The Road to War ... Part 5

He woke up to seeing two men standing over him and he tried to jump back but the stump he was lying up against prevented him from moving very far. The last thing he remembered was charging on two unsuspecting travellers on horseback. He thought they might be messengers but the number of travellers between Rosh and Grenfell had dwindled since he was assigned raiding duties at this point on the road.

“Who are you?” the bandit asked.

“Right now you can consider us your god” Adam said. “Whether you live or die is in our hands right now.”

“W-w-what!” the bandit exclaimed.

“We know you are working for someone else” Dustin began. “We want to know where we can find him.”

“W-w-what!” the bandit exclaimed again.

Adam hit him over the head again with a piece of a large branch and knocked him out again.

“We’re not going to get very much out of him” Corcoran said.

“We’ll just have to tied him up and drag him with us” Adam said harshly. “I’ll get the rope.”

Adam tied him up and they started back on their way to Rosh. The journey would take a bit longer with the bandit in tow but at least they would have a better chance of find the thieves den with the bandit.

“What are we going to do with him after we get to Rosh?” Dustin asked.

“He won’t be with us when we get to Rosh” Adam said. “When we get to the last clearing before Rosh we are going to let him wake up and leave. He won’t even see us. We’ll follow him back to the thief’s liar and we will worry about the perils of entering the liar when we get to that part. Just be prepared for a fight. Corcoran we are going to need you to stay visible unless you know how to make us all invisible so we can find the leader of this pack of bandits.”

“I can only make one person invisible at a time” Corcoran said as he put his hood up and disappeared. He reappeared right after he took the hood of his cloak off.

“OK let’s get moving” Adam said after tying up the bandit. “We don’t have much of the sun left. We should get to the next clearing soon.”

Come back for more from part 5

The Road to War ... Part 3 continues...

The forest life was quite loud for the most part of the journey. They had made it to another clearing; this one was smaller than the last and littered with foot prints. Someone had been here not that long ago.

A hush ran through the forest. It was to be expected while traveling but when you stop and are quiet the chirping of birds should be heard once again; but not this time. The hair on the back of Dustin’s neck began to stand on its end. Something interesting was about to happen.

Corcoran, who had be walking between the two horses and boring Adam with his stories, had disappeared. Adam was about to ask Corcoran if he knew how to use his staff in a fight; but he looked around and could not see him. He looked at Dustin; Dustin was looking for Corcoran too.

“Where did he go?” Adam asked.

“I don’t know” Dustin replied. “He was here a second ago.”

Both messengers drew their swords. A loud cry came from the bushes to their left. Out came about four people shouting and carrying short swords. Before Dustin could turn his horse to face them another four rushed out of the bushes on his right. He turned to face them.

Out of the bushes two flashes of fire shot towards one of their attackers. The flames seemed to explode on his back. Clashes of swords filled the area. Adam’s horse let out a whinny as it was struck by one of the attacker’s swords. The horse leapt to its hind quarters and Adam fell to the ground. His horse’s front hooves knocked over one of their attackers and he fell in lump.

Adam quickly got to his feet. His horse frightened by the shouts and the shock began to buck and kick at anything. Dustin was still on his mount. He was managing to fend off some of his attackers. Another bolt of flames shot through the tree line and another one of the angry men from the ambush burst into flames.

Adam slashed the nearest attacker cutting a gash from his right shoulder to his left hip. Another bolt of fire hit the attacker next to the one Adam had killed. Dustin was holding his own; he had stabbed one in the chest and was fending off the last one. Adam came up behind the man that Dustin had squared off with and smashed the hilt of his sword over his attacker’s head.

After all was said and done, the battle only lasted about three minutes. The only casualty was Adam’s horse. It would need some dressing on its wound but it would survive. Seven of the eight attackers were both badly burned and dying or already dead. One was unconscious. There still was no sign of Corcoran.

Dustin surveyed the scene. He was wondering where the bolts of fire had come from and why Corcoran had disappeared. Adam was pulling aside one of the men; he was unconscious and bleeding but not badly.

Corcoran walked out of the edge of the forest: “Quite a mess we have here?” he asked.

Dustin rushed over to him with his blade still drawn. “And where did you get to?”

“I was just beyond the trees there” Corcoran said. “I didn’t go very far, besides it looks like you and Adam took care of these bandits.”

“You left us to fend off the entire group” Adam’s voice was rising. “Who are you anyway? And what were those flashes of fire? Did you throw cast those magical fire bolts?”

“I already told you” Corcoran responded. “My name is Corcoran and I am travelling to Rosh.”

“But you’re not a wizard?” Adam questioned.

“I may have some magical abilities” Corcoran said “But not enough to call myself a wizard.”

“Next time we run into trouble try not to run too far” Adam said. “We may need you to lend a hand when we reach our destination.”

“Fine, I won’t hide,” Corcoran said. “Just don’t get me killed.”

The Road to War ... Part 2 Continues....

Corcoran was still a ways behind the two travellers. He had forgotten to put his hood back on his head to hide himself from view. He had stopped running. His intuition told him that he would not need to run to catch up to Dustin and Adam. As he approached the fork in the road, he wanted to head to Colodia; he felt a calling but he knew his future was in the hands of the two messengers that were on their way to Rosh.

The sun was still below its highest point in the sky. Corcoran wanted to catch up with the two before the sun went down. It had been years since he had been to Rosh. It was one of the first places he had stopped in after being kicked out by Kartu. He was met by bandits in the town and his parlour tricks had been his only saving grace.

If he was to survive in Rosh this time he would need the help of Adam and Dustin. But how would they fit into his master plan? He was planning to over through Kartu and war would be the only way to do it. What would he have to do to get these messengers to aid his cause?

Corcoran began to jog down the pathway. The dense forest on either side his only companion. At a jog he would be able to catch up with the two in about an hour or two. His weapon was flailing along side him as he jogged.

Come back on Wednesday for the conclsion of Part 2

The Road To War ... Part 2

Adam and Dustin rode for quite a while at a full gallop. The horses were beginning to get tired and it would soon be time to stop to give the horses a break. Rosh was still quite a journey away. If they were on foot the trip would take about a week give or take a day or two.

The road was quite wide through the forest path. Riding side by side was easy and it gave them a clear view of their surroundings. On either side the forest was dense. The lush greenery of the forest was breath taking. The weight of Dustin’s new sword was foreign to him. The sheath bounced heavily on his back with every step his horse took. His new armour was also heavier than what he was used to. Dustin hoped he would get some time to practise with his new gear before they ran into any trouble.

