The Brotherhood took their time; they were patient. They had taken hundreds of years in their attempt to conquer Nezza. Had their failure in Nezza changed their plans here in Jarro? Did the Brotherhood have some deadline for taking control of all the known lands?
Questions that Alex couldn’t possibly answer began to pile up in his mind until it was hard to think clearly about anything. Slowly he forced himself to clear his mind, to refocus on the one problem he had to solve immediately. How could he reach the castle of Conmar quickly? Traveling through the black lands was the fastest way, but was it the right thing to do?
After a short time, Alex let his mind empty and tried to sleep. The next few days would be busy ones, and he would need to be ready. He would find out soon enough if his decision to travel through the black lands was a good one or not.
Three days after his meeting with the sea elves, Alex headed south, leading a group of nineteen away from Valora. They would follow the edge of the mountains, trying to remain unseen by any of Jabez’s spies that might be in the area.
Whalen and the men of Darthon’s armies would be moving north the next day, but Alex wanted to leave while the weather was still clear. He was sad and worried when he said good-bye to Whalen, but knew that dividing their focus at this point might be the key to destroying Jabez and the evil he had unleashed.
“You will see Whalen again soon,” Alex’s O’Gash whispered, which made Alex feel better.
Alex and his small group had traveled for several miles before the sky darkened with storm clouds. Alex could smell the rain before it started to fall, and the sound of it dripping from the trees calmed his mind. The rain didn’t care about the evil of Conmar, and it didn’t care about the war in Westland. The seasons went on, unchanged, and that fact gave Alex hope.
In two or three days, if the rain cleared up, they would reach the southernmost pass over the mountains. Alex had promised Whalen that if the way over the mountains was clear he would travel that way. But if snow blocked their way, then Alex would lead the group further south and through the black lands.
Alex didn’t look back at the group he was leading, but his mind called up each of their faces, seventeen men whom Alex had chosen from the more than two hundred of Darthon’s army who had volunteered. He had taken Navar’s advice and had not let Lord Darthon order anyone to go with him, but the number of men willing to go had made things difficult for Alex. He had chosen just seventeen, and now he hoped that he had chosen well.
Alongside the men was Dogmar Longdrink, a dwarf who had also volunteered to go with Alex. Grimgold had reminded Alex that there were almost sure to be dwarves held captive in the dungeons of Conmar as well as men, and seeing the face of another dwarf would make any rescued dwarves more trusting and possibly more helpful as well.
The final member of the group was someone Alex had not wanted to bring along. Aliia, who was riding just behind him, had insisted on coming. Alex didn’t like the idea at all, and Karill had begged Alex not to allow her to go. Aliia had insisted, however, and declared that if Alex wouldn’t take her as part of the company then she would follow behind them on her own. Alex had tried to reason with her, and when that didn’t work he had asked why she should come. Aliia would not give any reason why, she simply said that she would stay with the company wherever it might go.
Alex turned his thoughts from his fellow travelers and concentrated on the trail before him. Aliia rode up beside him.
“You are still set on this path?” she asked. She kept her hood up, not only to keep the rain away, but to hide her face from the other travelers.
“I am,” Alex answered without looking at the sea elf. “It is not too late for you to turn back.”
Aliia shook her head. “How far do you think we will travel today?”
“A few more miles before the sun sets,” Alex said slowly, not really wanting to talk. “The sun will be down in an hour or two—we’ll make camp before we lose the light.”
“There is a small cave up ahead that might be a good place for camp,” Aliia said.
Alex looked at her. “You’ve traveled this way before?”
Aliia smiled. “Though we live our lives on the sea, we have not forgotten the land we once loved.”
“I know the black lands were once your home. I wish I could have seen them as they once were.”
“I wish that too,” Aliia said. “The black lands are a strange place, a place where you always feel that you are being watched.”
“By the shadows?”
“And the lights that linger there.”
