The Nair Al Zaurack: Book Two of The Stone of Athelas

By Peter D. Godman

A destiny in the sunken Nail al Zaurack lands compels Gothrin northwards. Riding with the fierce Riders of Nath Earl as escort, the band flees Kotor’s pursuing forces, seeking Nath sanctuary.

But peril dogs their heels. After skirmishes and brushes with death, the group arrives to their comrade, a sorcerer, gravely wounded. While foraging for healing herbs, Yanak’s party confronts Kotor’s men; in a blur of steel, they retreat to sanctuary – now with the army chasing close behind.

Separated into groups, two routes remain: the twisting bowels of the Zaurack Halls. The nightmarish labyrinth had long defeated searchers of the fabled Nair. Blood marks the companions’ descent through cave and maze, the stone itself seemingly against them. Survivors emerge to an unexpected find: a potent new ally lurking Nair’s brooding forests. Yet this is a brief respite… for the true battle is yet to come. Will Gothrin and his stalwart band crush Kotor’s forces and brave Nair’s further dangers to find this prize – the mythic Stone of Athelas?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Apr 26, 2024
• ISBN: 9781035836680

Peter D. Godman

Peter Godman was born on 26 September 1946 in Sutton, Surrey, England; at the age of ten, his family moved to East Anglia. During his school years, he encountered the German language, and this interest continued until well after he finished his apprenticeship. In 1973, Peter went to Germany to get practical experience in the language. History and historical architecture fascinated Peter and he found enough in that land to inspire him, and he decided to stay. The country provides the scenes for his fantasy books that developed year by year. Peter enjoys long walks with his dog in the forests and hills of his home, where he gathers the ideas for his creative writing.

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About the Author

Peter Godman was born on 26 September 1946 in Sutton, Surrey, England; at the age of ten, his family moved to East Anglia.

During his school years, he encountered the German language, and this interest continued until well after he finished his apprenticeship. In 1973, Peter went to Germany to get practical experience in the language. History and historical architecture fascinated Peter and he found enough in that land to inspire him, and he decided to stay.

The country provides the scenes for his fantasy books that developed year by year. Peter enjoys long walks with his dog in the forests and hills of his home, where he gathers the ideas for his creative writing.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my wife, Isolde, who had to put up with my absence for so many hours while I buried myself in front of my computer. I thank her for her patience and endurance.

Copyright Information ©

Peter D. Godman 2024

The right of Peter D. Godman to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781035836673 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035836680 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

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Acknolwedgement

I hereby acknowledge my two colleagues, Thomas and Frank, at Daimler, where I worked for twelve years as translator of a gigantic manual for computer-assisted-drafting ‘CAD’, which was essential for designers in the automobile, van and truck branches, as well as contractors to the Daimler Company throughout the world. Without the continual badgering by these two friends, I might not have completed this book—the second in the Stone of Athelas saga.

Cast of Characters

Acamar: King of Underearth

Aoifa: Daughter of Arawn (King of the elves) Female elf warrior

Aquila: Daughter of Vorgrin (Chieftain of the People of Nath)

Arawn: King of the elves in Annwn

Artos: A faithful warrior from the Land of Nath, escorted Gothrin to the Nath hide and into the Nair

Ash Shura: Dwarf gold smith, maker of the ring

Banda: Knight of Odra and dragon rider (son of Zaurack)

Barlbeck: Second knight of Odra and dragon rider (son of Zaurack)

Bellatrix: Warrior chieftain of the vagabond branch of the little people (Barlbeck’s son and uncle to Acamar)

Bjelak: Son of Bjorik (replaced Tulik as sergeant during the flight from the hide through the caves)

Bjorik: Discredited Earl of the people of Nath, one of Gothrin’s escort in the Halls of Zaurack

Ddraig Yrif: A chimera, an organism that contains cells or tissues from two or more different species; in this case half man, half dragon, bequeathed with immense power from Kotor himself.

Dian Cecht: Elf God and healer

Dvalin: A dwarf blacksmith, he was the maker of the Dragon Swords for Barlbeck and Banda.

Eridanus: Dragon rider (Star of the heavens, captain of the gods)

Elves: The givers of the power of the earth, the sky and water to the ring

Frano: Apprentice to the cobbler, Jeremiah Maklan of Longthorpe

Foxy: A humorous dwarf

Gandolfini: Merchant in the village of Llydistrà

Gothrin: Yearling wizard (Champion of the light)

Gregor: Spider in the keep at Llydistrà, which was the home to Gothrin’s grandfather

Grimet and Grumet: Two dwarves who brought the smiths and carpenters to Annwn

Jeremiah Maklan: Cobbler at Longthorpe (last bearer of the oath of Odra)

Kotor: The Necromancer (wielder of the dark powers), once a Sorcerer in the Council of Aven

Kripton: Messenger of the gods

Kuysanyak: Member of the Council of Aven (Father of the vagabond branch of the little people)

Matra: Earth Goddess (she gave the elves the gold nugget that was used to cast the Ring of Aven)

Merope: Daughter of the dragon Ladon, mother of Eridanus

Merlion: Troll slayer (the name of Bellatrix’s sword)

Mirach: The Fee (daughter of Acamar)

Miriam: Gothrin’s grandmother

Morgrin: King of the dwarves, the smith who forged the swords of Banda and Barlbeck

Morgnus: Son of Vorgrin (Snatched by Ddraig Yrif and carried off to Kotor in the Nair al Zaurack)

Mucor: Messenger of the gods

Odra: Great Wizard (creator and wielder of the Ring of the Council of Avon, champion of the free lands against the necromancer)

Quilo: One of Yanak the Younger’s horse-troop (The first Nath warrior to be taken as hostage by the chimera Ddraig Yrif shortly before Gothrin reached the Land of Nath)

Teapot: The wise Owl and companion of Odra, later of Gothrin

Tuula: Wife of Yanak the Younger

Vorgrin: Chieftain of the people of Nath, a descendant of Yanak the elder, sometimes called the Khan, who was the founder of the Riders of Nath.