Ahead there was a clearing. At this point they have not been travelling for a long period, only an hour or so. At a full gallop their horses could cover a lot of ground in an hour. Dustin was hoping that they would be able to stop and quite possibly get a chance to rest the horses. He desperately wanted to practice his parries and swings with his new sword.

“We will let the horses rest for a bit in the clearing up ahead” Adam shouted to Dustin. The sound of the horse’s hooves made his statement barely audible.

The two slowed to a trot and tried to get a good look at the clearing up ahead. They could see a place where previous travellers had warmed themselves by a fire. There was hardly any vegetation around the spot where other travellers had built a fire. The clearing was at least fifty feet in diameter and would prove to be much safer than other clearings they had camped in. In the distance they could hear a babbling stream cutting its own path through the forest. There was what looked like a path leading away from the clearing towards what they speculated was the stream. The horses would need some water and this would be a good time to get them some.

There were very few signs of civilization in the clearing. It would be good spot for an ambush but Dustin and Adam would be prepared in the event that anyone would ambush them. Beside them there was some movement. The leaves rustled off to the left of them, Adam pulled a bow out of his saddle bag, placed an arrow on the string drew back and waited. More leaves were disturbed and Adam loosed his arrow. It was nothing more than a wild hare; it would make a good meal for the two travellers.

They proceeded slowly to the clearing on foot. Adam and Dustin were leading their horses while collecting a few scraps of dry wood to start a fire with. When the two arrived in the clearing Adam handed the reigns of his horse to Dustin.

“Take the horses down to the stream so they can get some water” Adam said to Dustin. “I’ll get the fire started so we can cook this hare.”

Come back Saturday for more, part 2 continues...

Grenfell ... Part 5 Continues...

Beneath the front room in the basement sanctuary, Dustin stifled a laugh. Adam was also trying to stifle a laugh. Galen’s direct statement telling the Stephen the magistrate what to do was humorous to say the least. They could barely hear them closing out the brief meeting above them. Adam reached for the pole to close the listening vent.

It was not very long before Galen and Draven came down the stairs to rejoin Adam and Dustin. The look of relief on their faces was priceless. Although the meeting had been brief; dealing with Stephen’s stubbornness was taxing.

“Well that was far from fun” Draven stated.

“Politics are not my forte” Galen said. “So have you and Dustin thought about where to go next?”

“There have been rumours of bandits in Rosh” Adam began. “Drake, our messenger from Rosh has told me of some shady activities going on in the village. I think that would be a good place to start.”

“Rosh, that’s about two days away isn’t it?” Galen asked.

“Yes,” Adam began. “It is in the opposite direction of Colodia. I met up with Drake a few weeks before going to Macote. He told me that there were quite a few bandits in the town. I think that Rosh would be the best place to start looking for some assassins.”

“So when will you be leaving for Rosh?” Draven asked.

“Dustin and I will be leaving in the morning at first light.” Adam said. “The trip will be long so we will have to send Sven into the market to pick up some supplies for us. But in the mean time, Dustin, I want you to accompany me into our armoury. That sword your carrying does not look like it suits you. We have many different types of swords, no battle axes though.”

“Sounds good to me” Dustin replied.

Adam led Dustin up the stairs and into the back room of the Messenger’s Guild. Inside were more stairs that led up to the second floor of the building.

“We have many different types of weapons here” Adam said. “You will need a strong one if you are to go with me to find an assassin. We have to try and stop this war before it begins, the loss of life will be too great this time. The last war lasted ten years and many innocents were killed. We cannot afford to lose any innocents this time.”

The room was dimly lit. Swords were hanging on most of the walls accompanied by a few different staffs. Dustin had never used a staff before, but he still was prone to using his axe. A broad sword caught his eye as he was looking around. Walking over to it he could tell that it was no ordinary broad sword. The hilt was adorned with sapphires and they reflected the light from the candle lit room in a fashion that made it very appealing. Dustin walked over to where the sword was hanging on the wall and picked up; he tried to get a feel for the weight of the sword in his hands.

“An excellent choice” Adam said. “But please take your time while choosing your weapon. A messenger’s weapon is just as important as the message he brings. There is no replacement for the proper weapon to protect you.”

“I really do like this sword” Dustin said. “I’m not sure if it would be the perfect weapon for me. I really am used to the axe I carry with me; I have been practising with the sword that Draven gave me in Norfolk I am just not sure I am ready to give up my axe.”

“We will have plenty of time for practising on the path to Rosh” Adam said. “Does the sword feel good in your hands?”

“I thought it would be heavier” Dustin exclaimed. He brought the sword to an attack position, lifted over his head. The room was too small to swing the sword; he would have to wait until he was outside to do that. “I don’t have that much experience with swords; I’m more comfortable with my axe. I hope you will give me a few tips on the road to Rosh.”

“Not a problem” Adam said. “Will you be using that sword?”

“I think so.”

“Good, now let’s see what we can do about your armour.” Adam said pointing in the direction of the plate mail that was hanging on the wall.

“I thought this was the best armour I could find” Dustin said. “It cost me more gold than I was willing to pay for it.”

“It’s good armour, but if we are to be going into a den of thieves you will need something with more protection.” Adam exclaimed. “This one over here has stronger metal than what you are carrying. You will also need some ring mail to add to the strength of the armour.”

Dustin tried on many different types of armour that were all much stronger against attacks than his own armour. Eventually he settled on some plate mail that had a red hue to it. Adam explained to him that it was the alloys employed in the making of the metal that gave it a red hue to it and not blood stains. All of the armour in the armoury was unused and crafted by the most skilled armourers in the land.

“Good” Adam said, “Now that you are prepared we will wait for Sven to come back with our supplies and we will be off to Rosh.”

Come back this weekend for the beginning of Chapter 6

Chapter 5: Grenfell ... Part 5

Galen and Draven walked down the short corridor from the stairs to the front room where Stephen, the cities magistrate waited anxiously. The two walked in to see a young maid of about 18 and an old man roughly in his late 50’s. Before Galen or Draven could say anything the old man leapt to his feet.

“Where’s Adam?” Stephen questioned. “And who are you?”

“He’s out on official business” Galen said. “This is Draven of Norfolk; he has been travelling with me.”

