Moknay nodded curtly. 'You said we're heading for Plestenah; maybe from there we can head toward Wailvye or Gelvanimore. Better to go out of our way than to never reach our destination.'
When his eyes did not bother him quite so much, Logan put in, 'But remember what Barthol told us: We don't have that much time before the Wheel tilts.'
'Friend-Logan is correct,' Thromar agreed. 'Still, I might get us some help in Plestenah. Fraviar's a good friend of mine-what help he'd be I can't guess.'
'Fraviar?' echoed Moknay. 'The tavern owner?'
Thromar nodded with a shrug. 'I said I didn't know what help he'd be.'
The Murderer sighed grimly. 'Some help is better than none.'
Logan heard the voices of his companions as he lightly touched a fingertip to an eye, gently moving the lens on that eye. His vision blurred as the lens slid off to one side, then gradually corrected itself as the contact slipped back into place. Because of his blurry vision, and the movement of his horse, Logan almost disregarded the dark object he spied lurking through the trees… until it sprang out of the shrubbery and blocked their way.
Logan jumped, staring at the creature he had seen hiding in the bushes. It stood some three feet in height, covered with shaggy brown fur. Tiny eyes peered out from beneath all its hair, and a mouth filled with little sharp teeth also hid below the fuzz. Long arms dangled at its side, and it grasped a dagger in its five-fingered, almost human hand. With a loud, perturbed screech, the fur-covered creature bounded forward, waving its lengthy arms frantically. Its tiny eyes glittered, and a smile drew across its face, exposing two pointed fangs.
Halted by the strange beast, Moknay, Thromar, and Logan peered down at it and at the dagger it held. Sneering, Thromar placed a hand upon his sword hilt.
'Do not hurt him, please,' the forest suddenly said.
The three men turned to see a dark-haired young man step free of the greenery, his boots making no noise upon the forest floor. A black robe covered his body, tied at the waist by a silver cord. He held a thick oak staff in one hand, and, with the other, he motioned for the little monkeylike creature to step back.
'You must excuse Munuc,' he told them. 'He always gets a little excited when strangers enter our forest.' The robed young man smiled faintly. 'I am Druid Launce.'
'Druid?' repeated Moknay. 'You live out in the forest?'
The druid nodded. 'The land was given to us by Brolark, populated by Agellic, and made beautiful by Lelah; we should all learn to use it well.' He pointed into the greenery. 'My home is that way. Will you not come with me?'
Moknay gave the druid a skeptical glance and turned to his companions. Thromar, however, was eyeing Munuc, his meaty hand still at his sheath.
'Are you sure it's safe,' the fighter queried, 'giving him a dagger and all?'
Understanding the question and considering it an insult to his intelligence, Munuc released an angry screech and flailed his long arms at Thromar. The fighter, never having seen such a creature before, leaned back on Smeea and continued to watch the monkeylike beast carefully.
Druid Launce faintly smiled. 'Munuc is very touchy,' he explained, turning to his anthropoidlike companion. 'Munuc, you must stop this misbehaving or I shall take your dagger away.'
The little mouth dropped open in shock, and Munuc tried to hide his weapon beneath his fur. Launce watched his hairy friend lope off into the surrounding foliage before turning back to the trio.
'I found him roaming the woods one day,' he stated. 'I am not sure, but I think he is the only one of his kind-a most lonely kind of life.' Starting off through the vegetation, Launce motioned with his staff. 'This way.'
His eyes better, Logan followed Moknay's example and jumped off his mount, leading it through the heavier foliage by the bridle. Thromar walked behind them, cursing as his massive boots stumbled and tripped through the shrubbery. Logan and Moknay also found the greenery a hindrance, but not as much as Thromar. Druid Launce, however, walked on, unhampered by the forest. It was almost as if the brush drew aside for him like a curtain of green.
Thromar let out a startled bellow as Munuc playfully sprang out of the treetops and onto Smeea. The horse started but did not object to the furry creature. Thromar, on the other hand, peered hard at the beast.
