fallen asleep. The magic rock had never stopped glowing, but the two were senseless. Nothing got the slightest response until they had both awakened at the same time. Two strange things had been noted during the duration of the event. The first having been what could be taken as the sounds of a battle when one stood near a crack in the cave wall. The other had been that both Cero and Inadar’s eyes had been glowing slightly. Cero’s a light blue and Inadar’s a deep green. This last fact Urake kept to himself. When the two had woken, they remembered only fragments of something they described as a battle. With no way to explain the happening, they attempted to forget it as they continued their journey.
After leaving the tunnel through the pass, they found night had overtaken them. The tenth day after entering the Garoche heights, they left the snow above and discovered that they had a view of lake Cerveza. A little lower and they found the headwaters for the river that fed the lake. It was an incredible sight. The river appeared to just flow out of the ground. In one spot there was dry ground. A few paces further and the ground was wet. A dozen paces farther and you could be standing knee deep in the river. After admiring the sight, they took the southern side and proceeded south towards Warton.
Aleest shed a few tears when they had reached a point where it was no longer safe for Kosovo to accompany them. The great white bear had sat on his haunches and watched the party progress down the hill. Every now and then he had called out in low rumbling entreaties, but the last time they had seen him, he was climbing back up to the snow.
It took them only three days to get to the city. Once there, Fenar welcomed them and most of the party bathed and fell into comfortable beds. Urake called a meeting that involved Fenar and Brounn once he had a chance to bathe and shave the beard off his face on waking. Taking the tunnel, he settled in at the table in Brounn’s back room. It had almost cost him one of his favorite knives foiling the lock that Tusul had built into the door. Fenar and Brounn arrived a few minutes later and only glanced at the secret door and Urake. He smiled knowing that Tusul would probably be redesigning the locking mechanism soon.
“I see that you made some new friends.” Fenar took a seat between Urake’s and Brounn’s customary chair. Brounn dropped into his chair and Urake raised an eyebrow when it didn’t give the usual complaining squeak.
“I know. It’s Tusul’s fault. He thinks he has to fix everything.” Brounn complained with a suffering expression.
“Have you learned anything more about your son?” Fenar ignored Brounn’s complaint.
“You could say that. He walked out of the Garoche Heights into the Princess’ camp the day before I was planning on leaving. He is the blond blue eyed one that came with me. Oh, before I forget, there is a tunnel through the pass.” Urake got up and retrieved a map from a compartment in the wall. Taking a quill, he marked down the exact entrance and exit of the passage.
“That is interesting. It does make it more feasible to pass through the Heights. About how long did it take?” Brounn examined the map carefully.
“On foot you can get from here to the Outlands in roughly thirteen to fourteen days. It is still faster to ride a horse around the northern Garoche.” Urake settled back in the chair.
“That isn’t much of an option anymore seeing as the blockade was reinforced a couple weeks back. There is a report that is to the effect that the initial garrison was attacked and virtually destroyed. They believe it was done by a small group of about fifty people in the middle of the night.” Fenar elaborated while Brounn glowered.
“I got that message about the blockade the night before we left. Balinor was a little worried, but if they retreat to Keom and eke out enough time to rebuild the Sea Fort, then they should be able to hold out.”
“Keom is a charming town, or so I have heard. Would be a shame if they destroy it.” Fenar picked at a speck of dust marring her dress.
“Charming is one way to put it. Defendable is another way of saying it.” Brounn was practical in his