“I’d rather speak to Adam” Stephen said menacingly. “Official business, I don’t believe that for a minute. Where is he?”

Stephen tried to push the two messengers aside. Galen and Draven did not budge. They stood solid in the doorway not letting the old man pass. He was surprisingly strong but the two did not give more than an inch.

“This is outrageous!” Stephen exclaimed. “I came to request Adam’s help with the new conscripts and he won’t see me. Do you know who you are talking to?”

“Yes, of course we do.” Draven replied.

“If it is help you want,” Galen started. “Then you should be a little more courteous here in the guild. We will be more willing to help if you were not so demanding.”

“I merely wish to get Adam’s support for training the new additions to the guard.” Stephen said defensively. “He has more knowledge about the forces in Macote and a few years your senior.”

“We share our information with each other” Galen exclaimed. “Adam will be in the field for a few weeks, Draven and I will help train your conscripts.”

Stephen was surprised by Galen’s statement. He had expected Adam to speak with him over the matter of training the new recruits; instead Galen had stepped in the middle of the affair. The messenger’s schedules were somewhat erratic but had to be respected; any discourse was frowned upon and if the person was a magistrate, their position could be in jeopardy.

“Well when can we start training the new recruits?” Stephen asked more calm and composed than when he had first saw Galen.

“We will start after the apprentices get back from Colodia” Galen replied. “They are due back in a day or two. Your guards will be able to put them to work building a new barracks for them to stay in until our missing apprentices return.”

“Where are we going to build a new barracks?” Stephen questioned. “Our city has already out grown our original walls. We don’t have room for another building.”

“Well then I suggest you have the recruits start cutting down trees from the edge of the forest to build a new wall around the city.” Galen responded. “You are the magistrate, make it happen.”

Come back next week, Part 5 Continues ...

Grenfell ... Part 4

After the fires had been put out Stephen came to the messenger’s guild looking for Adam. He had calmed the crowd down and ordered conscripts into the city guard. Boys barely old enough to grow hair on their faces were being added to the numbers. The guard had gained nearly half of the cities male population shortly after the riot.

Sven came down into the basement chamber where the four messengers were meeting. His voice cracked as he told the four Stephen was here to meet with them.

“He must see you, he cannot wait too long in the front room before coming to look for you” Sven said.

The basement chamber was a room only for messengers. This had been the same since the very beginnings of the guild. It was sanctuary for a weary messenger; it was almost 20 feet underground, mostly cold but in the hot days of the growing season is was a welcomed rest. Only messengers and the odd apprentice were allowed in the inner sanctum of the guild.

“We should go,” Galen spoke first.

“No, not right away” Adam said. “We still have more to discuss. It will not be long before the army at Macote will be on the march. We still have a lot of preparations to make. Donald is working with our forces in Colodia; so at least our home town will be prepared.”

Galen grew anxious. “Great, we don’t want to keep Stephen waiting.”

“You haven’t changed a bit” Adam looked briefly at Galen and continued. “Macote is not heavily fortified. There are a few week links in their guard. If I can get in, we could get a small band of assassins inside.”

“Do you know of any assassins?” Dustin jumped in before Galen made another reference to seeing Stephen.

“There are bands of thieves all over the place.” Adam replied. “Each band has a leader, the leader is an assassin. These leaders never show themselves unless they encounter a messenger that has reduced their troop on more than one occasion. It’s rare that you would run into the same rogue band of thieves more than once but it has happened before.

“Galen, since you are so keen on not keeping the magistrate waiting” Adam continued. “Why don’t you go see what the old man wants? Dustin and I will decide where to look for these elusive assassins. Draven, you should go with Galen as well.”

The two nodded in acceptance and disappeared up the stairs. Adam and Dustin were left in the cool well lit basement. They waited until they could not hear any more footstep ascending the stairs and both were quiet.
“If you listen closely you can hear what they are talking about.” Adam said as he got up from the table and walked over to a peculiar miss placed pole.

Adam pulled on the pole and up in the ceiling Dustin could see a light shining through a small hole. The smoke and the dust in the air were illuminated, creating unique patterns through the seemingly stale cellar air. Adam turned to Dustin and put his finger up to his lips as if to say ‘be quiet’ and they both were still and listened for voices upstairs.

They could hear Stephen shuffling around upstairs as he waited for Adam or a messenger to appear. The magistrate never came alone, he was always accompanied by his aide; a young woman no older than twenty. Adam and Dustin could not hear the magistrate’s aide; she must be quieter than a mouse. The magistrate’s aide did not speak at all in public; it was not her place.

Come back next week for more ....

Chapter 5: Grenfell ... Part 3 Continues ...

Grenfell’s messenger guild was on the north side of the city. The sounds of the rioters were still loud enough to be heard outside the doors of the messenger’s headquarters. The building was only large enough to house ten messengers and apprentices at any one time. The streets were clear enough for Galen, Draven and Dustin to approach from the front of the building.

“So this is a messenger’s guild.” Dustin spoke half out of breath. “Not exactly what I thought it would be.”

“Times are different now with war on the horizon,” Galen said.

The three found the doors locked. Galen knocked brashly. From inside a voice shouted: “Only messengers are allowed to enter. Identify yourselves.”

“Galen of Colodia,” Galen responded. “I have with me Draven of Norfolk and Dustin of Atanna; now open the doors at once!”

The sound of a large plank of wood scraping the backside of the door could be heard. The doors were open and inside were two men that any of the three messengers did not know. They motioned them in quickly and closed the doors and locked them as soon as the three crossed the threshold. There were few windows to provide light inside so the interior corridor which led to the back door was lit by candles.

“Take the third door on you left into the basement,” one of the men behind them spoke up. “Adam and the other apprentices are meeting in the basement.”

Galen, Draven and Dustin walked down the candle lit corridor to the third door on the left. A flight of stairs that seemed longer than it should be led to the basement. The stairwell was lit by candles and added an ominous feeling to the descent. There was a small landing where the stairs changed directions and led deeper underground. The three could feel the cool damp air of the basement as the started down the second flight of stairs.

At the base they could see a dirt floor littered with foot prints. The light coming from the room was almost as bright as the sun. Hundreds of candles adorned the loose brick walls. There was a large round table in the middle of the room where Adam and the other apprentices sat.

“Galen, how long has it been?” Adam asked.

“Far too long,” Galen replied. “We heard your address to the people, is Macote ready for war?”

