead was now due east, as he had just reached the northern end of the valley. Finding a comfortable seat high in the tree, he decided to rest there and wait for the sun, which would soon rise above the mountains. He would move during the middle of the day now, rather than the night, as an accidental encounter with the Khrelling was least likely at this time. The creatures did not move outside the protection of their caves in bright sunlight by choice, and the cover of night had only been of use to him when he was exposed on the cliff, within sight of the guards on the camp wall.

Telli relaxed in his tree, well concealed from ground level, but with a view out over the valley to the eastern peaks he must climb to escape completely from the danger of recapture by the Khrelling. As he waited for the warmth of the sun, he thought back over his adventures of the last twelve hours or so, wishing he could know what had happened in the caves and the camp after his disappearance had been discovered. Had the piss-hole decoy worked? It occurred to him that if this was the case, another alarm might be raised when the absence of the key to the bat cave was noticed, if it had not already been. The collectors of bat wings might be at work soon, as the animals would have returned to the cave and settled in for their day's sleep. Would the disappearance of the key then be connected to his own? Or would his two unwitting helpers of the night before be blamed for having mislaid it? Telli could not help smiling at the thought of the confusion he must have caused.

Less comfortable was the thought of the effect his flight might have on Brakis, and on his new-found friends in the camp, Seth and Stell in particular, as he had been working with them. He hoped his planning had been good enough to protect them all from any blame and retribution. He had become attached to several people in the camp, and deeply regretted that the secrecy necessary for his escape made it impossible to say his goodbyes to anyone other than Brakis. The others, including the sweet Nina, might now be thinking him dead, gone forever down the forge's piss-hole.

The first warming rays of the sun reached Telli's perch. Feeling fairly safe from pursuit for the moment, he took his intended bow-string from his pack, looping it round his waist, then round a thick branch, before leaning his back against the tree trunk, comfortable in the knowledge that he could not fall. Closing his eyes and enjoying the sun's warmth on his face, he drifted off into a much-needed sleep.

The cheeping of birds woke Telli to find that he was sharing his part of the forest canopy with a sizeable flock of a noisy species that was new to him. Watching them as he gathered his thoughts, he noted with interest that they were a kind of small parrot, half of them a bright green and the other half bright red, presumably male and female. At his first movement, they flew up in a cloud of flashing colour, squawking shrill warnings, then settled again a short distance away. The young hunter knew from experience that there were few better ways to trace the movements of animals in a forest than by watching the movements of birds. Now more likely to be the quarry of a Khrelling hunt than a hunter himself, he must be wary of causing such signals of his presence.

The sun was now high in the sky, and it was time to move on. Telli listened carefully to the sounds of the forest around him as he detached himself from the branch and stood on it to look around. Detecting no signs of danger and feeling refreshed from his sleep, he decided to try to continue on his way by flying. Having been forced to stretch his capabilities to their limits during his escape from the caves, when there had been a real danger of falling to his death, he had gained in understanding and control of his flight. He was now more confident in attempting short journeys between trees in the forest's canopy, with the relative safety of branches below him to break a fall should he lose concentration. Identifying a likely looking branch on another tall tree about twenty feet away, he set off in the direction of the eastern mountains.

Flying below the height of the tallest trees so as not to be visible from a distance, Telli started to develop an efficient way of moving through the forest. He rested for half a minute, and sometimes more, after each short flight, concentration being very tiring. While this meant that he moved far more slowly than a man would at ordinary walking pace on an open path, he made better progress than when walking on the forest floor. There he would have to march around thickets, up and down gullies, and could seldom continue for any great distance in a straight line. He started to enjoy the novelty of the process, and having stopped for lengthy rests twice, eating a little both times, by mid-afternoon found himself near to the eastern side of the valley, approaching the lower slopes of the mountains he must climb. He had had no sight or sound of the Khrelling during the day and, while resting in the branches of a tall tree which offered a clear view ahead, began to turn his mind to other problems.

The air was humid, and the summer sky had started to cloud over, threatening one of the thunderstorms which descended on the valley every ten days or so. Telli had to think of shelter for the night, and with this in mind, set off in the direction of a rock face he could see ahead. He also needed to make a bow and arrows, and stopped several times to cut lengths of wood for this purpose. Reaching the rocky cliff, he searched its length for a likely place to pass the night. There were several recesses at the base deep enough to offer some shelter, but Telli's forest instincts warned him that he might be disturbed in these by animals looking for shelter if and when the storm broke, so he decided to investigate three possibilities he had seen higher up. Flying about fifteen feet up to the first, although it would have been an easy climb, he received a shock that nearly led to a fall back to the earth below. Grasping a ledge and peering into the small cave above, he found himself looking into a pair of yellow cat's-eyes, just two or three feet away. Keeping his presence of mind, he concentrated quickly, and managed to fly to the ground. Looking back up he saw a Snow Leopard, now on the ledge staring down at him, and probably just as surprised by the encounter as he had been.

Telli was relieved to see the relatively small leopard, feeling he was in enough danger from the Khrelling and hardly wanted meetings with large predators to add to his troubles. Questioning Seth about the animals of the valley, he had been pleased to find that the white leopards were the only cats known in the area. The great lizards he had seen at the barrier were the only beasts he had to fear, and these stayed near water on the valley floor, another reason he had moved through the wooded lower slopes of the mountains, apart from the cover of the trees. As Telli moved away from the now growling cat, he realised he had just made his first emergency flight. Necessity had forced him to discover more about his flying, once again.

His second choice of cave was higher up above an overhang he thought would be too difficult for a leopard to climb, and this proved to be a perfect place to pass a night under the circumstances. A small, semicircular tunnel with two entrances had been weathered out of the soft rock. Telli could enter it by the largest hole, and crawl round a bend to a chamber, from which the second small hole opened like a window. There were no signs of animal habitation in the cave except for two small bats clinging to the ceiling, not surprising, as Telli could not have reached it without flying. Although nowhere in the cave was high enough for him to stand it suited the purposes of a fugitive almost as if it had been designed for one. Telli realised that he could even light a fire in the bend of the tunnel at night without risk of advertising his presence, something he had assumed he would not be able to do until well clear of the valley.

With this in mind, he made several flights down from the cave, collecting much more wood than necessary for that night. He knew that he might find no dry wood the next day, and could possibly be trapped in the cave for more than one night by the weather. Then he set to work making his bow and arrows, something he had done many times before, so that he had fashioned a serviceable set of weapons in less than an hour. Had he taken the time to do this before, he would easily have made a kill during his journey that day, as the valley was rich with wildlife. The knowledge that he could now safely light a fire lent urgency to his work. The more food he had for the days ahead the better, and although there would normally be several hours of daylight left, the sky was darkening quickly with the gathering storm.

Telli set out to hunt, leaving his pack in the cave and flying out directly into the trees opposite. Moving from treetop to treetop, and searching the forest floor, he was soon rewarded by the sight of a pair of wildfowl pecking at grass seeds in their clumsy manner, unaware of the predator in the trees. He flew down silently to a branch above them, and managed to shoot both. Collecting the birds and his arrows, he set off in the direction of the cave, not a moment too soon. A flash of lightening was reflected from the clouds above, and the distant rumble of thunder warned him that the storm had nearly arrived. Telli flew up to the cave mouth just as he felt the first few raindrops on his head, and a few minutes later he could scarcely see the outline of the nearest trees through the downpour.

It was a massive storm, the fiercest he had ever witnessed, spectacular in every way. It seemed to be trapped in the circle of mountains surrounding the Khrelling valley, and determined to wreak havoc there in revenge for its imprisonment. Although sheets of rain limited his vision to a few yards for the most part, when lightening flashed overhead he would glimpse the outline of the great peaks, miles away to the west, through the water. Each huge clap of thunder reverberated round the mountains for so long that its noise would be interrupted by the next, causing a continuous rumbling for hours on end. Crouching in his cave, Telli wondered if his Gods were truly at war, so great was the power of the storm.

He had not planned to make a fire until nightfall, because of the risk that smoke rising from the cave might be seen. It now seemed perfectly safe, as even Khrelling eyes would see nothing in these conditions, in the unlikely event of the creatures emerging from their caves in such weather. The temperature had dropped dramatically, and he was pleased to be able to get a good blaze going before setting to work plucking and preparing his wildfowl.

As he worked, Telli had plenty of time to think. It occurred to him that, as the men from the kingdom to the east seemed never to have discovered this valley over the centuries, his way ahead must be very difficult; sufficiently hard to deter man, with his natural curiosity and inclination to explore. He was now convinced that his ancestors had passed over the mountains to the south of the valley and the Khrelling caves, this way probably seeming easier if approached from the east. In planning his escape, he had thought it wise to assume that the Khrelling watched all ways into the valley with care in order to protect the secret of the slave camp from the knowledge of other men. He now realised this to be impossible. The mountains encircling their valley were so vast that it would require constant vigilance on the part of thousands of the creatures in order to do this. Even if there were such numbers of Khrelling, the effort required would be such as to negate any advantages in keeping slaves in the first place. Following this train of thought, he came to the conclusion that, unless he was very unlucky, his chief danger ahead would not be from the Khrelling, but from the hostile nature of the terrain he must cross in order to reach the eastern Kingdom.

Such sound and thorough thinking, one of Telli's great strengths, led him to make a slight change in his plans. He had no direct experience of high mountains, only the knowledge gained from viewing them at distance, and from his reading; Brenen's account of his people's journey to Drakisland in particular. His assessment of the difficulties was, however, accurate and intelligent. Physical barriers could be overcome (especially with his unusual talents), but to do so required time. To buy time on the mountains he must have all that was necessary to live, and at present there were two obvious weaknesses in his preparations. He needed to be sure that he had both food and warmth. In this way he came round to the idea that he should stay another day and night in the valley in order to equip himself as best he could for the next stage of his journey.

Telli expected the wildfowl to be good eating, as the slaves had domesticated large numbers of the birds and he was therefore familiar with their taste. They proved to be excellent, and he ate well for the first time since he had left the camp for his last shift of work. He was warm and cosy in his cave hideaway, watching and listening to the ferocity of the storm outside only adding to his sense of comfort. Having passed the evening improving the weapons he had made that afternoon, Telli settled down early to a much needed night's rest.

The storm died down eventually in the early hours of the morning, leaving the air in the valley much cooler than usual. Telli waited patiently in his cave until mid-morning, when the shadows of the mountains had drawn back from the forest and the Khrelling would hopefully be sheltering in their caves from the bright sunlight. He then flew out to the nearest trees. It was a beautiful day, the forest feeling alive in a way that can only be experienced in sunshine after a heavy summer rain. Telli needed to hunt a little for food, but too much meat killed now would be of no use to him after two or three days, as he had no way of preserving it. Finding edible plants was therefore more important, especially those he could eat uncooked, because he would not have a source of fuel above the tree line. Perhaps most important, he was searching for signs of wild goat, having spotted several on the slopes of the mountains the day before. A hairy highland species, these, like the wildfowl, had been domesticated by the slaves. One would provide the good coat or blanket he needed for the journey ahead.

It took several hours' work until Telli was satisfied that he had all he needed, within the limits of the weight he could reasonably carry. He returned to the cave, and spent the evening sorting out his pack and finding the easiest way to carry his belongings. Finding sufficient food had not been too difficult, and most of the afternoon had been spent hunting down a goat. Having finally succeeded in this, he had skinned the animal where it had fallen as quickly as possible, fearing that the smell of the kill might possibly attract one of the great lizards, even though he was above their usual habitat. He had stretched the skin out to dry on a treetop near to his cave, careful that it was invisible from below. When it was dark enough to light a cooking fire he retrieved it and completed the drying process overnight in the cave.

That night Telli ate all he could, consuming all he had that could not be carried with him, including most of the meat from three wildfowl he had shot that day. He stuffed himself like a pig being prepared for slaughter, reasoning that the more nourishment he carried inside himself, the less he need carry on his back. His last work of the night was to fashion a belt from a strip of the goatskin, with loops on it to hold his knife and arrows. When all was ready, bloated with food and content with his achievements of the day, he settled to sleep his last night in the hidden valley of the Khrelling.

The next morning Telli began his climb, this being about twenty times greater than the highest he had made before (from the base of Horn Hill, to its crown). He started at first light, and as the evening sun slipped behind the snows of the higher peaks in the west, was marching on the high, barren shoulder of a mountain above the tree line. He stopped at the last point where there was a clear view back into the valley, placing his pack on the ground for a few minutes to look down on his home of the last few weeks. The camp was visible in the distance below. Telli could see the circle of the barrier wall and the huts of the slaves as tiny squares within it. He saluted in a gesture of farewell, thinking of Brakis, whose company he already missed. Picking up the pack he trudged on, hoping that he would soon see the valley again in the company of an army of men come to liberate the slaves.

Telli had mixed flying and walking in about equal measure on his way up, finding that he was not greatly hampered in the former by the extra weight he was now carrying. Because the chief difficulty of flying was the intense concentration involved, the weight he carried seemed to make little difference. For the same reason, flying downwards was just as difficult as up. Telli's ability was not really flying, but willing himself to move between two points, and the length of time he was able to concentrate was the main restriction on his movements through the air.

Making the climb had been like travelling in time from summer to winter in just one day, and Telli already wore his new goatskin. He was walking now on the bare bones of a mountain only recently exposed by the melting of its snow cover. It was a world in complete contrast to the one he had just left. Rounding the shoulder of the mountain, he could see a seemingly endless vista of cold, grey, barren peaks, looking alien and forbidding in the fading light. Shuddering at the thought of the comfortless journey ahead, he started to look around for somewhere to pass the night. A pile of large boulders proved adequate for his needs, offering shelter from the wind and concealment from Khrelling eyes. After eating sparingly, he wrapped himself completely in the thick-haired goatskin, and huddled between two boulders to sleep.

Telli set off at dawn the next day, threading his way through clefts and ravines between the rocky peaks, heading due east whenever possible. Around midday, he flew in stages to the pinnacle of a high mountain on which patches of snow still lay, with the idea of replenishing his water bottle. From this vantage-point, he gazed around for some time, almost enjoying the strange impression given by his surroundings that he was the only living thing on the face of the earth. He could see absolutely nothing but rock, snow and the sky. The only sound, if he made no noise himself, was the wind, and when this lulled the silence was complete.

Looking back the way he had come, Telli could see the higher, snow-covered peaks above the Khrelling caves. It seemed as if the lower mountains led straight to them, and no one approaching from this direction would suspect the existence of the lush, green valley in between. Surrounding him was a strange mineral beauty, the bare bones of the earth. Seen in the light of the midday sun, the mountains were far from being the sinister grey they had seemed the night before, but clearly contained all colours, as rocks do. Just ahead, he must pass between a yellow peak of sandstone, and a reddish one, perhaps containing iron ore like the stones used in the Krelling forge.

This reminder of his recent work place spurred Telli on his way. He continued eastward with dogged determination until nightfall, when he chose a sheltered spot and curled up in his goatskin, hoping that he would find a way down to lower altitudes the next day because the mountains became bitterly cold once the sun had gone down. This was not to be, however, and it took another day of slow progress in the rocky desert, followed by another cold and uncomfortable night, before he came to the first signs of a descent.

Early in his crossing of the mountains, all the streams he had passed flowed to the west, back to the Khrelling valley. He had then passed through terrain where the watercourses flowed neither west nor east, as might be expected in a mountain range running from north to south. Water here seemed to disappear, presumably seeping into the rock, leading Telli to speculate that there might be caves beneath, like those of the Khrelling. On the third morning of his trek across the mountains, he found himself on the edge of a steep cliff, with a drop of several hundred feet before him. At the bottom, he could see exactly what he had been looking for. Not only was there a sizeable stream, but it was flowing very definitely in the direction of the rising sun; and perhaps even more important, there were scattered patches of green along its banks. Life at last!

Telli followed the cliff eastwards, until it became less steep and he could make his way down. Reaching the bottom, he could feel a definite rise in temperature and sat down on a patch of grass by the banks of the stream feeling considerable relief. He had been forced to consume his food rations at a far greater rate than he had anticipated, the cold nights sapping his energy, leading to constant hunger. The sparse little blades of grass growing here told him that there would be other forms of life not too far away, and he was confident enough to feed himself well, eating more than half of his remaining rations before setting off downstream.

The stream, only a few feet across, wound unhurriedly through the great gorge it had cut over tens of thousands of years, as if making an example of what can be achieved with patience and enough time. Although it bent sometimes towards the north, and sometimes south, the prevailing direction was to the east, and Telli decided to follow it until he reached lands inhabited by man, unless he should find a very good reason to take another course. Around midday he saw another encouraging sign, a hawk hovering high overhead, and the hunter in him wondered what prey the bird searched for, and whether it would serve him as food also. Towards the end of the afternoon Telli, forest dweller all his life, was delighted to see his first trees east of the mountains.

The gorge widened, and the stream entered a wood of sparse and stunted conifers. This was the moment when Telli felt that he had truly achieved his childhood dream, and passed the barrier which separated the Elnesiders from the lands of their ancestors. He continued on his way, finding great joy in the sighting of birds in the trees, and of small fish in the first sizeable pond formed by the stream as it was joined by other trickles of water. The woods became denser, and he collected dead wood for a fire as he started to look for a place to pass the night.

This he found in a small hollow a short way from the stream, and feeling that he must now be safe from the Khrelling, Telli threw caution to the winds, and made up a large fire, surrounding it with stones to retain the heat. He ate the remainder of his food supplies, and settled to sleep, luxuriating in the warmth of the fire and the relative comfort of a soft pine needle bed after three nights spent on solid rock.

Survival dictated that the next day must be a hunting day for the young traveller. After reviving the embers of his fire in the first light of day, Telli took a much-needed wash in the freezing water of the stream, before returning to his camp to warm up. When the sun was shining directly on the trees around him, he selected the tallest, and flew up to its highest branches to gain his bearings. He found himself to be in a long, long valley, which stretched eastwards as far as the eye could see, sloping very gently down to the point where it disappeared on the horizon. Although the way looked easy, he guessed that he would not reach its end that day. Returning to the ground, he picked up his pack and weapons, and took the precaution of covering the evidence of the fire, before setting off on his way downstream.

The forest floor was nearly free of obstructive bushes and shrubs at this altitude, so Telli walked rather than using the flying method he had developed in the Khrelling valley. He moved silently, on the lookout for tracks, droppings or other animal signs. Every few minutes he would stop and listen to what sounds there were in these quiet highland woods. The stream became larger as more tributaries joined it, and it was in the water that Telli saw the first possibility of a good meal, but was unfortunately prevented from exploiting it.

Stopping to look in a deep pool, he spotted the movement of fish that seemed large enough to be worth attempting to catch. He had put down his pack and was wondering what he could use for bait when a noise from further downstream alerted him to the fact that he had company. A large brown bear was coming towards him, lumbering on all fours, and clearly becoming aware of Telli's presence as he hastily picked up his pack and flew up to the branches of the nearest tree. The creature, after stopping for a moment and sniffing the air, did not seem very interested in Telli, but like him had its mind on food, in particular the fish in the pool. It came on to the stream bank below his tree, and plunged into the water, demonstrating a crude fishing method to the watcher above. This seemed to involve making as much disturbance in the water as possible, then attempting to swat the frightened fish with its paws as they jumped above the surface. The bear had no success as Telli watched, and deciding that it was not worth waiting for its departure to take his own turn at the pool, he moved on his way, flying cautiously from tree to tree until he was a safe distance from the animal.

This incident turned out to be a serious setback. There was not much life in the high forest, and Telli had found nothing to eat by sundown, so was forced to pass a cold and hungry night that night, not daring to light a fire now that he was aware of the presence of large and hungry bears. He thought of Brakis as he tried to sleep, travelling alone being so much more difficult merely because it was impossible to keep a watch at night.

The next day, a tired and hungry Telli reached the end of the long valley, and a new terrain. The stream became a small river, which wound in and out of tree-covered mountains. He was descending fast to lower altitudes, and could sense the increasing warmth. It was starting to seem like summer again, and this meant more life. Around midday, Telli managed to break his involuntary fast, having shot a wood pigeon after several attempts at bringing down one of the birds. He made a fire on the riverbank, and although there was not much meat on the bird, felt some strength return as he set off downstream, still on the lookout for more food. Unlucky again during the afternoon, he passed another hungry night in the woods near the riverbank, having tried fishing during the last hour of daylight, but without success. He set off the next day knowing that finding food must be his first priority, but his next meal was to come from an unexpected source.

By mid-morning, Telli reached a point where the river ran through a small gorge, its sides rising sheer from the water on both banks. The easiest way forward was high above the stream until the gorge widened and he could see a way back down to the riverbank. As he descended, looking down on the river, Telli saw the first man he was to meet east of the mountains.

The first thing Telli saw was the smoke from a fire. He moved forward cautiously until a man came into view crouched in the shallows of the river. Telli assumed him to be fishing for something, although the method used was new to his experience. As he came closer, he could see that the man was using a small shovel to scrape up mud from the riverbed and add it to a pile he already had on the bank. He was elderly, with grey hair, and was alone so far as Telli could see. There was a pot cooking on the fire, and the sight of this encouraged the hungry traveller to reveal his presence. Approaching to within thirty yards still unnoticed by the old man, who seemed absorbed in his work, Telli cleared his throat loudly and called out.

"Hello there, sir."

The old man looked up at him quickly, then clambered up the bank, darting nervous glances around as if to ensure that the newcomer was alone. He stood there looking Telli up and down for a moment as the boy came slowly nearer, before speaking.

"Hello, hello young sir. Hmm--and where have you come from, hmm?"

"Over the mountains, from Drakisland." Telli sensed his youth and the fact that he was alone giving the old man confidence.

"Draksland? Hmm, Draksland? Never heard of it. Hmm-will you eat? Yes? I have fish. Small fish, but good fish. Do you come for gold?"

The invitation to eat was just what Telli wanted to hear, but he did not understand the last question.

"Gold?"

"Gold, hmm yes, gold. This is a river of gold. Will you put down your weapons please?"

The old man took a long knife from his belt, and threw it to the ground a few yards from where he stood. His hair was wild, his clothes ragged, and his bright eyes bulged slightly as he stared at Telli, who laid down his own knife and his bow, guessing that the other saw such gestures as a signal of trust. It occurred to him that the old man was a little mad, but he sensed no danger from him.

"Hmm, gold. Men only come to these parts for gold. You are not a robber young man? No, no, I see you are not, by your face you are not. My name is Slomen. Come and look." He beckoned, indicating the mud he had piled on the riverbank. Telli introduced himself by name, as the other began to sift through the mud with his hands. After a moment, the old man gave a cry of joy.

"You bring me luck, young Telli, you bring me luck! Hmm, see this." After rinsing it in the river, he held out a small, shiny yellow stone for Telli's perusal, hands trembling with excitement.

Telli had never seen gold before in any form. The Elnesiders did no trading or commerce, and therefore would have had little use for it even if they had possessed some. But he knew of its reputation from the old stories, that it was highly valued by the people of the lands he had now entered, and so looked at the small nugget with interest. It was about the size of a man's thumbnail and glistened in the sun as water dripped from it.

"Is this worth a lot?"

"Worth a lot? Hmm, not here for sure. The fish in the river are worth more to us here, is it not true? But where many men live, in the towns and the cities, there it is worth something, aha yes ha ha." Old Slomen chuckled with pleasure, and then asked Telli, "have you never looked for gold in a river?"

"No, never."

"It is normally found only in very small grains. This is a very good place, hmm, very good. You will tell no one I hope?"

"No, not if you do not wish me to."

"Good, good. Come and eat. Food first, then gold I always say, and what more does a man need?" Telli could think of a few other things, but refrained from answering the question as he followed the old man to the fire.

The fish were small but good as Slomen had promised. He had boiled a few small roots with them, and Telli felt refreshed after the much-needed meal. The old man chatted away as they ate, chiefly about gold, which seemed to be his passion, if not an obsession. He had been searching for it for thirty years, and seemed to have travelled all over the Kingdom in his quest for the one great site, from which he would make his fortune, and retire to the city to live a life of luxury. He had great hopes of success in the area where they were. Telli listened quietly, and wondered how often his companion had been let down by such high hopes during the last thirty years. His opinion of Slomen as being slightly mad, but harmless, grew as the old man spoke, but he also began to like the eccentric prospector.

As they finished off the fish, Slomen, who had shown surprisingly little curiosity as to Telli's origins or business, suddenly made him a strange proposition.

"Your bow and arrows, hmm, do you hunt? Yes? If you can stay awhile, we could become partners, you know. I could pay you for food in gold-hmmm. The forest down river is rich with food, but the time I take to search for it takes me away from my real search, for the hmm, gold, you see?"

Telli explained that he must go to the great city of Kellmarsh in the south, which he knew to be the seat of the King, and try to raise an army. He told Slomen of the Khrelling and their human slaves, thinking it right to do so as his new acquaintance could be in danger from the cave creatures should they come in this direction on one of their hunts for new captives. The old man said he knew nothing of such peoples as Khrelling, clearly not fully understanding that the creatures were not human. He showed an interest in their caves, however, and Telli had to suppress a smile when he asked: "hmm, are these mines, do they have hmm, gold?" Explaining that the slaves had told him the Khrelling did possess much gold and other precious minerals in their caves, Telli made sure Slomen understood that this would not be the best place to go looking for such things. The meal finished, he thanked his host, and said that he would go hunting that day, and would return for the night if successful, but wished for no gold in return for his efforts as he was already indebted to his new friend. Slomen seemed pleased at this, and gave directions to a small cave where he could be found if not still by the river when Telli returned.

Setting off into the forest on his hunt, Telli hoped for success not only for his own sake, but also for the pleasure he could bring to the old man. Slomen had been immediately friendly after his first quick appraisal of the stranger entering his camp, although his madness for gold might well have led to a different attitude towards anyone sharing the knowledge of his new finds in the area.

The forest now contained lowland trees scattered amongst the evergreens of the highland woods, and proved to be a source of fruits, nuts and roots, as well as meat. Slomen had informed him as he left that there were goats and deer for large game, but also wolves and bears he must be wary of. Some trees and plants were familiar to Telli, identical or related species growing on both sides of the mountains, but others were new to the young hunter. He gathered likely looking fruits whether he knew them or not, now having an eastern companion to advise him as to which were edible.

After an hour of searching and gathering, Telli struck his own kind of gold in the form of fresh deer tracks. Just twenty minutes later, he had stalked and killed a beast large enough to last himself and his new friend for a week, or more. He was forced to butcher the animal there and then, selecting the best parts, before staggering back upriver. Having had time to think about the journey ahead, Telli had come to the conclusion that a supply of gold might be very useful to him on his way, and was considering the idea of staying for a day or two with Slomen. The old prospector was delighted when he saw Telli's load, and begged him to stay. Telli himself was pleased with the simple luxury of having a pot to cook in for the first time since his escape, and promised to stay at least one more day before starting to prepare their evening meal outside Slomen's cave.

Telli surprised himself by staying another eight days with Slomen, to the old man's great pleasure, and ended up leaving far better equipped for the journey ahead in many ways. The chance meeting was of great benefit to both man and boy, and Telli was later to consider it one of the greatest strokes of luck during his travels up to that point. He was the only human hunter-gatherer in a forest of plenty, and the pair ate three fine meals each day as a result of his efforts. Telli felt himself recover quickly from the hard days and nights on the barren mountains, and could see similar gains in his companion's health and wellbeing.

Slomen seemed to be rejuvenated, partly from the good food, and partly because he was free to indulge in his passionate search for gold from dawn to dusk each day. He proved to be excellent company as the pair sat by a fire lit in the cave mouth each night, having an endless fund of stories accumulated during his decades of travel around the Kingdom. Travel in search of what seemed to Telli a pretty, but for all practical purposes useless, yellow metal. One of the important gains for the young foreigner was that he left with far more knowledge of the Great Kingdom than he had arrived with, few of the Khrelling slaves knowing much of their origins. The other was that he left with a considerable supply of gold, along with the knowledge of some of the best places to take the raw metal and exchange it for lesser weights of the Kingdom's coinage.

Slomen profited in being able to extract far more gold from the riverbed than he otherwise would have done, being spared from all the chores necessary to stay alive in this isolated place by Telli's presence. At the end of the eight days, he was left with new and much needed deerskin clothes, and a thick goatskin coat, like the one Telli had made for himself in the Khrelling valley. In addition, he had inherited a bow and arrows (the young hunter having the time to fashion himself a new and better set from choice wood). Also, a set of Elneside style fish traps, expertly placed in the river, and generally worth at least one small fish for his pot each day.

"I don't know how I managed without you. Hmm, I suppose you must leave. Please accept this for your labours, this, hmm, gold," he said on the morning Telli would leave, proffering yet another handful of his precious findings. The old man was remarkably generous with the fruits of his obsessive searching, and Telli wondered if there was not a connection between this trait, and the fact that he still appeared to be poor after all the years he had devoted to the hunt for gold. Either he had given away too much out of a kindly nature, or perhaps his real obsession was not with accumulating great hoards of the stuff, but with the search itself. Telli managed to refuse this last offering.

"What I have learned from you about my way ahead is far more valuable to me than gold, and finding a friend after so many days alone the best value of all," he told Slomen, truthfully.

"Well, if I cannot give you gold, hmm, I can only wish you good luck, isn't it so, hmmm?"

With this last of a thousand 'hmms' ringing in his ears, Telli went on his way down river. He resolved to try and find the prospector again at some time, before the gentle old soul died a lonely death hunting for stones on some remote mountain, with no one to pray for him and bury his bones.

Telli, now fit and strong, and with no immediate need to hunt, covered a good distance on the day he left Slomen. For the first time since leaving Elneside, he also had in his head a reasonable map of what lay ahead, and was slightly surprised at finding the directions given by his eccentric friend to be very accurate. Towards the end of the afternoon, he had spotted signs of humanity; an abandoned mine shaft with a rotting wooden hut by its entrance, and the occasional flat-topped trunks of trees, clearly victims of an axe rather than nature. He saw no one until the middle of the next day, when he had expected to do so.

The river Telli had followed since finding its beginnings on the high mountains joined another, and at the junction was a small settlement, known as Minersford. Slomen had explained that the people here lived partly from hunting and fishing, along with a little farming, a means of existence familiar to the Elnesider. They also traded with the miners and prospectors, exchanging food, drink, and accommodation for a very high price in gold. Telli had no need to stop here other than curiosity, and a feeling that he should warn the villagers of the existence of the Khrelling.

Approaching the village from higher ground, Telli could see that it was very different from his own, but expected this from Slomen's description. 'A place forsaken by the hmm gods, young Telli, full of thieves and, hmm, pox-ridden miner's whores'. A scandalous theft in Elneside was something like a child taking a few chicken eggs from a neighbour. Whores were something the moralist Drakis raged about in the three hundred year old tracts left to guide his people on the path to righteousness, and had never existed west of the mountains.

At first sight, the settlement appeared run down, its fifty or so wooden buildings better described as shacks than cottages, some so dilapidated that Telli thought they could not be inhabited. On reaching the first huts, he was greeted by five or six ragged children, who shouted hellos at him, and tried to sell him food, wine, a bed for the night and, if he understood rightly, their own sisters to put in it. All this within a minute of his arrival.

Telli approached a middle-aged couple, the first adults he saw, thinking to pass on his warning of the Khrelling, but they too seemed intent only on selling him things. He tried the next man he came on, a shifty looking individual who had thief written all over his face. After refusing the offer of a canoe in exchange for gold by lying, wisely, that he had none of the metal, Telli gave up. Annoyed by the children who were still following him, trying to block his path, and pawing at his pack, he decided uncharitably that the people of this settlement would hardly be worse off if kidnapped by the Khrelling. He left the village, crossing a rickety wood and rope bridge, and receiving a shower of small stones from the urchins, no doubt a punishment for visiting without enriching any of them. Considerably shaken by his first experience of a community east of the mountains, he continued on his way down river.

Telli passed a few poor fields on the banks before re-entering the forest. He knew that these were not really important to the living of Minersford's people. The reason the village had grown up in such an isolated place was the wealth of minerals in the area. Its inhabitants trekked back and forth along the well-trodden path Telli was now following, buying goods for gold at a low price, and selling them on to the miners for a much higher one. Slomen loved explaining such things. 'The price of, hmm, gold goes up the further you get from its, hmm source, young Telli, not so? Always, hmm, remember this.' The old man had advised avoiding Minersford for this reason, as well as the nature of its inhabitants, but had advertised the second settlement down river, where the Minersford traders bought their goods, as being in complete contrast to the first. Telli wondered how he would have reacted to this early encounter with the citizens of the Great Kingdom had he not first met Slomen.

It was about six hours walking time to this next settlement, named Larisroot after a vegetable cultivated almost exclusively there. On his way, Telli passed two traders, both staggering under the weight of huge packs full of goods to barter for gold. They were civil, bidding him good day as they passed, sweating under their loads. To his great relief, neither tried to sell him anything, presumably because he was clearly headed in the direction where he could obtain their goods for a reasonable price himself. Telli moved by walking, having no need to fly, and enjoying the luxury of travelling on a trodden path for the first time since leaving Elneside.

He arrived at Larisroot in the early evening, feeling some excitement. This community of about three thousand souls was the largest he had ever seen. Here the fields were well tended, and the houses in a good state of repair. There was even a small castle, or manse, residence of the local Lord and a handful of armed men, and several other stone buildings, one of the largest being the town's only inn. The path from Minersford widened to join a broad thoroughfare between the river and the town, serving both as main street and market place. As Telli entered he saw the small wharf to his left, where several boats and many small fishing canoes were moored, and the inn ahead on his right. Perhaps sixty or seventy people were going about their business on the street, seeming a large crowd to the Elnesider. Slomen's descriptions left him with no need to ask for directions, and he searched the line of buildings for a painted yellow sign.

Finding this easily, he stopped before a stone house of two stories with iron bars on the windows and a thick wooden door divided horizontally into two, the top half being open.

Telli stood there nervously, about to make the first financial transaction of his life.

"Lost are you, boy?" A deep voice barked from the dark inside. "Larisroot is such a grand city that you cannot find your way?"

Telli approached the door, and could make out the shape of a very fat man seated behind a high desk a few feet within.

"Well, young man, have you come to shoot me with that bow and steal my wealth? Or perhaps you are more gentle, and merely come to beg my riches away from me?"

Telli had heard well of the stout moneychanger, and could hear the humour in his rumbling voice.

"I may wish to do one or other in the future, but for now have no need, for I have my own gold to change for silver. I must also give you the greetings of Slomen 'Goldnose', who has asked me to remind you that he still waits for three pennies owed since your last meeting."

"Slomen? How is the old madman, and where is he sniffing for his gold now?" The fat man leaned forward into the light, seeming more friendly and gleaming with gold, as if he had swallowed all he bought from the miners, and it was bursting out of him. Several of his front teeth had been replaced with the yellow metal. His ears jangled with it, four or five rings dangling from each one. Another huge ring hung from his nose, and the fat, stubby fingers he placed on the desk in front of him were encircled by many more. Add to this golden necklaces, bracelets, and broaches stuck into a shirt and hat made of silk, and it was no surprise that Telli stood for a moment, open mouthed and bereft of speech. The fat man laughed.

"Now you wish you had shot me, eh? The corpse would be worth twice the value of this house, I can tell you. But what of Slomen, has he found, hmmm, gold!" He raised his voice a few tones on these last words, giving a passable imitation of his friend, and Telli joined him in laughing.

"Slomen is well, and has had a little success in his searching, but you understand that he will not allow me to tell you where he is."

"Ha, ever cautious is the old fool. Does he think that fat Flankis will drag his bulk up some freezing mountain to take a few grains of gold dust from under his sniffing nose? But who are you young man, and how can I help rid you of your supply of the beautiful stuff?"

Telli was ready with a small nugget of gold, and handed it to Flankis, saying:

"Slomen knows that you would not wish to steal the gold he has found, for he counts you the most honest man in Larisroot, but fears more for your tongue after a few measures of wine have flowed over it in the company of others who are not so trustworthy. My name is Tellimakis, and I would like the most honest man in town to tell me how much silver this is worth to him."

The fat man looked closely at Telli.

"I jest, I jest, and know well that Slomen has no fear of me. It is now twelve years since I first counted the madman amongst my friends. But you also seem to know him well. Tell me, how is this?"

Telli gave a brief description of his encounter with the old prospector and their business partnership in the wilderness. Flankis's smile widened slowly throughout the account, and at the end he laughed loudly.

"Eight days! You put up with the mad one's stories for eight days. Little hunter, I think you are a bigger man within than you appear from without." He held up the nugget. "I see then our mutual friend has advised you to hand me a piece worth five silver crowns exactly in these parts. I shall throw in three pennies, as it is the first time we have done business, but only on the condition that you should throw them at Slomen if you see him before I do, for his cheek in claiming that I owe him something." He counted out the coins on his desk and held them out towards Telli in one hand, whilst holding out the gold in the other, as if giving him the choice between the two. Telli chose the coins without hesitation, knowing from Slomen that no better deal was likely to be had in the town. Business done, Flankis became friendly, and suggested that he might meet Telli in the public room of the inn that night, saying that any friend of Slomen's must be a friend of his. Telli left for the inn, looking forward to a warm, comfortable night.

The public room of the Larisroot inn was the social centre of the town at night. Telli sat at a small table in one corner thoroughly enjoying the new experiences he was going through at a rate that would have confused most people. One silver piece had bought him a small room for the night, with three good meals thrown in, the first of which he had just finished. Sipping at a glass of a tasty local brew, made from the laris-root itself, he reflected on the first two business transactions involving coins he had made in his life with great satisfaction, and watched the folks around him with interest.

There were already more than twenty people in the room, and others were arriving at a steady rate. Farmers and hunters, miners and traders, they all met here to eat and drink for pleasure, but also to discuss and make business. This was life, thought Telli. This was excitement compared to homely Elneside. He had attracted little attention in spite of his youth and unusual attire, the Larisroot residents being accustomed to strangers due to the proximity of the gold fields. This was soon to change, however, as the door burst open, and a deep voice shouting good evening to the company heralded the arrival of Flankis.

The fat moneylender was even more impressive seen standing than when seated behind his desk. His height nearly matched his girth, and the gold ornamentation continued from waist down, with his belt and even his boot buckles being made of the precious metal. He was clearly known well to all those present, excepting perhaps a handful of new arrivals to town. After greeting a few friends, he spied Telli in his corner, and introduced him loudly to the company (my new friend, Tellimakis, the hunter) before picking up a large chair with ease in one fat paw, and coming to join him at the table. The landlady appeared immediately with a large carafe of wine, clearly knowing his needs, and he poured himself a glass as she waited for payment, teasing her as he did so.

"Money corrupts, as we all know, and as I love you, I shall do my good deed for this day, and withhold payment, so that you can remain pure."

"Not pure, but poor," she riposted, winking at Telli. "Poor like all round here, where there's a great lump of lard who soaks up all the wealth of the mountains like a pig sucking up swill. Now pay up, or we'll send you back to Minersford, where your sort belong." Flankis paid up, laughing, and declaring his love for her again as she departed.

"Is it true you are from Minersford?" asked Telli, curiosity aroused.

"True, too true. You see before you the only honest trader ever to emerge from that stinking hole. I departed when I was about your age, some say because they had no set of rags left there big enough to fit me. I can tell by your tone that you passed through the delightful and hospitable hamlet of my birth, am I right?" He laughed at his own description, Telli nodding assent, and laughing also. Flankis then asked where Telli came from, saying he found his dialect of Allenth unusual, and thought it new to his ears.

Telli intended to warn the easterners of the Khrelling, and took this opportunity to tell his story, keeping it brief, and making no reference to his flying for his own reasons of discretion, as well as the fact that he wished to be believed. Flankis listened carefully, sipping the wine, his expression changing slowly from good-humoured interest, to fascination and serious concern. When Telli had finished his account, the fat man asked a few questions about the Khrelling and their slaves, before shouting out to two friends, telling them to join him and listen to the most interesting story they would hear in their lives. Telli repeated his story, with Flankis loudly emphasising the important points, and it was not long before the young Elnesider became the centre of attention in the public room of Larisroot inn.

His was not an easy tale to believe, and Telli could imagine the difficulties of accepting the existence of creatures such as the Khrelling without actually seeing them. He was not only asking those present to believe in the proximity of a new animal they had never heard of, but that this creature, like themselves, used speech and tools, wore clothes and carried weapons, and did such things without being human. Their experience, like his own until the morning of his capture, led them to assume that they were a unique species where such characteristics were concerned. Telli's story was relayed round the large room, and discussed by all with animation.

As the evening passed, it became clear to Telli that Flankis was certainly inclined to believe his story, and he sensed that the fat moneychanger, for all his flamboyance, was an important and respected member of this community. Telli expressed his concern that all villages near to the mountains should be alerted, explaining that the Khrelling usually acquired their slaves by stealing young children when alone at night. He felt that in this way, he might save some youngsters the agony of separation from their families, what Seth had clearly experienced, in the time until the Khrelling could be confronted with a large enough force to end their practice of slavery for all time. Flankis, hearing that the Khrelling might number thousands, or even tens of thousands, and were well armed, agreed with Telli that only the involvement of the High King in the south could possibly lead to the freedom of the slaves in the camp.

Brakis had stated his opinion, shortly before Telli's escape, that because of the snows, the following summer was the earliest he would expect Telli's arrival at the Khrelling valley with an army of liberation. Listening to the views of the company in Larisroot confirmed this in Telli's mind, although he had already been acting on this assumption, or would not have stayed so long with Slomen on his way.

One effect of his story was the arrival of the inn's landlord at his table with the suggestion that he should stay the next day in Larisroot and the offer of a free bed and board for the following night. He must tell his tale to several citizens of importance who were not present. Telli said he would stay, but was happy to pay his own way, and a polite argument ensued. Flankis settled this, much to the amusement of all those present who knew him.

"I was the first to meet our guest, so I shall pay," he said, flipping a silver crown onto the table in front of the landlord. The other picked it up, bit on it, and held it to the torch light, feigning disbelief.

"The stranger has come over the mountains bringing new magic powers that can wring blood from a stone," he said, in a tone of mock awe, as the company laughed, Flankis loudest of all. None could have guessed how close to the truth this statement was.

