Perry was awakened at dawn by Delk, who had the last watch. Before joining the others for breakfast, the Warrow retrieved Bane from the log beside him; the Elven-blade had been embedded in the bark point down, the long-knife left standing upright through the night as a silent sentinel for all the company to see. And as each member of the Squad had taken his ward tour, he had kept a close eye on the sword, watching for the flickering blue flame that would gleam from the blade-jewel if Spaunen drew near.
Shannon Silverleaf, whose turn at guard had come after Perry's, had been especially interested in the blade, and had plucked it out and held it with reverence. 'This was crafted long ago in the Realm of Duellin, a bygone Land of Atala,' the Elf had said to Perry after long study, 'and the way of its making is lost. This blade speaks of the Elden Days, when it was one of many weapons fashioned to engage the evil forces of the Great Enemy, Gyphon-the High Vulk. In a way, we are fighting Him still, for it is He who bred the Rucha, Loka, and Ogruthi-as well as other evil beings-in Neddra, in the Untargarda. My forefathers in the House of Aurinor made these blades to fight that spawn.
'Alas, though many of these poniards were forged in those Elden Days, few remain in Mithgar, and fewer still are yet in use-most lie in rest in ancient graves or upon dusty tombs.' Silverleaf had then flourished the blade. 'But this pick still serves. I think the name for this edge, Bane, is. well chosen, and one which imparts honor to the weapon. This is a great token to carry into Black Drimmen-deeve, and it bodes well for our mission.' The Elf then had plunged its point back into the log and replaced Perry at guard.
But now it was dawn, and any maggot-folk abroad would have taken cover from the coming Sun, so Perry sheathed Bane and hunkered down for the morning meal.
'Enjoy your hot tea,' said Kian, 'for there'll be no fires after this one until our mission is done; this is the last pot we'll brew til then. But we'll not be without tea for long: Today we start overland. At sunrise on the sixth day hence we should be entering Dawn-Gate. At midnight of the ninth day we should see Durek with Cotton and my brother. Rand, enter the Dusk-Door with the Army right behind. Then, after another day or three and many dead Spawn, we will at last build us a fire and enjoy some more hot brew.'
'It will give me much pleasure removing the uninvited Wrg 'guests' from our upcoming tea party,' grunted giant Ursor, and the others nodded and smiled grimly.
Soon breakfast was finished, and all the spare supplies were cached. The Sun had risen, and it was time to go. Delk quenched the fire, and all shouldered their packs. Perry took one last look at the Great River Argon in the direction the blazing funeral raft had swept. 'Farewell, Barak,' he whispered, and turned to join the others.
They started west over the land, walking in single file: Lord Kian led the way, the young Man armored in mail and a plain iron-and-leather helm, and armed with his silver-handled bow and arrows, and a sword and dagger, behind Kian marched Anval, the Dwarf warrior mail-shirted, iron-helmed, axe-armed; Ursor the Baeran came next, wearing a dark-brown boiled-leather breastplate and carrying his great black mace; Perry was silveron-mailed under his shirt, with Bane and a dagger at his belt, and on his head he wore a simple steel-and- leather helmet; lithe Shannon Silverleaf strode next, without armor but armed with a longbow and arrows and a knife the length of Bane; Borin and Delk brought up the rear, these two Dwarves each armed and armored like Anval, with axes and helms and black-iron mail. AH wore green or grey or brown travelling clothes that blended with earth and stone, leaf and branch; and they bore packs containing the needed tools, food, and other supplies for their mission; each carried a leather water bottle at his hip. Their bedrolls and cloaks were fastened in rolls on top of the packs. Thus did they trek in file toward Kraggen-cor, leaving the Argon behind.
Soon the Seven emerged from the river-border forest and came to the wold, a treeless rolling plain that slowly rose up toward the far mountains. Occasionally a thicket stood barren in the winter Sun, and heather and gorse grew on the land. The slopes were gentle and the growth was low, and so they walked in a line straight to the west; only now and then would they make a detour to pass around an outcropping or a tangle of briars or other minor hindrance. Only twice did they come to major obstructions: The first was a deep, wide ravine across their path, running out of the northwest and down to the southeast. They clambered down one steep side and into the wooded bottom where a wide stream bubbled and danced through mossy rocks; the company took the opportunity to replenish their canteens in its clear, sparkling depths. Crossing over, they scrambled up the other side and back out onto the wold. The second obstacle was a minor bluff that jumped up out of the land to steeply bar the way. They walked north three miles before finding a cut that they could walk up through to pass beyond this high rampart.
