Chapter 6 Part 7

It appeared as if the ploy had worked. After travelling west for two days, there was no sign of pursuit. Even Marlena's spying with the animals of the forest turned up nothing. It was on the third day when Armegon decided to turn south. He consulted the charts he had made in Allentown and was convinced that they were no more than a week's journey from the mountains where the well of time was hidden.

"I recall reading in the map texts," he told them, "that the northern regions and the southern regions were well populated, but the equatorial and tropical regions were mostly wild. For the most part the southern tropics are swampland. The equatorial lands are plains and prairie with the sole exception of the mountains where we are going."

"There is also a place called Gly-ou-vogue. The charts stated that it was a wasteland, and that it was the sight of a terrible battle."

Marlena sat up from where she had been lying in the back of the wagon. "What kind of battle?"

Armegon shrugged. "I am not sure," he admitted. "Since it was not important to our getting home, I only skimmed the information. But I do recall running across a prophecy that another battle would be fought there in the future."

"Battle, schmattle," Tyson sneered. "Like you said, 'It is not important to our getting home'."

"Gee, Tyson," Marlena said, "don't get your trousers in a wad. I was just curious."

"Sorry," Tyson apologized. "I am just anxious to get out of here and back home."

"We all are," Armegon said. "The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so, south by southeast driver."

"Yes monster, er, uh, I mean master," Tyson murmured.

Four days later they were viewing the tall mountains in the distance. "Still no sign of pursuit," Marlena reported as a hummingbird zipped skyward from her shoulder. "Only the occasional hunter or forester."

By the fifth day the tall mountains were rising above the trees like majestic sentinels guarding some treasure untold. Ironically that is exactly how Armegon compared it as the treasure being guarded was their previous lives. "Somewhere among those peaks is a cave which descends into the depths of the mountains. There we will find the Well of Time."

It was in the mid afternoon of the fifth day without pursuit when the forest came to an abrupt stop and the ground before them became a fine ash. The boundary was so well defined that it appeared as if a carpet stretching to the horizon and beyond lay before them. There were no features. No rocks. No trees. No rolling lands. Nothing but that gray carpet of ash. "Gly-ou-vogue, I presume," Armegon said with awe.

Such a desolate wasteland instilled a sense of horror and sadness in everyone. Marlena was especially devastated. She bundled up in a blanket and whimpered. "So much death," she murmured. "Please, let's not stay here any longer."

Her plea did not go unheeded. Neither of the others had any real desire to stay near that dreadful place. "We can move back into the forest about ten minutes ride, then parallel this thing until we reach the mountains," Armegon surmised.

"I think we will make the base of the slopes by morning if we ride all night," Tyson observed.

"Perhaps," Marlena agreed now comfortably out of sight of the wasteland. "But we are very close now and I would rather try to scale a mountain side after a good night's rest."

"Agreed," Armegon concurred. "Let's stop here for the night and get a good long rest. We can travel to the mountain tomorrow morning and camp on a cliff tomorrow night."

"I will summon up a guard for us," Marlena said as she dismounted the wagon.

"Don't bother your forest friends," Tyson said. As long as we are going to be here, we can all take turns keeping watch and still get plenty of sleep. Besides we could all use a little private time to think and study."

Marlena glanced at Armegon who was busy rummaging through a pack and was oblivious to the whole conversation. "Well," she started to disagree but then changed her mind, "fine. We do it your way. But I get first watch."

"And I'll take final watch," Tyson said. "We'll make Armegon do the interrupted sleep gig," he laughed.

A meal was prepared and warm smoked meat and wild roasted nuts made full stomachs. Not much later and some sleepy yawns were heard followed by Armegon's announcement that he was going to sleep. Tyson stayed awake a little longer until the soft snoring of Armegon made him too give in to exhaustion.

"Remember to wake Armegon in four hours," he reminded the druid who was content to carry on a conversation with a tree. Marlena waved to him indicating that she had heard, and went back to her conversation.

