They caught up with the old Forest Guardian that evening. He had set up camp beside a small pond. There were no insects on the water and the fire had already burned down to its embers. Jelninolan raised her eyebrows quizzically but Falk pre-empted her.

'Only dead branches on the ground, it just burned for a short while. But we need the heat for our supper'. He took a bundle from the fire. Various vegetables that he had wrapped in the local leaves to protect them from the fire. Soon they were sitting together and eating in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts.

Ahren was ravenous and gobbled down his food, secretly glancing every so often at the others, while tickling Culhen, who was grumbling contentedly beside him. Nobody seemed to want to break the silence so Ahren decided to ask the first question that came into his head.

'How exactly are we going to get into the valley if it's forbidden? Are we going to fight with the Warden?'

Falk cleared his throat and looked over at him earnestly. 'It's not that simple. If we were to attack the Warden or to enter the valley illegally, we would have the elves on our backs. Not even Jelninolan can enter the Weeping Valley without the permission of the Voice. Only animals under the protection of the goddess are allowed in'.

'So what are you planning?' Ahren persisted.

'We won't be going in, but Selsena will. She knows already and will be waiting for us there. She is under the protection of the goddess and so should be able to pass. Whether she can bring the lute back with her is another question. Hopefully this loophole in the law will be enough. Otherwise she'll have to fight the Warden and we won't be able to help her'.

Jelninolan nodded, concurring. 'It would be a ritual duel between two creatures of the goddess. Nobody can intervene and everyone must respect the result'.

Falk spat into the embers. 'I don't like it. Too many hitches in the plan and no way of supporting her should anything go wrong'.

The three began debating the issue again and they ended up going around in circles. Finally, they all settled down to sleep without having come up with a better idea.

Ahren was the first to wake after a restless night. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and quietly went over to his rucksack to see how his patient was getting on. The chipmunk was still there and had rolled himself up into a little ball of fur. He was fast asleep. Ahren could see that the cut was healing nicely. Half of the nuts had been eaten and it wouldn't be long before the animal would be well enough to fend for himself again. He closed up the rucksack, freshened up, and began, out of pure habit, to dismantle their sleeping quarters while the others slowly woke up. Falk nodded approvingly and then they had a cold breakfast of fruit before moving on.

According to Jelninolan they would reach the border of the Weeping Valley by midday. The morning's march was peaceful and quiet, each of the travellers mulling over things. The sun shone low through the leaves, there was a light mist hanging in the air like little spider-webbed flags fluttering among the trees .The air was aromatic and clear and Ahren was surprised again at how timeless this forest seemed to be. Spring, summer and autumn all seemed to combine into one season, keeping this forest in a state of perfect harmony.

Culhen jumped playfully beside him, running off into the forest every now and then when he got the scent of something exciting. Sometimes he returned with spoils, mostly not. Jelninolan didn't say anything, which suggested that he was permitted to hunt, as part of the endless natural cycle of hunter and prey.

They finally came to a slope which led down into a small valley. It was hardly more than a large depression, perhaps two hundred paces in diameter and didn't have many trees. Its surface was covered in a thick moss and several types of climbing plants were visible. A fine mist, hardly hindering their view, hung over the whole valley. It lay on the plants, and droplets constantly dripped to the ground from the leaves and branches. It was almost as if all the plants were in mourning.

'Before you lies the Weeping Valley', said Falk quietly. 'Selsena should be with us any minute'.

The unicorn trotted up to them out of the undergrowth twenty heartbeats later and greeted them all with a friendly snort and a wave of welcoming joy. Ahren suspected that some of the tension of the previous few days had come about because Selsena hadn't been with them to exert her calming influence.

Jelninolan now spoke to the Elven horse. 'The lute is hanging on a tree in the middle of the valley'. She pointed at a speck and when Ahren screwed up his eyes and looked at the spot he could make out the outlines of the lute, which was hanging just three paces high on the trunk of a massive tree.

'It has a carrying strap you can wrap around your horn', the elf continued. Then she patted the Titejunanwa's flank and stood aside.

Falk looked her in the eyes. Whatever he was saying to her, he was communicating it silently. Selsena shook her head and snorted, then trotted down to the valley. Ahren instinctively held his breath and even Culhen sat on his hind legs and watched their companion with his ears pricked and his nose in the air as she went off. Everybody was stock still and after ten heartbeats Falk slowly breathed out.

'So far, so good. Her presence doesn't seem to be presenting any problems. The critical point is coming now'.

