‘We can only doour part, Jaz. You better get going. I’ll carry on as usual.’
‘I know but Irather like him. He’s so honest and he saved my life. I feel guiltydeceiving him.’ replied Jaztrix.
‘You’re notdeceiving him, you’re helping him. You’re pointing him in the rightdirection.’ said Wolfram.
‘I guess so. Ibetter get moving so that I can be at the next checkpoint. It’s allso complex. I just hope that we’re doing the right thing.’
‘It’s not our place toquestion, Jaz. We just follow our orders.’
Chapter 13 Friends andRelatives
Allalanllea teleportedto a discrete teleport marker in a copse of wood located just belowthe top of a ridge about a thousand paces from the SouthernGateway. She had placed the marker there many years ago as it gaveher a ready view overlooking the gateway. She turned herselfinvisible and walked quickly to the spot which gave her the bestview.
In the steepsided rocky gulley below her wound a dusty dirt road that stoppedoutside a large semicircular grey rock keep set into the hillside.Outside the keep were several tents with a few people millingaround near them. She couldn’t make out much more detail thanthat.
Inside the keepunder a natural overhang, set into the stone wall was the SouthernGateway to Astaria, a small independent gateworld that existed inbetween Mudrun and Moonmist. Astaria was like Argenta whereSnowbelle lived. These gateworlds acted as way stations betweenworlds with widely different physical or time characteristics. Theyhad their own unique time and physical characteristics as dictatedby their builder at their time of construction.
Some weresmall, connecting only two worlds, while others were considerablylarger connecting between several worlds. They usually had agatekeeper, whose job it is to control the flow between theworlds.
The gatekeeperswere usually powerful sentient creatures who often had an alliancewith some powerful group on one or more of the connecting worlds.They were considered absolute masters of their own small world likecaptains of a ship in a vast sea and were held answerable tonobody.
Many of thegateworlds had towns or villages within them that offered shelter,equipment and advice about traveling to the worlds that theyconnect to.
Astaria was amedium sized gateworld with a mysterious past. It was only open fortravel to Moonmist for three to four days when there was a fullmoon over Mudrun. Traffic through it was rare and usually requireda pass from both the Druid Council of Mudrun and Queen Aurora ofthe Elendari. The Mudrun end of the gateway was enclosed inside astone keep staffed by offworlders employed by the DruidCouncil.
Allalanllea hadpassed through the gateway several times in the distant past beforethe keep was built at this end and before she had joined Snowbellein Argenta. She knew a lot about Astaria as it was the same designas Argenta. She also knew the Astarian gatekeeper and that was partof the problem. A long time ago they were friends that had becomeenemies. She might have to fight her way through.
She sat downand watched for any activity in the area and thought about varioustactics she might use to first get past the keep and then how shemight approach the Astarian gatekeeper. Since the keep staff wereoffworlders they probably hated being here as it would be totallyboring. They had probably done something that upset someonepowerful and ended up here as a consequence. They would be corrupthoping to save enough gold to get away from here. That might playto her advantage.
After a coupleof hours watching in the increasingly hot sun she decided it wastime to scout the area so set off down the ridge towards the road.She was still invisible. It would have been easier and quicker tofly or use a short range teleport power but she wanted to conserveher magic for when it was really necessary.
Strictlyspeaking she was powerful enough to be able to just walk up to theplace and destroy anyone and everything that got in her path. Butthat wasn’t her way. She preferred to do things politely and withgreat subtlety and only resorted to power when absolutelynecessary. Her many years as an ambassador for Snowbelle’s tinykingdom had taught her patience and the artful use of bluff.
After half anhour struggling down the steep hillside she finally made it to theroad and walked confidently along it until she was about twohundred paces from the keep. She noticed tents on opposite sides ofthe road leading to the keep entrance. One side contained Elendarisoldiers wearing Queen Aurora’s tabards and the other Crindisplaying Queen Snowbelle’s flag.
SeveralElendari sat along a log dragged under a canvas awning watching theCrin while several more sat in one of the tents playing some sortof game. Twenty paces from them across the road stood twenty Crinwarriors in a ragged line facing the Elendari. Behind the Crinwarriors in the shade of a large open fronted tent stood a CrinEnforcer and a Crin Jobmaster. Outside the keep entrance stood fourguards and a druid nervously watching both the Elendari andCrin.
Allalanlleachecked the direction of the slight breeze. A Crin warrior coulddetect a creature by scent at a distance of 20 paces in still airand up to 100 paces or more upwind. She wanted to see if she knewthe Enforcer or the Jobmaster so she ventured closer.
‘Allalanllea, Iwas wondering when you would show up.’ said a mindspeak voice inher head.
It was Sanson,Snowbelle’s Battlemaster. Allalanllea had been in many fights overthe years always with Sanson at her side.’
‘I have ahidden scout just off the road to your right who has detected youby scent. I have been expecting you. The Elendari also have a scouta little up the road hidden by an invisibility effect and possiblyothers as they were here before we came. Judging by their laxattitude they appear to be waiting for someone to return. They areprobably an escort detail as they are not equipped for warfare.They are not happy that we are here. We could also feel muchtension between them and keep guards when we first arrived.’
‘As you canguess I was sent here by the Queen to arrest you if you tried topass through the Southern Gateway. However, Her Majesty knows aswell as I do that we can do little to stop you if
