"The throth, perhaps?" Allazar mumbled from his chair in front of the empty hearth, no need of fire now that spring filled the longer evenings with warmth and the promise of summer to come.
"No." Elayeen affirmed, "The first confusions of throth are brief, and long since passed. It is something else."
"All is well," Rak opined, "In Threlland at least. Our forces, such as they are, are well prepared, and have trained with determination and enthusiasm. Our watch is posted from Tarn to the Mallak Spur and beyond. Sarek's new Rangers are in place overlooking the Barak-nor, and will send word the moment any enemy activity is sighted. There is little else we can do that has not been done."
Gawain nodded. "General Karn is an able officer, and his preparations are indeed thorough. Yet I cannot shake off the intuition that I myself have overlooked something."
"Perhaps, my friend," Allazar said quietly, his eyes downcast, "It is an old grief which stirs within you."
Gawain looked up, his eyebrows raised, and Elayeen eased closer to him. "An old grief?"
Allazar sighed. "It is a year, almost to the day, is it not, that Morloch cast his foul Breath upon your land?"
Gawain nodded slowly. "And so much has happened in the between. Yet this painful anniversary is not the cause of my…frustration. I know not how to describe it. It is as if there was something important I must do, yet I cannot remember what it was nor why it should be important."
"Well, mithroth," Elayeen sighed, and smiled, "It cannot therefore be that important. What is important now is that we ride for Ferdan, and are there to meet Callodon and Juria when they arrive. It would not do to keep them waiting."
"In truth." Allazar muttered. "Brock can be a bear in matters of punctuality."
The following dawn found Gawain outside the stables at the rear of Rak's house, his eyes closed in remembrance. Gwyn snuffled, and he opened his eyes with a grim smile.
"Come then, Ugly, time we made our way west and south."
"I trust, mithroth, you were speaking to your horse?"
Gawain grinned, and mounted, but made no reply. Rak and the Lady Merrin stood wrapped in their cloaks, for the morning was chill.
"We shall join you in Ferdan as discussed, my brother." Rak smiled. "Until then, speed your journey, all."
Gawain nodded, and drew his cloak tighter about him, shifting the longsword slung over his shoulder into a more comfortable position. "And speed your journey too, my friends. I would that you could travel with us."
Merrin chuckled. "Major Sarek will make an able escort in your absence, Traveller, and with uncle Eryk and his honour-guard along, we shall feel almost as safe on the plains of Juria as when first we crossed it with you."
"Then take care. And keep good watch." Gawain nodded, and Gwyn eased forward.
"And you." Rak called.
Elayeen and Allazar followed close behind Gawain, and once they were in the main street, drew alongside him. Hooves clopped on the cobbles, a familiar sound these days, and the few people who were about at this hour paid little attention to the three travellers making their way out of town.
"You were restless last night, mithroth." Elayeen said quietly as they left the market square behind them and turned onto the downland track.
"I'm sorry. Did I disturb your sleep?"
"No. But yours was disturbed. Have you remembered what it was that so troubled you yesterday?"
"No. I think it may be the inaction. The endless days and nights helping Sarek train his Rangers, the meetings with Karn, the planning, and the waiting for word to come from kings. I am unused to such prolonged periods of doing little or nothing."
Allazar cleared his throat diplomatically.
"What is it, wizard?" Gawain asked, but it was too late.
"I am sorry, mithroth, if my company has bored you so much of late."
"I did not mean…" Gawain protested, and Elayeen could not maintain her haughty expression in the face of his sudden anguish, though she hid her smile with a regal sniff.
Allazar chuckled.
"Dwarfspit." Gawain mumbled.
"Longsword, I am reminded of wisdom I once heard from an old woman in Callodon, many years ago." Allazar said, eyeing the Teeth as they hove into view.
"Which is?"
"A closed mouth gathers no feet."
"There," Gawain nodded towards the distant mountain, "There stands one set of Teeth I hope remain firmly closed, for as long as it is possible in the face of Morloch's onslaught."
"Indeed."
At the border crossing between Threlland and Mornland, Gawain was surprised to see a proliferation of Mornland guardsmen where before there had been but one or two. They eyed Gawain with a mixture of awe and dread, and yet cast softer glances towards the elfin beauty riding at his side. Allazar, though, they stopped, and demanded he open his robes.
Gawain smiled grimly at this, and while Allazar promptly obliged, he turned to the guard-commander.
"Well met, Mornland, honour to your Crown."
"Well met, Longsword, honour to you and your Lady."
"This," Gawain nodded at the small knot of guardsmen standing with cocked and bolted crossbows still aimed at Allazar, "This is a welcome precaution."
"Aye. We have learned much from our Threlland neighbours of late. Is it true that war looms from that bleak northern horizon?"
"It is." Gawain said softly. "Though we may yet prevail."
"I pray it is so." Then the commander turned to Allazar. "I thank you, wizard, for your co-operation. Speed your journey."
Allazar nodded, fastened his robes, and the trio moved off.
At the river-crossing that was the border between Mornland and Juria, Allazar was obliged to repeat the ritual twice, on each bank of the sparkling ribbon of water that wound its way south all the way to Arrun.
"My lord!" one of the Jurian guardsmen cried happily, and the rest beamed up at them.
Gawain smiled down at the officer who so long ago had predicted 'big snow' from the north. "Well met, my friend. How fares Juria?"
"Well, my lord, Juria fares well. And you, and your Lady?"
Elayeen smiled sweetly.
"We fare well, as you see." Gawain turned to Elayeen, and said quietly, "When first I brought you to Threlland, mithroth, we rested yonder, in that hut. It was these friends who gave up their blankets to help keep you warm that night, and helped clear the way to Tarn."
Elayeen's eyes widened, and sparkled, and she smiled down at the group of officers staring up at her. "Then, friends of my husband, you are friends to me, and you have my thanks."
Jurian faces beamed with delight on hearing the lilting elfin voice, and the words given for their ears.
"Some time past, a small party would have passed this way." Gawain said, "Two of my Lady's people, in the company of four Threllandmen?"
"Aye Serre," The guard-commander acknowledged. "They passed safely onto the plains, west-bound. All were hale, though possessed of a duty, I believe, for they would not tarry for conversation beyond that you and your Lady were well in Tarn."
"Thank you." Gawain said. "You may expect more Threllandmen soon, I hope."
"More?" the commander beamed, "We've had more traffic at this crossing these past months than I can remember in years! With all this talk of war, I shouldn't be surprised if Threlland's Crown himself didn't saunter across that river."
Gawain grinned. "And the weather?"
"Ah! Set fair, my lord, set fair! Small rains before summer turns the plains brown, for it'll be a hot one."
"Hot indeed." Gawain said softly, as with a wave of farewell, he turned Gwyn south of west, and they headed out onto the plains of Juria.
The plains were lush and green, the grasses long and verdant, and Allazar beamed happily.