The silver-white figure carried on until it arrived at the artefact. It was still quiet from within the valley. The only sound was the water drops falling from the plants to the ground. It was only now that Ahren noticed how quiet the place was. There wasn't a bird to be heard, not even in the part of the elf forest they were standing in now. Nor was there a breath of wind. As if the forest itself were holding her breath.

Selsena stood on her hind legs and stretched her horn against the trunk of tree in order to slip the carrying strap onto it. Suddenly the ground around her moved.

Ahren wanted to shout a warning but the unicorn had already reacted. With two prancing steps she had escaped from the centre of the movement and then Ahren saw what was moving. Moss was crumbling off shimmering green scales, where the Warden of the Valley of Weeping had been slumbering for years. Its tiny eyes on its large head were eyeing the intruder, and the enormous snake wrapped itself protectively around the tree and raised itself up. The animal was enormous. Its head alone must have been the same size as Ahren's upper body, and although more than half its body was entwined around the tree, the monster still towered four paces above Selsena and stared down at her. This monster made a terrifying impression but Ahren knew immediately that it wasn't one of the Dark Ones. Its whole presence suggested it was purely and simply a beast of prey. There was a purity and an animal vigour about this beast, unadulterated by the malevolent intelligence of a Swarm Claw or a Fog Cat. The sole point of this enormous snake was the protection of this place and the eternal circle of hunter and prey. There was a certain dignity inherent in this clarity, and Ahren was sad that Selsena was forced into taking on this creature. It wasn't her enemy, but it was just following its natural instincts. Selsena pranced towards the tree trunk and the snake's head immediately jerked down towards her and snapped. Ahren wasn't sure if the snake had missed its target or if it was just issuing a warning. He glanced at Falk and saw that his master didn't know either. Jelninolan had put a hand on his shoulder and Ahren was certain that it was only this silent reminder of the rules that prevented him from rushing in to help his companion. The Elven horse was now trotting around the snake in a circle, testing out its reactions and movements. The beast's head followed her every move while its scaly body wound easily around the tree trunk. Whenever Selsena tried to move as much as a hoof nearer, the snake's head would dart forward, warning her to keep her distance.

'Tell her she has to change her tactics', muttered Uldini quietly. Falk showed no sign whether he had heard the advice but two heartbeats later the Titejunanwa turned away and trotted back two dozen paces. Then she turned around and began to charge towards the snake.

Falk loudly drew breath and whispered, 'risky, my girl, far too risky'. Soon she was within the enormous animal's reach. It had opened its mouth and revealed fangs the length of two short swords. Moss was being thrown up by the unicorn's hooves, the snake's head darted downward at lightning speed and for a moment it seemed to the onlookers that the two adversaries' forms had blended together.

Ahren screamed, for it seemed to him that the Warden had caught his friend. Then Selsena spun along the armoured body of the snake, gouging a deep tear into the green skin. Some of the scales came flying off and for the first time the snake emitted a deep, dangerous hiss. Selsena galloped on in order to get beyond her opponent's reach. The snake snapped after her, but the Elven horse was too fast for it.

'Very good. She's built up enough momentum to counter the Warden's speed, and the reptile can't bite her from the front without impaling itself on Selsena's horn'.

Ahren wasn't sure if Falk was trying to reassure his companions or himself, but he was thankful for his words because they gave him comfort and courage. Selsena turned again and prepared for another charge. The snake now extended itself to its maximum height and waited for her. The monster looked like an enormous swaying green tower eight paces high. Then it darted downwards towards the fragile looking unicorn. Once again there were scales flying everywhere, and once again Selsena shot out behind the massive body. Ahren could see the cuts his friend had scored on the scaly body with his naked eye. The longer of her two horns was dripping with blood and her whole bone-plate was a soaking red.

'How long can she keep up that speed?' asked Ahren quietly.

Falk looked at him with wild eyes. 'She'll manage it alright. The old girl can attack like that for four hours in a row without tiring'. He couldn't fail to hear the confidence in his master's voice and he began to relax just a little. The unicorn must have found a reliable method of defeating her enemy and now it was only a matter of persevering.

The snake, however, seemed to come to the same conclusion. Just as Selsena was about to launch another attack, it wound its way low between the trees and disappeared from the spectators' view.

'Damn it, where is it? A big animal like that can't just disappear into thin air', called out Uldini nervously.

Jelninolan hissed at him to quieten down and responded, 'we're standing here at the very edge of its territory and the Warden is wounded and testy. Perhaps we should try not to attract any unnecessary attention to ourselves'.

