The Darkling War: The Wizards of Covington, #1

By Ron Snider

In a faraway place known only as the Land. An evil maniacal creature known as the Darkling rages a war of conquest against the kingdom of Covington, and the powerful order of Wizards.

When the Darkling's Army of demon spawn is defeated at Quagmire deep, the Darkling escapes only to hide inside of a mountain that only has one-way in.

When the wizards locate where the Darkling is hiding, they seal the creature in by using a powerful spell that consists of, when the creature dies, and its body has long turned to dust, it's evil spirit will still be sealed in the mountain.

However, due to unforeseen events, 300 years later, the creature's spirit escapes resurrecting his Army of demon spawn to rage once again it's terrible war upon the Land.

With the powerful wizards now deceased, except for the one, the Wizard Alistarr, he and a small band must set out on an epic quest to retrieve the legendary crystal that could be their savior or the lands ultimate demise.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ron Snider
• Release date: Sep 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393198802

Ron Snider

Ron Snider, born November 19, 1955, is an American author, poet, Audiobook author, Audiobook narrator, Internet entrepreneur, Master Craftsmen, Ordained Baptist minister. Ron and his wife, Senah, who he describes as his best and trusted friend, have been married for over 45 years. The couple has two adult children and three grandchildren. Ron and Senah make their home in Marion, Virginia, where he applies his trade as a master craftsman creating beautiful handcrafted items that he sells on various venues across the internet. The couple are avid pet lovers that craft items for pets in their backyard woodshop, since 1992. When Ron and his wife are not creating items in their workshop, Ron is busy at nights by writing about events that can only be reached by one's imagination. Becoming interested in books when he was a child, by reading literature by Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert Louis Stevenson, Ron at an early age, was inspired in becoming a writer who leaned toward adventure style books. However, it wasn't until his teen years that he discovered high fantasy style fiction written by authors J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Terry Brooks that Ron set his sight on being an epic fantasy writer. Ron has written three epic fantasy books, belonging to the Wizards of Covington series, titled The Darkling War, The Parallel Land, and The Shield of Prophecy. Two of his books, The Darkling War, and The Parallel Land, which he has produced and narrated, are now audiobooks. Ron is currently producing the third audiobook, The Parallel Land. Ron, with his imaginary worlds of mystical lands with adventurous characters, will keep you entertained from the beginning of his books to the last page.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1 THE STORM

Mt. Karone was well known for its treacherous storms. Unsuspecting travelers often had the misfortune of being stranded in the mountain’s densely wooded valleys. Those that managed to find their way out told stories at the local taverns of mountain streams turning into swift rivers. Others spoke of rivers that uprooted trees only to be carried for miles by the swirling mass of water. 

Local hunters and merchants from the villages of Larkin and Lofton were often reported missing by frantic family members, only to be found days later, victims of the mountain storms.  

The autumn storms could be just as harsh. The falling temperatures in the mountain could quickly turn the rain to snow or ice. There have been those that fell and injured themselves and froze where they lay, not to be found until the spring thaw.

One night during one such storm, three travelers on their way home to Larkin from attending a harvest festival in Lofton had to cross over Mt. Karone to get there. 

While walking in the cold autumn rain, their thoughts were on the cozy warm fires of home when suddenly, a loud thunderclap caused the three to jump.

Bloody thorns! That was loud, exclaimed the youngest of the three, whose name was Marcus.  

Yeah, I know, said Nathaniel, wiping the rain from his face. By the looks of it, Damon is still scared.

Damon, while anxiously looking around, said, Leave me alone; I stumbled a little. I tripped over that tree root back there.

It had to be a big root to trip all three of us, Marcus chuckled.  

Suddenly, lightning flashed, followed by another crack of thunder.

By all the gods! That lightning is getting close. We ought to be near that cave by now, Marcus said while looking at the night sky.

There it is, it is over there at the bottom of that ridge, said Damon while pointing. Thank the gods we are finally here. 

We need to hurry, Nathaniel urged as he was looking at the sky, The storm is getting worse.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the entrance to the cave. Nathaniel, pulling an arrow from his quiver, notched it to his longbow while instructing, You two wait here while I'll go in and check it out. 