Votos: A rough but trusted companion of Gothrin (citizen of Longthorpe)

Wraiths: Once Kotor’s dragon riders, and after their deaths during the first war with the Council of Aven, they were raised from the dead to aid him in the second war (the seven wraiths)

Yanak the elder: Founder of the Riders of Nath (one of Odra’s knights who failed him in the last battle)

Yanak the Younger: An Earl of Nath, leader of a band of riders drawn from thieves and murderers sentenced to penal duties under his command.

Zaurack: Captain of Odra’s knights and dragon rider (Sword of the heavens, and related to the god Eridanus)

Zoton: Kotor’s General

Locations

Annwn: The hidden land of the elves, situated in the Nair al Zaurack

Castle Llydistrà: The castle occupied by Gothrin’s grandfather (owes its name to the village nearby)

Grimmondsweil: A town sacked by the Riders of Nath

Hills of Gahr: The location of Vorgrin’s sanctuary and the way into the Nair al Zaurack

Longthorpe: The location where Gothrin inherited the Ring of Aven and thus the power over the staff

Llydistrà village: A village at the foot of the castle Llydistrà

Mountains of Wold: Last battleground of the Alliance against Kotor

Halls of Zaurack: The labyrinth under the Hills of Gahr

Nair al Zaurack: The sunken land only reachable through the Halls of Zaurack

Ravenweil: Stockade stronghold of the Riders of Nath

Underearth: The hidden home of Acamar and his people

White Gable Tower: The home of Bellatrix and his people

Foreword

Gothrin, the young sorcerer, had been burdened by a prophecy that he would one day take over the role that Odra had once borne—the battle to stop and destroy Kotor the necromancer. Now after a long journey in search of himself and the knowledge he would need to control the staff and its embedded magical golden ring, he had at last found an ally—the clan of the Riders of Nath.

While they were celebrating the sealing of this alliance, Kotor’s allies struck and attacked the stronghold of the Nath clan. During the battle, Kotor’s wyvern Ddraig Yrif soared down and snatched Morgnus the eldest son of Vorgrin, and carried him away to an indefinite end. Vorgrin, despite his grief over the loss of his eldest son swore to keep his oath to Gothrin and to ensure that he reached the sunken land and the destination he sought there.

With Yanak as commander of a large troop of Nath riders as escort, Gothrin and his travel companions set off in the middle of the night to reach the hideaway, high over the Nair al Zaurack. Before they departed, the people of Nath once more declared their allegiance and as he raised his staff in thanks, the moon suddenly broke through the cloud and a beam of light shone directly onto the end of the staff. As if by magic, a red hallo engulfed the end of the staff and a gasp issued from the lips of those gathered there. The people of Nath took it as an omen and Yanak could do no more than bind himself to Gothrin’s quest, no matter how far that brought them.

The way now stood open for Gothrin to continue his search, though he still had a long way to go before he could attempt to challenge Kotor.

Chapter 1

The Ride to the Hills of Gahr

As Gothrin’s escort turned their horses to ride through the crowds on their way out of Ravenweil, Teapot glided down from out of nowhere and landed on his shoulder and then he bent his head to Gothrin’s ear, Very good! he exclaimed. Where did you go to learn such amateur dramatics?

Pst! hissed Gothrin out of the corner of his mouth. It was touch and go that we rescued anything at all out of this catastrophe.

He looked quickly around for Bellatrix and noticed that they had seated him in front of Votos. Aware that Gothrin was looking towards him, the imp gave him a wink to show that all his companions were there in one piece. Then Yanak turned his horse’s head to follow and Gothrin beckoned to the man, indicating that he wanted his company at the head of the column. At least until they had left the people of Ravenweil behind, he thought. If he wanted to take up his usual position at the rear afterwards, that was his own choice.

Yanak joined him and the crowd parted as if at a hidden signal, and the column cantered through the masses lining the way out through the broken gateway of the stockade, down through the breastwork and out onto the endless plain.

Pretty good act you put on there, Yanak growled, as he rode up alongside Gothrin’s mount. He turned and looked back over his shoulder and was pleased to see that even more fires began springing up throughout the whole settlement, which showed that the people were following his order to fire the rest of the town. There would not be a post left in the ground to provide shelter to a mosquito, let alone the marauding hordes of Zoton, he thought to himself.

Gothrin looked sideways at him and swore to readjust his opinion of this man. Minutes later, Votos urged his horse forward and came lumbering up alongside the Nath warrior. He looked warily across at Yanak, for he would not normally have ventured to ride beside such a dangerous man. In the town, he was probably more than a match for him, but out here, the other was in his element, especially as he himself was such an exceptionally bad rider. The decision to join Yanak and Gothrin at the front of the column was made against Votos’ better judgement by Bellatrix, who had decided to ride pillion with his companion. Yanak gave them a cursory glance and rode on in silence, which meant, he had no intention of taking up his usual position in the rear. Gothrin was not sure whether it was because he trusted the warriors that rode with them now, or that he did not trust Gothrin and his companions.

Bellatrix shouted over the sound of the cantering hooves and the rushing wind. Where are we off to Gothrin?

Gothrin suddenly realised he had not yet had a chance to talk with his companions since the attack. They had no idea what had happened after that tragedy. Yanak answered for him. His tone was very friendly for a change, almost condescending.

My friend, we have a long, long ride ahead of us. We will ride fast, to ensure that we are as far away from Ravenweil as possible when the sun breaks over the horizon. Then we will rest until I deem that it is safe to move on once more. We are making for the hills of Nath where I hope to find convenient cover. Till then, we must ride like the wind; there will be no stops, except to change mounts, for there is not much time before sunrise. Does that answer your question, my friend?