Falk instead answered the Arch Wizard's question. 'The animal has lived here for eons. It knows every tree, every bush, every leaf. Every natural pothole is a potential ambush and with these massive trees, every hollow tree trunk is a hiding place. Its scales are the same as the moss that grows here and if we're unlucky, it will have dug a few tunnels that we can't see from here. It knows now it has to catch Selsena by the side or from behind. Or from below. She has to get out of there as quickly as possible'.

Falk had automatically fallen into the dry tone he used whenever he was analysing the behavioural habits of a wild animal or a Dark One. The experienced Forest Guardian was speaking now, not the terrified companion. Ahren frantically asked himself how he or the others could help as he watched on helplessly and saw Selsena slowly and carefully approaching the tree trunk and the lute. There was no sign of the Warden and finally Selsena pushed her horn under the leather strap. She raised her head, the strap tautened, and she began to slowly raise the lute off the short branch from which the strap had been hanging. She was stretching just a little further forward awkwardly when suddenly Falk whispered quickly, 'there it is. It was waiting for this'. Then he gave a panic-stricken shout. 'Get rid of it! Get rid of it and run as fast as you can!'

The unicorn reacted immediately and lowered her head so that the instrument slid back into place.

At the same time the ground around the Titejunanwa exploded and the snake broke out from a shallow tunnel. Its head missed Selsena's neck by a hand's width but Ahren could hear the heavy thud as the massive head slammed into her left shoulder. Selsena neighed shrilly as the Warden tried to wrap itself around her.

Ahren looked on in horror at the terrible scene playing out in front of him. If Selsena couldn't get away from there immediately, she would be squeezed into a bloody pulp by the heavy body with its multiple tendons and muscles.

The unicorn leaped from a standing start over the snake's coils before it had a chance to tighten its deadly noose, but her hind legs crashed into the monster and hung there for a moment. Selsena gave a whinny of pain and flung herself around. She dashed away but it was clear she was limping badly. The snake immediately gave chase and it was obvious to all that the unicorn had lost her speed advantage. The Warden would catch her sooner rather than later.

The Elven horse tried repeatedly to leave the valley but the Warden cut her off every time and the slope slowed the limping unicorn considerably.

Ahren looked pleadingly at the others but all he could see was pure frustration in their faces. His thoughts were racing as he dug his hands into Culhen's fur, so his friend could support him at this terrible moment. Then the young man froze.

'Jelninolan, only an animal blessed by the goddess can go down there?'

She looked at him sadly. 'That's right, we can't help her'.

Now he was really excited. Selsena didn't have much time, but he needed the right answers to know if his plan could be successful.

'And you're a high priestess of the goddess and you spoke THEIR blessing over Culhen on the first day so that the other elves would accept him, am I right?'

'Yes, of course, but he isn't big enough to last more than a few seconds against the snake', interjected Falk, his voice filled with frustration.

Ahren clapped his hands. 'But he doesn't have to!'

He whispered something to his friend and slapped him on the back. Like a white thunderbolt the wolf shot straight into the valley with Ahren urging him on frantically.

Falk stared at him flabbergasted. 'What in the name of all THREE are you doing there? You can't sacrifice him?'

Ahren didn't look away from his friend, even though, out of the corner of his eye he could see that the duel between snake and unicorn was coming towards a sad ending. Everything depended on his plan now. And on Culhen.

After a few seconds it became clear to the others that the wolf wasn't racing for the snake, but for the place where the lute was still hanging.

Ahren pulled himself back into the Void, took his bow from his shoulder and placed the arrow in position. He ignored the surprised protests of his companions and concentrated completely on the narrow strip of leather, that he could sense rather than see. The young Forest Guardian had only one chance and the timing had to be perfect. Culhen would need as much time as possible. Just as the wolf arrived under the tree and was preparing to jump at full speed, Ahren let the arrow fly and watched its path with bated breath. The wolf leaped up, turning his body in the air so that he could run back as soon as he landed.

If the arrow missed its target, it would injure his friend and the Warden would certainly catch the shot animal. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion until the missile slammed into the trunk above Culhen. The leather strap broke with an audible snap and the artefact fell towards the ground, right between the open fangs of the leaping wolf. He snapped the throat of the instrument between his teeth, landed on the ground and began racing back to the edge of the valley, with the lute sticking out of his mouth like a grotesque version of a hunter's quarry.