What are you going to do if a bear is in there? Marcus asked.

Then we eat the bear for supper, replied Nathaniel.

What if the bear should get you? continued Marcus.

The poor bear would die of indigestion, said Damon, while laughing. Hey, either way, you and I get to eat.

Nathaniel, ignoring the remark, slowly made his way into the cave.

Do you think the day will ever come when he will stop being a mother to us? Marcus asked. 

I hope not, said Damon, I would hate being the one going in there first.

A minute later, Nathaniel appeared, saying, Come on in, don't you have enough sense to get out of the rain?

Damon and Marcus followed Nathaniel back into the cave.

While looking around, Damon said, I am happy to see that no one else has been here since the other night.

Yeah, I am thankful for that, Nathaniel agreed, as he went on to say, There ought to be some left-over firewood that we didn't use for our campfire.

Marcus found the wood where he neatly stacked it from the last time they used the cave a few nights earlier. Once he had the wood in place, he drew some dry tinder from his tinderbox and his flint and a piece of steel. After striking the flint to send sparks downward to ignite the tinder, he went about blowing on the small plume of the smoke until flames appeared, which set the wood to burn.

Meanwhile, Damon using his hunting knife, went about skinning a snowshoe rabbit that he killed earlier that evening.

The wind is blowing harder, Nathaniel pointed out while walking back into the cave, carrying a green stick to use for a spit.

After attaching the rabbit to the spit and laying it over the fire, Nathaniel continued to say, It is getting colder. Do we have enough wood to last through the night?

What we have, it will have to do, that is all the dry wood there is, Marcus replied, We are fortunate to have it.

Watching Nathaniel turn the rabbit over the fire, Marcus, thinking of home, said, Just think, if we didn't have to sell our horses, we would be home by now. We would be sitting next to the fireplace and eating some stew with freshly baked bread.

Yeah, that does sound good, said Nathaniel. However, the tavern needed another roof, and Father just could not afford it. Mother said it was the worst storm that ever hit Larkin.

You would think as much as Father gave Thornton's lumber mill credit, said Damon, He would have at least done the same for Father.

Yeah, but he didn't, Marcus said, as he thought more about it, and went on to say, Father has too much of a kind heart, and people are always taking advantage of it. Take Steedmen, for instance, our horses were worth far more than he gave Father, and he also got the saddles for nothing. Father shouldn't give either one of them credit anymore. Let them pay as they come and go, am I right, Nathaniel?

Nathaniel appeared gloomy as he was watching the rabbit cooking over the fire.

Nathaniel, said Marcus, Didn't you hear what I just said? Hey, what are you thinking about?

Poking at the rabbit, Nathaniel replied, Oh, I was just thinking, this sure is a poor meal compared to the one we had yesterday.

All meals are poor compared to the feast you had yesterday, laughed Damon.

Little brother, if I was as skinny as you are, Nathaniel said, I wouldn't need too much of a meal. Besides, you seem to have been doing pretty well yourself.

After a slight laugh, Damon said, The food was good, but Mother’s is much better.

Marcus, nodding his head as he agreed with Damon, then sadly said, I wish the harvest feast lasted for two days instead of the one. It seems as if we just get there, and before you know it, we have to make the journey back.

Oh, stop your bellyaching, said Nathaniel, as he placed another stick on the fire. You just want another day to look at the girls.

Well, don't you? laughed Marcus, as he went on to say, Speaking about bellyaching, when is that skinny rabbit going to be ready? I'm getting famished.

Hold on, cousin, said Nathaniel while poking at the rabbit with his knife. I believe it is as done as it's going to get.

Nathaniel divided the rabbit in three ways. Afterward, they sat around the fire, eating their meager meal.

Hey, talking about pretty girls, said Damon, I met girls as far away as Draback. One girl I met came as far as Chandler. Just think, a girl and her folks from the city of Chandler coming all this way to see the harvest feast. I would think that there would be more to do in Port Chandler than to travel that far of a distance. 

