for sleep and dressed himself in preparation for entering the elements. On emerging from the cave entrance, he was relieved to notice that the rain had stopped falling and was now just the misty remnants of the storm. Clouds still obscured the stars leaving everything in a poor light. The moons could be located dimly glowing through the thinning clouds. Urake had already placed the black side of the cloak on the outside and pulling the hood over his head, he stepped into the darkness and vanished. He knew where the sentries were posted so it didn’t take much to avoid them. A patrol passed only a dozen feet away carrying their torches, but they didn’t see the dark figure watching.
When the last perimeter had been passed, Urake lowered his hood and unslung his bow. The night teemed with the sounds of nocturnal wildlife going about their business. Most paid little heed to the stealthy traveler in their midst. Only a couple even noticed. Urake had gone nearly all the way to the road when he felt Emeck searching for him. Hiding his mind, he waited until the lad began narrowing in on his position. His defenses held firm although he could sense a frantic urgency to the search. When he knew that Emeck had found him, Urake opened his mind only to be blasted with emotions akin to abandonment and betrayal.
“I told you that I'm coming with you! Just wait for me and I can be there shortly.”
“Relax. I'm just hunting. We will need the cured meat if we are planning on going into the Garoche Heights. You did well finding me so quickly. Much faster than last time.” Relief flooded the connection for a moment before Emeck was able to control his emotions adequately.
“I won’t be able to sleep now so is there anything that I can do?”
“Glad you asked. Search the camp for anyone that has the slightest sign of a Gift. If you can, figure out what it is.”
“The other three… I will do my best.” Emeck broke the connection abruptly leaving Urake alone in the forest again. Ahead a clearing opened up to a bed of grass. Creeping closer, Urake found what he had been looking for. A small herd of deer was bedded down and oblivious to the approaching hunter down wind. The bow was notched and ready when the antlered buck awoke. The faint sounds of iron horse shoes against occasional rocks in the road drifted through the air. The buck seemed to ponder the danger presented to his harem. A laugh caught on the breeze decided the buck. The rest of the does were awake now and peering through the trees. The buck sampled the air and gave a grunt of warning. The bow twanged softly and the buck fell to the ground with the iron tipped arrow through his skull.
“What is that?!” A bright ball of light appeared in the air above the two horsemen illuminating the forest. Urake dropped into the grass and disappeared while the deer bounded out and ran into the woods on the other side of the road startling the horses.
“Put that thing away! You know what happened to the last group out here. Crein just about had a fit when he heard how they had all died.”
“I don’t get what the big deal with this girl is. Seems kind of strange that he would want her dead so much, even if she is the Princess. It almost seems personal.”
“You don’t know then?”
“Know what?”
“He was part of the group that was tasked with eliminating the Safrym family. If he had done what Yer’entho had demanded, then we wouldn’t be out here now. It is kind of personal.” This was all that Urake could take. He had just acquired a new link in the investigation that he had devoted his life to. He had a new name. These Shadow Cultists were no longer useful to him. They would undoubtedly end their own lives before giving up the location of where this Crein was hiding so Urake intended to gain what little satisfaction that could be gained before the cultists had a chance of cheating him.
“Uraken of house Safrym lives!” Urake fired an arrow into the shoulder of one of the surprised horsemen, but a flash of light enveloped him before he could fire a second arrow. It faded a moment later; surprisingly, it had no effect on Urake’s vision. He saw the last mounted horseman looking surprised before