Bellatrix tipped his hat with his hand in acknowledgment of this wealth of information. Gothrin looked seriously at Yanak again. Then he realised what had passed between these two very different individuals. Bellatrix was the one who had stood alone against the horror of the wyvern, Ddraig Yrif, whereas all the others had stood around helpless, as though totally paralysed. Suddenly, Gothrin remembered that Bellatrix was also a nomad like Yanak, and that they came from the same stock, despite their difference in size, Yanak must feel akin to Bellatrix. If this was so, then they need have no fear of this man, for with Bellatrix around, the man would feel bound to honour his obligations. He may not share the same feelings for the rest of us, he thought, buthe will do all in his power to ensure no harm comes to us, while we are under his protection.

Gothrin had barely analysed this thought when Yanak spurred his horse into a gallop, and forced to do likewise, he followed suit. Votos dropped behind them, but managed to stay alongside a burly warrior who had been part of Vorgrin’s bodyguard. He had also been one of those who had rushed with Votos to the aid of Morgrin when it seemed that he would be overwhelmed by the masses of Zoton’s orcs. Through this, the two men were sympathetic to each other, and, seeing that Votos had no feeling for the horse, the man quipped jokingly, Nah! How do you find the ride, my friend?

Ask me later, Votos rejoined, I’ve just ’eard that we ’ave a long way t’ go, an’ I ain’t built fer this ’ere ridin’ business.

That’s okay; I’m good at treating blisters. I can’t wait to get my hands on your backside, he laughed.

Yer’ll be doing nothin’ o’ the kind. I’m not baring my backside to yous or anyone else, he rejoined belligerently.

Nah! We’ll see. You’ll be begging me to be tendering your most valuables before this ride is over with, that I can promise you.

Those within earshot laughed heartily, more than they had been able to for a long time; however, soon the pace they were setting was not conducive for further conversation. They rode so hard it was as though they flew through the night, their cloaks flying out behind them added to this impression. The moon was now shining full and they could see quite well, but there was no time to contemplate the scenery. At the speed they were travelling, they were kept fully employed concentrating on preventing their mounts from stumbling into the numerous animal burrows that were scattered over the plains; the last thing they could afford right now was an injury to man, or beast.

They had brought several changes of horses with them, so that they would not need to rest up their mounts. This became a source of concern for Gothrin, for when they stopped to change horses, the blown mounts were driven away to fend for themselves. He was not so concerned about the horses health, knowing that they could well look after themselves; but, leaving a trail of horses across the plain like this, was like planting a signpost, indicating the direction of their passing to anyone who was interested. When Gothrin mentioned his anxiety to Yanak at the next halt, the man curtly told him that the horses could run no more and that they would fare okay on their own. This however, did not satisfy the magus, he would also rather have denied these valuable mounts to his enemy. He said as much to Yanak who looked menacingly at him when he persisted with the subject.

He respected Gothrin’s consideration for the animals, but he objected that his authority was hereby questioned, which was the reason why he now spoke sharply to Gothrin, while the group began to saddle their new mounts.

I respect you lad, I may not like you, but I respect you. Therefore, just to ease your mind, I will tell you about these horses. They will not allow anyone other than the people of Nath anywhere near them for they are half-wild and avoid all strangers. We have an aversion to losing our horses to stinking thieves; therefore, since we regularly let them loose on the plain in order to mate with the horses that roam wild there, we have trained this shyness into them. These are warhorses from the Vale of Nath and they will only come when they recognise their owner. As I said, they are used to this freedom and are not nervous just because we let them lose now. At this moment, they have only one thing in their heads and that is to get back to the herd as quick as they can, for there will no doubt be a handsome stallion or mare waiting for them there. I have no doubt that they will return to the vale with the greatest of haste by the shortest route possible, since they have only one thought in their minds—that pleasure awaits them only a few hours away. Need I say more? Be assured, when the sun rises, they will be so far away from our trail, it will take a magician to realise that we have passed this way at all.

Gothrin said nothing, but looked pointedly at him upon hearing this last remark.

Okay! Okay! Yanak conceded, This means that we will have to reduce the pace a little, but no more horses will be released on this journey. Are you satisfied now?

Gothrin nodded, and hoped he wasn’t endangering them all again. He watched Yanak storm off to inform the men of his decision, but his mind was full of doubts and he barely took notice of him. It had been some time since he had taken some of the powder that Jeremiah Maklan had given him; now, all at once, he suddenly became anxious, since so much had happened in the last day or two, he was not sure when he had last felt the package in his jerkin. In panic, he felt inside his cloak, then he sighed with relief and relaxed once more, Yes, it was still there. Then suddenly another perturbing thought entered his mind, as though someone had stuck an icy knife into his soul, spreading more uncertainty.

But, is there enough? He gasped.

Embarrassed, because he suddenly realised that he had just spoken out aloud, he looked around to see whether anyone had heard him and was relieved to see that no one had. He buried himself in his thoughts once more and made a promise to go sparingly with this gift. Deeply concerned, he thought to himself, Yes who knows how long this quest will last, or when he would desperately need the powder to withstand Kotor’s next onslaught.

Deep in his thoughts, he nearly jumped out of his skin as Teapot suddenly appeared out of nowhere and glided silently in to land on his shoulder. He hadn’t seen the owl coming and the first he was aware of his presence was when the bird sunk its talons into his shoulder. It startled him so much, he nearly dropped the packet and he glanced wickedly at his companion.

Jumpy aren’t we? Teapot hooted in his ear.

This ride is enough to set anyone’s nerves on edge, Gothrin replied, exasperated. Especially when a certain body just drops out of the sky when you’re least expecting it, and when one has just had another run in with our friend over there, he grunted, indicating over towards Yanak, who was just mounting his horse at that moment.