Nathaniel, nodding in agreement, replied, Well, the harvest feast does only come once a year. Father says that there has always been a harvest feast in Lofton as far back as he can remember. I remember Prince Ericson being there; I think it was three years ago.

Yeah, I remember, Damon replied, That is the year we didn't get to go.

Well, I'm sorry I got sick, said Marcus, You two should have gone on without me. After all, you didn’t need me with you.

It would not have been the same without you there, Damon said, Besides, without you there, I wouldn't have had anyone to ask the girls if I could dance with them.

Putting the last morsel in his mouth, Nathaniel said, I was hoping that the prince would have been there. I have never met anyone from the royal family. However, I do understand, after all, it is a good week’s journey, and since the kingdom is further north, the weather can get bad early.

With a frown, Marcus said, Do you think that we will ever get to see the kingdom? At the tavern, I sometimes hear travelers speaking about it. You know, it sounds to me like Covington must be large. I hear Covington's Castle looks more like a fortress with tall walls and towers that are so large that there are rooms where people live.

Nathaniel, nodding his head, said, One-time Father was there, but he said he was just a young boy at the time and didn't remember much about it.

I didn’t know that, said Damon, I’ll have to speak to him about that.

Just then, a deep roll of thunder shook the ground causing the noise to echo throughout the cave.

Damon, glancing around at the walls of the cave, suddenly sent a cold chill running through him. Drawing his cloak tighter around his shoulders, he asked, Did any of you notice how sudden this storm came up?

Yeah, I briefly thought about it, said Marcus as he unrolled his bedroll next to the fire. However, storms do pop up quickly this time of the year.

Nathaniel, yawning while stretching, said, I am too tired to think about storms. We ought to try to get some sleep so we can get an early start in the morning. I promised Mother that I would get you two back home early.

While crawling into his bedroll, Damon said, I guess I am feeling a little on edge, we are not too far from Quagmire Deep. Last night, that old man, you know, the storyteller, he sure told a convincing story about the Darkling and what happened there. Hey, just how do you suppose that old tale got started?

Nathaniel, poking at the wood coals, sent tiny glowing  embers upwards. Later he said, Every time I hear that old tale, it gets longer and different.

Marcus, rolling over to face his older cousin, questioned, Just how do you suppose it got started?

I have no idea, said Nathaniel, It is probably something that the old folks started to scare unruly children into doing better. It is just a fairy tale, that old man should have known better to be telling such a story.

Marcus, looking up from staring at the fire, said, You know, there may be something to that. I overheard Molly Stance speaking to her husband; she said the next time Zeman comes home drunk from the tavern, she will feed him to the Darkling.

Damon, laughing, then added, Yeah, she probably would at that, since she outweighs old Zeman by at least a hundred pounds.

Did I ever tell you about the time that Father took me hunting, and we wound up at Quagmire Deep? asked Nathaniel.

You were at Quagmire Deep, Damon gasped with eyes wide. I never knew that, why would you go there to hunt; I heard that it is just swampland full of brush and straw grass.

Well, it is a swamp, Nathaniel responded, However, there is plenty of dry ground. We didn't even mean to go there; we were tracking a big buck, and before you know it, we were there.

Did you see anything? Marcus asked.

Nathaniel smiled and said, You mean, did I see the Darkling? No, I did not see him, nor did we see the buck.

How about the wizards? pressed Marcus, Were the wizards there watching for the Darkling?

No wizards, no King Furadan, and no demon spawn, Nathaniel chuckled. However, we did come across some old dried-up bones.

Bones! Could they have been the bones of the demon spawn? asked Damon, with eyes wide.

Nathaniel laughed again and said, You two must have been taken in by that old man. No, if you must know, they were animal bones. They were half-buried. On the way back to Larkin, we stayed in this cave that night.

The thunder boomed overhead, followed by a streak of lightning that lit up the ground outside of the cave. Marcus yawned and rolled over to go to sleep. All the while, Damon continued to look at the lightning flashing outside of the cave's entrance.

Damon, looking over at his older brother, said, What if a bear should come in here while we are asleep?