“Always straight to business, that’s what I’ve always liked about you.” Adam replied. “I see you still haven’t changed a bit. To answer your question, they’ve been preparing for war for a while now. I’ve been waiting to hear from Stephen to see if he will need some additional help training conscripts.”

“The whole city is rioting,” Dustin jumped in. “Shouldn’t we be helping with crowd control?”

“You’ll have to pardon my friend here,” Galen said. “He’s from a small outskirts town and is still wet behind the ears.” Galen turned to Dustin, “The city guard will take care of the crowd. We have more important issues at hand right now.”

“Yes indeed we do.” Adam said.

Come back next week for more of the tale...

Chapter 5: Grenfell ... Part 3

There was a loud crash outside the inn which woke Dustin up. He flew out of the cot that served as his bed and grabbed his sword that felt alien in his hand at this ungodly hour. Sounds of men shouting at each other filled the early morning air and seeped through the thin pane of glass that served to keep the outside air, outside.

The whole town was up in arms; rioting in the streets to secure their safety. Guards were being trampled and every body was carrying torches and farming tools. Dustin raced down the two flights of stairs that separated his room from the ground level. At the bottom of the stairs Galen and Draven were waiting.

“Adam’s over at the guild with the other messengers” Draven stated. “This whole situation is bad!”

“Agreed,” Galen said. “Now how do we get over to the guild without being torn apart by the crowd?”

“Is there a back alley we could sneak out through?” Dustin asked.

“The inn keeper is not here,” Draven added. “I think he may be out with the rioters.”

“It’s just as well,” Galen said. “I couldn’t stand the food he served; it was almost as bad as this situation.”

“So how are we going to get to the guild?” Dustin asked.

“We’re going to have to find the back door and weave through some alleys to find it.” Draven said. “Galen, how well do you know this town?”

“Not as well as I want to right now,” Galen replied. “C’mon lets go.”

The three of them ran back through the kitchen and found the back door. On the other side of the door was the alleyway that ran parallel with the road filled with rioters. They would have to move quickly to avoid attracting any attention from the angry mobs. Galen kicked the door open and they all turned right following Galen’s lead.

The alley way was narrow, but not so narrow that they couldn’t run two wide. If they had been hemmed in it would be a problem, luckily everyone was in the street causing trouble. Anyone looking down the narrow alleyways between the houses would have seen them but they ran as fast as they could. Up ahead was a dead end, they would have to choose which way to go and make the right choice first. They could still hear the shouts coming from the streets and they got louder as they approached the end of the passageway.

“Right or Left” Dustin asked?

“Left” Galen shouted back at them.

The three barrelled around the corner into another alley that left them in plain view of the rioters. They were near the centre square of the town and could hear the shouts and loud crashes as various effects were damaged. The crowd wanted blood, and by the sounds of it they wanted the blood of their town’s leader, Stephen. He had been to slow in reacting to the news of Macote building an army. The whole town was full of fear and angst. The three messengers would have to get to the guild fast before the town turned on them.

Come back next week, part 3 continues...

Chapter 5: Grenfell ... Part 2

After the announcements of the news at the centre square, the four travellers accompanied by Adam walked in through the tavern doors. There was talk about the recent news Adam had just told. Rumours of the Macote army were growing and becoming more far fetched then the actual news itself.

The wench tending the bar brought them some ale. Sven had stayed only long enough to excuse himself; he had to report into the local guild. Apparently Grenfell was a much larger town and had a messenger guild in residence. All of this was very new to Dustin; the villages he had brought news to in the past knew nothing about a messenger guild. Even the idea of cities growing beyond their original walls was new to Dustin.

Before Dustin had left Atanna he only knew of the closest villages the mention of a large city like Colodia was exciting. The mere mention of any kind of adventure would get any young adult from a small isolated village excited. Dustin was one restless individual and felt he had to leave Atanna even before he became a messenger. Now he found himself drinking ale with two messengers from Colodia and one messenger from Norfolk. Times had changed.

“Do you know how many soldiers Macote has recruited?” Galen asked Adam.

“I only heard rumours of the true number,” Adam replied. “Although I did see a large number of soldiers going in and out of their barracks; I’m not sure if it was the only barracks in the city. I only saw the one but it was far too small to house all of the soldiers that were going in and out.”

“Did you get a chance to meet with Redfield before you left Colodia?” Galen was just filled with questions for Adam.

“Yes I did,” Adam paused almost long enough for Galen to ask another question. “He has decided to implement conscripts into the guard contingent in Colodia. I would imagine that Stephen will be doing the same after the news I have brought with me.”

“Does Grenfell have a lot of guards?” Dustin jumped into the conversation.

“Not as many as Colodia,” Galen replied. “But they will need to be prepared in any case. I’m sure that there are other cities other than Macote preparing for war.”

“Indeed there are,” Adam began. “Lattan has heard rumours of Tyron building an army. Lattan has already begun taking conscripts into their guard. Tyron is easier to get into than Macote but even still leaving with information is hard.”

“I think we will find out at first sun if Stephen will be drafting citizens into the guard.” Draven chimed in. “I think we would be needed to help with the training effort again.”

“It’s quite conceivable,” Galen said. “We will have to get some rest. We’ll meet again in the morning.”

The four retired to rooms that had been prepared for them but the owner of the inn. What will the new day bring for the four messengers?

Come back next week for Part 3 ...

Chapter 5: Grenfell ... Part 1

Dustin gazed upon the village of Grenfell as they approached. Galen was to his right, Draven and Sven followed behind. Grenfell was larger than any city Dustin had been in before. There were no grand gates just a clutter of buildings with a clearly defined road running between them. Some of the buildings were much larger than anything he had seen before. Dustin’s excitement had pushed his hunger to the back of his mind.

“Have you ever seen anything like this before?” Galen asked Dustin.

“Only in dreams” he replied.

At the entrance to the city Dustin could see a group of men running towards the end of the road. He suspected that these men racing to the edge of the city were the escort he had been told about. The four were tired from the trek and had fought off a random band of thieves. The band of men stopped just at the edge of the road where the town road began the road from Bingham ended.

“You must come quickly” the stocky guard said to the four travellers. “Adam is about to address the people with news from Colodia.”

“Adam is here?” Galen spoke up. “This must be bad, come on let’s go!”