Hmm! And what were you fiddling with under your cloak? Teapot asked suspiciously. You looked like you had just seen a ghost when I landed on you.

Oh! I think there will be many ghosts crossing our path before our journey is done, he replied. But, to answer your question, I was just sitting here doubting my sanity. I have just convinced Yanak not to turn the spent horses lose, which means we will have to slow our pace considerably. Is this the workings of Kotor once more, Teapot? I was just considering whether to take some more of Jeremiah’s wonder powder.

No Gothrin, you are quite sane. You have grown steadily with the staff, from the moment we left Llydistrà. In Longthorpe, as Jeremiah Maklan passed the responsibility for the ring over to Frano its magic began to wake up. Then, during the ceremony that merged the ring with the staff you hold in your hand, the power of those great wise men also began to come alive. Since then, it has continually worked upon you as it did with all that were involved with the ring. Unlike Odra, you are open to the working of this ring, for the gods have made it so. One thing is certain, Kotor will have to exert himself greatly to sway you now and to do that, it will mean that he will have to reveal himself to you. I don’t think he is prepared to do that.

Gothrin looked at him astounded, but Teapot forestalled any further questions by what he said next.

Think back lad, how do you think you were able to speak the tongue used by the Gods? That language, which Eridanus and Kripton once spoke in order to carry the wishes of the Gods to the inhabitants of this land. You certainly did not learn it from your grandfather. Did it not cross your mind, why you should have used the tongue to gain access to Vorgrin? The powers within the staff were at work in you my young friend!

Gothrin sat astride his mount, completely dumbstruck, totally unaware that the troop had mounted and was beginning to move off. He made no move to join them, but just sat there, unseeing, with his jaw drooping.

Aren’t you coming with us? Votos called out, as he heeled his horse into a canter past him. Bellatrix, perched in front of the big man, raised his hat and laughed out loud, completely mistaking the expression of astonishment on Gothrin’s face, supposing it to be a sign of wonder at Votos’ newly acquired riding skill—so little did they understand the trepidation and confusion in his heart.

Teapot tightened his talons slightly around Gothrin’s shoulder and then whispered, I think we should make a move, don’t you?

Finally recovering from the shock of the owl’s revelation, he grasped the reigns and drove his heals hard into the flanks of his new mount. Taken by surprise by this harsh treatment, the animal leapt forward and galloped headlong down the line of departing riders; Teapot, hard put to maintain his position on Gothrin’s shoulder dug his claws in, which induced Gothrin to reign in his mount slightly. Pulling past Votos and Bellatrix, Gothrin finally came alongside Yanak and settled into a steady canter; matching his horse’s speed with that of the scare faced man’s mount. Yanak looked questioningly at him, sensing that something had disturbed his charge, but he said nothing and finally turned to concentrate on the terrain, ignoring him completely. Gothrin turned his thoughts inward once more and pondered over what Teapot had said, leaving his mount to control the pace. Teapot’s revelation had made him more than a little uneasy.

Am I just a tool? He wondered and then speaking aloud, he asked Teapot, What of the powder, do I no longer need it?

Oh yes! The owl replied. To fight face to face with Kotor’s creatures is very taxing, as you have already found out. Until you have gained full mastery of the mysteries, you will still need this valuable gift to aid you. You are not that far yet and the experience of an encounter with Kotor’s wraiths or even Ddraig Yrif will still be too harrowing to overcome without some sort of support. The powder that Jeremiah bestowed on you will help you recover far quicker than Kotor would like, for I am certain you would otherwise be helpless when the next attack came, he chuckled to himself and then squawked, He will be most astounded at how quickly you bounce back up again and it will certainly make him more nervous.

Gothrin took no conciliation from this remark and he rode in silence for a while. With nothing more to keep him there, and finding the position on Gothrin’s shoulder far too precarious at the pace they were now riding, Teapot clambered down and found a position much more to his liking—snuggled deep in Gothrin’s cloak.

Up to now, they had been riding in full moonlight with only the occasional cloud to hinder their sight. During these brief periods they had to reign in and ride more cautiously, for the plain was riddled with animal burrows and an injury to beast or man was the last thing they needed right now. As it was, they had been lucky, for they would not have been able to get so far away from Ravenweil had the weather been inclement. The leagues had gone by uneventfully, with just the thunder of the horse’s hooves and the creak of the harnesses to keep them company. The terrain had offered nothing to relieve the monotony; it had been just grey in grey and seemingly unending. Most of the men had been more involved with their own physical problems brought about by the long ride than to concern themselves with the scenery around them.

Now, after the last change of mounts, the ride became more difficult. The terrain began to rise, and it became rockier and to top it all, now that they could have done with better light, they could see that storm clouds were brewing on the horizon. This meant that the clouds would soon conceal the light from the moon, yet rather than dismount for the safety of them all, Yanak pressed on. More than once, a rider went down with a curse and the murmurings amongst the riders for a slower pace began to get louder. Gothrin could sense Yanak beside him getting angrier and angrier. He did not fancy being too near the man when he lost control of his temper, but he resisted saying anything, for there had been enough bad feeling between them after he suggested keeping the remounts with them.

The grumbling did not cease and the way got even more difficult and Yanak’s temper seemed to grow along with the deepening gloom. The man who rode with Votos and Bellatrix, and whom Gothrin noticed seemed to be the second in command of this escort, turned his horse at a signal from Yanak and rode back down the line, issuing warnings as went. He was gone some time and Yanak’s temper was not getting any better. Looking back over his shoulder, Gothrin saw that the man seemed involved in a conspiratorial conversation with another man not too far back down the line. He turned back quickly, so as not to arouse Yanak’s suspicion, if they were cooking something up between them, he didn’t want Yanak to become aware of it. He decided upon a ruse to divert Yanak’s temper away from thoughts of violence against his men.