No chance of that happening, assured Nathaniel, Your snoring will drive anything away.

Well, in that case, said Damon, as he rolled over, I guess we are safe then.

Nathaniel tossed more wood on the fire so it would stay going throughout the night. Afterward, he closed his eyes to get some sleep.

Nathaniel's tiredness he felt earlier left him as he laid thinking about what he told Damon and Marcus. The bones did look like those from animals, but he thought he might have seen a human rib cage, and there was that giant door that was embedded into that mountain; what was it there for?

Nathaniel remembered leaving there full of unanswered questions; then, in time, he forgot the whole matter completely, until tonight.

The minutes passed by, and since Nathaniel could not get any sleep, he decided to get up and walk over to the entrance to get some air. Once there, he noticed that the rain had stopped, so he stepped outside to take a short walk.

After walking a few paces, Nathaniel stopped. While looking around, he started to have a disturbing feeling that something just was not right. Off in the distance, a low roll of thunder could be heard over the nearby mountain peak of Mt. Quagmire.

Nathaniel also noticed lightning streaking across the sky. The lightning, acting strangely, appeared to be stabbing continually at some unknown object at the peak of Mt. Quagmire, and he thought about how odd it was for lightning to do that.

Suddenly, another odd occurrence took place. It was so quick that Nathaniel was not for sure just what it was. It looked as if a blue streak of lightning was being shot up into the clouds; then, it was quickly gone. Nathaniel let it pass as his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Looking around, Nathaniel quickly found a large boulder to sit on. Then once again, the feeling came back, causing him to clutch his longbow tightly.

What is that feeling? Nathaniel whispered. At first, he thought it might have been the sudden storm that blew in, but that was not it; he was used to storms in the mountains; after all, he was raised at the foot of the one they were on now. Nevertheless, it was the most sudden storm that he ever witnessed. Like entirely unnatural.

Nathaniel stood up from the boulder and walked a few steps and stopped. Looking back at the warm glow of the campfire was inviting, and he thought once about going back into the cave to get some sleep, but he knew it wouldn't do any good; that dreadful feeling of something being wrong continued to eat away at him.

Nathaniel looked up at the cloudy night sky, hoping that it would be clear by dawn, but it was hard to judge since the Moon could not be seen.

The Moon thought Nathaniel, That is the reason for the odd feeling; it has to do with the Moon.

He thought about the eclipse and how Marcus and Damon spoke about it as they were joking while walking, then the sudden storm came up, and the eclipse was forgotten about.

Nathaniel remembered the feeling he was having about the Moon and how it tied in with the tale that the storyteller spoke about the night before. The story was not right; he heard it dozens of times before, all coming from different people telling the story a little different each time.

Except for the one time that old beggar walked into Tillman's Tavern wanting food and lodging for the night. Tillman wanted the beggar to leave; he said it was terrible for business having his kind lying around.

Nathaniel remembered that he was just a boy then, and Damon was still a small child. It was also when their cousin Marcus came to live with them because his parents had died.

Nathaniel's parents worked for Mr. Tillman; in exchange, they received food and lodging, their home being above the Tavern.

His mother cooked for the patrons who visited the Tavern while his father helped with odds and ends and things that needed fixing.

Mr. Tillman wanted the beggar to leave at once, but the old beggar had a certain way about him. He asked if he could tell a tale to the patrons of the tavern, and if they enjoyed it, could he exchange it for food and lodging.

Tillman did not want any part of it, but the patrons wanted to hear a good tale. Tillman, being the kind of fellow who always wanted to please his customers, reluctantly gave in.

The old beggar walked to the center of the tavern. Once there, he noticed all eyes were now fixed on him. The next thing he did brought a chuckle from the patrons and caused Tillman to almost have a heart attack. It was when the old beggar climbed up on top of one of his tables to be heard better.

Nathaniel remembered the most striking part about the old man; it was his eyes; they were like two pools of crystal blue water. When the light in the tavern hit them just right, they appeared to sparkle. His eyes were clear, sharp, and alert for a man of his years.