'Munuc has taken a liking to you,' Druid Launce noted with a faint smile.
The monkeylike Munuc grinned at the fighter.
'He must have mistaken him for one of his kind,' Moknay quipped.
Thromar brushed off the remark as he grinned back at Munuc. 'It would appear I have a new friend,' he boomed, looking over the little creature with more interest than fear.
The young druid broke through the bushes to a clearing overgrown with strands of ivy. An outcropping of rocks loomed to the right, and a hillock of grass rose ahead of them, partially obscured by a toppled tree. Massive oaks stood sentry about the ivy-strewn clearing, and Logan could hear water trickling in the distance.
Druid Launce pointed with his staff. 'Welcome to my home,' he declared.
Moknay blinked. 'You live here?'
The druid nodded his head of dark brown hair. 'I care for the forest, and, in turn, the forest cares for me.' He snapped his fingers, and Munuc sprang from Smeea. 'Munuc will see to your horses. Come.'
Launce walked to one side of the hillock and disappeared. Following behind him, Logan slipped down the first, ivy-hidden step and searched for the second in the shadows of the fallen tree. Gradually, the young man was swallowed by the earth as he continued down the earthen staircase, descending farther and farther into the ground. He could hear Moknay and Thromar trailing him, the latter grumbling as he lost his footing. Unconsciously, Logan had been counting the steps, and, by the thirteenth stair, a torch flickered against the wall. When Logan left the twenty-seventh step, he found himself in Launce's home.
The druid's abode was a wide chamber, its walls neatly covered in clay. Furniture made out of wood filled the room, and a thin window with no glass allowed sunlight and fresh air to stream into the chamber. Logan saw a narrow hall, cloaked by shadows, that wound off to the right.
'Incredible,' Moknay breathed.
The druid's chairs were padded with cushions filled with a type of moss, and clay bowls overspilled with odd fruits. Two unlit lanterns hung in the far corner of the room, near the narrow hallway, and a third dangled in the center of the room from a gnarled tree root which stretched across the roof of the chamber.
Moknay glanced out the slim window and peered at the ivy-covered clearing. 'Can't somebody see this opening?' he wondered.
Druid Launce's faint smile appeared. 'Did you?'
The Murderer barked a laugh.
Munuc energetically bounded into the room and flopped onto a table, snatching up a piece of fruit with his toes. Grinning, the little monkeylike thing tossed the bulb of fruit to Thromar, who was forced to stagger back before the fruit struck him in the beard.
'Go ahead,' Druid Launce coaxed, 'eat. There is much more. The forest is plentiful.'
Thromar bit into the fruit and smacked his lips noisily. In reply, Logan's stomach growled blatantly, and Munuc jerked his almost humanlike head toward him. Still grinning his mischievous grin, the anthropoidlike beast hurled another fruit, this time directing it at Logan. As he caught it, he swung his gaze to Moknay, who was cautiously sniffing at the fruit bowl. Sensing Logan's eyes upon him, the Murderer glanced at him and nodded. At least the food was not poisoned.
Logan turned the red-and-yellow bulb of fruit about in his hand and waved it under his nose experimentally. There wasn't much of a smell, so he chanced a bite. The taste was unique: a kind of sugary sweet, tangy taste accompanied by a juice that soothed Logan's dry throat. Marveling at the fruit-since Logan was not one to enjoy fruit-he turned to the window and almost choked. Prowling outside, ebony eyes aglow with hatred and madness, was the gaunt Pembroke.
'Pembroke!' gagged Logan, trying to swallow and speak at the same instant. 'He's outside!'
Moknay wheeled around, grey eyes flashing. 'What?'
The Murderer leaped to Logan's side, glaring out the narrow window. His gloved hands instinctively went to the strap of daggers across his chest.
Druid Launce looked over their shoulders at the odd figure in the rumpled clothing. 'You know that man?' he questioned.
'He's pursuing us,' Logan briefly explained, saying nothing more.