He dug his heels hard into his mounts flank and at the same time, pulled sharply upon the reigns. The horse rewarded him for this brutality by rearing up on its hind legs and whinnying in objection; however, the manoeuvre was not as dangerous as it looked, since Gothrin was prepared that the animal would react in this manner and was in full control of the situation. He put on a good show of struggling with the horse, but got the animal quickly under control, for he was not prepared to take too many risks when safety was by far not around the next corner. Yanak, completely surprised by what occurred, reigned in his mount, but by then Gothrin was already off the back of his startled mount. He moved to the horse’s right flank and made to examine its front leg.

At that moment, he happened to look up and was startled to see everybody in the company speedily dismounting. He was at first perplexed and more than a little worried, since he had not heard Yanak give any commands and his first thought was that a revolt had begun. He glanced anxiously over towards their leader and saw that he was off his horse too and was brutally hauling at the bridle, forcing the animal to its knees, then he gave a hefty shove to the animal’s shoulder and the horse went down. Gothrin was about to object when he noticed that all the others were doing the same with their mounts too, and that Yanak was signalling him desperately to pull his horse down. He was no Rider of Nath and was at a loss what to do. Then, the man whom Yanak had sent back down the line, Votos’ friend, was there beside him and had Gothrin’s horse down before he knew what had happened, and before he could complain, he too had his feet knocked out from under him. Blustering, he looked over at Yanak for an explanation, but all he saw was a finger held to the man’s lips and the other hand indicating sharply towards the horizon.

Teapot, still secluded in Gothrin’s wraps, wondered what on earth was going on and was struggling desperately to get untangled from his temporary confinement, at the same time he was letting lose a whole ream of muffled curses. Yanak hissed at Gothrin that if he didn’t get his parrot under control, he’d stick a knife into it. At this, Teapots efforts redoubled, and he knew he would not be able to contain the owl if he got out. Now however, was not the time for Teapot’s indignation, for there outlined against the crest of the hill they had been about to ride over, was a long line of horsemen, riding at an angle that would have crossed their path.

Gothrin hissed at Teapot to be quiet and tried to press himself further into the ground, for it seemed to him that he lay dangerously exposed. They waited anxiously for any indication that the enemy had spotted them, and Gothrin prayed the moon would not break through at this moment. The column of enemy soldiers were so close, he wondered how they had not heard his horse’s whinny. Votos’ friend indicated frantically that he should stroke his mounts muzzle to calm it, for it was showing signs of extreme nervousness after the treatment it had received, and had begun to struggle in an attempt to rise. Only the man’s weight on the beast’s neck had prevented it from rising.

Sheet lightning lit up the sky in the distance and thunder rumbled around the hills. It was clear to everyone that it would not be long before the storm broke over them, and it was this fact that protected them, for the enemy had other things on their mind, rather than studying their surroundings. Way out here in the open, where the storm would ravage them hard when it hit, was not the ideal place to be; and no doubt, they were on their way to an encampment or some other shelter, and therefore had their heads down while making as much haste as was possible in this rough terrain. The enemy also found the going hard for the curses carried down to Yanak’s men and were not much different from their own a few minutes before.

Gothrin and his escort lay amongst the rocks and the sparse brush with bated breath, watching the horde ride on; waiting for any signs that indicated the enemy had discovered them. The wind began to pick up and, thankfully, they were relieved to find that it was blowing towards them from the direction of the enemy. Had it been blowing the other way, the least sound they made would have carried easily over the short distance that separated the two groups of riders, and then it would only be a matter of time before scouts, or the whole troop would stumble across them. Although they did their best to keep the animals still, now and again one would snort and then everyone tensed, awaiting the enemy to rush down on them at any moment.

The sky became even darker than it had been and the wind began to howl like a banshee. There was no chance that the moon would break through now, for the sky was thick with storm clouds. In fact, it became so dark they could hardly differentiate between land and sky, let alone observe the whereabouts of the army crossing their path. Their clothes fluttered wildly in the wind, as they laid there exposed to the elements, with no shelter but the rumps of their mounts. They pulled their cloaks closer around themselves, not only to prevent the noise of the flapping cloth, but also against the cold that began to creep into their bones. A horse whinnied behind Gothrin and someone cursed loudly, only to receive a scolding from those around him.

Bellatrix crept up to Gothrin’s side, startling him. Pressing his mouth against Gothrin’s ear, he shouted, This is no normal storm. I feel evil powers in the air.

The wind by now was fair roaring in their ears and it was hard to hear anything, other than the violence of the elements. A massive flash lit up the whole sky, followed almost directly by a gigantic crash of thunder; all at once, the storm broke over them. The rain gushed from the skies and one could hardly see further than a couple of arm lengths away. This almighty flash of lightning revealed that there were no more riders on the trail above them. Gothrin hoped that they had ridden over the hill and not gone into hiding themselves.

The rain lashed down upon them, beating them like a whip and they were soaked to the bone in no time at all. They could seek no shelter, for there was none whatsoever to be found here. They continued to lay with their horses, stroking them and speaking to them, trying to keep them calm. It was even more important now to give the animals encouragement, since their eyes were rolling with fear caused by the fierceness of the storm. Reason and experience warned the men that, if they allowed the horses to get up, they would become unmanageable.

Gothrin waved exasperatedly at Bellatrix, indicating that it was pointless to try to speak further. The violence of the storm most certainly seemed to be unnatural and the horses were not the only beings that were beginning to get extremely frightened.

Yanak loomed suddenly out of the rain, leading his horse on a tight rein. He had not noticed the man get up, but suddenly he was there bending over him. Get ready to move, he yelled into Gothrin’s ear. There will not be a better chance than this to steal away from here. Wait till I come by again, then take hold of my horse’s tail and follow me. He then moved away to pass the instructions to the next in their company. Bellatrix decided to go back to Votos; his companion would certainly miss him and believe him lost in the confusion of the storm.