The old beggar settled in and started to tell the tale of the Darkling of Quagmire Deep.

The way the beggar told the tale, either by his actions or by his voice, held everyone's attention. Even those that heard the story before seemed as if they were hearing it for the first time. He told of the terrible war between the Darkling and his Army of demon spawn fighting King Furadan and the Army of Covington. The man spoke of hard-fought battles and how they were full of death and carnage.

He talked about the wizards and the role that they played in it.

The tale led up to the final battle at Quagmire Deep, where the Army of Covington defeated the demon spawn.

The next thing that the old beggar said was what set all the other tales apart; it was right after the wizards sealed the dark creature into the mountain.

Nathaniel remembered the exact way he said it. He told the Darkling was to be sealed into the mountain until the time of his death. When the Darkling’s body turned to dust, and its immortal spirit would live on, he will still be sealed into the mountain, for as long as the planets revolve in their orbits and the Moon's light shall shine on the Land.

The old beggar's voice became so low that only Nathaniel could hear him due to him sitting at a nearby table.

The beggar said the Darkling might escape on the night that the planets lined up from the Sun, and the Moon goes into an eclipse.

Nathaniel shuddered at the thought and then became embarrassed as he began to think about the children's tale and how he was letting it bother him.

Shaking his head while smiling, Nathaniel looked up at the night sky. Never before had Nathaniel seen the sky so black.

Nathaniel turned and started to walk back to the cave when something odd caught his attention. Up high on a hill, opposite the cave, sat a man on horseback.

Nathaniel was sure that the unknown rider could not see him due to the thick brush and large rocks surrounding the area. However, the rider had to have noticed their fire, which bothered him the most.

The rider appeared to be unconcerned about the storm. On a night like this, the most hardened of men would have asked for shelter.

Nathaniel knelt beside a rock and withdrew two arrows from his quiver. He placed one close by while setting the other to his bowstring.

The man must be a thief, thought Nathaniel; he must be waiting for the right moment to steal his way into their camp and make off with what valuables they have. It has happened on occasion to unsuspecting travelers.

The rider seemed to be interested in the events happening at Mt. Quagmire. Lightning was still stabbing its tall peak, but it was nothing compared to what it was earlier.

Nathaniel then noticed Damon coming out of the cave, no doubt searching for him. Before Damon could call out his name, Nathaniel picked up a small stone and tossed it in his direction. The rock landed at Damon's feet, causing Damon to stop and look around. Nathaniel then motioned for his younger brother to join him.

What are you doing out here? asked Damon.

There is a rider on top of that hill, pointed Nathaniel, He has just been sitting there as if waiting for something to happen. At first, I thought he might be a thief; now, I am not sure. Anyway, the Sun ought to be rising soon; we can observe him better then.

Damon, looking up at the sky, said, Happy to see that the storm is over with, but I don't believe I have seen the sky so dark. Hey, maybe I should call out to him to see if he would like to join us.

No, not yet, said Nathaniel, Let’s wait to see if he comes down on his own. Besides, we will be leaving soon.

I wonder what he is so interested in? asked Damon.

Nathaniel, looking up at the dark sky, said, At first, I thought that it was the storm over on Mt. Quagmire, but the storm stopped an hour ago. I don't know what it could be now.

The two observed the man dismounting from his horse. After that, the rider reached into his saddlebag and brought out a small cylindrical container. After removing a cap from one end, he withdrew some sort of chart and unrolled it.

After studying the chart for a few minutes, the rider placed the document back into its case and put it back into his saddlebag.

Then, Marcus came out of the cave and called, Hey, where are you two? Why didn’t you wake me? Oh, there you are, why are you hiding behind that brush?

Nathaniel and Damon turned their attention back to the man on the hill and noticed that he was gone.

Look over there! yelled Marcus, Why is the Sun behaving that way?

Looking at the Sun rising above the peak of Mt. Quagmire, Nathaniel and Damon were surprised by how dim the Sun appeared. 

What is going on? Why is the Sun doing that? asked Damon.

