Still among the trees of Oaken Wood and forever seeming to head uphill, Sorrel had now slowed the horse to a walk while still managing to keep Bartram the raven in sight. She ducked under a tree branch and gave an irritated tut as another approached.

"I'll be glad when we're out in the open," she said. "This horse doesn't seem to want to go around the trees."

Cloud laughed and said, "Can you not steer him, Sorrel? He doesn't take into account the branches and us having to duck every time."

She brushed a thin branch aside as they passed by. "Cloud, where do you suppose Winter is?"

He shrugged. "Not sure. But the raven seems to know."

They were silent again, watching the woods pass and Sorrel enjoyed the feeling of being so high up on horseback.

Cloud shifted about behind her and then he asked, "What's it like? To be a warrior, I mean?"

She smiled. "Seems strange," she said, "to hear you call me a warrior. I don't feel any different, the same old Sorrel." She frowned and said quietly, "But when I was fighting the Lamya man I felt different. Stronger, confident. It was as if I knew what move he was going to make and how to stop it. When I was fighting, I wasn't aware of anything else but me and him."

Little Cloud stayed silent. "I know," he said eventually. "I called for you but you didn't hear. I just hope that when the day comes for us to return to the Kingdom you realise when the fighting must stop. I hope you hear me then."

Sorrel snorted, ignoring the worried tone in her friend's voice. "Course I will! I'll stop when there's peace, Cloud. I promise you that." She urged the horse into a trot and looked to the sky to see where the raven had got to. "Look!" she said, pointing ahead, "I can see the end of the woods. Up ahead, Cloud, see? Woo hoo!"

The horse charged forwards with Sorrel whooping in its ear. Little Cloud hung on tightly behind her and remained quiet.

#

Helena had already come across several small carvings of dragons on her journey to the castle but none were as impressive as what lay before her now. Huge rough stone walls shot up on either side of her, marking an abrupt ending to the towns, walls of deep red stone made frightening by the light of the roaring fires that burned beneath her path. On each of the walls the perfect likeness of a fearsome dragon was carved, reaching far, far above her, dwarfing her in an instant. The walls so high they seemed to join with the sky.

A tall flame shot out of the ground just inches from where she stood. She gasped and chanced a look over the edge of the stone pathway she was travelling to peer into the fire pits below.

Noan tugged at the rope around her neck and grinned evilly. "We don't want you to fall in," he said. "It's best to keep your eyes ahead of you."

"It'd be easier if you let me up on your horse," she replied. "Not to mention quicker."

Noan laughed and didn't even bother turning to look at her as he spoke. "No chance! An Elani sharing a horse with me? Ha! No, Elani, you'll just have to walk faster. And be more careful."

She sighed, travelled in silence a little farther, then asked, "What is it your master wants from me? How does he know who I am?"

Noan groaned and she got the impression the Slavemaster didn't even want her near him let alone talking to him. "Lord Corrinus knows all," he said. "You'll be wise to remember that. As for what he wants from you, well, we can but guess can't we?" He laughed.

She shivered despite the heat of the fires, and sweat beaded on her brow, making her hair stick to her skin. How could Corrinus know everything? Was he a seer?

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She stopped, for ahead of them lay the Castle of the Lamya. Dark and terrifying. The rope grew taut and forced her to move once more.

#

A single grey stone rolled along the ground and stopped in front of the Lamya. The woman looked at it and then in the direction it had come from.

Leif stepped out into the middle of Silence Gorge and barred the path of the Lamya and Maemi. He held his staff forward, ready to defend himself from an attack.

The Lamya chuckled to herself and gave him a nod. "Another Elani! Well, well, you people pop up all over the place don't ya? Don't bother trying to attack me, or the girl will be of no use to anyone." She pulled Maemi back and held the dagger point to her neck.

Leif smiled and looked over the Lamya's shoulder. "You better get ready to defend yourself, Lamya."

The woman stiffened as Lachlan tapped her on the shoulder from behind with his staff. The Lamya kept her ground and threatened Maemi once again. "Tell 'im to back off," she warned, pressing the dagger point farther into Maemi's neck. "Tell him."