The rain beat mercilessly down upon them. Gothrin forced his mount up and, holding its bridle tightly, he spoke soothingly to the animal and stroked its nostril, fearing it would bolt at any moment. Although he knew that Votos and the others were quite near and Teapot secluded in his cloak—reminding him that he was not alone—nevertheless, Gothrin suddenly felt isolated and totally naked, alone and completely at the mercy of the elements. He suddenly had the feeling that only he felt the wrath of the storm, and that the only reason it raged was to smite him down and put an end to his quest to destroy Kotor. At that moment, he felt nearer to having a panic attack than ever before, and as a hand unexpectedly clamped down on his shoulder he almost shot out of his skin, and his heart felt as though it would explode at any moment. He swung around, expecting to find Kotor standing there and his knees began to shake uncontrollably. Seeing Yanak standing there once more did nothing for his nerves, for the man looked like a wraith in the gloom, his head bent and his cloak pulled tight around him against the wind and the rain.

The warrior leant his head towards the mage and shouted, Are you ready?

Gothrin whimpered, and then he took hold of himself and nodded, though his legs felt like jelly and he was unsure whether they would carry him. Nevertheless, he reached for the tail of Yanak’s mount, as instructed only moments before, and shakily set one foot before the other.

Yanak moved off. They picked their way slowly, scrambling blindly along the rocky route that Yanak now lead them, each holding the tail of the mount in front. They could hardly see a thing and Gothrin wondered how their leader knew where to go. He hoped that they would not run into the other riders, who they now knew were somewhere ahead of them. The rain kept up incessantly, he had only witnessed such violence once before and that was during his flight from Llydistrà; this strengthened his belief that the storm was the work of Kotor.

They pressed on. The going was very slow and miserable, since the rain had turned the earth into a quagmire and the rocks into slippery obstacles. Bushes, ripped out at the roots by the wind, whirled towards them as though a god were using the troop as skittles. Wherever possible, they avoided going anywhere near a tree, for fear a broken branch could strike them down—or even worse—hit by lightning, which would be fatal if anyone was near it at the time. Often enough they had to make detours around uprooted trunks that left massive hollows in the ground and a tangle of twisted roots. Were it not for the noise of the wind, their curses would have filled the air, since the going was treacherous enough without this extra hindrance. It was a wonder that so far no one suffered any serious injuries and amazing that they managed to stay in contact with one another.

Yanak was now beginning to worry that they would not reach suitable cover before dawn; so, despite his better judgment he urged them to double the pace. At every flash of lightning, he looked quickly around to check his bearings and then would make a minor correction in their course. Gothrin wondered at the canniness of the man, for he seemed to know exactly what he was looking for, despite the terrible conditions. They avoided every gully, though Gothrin thought it would have given them some amount of cover; however, after a while, the reason became clear. As they struggled along a ridge overlooking just such a cleft, the rain battering at their faces and the wind threatening to blow them over the edge, they suddenly became aware of a roaring sound. It was just about audible above the wind and, by every second that past, it grew ever louder and then broke beneath them with a terrible crash as a torrent of water rushed down the gully below them, sweeping all kinds of debris before it. If they had been down there, they would not have stood a chance.

They pressed on and as time dragged by, Gothrin perceived that it was getting slightly lighter. The rain still kept visibility down to a minimum, but he could now make out a discernible break between heaven and earth. In that moment, as they rounded a large outcrop of rocks, they ran straight into a picket line.

Before anybody else could react, Yanak sprang on the first guard and with one swift blow, struck the man down before he could utter a sound. His companion had barely started to draw his sword when Yanak was upon him too. The struggle was fierce, for the man was also a skilled warrior and of no mean size to boot, and despite his size, he was as agile as a cat. He rolled sideways, away from Yanak’s first thrust and managed to land a fist on the side of the Nath warrior’s head, making him reel. With his opponent off balance, the guard at last got his sword free and went into the attack. Yanak, slithering in the mud, almost ended up on the point of the other’s sword, but the man slipped also and the thrust missed its target by a hairs breadth—striking instead the straps of Yanak’s shield that hung over his back.

At this moment, the rain turned into a torrent and it was almost impossible to see anything, let alone the two men fighting for their lives. Gothrin didn’t know how it had occurred, but seconds later, a sudden, momentary break in the squall, revealed that Yanak’s foe was finally down and not likely to rise again. Without the sword, which was still stuck in Yanak’s shield, he had been defenceless and the Nath warrior had used the advantage to bury his own blade in the man’s chest. The scene revealed by the break in the squall showed Yanak fighting to retrieve his sword from the man’s ribs while holding off another man with his sax.

This pause in the onslaught however, had obviously given the rest of the enemy a chance to recover. As if torn at last from their stupor or from sleep, if that was at all possible in this storm, there were suddenly a host of men leaping out from under the little shelters they had built, clutching swords or wielding axes and yelling like the whole world was coming apart. Gothrin got a brief glimpse of Yanak once more, as he stormed in amongst them, cutting down one after the other as they came at him and then the rain restricted the magus’ vision once more.

Gothrin stood transfixed, not knowing what to do, and then he was suddenly pushed very rudely aside as Votos came rushing past to join Yanak in the melee. An instant later, the warrior who had brought his horse down earlier—Votos’ friend—was beside him, yelling at him to mount his horse. He saw in the gloom that many of the Nath riders were already in the process of mounting their animals. Some, in fact, were already riding past him, galloping into the fray to provide cover, so that Votos and Yanak could retreat. As soon as Gothrin was up in the saddle, the man took the horses reins and led Gothrin at a canter through the groups of fighting men.