Telli had had a long day and said goodnight to his new friends early, knowing that he had made an unusual stir in their lives and would be the subject of their conversation long into the night. He settled into the unaccustomed luxury of a soft bed in a warm, secure room, and slept without waking or dreaming for more than nine hours.

Larisroot in the daytime offered plenty of interest to a young foreigner who had never seen a market, river commerce, stone temples, beasts of burden, and many other things perfectly ordinary to those born east of the Great White Mountains. Telli could have passed many days in the small market town without tiring of it.

He left his bed long after sunrise, knowing that there was only one thing of importance to do that day. He must meet with people of influence in the town, and do his best to convince them that precautions should be taken throughout the western settlements closest to the valley of the Khrelling. It was curiosity at the sound of ox-carts arriving in the town that finally moved him from his bed to the public room, where the landlady, a cheerful and friendly soul he now knew as Rhenna, served his morning meal. She informed him that two men wished to see him, and had asked if he would be so kind as to be at the inn around noon to meet them. Saying that he would certainly be there, and feeling rather important, he finished his meal and sauntered out onto the main street, head held high and trying to appear full of confidence. Any effect this might have had on local observers was immediately ruined as he stopped to gape in amazement at the passing farm carts drawn by brawny oxen. The Elnesiders had no animals that actually worked for them in any way, and their only vehicles were small hand barrows.

Recovering, and laughing at himself for trying to appear so sophisticated, Telli made his way along the street, through the already busy market, to Flankis's shop. The fat man was seated at his desk behind the half door, and greeted Telli with a flash of gold teeth as he smiled.

"Don't tell me the thieves of the market have already had all your silver, and you need more. Riches earned by bearing the company of Slomen should be spent with care unless you want to return penniless to work for the old fool immediately."

"I've spent nothing, and know nothing of the prices for reasons you now understand. I come only to bid you good morning, to thank you for your companionship last night, and to ask why the market is so busy today." Telli could not have chosen a better person for this question. What the search for gold was to Slomen, commerce was to Flankis. By the time he had left the moneychanger, agreeing to meet him again that night at the inn, Telli knew more about the workings of the market than some of its traders did.

Every day was a busy day in Larisroot, unusual for such a small community, and for one in such a remote part of the Kingdom. Its market served not only the town itself, but five surrounding villages. Three of these were down river at no great distance, the fourth an hour's walk away to the south, and the fifth, of course, infamous Minersford itself. But traders came from much further afield than this for two main reasons. The gold found in the surrounding area was one of these, with its value increasing at every stage down river. The other was the laris-root, even more important to the prosperity of the region than the precious metal. These twin backbones to its commerce had made the little town very rich. Flankis revealed that there were many other citizens who could walk around in finery such as his if they so wished.

Telli walked up and down the riverbank market, enjoying the novelty it was to him, but also using his sharp eyes and quick brain to learn the ways of life in this new land. He watched boats being loaded, mainly with laris-root, and unloaded with goods from all over the Kingdom, brought in exchange for it. These boats were fairly small, less than thirty feet in length, as it was hard work to navigate anything larger this far up the winding river.

Telli knew from Slomen that, although he could get a lift down river from this point for a small sum, it would not pay him to do so. Below Larisroot, there was a huge bend in the river. It turned north for some distance, then curved right around to flow back south, before finally returning to its usual easterly course towards the Great River, where Telli wished to go. Boats would take three days to round the great loop going downstream to the town situated at the point where the river turned back eastward. Slomen's advice had been to cut out this loop by walking through the forest. Starting at sunrise, it was possible to reach this town before nightfall on the same day. This was Telli's plan for the following morning.

He spent an interesting day exploring the town, interrupted only by his return to the inn at noon to eat, and to meet the two town elders who wished to question him about the Khrelling. These proved to be laris-root farmers, representative of the majority of the townsfolk. He learned from them that the Lord of the Manse was away, and not expected back for five or six days. They would consider what should be done in his absence, and would relay Telli's story to him on his return. Telli answered their many questions accurately and patiently. They were kindly, conventional and conservative men, the sort he imagined to be typical of this well-ordered and prosperous community. Talking with them on many subjects, he sensed their disapproval of some of the miners and gold traders, although the mention of Flankis brought a smile to their faces, and they clearly saw the moneychanger as a likeable rogue rather than a threat to their stable lives. On their departure, Telli considered that one of these stolid farmers was definitely inclined to believe his story, but the other was more doubtful, disliking any news that might mean even the slightest change in his simple view of life.

During the afternoon, Telli visited the town's largest temple, built of stone with many ornate carvings, and dedicated to the River Goddess, Setisia. She was easily recognisable in statues depicting a woman with long locks cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall, and with a fish tail in place of legs, the better to patrol her great domain. In Elneside she was honoured with a small wooden shrine, no bigger than those of other deities, her statue surrounded by carvings of fish. But Telli could see that she had a much greater importance this side of the mountains. Setisia was Goddess of travel, trade, and communication in a Kingdom where the rivers were the main thoroughfares.

The evening was pleasant, Flankis arriving at the inn's public room and teaching Telli several games played locally, all of them involving the exchange of coins, of course, as the fat man confessed he could see no point in games if they involved no gambling. New acquaintances gave Telli much good advice concerning the long journey to Kellmarsh he would begin the next morning. Flankis promised to make sure his story of the Khrelling was not ignored, and with such a loud individual behind his cause, he felt that his warnings to the good people of the area had not been made in vain.

Telli woke the next morning to the patter of rain on the roof above his attic room. After eating his morning meal, he looked out of the inn door to find the world outside turned grey by steady drizzle. In spite of Rhenna's insistence that he should put off his departure, he decided to set off on his way. He hoped that a lighter sky in the east, where the wind was coming from (and where he was going), meant the weather would clear by the afternoon, and after some hours walking under the shelter of his goatskin coat, was proved right. The summer sun started to shine, and he discarded the heavy wet goatskin, deciding that he now had no need to carry its weight.

The way towards Bhuin, the river town he hoped to reach before nightfall, led him first through a mile or so of open laris-root fields, then into the forest, with a footpath to follow all the way. Wet weather apart, the going was easy, a pleasant stroll for a traveller who had recently passed the Great White Mountains. The low hills, which caused the great, looping deviation of the river from its eastward course, also made it impractical for an ox-cart route through this short cut from Larisroot to Bhuin. All trade between the two must therefore take place on the river and only those wishing to make the journey without the burden of goods used the path Telli followed. His acquaintances of the inn's public room estimated this way as taking a good ten hours at a steady walking pace. It was unknown for footpads to be encountered on the lonely path, as no one would be likely to pass this way carrying anything of value to a thief. All in all, this should have been a simple stage in Telli's journey, but Fate, a God in whom he believed profoundly, had other ideas.

By mid-afternoon, Telli's clothes had dried on him, the sky was bright blue above him, and he felt in his element, enjoying the feel of the forest around him, so similar in many ways to his hunting grounds back home. Knowing he must be well over halfway to his destination, and seeing that the path ahead sloped downwards from the high ground, he selected a tall tree, and flew up it to look at the way ahead. This effort was rewarded by a fine view over the green canopy, and he could see not only the broad band of the river, now much wider than at Larisroot, but also the town of Bhuin itself, a cluster of grey stone on its bank. Behind him the skyline was still dominated by the White Mountains, their snowy peaks glistening in the afternoon sun. Much nearer was an open patch in the forest, which he knew must be the fields around Larisroot. Seeing that the distance to his destination was less than half that to his point of departure, he congratulated himself on having made good progress despite the morning rain, and decided to rest for a moment in the branches before continuing his march.

After ten minutes seated lazily admiring the views around him, Telli was about to descend and go on his way, when high pitched shrieks and the loud rustling of foliage warned him that he was not alone in the high branches. The sounds came rapidly towards him as he drew his knife, not knowing what to expect. A black figure came swinging through the trees, followed by others, and Telli was soon in the midst of a tribe of monkeys, jabbering and squealing as they jumped from branch to branch, each seeming to try and reach the highest point possible in the tall trees. The first to spot him shrieked a warning, but none seemed too concerned by his presence, concentrating instead on the ground below. He did not know this eastern species, but did know how monkeys behaved in the Elneside forest, and he scanned the ground beneath, realising that something much more dangerous than he must have scared them.

Paths infrequently used by man, such as the one Telli had been following, are often used for convenience by large animals. Coming along the narrow way from the direction he had arrived was the largest cat Telli had ever seen. He watched fascinated rather than afraid, as unlike his small brained, hysterical, jabbering cousins, he knew that he was safe from the animal, this being no tree climber. This was a camouflaged hunter of the night, a killer by stealth and strength, the loneliest cat and true King of them all, the great Tiger. Telli watched, eyes riveted, as the great beast strolled along the path, seeming slow, but actually moving at twice the walking speed of a man. He wished Brakis could be there to share the sight. There were no tiger west of the mountains, but they were legends from the past, and Telli knew his friend's love of other hunters such as the one below him.

The tiger passed on its way, not hunting, and uninterested in the creatures above. Telli recovered from his excitement and realised the animal had created a problem for him as he was headed the same way. He decided to continue by flying eastward, knowing that he must arrive at the river if he kept on in that direction, and preferring to leave the path to the tiger. Making steady progress for more than an hour, he halved the distance between himself and the river. He then made a mistake, perhaps becoming too careless with his flying, and failing to use the intense concentration needed to move safely by this means.

Telli landed clumsily on one foot in the fork between two branches, nearly falling to the ground, and twisting his foot in the process. It was painful, and he made a few short flights onwards before spying an attractive looking glade to one side. He decided to land there and take the time to bind up his sprained ankle. The distraction of the pain made him careless again, and he flew down to the centre of the clearing without his usual caution, landing on his one good foot, and stumbling to the ground. Picking himself up, he heard a loud, clear voice from behind.

"Don't move, or I'll shoot you dead! Don't move, don't dare to move. Hold your hands away from that knife. I'll shoot, I swear by the Gods, I will if you try anything, hobgoblin. Demon, take that bow slowly off your shoulder and throw it to the ground. Same with your goblin knife, foul creature, and hold your claws out away from your stinking corpse, or I'll dispatch you back to the underworld where you belong!" These commands were rattled off at a frantic speed, then a few seconds silence ensued, until Telli's weapons were lying on the ground a few feet away from him.

"Now turn slowly, hobgoblin, that I may see your foul face."

Telli obeyed, and was not too surprised, having heard plenty of her voice, to find himself facing a girl of about his own age, holding a bow fully drawn with the iron tipped arrow levelled at the height of his chest. Her left arm was trembling slightly, as it is not easy to hold a bow so bent for long. They looked each other up and down for a few tense seconds, which neither would ever forget. Telli was struck immediately by two things. Long red hair fell in waves over her shoulders, and bright green eyes stared into his, clearly visible ten feet away. Neither of these features existed in his race. Telli knew that the fear and tension in her voice, and the aggression in her behaviour were not the way she would normally behave to a stranger in the forest. She had just received the shock of her life. She had seen a boy flying. He broke the silence.

"I am afraid you must shoot me soon, or relax your bow arm. I can only hope you are too kind to choose the first."

"Do not try to bewitch me with words, goblin," she hissed between clenched teeth. "Kneel down quickly, or I shoot."

Telli obeyed once more, and she relaxed her hold on the bow and arrow, while still holding them in both hands.

"What are you, creature, a faerie, an elf, a devil disguised as a dirty boy? What are you?"

"Just a weary traveller, headed for Bhuin, who wishes to be allowed on his way."

"Oh! Oh! I have found a traveller who became so weary he started to fly through the air! Hobgoblin liar. Get up and walk ahead of me that way, and remember I shall shoot you with pleasure at the first sign of any faerie tricks."

Telli got up, and hobbled away along the faint path she had indicated. He knew he could easily attempt escape, by throwing himself quickly behind a tree and flying upwards for example, although he guessed by the way she held her bow that she was an experienced shot, and could certainly be dangerous with the weapon. His instincts also told him that she would be reluctant to shoot someone who had not actually harmed her or anyone else. All sane people share this reluctance. But he had no desire to escape, and felt no fear. His captor's voice at first, then her looks, seemed to have put a spell on him. He was happy to go with her wherever she asked. She could have thrown her weapons into the nearest ditch, and he would not have fled.

"Stop limping, you do not fool me." The voice behind him was still angry, and Telli stopped in his tracks.

"Move, goblin, move."

"I cannot obey, I cannot move without limping as I have a twisted foot."

"Foul liar. Limp on then if you must."

Telli moved on, in pain.

"I am not fooled, but pick up that stick beside you, so you can pretend to be lame properly," she said, after some minutes of slow progress. Telli did this, and continued in less discomfort and at better pace.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked over his shoulder.

"To my village, where there are strong men, who will no doubt hang a goblin invader of our woods."

"They will not believe me to be anything other than the boy I am," said Telli, causing a moment of thoughtful silence behind, then:

"I saw you fly, foul demon."

"Yes, I know that, and you know that, but others know that only mad people claim to see such things." Telli was starting to enjoy this, realising that he had made a good point. No one would believe her impossible story if he claimed merely to have jumped from the tree.

"Then I would be better advised to shoot you now, is that not so, my clever little hobgoblin."

"No, you have no need, and the Gods frown on those who kill the innocent, so in shooting me you would most certainly bring damnation on yourself. I have an idea that will please you more."

"You have an idea that will please me, vermin? That I doubt."

"I shall lay down, arms behind my back. You may then tie my wrists and arms as you wish, and this will save you from walking with your bow half drawn, and will save me the risk of being shot in the back should your fingers slip on the string."

"Foul devil of the netherworld, you wish me to come near you so as to wrestle my weapons away. Rather, stop and tie yourself up, and I shall check and finish the knots."

The girl hunter, for such she appeared to be, pulled a good length of rope from the bag she carried on her back and threw it to Telli. He made a noose that could be tightened easily and slipped it over his head and shoulders, explaining that she could lead him like a goat, and the noose would prevent him from moving his arms. He also asked if they could return to the clearing for his weapons, which she could now carry.

"I shall return for them tomorrow when you are hanging from the tree we use as a gibbet, with that noose round your neck instead of your chest."

Telli laughed, to her annoyance.

"March, demon, and quickly, or I'll take that stick from you and beat you with it."

They went on their way to her village, Telli walking ahead, strung on a lead for the second time in his travels, but feeling no threat as he had from the Khrelling.

The village proved to be on the river bank, and Telli found later that it was only an hour's walk upstream from Bhuin, which he was clearly not destined to reach that night. Captive and captor emerged from the forest, and the former followed directions to the nearest cottage of twenty or thirty he could see strung along the riverbank.

"Go in, goblin, and try no tricks or I shall call for help, and you will soon be swinging from a tree. I do not spare you out of kindness, but because I wish to know more of this faerie invasion of our lands. Sit here."

They had entered the cottage, and Telli sat on the large chair indicated. His captor then wrapped the rope round him, the back of the chair and its legs, and tied it in such a way that he could hardly move. He sat there, looking around him, not knowing whether to laugh or protest at this treatment. The girl closed the door, lit lamps and a fire that was already laid, then shuttered the only window of the one room cottage in spite of the warm summer's evening, as if wanting privacy. She then took a chair and placed it a few feet from Telli with its back towards him, straddling it the wrong way round with arms folded on the back-rest, and subjecting him to the piercing gaze of her bright green eyes for some time before speaking.

"You look like a boy, goblin, but I can see you are not a normal boy, and would be able to see that now even if I had not caught you practising your demonic magic in the forest. You were floating through the air, boy, so tell me how you come to do this. I am a witch, and you will be wise to remember this, for I shall know if you are lying."

Telli was taken aback by this speech, which would have sounded like childish fantasy from other lips. With those eyes staring unblinkingly into his, and the recent memory of the effect of her voice when he had first heard it in the forest glade, he was half inclined to believe all she said. He could hear Brakis's voice in his mind from the evening of Trina's wedding, now seeming so long ago. 'You have been discreet about your gift, or curse, or whatever it is; and you would do well to be even more so in the future, here or anywhere else you might find yourself.' Now a second person knew his secret. He looked at the pretty face opposite, much paler in complexion than all others he had seen on both sides of the mountains, with a few tiny dots across its small, slightly snubbed nose, and read what he could from it.

"Well? I give you time to explain yourself, not to sit there staring."

Telli followed his instincts, and decided he liked his sharp-tongued captor, and would tell her his whole story, simply because he wanted to, such was her effect on him.

"If you find my story true, and if you are persuaded I am not a creature of harm, will you promise to tell no-one my secret, what you witnessed in the woods?"

The green eyes considered this for a moment.

"Those are big ifs. What if not goblin!"

"Then my fate is in your hands, sweet witch!" This drew the ghost of a smile for the first time.

"It seems fair enough. Now tell, foul necromancer in a boy's body, what you really are and what is your business."

Telli told his story, and told it well, starting with a brief history of Elneside, giving detail on the discovery of his ability to fly, taking her on his voyage under and over the White Mountains, and finishing at the point when she had surprised him that afternoon. It took him the best part of an hour, during which time the hypnotic eyes remained fixed on his face, and he was not interrupted even once. When he had finished, she surprised him again with her first question.

"Do hobgoblins eat?"

"This one does when he can." Telli realised he was hungry and tired, and his ankle was hurting. She seemed to have been thinking along the same lines as she prepared some food in silence, putting it in a pot over the fire, because she came to him suddenly and firmly but gently removed his left boot. Still without speaking, she examined his ankle, then brought over a small stool and cushion, resting his leg comfortably on it. She then made up another small pot and set it on the fire beside the first. Telli was also silent, looking round the simple but orderly room, and somehow spellbound watching her work. A witch indeed, he thought to himself.

It had been a good feeling to be able to tell his story without concealing anything. Telli had not been able to confide in anyone since he had left Brakis behind in the Khrelling valley. He remained silent now, feeling it was up to the girl to reveal more of her thoughts, although he was extremely curious to know what she would make of his tale. He watched as she left the house briefly to fill a large jar with water, and returned, scarcely giving him a glance, as if she assumed he would not now attempt to escape. If so, she was right. He was so intrigued with her that she would have had difficulty in ridding herself of his presence if she had untied him and begged him to leave.

Shortly after returning with the water, and seeming to have completed her chores for the evening, the girl returned her attention to Telli, coming to his chair suddenly and untying the ropes that bound him to it.

"Do not fly away until I have treated that foot," she said, going to the fire for the smaller pot, which gave off a pleasant odour of herbs as she set it on the floor by the footstool. She took Telli's swollen foot in both hands and moved it around, watching his face for reactions.

"I see even goblins feel pain," she said, smiling broadly at him as he winced, her face transformed, the anger and suspicion suddenly gone. "It is badly sprained but not broken. You will be limping with a stick for a few days when you walk. Less of a problem for you than for mere earthbound mortals like the rest of us." She bathed his ankle in the sweet smelling preparation, then held it firmly in both hands for a full minute, seeming lost in concentration. Towards the end of the time, Telli felt a warmth in the skin under her hands, which then seemed to flow through the muscle, bone and blood of the whole foot. The pain receded fast, and Telli imagined he could feel wellbeing spreading up his left leg and through his whole body. As she bandaged his ankle tightly, he broke the silence to thank her.

"I have turned ankles a few times in the past, but have never felt the pain leave so quickly. You are indeed a worker of magic."

"Oh yes, as I told you for some strange reason, because I tell no others, I am a witch." The green eyes met Telli's with complete sincerity. "Now we should eat. There is no fresh meat as I was interrupted in my hunting."

They ate the soup of vegetables in silence, Telli still seated with his leg up, and she at a table across the room. Telli had noticed that there were two beds in alcoves on either side of the fireplace, but only one seemed to be in use, and there was no sign of any clothing excepting articles of a size to fit the girl. When they had finished eating, and she had poured them both a glass of red wine, he asked if she lived alone in the house.

"Yes, it was my grandmother's. She died three years ago. But I shall not be alone now, as you will be staying for a few days."

"I will?" She had surprised Telli again.

"Yes. Not because you are my prisoner, as that is no longer the case, and not really because of your foot, although it does need rest. You will stay because you want to."

Telli concealed his astonishment at this last statement. He found conversation with this girl like being hit over the head gently by unexpected words, and managed only to reply once again, "I will?"

"Goblin, you are disguised as a boy, not a parrot bird that must repeat iwill iwill iwill all evening. Not only will you, but you know you will."

"I do?"

"Yes, you do. I shall have to leave you now for a while, as there is an old man sick in the village and I must see what I can do for him, although he is very old and I fear that his future will soon be in the hands of the Gods rather than mine. Do not fear, I shall tell no one of your presence. I do not wish you to hang yet as I look forward to telling you my story tomorrow." She took a deerskin jacket from a hook by the door, and left Telli struggling to digest her last words.

Telli had never been served a morning meal in bed, and so added another to his fast growing list of new experiences. His captor, or host, he was still not sure which, had returned late the night before and had hardly spoken, seeming preoccupied as she laid out some bedding for him on the unused cot and retired to the other alcove. He woke in the morning to find her standing a few feet away, the striking eyes fixed on his face. She smiled, for only the second time since their meeting, and went away to return almost immediately with a cup of hot broth and some bread on a tin plate.

"You sleep too well for a demon with a bad conscience, so I shall spoil you like the invalid child you must be, in excuse for my hard words of yesterday."

Telli thanked her, and ate while she busied herself around the cottage for a while, returning to his bedside when he had finished the broth.

"How is the foot?"

"Stiff, but well. I feel no pain unless I move it, and then not much."

"Good. Leave the binding 'til tonight, and I shall dress it again."

"I am staying again tonight?"

"Yes, as you know." Telli was treated to another smile as she took plate and cup away, returning after a moment with a pair of crutches.

"Try these for size, and if they are not your length, I have others you may try."

"Others? Do you often break your legs?"

"I am the village healer, foolish goblin, and keep here many things I need for others. Now, I shall tell you something in your future that you do not yet know, for a change. You are coming fishing with me today when you move your lazy bones from that bed, and have learned to use these sticks, as we need something to eat with the soup tonight."

"On the river?" Telli spoke without thinking, his mind on the news that he was staying with the village medicine woman.

"No, in the tops of the trees where you spend so much of your time, silly demon." Now she laughed at the look on his face, and was still chuckling as she picked up a water jar and went out to fill it, leaving him to pull on his clothes and try out the crutches. When she came back, he was swinging himself around the room, and she suggested, or rather told him, that they should set off immediately, as she knew a place he would like to see some way upriver. She placed a pack on his back containing their food for the day, and this seemed to remind her that he had no weapons to carry.

"We shall search for them when you can walk," she said, after an uncharacteristic apology for their absence. She offered him the use of her second bow, actually much better than the one he had made for himself with limited resources while staying with Slomen. During the short walk to the point on the riverbank where she kept her canoe, she informed him that she planned to tell any villagers who asked that he was a poor boy from a western village on his way south to seek his fortune. She had found him limping in the forest, and brought him home to rest until his foot was mended. More or less true, and avoiding all mention of 'demon flying skills'.

"You paddle seated in the back, as you are heaviest, and need not move your foot in this work, and I shall set lines from the front," she said as they pushed off from her mooring place. It was obvious to Telli who would be captain of this boat, and he obeyed her directions, finding the canoe well-designed and easier to handle than most Elneside boats. She attached baited lines to a branch laid across the bows as they moved slowly upstream, showing great expertise in her work. When finished, she sat back in the prow, facing Telli as he paddled hard against the slow current, trailing her hands in the water, and speaking in a deliberately lazy, affected tone.

"I have often wished for a slave to paddle me on the river. The Gods have been kind enough to send me one who works hard, and has learned his craft well on the waters of the little river Elne in the mysterious western land beyond the Great White Mountains. My heart is glad that a slave of such talents is no longer wasted barrowing burning stones for pink-eyed monsters in dark, dank caves. That he has made such efforts, endured so many trials, just so as to come and please me. Yet it enters my mind, as he drives me up the river like the Queen I should really be, that for all the stories this magical slave has told me, he has not once mentioned his own name."

"Tellimakis, known as Telli, at her majesty's service. Surely even the most humble slave should know the name of the ruler he serves with such devotion and self-sacrifice."

"I am Setisia, Tellimakis, and how fitting, as only a Goddess could have a King in her service. And we'll have no crude goblin jests about fishtails, thank you."

Setisia had returned to her normal voice for the last phrase, and now turned to face ahead, kneeling upright, and paddling with skilled strokes in time with Telli's. He felt the difference as the streamlined canoe surged forward, and they made good progress for a while, taking it in turns to have brief rests when needed. They continued upstream for about two hours, Telli working up a sweat paddling, but enjoying the journey in the knowledge that the further upriver they went, the longer the lazy drift back down would be. Several boats laden with cargo passed them on the way down to Bhuin and beyond, two of them piled high with laris-root. Telli calculated that these must have left Larisroot the day before he had. This fishing trip was taking him a short way up the great loop in the river he had cut through the forest to avoid.

"What is your name for this river, Setisia?" He asked, as it was known as Goldstream in Larisroot, but Slomen had told him that other folk gave it different names as it flowed towards the Great River.

"To us, it is the Bhuin, like the town, and said to be named after a hero of old who first settled the region, perhaps a bit like your Drakis, of whom I would like you to tell me more some time." Telli had only mentioned Drakis once or twice in his tale, but was soon to find that Setisia was capable of memorising a story almost word for word on just one hearing if it interested her. She had stopped paddling, and was taking in the fishing lines and rod, which had provided only one small fish so far.

"Rowing slave, do you see those two large trees with roots in the water on the left bank, level with the position of this royal barge? I command you to turn and steer directly midway between them, as these are the gate posts of the entry to paradise." Telli deciphered this, and did as he was told. Approaching the bank, he slowed, assuming she wished to jump ashore and moor the canoe to one of the tree roots.

"On, slave on. Faster, through the bank! Only this way can you die and go to paradise." Setisia picked up her paddle and drove the canoe as hard as she could into the reeds and hanging branches covering the riverbank, lying flat just before its nose reached them, and shouting at Telli to do likewise. He braced himself for a shock, which did not come. The canoe glided through an opening not much more than twice its own width, and into a hidden backwater running parallel to the river. Telli lifted himself up to see Setisia ahead, already upright on her knees and using her paddle to slow the canoe and turn its bows back upstream. She turned when the boat was aligned with the banks, put down her paddle, and sat comfortably in the bows, grinning back at him.

"This, slave, is the netherworld between the earth and paradise, and you must paddle me on for five minutes, when we shall behold the true beauty of the secret realm of Setisia, mighty Goddess of all flowing waters."

The backwater was shady, the branches of large trees on either side hung with mosses and creepers and giving welcome relief from the hot sun of the open river, now invisible to their right. There was little current here, and the canoe cut easily through the water as Telli paddled on upstream. He could see sunlight ahead, and knew Setisia was watching his face to see his reaction to the place she called paradise. The backwater widened after a few moments paddling, and they emerged into a lagoon. Telli gave one last stroke on his paddle as they moved out of the shade of the trees into bright sunlight, then stopped, leaving the canoe gliding on through glassy calm water.

Paradise it was. The little lake, about thirty canoe lengths across each way, was dotted with water lilies, some alone, and some in groups forming floating islands, the surface water invisible under their great, green leaves. The huge flowers were out, with white, pink and orange petals set against the green of the foliage and the blue of the lagoon. Trees and dense undergrowth covered the banks all round, giving the place an air of secrecy and isolation from the rest of the world. Telli saw two tall, long billed wading birds, fishing in the shallows at one end, and glimpsed the bright blue flash of a kingfisher as it dived from a branch. The only sounds came from the birds of the surrounding forest, and the occasional splash as fish jumped for flies, sending ripples over the mirror image of the sky.

There was one small, grass-covered island near the centre of the lake, just a few yards wide, but big enough to support a large weeping willow, one of the trees most loved by man. Setisia, red locks shining in the sun, pointed regally behind her in its direction, without speaking. She watched Telli as he picked up his paddle and sent them towards it with one long stroke. As they reached the island, she stood with perfect balance and leapt deftly ashore, mooring rope in hand, hardly rocking the little craft as she did so. Telli moved himself the length of the canoe awkwardly, hands on the sides and using only his good foot, then hopped out to join her as she finished tying the rope to the tree.

The pair sat on the grass for a while in silence, looking around them and soaking in the idyllic beauty of the place. Setisia was the first to move, taking the thin branch she used as a rod from the canoe, and setting lines on the side of the island where the water was shaded by the drooping branches of the great willow. She then sat down, her back against the tree's trunk, where she could watch the floats for movement.

"I call this Setisia's Garden," she said. "After the real Goddess, not me. The river is only thirty yards away over that bank. Hundreds of boats pass up and down each year, the people on them never knowing how close they have been to paradise."

"It's wonderful. Such a place warms the soul. Thank you for bringing me here."

"I owed it to you. I'm sorry I could not say much last night when I returned after my visit. I arrived at the old man's house only to keep him company for the last hour of his life. There was little I could do for him, apart from relieving some pain. I then had to arrange with others of the village for the care and burial of his body. The old man mentioned this place, as he liked to come here at times, and had seen me here once. It was a love we shared, and that was one reason I wished to come here today." Setisia fell silent for a while, and Telli felt he should leave her to her thoughts.

A float made of bark bobbed up and down, and Setisia moved quickly to land a fish of edible size, which she placed in a catch net she had put in the shallows.

"The fish are like us, they like to be under the shade of the willow when the sun is hot and bright. I can always be sure to catch a meal here on a summer's day. Your grandfather must know of such places."

"You listened well to my story."

"You told it well, and I have never before heard such an interesting tale. That was another reason for coming here, to Setisia's Garden, to warm your goblin soul, as your fate seems to be so closely woven with her."

"It does?"

"Have you not noticed?" She adopted a grand tone, like a storyteller recounting an epic legend.

"The brave young hero from the banks of the Elne followed the call of the River Goddess, who wished to show him her wondrous works. He travelled up the Elne, then up another stream, 'til he could admire her art where a great waterfall issued from the bowels of the earth itself into a lake of great beauty. He gazed in awe at the splendour of her creation there, before his fate led him on to see some of the great sculptures she had fashioned, ever patient, over lengths of time inconceivable to mankind, under the Great Mountains of the west. Great caverns, where she let the water play freely, hidden from the eyes of men. He tarried, perforce, by one of her works in a deep hidden valley. Then he climbed up to a rocky desert, where he could only feel her faint presence in the trickles of melting snow, and thus was sick at heart and in body, 'til he was saved by her distant call, and saw a sweet stream with grassy banks below him. 'Setisia, lead me to lands where your work is plentiful, and I shall follow you forever', he cried. She led him by her work down from the mountains, her stream turning to a fine, life-giving river. He followed it on, until one day she manifested herself to him in the form of a beautiful, golden-haired nymph, taking him in a magic canoe to her enchanted river garden. Here he should have respite, before following her ways again, in search of the Great River itself, mightiest of all her works."

Telli laughed in pleasure at her wit and invention, never having heard someone improvise with such ease and intelligence.

"Golden haired? Look, nymph, your other incarnation has blessed you with a fish." While Setisia landed the fish, he thought how close to the truth her rambling joke had been.

Setisia returned to sit by the tree. She pulled a lock of her hair forward and examined it.

"Well, near enough golden haired. Do any in Elneside have this colour of hair?"

"No. I think you are the first I have seen."

"I thought so. Some people from this side of the mountains stare also. It is common amongst the Mendai. Have you heard of them?"

"Mendai?" Telli hesitated. "It sounds familiar, perhaps from my readings, but I cannot place the name."

"Gypsies, they are usually called. The Mendai were a new tribe to arrive in the Kingdom, around the time that your namesake Tellimakis the Great fought to unify it. He-"

"I remember. They fought beside him, and when he became High King, he granted them the right to stay and lead their wandering lifestyle under his protection. Am I right?

"Yes. Rude and interruptive, but right," she scolded with a smile.

"I'm sorry. Go on, please."

"Now, after many centuries, the Mendai still wander the Kingdom, as traders, artisans and performing entertainers. Some of course settle and marry with other folks. My father was one such, although I never knew him, and thus cannot speak their tongue, which they still use amongst themselves. Several times I have encountered Mendai in Bhuin, and they always greet me, thinking by my looks I must be one of them. They are a fine people, and I would like to know them better, and learn my father's tongue, and their ways. Another fish! They bite well today." This catch was a good one, big enough to make a meal for both of them. Setisia pulled in her rod and lines, saying that she should not take more from the lagoon than they needed.

Telli had been waiting for the story she had said she looked forward to telling, and asked if he might not hear it now.

"Tonight, in the cottage, after we have eaten. That is a good time for storytelling as there is little else to do. Now we have the fish, and have finished our day's work, it is time to play. This lovely pond is only the beginning of paradise, and I shall show you the rest, slave, if you are obedient and paddle your mistress where she wills."

Setisia attached her keep net skilfully to the canoe's stern, and they set off, Telli paddling, and she sitting facing him in the bows and giving directions without looking where they were going. They headed for another large willow at the end of the lagoon opposite the point where they had first entered. As they neared the tree, Telli could see that there was an opening in the bank under its branches, and they passed through into a small stream. The dense forest started to thin as they went up this, and they were soon in an open area of marsh land, with only a few trees dotted around its expanse, which Setisia said was considerable, perhaps ten to fifteen times that of the lagoon. The wetlands were criss-crossed with waterways large enough for their small craft to navigate, and Telli followed his captain's orders through them. This was clearly the paradise for birds, and he had never seen such a density of them before.

"Setisia made this part of her garden out of love for Hian, God of the birds and of all creatures that fly through the air, although whether that includes demon boys, slave, I do not know."

They spent the afternoon paddling lazily along little winding streams, watching fish hawks and kingfishers dive, passing huge wading birds and others that paddled on the water's surface, and spotting the lizards, snakes, tortoises and other reptiles that thrived in the marshland. Telli saw perhaps thirty species of bird and animal that were new to him. In late afternoon, they returned through the lagoon back to the river, and drifted down to the village, hardly bothering to paddle. It had been a great day of relaxation, a cure for the soul, which Telli suspected the village medicine woman had designed for him.

That night, after they had eaten their fish and Setisia had treated Telli's ankle, she pulled a comfortable chair over to face him and settled in it to tell her story.

"A few months before I was born, my father was murdered, and my mother died a few months after my birth, a young woman who had been very much in love and could never recover from her loss. At the time this village, one opposite across the river, and a third, Hartlet, the largest, some distance from the river and also on the other side, were ruled by a tyrant Lord named Grenwald. His family had held the right, approved by the rulers of the Kingdom, to govern this fief for some generations, and had done so very well. But the last of them, this Grenwald, was a greedy, cruel and, to my mind, very sick man. Reputed to take his greatest pleasure from torturing animals, he exploited the good folk of the villages for his own profit, and for his sick pleasure as well. He gathered a band of thugs, thieves and murderers around him, and ruled through fear, to the horror of even his own mother, who is said to have died from grief and shame that she had borne such a monster.

My father passed through Bhuin with other Mendai traders, met my mother, married, and they made a home here, and they were soon expecting the greatest event ever to take place in the world, my arrival! But my father was a proud man, and it was only a question of time before he came across the bandits who ruled from the Manse in Hartlet. This happened as one of them tried to force a neighbour, an old man, to sell him some good land for less than half its true price, and my father struck the villain in fury at this daylight robbery, breaking his jaw. The bandits arrived in numbers that same night, took my father, and hung him from a tree, which still stands just eighty yards from here.

In this and other doings the madman, Grenwald, had gone too far, and word came to the King in the south, Beranis who still rules, and he sent a force to rid us of the tyrant. Grenwald got wind of this in time and disappeared, no one knowing where he had fled. His band was broken up, and several who had been directly involved in murder were caught and hung. The King, in his wisdom, abolished the fief, and placed us under the rule of the lord of Bhuin, and we have had justice here ever since. The day after the news came of our freedom a beautiful baby was born here, was bathed immediately in the river, and named for its Goddess! From this you can understand that we in this village feel great loyalty to King Beranis.

I tell you all this, Tellimakis, for a reason. Three months ago, in Bhuin, I saw this Grenwald. At the same time, I heard some things that may be of great importance to the Kingdom, to you and me and everyone else in it. I was in Bhuin, and was sitting outside a tavern after finishing my business of the morning, when I started to take notice of three men sitting at a table near me. I told you that I was a witch, but I do not mean this in the sense of children's stories, merely that I am unlike others in ways that I do not really understand myself. The healing is one thing, and another is an understanding of people, their minds and their nature, which differs from the way that others see and judge their fellows. On seeing these three men, I sensed evil, a strong feeling, one I had experienced before, but never so intensely. It came from their faces, their muttered voices, their postures, and perhaps from other things I cannot describe.

I was curious, and strangely worried, so managed to move nearer without them taking notice of me. Near enough to hear some snatches of their conversation. For about ten minutes I listened, not being able to hear most of what they said, but enough to alarm me very much, including this phrase: 'we have Bhuin to offer you, Grenwald, along with your little patch of land up river, with which you can please yourself.' A repulsive fat merchant with piggy little eyes spoke these words. There are other Grenwalds, and of course I had never seen the tyrant, but had heard so much of him through my life as to pay great attention to any stranger with the name. And 'little patch of land upriver' from Bhuin could clearly refer to his old fief. The man called Grenwald had about forty years behind him, the age our young tyrant would now be. Other fragments of their speech told me that he was nervous of being seen and recognised, asking where the others had their lodgings, and suggesting they should go there to continue their talk behind closed doors.

Besides the fat man and this Grenwald, there was a priest of some kind, with head shaven except for a crest of hair from back to front, like that of a lizard, and wearing a long, blood red robe. I had seen this order once or twice before, but knew nothing of them at the time. He had his back to me, but on the second time Grenwald suggested moving, this priest turned to look around and I caught his eye briefly. I swear by my powers that immediately I saw his eyes, which may have looked normal to others, I knew he was the most evil of the three. They whispered a few words together after this, then the fat man went into the tavern to settle their account, and when he returned, they left in the direction of the small hostels and lodgings found in the centre of the town.

I followed them at a distance, 'til they reached a small hotel I knew vaguely to have the reputation of a house of ill repute, which they entered through an arch leading to the courtyard around which it was built. After several minutes, not being able to decide what I should do, I went quietly through to the inn's court, where there was no one in sight. I could hear faint voices from behind a shuttered window, and went over and stood with my ear to the crack between the shutters, keeping watch on the other windows and doors opening into the courtyard, hoping no one would catch me in my spying. It was my three men talking in the room behind and at least one other, as a voice near the shutters was new to me.

Again, I could only hear fragments of their talk. I realised I was listening to a conspiracy which was being explained, mainly by the new voice, to Grenwald, apparently a fresh recruit to their cause. They spoke much of the King, Grenwald swearing loudly at the mention of his name, and of someone whom they referred to as the new, or next King. 'The new King follows our faith, and is fool enough to really believe in it,' said the snake's voice of the false priest at one point, before letting out a mad sounding laugh. 'We shall control him with ease when he has been placed on the throne.' I had heard enough to know that I was listening to a conspiracy and treason against Beranis, saviour of my people.

My ear against the shutter, straining to hear what I could, I was not aware that the owner of the hotel had entered the courtyard through the arch behind me, until he called out in a loud voice. 'What do you want here child, why do you stand at that window?' I moved quickly from the window to the centre of the court, saying that I had been told to deliver a message to a hostelry named 'Hamet's house' (which I knew to be a short distance away). I said I feared I had entered the wrong house, and hearing voices was about to knock on the window to ask where I was. While the stupid whore master stood looking at me, wondering whether to believe my story, I heard the shutters open behind me, and the voice of the fat merchant saying, 'landlord, what goes on there.' I turned to see his ugly face, and that of the devil priest, staring out at me. 'This urchin was by your window, sirs-' the landlord started, but I did not wait to hear more and dodged round him and out through the arch, their cries coming after me.

I put a good distance between the hotel and myself, before stopping to consider what I should do. I decided I must try and warn Lord Granis of Bhuin, our ruler, and a good King's man. If I had understood rightly, the conspirators were offering this Grenwald his seat. With this plan in mind, I made my way to Bhuin castle. I had to use my full witching powers to persuade the guards at the gate that I must see the Lord, or at least one of his officials. I was waiting for an hour before I gained entrance to the castle, but my persuasive powers must have worked on someone, as I was eventually led to the Ruler himself.

Our Lord is a kindly man of about sixty years, and although he addressed me constantly as 'little girl', I swallowed my pride, and exerted all the charm I could to help my cause. The name of Grenwald caused him interest, and he asked for a description of the man I had seen. 'Tall and unusually thin, hair and eyes brown. He has wrists very thin and bony, the hands clearly unaccustomed to any kind of work. His brow is crooked, as if the left side as you look at him has been stretched up higher than the right, and the eyebrow twitches up and down frequently with a tic he cannot prevent. These are things that would not have changed in the last fourteen years'. Lord Granis's mouth fell open slowly during my description. 'You saw him for only a few minutes? Do those green eyes make such paintings of all you see?' He did not wait for an answer, but called to an official to come to his side, and told me to describe the inn and the three men I had seen to him. He then sent the man off saying he should take as many guards as he could find with him, and arrest the men, bringing them to the castle for questioning, the tall thin one being the most important. He bade me to wait with him for news, and to identify the men if they were caught. He now offered me a seat and refreshments, and called me young lady, much more fitting, I thought.

He had time to explain that a few men making a plot in a tavern was no grounds for him to imprison them in itself, as people could seldom be held guilty for words without proof of deeds under the laws of the Kingdom. But that this was certainly 'my old neighbour, Grenwald the mad,' and that the former tyrant of Hartlet could certainly be held for a number of his past crimes. However, when the official returned, we were to find that the four men had left the room hastily, carrying their affairs and paying their score, shortly after my flight from the inn. They must have learnt from the landlord that I had my ear to their window when he had arrived, and it is most likely that they, the devil priest in particular, would have recognised me from the tavern where I had first overheard their scheming. There are disadvantages to being the only girl around with red hair.

The official had sent guards down to the wharf and around the inns and taverns to ask after men of their description. Some of these soon returned with the news that four men had left going downstream in a riverboat bought in haste from a fisherman, who had been pleased at his luck in being offered twice its worth. They had more than two hours start, and Granis judged that by the time he could organise a fast boat to chase them, this would be nearer four. Instead he had his scribe write out a good description of the men, Grenwald especially as the others could not reasonably be arrested, and had it copied ten times to be sent by the next reliable boat down river to the rulers of other fiefdoms on the way. 'At least this will make it hard for the mad dog to stay in the region' he said to me.

