“Dig your heels in” Theodore called to Doric, as the dwarf was in danger of being left behind. Even Gar’rth, whom animals normally feared, had taken command of his horse and goaded it westward. The youth was heavily cloaked, shivering in the cold morn.
Doric’s mule had turned to face east. At a brisk trot it headed in the opposite direction to the others. The dwarf swore loudly in his native tongue.
“If he continues to shout like that, he’ll wake the entire village,” Castimir mused, passing Theodore on his horse with his yak’s lead held tightly in his hand. Theodore turned his mare and rode swiftly after the dwarf. He took the mule’s reins and guided the animal along behind him.
“He’s obstinate! He’s totally set against me, Theodore!” Doric protested. “No doubt he’ll try and break my neck on some mountain pass.” He fumed angrily as they trotted through the western gate.
“I think it a certainty if you continue to call her a he,” Theodore chastised him good-naturedly, to the laughter of their friends.
FORTY-TWO
Once they were on their way, the party travelled more than twenty miles over the course of the first morning.
The land was one of gentle grassy slopes and widely-spaced trees, with hints of spring beginning to show. But a quick glance north to the hills beyond showed that the way would get harder as they progressed.
When they stopped to rest, Theodore stood silently, looking to the southwest in the direction of Falador. He imagined he could actually see the sun reflect off the white walls of the city, but he told himself that he was too far away to make it out.
He’d sent word to the knights with the man Doric had paid to take Kara’s stolen horse back to the city. But still he knew they were alone, beyond any help, travelling into remote territory with a monster pursuing them.
As they took to the road again, Castimir made good use of the time by talking to the priestess. Arisha, Theodore noted, was willing to talk, eager to learn of different places and customs.
“But is it true, Castimir? Can the seers who live in Kandarin really see into the future?” she asked.
“I am doubtful, Arisha,” he replied knowingly. “I never actually visited them myself. But the fishermen of Catherby seemed to believe it so.” The wizard smiled. “But they also spoke of fish that could fly, and leviathans big enough to sink the largest vessel with a flick of their tail or a grapple of their tentacles.”
By midday the travellers were famished and they made a halt. Each of them took the opportunity to stretch their legs and eat.
“The land will change from here on” Arisha warned them. “The afternoon will be tiring for our beasts.”
It was during their break that Kara finally realised what it was that had caught Gar’rth’s attention in the hall. She had unsheathed her sword and immediately Gar’rth’s black eyes had focused on it. Curious, she handed it to him to see what he would do.
“It is very sharp, Gar’rth” she said softly as the youth raised it to his face, looking at the blade closely. Suddenly he lowered his nose to it and sniffed, his eyes widening in recognition.
It took her a moment to realize what that meant.
“Do you smell blood on the blade, Gar’rth?” she asked. “Is that what you recognised in the hall?” The blood of the werewolf had left a pungent scent that even she could detect, for she had not had a chance to clean her blade properly.
Gar’rth nodded.
“I wounded him, Gar’rth. He was hurt badly.” She saw his eyes rise to hers in wonder. “It might be that he crawled somewhere to die.”
The youth shook his head. He returned the sword to her reverentially.
The afternoon journey was as arduous as Arisha had said it would be. From the outset, the land rose steeply and the trail grew increasingly treacherous under the hooves of their steeds. Few words were spoken by the travellers.
Castimir felt weary now and spoke rarely, his concentration set on ducking his head from any low branches and ensuring that the yak was safe on the often-sliding rock paths. Others on horses fared less well still, and Kara glared angrily at Arisha, as if blaming her for the route she had chosen. Theodore had said more than once how he wished he had brought a helmet with him to protect his face.
The alchemist, too, said nothing, his concentration fixed on the mule beside him, its saddlebags filled with chemicals.
It was after several hours, when Ebenezer urged the beast on and pulled on its rein to guide it away from a steep drop, that Castimir’s patience finally snapped.
“Why on earth did you bring those things?” he demanded. “Our journey is not going to last us more than a week. Are they so important to you?”
“My chemicals are very important, Castimir,” the alchemist replied calmly. “They are my life’s work, and not a single hour goes by when I am not either thinking or dreaming about them.”
“There’s his chemistry again” Castimir said sarcastically to no one in particular. “What use are sacks of rocks when you’ve got magic?”
This time Ebenezer shot him a glance that made the wizard uneasy, but the old man refused to be drawn back into their ongoing debate.
They stopped near a still lake with crystal-clear waters, formed by the run-off from the melting snows high up on Ice Mountain. Unafraid of the travellers, large silver fish played near the surface.
“We should stop here for the night,” Arisha announced. “It will be getting dark soon, and we have come far today. I shall gather some wood for a fire.”
The priestess tied her horse to a tree stump and headed into the woods with Doric in tow, keeping within sight of the travellers.
Castimir groaned at the thought of food, his eyes on the silver flashes that caught the evening sun as the fish leapt out of the water.
“Do you think you could catch any of them?” Theodore asked, following his friend’s gaze.
“When I was in Catherby I learned to fish” Castimir replied. “They look as if they could feed us all.” He went to his yak and began to dig in his pack, emerging a few seconds later with a line, a hook, and several wood poles that screwed together to form two rods. “This won’t take long, Theo” he boasted confidently.
Theodore’s expression was doubtful.
“There’s nothing like fresh fish!” Castimir yelled gleefully, running to the edge of the lake like an excited child. He handed a rod to Theodore and the two friends patiently cast out their lines.
Half an hour later their good humour had disappeared as the fish evaded all attempts to catch them.
“Maybe you should use your magic, Castimir,” the alchemist said laughing.
The wizard turned to him.
“Can’t you make yourself useful and light the fire?” he retorted.
Ebenezer made no reply, and busied himself preparing Gar’rth’s herbal drink. Smugly, Castimir cast a quick look at Gar’rth and Kara, for the two were sitting huddled together, the young woman holding his hand in hers. Her face was etched with concern. He noticed also how Theodore avoided looking in their direction, instead staring stonily at the lake before them.
Poor Theodore, he thought. I’d wager his duty has never felt more onerous than now. The death of the peon must pain him deeply, as must feelings for Kara that can never be fulfilled.
Arisha and Doric returned, having gathered enough wood for their needs, and Castimir grinned as he watched Ebenezer’s hesitant attempts to prepare the fire. It would not be long now until he could prove the value of his magic over the old man’s science.
After a moment of watching Ebenezer’s woeful attempts at starting a fire, Theodore gave a curt smile and left the lakeside to help.