'I don't believe it', groaned Falk.

Uldini and Jelninolan joined in with Ahren's encouraging cries.

The Warden's reaction was lightning quick and focused. It immediately abandoned Selsena and raced, sliding along the forest floor, towards Culhen.

The monster was indeed faster than the wolf with the cumbersome lute in his mouth, but on account of his manoeuvre under the tree, the wolf was already on the home stretch. The advantage that the young wolf had was enormous and he raced as quickly as he could towards his fellow travellers, who spurred him on with their cries.

Selsena in the meantime had retreated to the safety of the elf forest and limped out of sight among the trees. Culhen was now twenty paces away, with the snake another twenty paces further back. Ahren stood at the edge of the valley and pulled Jelninolan beside him. The distance between apprentice, wolf and snake was vanishing and Ahren prayed to all the gods, all the while calling to Culhen and beckoning him. He stretched his arms out to the wolf and when the animal was almost on top of them, he ripped the instrument out of his mouth and rammed it into the elf priestess's waiting arms. Culhen shot by him, the snake in hot pursuit.

Purposefully.

On its mission.

The young man threw himself between the snake and the wolf, stretched one arm out towards the Warden and pointed with the other one to the lute in Jelninolan's arms.

'STOP!' he roared at the top of his voice while the massive, scaly body swayed over him, filling up Ahren's entire field of vision. The head swung back, the body was coiled and ready to spring, a couple of hand width's from the valley's edge.

'STOP!' roared Ahren again. 'Your task is finished. The lute has left the valley and is now in elf hands!'

The snake hissed at him threateningly and soared like a wave of scales over him, ready to squeeze him into a pulp within a heartbeat. Then its silvery eyes slid slowly over towards the lute and then down to the valley's edge that lay between them. Then the Warden was stock still for three heartbeats, before it turned and slid slowly back down into the valley, as if the events of the previous few minutes had never happened.

Ahren turned in a daze towards the others and said, 'it wasn't a Dark One. It's nice when your opponent sticks to the rules for a change'.

Then he sank to his knees, threw his arms around the wolf and buried his face in Culhen's fur as tears of relief streamed down his face.

There was silence for a while, broken only by Ahren's sobs until finally he heard Uldini asking in a dry tone, 'is the boy alright?'

'It will all be fine', he heard his master saying with amusement. 'The last time he fainted. This is a considerable improvement'.

Ahren couldn't help chuckling when he heard that, and he lifted his tear-stained face up from his friend's fur, the friend he had almost sent to his death. Culhen licked his face and wagged his tail. Ahren had to chuckle again, then pulled himself up and turned to the others.

Falk looked both proud and serious, before giving him an appreciative nod. Uldini smiled his typical half-smile. Jelninolan was completely wrapped up in her examination of the lute, which she held in her arms like a baby.

Ahren still didn't trust his voice, so he cleared his throat before asking, 'Selsena?'

Falk smiled briefly, and he answered, 'a few bruises and aching bones. Nothing that won't heal quickly, especially with her herd taking care of her. She'll be right as rain in a couple of days'.

Ahren breathed a sigh of relief and stroked Culhen's head again. Somehow, he just wasn't able to let go of the wolf.

Once it was clear that the young Forest Guardian was in control of his emotions again, Uldini asked, 'how did you know that it would break off its attack?'

Ahren shrugged his shoulders and answered. 'I figured it out. Culhen has been blessed, so he was allowed to enter the valley. He didn't attack the Warden so there wasn't any ritual duel between the two of them, which would have allowed the snake to continue its attack outside the valley. Its job was to keep the artefact from falling into unworthy hands. I was counting on Jelninolan being considered worthy, so the task was to get the lute over here quickly and within the restrictions that had been laid down. I never expected the Warden to leave Selsena alone immediately, I only hoped it would break off from the fighting once the lute was out of the valley'.

Ahren began shaking again and dug his hands into Culhen's fur. 'The rest was luck', he whispered.

Falk scratched his beard and looked thoughtfully at Ahren. 'A damn big risk you took there – but I'm glad you took it. Although you bent every single rule to its limit. Hopefully the other elves will see the matter the same way as the Warden'.

Uldini added drily, 'we'll find out soon enough'.

Three slim figures in leather armour approached them with their bows cocked and stared grimly at the lute in the priestess's hands.

Jelninolan whispered quietly to her companions, 'We'll offer no resistance. Everything can be interpreted in our favour up to this point but if we attack the valley's Honour Guards, we lose all legitimacy'. Then she stepped forward and gave a little bow, before trying to reason with the three elf warriors with authority in her voice.