Standing mystified while watching the Sun climb higher in the sky, Nathaniel kept waiting for the sunlight to penetrate the dark. However, no rays of light could be seen; everything remained dark as the night. 

Being bewildered, Damon shook his head while saying, Maybe the Sun is in some sort of eclipse like the Moon was last night.

Yeah, that must be it, Marcus agreed, then added, But I have never seen an eclipse of the Sun act this way before.

Neither have I. Whatever it is, I have a bad feeling about it, said Nathaniel. 

Why do you say that? asked Marcus.

Nathaniel, looking up at the hill where the strange rider had been, and then at Mt. Quagmire, said, It is just that there have been too many strange things occurring.

Damon then questioned, Do you think that rider on the hill may have something to do with this?

Well, he did appear that he was waiting for something, said Nathaniel, while looking at the dark Sun. If I remember right, he seemed to be staring toward the east as if waiting for the Sun to rise, but then again, so were we. However, there is nothing wrong with the Sun; it is not in any eclipse, but instead, it appears to be the sky. It's as if a dark veil has been tossed across it and not allowing the sunlight to pass through.

Yeah, you're right; it does seem to be that way, Marcus said. Then with a look of surprise, he added, Hey, I am feeling the heat from the Sun on my hands and face, isn't that strange?

Observing the peak at Mt. Quagmire, Damon commented, We are too close to that mountain. Too many strange events have occurred up there, and now this is going on. I would feel much better if we could put some distance between it and us.

Nathaniel, also looking at the mountain, said, We need to be leaving anyway. Maybe we can find some answers to what is happening after we get home.

CHAPTER 2 A RUDE AWAKENING

At the foot of Mt. Karone lies the small sleepy village of Larkin. The village was no different from all the rest when it came to being located in a farming community. It was a farmer, who was up early milking his cows, that first notice the strange behavior of the Sun. Word quickly spread, causing panic among the villagers. Fear of the unknown taking hold caused a riotous crowd to gather in the street. Not long afterward, fighting broke out that spread through Larkin. 

A young child was unattended and was about to be trampled upon when an older man riding a horse swept the child into his arms.

The man, riding to a nearby stable, quickly dismounted and handed the child over to the stable owner.

The owner, looking confused, then becoming angry, exclaimed, Great mother of pain! What do you expect me to do with this child? Don't you see that we're all about to die, or are you too old and blind to see what is going on?

The old man, showing anger upon his face, quickly contained his temper before speaking. With a made-up smile, he said, Nonsense, you're not about to die. As for the child, I expect you to find out who it belongs to.

The elderly man, placing a gold coin in the stable owner's hand, said, I believe this ought to be enough for your services.

The stable owner, opening his hand, observed a shiny gold coin. Showing a broad smile, he excitingly said, A king's gold piece, my second one this week! I am indeed a fortunate man. However, I wonder if I will live long enough to be able to spend it. 

While looking at the crowd, the old man said, I expect my horse to be fed and watered.

Yes, yes, I'll get right to it, but first, I have to attend to this child, the stable owner said.

With the child in his arms, the owner of the stable, while crossing the street, took a quick peek at the child and said, I know what I will do with you. I will place you in Garnett and Sultana Walker's care; they are responsible people; they will know what to do.

After approaching a tavern door, he began knocking while yelling, Garnett, open up it is me, Horace Steedmen!

A few minutes later, a sleepy-eyed tavern keeper opened the door.

Garnett, what are you still doing in bed? Steedmen demanded while holding the child. Don't you know what is happening out here?

Just then, a woman in bedclothes, poking her head around Garnett’s shoulder, asked, Garnett, it is still early; what is everyone doing up?

What is going on out there? Garnett questioned, then seeing the child, he asked, Steedmen, why are you holding that child?

Steedmen, handing the child to Garnett's wife, Sultana, said, Come out here, and I'll show you what is going on.

Following the stable owner, Garnett said, Mr. Steedmen, just tell me what is going on.

Garnett's wife, closely following, asked, Why are all these people upset?

Look! said the stable owner while pointing, Look up at the sky.

Garnett's wife, being shocked as all the rest, said worriedly, Garnett, what is happening here? Why is the Sun like that?