My bewitching had worked well on the old Lord, and he invited me to stay and eat with him, to the surprise of his proud officials, and I have visited him several times since. For some time after this incident, I was nervous, so strong was the sense of evil I had felt round these men. I slept for a while in the cottage of friends, knowing that my unusual looks would make me easy to trace just by asking around Bhuin. But as time went by, and there was no news of the men, I decided they were unlikely to bother taking the trouble and risk of searching me out in revenge for a minor setback. I moved back in here after two weeks or so, and now of course have nothing to fear for the time being. I have a demonic flying hobgoblin adventurer staying with me, one who would strike terror into the hearts of the most hard-bitten villains in the whole Kingdom! Would you like some more wine, O protector?"

Setisia poured them both wine as Telli digested her tale.

"Do you plan to do more to find out about this conspiracy?" he asked, thinking that it would not seem to be in her character to forget the incident, and leave well alone.

"I have already found out a little more about the cult to which the demon priest belongs. They have a Temple in the forest some distance north of here. As to what I plan to do, let me tell you of your future once again. In a few days time you will continue on your journey, going down the river Bhuin by boat to the Great River, and down the Great River to the city of Kings and Queens. Your protector and guide Setisia, Goddess of these great waterways, will of course be with you and her manifestation as a nymph ever visible on the boat by your side. I am coming with you to see the King, Telli."

The day after receiving the welcome news that he had found a new companion on his travels, Telli rose to find his foot completely well and expressed his surprise to Setisia, already cooking something on the fire.

"Of course it is better. I'm a very useful little witch. Now come and eat, and I shall tell you our plans for the day." He joined her at the table to eat a cake made of eggs and milk, like all of her cooking new to him, and very good. He prided himself on his own culinary skills, having been easily first choice as cook while journeying with Brakis, and volunteered to prepare the meal that night.

"What a capable slave I have found! But we do not have time to hunt today, so I shall advise you what to buy in the Bhuin market, because we must spend the day there on other business."

"And what is that business, if a humble slave may know?"

"We shall buy a boat, and it must be good as it will be our home for some time. Although my little canoe might get us as far as the Great River, there it could easily be blown over or swept away. Like you, I have never been there, but by all accounts your Goddess can show fury as well as friendship, and we must show respect for this, the greatest of her works."

"It will have to be big if it must contain a philosopher, a poet, a hunter, a fisher, a good cook, a healer, a beautiful nymph and a witch all at the same time, as well as me," Telli commented. He saw the cheeks under the bright green eyes turn slightly pink for the first time.

"Go and wash, and we are ready, dirty goblin. We shall walk, as canoeing back up river tonight would be harder work, but take one of those sticks as your foot will still tire easily."

The track leading south to Bhuin was wide enough to take an ox-cart, and after walking halfway they overtook one, driven by a couple from West Hartlet as Setisia's village was known. They were carrying vegetables to market, and also their two young children who recognised Setisia at distance, calling out to her by name to hurry and join them on the lumbering vehicle. As he and Setisia jumped in the back, Telli was amused and charmed to see the two tiny urchins immediately showing Setisia their cuts and bruises, while she gave him a brief introduction to their parents. The journey passed in discussion of market prices and the prices of boats, as Setisia revealed her intention to buy one. Telli noted that the adults called her Set, and the children, endlessly, Setti, Setti, Setti, so that the sound was still ringing in his ears for some time after he and Setisia had climbed down from the cart on the outskirts of the town.

He had confessed to Setisia his excitement at the prospect of seeing Bhuin, much larger than Larisroot, with about three times its population. He had a guide who had known the river port all her life. They passed by well-built stone houses, through cobbled streets to the waterfront. The town nestled between the river and the low hills Telli had crossed two days before. They could see through gaps between the buildings how the streets sloped up to the Lord's castle, built some two hundred feet above the river level. Setisia led the way to a tavern beside the wharf, where they could sit at tables set outside in the morning sun and watch the river traffic go by.

"This was where I first saw the conspirators," she said, pointing out the table where they had been, so giving him a picture to add to her story. She recommended that he should try a local brew made of apples, and proving to be similar to that made in the Khrelling slave camp. They sat enjoying this, sitting and soaking in the sun, for some time.

"Today will be a lazy day. We shall not work with our arms, worthy slave, but just a little with our heads. You see the man with the long hair tied behind his neck, the one just about to climb from the red painted barque onto the quay? That is someone who can sell us a boat, and will not give us a sieve that fills with water once we are downstream out of his sight. He is a cousin of my mother's, although I must say I am thankful I bear no resemblance to him in looks."

The man approached the tavern and, seeing Setisia, greeted her with a wave and made a gesture in answer to her signal to join them, tipping an imaginary cup to his mouth with one hand while holding the other to his throat. He entered the tavern, returning soon with a huge mug brimming with beer in his hands. He then sat at their table, bowing politely to Telli as he did so. Setisia introduced them.

"There is no need to indicate your thirst to those who know you my good cousin, as we all know you were born in that state, and have been in it ever since. This is Tellimakis, hunter. Telli, this is Jarith, drinker."

Jarith was a stocky, middle aged man, his face red and smiling, and dominated by one of the largest noses Telli had ever seen, looking slightly out of place as if stuck on quickly as an afterthought. He quaffed half the contents of his mug, before placing it on the table, commenting that the first taste of the day was always the best. Setisia said she doubted that this was his first taste as the sun had risen three hours before, and after the two had exchanged banter and news on family and friends for a few minutes, she came around to her business.

"Telli, in the rare moments when my good cousin is not busy quaffing beer, he finds time to make, repair, buy and sell boats. Jarith, Telli needs a good boat to take him all the way south to Kellmarsh. It must be solid and strong, as it will be carrying a most valuable cargo, none other than me. Do you know of anything immediately available that would suit our purpose, being small enough for one to handle if necessary alone, but large enough to be safe on the Great River?"

Jarith expressed his surprise and concern that she should be making this voyage, and this led to a lengthy discussion, during which he tried to dissuade her. Telli liked the man, clearly concerned for his cousin, and not caring about the sale of a boat. Eventually Jarith said that, as he could not stop her from going south, he would make sure they had a craft fit in every way for the voyage. Setisia had no need to pay him for it, as he was indebted to her for a lotion she had given his wife to treat a pain in her hip.

"Worth a pot full of gold to me, it was, as I had not slept in weeks for her complaining," he said. "If you have a lotion to shut her up in the daytime as well, I shall give you two boats."

Setisia insisted she would pay the proper price, saying she would hand the money to his wife if he refused it.

"No, no. Don't waste good silver this way when it can be converted into beer. If you are sure to have the plenty you will need for your voyage left to you, then I will accept something for a fine little craft I bought just a few days ago, and have started to work on. It has just made the voyage up from Kellmarsh, so should easily make it down again." Jarith finished his beer and led them a few hundred yards to the edge of the town where he kept his boats, teasing his cousin on the way.

"I shall have to show you the workings of this boat, Tellimakis, as you know how women are at such things. The first time I made a canoe for Set, she got in the wrong way round and tried to paddle it backwards."

"Only because you were so sozzled with beer in the making of it that you gave it two sets of bows. Anyway, Telli, I was just seven years old. He got in later to show me how it was done, head so full of drink that we spent a happy hour on the river going round and round in circles, him not able to understand why we never arrived at the town wharf. When I had recovered from laughing, I took my paddle and brought him home, happily, or he would probably still be there."

They arrived at a small inlet and Jarith took them to his mooring place, where he had several boats chained to a large rock on the bank.

"You will need the chains on your voyage," he commented, "or this fine little thing might disappear if left unguarded." He pointed to a boat about twenty-five feet long, by six broad at the beam. Telli was impressed. It had a mast lying flat on the deck, and Jarith showed them how it could easily be stepped by one person with the aid of ropes.

"The hull is sound, though I shall give it a good painting of waterproof. She has a square sail on two booms, which I shall see is fully repaired, and there is little else to do to make her ready. If I slap the paint on tomorrow morning, she will be ready to sail not the next morning, but the one after. Her history is good. This is southern work of the best quality, possibly made in or around Kellmarsh itself. She has made the voyage up here twice. The first time she arrived with two southerners who sold their cargo here, then took a job as rowers on one of the fast boats to get back home, having decided to sell this little beauty to the excellent repair man you see before you. I sold her on to two local brothers this spring for fifty crowns, and they ran a full load of laris-root and apple wine back down to her birthplace, Kellmarsh. They pulled a good load of fine southern grape wine back up here, selling most to the Lord's cellarman, and bought a house for one of themselves with the profits from the two cargoes, which shows what a lucky girl she is. I took her back off them for thirty crowns, making your price, after repairs to the little beauty, perhaps forty, but only if you can really afford it."

"If you talked of your wife as you talk of a boat, you would make a kind husband. Forty crowns I can afford, but are you sure you would not have asked more if it was another who showed interest?"

"Asked more? I always ask for more, but that doesn't mean I get it. I asked the brothers for sixty. I assure you, Set, it is only a day's work for me tomorrow to have her ready, the next day being only for the drying of the paint. Ten crowns profit for a day's work will easily keep me in beer 'til you are half way to Kellmarsh, don't you think?"

"Agreed then. Do you know if the Lord is in his castle?"

"He is not. I heard this morning that he had left early to visit the Lady of Flarin, down river, for a few days. So, my fine little lady of West Hartlet will have to make do with more rustic company today, and join me at the tavern for a while before I go to the market to find her paint."

They made their way back to the waterfront tavern, Setisia buying them all a meal and, of course, beer for Jarith. Jarith then insisted that they join him to eat that night in another tavern, as his wife would be coming out with him to celebrate the twenty-five years they had been married. Setisia said she must certainly come to commiserate with the poor woman on having had such ill fortune for so long. He then left them, going off to buy their paint, and to repair another boat he must have ready that day.

When they were alone, Setisia explained to Telli that she had wished to try and arrange an interview with the Lord Granis for him, and that she must write a letter instead.

"I do not think it is urgent that the people here know about your Khrelling, as we are too far away to be at great risk of child stealing. But the Lord has become a good friend and, if you approve, I could ask him to contact your friend Flankis and the Lord of Larisroot. However, Telli, I think you are right in your judgement that only with the weight of the King's support behind us can an expedition be organised to free the slaves. The area is too remote, and the Khrelling sound too organised from your account for anything else to succeed. Granis has already sent news of the conspiracy I overheard to the King, but this has little use. There are more than seven hundred fiefdoms in the Kingdom, with their ruling Lords or Ladies bound to the Monarch. The King can hear stories of conspiracies every day, and indeed of slavery like yours, although not by foreign creatures. So, we must go, and if others might wonder what two people who have only just passed their fourteenth year can do alone in Kellmarsh, we do not, my good slave, do we, knowing that witches and flying goblins can work magic others cannot."

Telli smiled at this. He loved listening to her when she made long speeches, or delivered lectures.

"I am sure you will have the High King kneeling before you and eating from your hand like a tame bird in no time," he said.

"Treason!" she cried, in mock alarm, then covered her face with her hands in embarrassment as several of the tavern's clients looked around. Recovering after a moment, she continued.

"I said it would be a lazy day, and as the Lord is away, and the invitation of Jarith has saved me from experiencing your cooking for the time being, it has become even lazier. We really do not have much to do, and could leave tomorrow if the boat was ready. Instead, tomorrow we shall hunt, and gather together food and other supplies for the voyage. The next day, Jarith will have finished his work for us, and the boat will be drying. We can come here that day, moving all we need from West Hartlet in my canoe. Then we can work on the boat ourselves, and make it comfortable for our needs. Now, I have things to show you, not as beautiful as yesterday's, as what's made by man cannot rival the work of the Gods, but nonetheless still worth seeing. I also wish to buy you a present, as you have been such a good slave." With this, Setisia led Telli out of the tavern and into the town.

They passed a pleasant afternoon in Bhuin, Setisia teasing Telli at his interest in sights he had never seen; a stone bridge, a merchant's house built four stories high, and many other things mundane to her

"Have you caught many flies yet, standing there with your mouth open? It is called a shop and people buy things there. That is called a pillar and it holds up a roof, which keeps off the rain, which comes from the clouds. And this (she slapped Telli on the back) is a country simpleton." More seriously, she commented that all people in the world must see exactly the same things in different ways, as all have different experiences. She predicted that they would both be walking round open mouthed when they reached Kellmarsh.

They climbed up onto the old wall of the city, now in a state of disrepair as there had been no major conflicts in the area for three centuries. Here they could see some distance, and it was clear that Bhuin was on the river's bend as it turned to the east, coming out of the great loop to their north. Setisia pointed out the only other town visible, Flarin, about twenty miles down stream, and the furthest she had ever been.

"After that, it will be the great unknown for us both."

"Shall we stop there?" asked Telli.

"If we wish to, but we could easily pass it on the first day, even without using the oars, if we start early."

Setisia led the way down from the wall to a small spring trickling from a rock under its shadow. A miniature shrine to Setisia, Goddess, had been carved expertly out of the rock.

"Once the wall ran right round the town, going along the waterfront, and cutting off the river. There was a great siege, the surrounding enemy denying the town's defenders all access to the river, and the Goddess's little spring here provided them with their only source of water. So, when the siege was finally broken, they made this shrine to her." Setisia threw a coin into a pool below the spring where others lay, and gave Telli one so he could do likewise. "We shall need her by our side," she said, in one of her serious voices.

Telli's present proved to be a scroll of parchment, or rather several bundled together. Setisia bought them from a little shop selling nothing but parchments for reading, and asked him to keep it bound up until they reached the cottage that night, where he could read in comfort by the light of a good lamp she kept for that purpose. She would write her letter to Lord Granis at the same time. Telli's guided tour of Bhuin finished back at the wharf, where they sat again outside the tavern, watching the world go by and waiting for Jarith and his wife, whom they would meet there.

A young fisherman from West Hartlet arrived by canoe, and Setisia jumped up and ran to the wharf to speak with him. She returned after a few minutes, saying that she had arranged for them to go back with him late that evening. She explained that although she had planned to walk back during daylight, they would now be returning after dark, as she knew how long Jarith took with his celebration meals. Therefore, it was better to go by river, as big cats occasionally strayed near the forest path. The young fisher had welcomed the arrangement because it was much easier paddling back upriver with three than alone.

"So we can relax tonight," she said, and relax they did.

Jarith's wife, Bartha, was a fat, jolly woman, who proved to be the life of the party. She was as fond of the beer as her husband, and downed it from the same size of mug, at the same speed. They both finished two measures by the wharf before the party adjourned to a cosy establishment known for the quality of its food. For one silver crown, the four could eat (and drink) all they wanted. Bartha took a great liking to Telli and, as the evening wore on, it became obvious she had been matchmaking in her mind, to the amusement and embarrassment of the two youngsters. Far from trying to dissuade Setisia from making the forthcoming voyage, as Telli would have expected, she seemed to think it a great idea.

"Ah, if I had left for Kellmarsh at your age, I might have found myself a fine prince to marry, who knows. But you are taking this handsome young man with you. How wise! Where on earth did you find him?"

"He comes from the west, from over the mountains."

"The west? Is that upriver or down? Never mind, I know nothing of the world. Twenty-five years of taking care of this lump left no time for anything else. Beer, boats and babies, that's him. Nine little ones I've had. He makes more babies than boats, and they're more fun in the making, I say, as you'll soon find out!"

Jarith gave them commercial advice when he could get a word in edgeways.

"Gold, laris-root and apple wine, that's what you want to take. Buy in bulk, at the right price, and all these can more than double in value from this region to Kellmarsh. Set, you must go buying with my brother in law, Larris, who used to run boats down there. Coming back, you buy fruits which grow in the warm lands, and all that they make from them, like the grape wine, and fill every corner of your boat with the fine works of art and craft made there. Back here, you double your money again. So each silver crown you have to your name now will have become four when we next see you."

"Then you can take us here for a meal, and all the children with us," said Bartha. "I would have sent Jarith down river to make such money years ago if I didn't know he would get lost in a tavern on the way. Mind you, his sister only has one child to her name, with Larris having spent so much time down south, so you miss a lot of fun with that life. You've the right idea, Set, my dear, go yourself and take your young man with you, so you have the best of both worlds." She laughed raucously, while Telli spluttered a mouthful of beer, and tried to avoid Setisia's eye.

Setisia tried to keep the conversation towards commerce, but was often fighting a losing battle as the formidable Bartha downed more and more beer. During the course of the evening, they decided to spend most of Setisia's savings on goods, although she pointed out that this would fill only a small part of the boat ('still enough for a good dowry' said Bartha). Jarith suggested they could always pick up passengers on the way for a small fee ('no, no, they want to be alone, my dear, can't you see'). When the evening was over, Telli and Setisia made their way to the wharf, still recovering from Bartha's warm farewell embraces, and both bursting out with pent up laughter at the same moment.

"They are fine people, your cousins," said Telli, "I have not enjoyed myself so much since leaving Elneside."

"This is good. You need to relax after what you have been through since then. You seem to have taken your hardships lightly, but even goblins cannot survive such things without scars." It was the village medicine woman speaking.

They found the young fisherman at the tavern by the wharf, ready to go. His name was Callik, and he bowed politely on introduction to Telli, saying any friend of Set's was a friend of the whole village. Although he had three paddles in the canoe, he refused to let Setisia take one. Not because of her sex, but because she had set a badly broken arm for him once, which had mended like new, and he declared himself always willing to make the limb do her share of the work. So she sat in the middle, holding the lamp carried on the river to show their presence, as fast trading boats moved on it at night as well as day.

Callik was strongly built, arms rippling with muscles from a life spent in the canoe, and they made good time up river. Two fast trading boats passed them at speed going downstream, warning torches flickering on their bows. Boats whose owners would make as many voyages as they could to maximise their profits, and which could carry perishable goods a great distance. Callik exchanged greetings with them, cheerfully wishing them the speed of the Gods. Telli, kneeling in the bows and paddling hard, failed to notice a third unlighted craft approaching until it was nearly upon them. He twisted his paddle to send the canoe towards the left bank while shouting a warning. The other craft, also a canoe, veered towards midstream, Callik calling out to it in annoyance.

"Light there. Night lights, boys!" Then, as the canoe sped past without apology or reply, he let out a stream of oaths, shouting every insult that came to his mind after them, until they were out of sight. There had been three men in the boat, and he described them, their mothers, fathers, and all their personal habits in such detail that eventually his passengers had to laugh. Callik apologised as they went on, explaining to Telli that they could not be local, and that such behaviour was not tolerated on the river. He put his anger into his paddling, and Telli felt the power as they surged forward, reaching West Hartlet's little jetty about ten minutes later.

They were surprised to see the light of many torches in the village as they arrived.

"Something's going on," Callik said as he jumped out of the canoe and tied it up. Two men came out of the gloom towards them.

"Callik? That you? Is that Set with you?"

"Yes, yes, what's up, Barith?"

"Someone started a fire."

"At my house?" Setisia didn't wait for an answer, running towards her cottage having seen where the torchbearers were gathered. Telli and the others followed, Telli noticing that the two men carried long knives in their hands. They reached the house, a pall of smoke showing above it in the torchlight and the smell of burning wood in the air.

"Set? It's all right dear, it was mainly the firewood store, and we put it out. The thatch is still damp from the rains, but we shall watch it for a while, in case it hides a spark." Setisia went round to the back of her cottage with the speaker, a huge, black-bearded bear of a man, who appeared to have taken charge. The whole village seemed to be congregating, excited voices asking and answering question, as Telli followed Setisia. Her fuel store was a pile of wet charred wood, still smoking, and the side of the cottage was scorched above it.

"Danrik's girl saw the light on her way to the privy, and your well was full, so there's no real harm done," said the big man. "Who's this?" he added, spotting a stranger in the torchlight.

"Telli, a friend," Setisia said, absently.

"Ah, sorry young sir, we were looking for strangers. One of the children saw this as we were dousing the flames." He walked a few paces to a tree, and indicated something white in it, then reaching up, pulled the object down. Setisia stared at it for a moment, then called out.

"Callik?" Then, as the fisherman came forward, "it was the men in the dark canoe."

"Damn it, yes, they were fleeing something." Callik raised his voice, calling two names.

"I will chase them with my brothers as far as Bhuin. If they've stopped there we'll break every bone in their bodies. Who would do this?

"Grenwald the madman," Setisia sounded sure.

Callik's brothers had come up, and they ran for the canoe, other men following, and three canoes were soon streaking down the river, men with bows in the middle of each.

Setisia handed the object from the tree to Telli. It was a wooden board with a very accurate white painting of a skull on it.

That night, Telli and Setisia waited up late for news of the chase down the river. Setisia took the attack on her calmly, but Telli could tell that she was shaken, and also worried that one or more of the village men might come to harm in the unlikely event that they caught up with their quarry. The big bearded man and others stayed around the house for a while, and came in and out of the cottage to discuss the night's events, and introduce themselves to Telli, whom they all seemed to accept easily as a friend, because Setisia did. He overheard them arranging a rote to watch the house that night.

When they were alone, Setisia gave Telli her thoughts on the attack.

"It was Grenwald for sure. You remember I told you he was known for torturing animals. The stories told of him as a boy are horrific. He would catch small animals, squirrels, or whatever he could, and cage them. He would never kill them with his hands, or even starve them to death, just frighten them in any way he could, until they went mad and lost their will to live. Sometimes he would see that they were dying, and seek to revive them, so he could prolong his sad little games. He would cut off body parts, but never those essential to life, and show other children his squirrel with one leg, or his rat with no ears, laughing at their horror and fright. This is why I am sure he is behind the attack, and quite likely the man in the middle of the canoe, who was not paddling. He would not wish to kill me immediately. And if you think of what was done, would not have been likely to achieve that, as I would probably have escaped out of the door even if I had been asleep here, and if the whole cottage had gone up in flames. More important was the death's head sign, to scare me out of my little girl wits, to force me to flee from the village in fear, always looking over my shoulder and waiting for the next attack. Do you see what I mean?"

"Yes, by your description of his character, that fits perfectly. It was not an attempt to kill, but that does not mean he will not seek to inflict harm on your person in the future." Telli didn't say it, but the cutting off of body parts in her story chilled him with horror. Voices outside and a knock on the door interrupted them. Telli opened it to Callik and one of his brothers, still slightly breathless, and dripping with sweat.

"No luck, Set. They passed by the wharf at Bhuin about twenty minutes ahead of us, we know, as the watchman had called out warning to a canoe with no light and three bastard devils in it who paddled on at full speed, taking no heed. At five minutes difference, it would have been worth chasing on, but they had too great a start. Our only hope really was that they would be fools enough to halt at Bhuin. So, saving the fact we set a racing time record on our run, there is no good news. The others stayed on at the tavern to make sure all Bhuin will know the news tomorrow, and no doubt to refresh themselves."

Setisia embraced the brothers, and poured them wine for their own refreshment. They left after discussing the strange attack, both knowing that Setisia had feared something like this months before when she had alerted the area to Grenwald's return. Callik's brother, the elder of the two, had childhood memories of the tyrant, and also clearly knew Setisia well. He warned her not to go her ways alone as she so loved to do, and to ask him, his brothers, or other men of the village to accompany her when she must go somewhere.

"You know we all love you, and value your good work here, little doctor, so do not be too proud to ask anything of us," he said in parting.

The youngsters settled for the night, far too tired to read parchments or write letters.

A favourable wind blowing from the Great Mountains in the west caught the little boat's sail as she moved away from the quayside at Bhuin. Telli was busy with the ropes, letting down just two yards of sail from the spar attached to the top of the mast, enough to move them, but not enough to cause their inexperienced hands to lose control. Setisia was in the stern at the tiller, waving goodbye to Jarith, Bartha and a few other friends who had come to see her off. The small amount of sail left a clear view ahead, so Telli came back and joined her when he had fastened the ropes to his satisfaction.

Going downstream with the wind behind them, sailing seemed easy. This fooled neither captain Setisia, nor her mate. They had decided to take it easy for the first day or two as they learnt the ropes. It was the third morning after the fire at the cottage in West Hartlet. Setisia looked charming to Telli's eyes. Her red locks were piled up and hidden under a broad brimmed hat, to protect her light skin from the sun she had told her friends. But Telli knew it was an attempt to hide her most recognisable feature. And it worked. From a distance it appeared there were two slight young men sailing the boat.

There were conventions to be observed when navigating a boat on the rivers of the Kingdom. Unwritten rules, these varied greatly from river to river, and even from one stretch to another of the same one. On the Bhuin, traffic must move on the left, those moving slowest close to the bank, the fastest vessels nearer midstream. All stationary fishing boats had the right to their place and must be avoided by moving traffic. All craft moving at night should show some kind of light unless in the first few yards from each bank where nothing should be moving at speed. With Bhuin and Larisroot the only major population centres upriver there was not much traffic, although Setisia estimated that about twenty boats left Larisroot every twenty-four hours at this time of year because of the town's huge business exporting the famous vegetable for which it had been named.

The Bhuin wharf was soon out of sight as they rounded the bend, and looking back they could see only the highest quarter of the town, where the old wall and the castle would be visible for some time. They had a good stretch of river ahead to themselves, only a few fishing canoes in sight, and Telli soon gave in to temptation and lowered the spar at the bottom of the square sail another yard. They could feel the boat pick up speed immediately, and Setisia responded by steering them out towards midstream as there were no fast boats approaching from behind.

"If this wind is steady, we shall easily pass Flarin this afternoon," she said.

"Captain and ship owner, I think we could continue through the night, taking turns to watch, and drifting without the sail." Telli had been advised to keep his raw gold and change it in Kellmarsh as its value increased with every mile they moved. Setisia was therefore owner of the boat, having mysteriously produced the forty crowns for her cousin, saying that a clever witch had little problem finding money when it was needed. She made great play of considering this suggestion.

"Bring me my charts, good man." Telli crawled into the comfortable little cabin they had made the day before, coming out with some rolls of parchment. They stood either side of the tiller and perused them.

"If we continue all night, we might reach Kharin tomorrow morning," Setisia said. "That is about one third of the way to the Great River, meaning that if all goes well, we could be there two days after. Let's try it, but if we find it too tiring, we'll tie up somewhere and rest."

"Fast boat coming," said Telli. "It's the one that was loading up beside us this morning." The boat behind them had rounded the bend from Bhuin, and was approaching with surprising speed. About forty feet long with a streamlined hull, it had its sail set at full length and was rowed by eight oarsmen.

"They make it to Kellmarsh in six or seven days if they go without stopping, day and night, and the winds are favourable," Setisia said, steering slightly in to the left to give the boat plenty of space. "See how they go straight down the middle of the stream because it moves fastest there. They can do this all the way, as boats coming upstream wish to avoid the centre for the same reason. I saw at the quay they were loading eating apples, which do not grow in the southern climate, and they will profit well by selling them at Kellmarsh market as fresh, which we could not do." The impressive, streamlined craft sped past them, the man at the tiller waving friendly acknowledgement to Setisia of her move towards the bank. She grinned in pleasure.

"I like being a captain. I could do this all my life. Couldn't you?"

"Yes, it's better than flying. We could have paid the way on one of the fast boats, though." Telli said, watching the other craft pulling away from them.

"Yes, but this way we take our own home with us. Do you not like our cabin?" Most of the previous day had been spent constructing the elaborate cabin in the stern of the boat. They were now sitting on its roof at the tiller. "We can live in the boat at Kellmarsh as well as on the way there and back."

"Also, they wouldn't let you be captain, would they?" Telli's voice was teasing.

"If they had any sense, they would. As the only woman on board I'd be the one with the most brains. Men are built for rowing, not thinking, so why don't you see how you manage with the oars, slave, and I shall give you wise directions."

They moved down the river all day, experimenting with their little boat, and making considerable progress as the wind remained steadily behind them. They had passed the town of Flarin, on the right-bank, by mid afternoon, thus entering territory new to Setisia as well as to Telli. In the evening Setisia cooked on a cleverly made iron stove, designed to contain a fire without risk of setting the vessel alight, and a luxury on such a small boat.

"This captain travels in style," she said as she served Telli a hot soup.

"I'm glad she does menial chores like cooking, as well as directing her one man crew. I'll try first watch tonight if you like. We'd better set the lamp when I've eaten." He hung a lamp on the mast and shortened the sail, but it was past midnight when Setisia retired to the cabin. Both were enjoying the warm summer night on the river. There were no fishing boats, and they had it to themselves most of the time. The occasional trading boat passed going upstream, and twice fast boats going their way overtook them. The noise of the forest on both sides came clearly across the calm water, as night animals went about their mysterious lives. Fireflies flashed tiny beacons of orange near the banks, and the stars twinkled silver and blue in a cloudless sky. It seemed a perfect way to travel.

*

Setisia took her watch in the early hours of the morning, and Telli again at first light, when they set the sail together, and ate a meal. They took turns in this way for three days and nights, stopping and anchoring near the bank occasionally when they both felt too tired to continue. On the fourth day, Telli emerged at around midday from the cabin to find an excited captain at the tiller, pointing ahead.

"We are there! That must be the Great River ahead," she said.

He looked over the bows to see that the river widened out, and its banks seemed to disappear, leaving only a large expanse of water ahead. On the right hand bank, just before this, he could see the walls of a town.

"That's Rislet?" he asked, feeling the excitement himself at their first sight of the Great River, and of the largest town either of them had ever seen.

"It must be, and we'll have to cross over soon if we wish to land there."

As they came level with the river port, they were too busy to marvel at the sight of the huge waterway they would soon be sailing down. Crossing the mouth of the Bhuin and entering the busy harbour whilst avoiding other craft was the first difficult bit of sailing they had had to attempt. But they managed well, and found a berth alongside several other small boats, directed there by a boy of about their own age. As they tied the boat to the quay, the lad explained his prices per hour, per day, and per week for the use of the berth, guaranteeing the vessel's safety while moored there. Setisia had been expecting this, and as the boy pointed to the armed guards patrolling the port, saying they would confirm his status as a licensed boat watcher, she paid the small fee, arranging to keep the berth for twenty-four hours. They wished to break their journey for the night, and replenish their stock of fresh food before tackling the Great River. After putting their little craft in order, the pair climbed onto the quay and set off for the southern end of the harbour, where they would have the best view out over the Great River. They were to stand watching it for more than an hour.

The Kingdom was bordered on the west by the great range of mountains Telli had crossed. On the east, another great range formed the boundary, both of these running its whole length north to south. In the far north, the ground rose again, forming a high, icy plateau. All water from these mountains, and from the lands between, would eventually reach the Great River, the Kingdom's backbone. It flowed south, down to the great lake on which Kellmarsh was situated, and then east, eventually leaving the Kingdom through a huge canyon it had fashioned in its south-eastern corner.

The voyagers had reached this great waterway at a point about five hundred miles north of Kellmarsh. The river was more than a mile in width, and ran fairly straight at this point, so they could see horizons where the water met the sky both up and down stream, the first such views they had ever seen. There was plenty to watch on the river, and they stared at the great cargo boats, some more than a hundred feet long and carrying several sails, which transported most of the goods traded up and down the Kingdom. Encouraging to them, there were also many smaller boats, right down to fishing canoes. While overawed at first sight of the river, they soon became confident that they could manage their little craft on it, at least during daylight.

They could happily have watched the river and its traffic all afternoon. It was Setisia who first saw, or rather heard, something else which interested her. A boat was arriving in the port having come from the north down the Great River. Music came over the water from it, the sound of a wailing string instrument, flutes and drums. Setisia listened for a moment, then said, "Mendai," and set off for the dock near their own berth where the boat was headed. Telli followed, seeing as he neared it that there were about twenty people on the vessel, men, women and children.

Setisia found a seat on some stone steps a few yards from where the boat was tying up. Telli sat down beside her, noticing she had removed her hat, and had let her long red hair fall down over her shoulders.

"Watch what happens," she said, smiling in anticipation. The occupants of the boat were negotiating with a wharf boy, and climbing out of their vessel one by one. They were colourfully dressed, and most were wearing hats or headscarves against the bright afternoon sun, but Telli could see reddish hair on several, showing under their headgear. Sure enough, a woman spotted Setisia, and called out to her in a strange and musical tongue, the first time Telli had heard a foreign language of men, Khrelling being something else. Setisia smiled at her, and shrugged. A man came over to them, grinning at Setisia, and saying something in the same language.

"I'm afraid I don't speak Mendai," she explained.

"But you are one of us, surely, as only a Mendai princess can be so beautiful!"

"My father was of the Mendai, but I never knew him, which is why I know nothing of your tongue. He was of the clan Dullai."

"The clan of my sister's husband's brother's wife! Then we are family. You must eat with us tonight, and your friend. I am Fhyfait, of the clan Rollai." Others from the boat joined Fhyfait as Setisia introduced herself and Telli, saying that they were not from Rislet, and having only just arrived would welcome the company of anyone who knew the place. Fhyfait, a jolly middle aged man with smiling green eyes, introduced his companions, who were all Rollai, and one large extended family. Telli noticed that although they did not all have red hair, every single face he looked at had the striking green eyes.

"There is a Mendai tavern here in Rislet. We go there now to eat, and meet our cousins. Come with us, and you may meet some of yours."

The gypsy family knew the town well as they passed often in their journeying up and down the river. They were performers, a travelling theatre, and would be setting up their act the following day in Rislet's market-square. Telli found them charming, and understood why Setisia had such a high opinion of her father's people. They spoke in Allenth out of respect for their guests, saying that all Mendai were fluent in it, and therefore considered it impolite not to use it when they were in the company of 'Allenthys', their name for all other citizens of the Kingdom. The tavern they preferred was Mendai owned, but Fhyfait assured Telli that it was used by many people other than the clans themselves.

"This is always the case," he said proudly. "Our taverns are renowned for their atmosphere, and are popular in every town where they are found."

This one seemed a small house from the outside, but on entering Telli and Setisia could see that it actually consisted of several houses knocked together around a small courtyard. There were fifty or sixty people inside, even before their own large party arrived. Music was being played at one end of the room, and Telli thought he had never heard such laughter and merriment in one place. Fhyfait introduced the owner to them, a very tall man known as 'Tree', explaining that the name referred not only to his height.

"We are a wandering people, and often give such names to the few from our tribes who settle in one place. He is a tree because he has put down roots, gathers moss, and therefore must have only wood between his ears. Tree, we have something for you to cook, and there should be a tasty morsel for the whole company present." Two of his cousins unwrapped a large package they had been carrying, and held up a giant squid for all to see. There were claps and cheers, but the two 'inlanders' (as dwellers on the Great River called others in the Kingdom) just stared in amazement at the creature.

"What is it?" Telli asked Setisia in a whisper.

"There are many great fish in the big river, and this monster must be one of them. It is new to me as well, but if it is good eating, maybe we should buy a large net."

It was good to eat as they found out later, the six-foot long tentacles providing a taste for everyone. They had passed a good afternoon exploring the town with willing Mendai children as guides. At the squid feast that night, Fhyfait introduced Setisia to the only man present from the clan Dullai, that of her father. His name was Rhyll, and he was a tough looking individual of about thirty years with several scars on his face, but proved very friendly to both Setisia and Telli, and talked with them at length. He had not known Setisia's father, but had met her grandfather, who had died a few years previously, a respected elder of the clan. He also remembered hearing the story of her father's murder, and gave her some information she had not known.

"We do not sit by when one of our number is murdered. I was young at the time, but I remember hearing of a delegation going to the King concerning an incident on the upper Bhuin. On such occasions, if the King does not act, we act ourselves. Tell me, little princess, was your father's killing avenged?" Setisia told him all she knew, including her recent sighting of Grenwald, and the story of the fire at her cottage. Rhyll showed great interest and concern.

"Do you know your letters, little one? Yes? Then you are cleverer than I. Can you write me a good description of this man? I shall see that copies get to all groupings of Mendai in the Kingdom. Tree, get us quill and parchment will you." Setisia wrote her description several times over, Rhyll explaining that each Mendai elder receiving one would have more copies made and sent on to others. One copy would stay with Tree to show to all coming through his tavern. Telli realised that from one showing of her hair, his clever little travelling companion had gained thousands of allies up and down the country. Rhyll said that he would enquire around Rislet himself, and would have no qualms about ridding the world of this madman with his own hands. He called Fhyfait to the table, and had Setisia repeat her story. The friendly Rollai showed a similar reaction, saying he would carry a copy of Setisia's message on his travels until he heard that the man had been caught.

Telli and Setisia left for their boat that night feeling they had found a whole tribe of new friends, and with a list of Mendai frequented taverns in towns on their way down river. Setisia's beacon of wavy red hair had brought her advantages to compensate for its part in betraying her identity to the conspirators in Bhuin.

*

The young voyagers retired early to their little cabin, and enjoyed a long and uninterrupted night's sleep for the first time since leaving Bhuin. Telli woke to the sound of Setisia's voice and the smell of fish frying on the wood stove. He came out of the cabin, stretching and yawning.

"Ah, here you are, lazy goblin, in time to thank our friends for a gift of fresh fish." Several of the Rollai children were standing on the quay, and Telli bade them good morning, and thanked them for his breakfast.

"You must come and see us tonight in the play," said a little red-haired cherub of about five years, starting a chorus of invitations to the performance. Telli was tempted to rest another night for this, and to explore the town at greater length, so was pleased when Setisia turned to him and said.

"What do you think?" He guessed she wished to see more of the Mendai.

"I would like to see the play, as I would like to see everything in the Kingdom that is so new to me. But you are captain, madam, and the weight of decision lies on your shoulders."

"Well spoken, my good slave, we shall rest another night then."

The children were treating them to a very skilled demonstration of their talents, turning cartwheels and walking on their hands, clapped and encouraged by the wharf-boy who guarded the berth.

"Very good, we shall certainly be at the play, and look forward to it. Please bid Fhyfait a good morning from us." Setisia turned to Telli as the children left for their own boat. "It's just as well, we shall only save ourselves a hard day's rowing. Feel the wind. It'll be even stronger out on the open river." A warm breeze was blowing steadily from the south, and the sail would have been of no use to them on such a day.

After eating their fish, the morning was spent bargaining in the market for fresh supplies. They had planned to do this quickly before sailing, but could now take their time, and enjoy the town while at it. At midday they made their way to the Mendai tavern, as Setisia wished to see Rhyll again. She had taken a definite liking to the tough Dullai, and Telli could see that this was mutual by the way his face lit up on their arrival. He had news for her.

"Your man has been in town, leaving for the last time four days ago. People remember the twitch on his face, which he cannot disguise, and you were right to describe that as his most important feature along with his height and the extreme thinness. All else has changed in recent months. When he passes through, he has the habit of staying in a hostelry known as Madam Feartha's, but he is no longer welcome there. One of the poor girls who entertains its clients was badly beaten last time he was there, and he had to pay Madam Feartha a bribe of five crowns to prevent her setting her strongmen on him. I spoke to the girl, only a little older than you are, and she will bear the scars for some time. I shall spare your young ears the details, little princess, but we are looking for an extremely sick and dangerous man. I was on my way to your boat this morning to warn you not to travel alone, but I saw some of the Rollai on the way, and they told me you would stay to see their play-acting."

"How did you find so much in such a short time, Rhyll?"

"I am of the crafty Mendai, I have friends and contacts, and I have coins in my pocket to make tongues wag," Rhyll smiled through his scars. "It was made easier because of your enemy's unusual characteristics and behaviour. Also because I knew that the chances of him having passed through here in the last few days were high, if he had been at your cottage the night of the fire. It is the first big town down river from your village where he might think himself safe in the crowds after the Lord of Bhuin's alert for him three months ago."

"I thank you from my heart, good cousin, but I must also refill your pockets if you have been paying the pot boys and scullery maids of Rislet's inns for their words," said Setisia.

"No, no, my pockets are always full. Rhyll the rich they call me, as gold and silver seem to flow in my direction with such ease. But there is one thing I wish to ask of you. I said that I wanted to warn you not to travel alone. I can see that Tellimakis is a good friend and would stand by you in adversity, but two friends are even better than one. I want you to wait an extra day here as I must finish some business, and then take me with you to Kellmarsh, where I was going in a few days time anyway." Rhyll was silent for a moment while they considered this surprise proposition. Then he got up, saying he would go for some beer, thoughtfully leaving the youngsters to discuss his suggestion. Setisia fixed her eyes on Telli's.

"What do your goblin powers tell you about our new friend, faithful slave?"

"I spoke with him for some time last night when you were talking with others. My powers say that he is a good man, and one who we might wish to have by our side in times of trouble, O captain and queen of witches and gypsies."

"Mine say the same. And in good times there is also the advantage to having one in my crew experienced on the Great River."

"True, O captain, and spoken wisely. It makes little difference to us to wait one day when we may wait a month or more for an audience with the King when we reach Kellmarsh. Anyway, we can move more quickly with his help. Follow your good instincts, Set."

Rhyll returned to the table, and the three were soon toasting their little boat and her newly enlarged crew.

*

The performance that night proved to be well worth staying for. Rhyll had given Telli a taste of what he would see that afternoon in the tavern, on hearing that the Elnesider had never seen a Mendai play. He stood on his hands on the table, then stepped down to the floor on them via his chair, and over to Tree's serving hatch.

"Good landlord, my world has been turned upside down, and I must have a drink to put things right." Tree poured a tankard of beer, and placed it between the acrobat's feet, eliciting an oath as he deliberately spilt some over Rhyll's crotch. Returning to the table, Rhyll lowered himself onto his back in a slow roll, managing to place the tankard on the table spilling hardly a drop. The performance showed astonishing strength and balance.

"I spent much of my childhood on the river in a troupe like Fhyfait's. His group is very good, and must be to play in the major towns like Rislet. The audience have seen many such things, so will only be impressed by fresh acts of quality. If you have nothing of importance to do, you might find it interesting to help the Rollai carry their props from the harbour to the square." Rhyll went off on his business when he had finished his beer, and the youngsters decided to follow this suggestion.

