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"I can." Gawain replied, harshly, and Elayeen squeezed his arm.

"Even so." Rak announced hurriedly. "If I may be permitted to play the part of Threlland's Crown, I must yet say, where is your proof? Ruts in the scree signify nothing but the passage of wagons. Where is this imminent danger? Why would these armies in the Barak-nor and the Gorian wastelands suddenly attack? The breach may yet be years from now. They could not survive so long a time undetected, and in such harsh conditions."

"No, they could not." Gawain said quietly. "Which is why the breach must be imminent."

There was a small silence, until Rak sighed. "Still, Eryk would demand proof."

"Then we must go there, and bring him the proof." Gawain sighed irritably.

"Later, mithroth, first you must rest. Come, I will watch over you while you sleep."

"Yes, rest," Rak agreed. "And then we shall make our plans with clearer minds."

"Send the message to Martan of Tellek. And you, Allazar, if Brock indeed be your friend, send word to him and to Juria. Tell them to prepare to mobilize, and to make haste to Ferdan."

"I shall." Allazar nodded.

Gawain stood, and in truth he felt drained. Elayeen rose with him, holding his arm while he bent and retrieved the longsword, and then guided him to a familiar room, with a familiar fire blazing in the grate.

"Rest, mithroth. You should not have spent all night beneath the stars in such weather."

"I have spent many such." Gawain muttered, slipping off his damp clothes and climbing under the blankets and skins.

"I know."

Gawain sighed and closed his eyes, while Elayeen sat on the floor beside the bed, and rested her hand on his shoulder. "They doubt me."

"No. They worry for you, as do I. You cannot take the weight of the world on your shoulders alone."

"Who else is there?"

"I am here, now, mithroth."

"Yet you remain distant, Elayeen. Am I so dread? Am I so terrible that even in throth you would have me leave you?"

Elayeen caught her breath, and then laid her head upon his shoulder. "Forgive me, mithroth. I was afraid. I thought all was nothing more than a faranthroth dream. That you could not truly love me. You are not elf…and now, I am become as nothing. You cannot know the pain of banishment, to be thought of as dead by your own family, and friends, and people. You are Traveller, and have no home. All my life, I have known only Elvendere, until you came."

Gawain sighed as tears fought with aquamire for control of his emotions. "You speak to me of banishment and exile, as if I could not comprehend your loss. Did not the Lady Merrin tell you who I am?"

"She told me you loved me, mithroth. That you crossed the plains in midwinter for me, and would have felled every tree in Elvendere to find me."

"I did. And would have. I know your pain, Elayeen." Gawain drew in a shuddering breath. "I am Gawain, son of Davyd, King of Raheen."

Elayeen gasped, and lifted her head to gaze at him. He opened his eyes, tears and aquamire swimming together in them, just as tears filled hers. "That is why I must take the weight of the world on my shoulders. I could not bear to see another land laid waste like my own."

Tears streaked Elayeen's cheeks, and she laid her head upon his chest. He reached out from the under the blankets, and his arm slid around her, and with a sigh, he slept.

30. Doubt

"So," Gawain announced, staring into the fire in Rak's main room. It was evening, and still his friends seemed nervous in his presence in spite of his sleeping through most of the day. "You doubt me still."

"I play the part of Threlland, Traveller," Rak said softly. "As I have said before, it is he who would demand proof before arming the people and preparing for battle."

"Do not forget, Longsword," Allazar offered, "There has been peace in the seven kingdoms since the Pellarn war. Such armies as there are in the southlands are small."

"Do not forget, wizard," Gawain muttered darkly, "There are but five kingdoms now, and if those are not united soon, and a line drawn across the farak gorin, those five will be none within a year."

"So say you," Allazar countered, earning a flicker of aquamire in Gawain's eyes but pressing on regardless. "But as Rak says, where is your proof? Agreed, what you have described as Morloch's intent is a plan worthy of any general, but you have deduced it from little more than marks in the scree, and shades seen through aquamire beneath the Teeth."

"Then tell me. Who would Eryk of Threlland believe? You, Allazar? Captain Sarek of the Tarn guard? Martan of Tellek? Even the inhabitants of that village refused to believe the truth of Martan's account until I myself confirmed it."

"He would believe me." Rak sighed, and Merrin glanced nervously at her husband.

"And who would Callodon believe?" Gawain pressed, staring at the wizard.

"Me, I suppose." Allazar conceded.

"And Thal-Hak?" Gawain said pointedly, eyeing Elayeen.

"I am dead to him." Elayeen said meekly, "But he would listen to the thalangard."

Meeya and Valin nodded.

"And Mornland's Crown? And Arrun's? Whose word would they take, or would they sit and wait until Morloch's army marched across the Black Hills and the plains of Juria?"

"Traveller," Rak announced, as rain began lashing the windows and wind sucked sparks up the chimney, "You believe you have the measure of Morloch's intent. That much is clear in your eyes. But surely you must know the difficulty we face? Uniting the kingdoms has long been my dream, as you know, but the history of such dreams is rife with failure…"

"Politics." Gawain interrupted. "Politics, and in the same breath, whitebeards. The two go hand in glove. It is clear that none will believe my words alone. So we must go, and you must see with your own eyes what I know in my bones to be truth. Morloch's armies are already here, quietly awaiting reinforcements."

"Then you would have us travel to the Barak-nor." Rak sighed again.

"Yes. You, and Allazar, and the thalangard. And Sarek of the guard. I would that captain Jerryn of Juria were here too."

"And I." Elayeen said firmly.

"It is too perilous." Gawain replied, without emotion.

"It is a long journey, Traveller." Merrin spoke for the first time. "On the map it is simple, but in truth you must go the long way around, following the farak gorin east almost to the coast."

Gawain looked to Rak for confirmation.

"My Lady speaks truth, Traveller. The Barak-nor, it is…it cannot be approached across Threlland directly. You will see why when you see it."

"How long to get there?"

"With the snow, two weeks perhaps. And two weeks to return."

Gawain glanced at Elayeen. "The rain is welcome then, for it washes away the worst of our obstacles. Without the snow, we should be back within three weeks."

"I shall go with you." Elayeen announced, and looked up into Gawain's eyes.

He was about to speak, but then held his breath, considering. Three weeks might be a long time, for a throth elfin.

"I am…was…a royal crown of Elvendere, mithroth. I shall not hinder you."

"Very well. Then best make ready. When the sun rises tomorrow, it shall find us mounted and on the route to the Barak-nor."

"Then I shall leave for the inn, and a good night's rest." Allazar exclaimed, standing and stretching.

"I shall join you." Gawain announced, standing too and slipping the longsword over his shoulder. Surprised looks were turned his way, and one was hurt and confused. "You'll need a horse, and I would speak with you Allazar." Gawain explained.

"You…you shall return, mithroth?" Elayeen asked, suddenly timid in spite of her earlier conviction.

"No. Lord Rak has but the one room, and both you and the thalangard need your rest. I shall sleep at the inn. Sleep well, all of you. We shall not loiter on our journey. We no longer have the luxury of time."