Garnett, being stunned, said, I wish I knew. It's as if the Sun's light has gone out.

Sultana, becoming frightened, started to tremble.

Sultana, please take the child inside, Garnett instructed, being concerned for his wife. I'll join you in just a little while.

Just then, a person passing by could be heard shouting, We are going to die; it is just a matter of time when the Sun goes completely away!

Another voice could be heard saying, The gods are angry at us. We are being punished.

Being worried, Sultana said, The boys are still not home from Lofton. Do you think they're alright?

The boys will be fine, honest they will be, Garnett assured, seeing the concern in her eyes, Go ahead on in. The child may be hungry. I'll be there soon, I promise.

As Sultana was walking back to the tavern, a frightened horse suddenly reared up, spilling the rider into the street. The horse then quickly bolted away, coming dangerously close to trampling Sultana along with the child.

Sultana, standing to her feet, shouted to her husband, saying, Garnett, I don't know what is going on here, but one thing I do know for sure, we need to do something before someone gets killed!

She is right, said the old man crossing the street from the stable. Something needs to be done to settle this crowd.

Garnett, cupping his hands to his mouth, started yelling for calm and order, but it was no use; the panic-stricken people were making too much noise to be heard.

Suddenly, a mysterious thunderclap erupted overhead; the noise shook the ground causing the stricken crowd to settle and stare in bewilderment.

Quick, said the old man, They should hear you now.

Listen to me, everyone, please listen to me! Garnett said while shouting. Garnett could see those in the street now looking at him. 

I don't know what is happening here. However, panicking like this just makes the situation worse, Garnett explained as he was looking into the faces of those close by. 

An elderly woman's voice could be heard shouting from the crowd, We are doomed; we will die!  

Now now, please calm down, wait a minute, please, hear me out, insisted Garnett, As I mentioned before, I don't know what is happening, but as far as we know, it could be something that will soon pass.

When do you think that will be? another voice asked from the crowd.

I don't know, said Garnett. However, who is to say it won't shine tomorrow, or the next? I don't feel as if I am being hurt, do you? I still feel the heat on my skin. For that to happen, the Sun still must be shining. 

Garnett could see people slowly nodding their heads, along with low voices now agreeing.

This thing will pass, and everything will be back to normal, said Garnett, We have come through hard times before and weathered it well. It only made us stronger and more determined to survive. 

Garnett could now see signs of hope coming into the faces of those close to him.

Some of us have businesses to run. Those of you that have livestock, shouldn't you be attending to them? As for me, I still have a tavern to run and an inn to keep up. Those of you that have farms, go home and take care of them. 

Garnett took his wife by the hand, turned, and started walking back to the tavern.

Sultana, turning around, could see the crowd starting to disperse while the older man still stood gazing up at the dark Sun.

The tavern's open if you want to come in, said Sultana, Breakfast will be ready within an hour if you're hungry.

Ignoring Sultana's kind gestures, the old man could be seen walking back across the street towards Steedmen’s horse stable. 

Garnett, lighting the candles in the tavern, set about starting a fire in the fireplace when Sultana, walking up behind him, informed him, The child’s mother came; she thanked us for watching over him. Garnett, do you believe that things will be all right?

Garnett, lighting the fire, then said, I don't know, Sultana, only time will tell.

I hope the boys are all right; they are probably afraid, said Sultana.

No, there is one thing that I am for sure of, Garnett said as he poked the fire, And that is the boys knowing how to take care of themselves. However, I don’t expect them home until this evening. That storm last night probably made them take refuge. I know of a cave, and I am presuming that they stayed there. By the way, our guest who rode out yesterday said he would be back sometime today. He wanted you to save his room and the one next to it. I am thinking he must be having company, anyway, he paid me in king's gold to seal the bargain.

That's a strange one, said Sultana. "Yesterday morning, he asked me how long it would take to get to the top of Mt. Karone. I figured by the way he was dressed that he is a hunter.

What is so strange about that? Garnett questioned, The deer is plentiful this time of year.