The four rushed to the centre square of the city. As they rushed through, Dustin caught a glimpse of wall structure that had been buried by houses. At the centre square Adam had already begun telling his news from Colodia. The people were absolutely quiet rapt by the news of the Macote army’s numbers.
Macote had built a large army, but have yet to move against Colodia. Their forces have been at bay for quite a few months now. Adam was the first messenger to manage to get into the city since Macote began recruiting more people. Their security had been tight since rumours of war began to circulate throughout their population. Adam had to sneak in behind the walls through underground passageways that had not been used since the last war over fifty years ago.

Inside he had learned of Kartu; an old warlock based in the centre of the inner circle of cities. He had a dark and unexplained past and was at the centre of the last war over fifty years ago. One would think this old warlock would have passed away many years ago; residents of Macote fear the mere mention of his name. Rumour has it that he controlled all of the inner cities and was preparing to rule over the outer circle as well. He had tried this during the last war, but a local hero was there to stop the massacre and end the war.

The Galen of legend had spurned a new fad of people naming their first born after him. He had led a small band of mercenaries to victory over the vast armies of Macote and most people who heard the news of his plight had honoured him by passing on his name.

Galen the messenger, travelling with Dustin and Draven was one of the children named after the legend. His mother had been only a young girl when the war began and had heard all of the heroic stories. Galen had caught a glimpse of the man of legend when he was but a little boy. News travelled much faster back then; there were more messengers and fewer dangers on the roads between cities. Now times were different and right now, Dustin, Galen and Draven had finally made it to the centre square.

Adam was telling his news from Colodia with some added new from Macote. Everybody’s attentions were fixated upon the rough looking man at the centre of the square on a table. He was perched on the table so all of the folks in the city were able to see and hear him. The crowd was large and quiet with the exception of the occasional gasp.

Come back next week for Part 2

The Hidden Wizard ... Pt 4

Corcoran finished telling his tale and left the town of Norfolk a little bewildered. The mere thought of 50 years passing to what he thought was only 30 cast a strange shadow of doubt over his intentions. The conflict he had left behind would be at least 60 years in the past; this “Galen” could not be the same one he had heard stories of while he grew up. Was it possible that the Galen he now wanted to slow down was actually the son of the legend? So many questions ran through his mind.

He wondered what kind of spell his old master had cast on him. He knew that his invisibility cloak did something to way time flows around him every time he used it but he did not think that he would miss 20 or more years just by using it. Something was strange about how his old friend Richard could hardly remember him. It was a good thing the walk to Pespid would take another four maybe five days, he had a lot to think about.

Planning a new conflict would be difficult if there were no news of any unrest through out the known world. He would have to meet with the messenger in Pespid, maybe he would learn of any unrest. The many years between his childhood and now would certainly throw a kink into his plans. It was just a small twist; he could overcome a small twist.

The sun was still high in the sky, but there was a cold wind coming from the south. Corcoran could feel the moisture in the air; a storm was coming. The storm would slow the messengers down, but it would also slow him down. He would have to continue in the rain. Thunder cracked in the distance letting him know that it would not be a safe journey; but in this day and age no journey was without its own risks. At least he would be able to avoid any encounters with beasts. He did not want to use his cloak or magic unless it was necessary. Learning about the slow passage of time worried him so.

The overcast skies enveloped the sun creating eerie shadows everywhere. Weather was the least of his worries. Corcoran pressed on through the now darkening forest. The occasional flash of lightening was his only light as the thick rain filled clouds blotted out the sun, with the inevitable crash of thunder filling the air and his ears the heavens unleashed their torrents of rain. It was pathetic how the weather seemed to emulate the confusion in his head.

Corcoran’s curiosity had made him want to sabotage these two messengers on their way to Colodia. But what was more curious was the passage of time around him; intuitively he linked the difference in time to magic. Had his old master deceived him? The old man practised the dark arts so the assumption of deception would be a definite.

As the rain rapidly soaked through the magical cloak Corcoran wore his thoughts went back to his tenure as an apprentice of Kartu. The evil master Kartu thoroughly enjoyed toying with men’s perceptions of the truth. His heart knew that Kartu was behind him but also lay ahead of him; a chill ran up his spine. Corcoran felt like he was being watched. Every time he thought of Kartu he could not shake the feeling of eyes preying on his every move. Could his old master be watching him back in the fortress that he used to call home? Corcoran had seen the black pool that Kartu used for far-seeing. Thinking about that black pool made another shiver run up his spine. He pressed on through the rain; next stop, Pespid.

Come back next week for Part 5...

The Hidden Wizard ... Pt 3

As the first light of day hit the gates of Norfolk Corcoran was walking up the path towards the entrance to the village. It had been years since he had walked away from this town. He hoped that Richard still lived in Norfolk. Richard would be able to help him delay the travellers.

The guards at the gate did not stop him, they just opened the large wooden doors that served as the gate and let him pass through. He walked over to the centre of town; the daily market was just setting up. Richard was not one of the merchants he saw setting up their stands for the days trading. The market would be a good place to find his old friend, everybody stopped in the market at some point during the day. The square was large enough to fit the entire population; made it a suitable gathering spot for returning messengers.

Corcoran spoke to some of the people in the square, hoping someone would be able to lead him to Richard. Most people didn’t know who this ‘Richard’ was; they all thought he was looking for ‘Ricky.’ It certainly was possible that Richard had gone by the name Ricky, the two names sounded alike. A man dressed in ragged clothes offered to bring him to Ricky’s place of residence. He also was warned that Ricky was a cruel old man with a short temper. These characteristics certainly suited the man he was looking for, although he did not think that Richard would be very old; but it has been thirty or more years since he had left Norfolk behind.

The dwelling the ragged man showed him was a small stone building near the wall that surrounded the village. Pieces of mortar were piling up around the base of the building and the lonely wooden door had long since faded to an off white colour. Corcoran gave the man a small silver coin and he was off. The building had no windows on either side of the door, Corcoran moved to his left to get a view of the side of the building to get a view of the side of it. If Ricky was indeed Richard, he would certainly recognize any windows that would be on the side of the house. Years ago he had helped Richard build a dwelling for himself, the sad state of this building made it hard for Corcoran to recognize the work of his own hands. The surroundings looked just like he remembered, but the house seemed out of place compared to the obviously newer buildings in the area.

He walked up to the door and hesitated before knocking. There was no answer, immediately he was filled with rage towards the ragged looking man who had lead him to this building. He knocked again, louder and more forcefully. He waited and listened. At last he heard some movement within the dwelling. He could hear someone cursing the day that someone would knock on their door.

