"I don't seem to recall anything like that going on," Jiron says as they finally wind down. You can say a lot about their stories, but dull and uneventful are not among them.

"Of course not," Scar says. "This was before we met."

"That's right," adds Potbelly. "It's not like events concerning this sort of thing are talked about. These sorts of people don't take kindly to their affairs becoming public knowledge."

"That was the biggest piece of trash I ever heard!" Jorry says from where he sits across the fire from the pair. Uther nods in agreement.

"True or not," Illan says as he gets to his feet, "it's time for us to turn in. We still have many days ahead of us before we reach Lythylla."

As everyone but those pulling sentry duty begins turning in, the two pairs eye each other with silent intensity. It seems a rivalry has begun between them and things, not to mention tales, are bound to get more outlandish.

James heads for his tent and can hear Uther say to Jorry, in a voice loud enough to be heard by everyone, "You'd think if they were going to make up a story, they should at least make it entertaining." Rolling his eyes heavenward, he enters his tent and gets ready for bed.

Lying upon the cot, he stares at the roof of his tent as a smile plays across his face. If nothing else, at least things won't get boring. If nothing else, at least things won't get boring.

The gra.s.s covered rolling hills extend ahead of him until they disappear in the horizon. A beautiful day, sun high in a crystal blue sky, the odd fluffy white cloud drifting by. The scent of wildflowers is borne upon the breeze as it brings a welcoming coolness to the heat of the day.

Small animals race by as he walks, seemingly completely unconcerned by his pa.s.sing. A deer, or something very similar actually comes right up to him. He reaches out his hand and it allows him to stroke its neck before darting off.

A sense of peace and tranquility fills him as he walks through the gra.s.s. He doesn't walk long before the sound of a carnival reaches him. Scanning the horizon, he can see the top of the Ferris wheel behind a hill off to his right. Intrigued, he turns in that direction and hurries along.

Topping the rise behind which the carnival hides, he sees a sight he's seen played out many times before. Whenever spring and summer come, so did the carnivals and fairs. This one is just like all the others, carnies working the crowds, enticing them to either buy or play one of the overpriced games.

A smile comes to him as he walks down the hill. The sights, the smells, all remind him of home. Off to one side he sees his favorite amus.e.m.e.nt park treat in all the world. Cotton Candy. Oh man does he love that. Of course it has to be the pink variety, none other is nearly as good. Reaching into his pocket for money, he realizes he didn't bring any. All that he produces is a single ride ticket, good for any of the rides. Saddened by being unable to buy the cotton candy, he still walks his way through the midway enjoying the sights and sounds.

It suddenly occurs to him that he is the only one there other than the carnies. He stops in his tracks and gazes around but no one other than himself is there. At least he'll not have to wait in line to use his ticket.

As he walks along, he looks at all the different rides available to him. Of course there's the roller coaster, the funhouse and the inevitable carousel. What would a carnival be without one of those?

"One ticket!" cries out the carnie in charge of the carousel. "One ticket is all it takes."

Shaking his head, James says, "No thanks." Moving on he comes across the b.u.mper cars, he likes them but by himself they would be little fun. Then comes other rides, one by one, all of which he doesn't have any interest in. Most are the kind that tends to make you throw up by spinning around and around.

Continuing to pa.s.s from one ride to the next, he suddenly catches out of the corner of his eyes a flash of blonde hair moving in the aisle on the other side of the rides. Turning to look closer, he sees a girl roughly in her teens moving along going the opposite way.

"Hey!" he hollers to her but she fails to respond. Moving quickly, he pa.s.ses between two rides and enters the aisle in which he saw her. Looking down the direction she went, he sees her getting into a boat.

"Wait!" he calls to her. Why he needs to reach her isn't clear, just that he must. Breaking into a run, he hurries toward the ride she's about to enter. It's the Tunnel of Love.

A large single story building sits atop a stream. Several boats are lined up behind her and a carnie is just finishing securing her in and then throws the lever. Her boat begins to float with the current and moves to enter the opening.

James starts to get into the next boat but the carnie stops him, "Ticket please." Reaching into his pocket he discovers the ticket is gone. "I've got to follow her!" he cries.

"You can't get on without a ticket," the carnie states.

Not knowing what else to do, he stands there and watches as she disappears into the Tunnel of Love.

"Sir?" a voice says, bringing him back to consciousness.

Opening his eyes, he glances over to the tent flap and sees Devin there. "What?" he asks.

"Illan says we need to be on the road soon," he replies.

"Alright," James tells him and then lies back as the tent flap closes again. Trying to catch the fleeting remnants of the dream, he begins to be unable to recall the details. Sighing, he gets up and starts getting dressed. The one thing about the dream he recalls is that the girl was in some way familiar. Why, he's not sure.