He wasn't going hunting. He said he needed to check on some things, said Sultana. Anyway, I asked him if he should ride upon three boys on foot, to tell them to hurry home.

Garnett, shaking his head, smiled as he said, Sultana, they are not boys anymore. I know you will always look at them that way, but they are men. I was already married at Nathaniel's age. And I know a certain young lady that doesn't think of one of them as a boy anymore.

I already know that it is Galina Franklin, Sultana said, I saw her staring at Nathaniel the other day; I sent him to the well to get a bucket of water so that she would stop making eyes at him.

Garnett, poking at the wood in the fireplace, said, One of these day's Sultana, the right girl is going to come along, and you're going to have to step aside, and that goes for Marcus and Damon too.

Sultana, acting as if she didn't hear her husband, went into the kitchen to prepare for the day.

Later that evening, a crowd of people larger than average gathered in the tavern to talk. Even though it was warm, groups of people centered themselves close to the large fireplace as if to seek comfort from it.

Off in the darkest corner of the tavern sat the old man who rode in earlier that day. Being curious about the stranger, Garnett wiped his hands on his stained apron while approaching the older man with his best smile.

Garnett, stretching forth his hand, introduced himself, My name is Garnett Walker, my wife and I own the tavern and inn. I'm sorry I didn't get around earlier to greet you.

The old man shook Garnett's hand and said, I was through here some years ago. I believe it was owned by a man named Tillman.

Oh, my gods, that was a long time ago; Mr. Tillman passed away years ago. He left the tavern and inn to the Mrs. and me. We have done a lot of work on it since then. If you're planning on staying the night, may I fix you up with a room?

No, that won't be necessary, said the older man, That arrangement should have already been made by an associate of mine.

Oh, so you're the one. I figured your friend must be having company, Garnett said. Yes, both your rooms are upstairs, go three doors down on the left, your room and your friend's room will be the fourth and fifth door; breakfast is one hour after sunrise, or should I say... Garnett let the statement drop, then said, If you should need anything, please don't hesitate to ask.

Garnett, turning to walk away, suddenly stopped, and said, You know; you seem familiar to me, but I can't recall where I saw you last.

As I mentioned before, said the old man, I have passed through here in the past; you may have seen me then. Not to change the subject, but do you have any pipe tobacco? I seemed to have run out.

Well, as a matter of fact, I do, said Garnett, as he reached into his pocket and brought out a small bag with a drawstring. I enjoy a good pipe after the day’s work is through. Here you go; you can have it; I have plenty.

Garnett, turning away from the table, went walking away while the older man lit his pipe.

Sultana, walking out of the kitchen with a tray of clean mugs, set them carefully on a counter. Looking to see if her boys may have come home yet, a voice suddenly from behind caused her to jump. Quickly turning to see who it was, Sultana was surprised to see a smiling young woman of eighteen years old, chestnut-colored eyes and hair to match. Taking in a deep breath to steady her nerves, Sultana said, Galina Franklin, you startled me.

Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to, but I can see that you are worried, said the slender young woman.

It shows that much? Sultana asked with a slight smile. I guess I am just one to worry.

It is only natural for a mother to worry about their children, and though I don't have a mother, Father seems to handle that pretty well, Galina said.

How is Casco? I heard he has been sick, Sultana said.

Father is much better now. He is here if you wish to speak to him.

I will later before he leaves, Sultana nodded.

I figure those three ought to be back any time now, Galina commented.

Oh, do you want to speak to them? Sultana asked, knowing good and well, Galina only wanted to see Nathaniel.

My heavens no, said Galina, I'm just concerned for you since you are worried about them and the Sun being the way it is now. I am sure they will be okay.

With a smile, Sultana said, Don’t be concerned for me. I'll be fine.

Galina smiled and then turning, she went walking away.

As Sultana was watching Galina leave, she noticed the mysterious stranger that had left the day before now entering the tavern.

Sultana thought of walking over and asking if he saw her boys, but before she could do so, the man went walking to the corner table to speak to the old man.

Garnett's right, thought Sultana, The boys will be fine; they know how to take care of themselves.

Sitting