The door swung open violently to reveal a half naked wrinkled old man with fire in his eyes. “Who dares wake me at this ungodly hour?”

“I’m looking for Richard,” Corcoran stately calmly. “Might you be the Richard I knew many years ago?”

“Who wants to know?” the fire in his eyes subsided slightly.

“Corcoran of Colodia” he replied.

“Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in many years” the old man’s demeanour changed quickly after hearing the name Corcoran. “You can’t be the Corcoran I knew; you’re too young to be him.”

“So you are the Richard I knew.” Corcoran said, “May I come in.”

Come back next week, Part 3 continues...

The Hidden Wizard ... Pt 2

Corcoran stopped just beyond the edge of the clearing. It was still mid day and the sun was still at its highest point. Dustin and Galen would be going through to Norfolk this way; he would have to maintain his lead to remain hidden. He speculated that he was only four days ahead of two; he would have to slow them down some, but how?

Thinking back to his past he could remember a number of refugees from the conflict had gone to reside in Norfolk before the end of the conflicts. They had run away to avoid the conflict; they had thought that they would lose the war. On Corcoran’s way through back when he was still just a confused young man, he had stopped in Norfolk; in some respects his journey really began in Norfolk as a boy of only 14. His life had changed since he was last in Norfolk. He had run into some of the people who had run away from the war; a couple of them were defectors from a long since forgotten army. He knew back then that he would be coming back through this way. A plan was hatching in his head; he took a quick pull off the water bag he was carrying. He would have to get to Norfolk close to five days ahead of Dustin and Galen to slow them down.

The old refugees would be able to slow them down. If news of a new conflict had spread this far; there would be more information about it in Norfolk. Corcoran was certain that they would still be there and nervous about the rumours of another conflict. He would be able to sway them to create their own little militia in Norfolk. But that would have to wait until he got there. He remembered that there was always two guards at both entrances to the town of Norfolk; they would be able to slow them down.

Corcoran began his trek back to Norfolk. This time he would have to travel the road. He would be going into a town that had built a wall around itself to keep the forest out. There had only been a few people in the town guard last time he had been through Norfolk; he suspected that a few new and younger members would have become part of the guard by now. That would be the key to keeping a safe distance between them. He hoped that he had enough gold to pay the guards to delay them. But he had to keep moving through the night.

He would have to arrive near the edge of the clearing Norfolk sits in before the next rise of the sun. He would have to keep moving through the night because he would not get there by night fall. Travelling between towns and villages took longer than it used to before his horse had given out. There have not been very many horses out this way since the last conflict; they had been taken to battle many years ago and only a few stragglers had fought to keep ownership of them.

He pushed on through the forest. He lifted the hood of the cloak he had stolen from his master before he had been cast out. He was hiding under the cloak that would keep him invisible until night fall. At least he would be able to avoid any unnecessary encounters on the road to Norfolk.

Come back next week for more...

Chapter 4: The Hidden Wizard ... Pt 1

He had travelled for days and yet there was still no sign of civilization. He always followed the path less travelled so there was no doubt in his mind that he would find what he was looking for. Corcoran thought he was close to Maldor; but he could not be certain. Every path he had been avoiding showed no signs of recent travel.

Corcoran made a brief stop in Atanna. While he was there he had heard the news that Dustin had brought back from Maldor. He had learned that Dustin would not be bringing any more news back from Maldor; Dustin would be heading to one of the outer circle cities called Colodia. Corcoran was so intrigued by the news that he had decided to follow.

He was not much of a wizard right now, he had only mastered a couple of incantations; but those spells had guaranteed his safety so far. His master had cast him out after he failed to learn more than one common spell. Ever since he had been cast away Corcoran had been searching for purpose. He was inspired by the news of a new conflict arising in the outer circle of cities; Corcoran knew that he would have to follow Dustin on his path. Hiding in the backdrop of the forest he would follow the fledgling messenger.

He once lived in Colodia so he knew the way from Atanna; but he would have to remain hidden from the messenger as it was too soon to reveal himself to the messenger. Corcoran had other plans. He would have to travel at night to avoid detection. The road to Colodia would be too obvious; he would have to travel close to the paths that lead to the other towns on his journey. Never travelling on them; just around them or crossing over them.

The news of the conflict gave him a new purpose. Corcoran knew about previous conflicts in the region, those conflicts had driven people out of the west and into little settlements like Atanna and Maldor. The last conflict had been 30 years ago; he had only been a boy of 3 at the time but rumours had been spread and stories from the conflict had been retold. Of course the stories had changed and the hero’s names were changed to those that meant more to the smaller societies that had flourished in post conflict times. Although there had been one name that had not changed; Galen was the only name that had remained the same. By the time Dustin had become a messenger, the name Galen had not been a legend in the Atanna area.

Was it just coincidence that Dustin would be meeting up with a messenger going by the name of Galen? Corcoran just had to find out if this man was the man of legend. Although the legends never mentioned anything about Galen’s home town of Colodia; he was curious. Corcoran had left Colodia when he was only 14. He was interested in the rumours of magicians and wizards in the west. The news from other messengers had intrigued him from an early age and had talked many different messengers into taking him to one of the cities of legend.

This had all transpired in the past. Now he was on his way past Maldor and en route to Norfolk. He would have to camp out in the forest near the small clearing in between Norfolk and Maldor until Dustin and Galen would pass by. Thankfully he had been given the gift of patience from his old master who was patient up until the last year he studied under him.

Come back next week for part 2!

Ch 3 The Outer Circle ... Pt 4

Draven, Galen and Dustin left Bingham with Sven the apprentice and left Marcus behind. The path ahead was surrounded by the seemingly endless forest. So far the journey had very few highlights; the large boar that confronted them on the trip to Pespid was the only encounter on their journey. Even though there had been rumours of thieves in Norfolk they have yet to encounter any.

Grenfell was still a few days away. They were not expected to be there; this is good considering that apprentices always travel on foot. Sven walked as the three messengers rode slowly. The trip to Grenfell would be long and slow something the horses would be thankful for as they were pushed to their limits on previous treks.

“Sven” Dustin spoke up. “How many trips have you made to Grenfell?”

“This will be my ninth trip” Sven replied.

“Have you had many encounters on the journey?” Galen joined in.

“I’ve been followed a few times by wolf packs,” Sven paused. “But there has not been very many other encounters; most trips are uneventful.”