Armegon woke from his sleep when the sunlight drifted through the trees overhead and warmed his face to an uncomfortable temperature. He sat up cursing. Tyson had let them oversleep. He had specifically told Tyson to wake them at sunrise when he had waken Tyson for his turn at watch. Looking around he saw the wagon and Marlena, but there were no horses and no Tyson.

Armegon rose sleepily and kicked at the blanket he had become entangled with during the night. Oh, but Tyson was going to get it for this goof up. Armegon gently woke Marlena.

She stirred and opened her eyes. "Did we oversleep?"

"It would seem so. And worse, Tyson has wandered off with the horses." "Maybe they got away and he is out chasing them."

"Probably," Armegon did not sound as if he believed that. "Marlena, do me a favor and ask one of your friends to look for Tyson." Marlena whistled a loud shrill sound and waited for a moment. Then an answering cry from above drifted down through the trees. Marlena scooped up a dead tree limb from the ground and held it out. A moment later a large hawk swooped down and landed on the branch. Its talons dug deeply in the dead wood. Marlena spoke to the bird for a moment and then watched as the bird leapt upwards. It ascended faster and faster with every beat of its wings. "This won't take long," she promised.

About fifteen minutes later, the bird bolted through the trees and landed on the wagon edge next to where Marlena was sitting. Armegon watched as the fowl and druid spoke. He grew worried as he saw Marlena's face grow dark. She cursed and the bird jumped andtook wing. "Damn!" Marlena's curse caught Armegon by surprise.

"What's up?"

"We are surrounded again."

"You're kidding," Armegon could hardly believe his ears.

"It seems our comrade in arms is on friendly terms with those who are chasing us."

Armegon's eyes narrowed. "That is a very strong accusation."

Marlena turned away. "I have a bird's eye view of him giving the enemy directions to our camp."

Armegon turned to her. "Let's go Marlena," he said. There was something final in his voice, something resolved.

Armegon ran swiftly dodging the trees and hurdling over the underbrush. Marlena followed closely behind. Neither spoke much as they needed to conserve their breath as much as possible. In her mind's eye, she saw the unforgettable scene of Tyson riding with the enemy as the hawk had seen it.

There had to be an explanation, she told herself, but the vision only brought to light other facts that had been overlooked. Tyson had been alone with Seymore when he had fallen prey to the wights in the mine. Tyson had also disappeared just before the ambush that had almost cost them Avery and Seymore the first time. Was it more than coincidence that Tyson alone survived where Ultrecht, Samson and the two elves could not?

It was becoming all too clear. Tyson had apparently been using them to further his own goals. Now only she and Armegon were left. Cursing his name, she hoped he had collected well by selling his friends out. Anything less than a throne of his own would be an insult to them all.

Armegon's thoughts were different. He had been driven by the need to get himself and his friends home. Now his spirit burned with a different flame. Armegon would see Seymore and Marlena safely home, but he would stay behind. Tyson would pay for his betrayal. Oh yes, Tyson would pay dearly.

Armegon realized that he was still not as powerful as he had once been, but his power was growing and given time he would hunt the traitor down. On that day there would be a reckoning.

For almost an hour they ran. Long ago, they had left behind anything that was not absolutely vital to survival. Gone were the packs. Gone were the rations. Gone was the bedding, tents and heavy cloths. Even though it was not very warm, they could not afford to weigh themselves down. Fortunately, Seymore's body could be made weightless easily and was being carried without effort.

Finally after an hour, Marlena pulled up and began walking. Armegon did likewise. It would do no good to push themselves until they collapsed. "We can't keep up this pace," Marlena said between heaves.

"Unless you can produce us a mount," Armegon started.

"I could call one if there were any nearby, but there aren't."

"Then what choice do we have?"

"I have an idea," Marlena said. "If it works, they won't know where we are for a while and we can gain some time."

"And if it doesn't?"

"We get caught."

Armegon looked at the forest behind them. The open forest allowed horses to run easily through the widely spaced trees. Marlena's breathing had slowed, but was still labored. Armegon shook his head. "We will get run down and caught anyhow," he said at last. "I won't go down without a fight, but if there is a chance to elude them, let's hear it."

Marlena briefly outlined her idea. Armegon smiled. "It is definitely worth a shot," he commended.