Jonas felt like a ball, which had been bouncing around from place to place, from one group to another. The last two years had been a whirlwind of danger, death, sorrow, friendship, and excitement.
He was sorry to see Dagrinal, Graggis, Sal, Jorm, and Prince Baylin go, but he was happy that Piap, now healed, was able to walk on his own. Jonas felt good about healing him, although he still needed much training to master the technique; but it was a start. He tried his healing again on Sal’s ribs and it went a bit faster and it didn’t seem to drain him as much. He could not tell if it was because he was getting better at it, or that Sal’s wounds were not as serious, but either way, it made Jonas feel better that both the men would be walking home more comfortably.
Kiln agreed to take Jonas with him, but Jonas only. They would not take any of Prince Baylin’s men, a subject that caused a brief debate. They did not have room for more men and Kiln felt that the king’s warriors might cause conflict within his group. In the end, Kiln and his men left with only Jonas.
His new comrades led him many miles deeper into the Tundrens, until they entered a small narrow belt of rolling hills that Kiln called Shadow Valley, since most of it fell under the shadows of the tall Tundren peaks. It was beautiful though, the undulating hills of the valley covered with lush green grass and wild flowers. It was here where Kiln raised his cattle.
They meandered through the valley until they neared Kiln’s home. The structures were simple; one large house built of stone and thick lumber sat in the middle of a flat clearing surrounded by four smaller stone and thatch roofed cabins. There was also a large wooden barn and several fenced areas containing sheep, goats, and chickens. It was a farm, similar to farms that Jonas had seen, but as they neared the structures, Jonas noticed some small differences. Each building was built of solid stone and thick rough cut timbers. The support beams that held up the roofs were massive and thick, capable of withstanding deep heavy snows. Also, each window had shutters made of solid wood laced with iron that could be shut from the inside. The doors were all oversized and made of stout thick wood connected with black iron. Kiln and his men had obviously worked very hard over the years to build this farm, and Jonas was impressed. The Tundrens were dangerous and it became apparent to Jonas that these men were ready to confront whatever threat faced them.
There were eight men that lived and worked with Kiln. Kiln’s foreman was an older man, in his late fifties, named Lambeck. Jonas learned that Kiln had met Lambeck many years ago at Numenell and that Kiln had acquired his services as a scout. Lambeck had been in trouble with the law and he took Kiln’s offer with relish, but considering the payment that Kiln offered, he would have taken the job regardless. Lambeck had gotten in a bar brawl in a small village on the outskirts of King Gavinsteal’s lands and accidently killed a young man. He was found guilty by the local magistrate. It turned out that the lady he was courting that night was the daughter of the magistrate, and that the young man who attacked him was the man her father had picked for her to marry. Luckily for Lambeck, the young lady rescued him that night and he fled as fast as he could. That was many years ago and he ran into Kiln soon after, forming a bond of friendship immediately. They had a lot in common when they met. Lambeck was running from the law and Kiln was just running, trying to get away from his previous life. They traveled together and as a team they were unstoppable. Lambeck was a master scout and woodsman and his skill with the bow was unmatched.
There was also Jondris and his younger brother Lark, who were both outlaws from Finarth. They had been arrested for stealing the king’s cattle fifteen years ago, but they escaped into the Tundrens. The king’s knights hunted them for a while but later gave up as the two brothers were forced to hike deeper into the Tundrens, where Kiln found them. Kiln enjoyed the irony of hiring two thieves who