Telli was fascinated by the clever organisation of the gypsy boat. Much bigger than their own, it was home for twenty people, but also must serve to carry a large load which could be assembled to make their theatre. Fhyfait showed with pride how pieces of brightly painted wood for their stage and scenery doubled as the walls and roofs of the cabins they lived in. His family could take down their home and assemble their theatre in one hour on the occasions when they performed on a wharf beside their boat. The hard work in Rislet was to carry everything the few hundred yards to the market place, and it was here that Telli and Setisia could help. They made several trips carrying as much as they could, and watching a theatre appear at one end of these journeys as the boat's fittings disappeared at the other. The performance itself started so casually as to have no real beginning, the assembly of the theatre being in a sense part of it. As the surprisingly elaborate structure was nearing completion, individuals or pairs from the troupe would break into brief and seemingly spontaneous exhibitions of juggling or acrobatics, as if tempting onlookers to stay and see what was to come. When the theatre was finished, it seemed a work of magic in itself, being far larger than the boat from which its component parts had come. This was achieved through the construction of all parts that did not have to support any weight out of cloth stretched over thin wooden poles.

The nearest to a formal beginning came with the first entry of a performer onto the wooden stage itself, built about eight feet above the ground to give all in the fast growing crowd a good view. This was a man wearing two masks, one of a woman's face attached upside down to the back of his ankles. Standing on his feet, he delivered the speeches of a man, then flipping onto his hands, clothes cleverly tied to his back so they fell into place, he became a woman. In this way he portrayed a couple (from Rislet) arguing about whether or not they should go to a Mendai show that night, flipping his body and changing his voice with each character. It was very well done, bring peals of laughter from the onlookers as the couple's dispute became heated, and they began to insult each other in minute personal detail.

This was followed by an incredible variety of acts during a complete performance of more than six hours, Telli's eyes riveted to the stage like those of a small child all the way through. It was an evening of pure magic to the Elnesider, one that was to stay in his memory for life. He wished he could take such a company over the mountains for his people to witness the spectacle, knowing that the whole village would turn out all night and every night for as long as the troupe wanted to stay. He saw comedies, tragedies, dramas, shows of acrobatics and clowning, all accompanied by fine music, and all this performed by a family of only twenty members. If he had not known this, he would have thought a hundred or so people to have been involved.

"How do they do so much?" he asked Rhyll, who was watching with them.

"Oh, they have plenty of rest, and all have many different skills. Look, you see three on the stage at this moment. I can hear four instruments playing. There are no complicated movements of props at this moment, so that makes seven. Perhaps three are changing costume at this time, but the other ten could be sitting down, hidden under the stage, eating their evening meal for all we know. These are professionals, and they have everything well organised. We Mendai do not like to live under stress and strain, we seek to enjoy our lives."

Payment was entirely voluntary. A huge gold-painted cauldron had been placed in front of the stage, and the clang of coins thrown into it was a measure of the crowd's appreciation after each act. Sometimes a popular joke, often one at the expense of a rival town, would result in a hundred or so clangs in quick succession as pennies rained through the air. Setisia had to prevent Telli from throwing one of his lumps of gold ore at the pot, so great was his enjoyment of the show. She loved it also, having seen only a few less elaborate performances from groups prepared to venture as far from the Great River as Bhuin.

As the daylight faded, the troupe lit torches and hung lamps, cleverly placed to enhance the effect of the spectacle. At midnight, it was finally brought to a close, all twenty of the family appearing on stage to take their bows to huge applause, and the loudest clanging in the gold cauldron of all evening.

"They are one of the best small groups travelling the river at the moment," commented Rhyll as he wished Telli and Setisia a good night. They made their way to the boat feeling thankful that the Rollai children had persuaded them to extend their stay in Rislet that morning.

Rhyll proved to be a gem of a character, a perfect travelling companion for Setisia and Telli. He arrived on the quay two mornings after the Mendai performance in style, with two boys from Tree's tavern carrying his bags. Paying them off generously, he also tipped the boy who watched the dock after asking Setisia if her boat had been well guarded during its time there. He was dressed flamboyantly in bright and many coloured Mendai robes, and carried a talking parrot seated on his shoulder. Settling his belongings in the boat, he declared himself to be at captain Setisia's service at all hours of day and night while on board, and said he would jump overboard if she was displeased with him.

Telli was fascinated by the parrot, which fluttered about the boat as if assessing the merits of its new home while squawking 'good morning' in Allenth and other phrases in Mendai. It was the first such bird he had seen, and Rhyll explained that it had no understanding of language, merely repeating any sound made around it. He spread some seed on the deck, and said the bird would come and go as it pleased, but would make its base on the boat. When all was ready he took the oars and pulled strongly until they were out of the harbour, something the two youngsters would have had to do together.

"The wind is from the east, captain, so I shall pull out a little into the stream, if it pleases you, before we set our sail." When far enough out in the great river, he showed them how to set the sail at the correct angle to take advantage of the crosswind, and directed Setisia in balancing the rudder against it. To Telli's surprise, they started skimming over the water at a speed he would have only thought possible with the wind behind them.

"She's a good little craft, southern work, and well made. We can sail her in any wind, even one blowing against our way from the south." Rhyll spent half an hour teaching Setisia how to feel the needs of the boat when in a crosswind, and to make fine adjustments with her tiller so as to hold the wind on the acutely angled sail. When satisfied that she was in control and that Telli knew what he was doing with the sail ropes, he took a wooden box out from his baggage and extracted a fiddle. He bowed a few wailing notes which the parrot, perched on the spar above the sail, imitated perfectly to the others' amusement. He then tuned his instrument, and played a dancing jig that seemed to fit the motion of the little boat. He was an exceptionally good player.

When he had tired of his music, Rhyll put his instrument carefully away, and spent some time moving between Setisia at the tiller and Telli at his sail, resting them, and explaining the sailing techniques needed for a boat like theirs. He had learned these when travelling the river as a child, and they were second nature to him.

"I must have spent as many days in my life on the rivers of the Kingdom as off them," he told Telli. "It is so for many Mendai, and we are more at home on the Great River than anywhere else." The bags he had brought with him proved to be full of things useful to them all, as well as things to entertain them. He produced a large fishing net on that first morning, and set it to trawl behind them. Showing the others the large mesh, the holes as big as the palms of his hands, he said, "this is not for catching minnows." He checked it every hour or so, and had two fish in a bucket on the deck in time for their midday meal, which he cooked, using spices from his bags to very good effect.

The wind shifted slightly to their favour during the afternoon, making the sailing easier, requiring only one person at the tiller to manage the boat most of the time. All three sailors stood in the stern, and captain Setisia held a conference. She asked her crew if they thought that there was need for haste in their journey, both replying that if they reached Kellmarsh in two weeks or less, this would be fine. Telli was unconcerned about a few days difference, knowing that his problem would be finding a way to draw the King's attention to the plight of the Khrelling slaves, and that he had until the following spring to do this. His fast growing knowledge of the Kingdom had confirmed his opinion that a large expedition over the high mountains could not be organised and executed this year before the first of the autumn snows covered them. Rhyll said that there was no point in moving at night if a day or two's difference in their time of arrival did not matter, although they could make an exception if there were nights when the wind was behind them. This would give them leeway to rest during days when it was against them, or they were becalmed with no wind at all. Setisia decided they would follow this advice, and find somewhere to tie up that night.

"We shall reach Mother Raidy's place about an hour before sundown if this wind holds steady, and can have a fine dinner cooked for us in exchange for a bag of laris-root and a bottle of your Bhuin apple juice," said Rhyll. When questioned as to what this was, he laughed and said that they would soon see.

True to his estimate, the sun was low over the forest on the western bank when he took the tiller and steered them in towards it. They could see a small creek ahead where a few boats were moored. Telli furled the sail as they entered its mouth and they drifted up to a small jetty, timing it perfectly so they had no need to use the oars. Setisia jumped ashore and tied them up.

"That was good," she complemented the others, "I have the finest crew on the Great River already."

"We certainly have the prettiest little captain," said Rhyll. "We can leave the boat safely. Mother Raidy's boys do not tolerate thieves." "Theeves, theeeves, good morning," squawked the parrot, flying onto his shoulder as he got out of the boat.

"She does not like to be left alone, which is a pity, as she makes a good boat guard. She screams 'good morning' at the first person to arrive when she is alone, enough to put off any sneak thief coming in the dark of night."

There was a long, low wooden building a few yards from the jetty and a few small huts further upstream. They could see nothing else but forest. Rhyll led them to the door of the large building and knocked loudly on it. It swung open, and he walked in, bidding good evening to the large young man who held it ajar for them.

"Welcome, my friends, sit where you will," the man said.

Setisia and Telli entered and looked around them. There were more than twenty people in the long room, sitting in groups around several tables. A lull in the babble of conversation greeted the newcomers, as all turned to look at them. Rhyll went to an empty table with four chairs around it and placed his parrot on the back of one.

"Sit still and shut up." 'Shut up' echoed the bird loudly, and a ripple of laughter went round the company.

"We shall have music tonight, I think," said a voice from the other end of the room. Rhyll's clothes and his red hair shouted "Mendai" to anyone within a mile. He turned to face the company.

"Later, my friends, we shall have music if you wish. But now I must have wine. Where is Mother? Does she grow old and forget her favourite sons."

"What river tramp shouts for me?" A very tall woman of about fifty came through a doorway opposite the one by which they had entered. "Ahhh! My little scar faced fiddler. And where have you been so long." She was at least half a head taller than Rhyll, and folded him in a huge embrace, lifting him off the ground. When he was free of this, he appealed to the other men present.

"Is it not true that all men can be swept off their feet by Mother Raidy?" This drew more laughter, and Telli realised that he was watching a master at the art of making a strange company into friends, what he had seen done professionally by the Mendai theatre group. Of course, he thought, they are gypsy travellers, and mastering such arts would be essential to a people always on the move. He and Setisia had taken seats by the parrot, and Rhyll joined them after exchanging a few words with their hostess.

"You saw that we passed nothing but forest for some miles on this bank before we arrived here? It is the same to the south for an even greater distance. Such a long stretch of river with so many trading boats going up and down, and nowhere to stop for a good meal, a drink and a bed for the night. So, about thirty years ago, Leantha Raidy and her first husband decided to take advantage of this. They found this little creek, built the beginnings of this hall, and cleared an area around it in order to plant a garden. So great was Leantha's confidence that she even planted fruit trees and vines with an eye to the future. They gave a friendly wave to the river-boats as they passed by. The occasional one would stop if its crew needed something, and within a year they had gained such a reputation for their friendly hospitality that they had a thriving business on their hands. Two husbands and eighteen children later, Leantha is still going strong as you see, and has long been known as Mother to the many river travellers of good taste who choose to stop here whenever they can. It is a year almost to the day since I was last here, and I was truly pleased a moment ago to see her looking so well."

"Eighteen children!" Setisia exclaimed. "She must be even stronger than she looks." The good woman herself arrived with wine, and a plate of nuts.

"Now, you felt too light when I lifted you, so I must cook something to make up for it." She looked at Setisia, who had removed her hat. " Surely this cannot be your daughter, unless you started making babies even younger than I did. You have not stolen yourself a pretty Mendai child wife before better men can get to her, have you?"

Rhyll laughed. "Setisia is my captain, no less, and must be spoken of with respect. She is also a distant cousin, but we have only recently met. And this is our friend and shipmate, Tellimakis. Let them choose what you cook, but for me, I ask only that it be served with a fresh salad from your fine garden, if there is still light enough to see the plants."

"I serve anything but fish, as too many of my guests eat nothing else while on the river. My son shot a boar this morning, would some of that please you, pretty captain?" They agreed to this, and she left them to prepare the meal.

"Sometimes I have seen a hundred people in here," said Rhyll. "I would not be surprised if more arrive tonight. Mother's garden is her secret, and you must take a moment to see it tomorrow morning. I think what we see here is the beginnings of a river village. Several people have settled here already, usually because they have married into Mother's brood. Do not worry about the boat as someone is always watching outside at night. But even in safe harbours like this, you should always carry small things of real value on your person." As if reminded of something, he searched in the sack he had brought with him and took out a small statue, the size of his hand.

"What do you think of this little beauty?" he said, standing it on the table. Carved in exquisite detail out of black wood, it was the Goddess Setisia.

They picked her up carefully in turns, and examined the work. Every muscle of the body, each wave of the long hair and every tiny scale on the fishtail had been carved in perfect proportion and with painstaking attention to detail. Sitting on a rock, with her tail wrapped round it, and leaning back on her arms, she seemed truly alive. Rhyll laughed at the expressions on their faces.

"You look as I did on first sight of her. I bought her from her maker, intending to sell her again, but I fell in love and find her hard to part with."

"What are the eyes and lips?" asked Telli.

"Tiny rubies. But don't you think the maker would have replaced the eyes with emeralds if he had met our captain?" Setisia blushed slightly at this, and her crew laughed. Rhyll put the little statue carefully away.

"Tell me, Tellimakis, mystery boy, why is it that I have travelled the length and breadth of the Kingdom, and seldom heard such a classical form of Allenth spoken so well in one so young, yet with an accent new to my ears?" Telli glanced briefly at Setisia, who nodded encouragement, and then told Rhyll of his origins, and how he came to the Kingdom, only leaving out all mention of his flying. Like Setisia, Rhyll watched his face with green Mendai eyes as he told the tale, but unlike her, he interrupted several times with questions, especially concerning the Khrelling. When Telli had finished, the tough Mendai traveller lent back in his chair and drained his half-full cup of wine. Taking a deep breath, then letting it out in a soft whistle, he said:

"Well, I do not think I have ever heard someone tell a stranger story from their own true experiences. It was worth coming on the boat with you two just for this."

Mother Raidy and one of her sons arrived with their food. Three hot plates were laid before them, and a huge bowl of fresh salad put in the centre of the table. Conversation was suspended while they ate. Setisia was the first to break the silence.

"No wonder Mother Raidy has good business with cooking like this. But was it true what you said earlier about paying her with goods?"

"Yes. Ask her what she is interested in. You are already far enough from Bhuin for your goods to be rare." Rhyll got up, saying he would get his fiddle.

"There's one who believes your story, goblin," Setisia said when they were alone.

"I hope so, but it is the King's officials I must convince."

"You will, Telli dear, now you have a clever witch and a Mendai warrior on your side, how can you fail?"

"Warrior?"

"Yes," Setisia looked mysterious, "I can tell. Shall we try and trade goods for our meal?"

"Of course. Are we not professional river traders? It is good experience, captain, and does not matter if we do not make a good bargain for the first time." Telli had realised that he liked anything to do with business and trading, perhaps because of the novelty to someone from such a closed community. Setisia changed the subject.

"It is time for me to tell you something from the future once again. Do you see the men over there who are testing each other's strength by wrestling their arms on the table. The winner is already challenging strangers around him. My prediction is that our warrior friend will not be able to resist the challenge, even if it is not given directly to him, and that he will wager money and win, perhaps through cleverness as much as strength."

Telli saw the door open, and said quickly, "a silver crown if you are right and you pay me if wrong."

"Agreed!" Setisia spoke just before Rhyll reached the table, sitting down and pouring himself more wine. Taking a sip, he set his cup down and (to his companions' amusement ) called over to the arm wrestlers.

"Ho there, my friends. When you have found a worthy champion, I may demean my noble self with an uncouth pastime, for once in my life, and wager a silver crown on myself to beat him." The manner of his challenge (and the amount of money) drew the attention of all in the room and caused some laughter. A big brawny boatman answered him.

"Little gypsy, you have just lost a bout with Mother Raidy and now you wish to compete with men? I am next, against the winner from these two scrawny chickens, and then shall be champion and happy to take your silver crown from you."

"Mother Raidy is in a class of her own, but I should have no trouble with you. Indeed, as you are so obviously disadvantaged by the your great size and slow wits, I shall let you choose if we play with right or left arm!"

The two exchanged friendly insults until the match in progress produced a victor, and it was the turn of Rhyll's verbal sparring partner to compete. Because of the gypsy's loud intervention, the attention of the entire room was now on the contest, and chairs scraped on the floor as their occupants moved towards the little table used as an elbow rest. The men were both very big and the contest appeared equal for a minute or two. Rhyll had the crowd laughing throughout, as he was playing his fiddle loudly ( and well ) whilst improvising a song about two big fat bulls in a fight, neither being able to win, because both had been neutered. Eventually the man who had welcomed Rhyll's challenge forced the other's wrist to the table.

"Now, my little red-crested bantam, we shall see who is neutered, the bull or the cock."

The two contestants each placed a silver crown on the table. Now money was involved, spectators started to make bets for pennies amongst themselves, the big man the obvious favourite, but those placing their money on Rhyll, no more than average size, standing to win more if he triumphed. Setisia took advantage of these odds, saying she would pay one silver crown to a taker if her champion lost, on condition she received two if he was the victor. A well-dressed merchant took her bet to cheers from the gathering, as it was the only one apart from Rhyll's to involve a large sum. Telli remembered that one silver piece had paid for a night and three good meals at the Larisroot inn, the first time he had ever spent money.

Rhyll and Big Fran, as his opponent was called by his boat-mates, made great show of the contest, calling for a flagon of wine each to be set by their left hands so they could drink as they wrestled with the right. Big Fran's arms were bare, showing his considerable brawn and muscle. Rhyll wore his bright blouse with long sleeves, only wiry wrists showing, but Telli remembered the ease with which he had walked on his hands in Tree's tavern, and suspected that his two boat mates might be enriched by their visit to Mother Raidy's.

The match was good, and lasted more than three minutes. Rhyll never took his eyes off his opponent's. Fran's great weight gave him a clear advantage at the outset, and he forced the lighter man's wrist to within a few inches of the table-top on three occasions in the first two minutes of battle. Each time Rhyll seemed to be facing defeat, he lifted his cup and drained it, before forcing his opponents arm back to the upright neutral position. After the last of these occasions, big Fran was sweating and red in the face from effort, his supporters becoming silent as they started to doubt he had the stamina for a fourth effort. His own confidence ebbed away, and Rhyll forced his arm slowly back, inch by inch, taking one full minute until the big fist touched wood. Applause followed from all present, as it is human nature to appreciate the triumph of the least favoured.

Big Fran was a good-humoured man, and proved a good loser, embracing Rhyll, and declaring it a pleasure to have wrestled with such a worthy champion.

"His eyes beat me, not his arms, I swear, it's gypsy magic." he said, after downing the remainder of his wine from the flagon. Rhyll declared it an equal contest, as Fran had tired himself in his previous battle, and passed the silver crown he had won to one of Mother Raidy's sons, telling him to bring wine for all present. When his arm had recovered sufficiently, he took up his fiddle, and for the rest of the evening was the life and soul of the party.

Setisia, richer by three whole crowns, and Telli sat down again at their table. Mother Raidy brought a plate of fruit and a bottle of bamboo juice from the south to them, a present from the well-dressed merchant gambler, apparently another good loser. The giant woman sat with them for a while, bartering and chatting in a friendly and motherly way. She was interested in both laris-root and apple wine, declaring herself out of supplies of both. Telli went to the boat, returning with a generous sack full of the famous vegetable and three bottles of Bhuin wine, which she was happy to accept in payment for all they wanted that night. She said she could remember Rhyll as a small boy, and that he had played the fiddle well even then, and had always danced and performed for the company, along with his family.

"If ever I took to a boat on the river, I would take him as crew just for the entertainment and laughs. He is the wildest of all the Mendai who come here, but very clever if you know him. Those eyes do not miss much that goes on around him. He will take care of you and your young man, Setisia." She left for her kitchen, and Setisia said, smiling:

"Well, young man of mine, what do you think of Mother Raidy's place?"

"A fine eatery, but it is our crewman who makes half the atmosphere, so we shall carry it with us. I feel we are destined to see a few parties before we reach Krellmarsh, and shall look forward to each evening as we sail through the day. This is how Rhyll lives. He likes good people to have good times around him. But who would wish to be his enemy? I could not see him showing much mercy to the likes of your Grenwald." Telli soon proved to be right, about the parties, at least.

Setisia dropped repeated hints to her crew that they should not retire too late to the boat, as she would wake them at sunrise the next morning. Rhyll eventually bade his new friends a good night, having arranged to meet 'Big Fran' at some future date in Kellmarsh. As the three of them were about to leave Mother Raidy's hall, another group entered through the door, a boat's crew, which also appeared to be captained by a woman. Tall and silver haired, she had a face of great beauty and indeterminate age, and was dressed simply in a long, sky-blue robe. She led a party of about six men towards an empty table, two of these also robed, but in brown, and the others in the attire of boatmen. Seeing that Setisia's crew was leaving the hall, she stopped in passing, and bade them goodnight.

"I heard the music of a Mendai fiddle well played as we came to our berth, and regret that I am too late to hear more," she said to Rhyll.

"I would have been honoured to play for you, madam doctor, but duty calls, and my captain here wishes her crew rested, the better to follow her orders at sunrise," said Rhyll, bowing low and indicating Setisia with a wave of his hand. The woman smiled warmly at Setisia.

"You are wise beyond your years to carry such a musician in your crew," she said, holding Setisia's gaze for a moment, then looking at Telli for a similar length of time. He had a fleeting impression that his face, perhaps even his mind, was being read, before she turned again to Setisia and said in a thoughtful tone, sounding slightly surprised, "indeed, wise." She went on her way to the table, and Setisia led her crew out into the warm night.

"Why did you address the lady as 'doctor'?" asked Telli, as they made their way to the boat.

"She is of the order of Meldrith, the finest practitioners of the arts of healing in the Kingdom, young foreigner. We have many calling themselves priests and priestesses in the land for whom I have little respect. But those from Meldrith are different, and perform great works for others in their quiet way, asking little in return. I spoke the truth when I said I would have been honoured to play for her."

"They are seldom seen in Bhuin," said Setisia as they climbed into their little craft. "But I have heard things of them, and wish to know more, especially now. The lady we met in there is a powerful witch, did you not feel it?"

Rhyll laughed at this, and said: "I would not have put it the same way, but would guess that she has great wisdom. Perhaps it takes one witch to know another, eh, captain?"

It was Telli's turn to laugh at the look on Rhyll's face in the lamplight when Setisia replied in a serious voice.

"Perhaps. That is why I did not stay and speak. I was not sure if I wished her to know me."

Rhyll went off, chuckling at this, to make himself a bed in the bows, leaving the others their cabin, and they settled for the night.

The trio left at sunrise the next morning, after taking a few minutes to look at Mother Raidy's extensive vegetable garden, stretching into the forest behind her long-house. It was a calm day on the river and already very warm, Telli and Setisia now starting to experience the warmest weather of their lives. The Great River was at a considerably lower altitude than both Elneside and Bhuin, and they were also moving slowly south. That day they did a lot of rowing, the wind not being much help until the evening when it came up behind them. Finding they were then making good progress with the power of the sail alone, they decided to continue all night, two working while one rested.

The two youngsters were learning fast under Rhyll's tutelage, and the three soon became a good team, although naturally a bit deficient when much rowing was required. The wind held reasonably during their second day out from Mother Raidy's, and that night they decided to stop at a small river port called Dzarak, mainly because it had a Mendai owned tavern which Rhyll recommended. As they tied up the little boat at its dock, Setisia heard a woman's voice calling 'captain' from the quay above her, and looked up to see the priestess they had met briefly at Mother Raidy's.

"May I speak with you for a moment?" The older woman held out a hand to help Setisia out of the boat as she spoke, and the girl felt a surprising strength as she took it.

"Are you going to Kellmarsh?" the priestess asked when Setisia stood beside her.

"Yes."

"May I ask you to come and visit me when you are there? I have just written my name and that of the place I can be found because I saw you arriving. And if you can come, please bring your young friend, and indeed, your entire crew if they wish." The priestess smiled her gentle smile at Setisia's crew.

"Indeed, it is very kind of you to ask us, but something of a surprise, as you do not know us." Setisia managed to reply without actually accepting or refusing the invitation, although she took the scrap of parchment offered to her.

"A surprise, perhaps, yes. But I think it might be a pleasant surprise, for both of us, if you take up my invitation. Now, my crew is waiting to leave, so I hope to see you, all three of you, in Kellmarsh. May the Gods be with you." The tall priestess walked off in the direction of a boat that was setting its sail.

Setisia discussed the strange invitation with her crew as they made their way to the tavern, having paid a boy to mind the boat. Rhyll said that he could see no harm in it, as it seemed impossible that a Meldreth healer would be involved with the conspirators who were her only enemies. He thought that they should all go together when they had taken care of more pressing business. They soon put the incident to the back of their minds, as there were a number of Mendai in the tavern, some known to Rhyll, so Setisia and Telli passed an entertaining evening in good company.

Telli's knowledge of the Kingdom was vastly improved during the journey down the Great River. This was due not only to his own experiences as he visited towns and villages to buy at markets, or to eat in inns and taverns. He learned the most from his two boat-mates. Rhyll was as widely travelled as Slomen, and their stories combined probably gave him as clear an insight into the ways of the land as could have come from any two of its citizens. Setisia added to this education as she was well read, and knowledgeable in a different way from the others. Telli had read the scrolls she had presented him in Bhuin, which concerned the bitter and protracted civil war that had divided the Kingdom three hundred years before. She had guessed, correctly, that he would be interested in the period when his own ancestors had followed Drakis over the mountains.

After leaving Dzarak, the voyagers were on the river for eight more days before reaching Kellmarsh. They managed their little boat well and without accident. On the only occasion when they might have had difficulties, during a heavy thunderstorm with high winds, captain Setisia played safe and ordered her crew to make for a sheltered spot on the bank, where they waited out the storm. All three thoroughly enjoyed the voyage and one another's company. By the time they were nearing Kellmarsh, they were firm friends as well as an efficient team of sailors.

To the youngsters, everything they passed was new and exciting. They were entering the warm south of the Kingdom, lands where snow was never seen on the ground in winter, and in summer even the nights could be warm enough for a man to walk about without a shirt on his back. There were animals new to both of them, some spectacular, like the playful freshwater dolphins they saw leaping from the water, or the sinister crocodiles Rhyll pointed out once on the bank.

For Telli and Setisia, the best memories of the voyage would always come to the accompanying sound of Rhyll's fiddle. He played in an infinite variety of styles, frequently improvising his own tunes to suit their moods. His music, and the squawked words of the parrot, went with the gurgle of water under the little boat's bows, and the flapping sounds of her sail in the wind. As for Rhyll, he loved the voyage for the constant surprises he found in the characters of his two highly unusual companions. He quickly learned never to treat them like children, and came to regard them as friends in whom he could trust and confide any detail of his thoughts if he so wished.

Kellmarsh first came into the travellers' view on the morning of a sweltering hot day. It was situated on the east bank where the river entered the great lake, Tallian. For some time they had been able to see the distant mountain range which ran along the Kingdom's southern border, blocking the Great River's flow and turning it eastward, creating the lake at the bend. Kellmarsh had been a small fishing settlement on the inside of this bend when first named after a tasty crustacean, the keller, many centuries earlier. During its evolution into the greatest city of the Kingdom, the name had survived many attempts to replace it with something more grandiose. The marshland around the original village had been channelled into numerous canals as the city grew, so that it was as common for its inhabitants to move through it via these as along its many streets. Three rivers flowed into the city, their waters sifting through the canal system before reaching the lake. The canals, therefore, refreshed their water supply constantly, and the refuse of the city was taken away each day, leaving it a clean and reasonably healthy place to live.

Rhyll directed his wide-eyed crewmates into the harbour, taking both oars so they could see well ahead. There were more than one hundred ships and boats anchored or moored in the huge area, protected by two walls built some distance out into the lake.

"You see the reddish tower with a beacon on top, captain mine? Steer into the canal opening to the left of it, and keep by the right hand bank once in it," Rhyll instructed Setisia, who was at the tiller. She followed his directions, and they moved about a hundred yards up the canal between tall warehouses built on either side, until it widened out into a rectangular dock within the city. This was busy with boats loading and unloading cargo. At its far end the canal continued, and Rhyll took them on up it until they reached another smaller and quieter dock where there were a few empty berths.

"We pay the dock tax by day or by week, and we can leave the boat here as long as we wish under the eyes of the dock watchmen. If you live on the boat then you already have a house in the centre of the city, captain! You are a resident immediately." Rhyll was happy to be in Kellmarsh, where he knew many people.

There were several dock-workers, all dressed in white with green headbands to identify them as city officials doing this specific job. One of them directed the new arrivals to a berth exactly the right size for their boat. Each berth was surrounded by wooden fences rising from the water to a height which offered those living on their boats privacy from their neighbours and kept the vessels, tied by the bows to the dockside, from swinging into each other. Such organisation, and the security offered by having guards patrolling the quay at all hours, did not come cheaply, and Setisia raised her eyebrows at the price of five silver crowns per week.

"All prices are high in Kellmarsh," explained Rhyll, "but here all make more money, and it is the richest of the cities when all is told. Half your fee goes directly to the dock-workers, and the rest to the Duke as tax for the upkeep of the city. I shall show you around, and you will see that such taxes are well spent. They keep a great city alive and working."

As they made ready to go out into the city, they encountered their first Kellmarsh trader, who hailed Rhyll from the quay.

"Halloa, good Mendai. What goods do you have to sell quickly and for good silver that you can enjoy the spending of in the many hostelries run by your brethren?"

"My captain carries good laris-root, and Bhuin apple drink of the finest quality, but will she not make a better change in the market place than here, friend?"

"Never, never, it is crowded with thieves these days. And where is your captain, sir?" Rhyll indicated Setisia, and the man hid his surprise, addressing her with a low bow.

"I have never had the pleasure of doing a trade with such a beautiful river captain, or I would surely remember. Let me weigh some of your laris-root, and offer you a fine price worthy of your fine looks, madam captain." He produced a balance from the hand-barrow he had with him. Rhyll nodded to Setisia, and she entered into a short round of bartering with the merchant, whose price proved to be quite reasonable. He admitted that she could improve on it if she took the time and trouble to go to the market and sell the vegetable piece by piece in small quantities. However, he would take all she had in one go to sell in his brother's shop, and thus save her much work. Rhyll said that the man could be right, and set off quickly to check prices with a merchant he knew. Before leaving, he said that he would pay Setisia for a bottle of apple wine, which she could then open to give a taste to her prospective customer while they all waited for him. He let the man choose a bottle at random.

Telli watched all this with great interest, seeing that the random choice of a wine bottle for tasting was logical, and looking forward with relish to the dealing he must do with a buyer of raw gold, knowing this would be easy with Rhyll at his side. The gypsy had already looked at his collection of ore, and confidently guessed the price to the nearest crown. There was little about goods traded up and down the Kingdom that Rhyll did not know, and Telli thought that the merchant dealing with Setisia had not tried to suggest a bad price, guessing that the presence of the tough looking Mendai would make this counter-productive.

Rhyll came back shortly, and confirmed the merchant's view that Setisia would have to work hard herself to improve significantly on the profits available from a quick sale to the man before her.

"Do not worry too much about a little money while you are with Rhyll the rich. Take this good fellow's silver, then you will be free to explore this great city with your faithful crew."

Setisia laughed at Rhyll.

"One of my faithful servants has been a few days without seeing the inside of a Mendai tavern and is impatient with thirst, I fear." She made her deal, and took her silver, generously giving the vegetable merchant a bottle of the apple wine, to his pleasure and surprise. Telli helped him load the laris-root onto his barrow, and he wheeled it off contentedly. They were now free to explore the city.

Rhyll showed them first to the main market, the Kingdoms biggest and busiest. This occupied a huge square with a wide canal running through the centre of it. Broad thoroughfares entered on all four sides with streams of ox-carts arriving with goods to be sold and leaving with goods bought. Boats ran both ways on the canal, which served as a direct connection to the port, Lake Tallian, the Great River, and to the smaller rivers leading to other towns in the east. The square was surrounded by stone buildings several floors high, containing, said Rhyll, about a thousand shops. In the centre were around two thousand market stalls. There were no less than eleven bridges arching across the canal, four of them wide enough to take carts and pedestrians side by side.

"Nowhere will you see more people gathered in one place, unless you happen across two large armies in battle at some time in your life," said Rhyll. He placed an arm on Telli's shoulder, and added thoughtfully, "you may indeed be seeing more people at this moment than you have on all other days of your life put together!" An astonishing thought, this could well have been true.

"You have to be careful with Telli when you show him new things," teased Setisia, "he stares like a baby with new toys and bumps into other people." She ruffled Telli's hair, then asked more seriously if he was feeling all right.

"I was just wishing my friend, Brakis, was here with me to see this."

"We'll make sure he can see all he wants with us this time next year," Setisia said. "Come on crew, I have silver, so let me buy something for you for being such a fine body of men and getting us here."

Setisia led them round the stalls and shops. There were many food booths cooking a great range of delicacies from all over the Kingdom and she made her first purchases from these. They ate an exotic mixture of rare foods, each titbit recommended by Rhyll, whilst sitting on the balustrade of one of the footbridges, watching the heavily laden boats pass beneath them.

"Could you live here, Telli?" Setisia asked.

"Certainly, for a while. But I would need to go out to the forests at times. Here are the greatest works of man, but we need to be close to the works of the Gods at times." He still dreamt at night of his Elneside hunting grounds.

"Well spoken, young man. You think like a Mendai. Continue with your learning of our tongue, and you may join us one day, the only Mendai with black eyes." Rhyll laughed, and then said something the others did not understand in Mendai. He had been teaching Setisia the tongue of her father at her request, and Telli had been learning also. The language was difficult for 'Allenthys' because the Mendai had arrived in the Kingdom from lands some distance away, and there were no common roots in their speech and that of the other peoples of the area. The two youngsters were making good progress, however, and Rhyll was proud of his pupils, although he joked that his parrot was quicker on the uptake.

When they had finished eating, Setisia continued her search for presents for her crew.

"We are in the City of Kings, Tellimakis, and you cannot go dressed in rags all the time. Take off that stinking deerskin vest if it has not become part of you and try this for size." They were in an area of the market where there were many stalls selling garments of all kinds and, with Rhyll's help, she managed to re-clothe Telli in a light blue shirt and dark blue leggings of thin and finely woven cloth. They were comfortable in the warm southern sunshine, but felt strange to one who had worn nothing but animal skins and furs all his life.

"What a pretty goblin you have become," said his benefactress, "we shall have to keep you away from these fine merchant's daughters." Telli, carrying his old skins in a bundle, said that he would only wear the new garments if she promised to let him buy her a set when he had changed his gold. He had seen a stall selling gaudy Mendai clothes and had some ideas. The promise was given.

Later, Setisia saw something for Rhyll in a silversmith's shop on the side of the great square. It was an exquisite little brooch in the shape of a gypsy fiddle, with the bow cleverly and seamlessly attached to the fine strings, as if the little instrument was being played. It seemed so appropriate that she knew she must have it, and she whispered to Telli, asking him to distract their friend for as long as possible. This proved to be easy as an adjacent shop sold real musical instruments, and Rhyll was happily explaining their uses and origins to him when Setisia rejoined them with her present. Rhyll was delighted with it, but recognised the quality of the workmanship and protested that she should spend her laris-root profits more wisely as he attached it to his silk blouse. Setisia gave one of her short lectures in reply.

"Telli and I do not have problems for money. Like you, there are many things we can do to make it flow in our direction, more than you might think. At worst, we both know how to live without it in the forest, so can never go hungry, and need not worry as city people might when they are down to their last penny. Money is just something to enjoy spending when we have it, and I know you, Rhyll, do not worry yourself unduly about it either." Rhyll laughed at this, picked Setisia up, and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thank you for your gift, little princess, I shall treasure it to the grave."

"Surely you must have saved some silver?" said Telli. "You bought the boat and your goods at Bhuin."

"I was being mysterious at the time, to amuse myself, and forgot to tell you how I came by the silver. I am a woman of property. The apple trees you saw behind my cottage belonged to my grandmother. Only three produce fruit for eating. The others bear the apples we use to make the drink Bhuin is known for. I keep them well, and they pay a little, giving a quantity of fruit worth perhaps thirty pieces of silver each year to the cider makers. When I needed the money for the boat, I did not sell them, but made a deal with a neighbour who has a good nose for profit, giving him the rights to farm my orchard for the next seven years in return for seventy-five crowns. With very little work, as the trees will be fruitful for that period without much maintenance, he will take upwards of two hundred crowns, but I have not lost my dear grandmother's little legacy, something close to my heart. You see, sweet innocent foreigner from the western wilds, how we in the big wide world do business."

They had reached a point on the square where the canal left it and were about to cross a fine arched bridge when Rhyll made a suggestion.

"You will never tire of the market, but it goes on every day, and we are still weary from our voyage. We all have business to do tomorrow, but need a restful afternoon. Let me treat you to the laziest way you can see much of the city." He led them down some steps beside the bridge to a small wharf, and signed to a man seated in the nearest of several punts tied there.

"You are free for the afternoon, sir? Then how much of your time can I buy for a crown?" The elderly boatman smiled, and took the clay pipe he had been smoking from his mouth.

"'Till sundown if you wish, good gypsy, and to any place in the city where there is water but the Duke's palace gardens. He will not let the likes of me paddle in his fountains!"

"Let us go then. Tell me, papa Keller, where should we take two strangers who are new to the City of Kings, and are today at leisure to view it?" Rhyll climbed into the boat as he spoke, and the others followed.

"The Black Temple must be seen, my son, if they have not seen it, and is only a short way up this river-road. Then the Sky Temple, then the Cave Temple, then where you will."

"Papa Keller, you are clearly a good man of the Gods. Take us, as it is true, these things must be seen, and we must offer thanks for a safe voyage we have today completed."

The old man had untied his river taxi, and pushed them off with his pole. He stood on a platform covering the rear half of the punt, walking up and down as he drove them forward by pushing with the pole on the canal bed, steering cleverly by sending the stern one way or the other with his feet. The front of the boat had two passenger seats with backs to them, one facing the other. Setisia and Telli sat facing forward with Rhyll opposite them. 'Papa Keller' (natives of the city were nicknamed after the shellfish for which Kellmarsh itself had been named) turned out to be an amusing guide as they headed up the broad canal, its banks lined here with the fine houses of merchants.

"Here be the residences you can buy if you choose to spend your lives stealing the shirts off the backs of others, my young friends. Those who are quite good at this live in houses such as these, but not those who are very good at it. They live further out, in the stately homes with high walls around and fancy gardens, which I shall show you later, in case your gypsy friend wishes to buy one today." He poled the boat gently along the right hand side of the canal.

"The water road we are crossing now takes you to the City Gardens if you turn to the right, and we could pass them later if you wish, and watch the fine ladies out strolling with their pretty parasols, and the not so fine ladies dressed to mimic them, who will offer strange services even to an old man like me, bringing back pleasurable memories of youth."

"What services?" Telli asked Rhyll, ever interested in this new world of business, and bringing laughter from his companions.

"I shall explain when you are a little older," said Setisia, to Rhyll's amusement. Papa Keller went on.

"To your right you can now see the Black Temple, built by King Roffis the first, they say, although how he did all that on his own is beyond my understanding."

Setisia was excited, standing up to look at the famous building ahead.

"It was built by seven hundred men, taking seven years, and the stone was all brought by ox-cart and river boat from a quarry in the hills seventy miles away," she said.

"Oooh! What a clever young miss," said the old man. "And didn't you know that the carts had seven wheels and the boats were rowed by seven men with seven oars as well?"

" 'Kellers' always laugh at the foreigners who see the great sights of their city for the first time," said Rhyll. "Papa, will you come ashore with us and show us the temple. I have seen it before, but do not remember well the way round, excepting that it is a labyrinth, and we were often lost."

"With pleasure, sir gypsy, and perhaps the pretty miss can teach me a little of its history, as I am not a man of letters, and am not so old as to remember its building myself." They had reached a quay by the temple, and the old man jumped ashore with surprising agility, tying up his punt as the others stepped after him.

The Black Temple was a huge edifice, square at the base, with each side measuring about two hundred feet. It rose in fifteen stages, each smaller than the one beneath, to reach a point at about one hundred and fifty feet above the ground, thus forming a kind of stepped pyramid. Telli was surprised to see that a large tree growing at the apex crowned it. The structure and the statues decorating its exterior were made entirely of black marble, but as they entered through the small doorway that Papa Keller said was the only way in, they saw that the interior was of white marble, and only the contrasting statues were black. There were no torches lit inside, light coming instead from numerous openings in the roofs and walls. The stages they had seen from outside could not be perceived once through the entrance, and there were no stairs or dividing walls. Instead, there were passages with gently sloping floors of white marble passing between thousands of thin white pillars. These pillars were set too close together for even Setisia to pass between them, excepting when there were clear gaps indicating an opening to another passage. As they walked slowly up and down the narrow walkways, it soon became impossible for the visitors to guess where they were in relation to the walls or the entrance. Not only this, they could not tell at what height from the ground they were. Looking between the pillars as they passed, they could only see more pillars in each direction, the only relief being when the passages widened out to accommodate one of the black statues representing a Deity. The effect was eerie, and they walked in silence, even the garrulous Papa Keller having nothing to say. The only sound was the slap of their bare feet on the cool marble floors, as they had left their footwear at the door.

Telli did not know how long they had walked, and had lost count of how many fine statues he had seen, when a triumphant 'ah yes' came from the old man ahead, and they emerged from a small exit into the bright sunlight of late afternoon. He found himself in a pleasant garden with a large tree in the centre, surrounded by a low stone wall.

"How did you know the way, Papa?" asked Rhyll. The old man chuckled.

"I have no idea of the way. All I know is the secret. You take an upward slope whenever you can. If all ways go down, you must go down, but you go up again at the first chance you have. Keep on like this, and you go up more often than down, and must eventually reach the top. We did well. Sometimes it takes a lot longer."

Telli and Setisia had already made their way to the garden wall, and were looking out over the city, exclaiming at the view.

"Telli, even if we did not have reasons to come here to Kellmarsh, we should have done so anyway." Setisia had heard of this temple since she was too young to remember, and had looked forward to seeing it since she had decided to join Telli on his travels. The others joined them at the parapet.

"I said it was a lazy way to see the city," said Rhyll. "Even Papa can earn his silver without poling his punt, by telling you what you see below." There were a number of towers scattered around the city that reached a greater height, but the temple top still offered an excellent view. This would be useful to the youngsters over the next few days as they found their way around the maze of streets and canals that was Kellmarsh. Their guide pointed out many landmarks, and they began to develop maps of the city in their minds. The most impressive building was the Duke's palace, only a few hundred yards away, a large complex of buildings behind high walls, like a city within a city. The old man also identified the position of the dock where their boat lay, and the offices of the King's officials in the city where they wished to go the next day.