The sound of the skirmish faded away behind them and at last, Teapot stuck his head out from under Gothrin’s cloak and demanded to know what the hell was going on? Gothrin was too involved with trying to stay astride his mount to give him an answer. Not having the reins in his hand to give him a sense of balance, he had no other choice than to hang on to the saddle and grip the animal with his knees for all he was worth. He also had no idea where the other man was leading him. He did however manage to snatch a fleeting view behind, to realise that they were not alone.

To gallop under these conditions was out of the question; nevertheless, they had to get away from there as fast as the elements would allow. The danger, however, still lay in the possibility that they could become separated from Yanak and the men that had remained to help him. Despite Gothrin’s pleading, Votos’ friend would not give the reins over to him. Another gigantic flash of lightning nearly brought Gothrin crashing to the ground when his horse shied, but still the man refused to hand back the reins and they pressed on as before. For Gothrin, it was most uncomfortable and his thighs ached with the strain like never before. He heard a horse suddenly whicker in fright, followed by a thump and a crash of armour as a horse went down, throwing its rider. The curses that followed immediately after told him though that, apart from bruises, the rider had suffered no more than an injury to his pride. Resolutely, they rode on through the storm without a pause.

The thunder seemed to roll around and around the hills giving them the impression that it was following them. The air was alive with crashes and the sizzle, when lightning followed close on its tail. The wind beat at them like a battering ram, driving the rain so that it stung their eyes as they tried to peer into the gloom. They had to rely totally on their horse’s instinct, for it was quite out of the question to see where they were going; how their new leader had been able to keep to the trail was totally beyond Gothrin’s cognition. As the storm got more and more violent, he really began to believe what Bellatrix had said to him, that this was no natural storm; that forces of evil were at work here. He was almost tempted to use the staff to call a halt to this holocaust, but an inner voice was warning him not to do any such thing. He was beginning to get even more frightened than he had ever been in his life.

Another bolt of lightning landed in the near vicinity and this time he did fall. His horse reared in fright, and without the reins in his hands and his legs so tired from gripping the animal’s flanks, Gothrin couldn’t help himself and he plummeted backwards over his mount’s rump and landed most awkwardly, with a great thump. As the horse panicked, it nearly dragged Votos’ friend from his mount as well and he cursed violently as he tried to control his balance, as well as get both horses under control. Another warrior, riding very close behind Gothrin, just managed to swerve his horse out of the path of their charge’s plummeting body; however, in doing so, the animal’s legs went out from under it and as it went down, it plunged into Gothrin’s mount, bringing it down too.

The animals squealed and thrashed around, trying to get back on their legs again. In doing so, they came sickeningly near to striking the prone body of Gothrin with their hooves, for he lay on the ground knocked senseless due to the force of the fall. As it was, his own horse very nearly rolled over on top of him in its wild efforts to rise. Were it not for the combined action of the other downed rider and Votos’ friend, he wouldn’t have stood a chance.

Keeping his wits about him, the downed rider leapt from his animal before it pinned him beneath it. When he saw what was happening, he leapt to his feet and rushed in to grab the reins of his staggering mount and, speaking quietly to the beast, he managed to calm it down so that it didn’t struggle anymore. Then he dashed to help Votos’ friend who was fighting to manoeuvre the horse away from Gothrin’s prone body. Unfortunately, the man was afflicted with misfortune this night; before he was able to get Gothrin’s mount calmed and on its legs again, it lashed out and there was a sickening crack of breaking bones. Wedged in the quagmire and unable to dodge the flailing hooves, the horse caught the man in the shin and his leg broke like a snapping twig. Despite the pain and now down on one knee, he fought with all his strength to keep the animal immobilised, while the other rider got his mount under control and was then able to come and help.

At last, other hands came to the rescue, moving Gothrin and Votos’ friend out of the way of the still struggling animal. They finally calmed it down enough to check it over, before allowing it up. They discovered that it had a nasty gash in the rear leg, which was bleeding profusely. Someone presented a handful of moss and some strips of cloth and the wound was temporarily dressed before they allowed it to rise. When they were finally through with dressing the wound, they urged the animal up, pushing and shoving it, till they had it back on its legs again. Once it was standing, they could all see, however, that it would be unable to carry any weight; it was even questionable, whether it would be able to keep up with them when they moved off, for the poor beast was trembling all over.

Votos’ friend was in terrible pain, for it was an extremely bad break. His companions could see that the bone was sticking out through the flesh of his leg, which meant it would have to be re-set and a splint made before he could ride further; the only trouble was that there was not one amongst them capable of doing it. The only one they knew who had the knowledge of setting broken bones was Yanak, and nobody knew where he was, or whether he was still alive. There was also no wood in the vicinity to strap it up, in the hope of giving him some relief. One of the warriors offered to break up his bow, but the injured man, whom every one called Illerik, would hear nothing of it. He warned that they might soon be in need of every weapon they had. It was a miserable situation and no one had an answer. He asked after Gothrin and the only response he received was a sudden silence and a massed shacking of heads. They had forgotten the sorcerer entirely in their concern over Illerik’s injury, since by rank he was now their new leader now that Yanak was no longer around.

Gothrin lay unconscious. He had landed badly, managing to hit the back of his head as he impacted with the ground. There did not seem to be any blood issuing from him anywhere and there appeared to be no broken bones, so they presumed he suffered from concussion, an injury that nearly all of these riders had experienced at some time or another. Mostly this happened during a traditionally brutal game that they played on horseback from time to time. The rules of the game were simple; the competitors just had to do their utmost to unhorse everybody else. The winner was the last one to remain in the saddle. In the melee, more than one participant fell badly or received a strike on the head by a cudgel or flaying hoof, resulting in similar injuries to that which Gothrin now suffered.