Leif said nothing; he just winked at Maemi and gave the slightest of nods to Lachlan.

The trainee warrior needed no second bidding. He thrust his staff down over the Lamya woman's shoulder and knocked the dagger cleanly from her hand. As the Lamya turned angrily to face her assailant, Lachlan followed up his attack with a sharp blow to the left side of her head.

The woman fell to the ground, clutching a hand to her face. She turned to get up but Lachlan was by her side in an instant, staff pressed across her throat.

"Leave her," Leif said, collecting the fallen dagger. "Let her up. She won't run."

The Lamya spat at Lachlan as he allowed her to get to her feet and received a hefty smack from the staff as a result.

"That's enough!" Leif cried, warning both the Lamya and Lachlan. He waited as Lachlan stepped back and stood next to Maemi and then he went to the Lamya woman. "Now," he said, "you're not going to run, are you?"

Leif held her dagger tight and although he couldn't throw a blade he bet on her not wanting to find that out the hard way. He was right; the woman simply eyed the blade and nodded.

Leif smiled. "Good," he said. "I'm Leif, this is Lachlan and our friend Maemi, who you've already become acquainted with. Your name, please, and the reason why you're here. Your accent suggests you're from the Kingdom?"

"Mariko Kint," she said, "from Langshire. I want nothing to do with Elani, so let me go."

"She's lying," said Maemi, "she was looking for a healer. Said she has a friend who's hurt."

Lachlan folded his arms and glared daggers at Mariko. "Lamya don't normally care for injured companions," he said. "They have no compassion whatsoever. I say we kill her. She's probably a spy for Corrinus."

Leif didn't turn his attention from Mariko as he spoke angrily to the hot-headed Lachlan. "We don't kill in cold blood. Remember that, Lachlan, or you'll be no good as a warrior. Now, Mariko, if you do have an injured companion, we'll do all we can to help. Elani are good people, we treat others as we would wish to be treated ourselves. Take us to your friend now."

Mariko seemed surprised that they weren't going to hurt her. She brushed dust from her coat and pointed to one of the slate cliff sides. "This way," she said.

Leif and Maemi went on ahead but Lachlan stole up close behind Mariko. "Leif's treating you fairly because that's the way he was raised," he whispered harshly, "but I would have no misgivings of ridding Aldenland of each and every one of your kind given the chance. So don't let Leif's talk about the gentle Elani fool you. Now get moving and may there be pity on your soul if you're lying."

Leif heard but held his tongue. Maybe it was best for the Lamya to fear them a little. He turned to look back at Mariko Kint. "Come," he said, "Show us your friend."

#

"Here!" cried Maemi, jumping over a mound of fallen rocks and cliff shale. "Leif! Look."

Leif joined Maemi and frowned in concern at the pitiful figure huddled against the cliff wall. He could see the boy was only young, probably the same age as his sister, and that he was completely exhausted. The boy's black hair was slick to his face with sweat and his lips were cracked and dry.

Lachlan, pushing Mariko roughly ahead, joined them. "He's been tied! Look at the marks on his hands!" he cried. He turned to Mariko, pushed her against the rocks and forced his staff up under her chin. "He's not your friend, he's your captive."

"Lachlan," Leif warned. He turned back to the boy and lifted his head, making sure he was gentle. Looking into those black eyes he could see he was no ordinary Lamya. "Tell us your name," he said, keeping his voice soft. "You're safe now."

The boy's eyes focused and he lifted a clammy hand to Leif's face. "I made it to Silence Gorge," he said. "You must take me to Sorrel, you must, Sorrel..."

Leif looked up at Maemi, a twist of desperation in his stomach, and then back to the boy. "How do you know of Sorrel?" he demanded, grasping his shoulders. "Tell me!"

"Leif." Maemi crouched down and gently relieved Leif of his grip on the boy. "Tell us your name," she whispered. "We're here to help."

"Gaeshi," he said, licking dry lips, his eyes fluttering. "Gaeshi Sarkany." His head rolled back and he passed out.