"Ah, so you have come to see the King have you?" said Papa, chuckling. "I think you might have to wait a while. I'd like to have a chat with him about a few things, but I've been here sixty-four years, and he has yet to say hello to me!" The old Keller seemed to find the idea of seeking an audience with the monarch very funny. He took them to the side of the parapet facing the lake and pointed out across it.

"Look! You can see his summer cottage, to which I still await my first invitation."

Telli, as well as Setisia, knew from childhood what they were looking at. Across the lake, at about five miles' distance, the southern mountains rose sheer from the water. In the direction Papa indicated with his pointed finger, they could see what looked like a giant pillar rising from the lake just to the fore of the mountains in such a way that they could not tell whether it was joined to the range behind it or not. More than a thousand feet above the lake's surface, the tip of the pillar had been shaped into the largest castle the Kingdom had ever known. This was Tellui, built for Telli's namesake, the Kingdom's unifier, and still the first home of its rulers.

"The mad dwarf's dream, the work he killed himself with. He was a Keller, you know, a builder's son, and such a clever builder has seldom been seen since. The madman who dreamed up this was his match, maybe." The old man stamped his foot, indicating the Temple. His voice had lost its light laughter, and the love of the buildings he had lived with all his life showed through.

"Who were they?" asked Telli.

"I am not good at remembering times, and cannot put things in my mind as systems. I spoke only half in jest when I said that the young miss might tell us something of history. But surely you have heard of the dwarf? Tell him what you know, young lady, and I shall only correct you if I know better." All four had been strangely effected by their ascent through the Black Temple, something its architect had clearly intended. Setisia told what she had learned from the parchments she loved to read, and knew by heart.

"When Tellimakis had brought the Kingdoms together into one, he made his seat here in Kellmarsh. The city was being re-built at the time, and one of its finest builders sought to demonstrate his prowess to the King. He built a fine tower, nine stages in height, and was pleased when the King came to view it, and admired the work. Asking the good builder about the secrets of his trade, Tellimakis realised that the man did not fully understand all he had done. 'How can you achieve this without full knowledge', he asked. The builder replied that when he was in doubt, he had only to ask his own son. Tellimakis asked to see the boy, but the father replied that his son was sick, and in no state to discourse with a King. Finding this curious, the good King demanded to see the boy, saying that it was no matter if the lad was incapable of polite behaviour, and that he would ask his own doctors to do all they could to help one with such knowledge and talent. The builder reluctantly showed the King to his house, and into the yard behind. His son was at this time twenty years old. He had been deformed by accident at birth, and was a hunched dwarf, unable to walk well, and so shy that the King's men thought him incapable of proper speech. The yard was full of detailed models of buildings, constructed of pebbles and clay. Tellimakis, as you all know, is reputed to have been the wisest of Kings. He sent everyone away, including the poor dwarf's own family, and then sat on a wall in the yard, and started to construct his own small building from pebbles, ignoring the young cripple, who watched him. He did this for some hours, and when his men came to see if all was well, he sent them away, forbidding them to disturb him until he called. When he finally did this, they arrived to find the dwarf happily and fluently explaining to his monarch how buildings could, and should, be constructed. To the surprise of all, Tellimakis announced that the boy's father would be his chief city architect, and that the dwarf himself would design and build the castle intended as his centre of government. The castle was built over three reigns, completed in the time of Tellimakis's granddaughter, Queen Tallia, for whom the lake was renamed. The little architect was obsessed with the perfection of his great work, right down to the smallest detail. He lived to be ninety-seven years old, hobbling round the walls and passages of his creation to supervise the work until it was near to completion. Always eccentric, and showing increasing signs of madness, he saw one day that a mason had placed a block of stone at the wrong angle, and threw himself from the battlements in a fit of pique, plunging a thousand feet to his death in the lake below. The Queen had loved the little dwarf, whose work she had grown up in, and was grief stricken at his death. She commissioned several of his pupil-builders to construct a monument to him in the lake where he had fallen, and I think that must be the white tower we can see rising from the water at the base of the cliff. Am I not right, Papa?"

"Indeed, indeed, and may I say that I have never heard the story so well told." Setisia had found a new admirer in the old boatman, who now addressed her with respect. "What of mad Mankis, then, whose work we stand on. Tell your young friend, who listens to you with such devotion written on his face, about him." Telli laughed at this, and protested.

"She is my ship's captain and I am her loyal slave. Do you not think you would be devoted to her if you knew her better, Papa?"

"Enough! I am embarrassed with compliments," said the object of Telli's devotion. "To Mankis the mad, whose finest work lies beneath our feet. Mankis was a sculptor by trade before he was a builder. He worked up and down the country, mainly on temples, as many of his trade do today. After the great civil war, Roffis was King, and wished to thank all the major Gods for the new peace that he had finally established. Mankis was designing temples by this time, and had gained a reputation for great originality, bringing him both fame and notoriety. Some thought his temples to be the greatest in the land, and others hated them as they broke with all the conventions of temple design in those times. But all agreed that a visit to any one of his works was an experience never to be forgotten. Roffis was courageous, and decided to take a chance with the eccentric designer, already known as the madman. This Temple, now considered one of the greatest works in the land, was the result. You have not heard of it, Telli, because it was built just after your ancestors left the Kingdom, both events happening for connected reasons. To flee the horrors of the war, and to celebrate its ending.

"Mankis would let no one, not even the King, see the interior of the temple before its completion. Those working on it had no understanding of the design, never seeing the full plans, and were sworn to secrecy about what they saw during its building. Twice, the King nearly stopped the construction, but Mankis persuaded him to keep faith until the end. There were rumours that the sculptor had completely lost his head, and that the design was a complete nonsense, and that the whole thing would fall down. When the day came for the opening, Mankis persuaded the King to go in alone, and not to come out until he had found the shrine to Lephelia, the Tree Goddess. This was King Roffis's favourite Deity, and he had ordered Mankis to create it himself, using his own hands, not those of an apprentice. We are in Lephelia's shrine now. The tree you see is three hundred years old, and is probably the most famous in the land. Mankis had used his own hands, but not to sculpture from stone. He had simply planted a tree, a joke surely a sane man would not play on a warrior King like Roffis.

I now understand the ending of the story, having experienced the magic of the Black Temple myself. Roffis was about two hours in the temple, his retinue growing restless and uneasy outside. The King eventually emerged from the little door at the base, walked up to Mankis, and stood for a moment facing him in silence. Then he burst out laughing, and embraced the great designer, congratulating him on his audacity and courage. The madman had been so confident in the power of his creation, that he could place a joke on the top knowing that the King would have been seduced by the power of the temple before he reached it, as indeed, I was this afternoon, weren't you?" They all agreed with Setisia that the temple had a powerful magic, and that the designer must have been a true genius.

The group spent another two hours on 'Papa's' punt after leaving the Black Temple. He took them to the City Gardens, a pleasant, green expanse, surrounded by canals so they could pole all round it. Telli volunteered to pole the boat for a while, leaving Papa Keller to rest on the seat by Setisia, and describe the scenes of the city they were passing in his amusing and cynical way. He took them past his own home, showing with pride a neat little house in a row on the banks of a narrow canal. He explained that these were King's houses, owned and maintained by the monarch, and let out usually to older folk such as himself, who had no great wealth, for a very low rent. He was clearly appreciative of this, saying that the King made sure that the houses were always in excellent repair, and he professed himself to be a loyal King's man because of efforts such as this on behalf of the poor. Telli had noticed how the King was held in respect, rather than fear, by the common people of the Kingdom. Setisia, Rhyll, Slomen and Flankis had all expressed support for the monarch. Tellimakis the first had been known as a defender of the people against injustice and tyranny, and it appeared that his heirs had been true to him.

Rhyll directed the old boatman to a tavern overlooking the harbour, where he wished to meet some friends, and paid him off generously. Papa Keller was clearly pleased with his easy and profitable afternoon, and told them to look for him in the market place whenever they needed a taxi, saying that he would take Setisia where she wished for free, so long as she gave him one of her history lessons during the ride. He set off for his home, leaving the trio standing on the dock.

Telli, Setisia and Rhyll stood for a while gazing out over Lake Tallian as the sun sank below its western horizon. Rhyll explained details of the big ships anchored in the harbour before them, then asked the others if they were hungry.

"Is this a Mendai tavern you are taking us to?" asked Setisia.

"No, although some of us frequent it. This fine hostelry is run by northerners, the Treochim themselves, of whom you must have heard, even you, Telli, as Tellimakis the First, of whom Setisia has told us so much today, was one of them."

"So you take us to eat with wild warriors like yourself. That should be fun. Lead on, brave crewman, for the Treochim seldom come to Bhuin, and like Telli, I have never seen them." Setisia and Telli followed their friend to the tavern.

Rhyll pushed open the door and led the others into a large room decorated with stags antlers, bearskins, spears, and other artefacts reflecting the hunter/warrior culture of the Kingdom's northernmost tribes. He was greeted by cries of recognition from several of the room's occupants. 'Fiddler Rhyll', 'Red Rhyll' and, to his young friends' amusement, 'Mad Rhyll', seemed to be his nicknames here. The tavern's owner came forward and embraced the Mendai. While they talked, Telli and Setisia examined the room, its exotic decor and its occupants.

The northerners, like the Mendai, were very visibly a race apart in the Kingdom. They were dark, their skin a yellowish brown and their hair black. Their noses were small and broad, and their eyes narrow and slanted slightly upwards at the outside. As the Mendai were the newest of the tribes to populate the area between the high mountain ranges now known as the Kingdom, these northerners claimed to be descendants of the oldest. Unlike the gypsies, these tribes were settled, but like Mendai, had little taste for farming, living by hunting and gathering the plentiful fruits of their wild northern forests. They were another group to guard their own ancient tongue for use amongst themselves.

Outside their own territory, they were usually soldiers, and known as the fiercest and most loyal of the King's troops. Young Mendai often served in the King's forces also, and Rhyll had told Setisia and Telli many stories about the two years he had spent as a soldier. It was during this time that he had formed close ties with some of his Treochim companions in arms, and he had come here now to meet a man he considered his closest friend outside the Mendai clans. This friend was expecting him, as Rhyll had made use of a system of communication known as the four-penny post.

Telli found this clever way of sending messages fascinating. People would leave letters in the care of the captains of fast boats, giving them one penny for their troubles. The captain would deliver these to the 'post shop' at the relevant port, receiving another penny for each letter passed on, which, as he could be carrying tens or even hundreds of messages, provided him with a considerable source of income for very little work. The post shop would then deliver the letters to the addressees, receiving four pence for each one, hence the name of this generally very reliable system. Rhyll had asked Setisia to write him a letter to this tavern some days before, and had passed it to the captain of the first fast boat they had encountered headed for Kellmarsh. On arrival that morning, he had sent another note, already prepared by Setisia, by one of the city messenger boys. These patrolled the market wearing a blue cap and white sash to identify themselves as post-boys, and would also receive four pence on delivery of the message. Rhyll now learnt that his friend awaited him in a room upstairs, and he reimbursed the tavern owner his eight pennies, and ordered food and wine to be sent up, before leading his companions up three flights of stairs.

They entered a large room at the front of the building, with two bay windows overlooking the harbour and offering fine views of the lake. Two men were sitting at a table by one of the windows, a carafe of wine before them, and both rose to greet Rhyll, all three of them showing obvious pleasure at the reunion. One, about Rhyll's age, and equally fierce and tough looking, was of the Treochim, and the other a young Mendai, who looked like a slightly taller version of Rhyll, without the scars. Telli and Setisia were not surprised when Rhyll introduced the young gypsy as his youngest brother, Mhyfait, a serving soldier. The other was Keoch, who had served the King with Rhyll, and was now a merchant of sorts, his family owning several boats which traded goods between Kellmarsh and their own lands in the far north.

Rhyll asked the others to make a space for his young companions closest to the window.

"It is their first day here, and they must see all that goes on around them, especially Tellimakis, who had seen no other settlement but his own village until this summer," he explained. Rhyll had arranged to see his friend Keoch for pleasure, but also had serious business in mind, and asked Setisia if she would not mind telling the story of the conspiracy she had witnessed, and of the attack on her cottage. She did this, and while the two men listened, Telli felt thankful towards Rhyll, who had obviously taken the attack on his new half-Mendai friend, along with the murder of her father, as something the clan Dullai should deal with. He was now involving a Treochim friend, and Telli sensed that he wished to find the man Grenwald, and to do so quickly.

When Setisia had finished her story, Rhyll told the men of the young girl at Madam Feartha's in Rislet, and the scars she bore from the attack by Setisia's enemy, saying he would give them details later, as they were not for young ears. It was Mhyfait who spoke first when his brother was finished.

"The elders here got your message from Rislet some days ago. All Mendai in Kellmarsh will have had it read to them by now. When Keoch told me yesterday that you would soon be here, I checked with Papa Abhyll, who takes charge of such searches, and he said this one was easy, as the subject had such unusual features. Your man has been seen in Kellmarsh a number of times over the past few years, and Abhyll knows of two places he has used as lodgings, both being whorehouses with fronts of respectability. He has not been seen in town recently, and the last time he was known to stay here was about three months ago. The houses he uses are both being checked out regularly, and there are a number of 'keller' street urchins going around with their eyes peeled, as Abhyll has offered a reward of several silver crowns for a confirmed sighting of the villain. If he comes to Kellmarsh, he will need to be cleverly disguised to avoid Papa Abhyll's net for long."

Setisia was clearly impressed by the work the Mendai were doing on her behalf, also by the obvious efficiency with which they went about it. She thanked the brothers profusely. Keoch now spoke for the first time.

"Mendai princess, can you describe to me in as much detail as you can remember the features of the fat merchant who was party to this conspiracy." Setisia did so, emphasising the man's piggy little brown eyes and huge double chin as his most unusual features. Keoch said he would ask around, as this man could either be a Kellmarsh merchant, or one who passed through regularly.

"However, do not hold out to much hope," he laughed, "there are many fat merchants amongst these lazy southerners. You will not see any of my people with two chins. We would rather drown in the river than be seen in such a state. But you say he was wearing white gloves, and I have not seen many with this affectation, so it is possible we may find someone who can put a name to your description. There is, of course, a good chance that this conspiracy you chanced upon is based here in the city. Little can go on in the politics of the Kingdom without having some connection to Kellmarsh."

"Do you think such a conspiracy could threaten the Kingdom's peace?" Setisia asked.

"Most probably not, but if it is well organised, it could cause trouble in certain areas. The Kingdom is large, and should the conspirators have the means to raise an army of mercenaries, they might cause trouble if concentrating their efforts in one place. But as a whole, the Kingdom is well governed, and its people prosper, which leads to great support for the King. The involvement of your red robed priest is worrying, however, and this may be the secret of the plotters' confidence. He represents a growing cult of fanatics, and I believe they have a power base not too far north of your home in Bhuin. Fanatics do not behave with reason, and may not fear death. You told your story well, pretty half-gypsy, and I was interested that the words you heard from this priest indicated that he did not believe in the cult he pretends to represent. I have heard that these priests ask for great gifts of money from their followers. As they have been doing this for some years, it may be that their order is very rich, and could finance a dangerous army, as well as bribing corrupt officials around the Kingdom to help their cause."

Keoch was clearly a man who involved himself with the politics of the Kingdom. Rhyll teased him, saying that he had grown away from his roots as a hunter in the Treochim homelands, becoming a city sophisticate and dandy, the gypsy knowing that to one from these northern tribes there could hardly be a greater insult. Keoch moved so quickly that he had Rhyll in a headlock before the others had realised what was happening. He grinned as his friend struggled, and they began a mock wrestling match.

"You will apologise, gypsy scum, or I shall scalp that red mane of yours, and stick it over the door of my family's home up north when I return. I can think of no more frightening mask to ward off the evil spirits, can you?" He winked at Setisia and Telli as he held Rhyll in an iron grip, which the other could not escape.

"Now, boys, this is no way to behave before a lady who is also a ship's captain," said Mhyfait, throwing a cup of wine over the others. Rhyll apologised after a moment, saying that his friend still moved like a hunter, and that it was he who had grown soft in the last ten days of easy down river sailing. The arrival of the landlord with a tray of food and bottles of beer and wine interrupted them. As their table was laid, Mhyfait confided to Telli that, although he was the largest of the three men, he would not attempt to wrestle with either of the others, as he knew they were too quick and strong.

Keoch, for all his fierce looks, the hunter's skins he wore, and the knives in his belt, was a handsome and charming man. He wished the youngsters a good welcome to the city.

"Rhyll will stay with me and I have plenty of space in my apartments for friends of his, as they must also be friends of mine. Where had you planned to stay?"

"We still have possessions on our boat, and had planned to sleep there," Setisia explained.

"It is moored in the east dock," Rhyll said to the others, "and is well guarded. Normally, this is a safe enough place to sleep, but I had thought that I might stay with you, Setisia, if you insisted on sleeping there. This was only because of the chance that you might meet the enemies we have just been discussing while in Kellmarsh. I prefer to think of my little captain being safe within four walls, and wish that you would take up Keoch's offer for the time being."

"It would be a pleasure for me to accommodate you," Keoch encouraged them, and Setisia agreed to stay with him that night, and thanked him for such kindness shown to complete strangers.

As the party sat eating and drinking, Rhyll mentioned to Keoch that Telli was also a hunter at heart, 'living wild in great forests like you Treochim, but west of the Great Western Range,' as he put it. Keoch was interested, and this led to Telli telling his own story. Rhyll warned the other men that they were about to listen to a tale stranger than any they had ever heard, as Telli started to speak of Elneside and his departure from it. He avoided any mention of his flying, as usual. When he had finished, the pair questioned him at length on the Khrelling, as Rhyll had done.

"Well, Rhyll is right," said Keoch after they had discussed the cave creatures for some time. "It is a strange tale, but you speak as if it is truth, fellow hunter, and if this sly gypsy believes you, then so do I. There are ancient tales recounted amongst my people, told now to frighten children into good behaviour, of goblins who live in dark caves and will snatch away infants who wander too far from home. Perhaps our forebears had some contact with these Khrelling of yours. How do you plan to bring this story to the attention of the King?"

"We shall go tomorrow to the King's offices, try to convince his officials of the importance of my experiences, and hope to gain an audience with the King himself by this means," Telli explained. The Treoch merchant looked thoughtful.

"You are right to do that, but may find it difficult because some of the King's officials think it their job to protect their monarch from the many supplications he receives each day. Try this, and I shall try to think of other ways to get your message through. We three are not powerful men, but we may be able to find a way to get your story heard by those who are, as it surely deserves to be."

It had been a long day for the three travellers, and they chose to pass the evening quietly in the upstairs room, talking with Keoch and Mhyfait, and enjoying good food and wine while looking out at the lake with its dots of torchlight marking boats that moved at night. Mhyfait said goodnight as all five left the tavern together, but Keoch walked with them to the boat, where they collected Rhyll's fiddle and a few other things of value, before making their way to the Treoch's house. Here they met his charming and hospitable young wife, Hellioch, known as Helli, and settled for the night.

In the morning both Rhyll and Keoch left early on business, after making sure that Telli and Setisia knew the easiest way to the King's offices, and wishing them luck in their affairs. The youngsters ate a leisurely morning meal with Helli and her two children, and fell in love with all three. Helli proved to be the brains behind her husband's merchant business, running it from her home since she had had the two babies. She was the partner who understood the facts and figures of commerce, and claimed, with a smile, that Keoch would almost certainly have stayed a soldier had he not married. Telli thought her a truly beautiful woman, the fine features of her race seemingly perfected in her oval face, and her obvious intelligence showing clearly through them as she talked and laughed with her guests and her children. The younger of these two, both girls, was a babe in arms, and the elder, Tseochy, a lively toddler of three years, already capable of chatting away in Allenth as well as her mother tongue. She fell for Setisia immediately, loving her wavy red locks, in such contrast to the dark, straight hair of her own people, and soon the cries of 'Setti, Setti', that Telli had first heard from the infants of West Hartlett, were ringing through her mother's finely decorated apartments.

Helli revealed that she had been told the stories behind her guests' arrival in Kellmarsh, and wished them luck, as Setisia managed to extricate herself from Tseochy's clutches, and they set off to try and gain access to the Kingdom's rulers.

"What a beautiful family," Setisia commented as they walked through the cobbled streets. Telli agreed, and suggested that if they found time that afternoon, they might find 'Papa Keller' at the market, and offer to take Helli and her babes around the town wherever they wished to go.

"With us to help look after the young ones, Helli may find some welcome freedom," he said.

"You are a kind and thoughtful goblin at times. Here we are, we must ask the doorman for access to a clerk, so shall I do it or will you?" They had reached the wall surrounding the offices where the King's business in the city was conducted, and stood outside impressive iron gates with tall ornamental pillars on either side.

"You are the one with the witching charm, so let us see if it works."

"Thank you, Tellimakis. I suppose you could always fly over the wall if I fail to gain entrance." With this Setisia approached a lone guard standing beside a small portal in one of the gates.

"Kind sir, we come with important news for the King, and must ask you for your advice as to how we may achieve serious conversation with one of his senior officers." Setisia removed her hat as she spoke, letting her fine red locks fall to her shoulders, and smiling her sweetest smile up at the tall guardsman. He replied after looking her up and down for a moment.

"Young miss, it is my duty to say to you that there are severe penalties for those who seek to waste the time of the King's workers."

"And so it should be, so it should be. If these workers were distracted by such behaviour, how ever could they bring serious business, such as ours, to the attention of their master?" The pretty green eyes looked sincerely up into the soldier's.

"If you are clearly aware that penalties can be imposed for time wasting, then I can let you enter, but you must leave any weapons you might be carrying here with me."

Setisia and Telli left the hunting knives they wore by habit in the guard house just inside the gate, and crossed a small courtyard to an open door, which the guardsman had indicated as the entrance used for their kind of business. Another guard stood just inside this, and a clerk, who wrote down their names, was seated beside him.

"You are numbers fourteen and fifteen, and should not have to wait too long, as number nine is currently with the interview officers," the clerk said, pointing to a row of wooden chairs on which several other supplicants were seated, waiting their turns. The pair sat down, pleased to have got this far so easily. They were in a high-ceilinged room, the walls covered in carved wooden panels with a number of marble busts set on shelves projecting from them. Both felt the nervous anticipation common in people when waiting for something that they know will be a new experience. Numbers ten to thirteen were called over a period of about an hour, by a voice that came through an open doorway opposite the one through which they had entered. At the same time, several other people arrived from outside to wait beside them.

"Fourteen, if you please."

Setisia got up, and went through the doorway, as number thirteen made for the building's exit. She found herself in a plain, white walled room, much smaller than the one she had left. Two men sat on the far side of a desk placed near the far wall, one scribbling with a quill on parchment before him. The other, an expensively dressed man of middle age, indicated a chair opposite them, and Setisia sat down.

"What is your business, miss?" He asked the question in the manner of one who was tired with repeating it, day in, day out, every week of the year.

"I come to inform our noble and revered monarch, King Beranis, of a devilish plot against his rule and his person," Setisia stated, grandly, then waited for the other to speak. She was lucky, and the middle-aged father came to the fore in his personality, pushing the cold official into the background, the man surprising himself as he smiled at the very pretty young woman before him.

"My dear, there are perhaps many misguided souls who speak against my Lord and Master. What is it that makes you think that your conspiracy is of such importance as to be worthy of the time of his officers of state?"

Setisia told her story clearly and precisely, using her bewitching charm to the full. The man with the quill scribbled notes at speed as she did so. She finished by stating that she knew well that it would be possible for stupid men to conspire against the King, while posing no real threat. However, she was convinced that the conspirators she had overheard were far from stupid, and were confident in their ability to attempt a bid for power in the Kingdom. She said that their organisation must be widespread. She had been so concerned by this as to leave her comfortable home, in a village whose inhabitants were like family to her, and undertake the dangerous voyage down the Great River in a tiny boat, accompanied only by one faithful friend of her own age.

"I felt that I must warn the faithful servants of our King, such as the two I now find myself seated before in earnest discussion, of the grave threat these men might be to the peace enjoyed by all good citizens of the Kingdom." She finished by asking if she might read over the notes made by the clerk, to see if there were any points she could help clarify for him, deliberately meaning to impress the men with her knowledge of letters, something far from universal in the land. The clerk looked at his superior, seeing if he would permit this unusual break with their rules of procedure. The official nodded his assent, still recovering from the effects of meeting the little fountain of wisdom and beauty seated opposite him, a feeling Telli would have sympathised with had he been there. Setisia read over the notes, and politely suggested one or two corrections, while complementing the clerk on his ability to write down so much with such speed and in such detail.

The official asked her a few questions when he felt up to it. Then he ordered his clerk to write out a chit on a piece of blue coloured parchment, which he signed and handed to Setisia.

"You must come here in four days' time, bringing this to show the doorman. The King's Lieutenant of Supplications comes here from Tellui on that day. You must be here before noon, and he will hear you. Do you have a safe place to stay in the city, my dear?" He surprised his clerk by reaching beyond the call of duty with this last question. Setisia replied that she had been fortunate enough to find friends to stay with, and thanked him for his concern and for his help in enabling her to see the King's Lieutenant. Bowing politely to the two men, she left the room.

The King's official looked at his clerk, and chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

"I do not think we shall be in trouble for sending the young lady on up the ladder. Even if her story proves to be of no importance, the Lieutenant will undergo an unusual, and rather pleasant, experience in its telling. Call the next." The pair were unaware that their own unusual experiences of the morning had only just started as the clerk called, "fifteen, if you please."

Telli entered the room, and took the seat indicated, as Setisia had done.

"What is your business, young man?" The questioner had reverted to his tone of bored officialdom, but was soon to lose it, as this supplicant had his own weapons with which to disarm the interviewers.

"I am not of this Kingdom, but have come a long way to see its noble ruler on a matter of great importance to him, and to his subjects," Telli began. He spoke slowly and clearly in his Elneside dialect, instead of imitating the speech of the easterners as he often did now in order to be easily understood. He gained the attention of the men, neither of whom had met a foreigner before, let alone interviewed one.

"Where are you from, then?"

"A land we call Drakisland, which is unknown to all I have met here. My reason for requesting an audience with your King concerns a group of his subjects who are now imprisoned as slaves in the Western Mountain Range, beyond which lies my own land." Telli told his tale, once again, leaving out only all related to his 'flying'. The official listened and the clerk scribbled away.

"How do I tell if this tale of yours is the truth, or, what seems more likely, the ravings of a mad child?" The interviewer spoke having sat for a full minute in silence after Telli had finished.

"You cannot, except by thinking why someone should make up such a tale. But if you choose to pass my message on to your superiors, I shall be prepared to state to them that if any time taken up by this is considered to be wasted, then the responsibility lies with me, not with you, his majesty's loyal servants. I shall serve one year in the city dungeons for every minute wasted, without protest, if the King is not satisfied with my honesty and good intentions."

The official thought for a moment, before ordering his clerk to write out another blue chit, and instructing Telli to return in four day's time. When the boy had left, after thanking him politely for his time, the man turned to his clerk, and said.

"If I am to be reprimanded for sending a mad girl to the Lieutenant, then I may as well be told off for sending a mad boy at the same time. Hopefully, we can now return to our normal business of dealing with broken merchants who ask for simple things, like money. Call the next supplicant."

Telli and Setisia walked through the streets, arm in arm, content with their successes in passing the first hurdle on the way to an audience with the King. They laughed as they compared their experiences, each describing the reactions of the official as he had heard their unusual stories. Setisia was relieved that Telli had gained an interview, knowing that he thought often of Brakis and the other slaves he had befriended during his time in the Khrelling valley. When they reached Helli's house, they found that Rhyll had returned and was sitting with Tseochy on his lap, having his bright red hair pulled.

"How was it, supplicants?" he asked.

"We have appointments with a Lieutenant of the King in four days' time, both of us, and must find things to do 'til then. We thought Helli might like to come with us on a punt around the town with the children, if we can find the old 'Keller' from yesterday," said Setisia.

"A good idea, but I have a better one. Why not take your own boat, and you can experience sailing on a lake. The day is perfect for it as it is very hot in the city, but there is a good breeze blowing over the lake, which will both keep us cool and fill the sail. We can give this little hair-puller a close view of Tellui castle." Rhyll's idea was good, and the four agreed on it. He and Telli left to see a merchant about changing Telli's gold ore, while Helli made herself and her children ready. Rhyll negotiated a reasonable price, so Telli found himself with enough silver crowns to last him for some weeks in the city, and felt grateful to old Slomen for the generous estimate of the value of his hunting efforts during their partnership. They returned to the house by canal taxi, this being the easiest way to take Helli and her babes to the boat.

Sailing on Lake Tellui was what Setisia's little boat, of southern make, had originally been designed for, and the little vessel was a pleasure to handle on its calm waters. Once clear of the traffic by the port, Telli and Setisia left the handling of the boat to Rhyll, and took care of the two children, leaving Helli free to chat with the Mendai at the tiller. These two had been close friends since he had made the journey to her homeland in the far north some years before to attend her marriage ceremony. Rhyll steered a course across the lake towards Tellui, and his shipmates stood in the bows, each with an infant in their arms, looking ahead at the towers and turrets of the mad dwarf's creation.

As they neared the huge pillar of rock on which Tellui had been built, Rhyll steered the boat to its right, so the others could see how, although it was attached to the mountains behind, the top of the promontory was, in some sense, an island. Far above them a river flowed off the mountain range, forming a waterfall. Where the pillar of Tellui joined the range behind it, the waterfall was divided in two, falling to the lake on each side, meaning that the point of the rock was actually surrounded by water, the falls above and the lake below. The party on Setisia's boat could see the western half of the falls, tumbling a thousand feet into a whirlpool of white foam ahead of them, and sending out waves that rocked the little boat beneath them. Setisia waxed poetic, addressing Telli.

"Wanderer, you who have been fated to see so many of the great works of Setisia, surely you must count this amongst the finest." Telli laughed, saying that it was indeed a great spectacle, but that he hoped to show her one day the great water cavern he had seen in the caves of the Khrelling, which was perhaps an even greater wonder of the Goddess's art. He held little Tseochy up to see the falls, teaching her the word 'waterfall', which she repeated throughout the afternoon, adding it to her already impressive vocabulary.

Telli looked at the huge cliff above them and at the castle walls visible on top. He calculated how many flights it might take him to reach the top if he could find grips on the way up, thinking that it might require about fifty stages. He looked back down to see Setisia smiling at him, and she showed that she had read his thoughts, something she was becoming very good at. They were out of earshot of Rhyll and Helli.

"I do not want my favourite goblin dashed to death on hard rocks, or drowned in the waters of this lake, like the dwarf builder. You will enter Tellui only with the King's permission, and that is an order, slave."

The afternoon on the lake was a great success, Helli and Tseochy enjoying the treat, and thanking captain Setisia as they re-entered Kellmarsh port. Telli realised that at any time he and Setisia wanted a change from life in the city, they could use the boat in this way. He had seen tempting forests reaching the banks of the lake at some points, and they also had access to all the rivers that fed it, and to the continuation of the Great River, which flowed out of the lake to the east.

It was evening by the time the party reached Helli's home, Setisia and Telli taking it in turns to carry a tired Tseochy. Keoch was there, waiting for them, and had news for Setisia. He spoke at length after embracing his lovely wife and daughters.

"I think I may have found out who your fat merchant is, although you would have to see him for us to be sure. There is a Kellmarsh merchant who fits your description, down to the point of a taste for embroidered white gloves, something some of his ilk affect as a symbol that they do not need to soil their hands with real work. But there are certainly others up and down the Kingdom who would also fit. One thing about this fellow, though, is that he certainly has a reason to harbour a grudge against the King, and to wish for the removal of certain laws enforced by the monarch and the Duke of Kellmarsh. He is the brother of a very, very rich merchant, a man I had heard of before making my enquiries today. This older brother is even fatter than the man you saw in Bhuin, reputed to be so obese that he cannot walk without the support of two strong servants. He is a recluse, and is said to stay always within the walls of his mansion. Several years ago, he was convicted by the King's court for the capture, enslavement and abuse of young girls from remote forest tribes, those peoples who do not speak Allenth and live a life separate from the rest of the Kingdom. These girls were taken to serve the lusts of men without scruples. Many of the victims were much younger than you are, princess, and in the opinion of many, the man was treated too leniently. He was held for only two years in the Duke's dungeons, after he had been made to pay the cost of the return of these girls to their tribes, and considerable sums of gold in compensation to their peoples. It is men wishing to be free to conduct businesses such as these who dislike the order Beranis brings to the Kingdom."

"What is this man's name?" asked Rhyll.

"Sestakis is the slaver, known as 'the slug' to those who do not like him, and there are many of these. Have you heard of him?"

"No, I do not think so, but I go to see some Mendai tonight, and shall certainly find someone who knows something. What of the brother?"

"Fostak is his name, fat Fostak, of course, and he lives with his brother, and goes about doing his business, as the other has not been seen out since he returned home after his spell as the Duke's guest. How did you two fare in your petitioning of the King?" Setisia told what they had achieved, and the Treoch congratulated them, saying that he was particularly impressed that Telli had managed to tell his strange story in such a way as not to be considered a crazed beggar, and get thrown straight out onto the streets by the guards. He then said that he would take Setisia and Telli in his canoe to show them the villain Sestakis's house. Rhyll said that he would join them.

Keoch's house, like many in Kellmarsh, had a door opening to a street on one side and another onto a canal from the other. He kept a canoe moored here, and they set off for the wealthy suburb that was home to 'the slug'. Reaching it shortly before the last light of day faded, they paddled up and down in front of a large mansion, its towers visible behind a wall more than twenty feet high. Keoch had pointed out landmarks on the way, so that the others could find the place themselves if they wished to.

"There will be an opening onto a street from the other side," he said, as they passed a huge double door in the wall by the canal. "The way to find out if the younger brother is Setisia's man would be for her to watch the gates, as he must enter and leave most days on business if he is in town at this moment. You must be sure that you are not noticed, dear, if you do this, and must not do it on your own." He turned the canoe and set off back in the direction of the city centre.

As they passed the canal entrance to the house next to Sestakis's, that of another large walled mansion, two men were coming down the steps before it towards a waiting punt with a boatman standing in its stern. Telli heard Setisia's sharp intake of breath, and felt her hand on his shoulder. He saw that the men on the steps were dressed in blood-red robes, and had their heads shaved, leaving only a crest of hair in the centre. When they were out of earshot, he asked:

"Was one of them your evil priest?"

"No, I saw their faces clearly, and I would know his immediately. But can it be chance that we see them so near to the house of the merchant we suspect? I must find out if this Fostak is the man I saw in Bhuin. If so, I must find out who is the owner of the neighbouring house." Rhyll had heard this exchange, and said that it should be easy to find out who was the owner of such a large property.

"Do you three wish to join me in a Mendai eating place tonight," he asked. Keoch declined the offer, wishing to be with his family, but offered to drop the others off at the tavern before going home, and passed Rhyll a latchkey to his house, so they could return when they wished.

The tavern was lively, as Telli and Setisia had come to expect of any place where the Mendai congregated. Rhyll led them to a table where an elderly man sat on his own.

"Papa Abhyll, this is Tellimakis, and this is 'Princess' Setisia, of whom you have heard much." Rhyll introduced his companions to the Mendai elder, an important man in his own clan, the Dullai, who greeted them with a broad smile and an invitation to be seated at his table.

"So, this is Barhyll 'flute man's' granddaughter, and beautiful enough to merit the name of a Goddess you are, my dear. I used to play music with your grandfather, and you seldom hear such a master of the flute, I can tell you. It may interest you to know that the man with the purple shirt seated over there is his grandson. Would you like to meet your cousin?" He pointed to a table some distance away, where two men and two women were seated. Setisia kept her customary calm, but Telli knew she must be excited at her first chance to meet a close relative of her father's.

"Thank you for your kind words, Papa, and for the work I hear you have been doing to find an enemy of mine," she said. "Yes, I would be most interested to meet a member of my grandfathers family." The old man called out loudly.

"Sabhytt, Sabhytt, come here. You neglect your family, young scoundrel. Come over, and stop ignoring your cousin." The man had turned his head on hearing his name, and stood up, stooping under each ceiling beam as he came towards them. Telli was surprised to see that Setisia's cousin was a giant, standing head and shoulders over all around him. As he reached their table, he recognised Rhyll in the gloom and, as both were Dullai, clearly took Papa Abhyll's words as referring to him.

"Rhyll 'fiddler' is it not? Why, it must be two years since we last arm wrestled in Thanet City. Are you still so easily beaten?" The two men embraced, and Rhyll said to his young companions that this was one man that he did not wrestle for silver, as it would be a quick road to poverty.

"But tell me, Sabhytt, Papa here says you are a grandson of Barhyll 'flute', is this true?"

"Indeed, he was my mother's father." Sabhytt pulled up a stool, and sat down, noticing Setisia for the first time. "Do I have to congratulate you on having a pretty daughter, or on finding a beautiful young wife, fiddler," he said, reminding Telli of Mother Raidy's question, and bringing a cackle of laughter from old Abhyll.

"Not his family, or mine, other than that she is Dullai, but yours, you great lump. Setisia is the cousin I was speaking of, whom you have so neglected, just when she could perhaps use such a gorilla at her side. She is your mother's youngest brother's daughter."

"Uncle Darhyll? He married an Allenthy from the upper Bhuin, but died without children, I was told." Sabhytt frowned in puzzlement, and Setisia spoke.

"I was born some months after my father's death, and grew up with my mother's people. I met few Mendai until recently, and Rhyll was the first Dullai I had ever come across, so the people of my father were not aware of my existence, it seems." Sabhytt was speechless for a minute, and then held out his hand to take hers, and bending low on his stool, kissed it.

"Well, welcome to the family, little beauty, and forgive me if I am a little lost for words."

When Sabhytt had recovered from his shock, it transpired that a number of Setisia's close family were alive and well, although none were in Kellmarsh at that moment. He himself had only arrived two days before, and had not yet heard of the search for his uncle's murderer. Abyhll had been about to approach his table, and give them Grenwald's description, when Rhyll's party had arrived. Sabhytt listened carefully to Setisia, Abhyll and Rhyll. As Setisia's story unfolded, Telli realised that she had gained an ally who could well be even more determined to search out Grenwald than Rhyll. He was less than thirty years old, but had fond memories of his uncle Darhyll from childhood. The family had assumed his murderers to be amongst those hung by the King's men when they had deposed the tyrant, and in a sense this was true. But it was Grenwald who was responsible for the existence of the gang, although he did not do his own dirty work, and Sabhytt, like Rhyll, clearly thought that he should be punished. He was prepared to rid the world of one who had so damaged his family with his own hands.

Telli watched Sabhytt with interest. His nature was clearly amiable and fun loving, even to Mendai standards, and this showed in spite of the seriousness of the subject under discussion. His hair was a very light orange colour, almost white at the ends, and he wore a full beard. Had it not been for the permanent smile wrinkles at the corners of the green eyes, his great size and wild mane of hair might have made him seem intimidating. Like most big men, and this giant was the biggest Telli had ever seen, Sabhytt could appear slow. However, it soon became apparent to the astute youngster that this was far from being the case. Sabhytt questioned the others about Grenwald, and then summarised their information like this.

"We are looking for a sick little man who will leave a trail to be followed both because of his looks, and by his actions, such as the attack on the child in Rislet. Some hide in the Kingdom by fleeing to the cover of wild country, but I guess that your man cannot do his own work to survive, and likes his comforts, so would not choose to stay in the wilds for long. Then, the best places to stay unnoticed are the large cities, and the largest by far of these is Kellmarsh. There may be an obvious connection between him and the fat pervert whose house you have just come from, don't you think, fiddler. Both have a taste for girls who cannot protest against cruel treatment. I think my clever new cousin has come across something that needs investigating, and I think there are men involved whose heads should roll, and whose necks I might like to break with my own hands, and would feel no shame in doing so."

"I have some Treoch friends who will help in finding out about the fat man," said Rhyll.

"Treoch? We could not have better help for this kind of thing," Sabhytt said. "I was going back east in a few days, but now shall stay until this thing is sorted. I hope to get acquainted with my charming new relative at the same time, and perhaps she will be good enough to introduce me to her young friend, who sits silently at her side and watches me with his sharp black eyes?" He put out a hand bigger than Telli's foot for him to shake as Setisia gave his name. "If you like the company of mad gypsies, young man, then you will like mine, for they say that few come madder. Now, Papa, let us eat and drink, and I shall pay for all as I am in a state of great happiness, having just experienced a surprise enlargement to my beloved family." He asked all at the table what they would like to eat and drink, then got up to find the landlord, and to excuse himself to the people with whom he had been sitting.

Papa Abhyll and Rhyll explained to Setisia that her cousin was well known amongst the Mendai because of his great size, and a personality to match it.

"I have only met him four or five times over the years," said Rhyll, "and had no idea he was your cousin. Papa here knows just about all Dullai in the Kingdom, their relations to one other, and to other Mendai. Your cousin has the reputation of a man of great heart, as well as for the performance of impossible feats of strength when he is in his cups. It is sure that he wishes to save me the trouble of killing your Grenwald."

"He may look a great oaf, my dear, but he has a quicker mind than he likes to pretend," said Abhyll, confirming Telli's impression.

"Yes, he has an exceptional mind, and I like this most unusual of cousins," said Setisia, drawing a sharp look from the old man, but only smiles from her crewmates, now accustomed to such confident judgements. "Let's try to forget my enemies for a while, so we can enjoy making each other's acquaintance."

Sabhytt returned with a large tray and placed the orders of each person before them.

"Good cousin, am I right in guessing that, as you have spent your childhood so sadly deprived of the company of the world's most charming people, you cannot speak Mendai?"

Sabhytt spoke after emptying a glass of beer in one long draught. Setisia managed to reply haltingly in the language, saying that she was learning from Rhyll, and the three men clapped in appreciation of the effort. Rhyll said that Telli was learning also, and the other two Mendai drank to his health and long life, Papa Abhyll saying that he had only ever met a handful of Allenthys who had mastered the tongue, and this had only been because they had married into the clans.