Alex didn’t ask any more questions. It was clear that Aliia had been close to the black lands. It was also clear that her people had seen things that were both frightening and painful to remember.
They continued to travel through the rain until the dim light from the setting sun lit up the tops of the trees. Aliia motioned to Alex and led him away from the trail they had been following. They moved into the woods, riding around a large boulder. The boulder was much larger than it first appeared to be, and behind it Alex found a deep cave with an overhang that could be used as a shelter from the rain. The spot had been used many times, and Alex was grateful that Aliia had guided them here.
“We will rest here for the night,” Alex said to his men. “We are safe here from weather and any prying eyes that might be looking for us.”
Some of Alex’s men settled onto the dry ground while others tended to the horses. Dogmar gathered kindling to start a fire, mumbling to himself. Alex was glad there was enough real wood in the cave that they could use for a fire. He didn’t want to use his magic; he needed to conserve his energy so he would be ready for whatever lay ahead.
While Dogmar and two of the men fixed a meal for the group, Aliia came to sit beside Alex.
“Were you able to learn what you needed to know about darloch est messer ?” she asked.
“I know more now than I did,” Alex said. “But not everything I wish to know. I still do not know if it means ‘master of dragons’ or ‘destroyer of dragons.’”
“Is there a difference?” Aliia asked.
Alex nodded. “I believe there is, and I believe the difference might matter more than I might guess . . . I need to think about it some more.”
Aliia tucked her hands under her cloak. “I used to dream about dragons, you know.”
“You did?” Alex asked.
“When I was young. I always dreamed the same dream about a dragon,” Aliia went on, talking more to herself than to Alex. “I thought it meant that I would meet a dragon one day.”
“A strange dream for an elf maid to have,” Alex said.
“I still believe it, sometimes . . . at least a little.” She looked at Alex. “Have you ever met a dragon?”
Alex thought about Slathbog the Red; Salinor, hidden on the Isle of Bones; and the golden dragon he’d seen in Darthon’s mind. Lastly he thought of his own second true form as a true silver dragon, and he simply smiled and said, “I have.”
Aliia sighed. “Then perhaps the dream of a little elf maid might come true.”
As the group settled in for the night, Alex found a comfortable spot to lie down, then closed his eyes and tried to clear his thoughts. He didn’t expect to run into any trouble, at least not yet, and as he listened to the sounds of men around him, Dogmar grumbling about having to sit next to Aliia, and the rain falling outside, Alex fell asleep.
It was near dawn when Alex woke, but the sky was darker than it had been the day before. The rain was still falling, but it was a colder rain than before, and it would probably turn to snow before the day was over. Alex put his blankets away and took a heavy cloak from his magic bag.
“Winter is closing in on us,” Alex commented, wrapping his cloak around his shoulders.
“Winter comes early in Westland,” Aliia answered. “We should eat and move on. If we move swiftly, we can reach the black lands before the weather becomes too cold.”
Alex nodded his agre
ement and helped Dogmar gather wood to make a fire to cook their breakfast. Aliia remained hidden in her cloak, lost in her own thoughts. Alex looked at her from time to time, wondering what she might be thinking.
A few hours after breaking camp, the rain changed to wet and heavy snow. Though the winter storm made traveling difficult, Alex knew the bad weather would also make it harder for Jabez’s spies to see them as they traveled.
He and his friends pushed forward through the snow and the growing cold without stopping. The sky grew thick with thunderclouds, and the wind blew harder as the day went on. In the early afternoon the storm grew so wild that it was difficult to make any headway. The ground was slick with mud and snow, and it had grown so dark that it was hard to tell which direction they were going. Alex thought about magically pushing the storm away, but decided against it. It would take some powerful magic to push this storm away, and so close to Conmar, Jabez was sure to notice.
An hour later, Dogmar rode up next to Alex. “We should try to find some shelter,” he yelled over the wind.