The forest was silent. You could here the each of their steps; it was eerie. There was no sound of birds or forest creatures at all. A hush had fallen over the forest which could only mean one thing; something wicked was nearby. A branch snapped beneath Sven’s foot and they all stopped. The four held their breath and listened to the silence. They could feel eyes on them.

Another branch cracked in the distance. The four drew their weapons not knowing what to expect. There had not been any rumours of thieves or rogue bands of mercenaries in Bingham. Another moment passed. They could still feel eyes staring them down; looking around they could not see any immediate danger. They pressed on with weapons at the ready.

All four were on their guard. There were very few men who would challenge three messengers who were ready for battle. A band of thieves may be daring enough to attempt it, but only if their numbers were many. Mercenaries would try it; but there would have to be a large bounty on the messengers as in most cases neither group would associate with each other.

From their right flank came the sound of bushes being violently pushed aside. All of them turned to look; but alas no man shaped shadows were present. Sven was growing anxious.

Sven was the only one without a mount. He did not know any of the three messengers he was accompanying and was worried that they would flee at the first sign of trouble. “Who’s there?” Sven shouted. “Show yourself.”

Galen hushed the boy. They all waited to see if anyone would appear. No one appeared. Up ahead the road was clear, behind them the road was clear, on either side the forest lie dormant. All four could feel the adrenaline surge through their veins and their hearts pounding in their chests. Before any of them could make another sound a bird called out in the distance. The four of them were relieved.

Come back next week; Chapter Four begins next week!

Ch 3 The Outer Circle ... Pt 3 continues...

After Dustin had told his tales from his home town, the four retired to the inn. Here the inn was refurbished; only two months ago the inn had been the only saloon in town. At least the food was good. The lodgings were not so great. There was only enough room for small cots set up in about four different rooms on the second floor of the saloon.

Bingham was a growing village, only about eighty people lived in the village. The numbers were gradually climbing. Dustin had some time to look around before he retired for the night. Around the edge of the village some new buildings were under construction. It was clear that the village had been growing. Dustin did not get much of a chance to talk with some of the people around the village, but he did learn that the new buildings were for people who would be displaced by some coming expansions of the barracks. The inn had been housing most of these people but they had to move on soon. Six families in total would be displaced just for the addition of a barracks in the town.

When the sun returned on the horizon the next morning, Dustin was up and ready. He had already left the room he was sharing and was sitting on the porch waiting for the others to get up. They wouldn’t sleep much longer. There was no celebration for messengers, just long winded stories, food and shelter. No real worries except for the space in between towns and villages.

The four would be leaving Bingham and the forests as well. Grenfell was the only town between Bingham and Colodia. From what Galen was saying about Grenfell, Dustin knew they would have to stay for a while in Grenfell.

Dustin’s mind turned to the apprentices that would be joining the three for the journey. He could remember his time as an apprentice. It was his father that first showed him the ropes. His father had been stern with him, especially on his first trip to Maldor. They had encountered a wolf pack and barely made it out of there; but he was still quite young back then.

He wondered which of the three apprentices the town had would accompany them to Grenfell. They had met all three yesterday after Dustin had regaled the people of tales from Atanna.All three were relatively young, Sandy looked to be about thirteen, Andrew looked to be about twelve and Sven looked to be the oldest of the bunch; roughly fifteen. Of the three apprentices Dustin thought that Sven would be the most useful. As Sven was the oldest he would prove to be more useful if they were attacked on the road to Grenfell.

Draven was the first to emerge from the inn. Dustin was still sitting on the porch watching the few people who were just starting the day. There were only a few people, mostly vendors from the market that were on their way to set up their kiosk to barter their wares. Draven sat down beside Dustin on the porch.

“We move on to Grenfell today” Draven stated. “You should grab something to eat before we leave. It’s going to be a long journey.”

“I know,” Dustin replied. “Is the cook up, I’ll have to enjoy more of his offerings before we leave.”

“I don’t think so; you may have to grab something from the market. We will be leaving as soon as Marcus brings the apprentice by.”

“Which one will be going with us?” Dustin asked.

“I think it will be Sven” Draven replied. “I asked Marcus about him while you were looking around yesterday. Apparently he has been to Grenfell a number of times and is almost ready to make the trip on his own.”

“Really,” Dustin stood up. “I was hoping we’d get the oldest. I didn’t think that he was ready to be a messenger. Looks can be deceiving.”

He started towards the market when he spotted Sven. Sven was on his way over to the inn. He carried with him a few supplies and he was ready for the trek to Grenfell. Sven was the only one of the apprentices that wore a helm, this was uncommon. Most messengers wore hooded cloaks with the hood resting on their backs. This was the fashion for most messengers; Dustin wore a blue cloak without a hood.

Sven walked up to the two of them on the porch; his pimply face partially hidden by the wisp of hair that fell out of his helm. “Are you guys ready?”

“We will be leaving shortly” Draven replied. “We still need to have something to eat before we travel. Sit a spell in the saloon while we go grab something to eat.” And with that Draven and Dustin walked over to the market leaving Sven behind.

Come back next week for Part 4

Ch 3 The Outer Circle ... Pt 3

Dustin, Marcus, Galen and Draven made it through the rest of the forest with out incident. Now they were nearing the edge of the forest before Pespid. The road opened up to a large wide area, you could see where the grassy area met the woods clearly. In the middle were the walls of Pespid.

There was a house on either side of the road near the gates. Just outside of the gates were two guards, they were lightly armoured. As the four of them approached they could hear a horn sound from just within in the gates of the city. Before they had passed the two houses outside the gates, the gates were opened and four members of the Pespid militia were there to escort them to the centre of town.

Pespid was considerable larger than Dustin’s hometown of Atanna. He was surprised by the amount of fan fare the four of them were receiving. All of the people began to line up on both sides of the laneway as they were escorted to the centre of town. People were pushing and shoving just to get a look at the four as they rode to the centre of town.

“The only news we have for you is that the militia in Norfolk is growing in numbers and are better trained” Marcus shouted towards the crowd. “We will be moving on to Bingham in the morning, be comforted in the knowledge that our own militia is strong and well trained.”

And with Marcus’ announcement the four retired to the inn for the night. Bingham was not that far away from Pespid, the trip would only take a couple of days. They would only stay long enough to gather some supplies and rest up for their next leg of their journey. The last part of their trek through the forest would be the road to Bingham. News from Bingham would not arrive for another week and the four needed to move on. Colodia was still a week’s journey away.