"But it would be worth it for you," he added, "for you would have thousands of friends around the Kingdom. As they can see that you are not of the blood, all would take your interest and effort as a great compliment, that is sure."

"Certainly true." Rhyll agreed. "I can manage the tongue of the Treochim quite well, and when I went north to my friend Keoch's wedding, I was treated like a prince, and stayed three weeks longer than I had intended. Everyone wished to meet the Mendai who could play their Treoch songs on the fiddle, and sing them as well. They even offered me a house if I would stay longer."

Sabhytt had also journeyed to the far north, and Rhyll soon realised he was in the company of another Mendai who admired the Treoch culture. He was as well travelled as Rhyll, and amused the others by describing the various ways he had made a living, ways only open to a giant. He had once been paid nearly double the rate as an oarsman, as the boat's captain could employ one man less on the side on which he was rowing. He had also been a fair ground wrestler and a stage performer, specialising in the roles of giants and Gods.

"The job I can get with ease, at any time and in any place, is that of guardsman. Every Lord and wealthy merchant in the country who can afford it wishes to have giants in their personal guard, but I find this work tedious, so have never stayed long in one position. I was in the King's guard once for three months, for which time it was interesting, but then felt the urge to travel, so I made my excuses to the captain and left."

"Have you met Beranis then, cousin?" Setisia was immediately interested.

"I was detailed to the guard of Princess Lephelia, a true Goddess in nature as well as name, as you are, my cousin. So I never spoke with the King, although I saw him many times."

"You spoke with Lephelia?"

"Oh yes, often, as she found me most amusing. I would have better been described as court jester than as bodyguard. I played my flute for her, and when I left, she gave me this." He pulled out a beautifully made silver flute set with precious stones from his vest, and held it up to the candlelight for them to see. "A pretty little plaything, is it not?"

Rhyll let out a whistle as he took the instrument from Sabhytt and examined it closely.

"She must have liked you! Setisia, your cousin could buy your little boat three or four times over with this."

"I would never part with it. Who else do you know who can boast such a gift from one who will be the next ruler of the Kingdom. This will stay with the family when I die. Part of the treasure of the Dullai, eh, Papa Abhyll, those great hoards you elders keep secret from us."

Sabhytt winked at Setisia as he said this. The Mendai paid a levy to their elders in the same way that other citizens paid taxes to the Lord of their region, who in turn paid taxes to the King. Papa Abhyll reacted in mock anger, saying that the Dullai coffers were always empty as the clan was full of wandering vagrants such as the two before him, who were less than generous in their donations to the communal cause. Both younger men passed him a silver piece, laughing as he ranted. Ryhll explained that the Mendai contributed to their scattered and wandering communities as and when they could afford to. The elders would pass some on to the King, so the clans were in a sense like fiefdoms, but with no fixed territory. In return, they had had the protection and support of the monarchs for their unusual lifestyle ever since the elders had first made an agreement with Tellimakis the First. The benefits were mutual, and the King had a network of loyal supporters spread all over the Kingdom if he treated the Mendai well. Sabhytt claimed, only half jokingly, that the Mendai were rich.

"The clan Mellai bought a huge mansion of fifty rooms here in Kellmarsh about sixty years ago, and they still have it. The story goes that the proud merchant next door died of apoplexy when he learned that his new neighbours were gypsies. The clan Rollai then bought his house for cheap, other merchants being reluctant to live next to the Mellai. We joke that the Mendai will soon have the whole street." The giant guffawed loudly at this, Telli and Setisia laughing with him. Setisia had just turned the conversation back to Princess Lephelia, when a man interrupted her with a message for old Abhyll.

The messenger excused himself to the others, and took the old man to one side, whispering to him for a moment, then passing him a scroll of parchment. When Abhyll returned to the table, and had read the written message, he asked Setisia if she knew her letters well, and when she nodded, passed her the parchment. Telli sensed that the search for her conspirators was going well, that this letter must be something to add to the results that Keoch's information had already brought them that evening.

"Rhyll, the alert you were so good as to send out from Rislet has worked well. Grenwald boarded a slow and comfortable passenger boat at Jarrit town two days ago, and if he does not get off on the way, will probably arrive in Kellmarsh tomorrow. The Mendai net catches its fish, I see, good Papa." Setisia got up and hugged the Dullai elder as she finished speaking. Sabhytt spoke, addressing Rhyll.

"There are fine taverns round the port are there not, fiddler? May I ask you to join me tomorrow for a pleasant day of drinking wine, and watching the boats come in?"

"Most certainly, and I believe my brother has a day free, and may join us. Setisia, what plans do you have for tomorrow?"

"Until I got this news, I was going to persuade my loyal slave, Tellimakis, to join me in a vigil outside the fat merchant's house early in the morning, to see if his brother is the man I saw in Bhuin. Now I have two villains to watch for, and don't know where to be." As the others considered this, Telli made his first contribution to the discussion.

"Only you can say if this Fostak is your man, but we could probably all identify Grenwald from your description if the boat he travels on is known. We could follow your plan in the morning, and join the others at the port later on. There is a good chance that the boat will not come to the port too early, and we might see both men in this way. I think Grenwald is important to us, not because the madman is in any way central to this conspiracy, which seems doubtful, but because he can surely be arrested and questioned. I know little of the workings of the Kingdom, but is he not the only one to be wanted for known crimes? And could he not then be persuaded to tell what he knows of the plot against the King?"

"You may not know much of the Kingdom, foreigner, but you are learning fast," said Rhyll. "I do not know if we can have Grenwald arrested by officials. Setisia could certainly ask the King's lieutenant to do so in four days' time when she sees him, on the basis that he is wanted in Bhuin by command of its Lord. I was thinking more of taking him somewhere quiet, and asking him a few questions ourselves in such a pleasant way that he cannot refuse to answer."

"I must admit, I had the same sort of thing in mind," said Sabhytt. "I do not know why, but people usually answer my questions when I insist on it." Papa Abhyll chuckled at this, but warned the younger men not to get in trouble with the King's men. He said he would have his own watchers on the port as well the next day, and described the passenger boat they were expecting.

Setisia's idea of forgetting the conspiracy as she got to know her cousin had been forgotten with the arrival of the messenger. Mhyfait arrived at the tavern, and joined the group, receiving the news of Grenwald's imminent arrival from Abhyll. He entered a quick discussion, in Mendai, with his brother and Sabhytt, before the latter turned to Setisia and Telli to apologise for their use of the language, and to ask them where they were staying. Finding that his cousin had safe lodgings in good company, he said that he would see them tomorrow in the port, as he must now see someone whom he must inform of his change of plans for the next few days. He lifted Setisia off her stool, and kissed her on the forehead, promising to look after her in any way she asked, as if he was the father she had lost. Then, wishing a good night to all present, he left, ducking his head under the beams, and calling out goodnight to others he knew in the tavern. The others left soon after, as all knew they had important work to do in the morning.

Telli and Setisia left for the fat merchant Sestakis's mansion at dawn the next morning. Keoch had been up when they returned the night before, and after hearing the news concerning Grenwald, had offered the pair the use of his canoe for the day. They paddled along the 'water-roads', as the Kellers called their canals, checking the landmarks they had noted the evening before, and reaching the stretch of water on which the house stood before the sun was visible above the rooftops of the city. Keoch had advised them that people going any distance were more likely to leave their homes by canal than on foot. They had therefore decided to watch the wooden doors opening onto the water, rather than any other exit from the mansion.

"We had better be discreet," said Telli, as he paddled slowly along the continuous wall separating several large properties from the waterway. They stopped a little way up from the doorway, waiting for any signs of life. After about twenty minutes on the canal, deserted in the early morning, another small canoe appeared from the direction of the city centre, and they watched with interest as it made for the steps below the entrance to Sestakis's house. They recognised the blue cap and white sash of a post-boy on the canoe's only occupant. The boy lent over the steps, staying seated in the boat, and knocked on the wooden door with his paddle. He waited a while before doing this again. A minute passed, and there was still no response from the mansion's occupants.

"Paddle slowly past him, and continue on if someone opens the door, but stop if they don't," captain Setisia ordered. As they came alongside the other canoe, she called out a good morning to the post-boy.

"Your customers sleep late, I fear, and slow you in your duties," she said, flashing him a friendly smile.

" 'Tis true, miss, and I have many houses awaiting their morning messages, but there are always those with lazy servants who sleep late."

"We too wait for late sleepers to emerge from the house up there, and I fear we shall have to sit around for an hour or more. I would take your messages for you, and pass them on, except for the fact that you will be needing the pay for them." Setisia then acted as though a thought had just struck her. "I suppose I could do you a kind favour, and pass you the pennies for your letters, as the owners would then pay me on receiving them. If it is only one house you deliver to on this water-road this morning, then it is hardly worth you waiting around when I must do so anyway." She smiled again at the boy, about her own age. Telli could not believe the audacity of what he was hearing, but kept a straight face, as the boy considered the proposition, made to him by such a pretty and innocent looking stranger.

"Well, if you have the change, I would be most thankful," he said, after a moment's thought. "There are no less than seven letters at the standard charge, meaning I would receive twenty-eight pence if these idlers were up and about." The others looked through their change, trying to appear casual and unhurried, and were fortunate to find three coins worth ten pence each. The boy passed them the letters, and two penny pieces, then thanked them for their kindness before returning the way he had come. Telli paddled back to their watching place, laughing at Setisia, and shaking his head.

"Have you no principles, witch, that you take advantage of poor innocents, and break the King's law at the same time as professing your loyalty to him."

"We are dealing with a stealer of children, do not forget, and these are extreme circumstances where exceptions must be made." Setisia was smiling, pleased that Telli had witnessed her clever acting, and it had indeed been very well done. "Seven letters!" She patted the pocket where she had concealed the bundle of papers. "If we make no other progress in our investigations this morning, we must find something here."

They watched the door for another two hours, but the only activity came just half an hour after the post-boy had left. A man opened one side of the door and stepped out, looking up and down the canal. He took no notice of the youngsters in their canoe some distance away but, after a moment, called out to an old woman who had hobbled up a path on the bank opposite a few minutes earlier and had seated herself on a bench there to rest.

"Mother, you have not seen a post-boy pass this way, have you?"

"Why, son, I have only been here a minute, and no-one has passed in that time. Can you not spare an old woman a crust, kind sir?"

"Go to the Duke, mother, he claims to look after the city's poor." With this curt dismissal, the servant withdrew behind the wall.

"I hope he is blamed for the missing letters," said Setisia.

When the two hours were up, they decided to head for the port, both wanting to be there when the boat carrying Grenwald arrived. As they set off, the old beggar woman was still seated opposite Sestakis's door, and Telli slowed the canoe while Setisia threw a few pennies onto the bank at her feet, wishing her a good day as she did so. As they moved out of earshot, Setisia started laughing, and asked Telli if he had seen the woman's face.

"No, I was watching where we were going, captain, as someone must. What about it?"

"She had green eyes, one thing Mendai cannot easily disguise; and I know there is no such thing as a Mendai beggar, as the clans look after their own." Setisia waited while this sunk in.

"Old Abhyll is having the house watched, you mean, or perhaps Sabhytt, as Rhyll would surely have told us if he is responsible." Telli chuckled as well, thinking that begging the servant of the house being watched would appeal to a Mendai sense of humour.

"Very quick, slave, and as a reward you may rest for a while, and I shall paddle you to the port if I can find the way through this genteel marsh of a town."

It was mid-morning when they reached the harbour, and made their way to the Treochim tavern where they had met Keoch and Mhyfait two nights before. Both were there, in the same upstairs room overlooking the lake.

"No sign of the boat yet, but we have found out that it always ties up at the dock just over there." Mhyfait pointed, indicating an area only a short distance from where they sat. "Rhyll and your giant of a cousin are drinking their wine at a tavern just beside it, and no doubt enjoying themselves. We do not need to watch too carefully as Abhyll has runners at the end of the north wall, where you can see furthest upriver, and they will be here long before our quarry enters the harbour. So, we eat and drink, and make merry 'til the bastard arrives!"

"What shall we do when he does?" asked Setisia.

"All we can really do is follow him and watch him until such a time as he is alone. Rhyll is then in favour of grabbing him and getting the answers to some questions from him, before handing him to the authorities, or perhaps disposing of him by less legitimate means," said Keoch. "You may use my canoe to follow him if you have brought it here, but you must be careful not to alert him to danger. That pretty red hair must stay under your hat, princess, as I assume it was during your spying this morning. How did that go?" Setisia had taken her hat off on entering the tavern, and now shook the long waves of her hair as she replied.

"We had no sighting of this Fostak, so I cannot confirm his identity. But it may be that our visit to the neighbourhood of the rich was not in vain." She took out the bundle of letters, and untied them, then laid them on the table before her.

"My captain behaved more like a thief than a princess this morning," smiled Telli. "She has taken all of Sestakis's post as evidence against him, and it was cleverly done, I can tell you." He recounted how Setisia had taken the letters, and the two men laughed.

"Sestakis is a known criminal, and I doubt he would be careless enough to incriminate himself in a plot against the King in the four-penny post." Keoch said. But he proved wrong.

Setisia and Telli read through the letters, which seemed to be entirely concerned with the business of trading merchants, informing of goods bought and sold, when and where, and for what prices. It was Telli who first noticed something different in a cryptic message which mentioned Setisia's hometown of Bhuin, and he passed it to her.

She read aloud:

"What do you think?" asked Telli. There was nothing in the message to attract the attention of someone who did not already suspect its intended recipient of conspiracy. It could have been sent between merchants discussing markets.

"The red robed priests have their centre just north of Bhuin, as you said the other night, Keoch. These are towns in that area. This is important. I think it is a list of towns where the plotters intend to make their first move. It makes sense. We now know that Chirtis is probably the first town they will attempt to take." Setisia was excited. "These connections cannot all be chance. Maybe I shall have to confess to the theft of this when I see the King's man in three day's time."

The four discussed the letter for some time, the others generally agreeing with Setisia that it must relate to her conspiracy. Keoch was of the opinion that the conspirators must all be mad, that they could never succeed with such carelessness, although he admitted that the letter would not rouse the suspicions of anyone other than themselves. Mhyfait left for a few minutes to inform his brother, knowing that he was likely to have visited the town of Chirtis in his travels.

It was mid afternoon when a messenger boy came running up the stairs to the room above the Treoch tavern, demanding to see Mhyfait. He informed the gypsy that the boat he awaited would soon enter the port, and took the ten-penny piece his work had earned him gratefully, before leaving. The four friends watched from the window, and Mhyfait soon spotted Rhyll, not dressed in Mendai clothes and wearing a scarf over his hair, as he sauntered along the quayside near the point where the boat was due to berth.

"That scruffy looking dock hand dressed in grey is my brother," he said. Then, as the others laughed at their friend's disguise, he pointed out a canoe emerging from a canal into the harbour. "Your cousin is ready to follow should Grenwald leave the ship by water-road." Sabhytt's hair was also covered and he had shaved off his beard, but he could not disguise his size. Mhyfait explained as he tucked his own hair into a hat.

"Someone suddenly seeing several Mendai around him might notice. This way we can all walk past him in turn without attracting attention. Sabhytt is in the canoe because all men notice him when he is standing, whatever he may wear. Now, this must be our boat." A sizeable passenger boat had entered the harbour and was being steered towards the berth where Rhyll stood. Telli could feel the excitement in himself and sense it in the others. Without thinking, he put an arm round Setisia's shoulders and was mildly surprised when she took his hand in hers, and held it there without taking her eyes from the window.

They had decided to wait until Grenwald had moved away from the quayside, before going downstairs and following Rhyll, who would keep close to him. Each would be ready to take over from Rhyll if he thought he was arousing suspicion and dropped back. There were now some minutes of suspense as the boat reached its berth and began to tie up. Then Telli felt Setisia tense under his arm as she said:

"There, the tall one in the black hat stepping onto the gangplank now. I must go quickly if Rhyll does not spot him." Mhyfait opened the window and waited. They could see that Rhyll was looking at the tall man, and were waiting for him to look round for the confirmation signal, which he did as Grenwald put a foot on the quayside. Mhyfait waved the agreed sign to his brother and they watched as Rhyll followed his prey to the nearest canal entrance, then stood some distance away as the other spoke to a river taxi owner.

"Good, Sabhytt saw your sign," said Setisia. Her cousin was paddling casually towards the canal entrance and would pick up Rhyll if Grenwald took the punt up the canal. "We have your canoe just there, Keoch, so we can all four follow Sabhytt. Let us go."

They hurried down the stairs and along the harbour side. Grenwald had disappeared, and Rhyll's head was just visible as he climbed down the steps to the canal. When they reached this point, Sabhytt's canoe was just a few yards upstream, and they could see the punt a short distance ahead, Grenwald seated facing forwards, and the punt's owner poling at a leisurely pace. Setisia lead them to the canoe and they set off slowly, keeping some distance behind the two Mendai. Keoch said:

"This will be easy until he steps off the boat. Rhyll will then have to follow him on foot without making it obvious. I know the town best, so shall jump out wherever we are when he stops, and find a way round to cross his path. If he keeps that silly hat on we surely can't lose him."

"He suspects nothing," said Mhyfait. "He has not glanced around once."

Keoch's plan to jump from the canoe proved unnecessary. The punt moved slowly through the city centre, then out in the direction from which Telli and Setisia had come that morning.

"He may be going to Sestakis's house," said Keoch, putting Telli's thoughts into words.

A few minutes more and the punt ahead turned into the broad waterway on which the fat merchant's house was situated. Sabhytt stopped his canoe near the turning. When the others arrived alongside, they were surprised to see that the punt had stopped not at Sestakis's door, but at the one before, where they had seen the two priests leaving the night before. Grenwald paid off the taxi-man, and went through the door after it had opened to his knock. The watchers in the two canoes set off for the Mendai tavern where they knew old Abhyll would be waiting for them, so that he could arrange to have his watchers keep an eye on both houses.

"We can now be sure that both houses are involved in the plot, and that the man, Fostak, must be the merchant I saw in Bhuin. It cannot be coincidence." Setisia said, as they paddled through the city.

When they reached the tavern, they found that Abhyll had reserved a room upstairs, and was waiting there for them with the messenger of the night before. This man left immediately to inform Abhyll's watchers that they must watch both mansions under suspicion. The others sat down to a serious discussion of their next move. Rhyll and Sabhytt had already decided that they were in favour of mounting a quick raid that night on the house where Grenwald was, and taking him for questioning, then handing him over to the Duke's men. It was the Duke, rather than the King, who was responsible for policing Kellmarsh, but they feared it would take too much time to persuade his guards to raid the house, and Grenwald might leave and escape their clutches.

"Of course, we are breaking the law in doing this, but as we are working to uncover a plot against the King, and four of us have served in his forces, we should get away with it," said Rhyll.

"How do you plan to get into the house?" asked Keoch.

"Someone will have to climb over the wall, and let the others into the grounds, then we shall look for a way to break into the house, even if it means smashing a door down and thus waking all the occupants," Rhyll replied.

"I may be able to get over the wall and into the house without waking the occupants," said Telli, and the others all looked at him. "I am very good at climbing, and am small enough to get through windows," he added, realising he might at last have to tell the others of his flying in order to convince them to let him take this role in their plans, which was perfect for him. Setisia, of course, knew what he was thinking of.

"It is true that Telli is very good at getting in and out of places where others cannot. Those of you who know his story, which is all but Abhyll and my cousin, must remember that he escaped slavery which no others in the slave camp succeeded in doing," she said.

It was against Telli's instincts to tell anyone about his flying unless he had to. But his natural reluctance to do this was counterbalanced by the fact that Grenwald had attacked Setisia directly on the night of the fire, and dealing with any threat to his little friend was something that would eclipse all other priorities in his mind. Like Rhyll and Sabhytt, he was determined to play his part in the capture of the ex-tyrant of Hartlett, not out of revenge for the arson attack, but in order to eliminate any future danger to the person he now loved more than anyone else in the world. Telli made a quick decision, and started to explain to the five men present how he could help in their plans.

"I would not be at too great a risk, I think, as they would take me for a sneak thief if they caught me, and would hand me over to the city guard. But if I can open both the doors and the gates from inside, it would give you the advantage of surprise as you search every room for Grenwald." After this, Telli was obliged to tell his story for the benefit of Abhyll and Sabhytt. When he reached the part where he had escaped from the Khrelling caves, he apologised to those who had already heard his story for not being entirely honest with them, especially to his good friend Rhyll. He then tried to explain his flying, asking them to tell no one else, as he did not want to be known as some kind of freak, or to be persecuted as one possessed by demons. Before the eyes of the five astonished men, he raised himself up from the ground to touch the ceiling, then returned slowly to the floor.

"I do not wish to confuse you by showing this ability to you. But I feel that I must do so in order to convince you that I am best suited to break into the mansion tonight, and it is important to me that this Grenwald should be captured, as he could be a danger to Setisia and others."

"Telli is not some goblin or devil, and does not know why he has this strange talent. When I first saw him move through the air, I nearly shot him with an arrow, so shocking was it to behold. I do not like to think of him going alone into the priests' house, but he is clever, and should keep himself out of danger as he has done so well on his travels." At first, Setisia was the only one not too surprised to speak. Then the others questioned Telli on his 'flying'. It was Sabhytt who relieved the tense moment by laughing at himself and the others.

"We are dumbfounded like men who have just seen the manifestation of a God before our eyes," he said, shaking his huge head. "I thought there was something special about you, Tellimakis, and I like you, and thank you for letting me know your secret when you have only just made my acquaintance. I shall keep that secret, and tell no one without first asking your leave. I think I may know of someone who can tell you more about your unusual gift, and we must talk alone sometime. It certainly seems that you are the best equipped to go over the mansion wall."

"I can't help thinking about those times when I climbed the mast to set the night light, Telli, when you could have done it so much more quickly had you let me know your secret." Rhyll laughed as well when he had recovered from his shock, and agreed that Telli could probably let them all into the mansion. Telli had felt slightly guilty in keeping his secret from Rhyll, who had become such a good friend, and was relieved to have told the truth of his escape for the first time since Setisia had heard the story. He realised that this was the first time that he had told someone of his flying without really having to. Both Brakis and Setisia had seen him in flight first.

It took the company some time to recover from what must have been the strangest experience of their lives. It was Sabhytt who appeared to have the least problem in accepting that he was in the presence of someone who seemed to be able to break the laws of nature. He turned the conversation to other aspects of their proposed raid.

"How many people should we expect to be in this mansion, and how many will join Rhyll and myself on this venture." Mhyfait and Keoch said they would come, as they wanted to see Grenwald captured, and anyway would not leave Rhyll alone if he was going to get into a fight. They discussed whether they should recruit any others to their cause, and decided not to. Abhyll said that they must consider the alternative of involving the Duke's men in a legal search of the house, and while all agreed that this was more sensible, none thought that they would be able to persuade the city guards to act quickly enough.

"Setisia has been to the King's offices about the conspiracy, so we are following a legal process," said Rhyll. "Grenwald is a conspirator, but is also wanted in connection with the murder of a Mendai nearly fifteen years ago. The King generally accepts that the Mendai act on their own in such circumstances. In our favour is the fact that this man has recently made an attack on his victim's daughter."

They had the whole evening to make their plans. Keoch left for more than an hour, to inform Helli of what he was doing, and consult her as to its wisdom. He explained that she had a strong mind and great imagination, and often thought about aspects of a plan like this that would not occur to others. He returned with a large bundle of black cloth, collected from various members of the Treochim, and usually used by them to make garments for mourning.

"Disguise, and so that we cannot be easily seen in the dark," he said, producing needles and thread. He suggested that each one of them should make themselves a long shirt of the material, and cut an oblong head dress out of it, which would cover all their hair if tied by a headband. The others all left the room for shorter periods to collect weapons and other equipment. Telli and Setisia went to the boat together, as Telli wished to collect the Khrelling lamp that had been so useful to him during his escape. When they were alone, Setisia made Telli promise not to take any foolish risks, saying that Grenwald could be caught another time, and was not worth dying for.

As the evening wore on, they decided on a rough plan, knowing that much could change depending on what Telli found behind the walls. He would fly over these, and spend half an hour or so spying out the grounds of the mansion. He would then rejoin the others outside, tell them what he had discovered, and decisions would be made then. They hoped he would be able to open one of the doors in the outside wall. Entrance for the others by means of climbing ropes or ladders over the wall would be possible, but they needed a quick exit route, and hoped to be carrying Grenwald, bound and gagged as they left. They must also expect the worst, and assumed they would be pursued at this point. It was hoped that Telli could perhaps find an upstairs window left open and gain entrance to the house to let the others in. The alternative to this would be breaking quickly through a window or door with the risk of rousing the sleeping occupants. Setisia insisted on taking part in the expedition, and would wait with old Abhyll and one of his men, guarding the three canoes they would escape in at a short distance from the house.

The party ate well, but avoided any drinking of wine in order to keep their heads clear for the task ahead. All their preparations made well before time, they rested quietly in the room above the tavern until midnight. When most of Kellmarsh slept, three canoes containing eight figures dressed in black left the canal by the Mendai tavern, heading silently towards the district where the city's wealthy merchants lived behind their high walls.

Telli stood below the high wall for a moment, concentrating hard. Then his feet left the ground and he floated up steadily before gripping its top. He hung there for a few seconds, then kicked against the wall, pulling himself up as quietly as possible to lie along the top where he rested, motionless for two or three minutes. He listened carefully while looking around the enclosure below him. There were no signs of activity except for a light in a third floor window of the mansion. Satisfied that there was no one in the surrounding gardens, at least, on the canal side of the enclosure, he concentrated again, and floated down to the ground inside the wall.

A three-quarter moon in a cloudless sky lit the warm southern night and Telli could see his way well enough. He walked alongside the wall to the large wooden doors opening onto the canal, examining their fastenings when he got there. They were closed by a wooden latch and held secure by two wooden bars. After looking carefully behind him at the house, he removed the bars as silently as possible, lifted the latch and pulled one of the doors open a few inches.

"Rhyll," he whispered, knowing his friend was crouched outside on the steps. Hearing an answering hiss, he opened the door a little wider, and the black clad Mendai slipped in. The pair closed the door and replaced the bars, then crouched for several minutes in the shadows of the wall, making sure that their movements had gone unnoticed in the house. Rhyll then moved to the shelter of a bush a few yards from the door, where he would wait while Telli searched for a way into the house. He had come in ahead of the others so that they would have a good chance of rescuing Telli should he be caught during his investigations. It was only an hour after midnight, and Telli had plenty of time to pursue these.

He crawled towards the house, keeping out of the moonlight wherever possible. He could see that there were a number of windows open on the upper floors of the building, one of them with a balcony below it. This was to be expected in the warm night, but Telli knew that there was a very good chance that there were people sleeping in the rooms beyond them. There was also a good chance of a night watchman being employed on the premises. However, if he was lucky, a watchman in such a place might not be too alert. Old Abhyll had told him that attempts at robbery on these houses of wealthy merchants were virtually unheard of. Thieves considered them too difficult with their high walls and the likely presence of many servants inside. He circled the house slowly and cautiously, looking for any obvious points where he might be able to enter.

The circuit completed, he had seen nowhere on the ground floor that looked likely to him, as all windows and doors were closed on this level. As he reached the side facing the canal once again, he noticed that the upstairs light he had observed had now been extinguished, and the mansion was in total darkness. He decided to try the balcony under the open window. This was well within his flying range, and he pulled himself over its balustrade quietly and without mishap. He crouched below the window, listening for some time. Deciding from the rustling, heavy breathing and soft snores that there were at least two people inside, he ruled this out as his entry point, although he could try and sneak past the sleepers if desperate. Carefully, concentrating hard and taking as much time as he needed, Telli started to fly to each open window he could see, listening outside each as he hung from their sills, and pulling himself up to peer into those from which no sounds came.

The fourth window he tried, in the middle of the second floor, seemed to provide him with the chance he was looking for. No sound came from within, but there was a little light, too faint to have been seen from the ground below. Pulling himself up to look inside, he was pleased to see that this window opened into a corridor rather than a bedchamber. The light came from small candle-lamps attached to its walls. As soon as he was certain that there was no one around, Telli pulled himself through the window and stood silently for a full minute just inside. His target now was the doorway two floors below, straight underneath where he stood. If he could open this from the inside, the raiding party would have the shortest escape route available to them from the house to their canoes.

Telli crept silently along the corridor past several closed doors, until he reached a stairwell. There was no sound of movement in the house as he climbed slowly down two flights of stairs, also lit by candlelight, to the ground floor. Then, with mounting excitement, he crossed part of a huge hall that ran from front to back of the house, reaching the door he knew must open to the grounds on the canal side of the mansion. The candle-lamps had meant that he had not even needed the Khrelling lamp he carried. This time, there was a key required, but it had been left in the lock, hardly surprising, as the occupants would see no need to conceal it from those already inside. Telli smiled as he eased two slightly squeaky bolts very carefully out of their sockets, then turned the key and pulled the door open. He slipped outside and closed the door in case someone should pass through the hallway in his absence, leaving it held by a latch that could be lifted from either side. 'I could be the best burglar in Kellmarsh if I chose', he thought as he hurried over to the bush where Rhyll waited, and crouched beside him. He explained which door was open, and said that he would return to hide outside it, listening for any movement in the hall beyond until the others arrived. This he did, while Rhyll opened the canal door, lit the lamp he carried, and flashed an agreed signal to the other three men waiting in one of the canoes a short distance away.

When Telli saw the shadows of his four companions hurrying across the mansion's lawn, he reopened the door and stepped inside, listening carefully until they joined him. The plan had worked perfectly so far, but as they stood silently for a moment in the hallway, all five raiders knew that the hardest part was just beginning. As they had no way of knowing in which room Grenwald was to be found, it would be necessary to wake one of the sleeping occupants of the house, gag and bind this person immediately, and force the information out of them. They hoped to achieve this without disturbing the rest of the household. They knew that servants' quarters were most likely to be on the highest floors, and that guest bedchambers were most likely on the floor just above them, saving visitors the inconvenience of climbing too many stairs.

Rhyll led them up the first flight of stairs, and selected a door at random. He turned its handle slowly, finding it unlocked, then pushed the door silently open. At the same time he took out his lamp, still alight, and held it up to show a large bed with two occupants. Keoch and Mhyfait jumped on the bed, holding the cloths they had ready over the faces of the occupants, while Sabhytt leaned over behind them, holding both victims still with a large hand on each and his great weight pressed downwards. Rhyll held his lamp up so the others could see what they were doing, and Telli stood guard on the door, which he had shut quietly immediately all five were in the room. The attack was fast and efficient, the two occupants of the bed gagged with only a few muffled noises after just seconds, and looking up into the scarred face of Rhyll with wide, frightened eyes.

The Mendai made sure he looked and sounded his fiercest as he warned the captives in a whisper that they would die if they attempted to make a noise. He held his sword across both of their throats as he spoke at length, explaining that they would not be harmed if they obeyed his orders. The man must show them to Grenwald's room while the woman must lie quietly on the bed to which Keoch was already tying her. When he was sure he had been understood, he signed to Sabhytt, who lifted the naked man off the bed, tied a rope round his arms, and gripped him by his hair with one hand whilst holding a knife to his throat with the other. The raiders had no intention of harming anyone who might be innocent so must act their most frightening to make sure they were obeyed. Sabhytt managed to look like a bloodthirsty monster in the lamplight.

When all was ready, Telli opened the door and, hearing nothing outside, led the party into the corridor. Their captive had indicated with nods that he knew where Grenwald slept, and he now led them up the next flight of stairs. Then, just as all was going smoothly to plan, they heard a door open on the ground floor below and the sound of voices. Sabhytt whispered to the man he held saying that, if he did not take them to the door of Grenwald's room as quickly as possible, he would have his neck broken slowly before his throat was cut. The gentle giant was a good actor, and they were soon standing outside a door on the floor above the captive's room, the man pointing at it with a trembling finger. Rhyll tried the handle, but the door was locked. Sabhytt handed the prisoner to Mhyfait, and looked at Rhyll, who nodded. The giant aimed a huge kick at the door by its lock, and it burst open, Rhyll rushing in first with his lamp held high.

Knowing that the house would be woken by the noise of the door being broken, speed was now more important than stealth for the raiders.

"Its him," cried Rhyll, triumphantly, as he held his lamp up in one hand, pulling the room's frightened occupant out of bed with the other. Sabhytt grabbed Grenwald by his night-shirt and, with no time for gags and bonds, knocked the man behind his uncle's murder out with a blow from his huge fist. He slung the inert body over his shoulder, and they started down the first flight of stairs with Keoch, his sword now drawn, leading the way. Doors were now opening on all levels of the building, and shouts of alarm rang out around them. Mhyfait threw the bound man he had been holding aside and followed Keoch, with Sabhytt and Telli behind. Rhyll brought up the rear to fight off any who should follow.

As Keoch reached the flight of stairs to the ground floor, there were three men coming up it.

"Back, or you die," he shouted, swinging his sword round his head. They retreated before him, until a voice screamed from above.

"Stop them, guards, or the leader will have your heads. Stop them, they must not get away!" Telli looked up to see a red-robed priest above them, with several others behind him.

Keoch now had to fight, and showed just what a Treoch warrior was worth as he drove the guards down before him, knocking weapons from their hands, and sending them tumbling over each other to the floor below. The raiders could not have guessed how full of people the house would be. Priests were streaming out of rooms everywhere, many chambers obviously serving as dormitories. They were pulling on their robes, and most carried weapons. Rhyll was coming down the stairs backwards, fighting off pursuers. Keoch and Mhyfait reached the ground floor, and entered into a pitched battle with several men there. The others joined them, and Rhyll was just backing down off the last step, fending off two swordsmen above him, when tragedy struck. A well aimed vase, thrown from above, shattered on his head, and while he reeled under the blow, one of his opponents drove a sword into the Mendai's stomach. Rhyll let out a bellow of rage rather than pain, and his own sword point flashed up into the other's throat, bringing the first death of the encounter.

Sabhytt reacted with amazing speed as he saw Rhyll stagger to the floor, his eyes glazed. Shouting at Telli to duck, he took Grenwald by the ankles and swung him round in circles, scattering all the enemies for some distance while standing over Rhyll's body. He then slung Rhyll over one shoulder, Grenwald over the other, and charged across the hall towards the door by which they had entered the mansion. Mhyfait cleared the way in front of him, downing two men with his sword, and Telli darted ahead at the last second to open the door. Sabhytt was first out into the night, Mhyfait shouting that Telli should follow as he turned to help Keoch, now fighting like fury in the rear, using his sword to wound and kill since his friend's fall, rather than merely disarm his opponents. The men in the hall hung back from their skilled and furious opponents. When Keoch and Mhyfait backed out of the door, Telli slammed it behind them, and all three lent on it for a few seconds, panting and watching Sabhytt as he galloped towards the canal gate at astonishing speed considering he carried two men on his shoulders.

"That's a gorilla, not a man," gasped Keoch, in admiration at the sight. "Let's go, before the scum swarm out of the windows." They raced across after Sabhytt, who was through the gate when they reached it, and was laying Rhyll carefully in the canoe having slung Grenwald in first.

"Get in and go," the giant shouted as they arrived. He picked up one of the wooden bars that had held the doors from inside, and then pulled the doors shut. Placing the bar between the two handles, he braced himself on the steps with his hands on it.

"Jump in," Keoch cried, as they prepared to move away.

"I shall swim to the other side when you are away, then run down the bank to where my cousin waits. Go, don't worry!" The others pushed off, and heard a hammering on the doors, accompanied by Sabhytt's deep laughter and shouts of defiance as he held them shut against the pursuers. When they were well away, Telli saw the figure of the giant take a huge dive into the canal, and the doors burst open behind him. The canoe reached the canal junction where Setisia, Abhyll and his friend were waiting with the other two craft.

"Put Rhyll in the same boat as Setisia," cried Telli. "She is a doctor." The raiders arranged themselves between the three boats quickly, tying Grenwald up in case he regained consciousness. Just as they were ready, pounding footsteps on the bank told them that Sabhytt was arriving, and he climbed, dripping wet, into the canoe with the least weight. They set off at speed, going to a Dullai house where a cellar had been prepared for their prisoner.

The raid would have been a complete success had it not been for the large numbers of armed men in the mansion, and their willingness to fight. As it was, concern for Rhyll overshadowed any sense of triumph amongst the eight conspirators. Setisia had bound Rhyll's wound in one of the canoes as they raced through the city, but when Telli saw her pale face as the Mendai was carried to a bed in Abhyll's house, he feared the worst. Sabhytt and Abhyll were left to deal with Grenwald, the others all being close to Rhyll, and too concerned with him to occupy themselves with the prisoner.

Setisia and a Mendai medicine man worked intensely for an hour, doing everything they could for Rhyll, but in vain. He drifted in and out of consciousness, recognising all those around him, and saying goodbye, knowing that his wound was mortal. A few minutes before the end, he took Setisia's hand, saying he loved her.

"Take the black Goddess from my bag in Keoch's house, princess, and remember me," he said. He spoke a few more words in his own tongue after this to Mhyfait, before dying in his brother's arms.

The four friends sat in the room for some time, speechless with grief. It was Keoch who moved first, embracing Mhyfait for a moment, before saying that he must go to his wife and tell her she had lost one of her dearest friends. He turned to Telli and Setisia, saying that they should come with him, that they must sleep, and that there was nothing more for them to do that night. The three left for his house, paddling his canoe in silence.

Helli was awake when they arrived, and guessed something of what had happened by their faces, and by Rhyll's absence.

"Rhyll?" She asked. Keoch took her in his arms and spoke in his own language for a moment. Setisia and Telli knew that the couple had been close to their Mendai friend for years, and said good night quietly, before going up to their attic room. They prepared the mattresses they slept on in silence. Setisia pushed hers next to Telli's, and put an arm round him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Don't you ever leave me like that, goblin," she said, through tears. Telli hugged her to him, unable to speak, and the grief stricken pair slept in each other's arms for the first time that night.

It was nearly midday when Telli and Setisia came down from their attic the next day to find Keoch and Helli waiting for them.

"We are all going to the Dullai house when you have eaten something," Keoch said. "Helli must pay her respects to our lost friend, and we shall take the babes with us." Helli kissed them both, and showed them the meal waiting for them, then Tseochy insisted on kissing them as well, bringing the first wan smiles to their faces after the events of the night.

Old Abhyll welcomed them into the house when they arrived there, making a great fuss of the babes, and volunteering to help Telli and Setisia look after them while their parents went up to the room where Rhyll's body lay. He led them to a room where there were some playthings to amuse Tseochy, and told them of the news his people had gathered that morning.

"There was much movement between the two mansions we had been watching after our efforts last night. As far as we know, no complaints have been made to the city authorities about our illegal activities, and as there may have been three or four deaths in the house, this seems enough proof that its occupants have much to hide in itself. Our prisoner is badly bruised, but will survive. Sabhytt told me that he used the man as a weapon at one point, so at least he has been of some use for once in his sorry life. He is securely held, and we shall start questioning him when Sabhytt wakes. You two must feel free to come and go from this house as you please, as if you were Dullai. We keep such houses for the use of all the clan, having them in a number of different towns around the Kingdom." Abhyll kept away from the subject of Rhyll, knowing that they would be suffering as much as Mhyfait and Keoch from his loss. Telli was happy to talk on other subjects as well.

"What has Grenwald said of his capture so far?" he asked.

"He is very confused, and can remember nothing of it. He said to me he woke up with the door of his room crashing in, a man rushed in and grabbed him, then all went black 'til he woke up here. This was when I was pretending to be a friend, holding him for his own protection as we had found him being dragged through the street by villains and had rescued him. He did not believe that for long, but it kept him quiet for a while."

The door opened and Sabhytt came in, rubbing his eyes. He hugged his 'new cousin' with one great arm around her shoulders.

"May I borrow your friend, my fellow raider, for a quiet word, man to man?"

"Of course," Setisia replied, surprised at the request. Telli followed Sabhytt to another room, and they sat opposite each other at a small table, Sabhytt starting to speak of the night's adventure.

"First, I must thank you for the great work you did last night, which was carried out to perfection, especially as you were obliged to reveal secrets you would otherwise have chosen to keep between yourself and Setisia. This I wish to speak of in a moment." He paused, and Telli remembered him saying that he might know someone who could tell him something about his 'flying'. Sabhytt continued.

"You are very clever, and I think the things I am about to say about last night will have already occurred to you, and will perhaps seem obvious. The people in the house will have seen five black clad and hooded intruders in the candlelight. Two of these will have been noticed for their unusual size, you and I. There are, of course, many boys your size in the city and, indeed, quite a number of small men. But men of my size are so rare that there is a very good chance that, making inquiries around the city, they may hear of a giant Mendai who could be one of the raiders. So, it is very important that you are not seen with me in the streets or any public places until the conspiracy has been broken. Also, because I knew that I might be easily recognised if we were interrupted before spiriting our captive away, arrangements have already been made to transfer Grenwald to a safe house with no Mendai connections, and all Mendai in town will be on alert for spies around their residences. If our enemies suspect that I was their giant raider, they will not be happy. Apart from the Treochim, who are far more numerous, the Mendai are the group that they would least like to have sniffing around their affairs. We are many, and spread all over the Kingdom. It is impossible for them to find spies or traitors from amongst our people, so they cannot find out what we know of them, or what our interest is. You are not of the Kingdom, so may not know, but there is a saying here that if you make an enemy of the Mendai, you are cursed, and may as well cut your own throat." Sabhytt smiled as he said this.

"We are very nice people, but have learnt to look after ourselves since arriving as newcomers more than six centuries ago. We charm others with our entertaining, and make a great contribution to what is good in the Kingdom, so our strength is in making friends, not enemies. But we can defend ourselves if necessary."

"Could not Keoch's features have been recognised as Treoch?" Telli asked.

"Yes, that is quite possible even though all happened so fast and in dim light. Even more distinctive to those who know it is his style of fighting. Formidable, don't you think?"

"I feel very safe staying in his house, and can understand how Tellimakis the First conquered all opposition to his united Kingdom," Telli said, smiling.

"If they come to the conclusion that both tribes are interested in their plots, it may lead them into rash and hasty action, which would be a good thing," Sabhytt said, then changed the subject.