“I doubt there’s a dry spot to be found,” Alex yelled back.
Dogmar nodded. “If you are thinking of crossing the mountain passes, we’ll have to turn to the west soon.”
Alex had promised Whalen that he would first try to use the mountain pass, and for a moment he hesitated. “The storm is too bad, and there is too much snow,” he finally said. “We’ll never make it over the mountain pass.”
Dogmar brushed snow from his beard. “We’ll follow where you lead, Master Taylor. But are you sure you want to attempt crossing the black lands?”
Alex looked at Dogmar, then at Aliia, then at the other men who had volunteered to come with him. “We have no other choice,” he said. “We have to save the hostages, and I must face Jabez. Otherwise Darthon’s army—our friends—and all our hopes will fail.”
Dogmar nodded and rode back to his place in line.
“You are a good leader,” Aliia said. “The men trust you.”
Alex squinted up at the endless storm. “I hope they still do once we enter the black lands.”
There was no shelter on the trail, so they rode on into the night. When the storm finally ended it was almost dawn, and the horses and men were too tired to go much further.
“We are almost there,” Aliia said. “Almost to the black lands.”
Alex nodded his understanding, too exhausted to say anything. He simply followed Aliia’s lead as she turned off the path.
“Careful,” she said. “The way through the woods will be slippery after the rain and snow.”
Alex followed Aliia into the woods. They rode for almost a mile before Aliia stopped at the bottom of what looked like a cliff. She got off her horse and stepped close to the rock wall. Alex dismounted and joined her.
Aliia spoke an elvin word and the rock face slid back, revealing the dark opening of a tunnel.
“A well-hidden door,” Alex commented.
“And one that has not been opened in many years,” Aliia said, a note of fear in her voice. “I wish we did not have to open it now.”
“Will it lead us to the black lands?” Alex asked.
Aliia nodded. “The other end opens on the northern edge of the black lands. It is almost dawn. We can shelter here for now. Tomorrow night we will be in the black lands.”
Alex nodded his understanding and helped to set up their camp. They all needed to rest, and he knew that traveling through this dark tunnel would be harder for them all than the storm of the previous night.
After a quick but warming meal, the men settled into their blankets to get some much needed sleep. Alex stood for a time, looking at the tunnel that would lead them to the black lands. The darkness was forbidding, but darkness was the last thing Alex was worried about. So much about the black lands was still unknown, and he wasn’t sure that he could protect all of these men from the unknown dangers ahead of them.
“You should rest,” Aliia said quietly as she stepped up beside him.
“How long will it take to pass through this tunnel?” Alex asked.
“Half a day,” Aliia answered. “Or half a night. Rest now, you will need all your strength when we reach the black lands.”
Alex turned to look at Aliia, giving her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. He walked away without speaking, finding a place to rest, leaning against the roots of an ancient tree. He let his body rest while his mind continued to spin with questions. Slowly his mind emptied of questions, and without really falling asleep, he rested.
From under his mostly closed eyelids, Alex watched the camp and the men who were trying to sleep. None of the men were sleeping well, and most would jerk awake from time to time, glancing at the dark opening they had to enter, and then rolling over to try to sleep once more. Only Dogmar appeared to be sleeping well, and Alex wasn’t surprised. A dwarf would have no fear of traveling underground.
Alex also kept an eye on Aliia. She hid her fear well, but he could tell that she was terrified. For long periods of time she would stare at the dark tunnel, as if seeing what was waiting for them all at the far end. A slight shiver would shake her from head to toe, and then she would turn to look at Alex. It seemed, at least to Alex, that his presence there gave Aliia strength and the will to go forward. He wondered once more why she had insisted on making this journey, and once more he found no answer.
Late in the afternoon, Alex got up and put away his blankets. He didn’t wake any of the others, but quietly started gathering wood for the fire. Aliia, being an elf and not needing to sleep, had kept the fire burning. She soon joined Alex, helping to gather wood without speaking, but Alex knew what she was thinking.