They listened with stern looks and answered briefly, but their bows remained cocked and aimed at the group.

The whole conversation was in Elfish and so Ahren didn't understand a word. He leaned over to Uldini and asked him quietly, 'I thought Jelninolan was the high priestess of the goddess. Why are they threatening her?'

Uldini kept his eyes on the four talking figures. 'They don't value titles the way humans do. They would never think of giving someone an advantage on account of their position, especially not if they think a wrong has been done. I would even say that they are stricter with dignitaries. Elves are emotional creatures and community is sacred to them. If someone in a vital position damages this cohesion, it has far-reaching effects on their society'.

Nerve-wracking moments passed as the elves continued their discussion. The three finally lowered their bows and divided themselves up among the travellers. Jelninolan turned to the others and explained the situation in a sad voice. 'They will accompany us back. According to them, the Voice of the Forest must decide whether we are in the right or not. I'm sorry, but we can't travel for now'.

Falk frowned and Uldini let out a quiet curse.

'What does that mean?' asked Ahren.

'It means', said Falk between gritted teeth, 'that we have to sit here until a white stag gallops into town and decides whether we should live or die'.

The little group spent the rest of the day trotting back to the elf settlement. It was no surprise that the mood was grim. Nobody talked. Ahren tried to ask one or two more questions but he was fobbed off with one syllable answers. On one occasion he tried to get Culhen to slip away into the undergrowth so that at least his friend would be safe, but one of their elf guards immediately pointed an arrow at the wolf. It seemed Culhen's role in the recovery of the artefact was too crucial to simply let him escape.

Ahren shook his head in frustration. On the one hand, the elves were exactly as he had expected, openhearted and hospitable, with warm dispositions and full of magical skills. On the other hand, he found the passion with which they rigidly adhered to every little rule unsettling. When he thought of the way they had banished his master for centuries, he even considered these creatures to be cold and alien.

He found these contradictory impressions hard to grasp and he finally concluded with a sigh that he was trying to apply human qualities to a non-human folk. If he was ever to evaluate the reactions of these emotional forest dwellers, he would have to be far more open towards their otherness. If it ever came to it. He couldn't really imagine that the Voice of the Forest would condemn them to death, but it was bad enough that the elves were withholding the artefact from them and so they couldn't complete the ritual in which he would be named Paladin. Mind you, he was basing this assumption on purely human empirical values and so his thoughts went round and round in circles until they finally set up camp for the night.

Everyone was chewing on the dried fruit the guards had handed out to them, and Ahren stared out into the forest, lost in thought. Darkness fell and the sparse snippets of conversation slowly petered out. Ahren was about to snuggle down under his blanket when he noticed a change in the lighting conditions. Something luminous was approaching them through the trees. He looked uneasily across at the others, but they were just exchanging curious looks.

'A Rillan?' asked Uldini and the elf priestess nodded.

'It seems to be for me', she said.

Ahren saw a luminous blue-white sphere flying directly towards Jelninolan. It didn't seem to bother anyone, not even the guards, so Ahren relaxed and looked with curiosity to see what would happen.

The elf raised her hand until her palm touched the outside of the sphere at which point it dispersed leaving an iridescent pattern in the air. Ahren saw that all eyes were trained on the sign and it was being studied very carefully. It was clear to Ahren that it had to be some kind of elf hieroglyphics. It was a magic message!

Then the elf dropped her arm sadly and the message was gone.

'The Voice of the Forest was found by a hunter from the village. It seems it passed on in the cycle of life some weeks ago'.

It was clear to Ahren that these words were meant for him because everyone else had been able to read the message, but he didn't understand what it meant. His confusion must have been obvious because Falk cleared his throat and said, 'the Voice of the Forest is selected by the goddess in a seemingly arbitrary manner. Mostly it's an animal, sometimes an elf or even a tree. No matter who or what has been selected, the life expectancy or the living conditions of the relevant being remains as before. A tree can wither and die, an elf may cease to be, or, as in this case, a stag can be killed by a beast of prey. The Voice then passes over to another carrier. The problem is finding this carrier'. His master ruffled his hair. 'That will just delay things further'.

Ahren nodded silently. The more he found out, the clearer the picture of this strange culture became. If the goddess didn't even grant her mouthpiece a special place in the cycle of nature, why should the elves do it for their high priestess?