"Have you heard of an order of priests called the Meldrith, Tellimakis?"

Telli had not forgotten the woman they had first met at Mother Raidy's and her invitation to Setisia, and told Sabhytt of the encounter. The giant appeared to find it very interesting

"I think you should take up the invitation, both of you. She may be able to tell you something about your unusual talents. I learned last night that my cousin is a medicine woman of great talent. The man she worked with last night said that her knowledge was extraordinary. The Meldrith run the best healing house in Kellmarsh, and Setisia may find that she has much in common with them. Perhaps it would distract her from the tragedy of last night if you were to search out the priestess today. Shall we rejoin the others?"

Sabhytt talked with Abhyll for a while, then the pair went off to question Grenwald, leaving Telli and Setisia to take care of Tseochy and her tiny sister. Telli mentioned the Meldrith priestess, saying that Sabhytt thought they had much to gain from a visit to her, and they agreed to go that afternoon.

"She may be able to tell us something of the red-robed order," said Setisia. "But if there is any connection between the two, we must be careful what we say to her."

Keoch and Helli returned to the room, subdued after their visit, saying that Mhyfait was bearing up well, but needed to be left alone to sleep for a while as he had been awake all night. Setisia asked Telli if he would come with her to their boat, as she wished to collect something, and they set off, having been warned by Keoch to keep a watch at all times to make sure that they were not followed.

Setisia was silent on the way to the boat. Indeed, she had hardly spoken all day. Telli guessed that she blamed herself in some way for Rhyll's death, knowing as she did that he would still be alive had he never met her. Telli himself was feeling great loss at their friend's death, and was also in a slight state of shock as he had never witnessed men fighting other men to the death before. He decided that the best thing for both of them was to keep as active as possible over the next few days so as not to dwell too much on the events of the previous night.

On reaching the boat, Setisia searched through their cabin, and came out holding the board painted with the death's head skull, which had been left outside her house on the night of the arson attack. She explained that she had brought it with her to frighten Grenwald if they found him.

"I want Abhyll to fix it quietly to the wall of the room where they hold Grenwald when he is asleep. Then he must tell him later, when he asks about it, that the girl whose house he attacked is a powerful witch, and can find him anywhere in the Kingdom, that this is how Abhyll's men found him. He must say that I shall only leave him alone if he turns King's evidence and tells all he knows of the plot against the King. Grenwald is mad, and may be frightened into confession in such a way."

Telli thought about this, and had a better idea.

"If the door to his room flew open having been pushed by an unseen hand, then a demon, robed in black like the figures he saw enter his room last night, was to fly in, feet clearly not touching the ground, and carrying the skull picture, would that not convince him of your formidable powers, witch? Remember how you felt when you first saw me in the forest."

"Yes," said Setisia with a thoughtful smile, "that would surely work."

They hurried back to the Dullai house to find Sabhytt in the room with the Treoch family. He told them that Grenwald had had his situation explained to him. He had been told that he would be killed if he did not agree to betray the others involved in the conspiracy. Abhyll was now with him, plying him with a tasty wine, and behaving in a friendly and persuasive manner. Sabhytt had played the nasty captor, telling Grenwald that he would be happy to kill him slowly with his bare hands, and it was only the information he had that was holding him back from doing this. The youngsters explained their plan, and Sabhytt laughed, saying there was no harm in trying it. When Abhyll arrived they worked out the details of the ruse, and the old man produced paints that the Mendai used in their performances. Setisia set about making up Telli's face as that of a convincing demon, showing some of her humour again, which she had not done since Rhyll's death.

"Now we see you in your true colours, demonic goblin, and all can see what a little horror you are." She painted his face as white as a Khrelling's, his lips bright red, and skilfully outlined a third eye on his forehead. Keoch and Helli lost some of their gloom, and laughed at the effect, though Tseochy was confused and a little frightened by the transformation of her new friend. Sabhytt left to tell Grenwald of the powers of the witch girl of the Bhuin forest whom he had been so rash as to attack, saying that he himself was under her control, and several other giants like him, along with other creatures even more dangerous.

Half an hour later, Grenwald was lying on the bed he was chained to when the door to the cellar room burst open, letting in bright flickering light from the room next to it. After a few seconds, a black clad figure floated into the room, lying horizontally several feet off the ground. It swung its feet suddenly down to the floor, and pulled something from its cloak, placing it on the ground against the wall opposite where he lay. Then the hooded head turned towards him, and seemed to look at him for a moment from three eyes in a monstrous white face. The apparition then turned towards the door, lifted off its feet, and floated back out of the room as it had entered. The light faded outside, and the door slammed shut suddenly with tremendous force. Grenwald lay trembling on his bed, and felt a warm trickle of fluid running down his leg. In the dim light of the candle lamp that lit his room, he recognised the object against the far wall as the painting he had made himself to terrorise the young girl from West Hartlet. The creature had been flying. The girl must be a witch.

Abhyll entered the room fifteen minutes later to find the captive gibbering to himself. He looked at the painted board against the wall, and pretended surprise.

"Did the giant bring this?"

"N-no," stammered the wreck on the bed.

"Then who did?"

"Some flying devil sent by a witch who persecutes me and torments my very soul. I shall do all you ask if you can protect me from her."

"Wait, I must search the house," said the old man, and left, bolting the door behind him.

Telli was washing the paint off his face when Abhyll rejoined the party upstairs.

"It worked, he will tell me all I wish to know. He has even wet his breeches from fear. You are a terrible devil to him now, Tellimakis." The old Mendai chuckled with pleasure.

Telli and Setisia had no further part to play in the questioning of Grenwald, so arranged to return later to find out what his story was. When all the paint was cleaned off Telli's face, they set off to find the house of the Meldrith priestess.

Setisia took a scrap of parchment from her pocket, and read out loud as she and Telli walked away from the Dullai house.

" 'Astell is my name, and I can be found in Kellmarsh at Tarin House in Jessel Street.' The easiest way to find her would be to get a river taxi. What was my cousin being so mysterious about?"

"I think he didn't wish to talk about last night to us, but had to warn me that he and I would have been noticed for our size in the raid. He also talked of the Meldrith priests, as I said, and thinks they may be able to tell you and me something about ourselves. That taxi is free." Telli pointed below as they crossed a bridge.

The boatman knew the street they wanted, and twenty minutes later, Setisia and Telli were knocking on the canal door of a large house in a part of the city new to them. An elderly man answered the door and, when Setisia asked for Astell, requested her name.

"Will you say it is the red haired boat captain she met in Mother Raidy's." The man left, and returned after several minutes, asking them to come in. They entered a hall, beautifully decorated with painted cloth, and followed the doorman up two flights of stairs. He knocked on a door and opened it without waiting for an answer, beckoning them into the room behind. The priestess, Astell, rose from a window seat to greet them.

"Greetings, captain, I'm so glad you have come and could bring one of your crew with you." She said this in a way that sounded as if she meant the words and was not merely being polite or formal. "Stillet, will you bring us some of that soft white wine I brought from Meldrith, and a few of the cakes your wife makes so well." The old man left, and Astell indicated three chairs around a small table in the centre of the room, asking her guests to be seated and taking one herself. The room was decorated with the same painted cloth as the hall downstairs, and the priestess saw that her guests were interested.

"Do you like my pictures? They are paintings from scenes in history. History is my speciality. Ask me anything you wish to know of the history of the Kingdom, and I shall try and tell you of it." Something came immediately to Telli's mind when their hostess said this.

"May I ask, which people from the Kingdom, speakers of Allenth like ourselves, would have built a fort outside its western borders many centuries ago?" Telli thought that she must be surprised by his question, but Astell hardly showed it.

"No one from the Kingdom of Tellimakis the First that I know of. The ancient Empire of Allenth, from which our language comes, had some settlements west of the mountains and would have built forts to protect them if necessary. To protect them from pale skinned, pink eyed cave creatures, for example. You are from the lands west of the Great Western Range, is it not so?" It was Telli's turn to be surprised, although he had expected to be questioned on how he knew of a castle outside the Kingdom's borders.

"Apart from my question, how did you know?"

"We have been expecting a young man of about your age to arrive in Kellmarsh with a story of enslavement in the western mountains. I learnt of the story on my arrival here, but made no connection with the crewman I had seen at Mother Raidy's a few days earlier until yesterday, when news of your arrival came to us from two different sources." The priestess smiled. "The order I belong to has big ears."

Telli thought quickly. Two days before, he had told his story to the King's officers, then again in the Mendai tavern the day after, Sabhytt and Abhyll being the only ones there to hear it for the first time.

"Sabhytt sent you a message to say I was here, and so did someone in the service of the King." Telli trusted Sabhytt not to have mentioned his flying, but remembered that he had been less surprised by it than the others present.

"No one sent a message to me personally, but yes, Sabhytt sent a note last night informing one of my colleagues that he had met someone who had escaped from slavery in the western mountains and would try to send this young man to us. Do not be angry with him, as he knows we can do a great deal to help your cause. You would certainly have found us anyway, or we would have found you. In another note the night before he mentioned that he had just found an interesting cousin who was travelling with a mysterious westerner. He sent this because she had told a story of a plot against the King, and he knows that such things are of interest to us. But we knew of Setisia, also, for some time now, and again it was inevitable that she should find us, or we would find her. One of us would meet you and become interested, as I did, or we would have searched you out, Setisia, because of information sent to us by one of our many friends. Had we known you were a cousin of the good Mendai giant, we would have told him of the little red haired doctor of West Hartlet." The youngsters absorbed this then Setisia smiled and said:

"I knew you were a witch, but how did you hear of the two of us before we arrived in Kellmarsh. Did you read our minds so well at Mother Raidy's?" Astell laughed at the word 'witch'.

"No, I did not know who you were until I arrived here, and looked through our files. Do you remember treating a boatman who had fallen from the mast and had the misfortune to break his leg about three months ago? He was in great pain, and his captain put into West Hartlet rather than continuing on to Bhuin." Setisia nodded, and Astell continued. "He was lucky, this man, as he would not have found a doctor in Bhuin who could relieve pain by laying hands on a wound. He was impressed, and so was the captain, who had experienced this kind of treatment before from one of my colleagues here. When the boat next arrived in Kellmarsh, this captain sought out the man who had treated him, and told him of the red haired girl who had the talents of a Meldrith healer. Hardly witchcraft, you see. My colleague here sent some one to see you, and he returned just a few days ago by fast boat to say that you had left your village, and that your friends in the village were remarkably hostile to anyone making inquiries after you. But by then I had made my researches, and could tell the others that you were on your way here with your interesting crew. It would be impossible for someone of your talents to practice medicine in the Kingdom without us hearing of it sooner or later. We are always looking for such people, and can sometimes sense when we meet them. But my senses were somewhat confused at Mother Raidy's, because it is so rare to meet one such person by chance, and I was standing in front of two at the same time." The priestess paused, and a knock on the door announced the arrival of the old manservant with refreshments.

"Stillet, could you tell Azgar that my handsome pair of sailors have arrived. He will know what you mean." The old man left.

"Two? Telli is not a healer," said Setisia.

"It is unusual for Meldrith to develop their talents alone, as you have, and healing is far from being our only ability. I think Tellimakis probably has the potential to be a healer, but you also must have sensed something of his unusual mind. It is very unusual, as is your own. You are both far more powerful Meldrith than I am, or at least potentially so."

Telli knew that he had found what he had left his home in Elneside to look for, and he knew that the priestess's last statement was true, at least as far as Setisia was concerned. He had sensed Astell's powerful mind on meeting her, but when he had met Setisia, the same sort of feeling had been overwhelming. It had also been a great relief to know that there was at least one other person who was as unusual as he was, and he had been far more relaxed about his search for the reasons behind his strange powers since he had met her. He would otherwise have wanted to come to this house immediately on arrival at Kellmarsh. He smiled at Astell and said.

"Setisia certainly believed I had an unusual mind when she met me, and threatened to shoot an arrow into me for it, hardly surprising under the circumstances." He and Setisia both laughed at the memory before Telli went on. "How was it that the Meldrith were expecting my arrival in Kellmarsh?"

"We had no idea you might be a brother. We were expecting the arrival of a boy of about fourteen years, named Tellimakis, who had come over the mountains from the west and had alerted the people of Larisroot to the existence of strange creatures in the mountains who held human slaves. We have many agents around the country, but you seem to have a remarkable talent for making their acquaintance. Sabhytt was not the first you met. A few years ago, a merchant from Larisroot was here in Kellmarsh for the first time in his life. The poor man suffered in the southern heat, and contracted a serious illness. His life was saved in our healing houses here, and he was very grateful. We wished for an agent in that part of the country, and fat Flankis has served us well ever since. My colleagues who involve themselves with the affairs of the Kingdom knew about you the day the first fast boat from Bhuin reached Kellmarsh, and our leaders in Meldrith itself would have known at about the same time. Flankis had sent a runner over the hills to Bhuin at first light the morning after he met you. The Meldrith did not need to meet you to take your tale seriously, for they knew that a creature fitting the description you gave of your captors was known to exist at the time of the Allenth empire."

There was a knock on the door and a man let himself in. He was small, stocky and middle aged. His head was shaved completely, the round scalp gleaming in sunlight coming through the open windows. But his most striking feature was a broad smile, lighting up his face and eyes, and making the others in the room feel immediately well disposed towards him.

"Hello, hello, don't get up," he said, picking up a chair and joining them round the table. Astell introduced him as Azgar, a Meldrith priest who concerned himself with the politics of the Kingdom. She said that he knew who they were. The man's smile broadened.

"I have been looking forward to meeting you." He offered his hand to Setisia first, then Telli. " We have been expecting you both. I am hoping that you can come with me tomorrow to see the King at Tellui. Would that be possible? I think you both have important stories to tell him." Azgar beamed at the youngsters, and both were aware of his Meldrith mind behind the smile. Setisia answered him.

"We have not been here fifteen minutes, but this seems a house full of surprises. Do you also know my cousin, Sabhytt?"

"Indeed, I have known him for years and am very fond of him. He wrote me a note concerning you two days ago."

"If we can see the King, I wish for him to come too, and perhaps three other friends. They may have some important news for him by then. We shall know shortly when we return to the house we have just come from." Setisia smiled back at the little man. "How is it that you can arrange for us to see the King? We have an audience with his lieutenant of supplicants in two days time, but it was not easy to arrange this."

"I am assistant to one of his counsellors, but it is your own experiences and actions which have earned you such a quick audience. We are fortunate that Tellimakis is good at telling his unlikely story, and caused quite a stir in Larisroot. The Lord there has put out an order that children of the area should not go out alone at night." Azgar turned to Astell and asked her what she had told her guests about the Meldrith order. On learning that she had not yet had time to tell them much, other than that they had Meldrith talents themselves, he asked Setisia and Telli if they would tell the story of how they came to be in Kellmarsh looking for an audience with the King. Telli started the story with his childhood in Elneside, not hesitating to give a detailed account of his discovery that he could fly. He wished to find out what they could tell him about this, so could not be secretive. He left off after describing his meeting with Setisia in the Bhuin-side forest, and she continued their story from there in typical style, making a joke of their meeting with Astell ( 'a radiantly beautiful witch walked into the long room with her servants behind her') and of their interviews with the King's officer. She did not tell of the capture of Grenwald as it involved their Mendai friends and Keoch in a crime, and she would have to ask their consent before doing this.

Astell and Azgar listened without interrupting, exchanging glances at several points. Astell spoke first when Setisia had finished.

"Well, you certainly have the right to know of the Meldrith, but we ask your discretion when speaking of us to those who are not members of the order. We do have enemies, your red-robed priests amongst them. Eat, and drink a little of this good wine, and I shall tell you an ancient history, but briefly, as you can read it in detail later.

About fifteen centuries ago, two young people with unusual abilities, such as ours, met each other, each one then realising that they were not alone in the world. They examined their powers, teaching each other all they knew, then set off around the land searching for others with similar talents. These two were Mericles and Mestia, man and woman, and lovers as well as founders of an Order, which was the ancestor or parent of our own. During their long lives, they identified eleven other people with the rare and unusual minds that can in some way control and influence their environment. All were pleased to find they were not freaks, often feeling separate from the world around them, and if they were indiscreet about their gifts, risking persecution from others, accusations of practising witchcraft and sorcery made by people who feared what they could not understand. All eleven joined Mericles and Mestia, continually searching for new brothers and sisters, and teaching each other all they knew. This was the beginning of the Order of Mestia, and once the seeds had been sown, it grew steadily in numbers and in knowledge and wisdom. They became known as healers, finding their way into the hearts of all good people by their work. They were dedicated to truth and what we call science, the discovery of the truths about the world, about all aspects of our environment.

Mestia was from a tribe known as the Allenth, speaking a language that was an early version of our own. Her people dominated an area about two hundred and fifty miles north from here, and west of the Great River, about halfway between here and your homeland, Setisia, as the crow flies. The Order based themselves there, and used the language of the Allenth. Some peoples expressed their languages with picture writing at this time, although most tongues were merely spoken and had no written form. The Order of Mestia developed the first system of writing with symbols that represented sounds, the great system we still use, and therefore Allenth became the only language that could be fully expressed in writing. With the influence of the Order, often subtle but sometimes direct, the Allenth became the most sophisticated of the peoples in Ahn-Eph-Setisia, as the lands we now call the Kingdom were then known. 'Home of Setisia' this means, in early Allenth, because the great waterways of the Goddess were so important to it, as they are now." The priestess paused for a moment, and poured her guests some more wine.

"So, I have the name of the land as well as a Goddess," Setisia smiled at the priestess. "Why is this history not better known?"

"Partly because few people concern themselves with history, and when they do, this is largely with the story of the modern Kingdom, from the Unification of Tellimakis the First onwards. Also, for other reasons, which will become clearer to you as you hear the story of the Empire of Allenth.

The Allenth people developed great building techniques, creating the first city of the land, called Allenthia, about three hundred years after Mericles and Mestia had sowed the first seeds of this civilisation. The Order itself, growing in numbers by each generation as they scoured the whole of Ahn-Eph-Setisia for new talent, was always to some extent involved in the growth and power of the culture of the Allenth. However, its members never sought to dominate or rule the growing Kingdom, which owed its beginnings to their talents and their science. A great trading empire grew up with Allenthia as its hub. A thousand years ago, the city had become far larger and grander even than modern Kellmarsh, and other cities had developed around the empire in imitation of it. You can see the ruins of one just two miles from here, on the other bank of the Great River where it enters the lake. The language of the Allenth became dominant, other groups using it as a second language because it had a written form and was the language of trade and diplomacy over all the Empire. In many areas, it eventually replaced other languages. Our tongue is perhaps the most obvious legacy left to the modern Kingdom from this great civilisation.

At the height of its power, the Allenth Empire covered all of the area now covered by our own Kingdom, and even developed settlements outside, over the mountains both west and east, as Telli can testify, having seen the ruin of one of their forts. An impressive building considering how far from the centre of the Empire it was, and when we know that it must have been deserted at least eight hundred years ago, when the Empire finally fell, but by your account, could still easily be repaired, and used again.

The reasons for the fall of the Empire were many and complex, but one thing that was certainly of importance was the fact that the Order of Mestia became increasingly divorced from its government. They occupied themselves increasingly with their own scientific and spiritual searches, and chose, we now know unwisely, to leave the ruling classes of the Empire to their own devices. Self-interest and corruption grew amongst these rulers, until finally a series of foolish and decadent Emperors brought about the collapse of the city of Allenthia, followed quickly by the fall of its Empire into chaos and violent anarchy. The last and worst of these Emperors, Beracles, knew that the Order disapproved of his actions, and plotted to destroy it. He invited its leaders to his palace for a conference on the affairs of state then sprung a trap, and had them all murdered. Never has the world lost such intelligence and talent so quickly. In one hour of bloodshed, they were destroyed. At the same time, he had soldiers out searching for all other members of the Order, and, taken by surprise, few survived this slaughter, and those that did were hunted the length and breadth of the Empire during the following years.

One survivor of this catastrophe, and perhaps the most powerful and talented, was a young priestess named Helenthia. She had been in the far north at the time of the attack, in the lands of the Treochim. She eventually came south, managing to search out and gather four other survivors round her, and found refuge in a remote corner of south-eastern Ahn-Eph-Setisia by a river known to local tribes as the Meldrith. She became the founder of our Order, and we sometimes call it the Helenthiat amongst ourselves, others naming us for the river by which we still have our centre.

Just thirteen years after the slaughter of the old Order, Allenthia had declined to the point where tragedy of some kind was inevitable. This struck in the form of a virulent plague, the worst ever known in these lands. The drainage and sewerage systems of the huge city had been neglected for decades, and there was now no organisation amongst the healers of the city after the death of the Order. This state of affairs was similar in the other main cities of the Empire. About half the population of Allenthia died directly from this plague, and many more from the ensuing chaos. The pestilence spread quickly to other cities by the trading boats, and when these ceased to function, by people fleeing from one area to another. The cities were deserted, the population perceiving them, correctly, as being sources of the deadly illness. Rats carried the plague, and these now flourished on the remnants of human occupation, grain stores having been left, as well as the bodies of thousands of unburied victims. These great cities became such places of fear that none were ever re-populated. Many of the survivors had lost their knowledge of how to live by the fruits of the rich forests around them. The fields and orchards on which they depended were left untended, and it is probable that as many died from starvation as from the plague itself. The population of Ahn-Eph-Setisia was reduced to less than half its numbers, and has never been so great since.

More than a century of chaos ensued, warlords fighting for territory, and the lives of the people in turmoil, most not living long, and failing to establish a stable environment for their children. Nearly all of the documents and the accumulated knowledge of Allenthian civilisation were lost in this period. But the chaotic and shifting population meant that the Allenth language became even more predominant because it was the only way of communication in areas where many tribes mixed. The nine Kingdoms emerged from this chaos, and for all their faults, their constant warring, at least established some stability. The Helenthiat had grown to more than one hundred members at this time. You know the story of the Unification of the nine Kingdoms under Tellimakis. Our order supported this, seeing the chance to establish peace and stability in the new Kingdom, and for most of the last five centuries, we have been successful in this. An exception was the civil war, three hundred years ago, which led to the departure of Telli's ancestors." Astell halted her history to drink some of the excellent wine, and Azgar spoke.

"We wish for you both to learn more about our order, and to join us if it pleases you. We can look after you, and make sure that you face no problems because of your unusual talents. Less than one person in ten thousand has the mind to qualify as Helenthiat, but we can tell that you both appear to have great potential. But first, we must deal with the problems you have encountered on your travels, so can I ask if you will meet us here tomorrow morning and come with us to Tellui? Then I must go and send word to the King that he must expect very important visitors." Setisia and Telli agreed to be at Astell's door two hours after sunrise on the following day and Azgar shook their hands once more, then left to make the arrangements for their audience with the King.

When he had gone, Setisia explained that they had many more questions to ask of Astell, but could not stay much longer, as they had an appointment with their Mendai friends who should by now have some important information about the conspiracy against Beranis. They thanked the priestess warmly for her hospitality and her help, and the manservant showed them out to the street below.

"What did you think of these Meldrith?" Telli questioned Setisia as they sat in a river taxi on their way back to Abhyll's house.

"I think that they are what we have both been looking for, in a way, for as long as we realised that we were different from the others around us. If it hadn't been for the importance of the information the others may have extracted from Grenwald, I would have wanted to stay and hear more about them, but there is plenty of time for this, and we shall see them tomorrow. So, goblin, we have found a quick way to Tellui. Just four days in Kellmarsh, and we have achieved what we came here for, but my heart is heavy, because we lost our best friend at the same time." They spent the rest of the journey in silence, both thinking of the Mendai fiddler, whom they had got to know so well in such a short time.

When they reached the Dullai house, Keoch and Helli were still there with their children. Setisia told them a little about their visit to the Meldrith, and that they had an audience with the King the next day.

"You have found powerful friends, and they are very good people," Helli said. "Their healing houses are excellent, I know. There are many here in Kellmarsh who owe their lives to the Meldrith doctors. I took Tseochy to them once when she had a fever, just a few months ago, and she had recovered the next day. They are dedicated, and even sent a doctor round to our house on the first two days after our visit, to make sure that all was going well. For this, they ask no money, but people give voluntarily what they can towards the upkeep of the healing houses. In this way, poor people can be as easily treated as the rich, and this is why you see so little sickness and suffering in this city, certainly less than in some parts of the Kingdom where their influence is less strong." As she spoke, Sabhytt came into the room and, realising what they were talking about, he asked if they had met his friend, Azgar. Setisia nodded.

"He will take us to see Beranis at Tellui tomorrow, cousin, and I would like it if you could come with us, all of you, as you are witnesses to the stories we have to tell."

"We should also take Grenwald, who has told us all he knows, and must tell it to the King's men, who will have a Tellui dungeon ready for him when they hear what he has been up to," said Sabhytt. "But we must be back by the evening, as it is Rhyll's funeral at sunset, by the Great River, where all Mendai wanderers who die in Kellmarsh are sent on their last journey. We send our people off in a burning boat on the nearest river."

Setisia replied that Rhyll's funeral was far more important to her than the visit to the King, and that they would only go if Azgar could promise that they would be back in time for it.

"I shall ask Mhyfait if they will use my boat for the pyre, as it was the last one he journeyed in. Is he still upstairs?" Sabhytt nodded, and Setisia went up to see Mhyfait, still keeping a vigil by his brother's body. He was touched by her offer of the boat.

"I don't think Rhyll would have wanted you to sacrifice the only valuable thing you have," he said.

"It's for me and Telli, we would like to think of the boat going on with him." Setisia insisted, and Mhyfait accepted her offer.

"Keoch brought Rhyll's bags here, as you probably know, and I think this is the statue he wished you to have." Mhyfait handed her the beautiful black Setisia she had first seen in Mother Raidy's tavern. They talked for a while, Mhyfait saying that he could not come with them to Tellui because, as the only family member in Kellmarsh at the moment, he must arrange his brother's funeral.

"Do not be sad at the thought of it, little princess, we Mendai see the sending of a good soul to paradise as an occasion to be celebrated. You know that Rhyll would like us to enjoy a party, as he so loved to, and you will see that I shall be dancing with the others of the clans present." Setisia hugged him, and went back downstairs to hear what Sabhytt had to tell about Grenwald's confession. The giant had been waiting for her, and started to tell what he knew.

"Grenwald was not central to the conspiracy, and his knowledge is limited, but is enough to convict most of the ringleaders if given as evidence to the King's judges. The conspiracy is an alliance between several very wealthy Kellmarsh merchants, and the Red Order of Hathur, followers of a God whom they believe to be the supreme God of all. Your new friends, the Meldrith, will be able to tell you more about these, but suffice it to say that many who control the order do not believe in it, but use it to control the minds of its adherents, and to extract money from them. It appears, my good cousin, that you are some kind of bane sent by the Gods to break this conspiracy, for you have already gathered enough information on them for the King to act. Chirtis and the other towns you found mentioned in the letter you stole, are the centre of the conspiracy. What Grenwald has given us in addition to this is that Chirtis is the only one of these towns where the existing Lord is involved in the plot. Even more important, Grenwald knows who the man is who would be declared King of this area, and would claim rightful Kingship of the entire Kingdom.

When Beranis's grandmother became Queen, it was by a decision of the Royal Council, who considered her older brother unsuitable. This was because the brother had a disease of the brain, and would have been incapable of ruling. This brother was a simple and gentle soul, who fully supported the decision, having no desire to take the throne, so there was no dispute over the Councils decision at the time. To the surprise of all, the poor fool of a prince found himself a wife, and managed to produce a son, who then produced a grandson. None thought to claim the throne, as the exclusion of the simpleton also applied to his descendants under the ancient laws of Tellimakis the First. But the grandson has now been persuaded by this conspiracy to make a claim. When they have taken Chirtis and as many of the neighbouring towns as possible, they will announce this claim. Grenwald also knows that they will try to appeal to the people by saying that they will only be required to pay half the rate of taxation under the new regime. This would mean that the organisation of the Kingdom would cease to function, but it is dangerous, because it could appeal to fools and the more selfish of the rich merchants.

Those are the main points of Grenwald's information that are useful to us. He could also confirm the names of the two fat merchant brothers in the house next to the one where we took him as being leaders of the conspiracy, and gave us two others that he knew of, also wealthy Kellmarsh merchants. The priest you saw with him, Setisia, is known as Ganith, and Grenwald fears him greatly, although not as much as he fears you, little witch. He thinks this Ganith is important amongst the plotters, and may well be the brains behind the whole thing, although Grenwald has only guessed this, and does not know."

"He is certainly evil, not in the way a plotter for power is, but in ways more profound," said Setisia. "I could tell that when I first looked into his eyes, and I wonder what his personal motives are for backing the conspiracy. I think he might be the most dangerous of our enemies."

The group discussed Grenwald's information for a while, old Abhyll joining them. Abhyll said that the prisoner had confessed to him that he personally had started the fire at Setisia's cottage, but denied all involvement in her father's murder, saying his gang had acted against his orders. They considered that this might possibly be true, as rash actions such as the murder had brought about his downfall, and he would have been aware of that risk.

It was getting late, and they arranged to meet the next morning at Astell's house. Sabhytt and Abhyll would bring Grenwald in a covered boat, and they would take him with them to Tellui if Azgar agreed that they should do so. The Treoch family, Setisia and Telli said goodnight and left to get some much needed sleep, knowing that they must face King Beranis the next day with their wits about them.

A graceful and brightly painted barge with a swan's head carved on its prow sped across Lake Tallian towards Tellui the next morning. Propelled by eight burly oarsmen, it belonged to the Meldrith priests, and Astell and Azgar were in command. With them were Setisia, Telli, Sabhytt and Abhyll. Keoch and Helli were also on board, having left their children in the care of a neighbour. Grenwald had been turned over to the city guards of the Duke of Kellmarsh on Azgar's advice, and would be brought to Tellui later for questioning.

Telli and Setisia stood in the bows with Astell, of whom they had many questions to ask. Telli began by asking what the Meldrith knew of the Khrelling, as the priestess had said that their existence had been known during the Allenthian Empire.

"We do not know much, and did not know they still existed," said Astell. "They took slaves at that time also, and the Allenthian Emperors fought great wars with them because of this. They were driven out of Ahn-Eph-Setisia, and the slavery was ended. There are stories of great caves in the western mountains where they had their origins, and these must be the caves you passed through. The Order of Mestia believed them to be the creature on earth most similar to us. They are a kind of monkey, as we are, and like us they have come to walk upright, use their forefeet as hands, and have large brains. Seen in one way, if we view all animals as one kind, then they are our close cousins. I would be fascinated to see them, and if the King organises an expedition to free the slaves, then I would love to go with it, as I know Azgar would also. But you know more of them than anyone in the Kingdom, Tellimakis, and only the slaves will know more than you do. I do know that the Empire had made settlements west of the mountains because they had found a source of diamonds there. These settlements would probably have been left unprotected with the collapse of the Empire, and obviously did not survive, so your people found the west deserted when they arrived about five centuries later."

Setisia asked if the Meldrith knew much of the red-robed order of priests, saying that she knew they were called the Hathur, and that they had their main temple in the area north of Bhuin.

"That is correct. About twenty years ago, there was a young man in that area who reported having dreams and visions of a God called Hathur. He was the supreme God of all, whom all people should worship and obey if they wished to go to Hathur's Kingdom, the only paradise, when they died. He picked up a following, as sometimes happens in these cases, and a new cult began. There are a number of such cults in the Kingdom. This 'prophet' probably believed in the truth of his dreams and hallucinations, and was of such forceful personality that many of the more simple people around him also believed. But he also attracted some who were not so simple, and who saw a chance to gain wealth and power by exploitation of the cult's believers. These men built a Temple to Hathur, and persuaded the prophet, Altis, to decree that all followers of the God should contribute one third of their wealth or earnings to the temple, thus ensuring their path to paradise. They then persuaded the poor, deluded Altis to show his great faith, and take the most direct route to Hathur's Kingdom. Altis took a number of his followers to a high cliff and jumped off it to his death, after having commanded the others to spread word of his actions. So, the priests of the temple, now robed in the red of Altis's blood, spread the word of the martyr prophet and have had some success amongst people who need a simple explanation of their universe. The doctrine is straightforward. All the adherents must do is contribute the correct amount of money to the temple, and attempt to spread the word, and they will spend a privileged eternity in paradise. This is why we regard it as a profiteering cult, rather than a misguided religion, or a true philosophy. All property of the followers of Hathur must be left to the temple on the death of a true believer. Most sinister of all, many adherents have already followed their prophet's example, made a pilgrimage to the ravine where he died, and jumped off the same cliff. An agent of ours in the area reports that vultures and crows circle above the site, and Altis is now buried under a pile of bones. The suicides are only discouraged if the individual has not accumulated any significant wealth to leave to the temple. You overheard the priest in Bhuin describing the believers in his cult as fools, and saying that the 'new King' was a believer. They know that they will attract the attention of Beranis, and that he will eventually try to crush their cult, so we can see their motive for entering a plot against him. We can also see the motive of the fat merchant brothers of Kellmarsh, who wish to enslave tribal women."

They were approaching the quay at the base of the huge pillar of Tellui. Telli pointed to another pillar rising about fifty feet from the lake's surface, obviously manmade, which they were passing.

"That must be the monument to your dwarf builder," he said to Setisia. The pillar was a replica of the one ahead, and they could see that a model castle had been carved on its crown.

The barge slowed as it approached the quay, and the rowers shipped their oars. Waiting guards tied the craft, and laid a gangplank for its occupants. The guards greeted Azgar as if they knew him well and he was expected. They stated that he could lead his party up to the castle without escort, but must be sure that all weapons were left on the boat. Azgar led them through an arch into a torch-lit hall, carved out of the huge cliff. He pointed out several sedan chairs with muscular attendants beside them and asked if all the party could manage the fifteen hundred stairs they must climb, or if they would like to be carried.

"I am not so old as that," chuckled Abhyll, "and the others are children. It would be unkind to ask them to carry Sabhytt. Let us walk."

The steps had been cut in a spiral around the sides of a huge shaft. Azgar said that it had taken nine years to dig out the shaft from top to bottom, and that thirty thousand pick-axes were said to have been broken or blunted in the process. It was the only entrance to the castle from the lakeside, the other way in being a long rope bridge from the mountains behind, crossing high above the waterfall. The castle was impossible to attack even if there were only a handful of men to defend it, and it was difficult to besiege. This would mean blockading the lake entrance and holding the mountains opposite the bridge one thousand feet above, and would therefore require two armies with no communication between them.

It took the party more than half an hour to climb the steps. The flickering torchlight on rock walls brought back vivid memories of the Khrelling caves for Telli, and he was glad when they emerged into the daylight of one of the castle's many courtyards. Azgar spoke briefly to two guards there, then led his group across the courtyard and up a flight of steps onto the castle wall, then to a balcony where they could look out over the lake towards Kellmarsh.

"We shall wait here until my colleague is ready to see us, and to take us to the King," said the little priest.

The castle was like a small, walled town, with orchards and gardens between its many ornate towers. Azgar pointed out the huge keep with balconies overlooking the lake that was the King's residence. Astell said that the balcony they were on was reputed to be the spot from which the dwarf architect, Jianith, had jumped to his death. Their barge and the other boats at the quay looked like toys, a thousand feet below. They could see Kellmarsh clearly across the lake five miles away, and could make out landmarks such as the Duke's palace and the Black Temple in the bright morning sunlight. To the left of the city, the silver snake of the Great River wound to the north and was visible for more than twenty miles, so great was the height of their viewpoint.

Abhyll had been to Tellui once before with a deputation of Mendai elders, and Sabhytt knew it well from his time as a guard there, as did the two Meldrith, frequent visitors to the centre of the Kingdom's power. But for Keoch and Helli, like Setisia and Telli, it was a first visit, and the four were greatly impressed by Jianith's masterpiece and by the views to be had from its walls.

After about ten minutes on the balcony, the group received a surprise, not having expected to be greeted by royalty outside the King's audience chamber. There was a door from the King's residence leading onto the wall on which they were standing. This opened, and a huge guardsman came out followed by two women. The three started to walk slowly along the wall towards the visitors.

"The Priestess is my colleague, Marnia, advisor to the King and tutor to his children. With her is our future ruler, Princess Lephelia herself, and it is an unusual honour to be greeted by her outside the walls of the Royal residence." Azgar said this in a low voice as the two women approached. Lephelia spoke first as they arrived at the balcony.

"Greetings, Azgar and friends. I saw my favourite giant from the window, and could not wait to say hello. You should visit Tellui more often, Sabhytt Dullai, and know that you can always have your old job back whenever you wish." She held out her hand to the giant, and he bowed low over it, kissing the fingers.

"Indeed, your Highness, I should come more often, to see how more beautiful you have become with each passing year," he said. Lephelia was indeed beautiful, a young woman with long brown curly hair and hazel eyes to match. Telli was surprised that he sensed none of the hauteur and pride that he might expect in someone brought up knowing that she would be the next ruler of the Kingdom. He could see kindness and intelligence in the beautiful face instead, and remembered that Sabhytt, for whose judgement he already had great respect, had described her as a true Goddess. Standing there in shimmering silk robes, with a ruby studded silver coronet on her brow, she looked the part. He knew that Setisia would be reading the same things in the Princess's character, and would like her.

Lephelia's companion was, he sensed, the most powerful of the Meldrith order that they had met so far. Younger than Astell and Azgar, perhaps not much over forty years of age, she was dark, with black eyes like Telli's own which, he noticed, immediately sought out his and Setisia's. She gave a smile, like one of recognition, to them both, before embracing Astell and Azgar. Azgar made formal introductions between those who did not know one other. Telli was impressed when the Princess fell into easy conversation with Helli, a woman of about her own age, with an equal and contrasting beauty.

Marnia clearly knew Sabhytt, and shook hands with old Abhyll, saying she had known of him for some time, and that the King's government had great respect for the role the Mendai elders played in the Kingdom. She turned to Setisia and Telli, who were standing side by side.

"So, I have a new sister and a new brother at the same time, Azgar tells me, and a pair who come with interesting stories for the King's ears. Beranis will be ready to see you all shortly, and wishes you to eat with him at midday. You will find him a good host, who prefers such small gatherings to great feasts. Come with us into the palace."

The group followed her along the wall towards the door that she had emerged from, Lephelia walking in their midst and teasing Sabhytt, saying he had neglected her and would be made to pay for it with a performance on his flute when he had finished business with her father. She turned to Setisia and said that she was amazed that such a great clown as her former guard could have such a lovely cousin, showing that she had been informed well as to who her visitors were. They were soon to find out what an astute and talented politician this heir to the throne was.

Marnia led them through well decorated halls and up a flight of finely carved wooden stairs to a large chamber with an elaborate, canopied throne at one end. There were several seats on either side of the throne, and eight chairs had been placed in a semicircle opposite it. An elderly man in a plain brown robe sat in the seat immediately to the right of the throne, the room's only occupant, and Marnia introduced him as Lord Daritha, the King's senior counsellor. He smiled and nodded a greeting to the visitors without rising or speaking. Lephelia took the seat to the left of the throne, and Marnia the one next to it. The others followed Azgar's example, and sat on the chairs facing them. Immediately they were all settled, the throne and a section of the wall behind it started to move, rotating, so that it disappeared into a room behind and was replaced by another throne on which King Beranis sat. Two guardsmen stood motionless in front of him, standing on a circular section of the floor which had rotated with the throne. The effect was impressive. The King spoke.

"Guards, dismiss, we are amongst friends." The two guards, giants nearly the size of Sabhytt, bowed to the guests, then turned and bowed to the King and those beside him, before leaving the chamber at a slow march. The King smiled at the group opposite, and said:

"Good morning. For those of you who had not seen that little trick before, you must remember that the builder of this palace was well known for his eccentricities. He arranged this room and the one behind it so that King Tellimakis could hold consecutive audiences with different groups of people without moving from his throne. Clever, is it not?" The King smiled again. He was a middle aged man with a slightly tired look on his kindly face, his black hair turning grey, and his dress a comfortable looking robe of ordinary cloth. The four in the room who had not met him before had all heard of his reputation for disliking the grand clothing normally associated with monarchs. His only concession to it was a simple gold crown attached to a kind of circular cushion on his head, and even this appeared to have been designed with comfort as a priority over display.

"I have just been talking with one of my agents," he said. "He knows a woman of slightly dubious repute who gathers information for him sometimes, and was doing so the night before last in a merchant's mansion which has recently been bought by an order of priests of whom my agent is very suspicious. This woman had a very strange experience whilst lying in bed with one of the men from whom she wished to extract information. Several men, one of them a giant, burst into the room and tied her to the bed, then took her companion off to show them the room of a man called Grenwald. This name, Grenwald, has come to my ears recently from other sources, as some of you, at least, must know."

The King looked hard at Sabhytt.

"Apparently, the giant and his friends found their man and carried him off. There was a lot of blood in the hall of this house the next morning. Perhaps one of you would like to tell me something about this strange incident."

It had not occurred to the raiders that the King might have a spy in the house they had extracted Grenwald from, let alone that she might be the woman they had tied to the bed. It was Abhyll who answered the King, having agreed previously with the others that they must tell all about their illegal raid. He described the raid briefly, although not mentioning Telli's flying, leaving this to him. He also gave an account of the information they had extracted from Grenwald, saying that there was no real obligation to pardon the man as he had given the information out of fear and, of course, those questioning him were private citizens. When the old Mendai had finished, the King looked at Setisia and gave her a warm smile.

"So, you are the young lady who has taken it upon herself to pursue my enemies with such vigour and to such great effect. Azgar has sent us an account of your story, as has the clerk of supplicants you told it to, but may your grateful monarch hear it from your own lips?"

Setisia told her story and, when she had finished, said that she was responsible for the raid on the priests' house, but Sabhytt objected to this.

"Your majesty, it was I, and the friend we lost in the raid, who were most insistent on this course of action," he said, truthfully. "We persuaded the others, so it is I who must take the prime responsibility."