“Let them sleep a little longer, if they can,” Alex said in a low voice. “This might be their last chance to rest for a few days.”
It wasn’t long before the men were up and moving around. A large hot meal was prepared, though the men didn’t eat as much as they could have. When the meal was being cleared away, Alex stood to address the men.
“It is time,” Alex said, looking at the faces around him. “We now must travel through darkness into the black lands. I must ask you all to search your hearts and decide if you will move forward with me, or turn back and ride with your people to war in the north. Once we pass through this magical doorway, it will close, and there will be no turning back for any of us. So if you have any doubts, if your hearts tell you to find another path, then I ask that you turn back now. No man will ever speak against any of you for the choice you make now, but for myself, I must go forward into darkness.”
The men all nodded their understanding, but none of them spoke. After a few moments of silence, a man named Robert Thorson, who had been one of King Darthon’s guards, stepped forward and spoke.
“We shall follow wherever you lead, and pay whatever price we must to save our people and our land from evil.”
“Thank you,” Alex said, bowing to the company. “Thank you all.”
Aliia now moved forward toward the tunnel opening, but Alex stopped her by raising his arm.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I will go first. We don’t know what dangers might be waiting in the darkness.”
Alex summoned several weir lights and the small glowing orbs hovered around his head.
“What . . . what are these strange lights?” Aliia asked nervously.
“They are called weir lights,” Alex answered, surprised by Aliia’s reaction. “They will go where I command them to, and remain as long as I need them.”
“Send them away,” Aliia said, her voice shaking slightly. “They look too much like the lights here in the black lands. I would rather take my chances in the darkness than have these lights close by.”
Alex nodded and didn’t ask any questions. With a wave of his hand the weir lights vanished, and once again the two of them faced the pitch-black darkness of the tunnel.
“You must think me foolish, being afraid of your small lights,” Aliia
said after a moment.
“Not foolish,” said Alex. “I think you are worried about what might lay ahead of us in the black lands.”
“Perhaps we could light some torches,” Aliia said several minutes later, the nervousness gone from her voice.
“I doubt we could find anything dry enough to burn,” Alex said.
Alex knew what kinds of things lived in dark caves, and he didn’t want to lead his men into unwanted trouble. For a few moments Alex stood looking into the darkness, thinking about what he could do.
His magic sword, Moon Slayer, glowed blue in the moonlight, but that glow wouldn’t be bright enough to help him now. He could , of course, ignite the end of his staff into a brilliant light, but that would help only the men at the front of the company, leaving those at the back in darkness. This was an unexpected problem, and though it wouldn’t end his adventure, it needed to be solved.
The horses behind him shuffled and stamped impatiently, waiting to move forward. They didn’t like the cold or the wet any more than the men did. Alex looked over to where his horse was standing beside Aliia’s horse.
“I have an idea,” he said.
He approached his horse and held out his hand. The animal sniffed his fingers, and didn’t move away. Alex ran his hand over the horse’s nose and up toward the top of its head. He needed to make sure he didn’t use too much magic, but a little bit would still go unnoticed by Jabez. Whispering a few words, he patted the horse’s head, right between its eyes, and then slowly drew his hand up and away, pinching his fingers as he went, as if pulling on an unseen thread.
A thin, spiraled horn rose out of the horse’s forehead that glowed with a clear, white light.
Aliia gasped.
“Don’t worry,” Alex said. “It is made of magic, and won’t do the horse any harm. This will allow us to have light while we pass through the tunnel.”
Once the horn was about a foot long, Alex stopped and said a few more words.
The horse tossed its head, but seemed unconcerned about the horn or the light coming from it.
“Good boy,” Alex said, running his hand down the horse’s neck and patting its shoulder. He moved from horse to horse, repeating the spell, until all twenty horses had glowing spiral horns rising from their foreheads.