Teapot had not had a soft fall either, Gothrin may have broken the fall, but he then rolled right on top of him. By the time he managed to free himself, he was totally winded and aching all over his body and he made sure everybody knew it.

The rain was still pouring from the sky, but it was no longer a deluge—the dawn had obviously overtaken them. Their new leader ordered a warrior named Tulik to take Gothrin up on his horse with him. The man had remained on his horse while all the others had rushed to help; now he was to carry the burden of Gothrin and Teapot and he was not at all happy with this arrangement, for he had hoped to sneak away if the opportunity arose. The man had also done the most grumbling throughout the journey and this new order from Illerik did not help to improve the man’s mood any.

We can hardly strap our pet magician to a horse like a sack of potatoes can we? Illerik quipped sourly to the complaining man. The others laughed nervously at the remark, but Teapot did not find it at all amusing; in fact, he hardly found anything about these coarse people amusing and, especially the sour faced Tulik.

Finding it impossible to mount alone, Illerik asked them to help him into the saddle, for he was determined that his misfortune was not going to delay them any longer. Despite his obvious pain, he insisted that they ride at once. The men started to protest, fearing for his health, but he forestalled them, reminding them about the picket line they had not long ridden through and the hunt for them that would follow. They had no other choice, for there were no other options, even if Yanak had survived and was to turn up soon, he would probably have a pack of vengeful pursuers on his tail. Reluctantly, they cast the injured horse lose and following Illerik’s orders, they helped him into the saddle and passed Gothrin up to Tulik, then they mounted themselves. When all were mounted and nothing remained to indicate their passing, they rode away from yet one more catastrophe, heading in a north-westerly direction.

They had been riding off and on for nearly an hour and at last, the rain began to ease slightly. During this time, they had to dismount several times to avoid discovery by roving bands of troops. This had been extremely hard on Illerik, as he could not bring his mount to sink down and roll over as trained, without jarring his broken leg. Yet there was no alternative, for their lives depended upon how quickly they could get the animals down and out of sight. Each time it had taken a little longer for Illerik to gather himself against the pain and to ward off the agony when it was time to remount again, and now the man was nearly in delirium due to the pain.

Gothrin also had not recovered consciousness and that worried Teapot more than any other problems they faced. Now that the rain had eased, he chose to fly alongside the riders, rather than ride with Tulik; the man’s incessant complaining was unendurable. Always keeping an eye on his charge, he flew alongside Tulik every now and again to check on his companion, but the lad remained slumped in the cradle of the man’s arms. He wished Votos and Bellatrix were with them still and wondered whether to fly off and try to find them. However, he quickly crossed that alternative from his mind. No, his position was to stay here with Gothrin and see that he came to no more harm than he was in already; not only that, how was he to find them again in this terrain if he didn’t find Yanak.

With Illerik more unconscious than conscious, the troop was beginning to lose their orientation, for other than Illerik and Yanak, nobody really knew where they were heading. Teapot was sure they had passed a particular outcrop of rock once before, or was the land playing tricks on them? He could believe anything was possible on this journey. The hills they were riding in now were much steeper than before, with large outcrops of rocks. Even when they topped a rise, one could only see as far as the next hill. In this kind of terrain, to find any kind of bearing was nigh near impossible; yet, as they passed over this last rise, he was sure he recognised the rock formation to their right.

He flew ahead to where Illerik rode. There was another rider with him and he was leaning towards Illerik at a most precarious angle. Teapot suddenly realised he was trying to hold Illerik in the saddle—it was clear that this brave man was at an end. Without a second thought, Teapot turned in full flight and flew back to warn the rider behind them of Illerik’s condition. The man was so exhausted, he had not even noticed what was going on up ahead, and was startled as Teapot made him aware of the drama occurring in front of them. He dug his spurs into the flank of his horse and quickly closed the gap. Riding up on the other side of Illerik’s mount, he helped the other rider to hold Illerik on his horse till they found a suitable place to call a halt.

Not long afterwards, they came across a place situated in a small hollow that lay off the trail slightly and, what was more it was secluded from the view of anyone approaching down the trail by a number of monolithic rocks. They nearly passed by this temporary haven themselves were it not for Teapot, who had a better view of their surroundings from his position in the sky above them. He quickly realised that it would serve their purpose perfectly, so he swooped down and informed the two men supporting Illerik of his find. After a cursory inspection, they too decided that the probability of finding a better place was remote and since their need was great right now, they gave the order to lead their mounts into the hollow.

There was enough room for the whole troop and since they were all in need of rest, the order meant a welcome break from the stress and the weary journey—at least for a short time, for no one had the allusion that they could stay for long. However, it offered a certain amount of security for the time being, since they would be able to spot anyone approach down the trail long before they were themselves detected. This advantage also meant that they would have plenty of time to take whatever action was necessary.

While one of the men supporting Illerik remained mounted, the other jumped from his horse quickly and then helped the injured man from his mount, dragging him away from the nervous animal. It was then that they noticed the blood smeared along the horse’s flank—the man had been bleeding badly and had not said a word. While the other man dismounted and cared for the horses, a couple of the men who had already climbed from their mounts helped to move Illerik to a more sheltered place and sat him down against a rock. He was very white and barely conscious and they all feared that he was beyond help. All at once, Teapot suddenly remembered the powder in Gothrin’s cloak, and he prayed that it was still there and had not been lost during the fall earlier. He glided over to his prone companion, whom the men had propped up against a rock after they had lifted him down from Tulik’s horse. As Teapot approached, he saw that the man was bending over him and it looked as though the ill-tempered character was going through his clothes. Landing on Gothrin’s chest, he startled the man almost out of his wits and he fell over backwards.

What were you looking for? Teapot demanded, threatening him by advancing menacingly over Gothrin’s breast towards the cowering man.

"I wasn’t looking for anything I was trying to straighten