"Young giant, you know well that I am unlikely to punish people who were acting against the King's enemies. This does not give any of you a license for similar acts in the future. I must tell you all that a message was sent north, by the fastest means possible, as soon as Azgar's account of Mistress Setisia's illegal stealing of private letters reached us. Troops will be on their way from the nearest bases towards Chirtis in a few days time. The occupants of the two mansions you were so interested in are being arrested by the Duke's men at this moment. So, it seems that I may last a little longer as King of this great land. Which means I shall have to do something about a scandal of slavery in the Western Mountains, is it not so, Master Tellimakis? You are the only one present who is not one of my subjects, so I must thank you for the help you have given against my enemies, and cannot order you to tell your story, but can only politely request that you do so."

Telli liked this mild mannered and friendly King, as he had liked Lephelia on first sight. He told his story, including the flying, having been advised by Azgar that the King was a friend of the Meldrith, and would not be frightened by the revelation of such unusual abilities as his. Beranis listened in silence, saving his questions until Telli had finished.

"I believe your story, Tellimakis, as my Meldrith advisors do. I shall have to ask many questions of detail later, as my Captains must hear the answers to these also, so I hope you will come to Tellui again when they are also here. I have just one question now. What do you think would be the best way of freeing the slaves held by these Khrelling?"

Telli had discussed this many times with Setisia, and also with Rhyll, during their journey down the Great River. He stood up to deliver what he thought was a very important speech.

"I think that the best chance is through diplomacy, rather than war, your Majesty. I do not think that the Khrelling need to keep slaves to achieve the work that they do. They show a limited understanding of us, human beings, in doing so. In their caves, they have many things that we value. Things that they have in plenty, and therefore do not value as highly as we do. Also, they do not have the same tastes as we do. I think that it should be possible for us to exchange goods that are of little value to us, for goods of little value to them, each receiving in this way things that suit their own needs and tastes. It is possible that my escape could be turned into great advantage for the people of the Kingdom and, strangely enough, for the Khrelling also." Telli paused, and saw by the look of interest on the King's face that he had understood the implications of these ideas. The Princess, Marnia, and the Lord Daritha were looking equally interested. He continued, persuasively.

"There are obvious difficulties in attempting to free the slaves by force. The Khrelling have them as hostages, for one thing, and it would also be very difficult for us to fight the creatures in their own caves, to which they are naturally adapted. We would be like blind men fighting those who can see, and would possibly lose more lives in this way than there are people in the slave camp. The difficulties of diplomacy lie only in communication and understanding, and we are lucky in that there are amongst the slaves a number who have a reasonable mastery of the Khrelling speech, and also some understanding of how they differ from us in their nature, customs and values. These can be used as translators. I can best explain why I think communication is the only problem by telling you a story that I heard in the slave camp. The man who told me it was working one day in the residential quarters of the Khrelling caves. The Khrelling young were playing with toys made of gold. A toy fell into a fast flowing stream and the adult Khrelling did not even bother to retrieve it, merely handing the young one another pretty, yellow toy. They left it to play by the edge of the stream, obviously thinking nothing of the possible loss of another few pounds of gold. The metal is not currency for them, just something to make pretty playthings for their young." Telli paused again, and let this sink in. It was very important to him that a crude military operation did not take place, with its risk to the lives of his friends amongst the slaves. He continued, knowing that all in the room, excepting Setisia, would be fascinated by what they were hearing.

"The Khrelling go to great lengths to guard their slaves, who do mainly mining and tool making work, things at which we are more adept than they. If they knew that they could obtain lots of tools of far better quality in exchange for one expendable child's toy, that they could get a man to work willingly in their mines for many days for the same exchange, they would have to agree with my views. They have no need to keep human slaves, and could be far better off without them." Telli bowed to the King, and sat back down. It was Lephelia who broke the silence, not by speaking, but by clapping her hands together in applause. As everyone looked towards her, including her father, she said:

"I wish to employ this boy on my council immediately. How much will you ask for a salary, Tellimakis?" She did not wait for an answer, but went on. "If a trade could be established with these creatures, the Khrelling, then it should not be left in the hands of greedy merchants, who might try and cheat the creatures, and thus offend them. That could lead us back to the situation of misunderstanding we are in now. So, as it is the King's army who must go to this hidden valley to liberate the slaves, even if this is achieved by diplomacy, then, of course, the King should control and operate the resulting trade. This would be a great help in financing those armies, which we so often need to avoid such situations of slavery or injustice, and is only fitting. The more that the King can raise by such a clever idea of commerce, the less he needs to raise by taxes, and in this way the benefit of the trade is passed onto the people of the Kingdom. Do you not agree, young councillor?"

Telli was astonished at this, because it was the exact argument he had prepared should the King be reluctant to send an army to support the effort at diplomacy in the Khrelling valley. Setisia, seated beside him, was grinning at him because she knew this part of his plan. He stood up and bowed to the Princess.

"I can see that the future of this Kingdom, where I feel an honoured guest, will be in good hands. Her Majesty has suggested exactly what I had thought to suggest. It is far better that the King keeps a close control on trade with the Khrelling, to ensure that there is never another breakdown in communication between the two species." Telli genuinely believed this, knowing that if men with characters like the two fat merchant brothers of Setisia's conspiracy became involved, the Khrelling might become slavers again at some point in the future. He had thought of proposing fat Flankis as an advisor to the King on the trade, along with his friend Stell from the forge, as he was fluent in Khrelling speech and understood the creatures well. But he would leave this until the slaves were freed, if this proved possible. Telli was fast becoming an admirer of the Princess Lephelia, who spoke again.

"Can we not discuss this further at table, father, as our guests have climbed up from the lake this morning, and must be in need of refreshment?"

"Indeed," said the King, "will you all join us for some light refreshments? Good, I will lead the way."

Beranis got up and went to a door on the opposite side of the chamber from that by which his guests had entered. He opened it himself and, to the amusement of those in the party who did not know him, held it open as everyone passed through. They found themselves on a very large balcony, with a view over the lake. There was a large, round table in the middle of it, and twelve places were already laid. A waiting servant disappeared as Beranis took his seat on the side of the table where he could see out to his capital city. He asked for Keoch and Helli to sit on either side of him, saying that he had not heard them speak yet and must get to know them. He was a charming host. He asked the Treoch couple why they had come with the others and, when Keoch had explained his part in the illegal raid, said he would condemn his guest to pour the wine for the three of them as punishment for such activities.

"But surely, even Treoch warriors do not take their wives with them on such occasions. We know you are a warrior tribe, but isn't that taking it a little far?"

"I knew about the raid, so therefore must count as a conspirator," explained Helli. "However, I really came just out of curiosity, to see the King, and am very glad that I did so." She flashed her most charming smile at Beranis, and he laughed, then complemented Keoch on his choice of a bride. Telli and Setisia had been told of his taste for the informal entertainment of his subjects, and could see how it worked to increase his popularity as he had considerable charm. They sat, at her request, on either side of the Princess, opposite the King.

"You are a doctor, Setisia? Azgar told us this in his messages." Lephelia spoke as the servant returned with others and they started to set plates of food and wine before the guests.

"Yes, your Majesty. I used to help the old medicine man of my village, and when he died two years ago, I was the best qualified to take over."

"Then will you join the Helenthiat, the Meldrith order? All of my tutors were from the Meldrith, and I often wish I had their talents myself. Sometimes I think it is only they who hold the Kingdom together. I think that your giant cousin may share this view."

"From what I have seen, I would be honoured to join them. Astell told me this morning that they have work for me in their healing houses whenever I want it."

"Good." The Princess recommended some delicacies that had been placed on the table before them, and poured wine for her two neighbours herself, before turning to Telli.

"Counsellor, what did you think of the character of the Khrelling from the weeks you spent working for them?"

"Neither good nor bad, your majesty. We were captured as slaves, so saw their worst side. But they keep slaves as you in the Kingdom keep oxen, using them to work, but treating them well, and not using unnecessary cruelty as this would make them less useful. The Khrelling were practical, and I hope this is the case in other ways. If so, we should be able to form a proper relationship with them."

"It would give us a route to the lands in the west, as well as the other advantages we talked of, through their caves, which I would love to see myself."

"True." Telli nodded, thinking that this Princess did not miss much, and thought in the same way her Meldrith teachers, being almost like one of the order.

The party spent more than an hour at table, Beranis talking with each of his guests in a friendly manner, clearly genuinely interested in their lives and in what they were doing. Keoch and Helli received an invitation to return to the palace for a feast three days later. The northern lord, Balleoch, was due to arrive at Tellui. He was Lephelia's betrothed and was half Treochim, his mother being from the northern tribes, so the feast would be a largely Treoch occasion. Abhyll would return to Tellui in a few months time as he had been before, one of a group of Mendai elders who met yearly with the King to discuss their affairs.

Beranis eventually excused himself, having to give another audience, and left with Lord Daritha. Lephelia led the others to her garden, a walled enclosure containing plants and trees brought to her from all over the Kingdom. She had cultivated it for years and had made it a beautiful place, alive with birds, bees and butterflies, which the plants were chosen to attract. They sat there, talking, Sabhytt playing the flute she had given him, for another hour. By the time they left to climb down the fifteen hundred steps, Telli and Setisia knew they had found a powerful new friend in the Princess.

The village youngsters felt as if they had become privileged aristocrats in the course of a few hours. Marnia had talked to them for some time, saying that they must not hesitate to contact the Meldrith if they had any problems. She explained that they would be coming again to Tellui shortly, as Telli must give the detailed geography of the Khrelling valley and its surrounds to the King's captains and counsellors. Azgar would tell them when this time came. She said that Azgar and Astell would find them apartments in a Meldrith house in Kellmarsh as soon as they wished.

The youngsters walked down the great staircase some distance behind the others, discussing their first visit to royalty.

"We have really completed our missions, and achieved what we came to Kellmarsh for," said Setisia. "There is only the planning for the expedition to free the slaves, and that seems sure to go ahead but cannot be until next year, unless they decide to risk the snows on that mountain desert you crossed. You have a good ally in our future Queen, but I shall be angry if you have fallen too much in love with her, as you are my goblin slave, remember!" She was smiling as she said this, and Telli put his arm round her shoulders.

"I shall not take a job on her council without your agreement, and unless you serve with me," he said. Setisia, who had been very subdued since Rhyll's death, changed the subject.

"I wish I had followed my instincts better when we first met Astell, and talked to her at length. We could have gone to see her immediately on arrival in Kellmarsh, and quite likely achieved all this by convincing her and Azgar of the importance of our stories. We would still have Rhyll with us, then."

"I knew Astell was special when we first saw her as well as you did, but we were not to know that the Meldrith of Kellmarsh were so closely involved with the King. I think they are the force behind the monarchs of your Kingdom, Set, and that is why it is so well ruled."

When they reached the bottom of the shaft and went out into the afternoon sunlight on the quay, the group could feel the difference between the tropical heat at this level and the comfortable climate of Tellui castle a thousand feet above them. The dwarf, Jianith, had chosen an excellent site for his monarch's summer palace.

As the barge crossed Lake Tallia, Sabhytt joined Setisia and Telli in the bows.

"How long have you been an agent for the Meldrith, mysterious cousin of mine?" asked Setisia.

"About seven years now. I was recruited when I was in Lephelia's guard. Her tutors, including Marnia and Azgar, thought I would be more useful roaming round the Kingdom than following the Princess around Tellui, and persuaded me to leave what was actually a very pleasant job, as you can understand now you have met my former charge. She will be a great Queen, don't you think?" They discussed Lephelia and Beranis until the barge reached Kellmarsh.

Azgar directed the barge up the canal leading to the harbour where Setisia's boat was moored. He and Astell said goodbye to the others as they climbed out at the harbour, and the barge turned back towards the lake. With the help of their friends, Setisia and Telli emptied the little boat of their possessions, transferring everything to Keoch's house. The boat had to be prepared for its new role as a funeral pyre.

The sun was low over the western horizon as Setisia's little boat was towed out into the Great River at a point just above Kellmarsh. Rhyll's coffin was on board, and firewood had been piled high around it. Telli had found it impossible to hold back tears as Mhyfait had laid Rhyll's fiddle beside his body. He stood watching beside Setisia, who had not spoken for some time. A Mendai band was playing a slow dirge. When the boat was about two hundred yards from the bank, the men in the towboat threw torches onto the pyre, and cut the towrope, then turned back towards the bank. The firewood, soaked in oil, blazed up immediately, and Setisia's boat became a beacon of flame, drifting downstream towards Lake Tallian. The band changed their tempo, speeding up into a lively dance rhythm, signifying the Mendai belief that the passing of a soul to eternity was an occasion for joy rather than sorrow.

Abhyll came to where the youngsters stood, and handed them mugs of beer.

"Rhyll would want you to celebrate his passing," he said. They knew that this was certainly true. Their friend had liked to turn every night into a party.

The wake lasted until midnight, and those present who were not Mendai found the gypsies' obvious pleasure at the occasion infectious, and joined in the dancing. Telli was pleased to see Setisia relax, knowing that she had been particularly hurt by the loss of the first friend she had made from the people of the father she had never known. She had become her bright and talkative self by the time they were walking back home through the sleeping city with Keoch and Helli.

Telli and Setisia stood on a rocky outcrop looking down thousands of feet to the floor of the Khrelling valley. It was the summer of the year following their adventures in Kellmarsh, but they were dressed in furs against the cold of the high mountain plateau. The pair, both now fifteen years old, had grown in stature and knowledge over the previous nine months, now appearing as the young adults they had actually been for some time. Sabhytt stood a few feet behind them, looking down over their heads. He was now paid by the King as their bodyguard and was also their closest friend.

"You see the camp." Telli pointed to the circle of the wall far below, with its patchwork of fields and orchards, and the tiny squares of the cottages grouped between the river and the cliff behind. They could just make out the dark hole in the cliff that was the entrance to the Khrelling caves. Telli looked over to another rock, just a few yards away, where Prince Balleoch was standing. Married to the Princess Lephelia three months before, the northerner was chief captain of the King's forces on this expedition. He looked back at his youthful guide.

"Do you think we can reach the walls by tomorrow evening?"

"Yes, your majesty. It's a steep climb down, but I can go ahead with a few men without burdens, and we can mark out the easiest route. We should be able to get five hundred men onto the valley floor by the afternoon, and then we can march straight across it. All the men must be wary of the giant lizards once we are on the low ground. But I doubt that the Khrelling will attack us in daylight. It is not to their advantage to do so."

Telli had been chief guide to the army for twelve days now, ever since the advance guard had left Larisroot. The King's men were strung out across the mountains behind them. They had established camps on ten peaks on the way across, with fifty men guarding each one. There was now a supply route from the Kingdom to the Khrelling valley. An advance guard of five hundred was arriving behind the lookout points where Telli and Balleoch stood with their advisors and guards.

Setisia was one of these advisors, appointed and paid by the King, who had by now developed great respect for her judgement. Her conspiracy had been broken, with the King's forces arriving in Chirtis in time to prevent the planned take over of the town. A number of arrests had been made, including that of the King's cousin, the pretender to the throne, and that of the Lord of Chirtis. In Kellmarsh, the fat merchant brothers and a number of their co-conspirators were secure in the Duke's prisons, as was Grenwald, serving a shorter sentence than the others because he had confessed to all he knew.

But the order of Hathur had not been completely broken. It had thousands of followers in the area of Chirtis, and many of them had retreated to their Temple, deep in the forest, and were prepared to defend it with their lives. The red-robed priests were no longer allowed to spread their creed, however, and could not appear openly anywhere in the Kingdom. Ganith, the priest Setisia had overheard conspiring with Grenwald in Bhuin, had not been caught. She was disappointed in this, as her instincts told her that he was the most dangerous of enemies.

Setisia was not the only woman in this expedition to the Khrelling valley. Astell had also crossed the mountains, along with Azgar, both to be amongst the advisors to Balleoch in the coming negotiations with the Khrelling. The two Meldrith came up now, looking remarkably fresh after the difficult mountain crossing. Telli and Setisia now knew that they were both older than they appeared, each being nearer sixty than fifty and therefore by some way the oldest members of the expedition. Sabhytt made way for them so they could see down to the slave camp.

"We shall be able to start negotiations tomorrow night, do you think?" Astell could not disguise her eagerness to make contact with the strange creatures, the only known species with an intelligence similar to their own.

"I hope so," said Telli. "The sooner the better, so that they realise we have come to talk, rather than fight. The worst thing for all would be if they were to attack us before we get the chance to communicate with the slaves who can translate our intentions to them."

The men of the advance guard were laden with gifts for the Khrelling at Telli's insistence. These were mainly tools and weapons of a workmanship far superior to anything the slaves could make in the forge, and were intended to convince the cave creatures that it would be far better for them to trade with the King than to attempt to keep those slaves. It had been hard to persuade some of the more war-like captains that gifts should be given to creatures holding their own people captive, and the two Meldrith had been his greatest allies, apart from Setisia, in arguing for this course.

Balleoch and his advisors discussed the strategy they would follow the next day while the advance guard put up their tents and prepared for the watchful night ahead.

Late the next afternoon, Balleoch was approaching the walls of the slave compound, surrounded by his Treochim bodyguard and his councillors. It had been a long day for them, starting at first light when they had begun their descent into the deep, green valley. The beauty and fertility of this hidden paradise impressed all. They had made no attempts to conceal their presence, wishing to approach the Khrelling and to establish contact with them as quickly as possible. The wall ahead was lined with the creatures, robed and hooded in protection from the sun, their weapons glinting in its light. Telli, walking beside Balleoch, was relieved to see some men on the wall with them.

"Either they have thought of the need for translators, or they wish to show that they hold hostages," he said to the Prince. "Shall I call out now?" The Prince halted and held up his arm in a signal for the others to stop. Most of the advance guard had halted several hundred yards behind, and the group approaching the wall numbered only about fifty. They wished to show clearly that they were not intending an attack on the Khrelling.

"Yes, call out as we arranged," said Balleoch. Telli cupped his hands round his mouth.

"Men, tell your masters that we come in peace, with gifts, and wish to talk with them at length," he shouted, as slowly and clearly as he could. He thought he could recognise one of the men on the wall as a foreman whom he knew to be a speaker of the Khrelling tongue. After a tense period lasting several minutes, it was this man who called back.

"Come nearer, some of you, without arms, so we may talk." Telli consulted with Balleoch, and then laid down his bow and hunting knife and walked towards the wall. Azgar, unarmed, followed him. When they stood about twenty paces from the wall, the man called out again from above.

"The masters wish to know what you would talk with them about." Telli, wondering whether he had been recognised, launched into a longer speech.

"We bring them gifts to show our goodwill and good intentions. We know about the keeping of slaves, and the Great King across the mountains wishes it to end. In place, he will provide your masters with weapons and tools of a superior quality to those they have; also, with workers who can help in the mines. He wishes to start a system of exchange, which can benefit both the Khrelling and the people of the Kingdom. Can you explain this to your masters?" This time there was a much longer wait for an answer.

"The masters will have to speak with their chiefs. What are the gifts your King has sent?" Expecting this question, Telli made a gesture behind him, and several men came forward with bundles wrapped in cloth. They laid them out on the ground, showing gleaming examples of newly made tools and weapons, all of the best quality, and all being things that Telli knew were valued by the Khrelling. There were picks, shovels, knives, swords and axes. Telli called up to the walls, saying that these were just a small sample, and that the Khrelling could take them now and keep them, whatever agreements were made. He waited for the translation to be made.

"We shall send down guards to pick them up. If you go back to your friends now and wait, we shall call when your message has been understood by the chiefs."

Telli and Azgar returned to report to Balleoch. As they reached him, a rope ladder was dropped from the wall, and several Khrelling guards clambered down to collect the King's gifts. Telli explained to Balleoch that all had gone well so far. He noticed that all others in the party were staring at the Khrelling, and remembered how strange he had found them the year before. They must now wait until the creatures' rulers had heard their basic proposition.

It was nearly an hour later when a call came from the wall. Telli and Azgar approached it again, and negotiations started. Telli soon guessed that the Khrelling chiefs themselves were on the wall. To his great relief, they seemed to have understood the nature of his proposals. An important question he had been expecting was soon asked.

"If the King over the mountains is to provide the masters with tools, what will he ask in return?"

"Your masters have many things that are of little value to them, but which may be of great value to the King. It would be much easier for your masters to exchange gold or precious stones for the goods and services that the King can provide, than it is for them to guard their slaves. They could have better tools and weapons, for far less work and trouble." Telli knew that this was true, and wondered if the Khrelling would understand the underlying threat. Now that the people of the Kingdom knew of the slavery, they could make it impossible for the creatures to keep their slaves anywhere other than inside the caves, where they would have no food supply for the humans, other than their own fish. He was certain that the King's armies could take and hold the valley, although it was almost equally certain that the Khrelling could hold their own caves. If the Khrelling thought logically, they would be tempted to reach an agreement with King Beranis. But they would want to be secure in this agreement. Telli had persuaded the King and his council that hostages should be offered to the creatures, that a number of human volunteers should stay with them until trust was fully established. These would be rotated, some leaving as others arrived. He had suggested that soldier volunteers were paid generously with Khrelling gold, on top of their normal wages, to spend short periods working in the Khrelling mines, taking over the role of the slaves. If the price was right, there would be no shortage of volunteers. A few months in the mines, and a young soldier would return to the Kingdom rich by his standards. The next question showed him that the Khrelling mind was not so different from his own, and he was greatly pleased to hear it.

"How can the masters know that they can trust your King?"

With this, Telli became sure that he could do business with the creatures. He outlined his hostage plan. Then he suggested that the discussions should be resumed the next day, so that the Khrelling could have the night to consider the proposals, and the humans could rest. This was agreed, and Balleoch's party withdrew to join the rest of the advance guard.

Telli and Setisia discussed the exchange late into the night with Astell and Azgar. Balleoch joined them for an hour or so, after he had eaten.

"You think that the exchange went well, Tellimakis?" the Prince asked.

"Yes, your Highness. I did not know that the translation would be so good. We are lucky, because we could never master the Khrelling speech as some of the slaves have. It would be ten times more difficult than learning a foreign language of men. I know from my friend, Stellakis, that the Khrelling teach children from the camp at an early age, when they learn quickly. They pick out the fastest learners, and continue to teach these, so that they have translators between master and slave for the future. Stellakis was taught in this way. But I did not know how well the translators could convey complex new ideas to the creatures. From the questions they asked us, it is clear that their understanding is good. As our propositions are definitely in the interests of both sides, success now depends on the nature of the Khrelling mind. If they think in a way similar to ourselves, they should accept our ideas."

Balleoch smiled at his councillor.

"Do you know that my wife wishes her father to make you Lord of this valley when you reach the age of eighteen, and if this mission is successful? No? Well, I think she is right, and we are unlikely to find a better manager of affairs with the Khrelling. The valley and the camp would make a beautiful fiefdom, don't you think, Setisia?"

"I think that Telli may wish to wander for a few years, before settling down as a Lord, but that he would certainly be a good one if he chose to take that role in life. I think we should be able to guess by how the talks go tomorrow whether or not we shall be successful in establishing a relationship with the Khrelling. Tomorrow is crucial." The others agreed with Setisia on this.

The next morning, Telli and Azgar approached the wall again, accompanied by several men carrying more gifts for the Khrelling. The slave translator called down that the masters had discussed their proposals over night, were now resting, and would be ready to talk with them in the afternoon. They left the gifts, and retreated to wait for a sign that the Khrelling chiefs were ready.

When this sign came, Telli's heart leapt. He was the most emotionally involved of the group watching the wall, worried for the welfare of Brakis and his other friends amongst the slaves. Shortly after noon, several rope ladders were let down from the battlements, and a number of Khrelling climbed down, carrying sacks over their shoulders. They walked half the distance towards the watching men, then laid the contents of their bundles out on the ground, before collecting Balleoch's gifts, and climbing back to the top of the wall. They left the rope ladders hanging down, seeming to symbolise trust and openness to the watchers.

Prince Balleoch went forward himself, with only his advisors around him, and no armed guard. When the group saw what the Khrelling had presented them with, they realised that Telli's plans might succeed beyond their wildest dreams. It appeared that the slaves had advised their masters well on what manner of goods might interest the people of the Kingdom. Before them was a pile of gold bars, a pile of rubies, and a pile of uncut diamonds. They were later to estimate the value of these gifts at about a thousand times that of the weapons and tools they had already given the Khrelling. The Prince and his advisors tried hard to conceal their surprise and excitement.

"Our masters make you gifts of goodwill, and are ready to talk at length," a man called out from the wall. The gold and precious stones were carried back to the army camp. Six Khrelling and three men climbed down the ladders, and walked about thirty yards from the wall. They appeared to be unarmed, so Balleoch's group laid down all their arms, and went forward to meet them.

Three of the Khrelling were clearly negotiators and individuals of importance. Each one had a slave translator. The Prince was well prepared, and explained the details of Telli's plans clearly. It was not long before a key question that Telli and Setisia had predicted to Balleoch came up.

"If our masters depend on you for weapons, surely they are at your mercy under this plan, should things not go well. How can they feel secure under such circumstances?"

"Fetch the Treochim weapons I prepared," the Prince ordered one of his captains. The man returned with a sword, a spear and two knives, one long and one short. The Prince took the sword and ran his thumb lightly along the edge of the blade. He held up his hand towards the Khrelling, showing the drops of blood falling from his thumb tip. Then, northern warrior that he was, he proceeded to perform a Treochim trick which Telli had seen his friend Keoch do for amusement. Balleoch unwound a silk scarf from round his neck and stood up. He tied a large knot in one end of the scarf to make it heavier than the other, then threw it high into the air. As it streamed down, knotted end first, he aimed three lightening quick strokes at it with the sword. The scarf fell to the ground in four pieces. Hisses and clicks came from the six Khrelling that might have been appreciative laughter. The Prince spoke to the translators.

"There are no weapons better than these, and we shall provide your masters with a stock of them. They must know that our intentions are peaceful in doing this. If we wished to make war, we certainly would not want to fight soldiers armed with blades such as these. They will see that they are far better equipped to defend themselves in a few days than they are now. We do not wish to conquer their caves, their home, but would want to visit them as their guests." He presented the sword, handle first, to one of the Khrelling negotiators. The creatures examined all the weapons in front of them, and appeared to be discussing their merits.

Telli thought that the Prince's demonstration of the weapon had been a clever move, a two edged sword in itself. It showed the quality of the gifts they were prepared to give to the cave creatures, but it also demonstrated his own prowess with such weapons. It would be easy for the Khrelling to persuade themselves that it was better to avoid conflict with an army containing such skilled swordsmen, and that a negotiated agreement was more desirable. Setisia had already expressed the opinion to him that Lephelia had chosen her mate wisely. This mission was of great importance to the consort of the future Queen. Success would mean respect and popularity in the Kingdom for him, something Lephelia already had.

The discussions went on into the evening. Astell and Setisia joined the group of advisors around Balleoch, the Prince wanting to see how they would judge the characters of the Khrelling and their three slave translators. One of the Khrelling left for the wall every hour or so, obviously reporting on the progress of the talks. As night came on, Prince Balleoch was informed that he would be talking with an important Khrelling chief the next day. It was arranged that talks should take place in the late afternoon and evening, starting when the sun began to sink behind the great mountains above the caves, and the Khrelling were more comfortable in their shadow.

Setisia was the most astute judge of character Telli knew. That night she talked to Balleoch about the slave translators, whom she had been studying closely.

"These men have importance and privilege under the present circumstances. They are not swinging picks to cut the blackstone for their masters. They may not want to risk a change in their way of life. We must get them on our side, but we must be subtle in doing so. As we are making it clear that our plans can bring great benefit to the Khrelling, we must also make it clear that the slaves who are fluent in the Khrelling speech will be of great importance to the King. We are only emphasising the obvious truth in doing this, but we must do so, because, at present, I can read the doubt in their minds. The oldest is the most cautious and could be hostile. The middle-aged man is the most inclined to follow our plans. He is a good-hearted man and a clever one. I can easily hear the excitement in his voice as he understands the changes that might be coming to his community. The youngest translator is somewhere between the two, and will be quite likely to look to the other two for leadership.

The Khrelling are, of course, far more difficult to understand. As they faced us, the one on the right was clearly the most important, even though he appeared to be the youngest. The other two never asked a question through their translators without a brief exchange with him before doing so. He would indicate assent by a backward movement of the head. The creatures appear to show pleasure by a sideways movement of the head. A movement of the face muscles very like our own smile accompanies this gesture, except that it does not really show on the lips. These signs of pleasure were increasing as the discussions went on. Pleasure and amusement can also be read in their eyes, and this also became more frequent towards the end of the talks. I sensed no strong opposition to our ideas from these three, although their thoughts are hard to read. The oldest of the three has an arthritic elbow, which gives him great discomfort. With your majesty's permission, I could offer to treat him tomorrow, and could probably give him some temporary relief from pain during the talks. This would certainly do our cause no harm."

Prince Balleoch knew Setisia, a frequent visitor to his wife in Tellui, and was not too surprised at this confident contribution to the discussion in his council tent. The two senior captains seated beside him were looking slightly stunned, however, and the Prince laughed at the expressions on their faces.

"Setisia is a powerful witch, but do not worry, she is on our side," he joked. "By all means treat the old Khrelling, and try to charm him while you are at it. Do you think you can bewitch such creatures as you bewitch me?"

"I do not bewitch royalty, your highness, as it is considered bad etiquette amongst us witches to do so, and anyway, we have no use for blue blood in our magic potions." The two old soldiers laughed at this, and Telli wondered if they realised it was they who were being enchanted into respect for the half-gypsy country girl who sat opposite them.

Azgar summarised the day's talks, and the group discussed their strategy for the next day, before retiring to their sleeping tents.

On the third day of talks, the oldest translator asked a question of Telli, rather than Balleoch. Telli was not surprised, as he had assumed that the men had recognised him, just as he recognised them by sight if not by name.

"How did you escape from the forge?"

"I managed to climb up one of the shafts. If the talks go well, I can show your masters how, when we can visit the caves as friends." Telli hoped that he would not be asked to do this, but knew that it could only happen if his plans were successful, and would be a small price to pay for that. As his answer was translated, he decided to take advantage of the fact that the subject of his slavery had been introduced. He asked if he could see Brakis and Stellakis, saying that Balleoch would guarantee their return to the camp, until the conditions of the talks were finalised. One of the Khrelling assistants set off for the wall to ask higher authority for this.

While the negotiators waited for the messenger's return, Balleoch offered Setisia's services as a doctor, saying that she might be able to do something for the pain the oldest Khrelling felt in his arm. The creature consented to this after some discussion with his companions. Both sides watched in silence as Setisia pulled up her patient's bat skin sleeve, exposing a muscular, white arm, covered with yellowish hair. The elbow was red, swollen and stiff in its movements. Setisia rubbed an ointment she had prepared onto the joint, then held it in her hands for more than a minute, concentrating hard. Telli remembered the sensation he had felt in his ankle the summer before, and could read the pleasure in the creature's pink eyes as he underwent the same experience. The old Khrelling jabbered excitedly to his companions, then spoke more slowly to his translator.

"He feels great relief," said the slave. "He thanks the girl, and says he counts her as a friend."

As Setisia bound the joint, she explained that the relief was only temporary, but that some permanent improvement might be achieved with continual treatment over several days. She emphasised, wisely, that she could not cure such a condition completely, not wanting to raise false hopes. Telli guessed that there would now be a lot of work for Setisia, Astell and Azgar amongst the Khrelling. Nothing could be better for the early days of the new relationship he wished to establish with them.

The Khrelling messenger returned from the wall, and spoke with the three negotiators. Telli could feel his heart beating fast as he listened to the translation.

"Your two friends are on their way, and the masters say they may stay with you as long as they wish. They do not have to return to the camp."

This was the most important moment of the talks for Telli. Setisia hugged him, knowing what the words of the translator meant to him. Balleoch and the other advisors were nearly as excited as the youngsters. The Khrelling were making a significant gesture of peace. The first two slaves were to be released.

Before this happened, a Khrelling of obvious importance arrived from the wall with several armed guards. The guards hung back as the chief came forward and joined the talks with Balleoch. Telli listened to these with one ear, while watching the wall for the arrival of his friends. The newcomer seemed to be some sort of military leader, judging by his preoccupations. He emphasised, through the translators, that if there were to be men of the Kingdom in the valley on a permanent basis, then the wall around the camp must stay up as the first line of security for the Khrelling. Balleoch agreed immediately to this, disarming the other by saying that he would have his men help improve the wall's battlements and increase its height if the Khrelling wished him to do so. At this point Telli decided that he was no longer really needed in the talks, that it was clear that Balleoch was in complete control along with his other advisors. When he recognised Brakis's bearded head on the wall, he withdrew a few yards from the chief negotiators.

Brakis and Stellakis climbed down the rope ladders and started to walk towards the group. When Brakis saw Telli, he broke into a run, arms held out wide. Telli felt the tears come to his eyes as he stepped forward into his old friend's embrace. The two hugged each other silently for nearly a minute, neither able to speak. For Telli, Brakis felt like home, like a part of Elneside. The tears were streaming down his cheeks, and he made no effort to hold them back. Stellakis broke the spell, his cheerful grin wider than ever.

"Do you not say hello to your old master, apprentice, or have you become too fine a Prince to speak with a poor toolmaker? Tell me, how did you come back from the dead?" He embraced Telli as Brakis stepped back, then held him at arms' length.

"He has grown, Brakis, they fed him well in the Kingdom. And look at those fine clothes. The rumour has it that we in the camp may be freed, Tellimakis, so tell us, what is happening, old friend."

Telli, still unable to speak, led his friends away from Balleoch's group towards the army camp. When he had regained some composure, he explained his plans to his two friends and gave a brief account of how the talks had progressed so far. He told Stellakis that he wanted him to act as personal translator for Balleoch. He would have to stay away from his family in the army camp until the negotiations were complete. The young smith's quick wits enabled him to recover quickly from the excitement of crossing the wall for the first time in his life. After about half an hour discussing the important points of the negotiations with Telli and Brakis, he declared himself ready to take on his new job immediately.

"But how did you escape? We all thought you dead down that foul smelling hole in the forge"

"My piss-hole decoy worked, then?" Telli asked Brakis.

"Yes, to perfection. I was the only one not to assume you to be dead, and it was a hard secret to keep, I can tell you. I was questioned by the Khrelling and by the foremen, but as they were already inclined to believe you dead in the hole under the forge, they soon left me to mourn alone for my young friend. When we heard nothing more over the next few days, I hoped you were well on your way to the Kingdom."

Telli introduced Stellakis to Balleoch and the smith joined the group discussing the future of the slaves with the Khrelling. Telli and Brakis withdrew to a distance so that Telli could recount the story of his escape and his subsequent adventures in the Kingdom.

Telli withdrew increasingly from the negotiations with the Khrelling now that he was reunited with his Elneside friend. The talks were going well, and he felt tired from his efforts. He was increasingly impatient to return to the west of the mountains, to see his family and friends, and, of course, to introduce Setisia to the community of his childhood.

As trust grew between the men of the Kingdom and the Khrelling, more slaves were allowed over the wall to visit the King's army, and some from outside the wall could visit the slaves in the camp, Astell and Azgar amongst them. The two Meldrith had developed a theory about the Khrelling, and how such a creature had come to exist. Astell explained this to the council in Balleoch's tent several nights after Brakis's release.

"Your Highness must know the legend of the war between the Ice God and the Sun God as it is a story told by the Treochim, but allow me to tell it now for the benefit of all here. The Treochim are the oldest of the peoples of Ahn-Eph-Setisia, land of Setisia who, as you know, is Goddess of rivers and of all flowing water. They tell stories of a time when the lands we now know as the Kingdom were much colder, and Setisia's waters were frozen. In their legends, this came about because of a story of love and war involving two great Gods and a Goddess. Both Hasteoch, God of Ice and Snow, and Dalleoch, God of the Sun, were in love with Setisia. She favoured the Sun God, under whose warmth her waters flowed freely. Hasteoch, in his jealous rage, spread his icy domain south from the great wastes, and down from the peaks of the high mountains, until all of the rivers of Ahn-Eph-Setisia fell under his rule, and Setisia was trapped in her own homeland. Dalleoch fought back, and the battle lasted many centuries. Men only survived in the far south of the Kingdom, living by breaking the ice, and finding food in the waters where Setisia was trapped beneath it. The Sun God eventually triumphed, pushing the Ice God back to his old domains, and freeing their love, Setisia. Men returned to all parts of Ahn-Eph-Setisia. The battle still goes back and forth, as we can see in the cycle of the year.

"But we now know that there was another animal similar to man in the area at the time of the great wrath of Hasteoch. And I believe that this animal did not follow man and other warmth loving species south, but sought refuge in the arms of Elivia, the Earth Goddess. It is not only the sun that gives warmth, the earth does, also. We know that deep caves, such as the ones in this valley, keep their temperature regardless of the seasons on the earth's surface. So, I think that the ancestors of the Khrelling retreated to the caves, and their descendants have become creatures of those caves as we can tell from their obvious allergy to bright sunlight."

Telli thought about this theory while the others discussed it. It fitted with his hunter's knowledge of animals and how they adapted to their environment. It occurred to him, not for the first time, how similar Astell's way of thinking was to his own.

Trina was sitting outside her grandparent's house later that summer when she heard a commotion coming from the direction of the riverside gate. She lifted her tiny baby, Tellimakis, from her breast and laid him gently in the cradle beside her. Several of the village children were running from house to house crying out in shrill tones that conveyed excitement. Perhaps someone had caught a fish of record proportions, thought Trina. Then she gasped as the four strangers came into her view. The first strangers to arrive in Elneside during the settlement's entire three hundred year history. All four were wearing outlandish clothes, but it was the two with red hair, something Trina had never seen before, who stood out immediately as folk who could not possibly be Elnesiders. And one of these was a giant, the largest man she had ever seen.

Trina recognised Brakis first, after hearing one of the children call out his name. A few seconds later she realised that the slight young man walking at the hunter's side was her brother. She stood up, speechless with joy, as Telli broke into a run towards her.

"There, you see? Your country hides in the haze beyond; beyond the Ice God's great barrier."

"Your travels have turned you into a poet, goblin." Setisia smiled as she gazed at the tiny white triangles on the horizon, the distant White Mountains. She was standing beside Telli on the crown of Horn Hill. "I used to climb the hills above Bhuin to look at them, and often wondered what lay on the other side." Setisia took Telli's hand in hers. "Had I known you were here, I would have tried to cross them," she said sweetly, as if she meant it.

"Maybe it was you drawing me to the other side with your witching powers," said Telli, half seriously.

"Maybe, maybe, although I didn't know it. Now, Tellimakis, it is time for me to tell you something of your future, once again. When you feel you have seen enough of your loved ones in Elneside, and when I can tear myself away from your lovely little nephew, we shall go back through the great Khrelling caves and journey down the rivers of Ahn-Eph-Setisia to Meldrith, where we shall study our world and learn to understand our talents. I think we should go soon."

"And I'll tell you something of your future. In a few years time, you will be married to the young Lord of the Khrelling valley, a witch Lady held in great respect throughout the Kingdom." Telli looked into the bright green eyes, and added: "Set, you will be my wife?"

"Of course." Setisia smiled back. "I've known that since the day we went canoeing to Setisia's garden."

So, we'll leave the young lovers their peace and their privacy, for the time being at least.

Telli proved to be wrong in his prediction that he would one day be Lord of the Khrelling valley. It was his friend, Stellakis, who was to take on this role, the young smith's quick wits combined with his fluent understanding of Khrelling speech making him so useful to King Beranis that it soon became apparent that he was the obvious choice for the job. Most of the former slaves were to remain in the Khrelling valley. Like the Elnesiders, they were a community in which everyone knew one another, and leaving would mean separation from relatives and friends. Some who, like Seth, could remember a life outside the valley, journeyed to the Kingdom in search of the lost families of their childhood, but most of these, including the big smith, found their family members either dead or changed beyond recognition, and so returned to the community that they knew. The 'camp' became known as Jeweltown in the Kingdom, because of the rich flow of gems coming from the Khrelling caves, these being transported across the mountains, and then distributed around the Kingdom, many of course ending up in the coffers of the King in Tellui.

The community in the Khrelling valley was not the only one to be radically effected by Tellimakis's journey from Elneside to Kellmarsh and back. Elneside was now in contact with the Kingdom and, although its remoteness meant that visits from the far side of the mountains were infrequent, the Elnesiders benefited almost immediately from this contact in some ways. The most obvious of these was the arrival of a large consignment of tools for their use in farming. King Beranis sent these at Telli's request before the end of the summer during which the slaves were liberated. The exiled Elnesider knew that the finest tools of the Kingdom would save his people much arduous labour. Eventually, other settlements were to grow up west of the mountains, and intermarriage with other peoples was to save the Elnesiders from becoming too inbred.

Brakis was not discouraged from travelling by his experience of slavery, and was to make the journey through the Khrelling caves and down the Kingdom's rivers to experience the wonders of Kellmarsh three times in his life. But he never stayed long on the eastern side of the mountains, always drawn back home by his love of the Elneside forests where he had once lived for months following his wife's death.

East of the mountains, the effect of Telli's journey on Minersford was such as to change it completely out of all recognition (something Telli, with a vivid memory of his first reception by its people, would always consider a positive achievement in his life almost on a par with freeing the slaves)! The run down collection of shacks grew quickly into a very prosperous trading post. It was the starting point for all making the journey over the mountains to do business with the Khrelling, and became the first comfortable stop for all returning. Larisroot was also effected, becoming even wealthier as a community, to the great pleasure of fat Flankis, who could wallow in gold as it started to flow into the Kingdom from the Khrelling caves.

Not all of the effects of Telli's voyage were beneficial to the Kingdom. Such a spectacular new source of wealth as that offered by the King's growing trade with the Khrelling would, of course, attract the attention of many people. This would include Beranis's enemies, and it would not be long before the 'priest', Ganith, the man Setisia considered the most evil she had ever seen, would turn his thoughts towards the area in the great western mountain range from which this wealth was flowing.

As for Tellimakis and Setisia, they had only just begun their adventures in the Kingdom. They were to spend the year following their visit to Elneside in Meldrith, home of the Helenthiat, where they were amongst people similar to themselves, and where they had many things to learn. What they learned, what became of them after their stay in Meldrith, and what became of Ganith is all far too complicated to be told here, and must be left for another story. The story of the Princess Lephelia, destined to become one of the greatest rulers the Kingdom had ever known.