By the time he's dressed and leaves his tent, the memory or the dream has faded completely and all he's left with is a feeling of having lost something.

Chapter Three.

In less than an hour they're up and on their way. The sun rising over the Sea creates a truly dazzling display as the waves upon its surface sparkle in the early morning light. Leaving the city of Pyrtlin behind, they take the east road along the northern sh.o.r.e of the Sea.

Not long after Pyrtlin disappears behind them, they come to a crossroads where they can either continue along the sh.o.r.e to the east or take the road to the north. They continue along to the east.

"We should arrive at Sh.o.r.e Town sometime before the evening meal," Illan explains to James. "There we'll need to take the northeast road out of town."

"Wouldn't it be quicker to stay next to the Sea?" questions Jiron.

Shaking his head, Illan says, "There's a mountain range on the eastern sh.o.r.e of the Sea which we will have to ride around." To the east they see the peaks of the mountains silhouetted against the sky in the distance.

"How long will it take us to reach Lythylla?" James asks.

"A week or so," he answers.

The rest of the day pa.s.ses fairly quickly and just as Illan predicted, they reach Sh.o.r.e Town shortly before the evening meal. They find an out of the way inn where they stop to have a bite to eat. Having been on the road for many days and eating their own cooking makes them all long for a real meal.

The mood here in Sh.o.r.e Town isn't nearly as harried and anxious like what they found back in Pyrtlin. Probably due to the fact that before they're going to be attacked by the Empire, other cities will have to fall first. Everywhere there are signs of preparations being readied in the event the Empire makes it this far.

From where they sit having their meal in the inn, they watch a group of boys who are put through drills, similar in nature to those Illan had the recruits doing back at The Ranch. When James asks a local at a nearby table about the drills, he's told that Madoc has called for a levy. All able bodied men and older boys are required to present themselves for training in the defense of Madoc.

"Look at that," Caleb says as he watches the lads. "They don't even know how to hold a sword." Others offer their observation as to the boys' lack of skill.

Illan turns to them and says, "You weren't much better before I got a hold of you." He then winks to James and gives him a grin.

A quick meal of roast duck, bread and ale and then they're off. They travel several more hours, putting as much road behind them as possible before they decide to call it a day and make camp.

The next day and a half finds them reaching the northern edge of the mountains and skirting along the foothills before coming to a town known as Raider's Doom. It sits on the banks of a river flowing from the north where two main roads intersect. Illan tells them that after they cross the river they'll turn southward and follow the eastern side of the mountains until they come to an end. From there it's only a day to Lythylla.

Raider's Doom is a quiet, little town, not nearly the metropolis one would expect to sit on the convergence of two main arteries. Not a small town to be sure, but the people there have a quiet calm about them that's been lacking in the other towns they've pa.s.sed through. It almost seems as if they are not concerned about the war coming in their direction.

"They don't seem to care about what's going on to the south," Uther states as they pa.s.s through.

Kids playing in the street, ladies taking their time in their daily routines, no one seems worried or concerned about what the future might hold.

"Hope they can stay that way for a long time," James replies. He hopes someday every town could have that same carefree att.i.tude.

"How did the town get a name like Raider's Doom anyway?" Devin asks from the rear.

Before Illan has a chance to explains, Scar pipes up and says, "You see, a century ago, there was this band of raiders..." For the next twenty minutes, he regales everyone with a tale of raiders and a trap laid by the local villagers. How the raiders were slaughtered to the last man. "...and that's why it's called Raider's Doom. Since that day, so the story goes, no raider has ever been seen in the area."

From somewhere in the back, in a voice barely heard, James hears Uther ask Jorry, "You know how you can tell when he's lyin'?"

"How?" Jorry asks.

"His lips move," explains Uther. At that, laughter breaks out up and down the line.

Before Scar has a chance to begin an argument, Illan announces loudly, "No, it's true. It actually happened the way he said."

Scar turns to look at Uther with a smug expression and then turns back to the road.

The road continues to follow the river and they are able to make good time. Other travelers pa.s.s them coming from the south from time to time, those fleeing the coming of the Empire. Seems no one has any confidence that Madoc and the alliance will be able to hold the Empire when they finally make their move.

Near the end of the day, the road begins angling more to the southeast and away from the river as it continues in a more southwesterly direction. Not long after leaving the banks of the river, they come to a junction where a smaller, little used road branches off and moves to follow the river.

"If you take that road," Illan explains, "it will take you to Serene Lake." He turns in the saddle and glances to James. "I know you have an interest in things of nature. On the far side of the lake, Thunder Falls roars its way into the Sea."