The second day was much like the first: Even though it was mid-November, the day stayed mild and the air was calm, and so the trek was made in good weather. The course the comrades took was over gentle land, and they made good time. The wold continued to rise slowly as they marched westward toward the mountains.
That evening the Seven bedded down on the lee slope of a hill, sheltered from the light vesper breeze by a massive rock outcropping. Perry sorely missed the cheery campfire, though the Moon waxed overhead, shedding enough light to see out upon the open wold.
That night Perry was awakened by Anval, who pressed a finger to the Warrow's lips and whispered, 'Bane glimmers.' Perry looked in silence and saw that the guardian blade had a faint blue glint that dimly flickered deep within the rune-jewel.
The company was now awake, crouched in the shadows of the outcropping, each facing outward, scanning the moonlit land, weapons drawn, senses alert. Shannon Silverleaf
whispered to Kian and then silently withdrew and made his way noiselessly to the crest of the hill, where his keener sight and sharper hearing could be used to advantage.
Perry knelt without breathing for long intervals, straining his own hearing to detect the enemy, but he neither heard nor saw movement. Bane had been resheathed so that its werelight would not shine across the wold to give them away, but occasionally Perry would carefully draw it but a small way-an inch or so-cupping his hand to shield the glimmer, checking the faint blue flame. The flicker persisted for about an hour but slowly died away until once more Bane shone only with pale moonlight, the distant danger past.
And then Shannon came back down. 'Though I saw nothing,' he said quietly, 'I felt the presence of evil to the south, toward Darda Galion. Mayhap my kindred will soon engage the foul despoilers on the borders of that abandoned forest.'
The following day they marched swiftly across the uplands, and the wold continued to rise. They could now see the mountains, and before them was the Quadran, four peaks taller than the rest; and one of the four towered above the other three. 'That is mighty RaVenor,' answered Borin to a question from Perry, 'the greatest Mountain in the known ranges. Even from here you can see that it looms over the Others. My people call it the Hammer because of the sudden storms that maul its slopes, to the ill of those caught in its blasts.' Borin gazed with admiration at its dull red sides. 'Even though it now houses Squam, still I am eager to walk the halls and chambers within. And when we have routed the foul foe, and cleaned their stench from the stone, we shall make it into a mighty homeland as of old.'
The next day the companions entered a low range of foothills that jutted out across the way. In the lead, Lord Kian struck for an old footway in the north of the spur, and soon they were on a narrow path wending up through the hill-chain. As they climbed to the ridge, low on the horizon far to the south they could see a darkling green. 'Look,' said Perry, pointing, an unspoken question in his eyes.
'That is Darda Galion, the Larkenwald,' Shannon informed die buccan, 'the last true home of the Lian here in Mithgar. Most have now ridden the Twilight Ride, but a few of us remain, scattered to the four winds, living in other forests with our kindred, the Dylvana, while Darda Gallon lies empty.'
'Lord Kian told us he thought the Larkenwald was deserted,' said Perry, looking southward at the shaded green far away.
'Yes, it is so,' responded Shannon with regret, 'we no longer dwell there. Many left in the ancient days when the Vani-lerihha~- amp;ie Silverlarks-disappeared. Others fled when once more the power of Gron arose and the Draedan-the Gargon-was loosed. Still more went when the Mistress- Dara Faeon-rode the Twilight Path to plead with Adon for succor. And when she was gone, the light seemed to go out of the forest. After the Winter War, many followed her to Adonar, while others lingered in Mithgar, not ready to ride to the High One's Lands. Even Coron Eiron was unready to follow her, and dwelt yet a while in Mithgar among the mortal Lands. But he grew weary of living without her brightness and now is gone too. And when all the Lian had gone from the