In the morning they rode to Bingham. The passage was uneventful. Bingham did not have any walls surrounding it. The town actually looked a little like Dustin’s home town of Atanna. This gave Dustin a sense of euphoria as the four of them rode into the centre of town.

They were met by three guards in the centre of town. They were lightly armoured and were armed with pikes. This place was so small that even the barracks that housed the guards was originally the inn. The lodging sign had been moved to a smaller building a little further down the main strip. Bingham’s market was just to the left of the barracks. With their arrival the people in the market stopped and stared.

The people were slow to gather round; almost as if they were waiting to be called. Most visits from messengers started right after a crier announced them; here there was no town crier. Draven only had news from Norfolk, but Dustin who looked like a fledgling messenger would bring news from Atanna. Even though Dustin’s news would be out dated, the people of Bingham would want to here about a village they’ve never heard of before. News from small outsider villages was always welcomed. Dustin would be happy to tell others about his home town, even though it would make him a little homesick.

To be continued...
Come back next week for the continuation of part 3.

Ch 3 The Outer Circle ... Pt 2

Before the sun graced the horizon, all of the birds in the forest woke up all at the same time. The constant chirping woke Dustin from his sleep. He had taken the first watch and was able to get some undisturbed sleep up until now. Marcus was on the last watch, he was awake and watching the fire slowly turn to embers.

The clearing was not very large. The horses were tied to a large stump near the edge of the clearing, the road ran through the side of the clearing and the four had made camp in the centre of the area. In the centre of the clearing you have a better chance against attackers, thankfully the night was uneventful.

Dustin got up and walked over towards Marcus, “So, what’s Pespid like?”

“Huh, oh well it’s larger than Norfolk. Probably three times the size of your home town of Atanna.” Marcus replied.

“Really, do all the villages get larger as we approach the Outer Circle?”

“Some do” Marcus answered. “Some smaller villages started popping up here and there around the larger cities. The distance between cities decreases as you get closer to the outer ring.”

“Will it be a long journey to Colodia from Pespid?” Dustin paused for a breath, “I know there are two villages in between Pespid and Colodia, but are the distances shorter?”

“I’ve never been to Colodia” Marcus replied. “I don’t know exactly how far Colodia is from Pespid, but I do know that it’s only a one day journey to the next town on your way to Colodia. Bingham is the town closest to Pespid. I think that’s as far as I will be going.”

“You’re not going on to Colodia with us?”

“No, I am needed in Bingham for some training. There seems to be a lot of that going on lately.” Marcus replied. “I’m sure the three of you will have no problems from there. I think there are a couple of apprentices in Bingham that will be going with you.”

“I haven’t been around many apprentices, Atanna is really quite small and the other towns really only had one or two Messengers.” Dustin said.

The others began to stir. The sun was just gracing the horizon when the four of them were ready to move on. They had to move quickly this time; the next clearing was quite far away. Another long ride began when the sun cleared the horizon.

As the day went on, Dustin could really feel the length of the journey. Was he really cut out to ride further than he had before, deep down he was positive. The day seemed to take forever to reach high sun; Dustin could not remember the last time a day moved this slowly. Wind on his face kept mixing with the wisps of dust stirred up by the two horses in front of him, stinging his eyes. The four rode on, wordless.

Come back next week for Part 3

Ch. 3 The Outer Circle ... Pt 1

Small farms peppered the side of the road leading to the forest. Four messengers and their mounts galloped towards the thick forest. This part of the forest was dangerous; back in the village of Norfolk Dustin had heard rumours of thieves hiding just inside the edge of the forest. It’s a good thing they travelled in pairs, the road was not much wider.

Staying in Norfolk gave them all a chance to hear rumours from the people in the village about the forest between Norfolk and Pespid. Some were saying that there’s a band or two of travelling thieves, a few rabid packs of wolves and maybe lions and tigers. Dustin thought that the part about lions and tigers was probably pure speculation as there was not much travel between villages. Thieves and rabid pack wolves almost definitely will cross their path on the way to Pespid.

Draven had told him about his last trip between Norfolk and Pespid. He had to travel with two apprentices just to even the odds. Every town had apprentices, they were not hard to find. With the celebrity like status of a Messenger, who would not want to be one. But on Draven’s last trip, he had almost lost one of his apprentices to a rabid pack of wolves. The road ahead was definitely hard.

As the four entered the forest, they could hear a multitude of creatures roaming the forest. The road was large enough to ride two abreast, Marcus and Draven led while Dustin and Galen were behind. Ahead there would be another clearing, made by previous Messengers, these kinds of clearings were intended for one night stays as they travelled between villages. The first clearing on the journey was only an hour ride through the forest so no one was pushing the horses. The second clearing would take a full day to get to. At least they would not have to push the horses too hard.

“Galen, you’ve travelled this road before,” Dustin spoke up. “Have you seen any bands of thieves on this road before?”

“There have been a couple of random packs of thieves in this forest” Galen answered. “You certainly do not want to take this road alone. It’s not just the thieves that give you a problem in this forest, you will have to fend off some wild animals as well. The boars are pretty large in this forest as well.”

And with that last sentence, a hush fell over the forest. Something large was near. The hair on the back of Dustin’s neck began to stand up. Only the sound of hooves trampling the few blades of grass could be heard as they moved forward. They could not turn back now, they would have to face whatever was a head.

A loud grunt came from the left side of the forest. All pulled the reigns on their horses and stopped. The horses were well trained, they didn’t make a sound. In the brush they heard a branch break, and heavy foot steps. Before they could blink an over sized boar measuring four feet at the shoulder crashed through the trees and blocked their path. All four drew their weapons.

The boar snorted and mucus flew from its snout. Scraping its hoof on the ground it put its head down and charged. Draven and Marcus reacted fast, Marcus missed the boar as it charged past, but Draven’s sword made purchase in the soft unprotected belly on the boars left flank. The boar squealed in protest and stopped after butting Dustin’s horse, it was surrounded. Four Messengers dispatched the boar quickly, with no major injuries to the four, the boars life was ended right in the middle of the road.

They dragged the carcass of the boar with them to the clearing. Their supplies would last another day as the boar would make a good meal for the night. Afterwards the smoked left over pieces of the boar would join their supplies. The road to Pespid was long and they would need some replenishment before the last leg of the journey.

Come back next week for Part 2 of "Chapter Three: The Outer Circle"