"Thunder Falls?" he asks.

"Largest d.a.m.n waterfall I've ever seen," he explains. "If you stand near its base, the sound seems to vibrate through to your very soul. Quite an experience."

James would like nothing better than to take an excursion to see this wonder of nature. But time is pressing and they need to reach Lythylla before the Empire begins the attack. "Maybe another time," he says wistfully. Glancing at the fading light, he says, "Perhaps this would be a good time to make camp for the evening."

"As good as any," agrees Illan.

They move off the road and set up camp near the banks of the river for easy access to the water. The mountains rise just to the west, casting deep and long shadows in the sun's final light of the day. Another couple days and they should arrive at Lythylla, then things will become interesting.

Just as twilight sets in, the sound of dogs barking can be heard coming from the direction of the road to Serene Lake. In the gloom, six figures appear and are soon revealed to be local farmers, one of whom is in the lead with two dogs on leashes.

They all come to their feet when it looks as if they're heading straight for them. James moves to meet them as they enter the campfire's light. "Have you seen two small children?" the man in the lead asks.

"No," replies James. "You are the first we've encountered. Are they lost?"

Nodding, the man says, "Since day before yesterday. They are my children," he continues, a sad and worried look upon his face. "They are a wild pair but they've never been away this long."

The dogs sniff around, as if trying to find the scent. James notices the man holds a shirt in his hand, one too small for him to wear. Indicating the shirt, he asks, "Is that one of theirs?"

The man glances at the shirt and nods. "My son's," he replies. "Been using it for the dogs to get the scent, but so far they haven't picked up the trail."

James glances first to Jiron and then to Miko. Miko has a serious expression on his face and nods his head. He knows what James is thinking. Holding his hand out, he says, "If you give me the shirt, I can help you find them."

Looking suspiciously at him, he asks, "How are you going to do that?"

"I'm a mage," he says and instantly the farmers become less friendly. Again the reputation of those who do power in this world has begun to turn others against him. "I can help, I've done it before."

One of the men takes a closer look at him and asks, "Is your name James?"

Surprised, he replies, "Yes it is."

The man grabs the father of the lost children by the shoulder and begins whispering in his ear, the others with them move closer to hear. After a minute of whispers pa.s.sing back and forth, they turn as one to face him.

Holding the shirt out, the father says, "Heard of you. They say you helped out Lord Pytherian last year and prevented the Empire from taking Lythylla."

"True," he admits as he takes the shirt. He glances around and spies Devin not too far off. "Go get my mirror," he tells him.

Devin nods and rushes to his tent.

While he waits for Devin, James says, "We'll find them for you."

Hope comes to the man's eyes and a slight tear as well. It's clear to see how much he cares for and misses his children. James decides he's a good man. Devin returns shortly with his mirror.

He holds the shirt in one hand while resting the mirror atop it with the other. Concentrating on finding the one who last wore this shirt, he lets the magic loose. The image in the mirror begins to shift and then turns completely black.

A gasp is heard from the father as he asks, "Are they dead?"

James glances around at the fading light and says, "It may be they are simply in an area with no light, like a cave or something." Canceling the spell, he hands the mirror back to Devin.

The shirt has long sleeves. Taking hold of one of the sleeves halfway down from the shoulder, he again concentrates on the owner of this shirt, willing the sleeve to point the way. After letting the magic flow, the sleeve begins moving and points to the east, not directly following the road, rather more toward the mountains. "They're that way."

"You sure?" the father asks.

"If James says they're that way," Jiron speaks out, "you can believe they are."

To Illan, James says, "Stay here with the others and watch the camp." Then to Jiron and Miko he says, "You two come with me." Once Jiron and Miko nod, he turns to the father and says, "Now, let's go find your kids."

Moving away from camp, he follows the direction the sleeve is indicating. Behind him he can hear whispers from the farmers, what they are saying isn't clear.

"Think they're alive?" asks Jiron. The father grows silent as he awaits James' answer.

"Don't know," he replies. "This will just lead us to them. We'll have to wait until we get there to find out."

As they move from the light of the campfire, James' orb springs to life and hovers above and slightly behind his head. The farmers gasp in shock and fear at first, but then Miko and Jiron calm them down with a.s.surances it will do no harm.

The interactions between the others are lost to James as he concentrates on maintaining the spell and keeping his footing in the tangled undergrowth. They travel for half an hour before the ground grows steeper. The loose rocks upon the surface make footing more and more difficult as the incline grows. At one point, James stumbles while lost in concentration and only Jiron's quick reflexes kept him from falling backward down the slope.

"Careful," he says as James regains his balance.

"Trying to be," he replies. As he begins moving again, he takes more care to keep stable footing.