'I can send out a Call when we get back to the community, but our chances are slim. A young Voice reacts far less often to the Call than one who is aware of its role', said Jelninolan.

Uldini shook his head. 'The gods are being particularly uncooperative, deep sleep aside, when you consider that we're trying to protect the world from a new onslaught by the Adversary'.

He lay down in frustration and grumpily covered himself with his blanket before staring out into the darkness. Everyone followed suit and finally the exertions of the day took their toll, and all fell asleep.

Ahren had a restless night. Time and again he would wake up, bathed in sweat, his arms and legs contorted and entangled in his blanket. Rather than giving him energy, the short periods of sleep drained him. He finally gave up just before dawn and got up. He took Windblade, pointed demonstratively at it so that one of the guards would look over, then went a few steps to the side to show that he wasn't presenting a danger, and began his sword practice. His joints and muscles were sore and he realized immediately that he had been neglecting his training. He saw his weapon in a different light ever since he had killed the bandits with his sword and he found it very difficult to practise techniques that were capable of killing other living beings. He breathed in deeply and sucked the aromatic night air into his lungs, concentrated on the gentle sounds of the sleeping forest and admired the beauty of the faint moonlight shining through the leaves. Then he began again and concentrated on the simple movements the armourer had hammered into him in such a short time. In the end he was just as soaked through as he had been after his restless sleep, but this time it was because of his efforts. The feeling of being able to do anything at all was better than the helplessness that had held him in its grip the whole night through. His companions were still sleeping, and just as restlessly as he had.

The sun was taking its time rising so he started from the beginning again and tortuously went through all the exercises again. When he was finished, his arms and shoulders felt like rubber and his back ached all over, but he felt better and less wound up. Wearily he went back to his sleeping place in order to catch another short sleep, but no sooner had he stretched out on the bed when the camp started coming to life. He only managed a short nap but at least he could lift his arms again and he'd be able to carry his rucksack. He was just given a little dry fruit for breakfast, and then they carried on.

Two hours later and they had arrived at the edge of the settlement. Ahren had expected some uproar - angry and disgusted elves with perhaps one or two defending their actions. Instead, everything was as normal. They were led to their lodgings and then left alone, none of the residents behaving in any way different to normally. Polite and friendly looks, sometimes a little bow, other times a friendly wave before he or she continued on their way. Nothing suggested that they had committed a transgression. Once they were alone, Ahren could contain himself no longer. 'Have they changed their minds? Are we free to go?'

The others shook their heads and Jelninolan answered, 'we decided a long time ago to submit ourselves in these cases to the verdict of the Voice. Controversies like this used to lead to horrible outcomes on account of our emotional natures, and we don't want this to be repeated. That's why no party tries to grab power, and why everybody behaves in as open and friendly a manner as ever. And no, we can't leave. Without an acquittal we cannot reach the borders of Eathinian. The treetop guards would detain us'.

'No, they wouldn't'. Uldini's face was a mask of scarcely contained rage. 'I can get us out of here and you know it!'

Jelninolan smiled and put a hand on his cheek. 'Of course you could. And you'd destroy half the forest as well, and conjure up a war between humans and elves at a time when unity is needed'.

Her gentle warning and her reference to the consequences were effective. The anger drained from his face and he sighed. 'This trip isn't doing me any good. I've become more used to commanding and ruling than I thought'.

Falk gave a deep laugh in response and said, 'that's exactly why this journey is good for you. At last we have a little humility in that ageless body of yours'.

Uldini was about to contradict him vehemently, which would have led to another fight full of taunts and jibes between them, but Ahren intervened by asking a question. 'So what happens next? What about the Call you wanted to put out?'

Jelninolan took Ahren's bait gratefully. She didn't seem to want to experience another verbal dual between these two squabblers either. 'I'm going to have to ask about fifty other elves to give my prayer to the goddess, beseeching her for advice. That could attract the Voice. But as was mentioned already, it doesn't usually work with a young Voice'.

Ahren began peeling of his leather armour and putting the individual pieces on top of each other. It seemed they wouldn't be going anywhere for a while and he might as well make himself comfortable. While he was doing that, he asked another question regarding something Jelninolan had said earlier.

'You mentioned horrible conflicts among the elves earlier. What did you mean by that?' He'd wanted to break the oppressive silence with this question but obviously he'd picked the wrong topic. The elf priestess looked as though she'd bitten into a lemon, Falk threw him a disapproving look and Uldini covered his eyes with his hands and let out a groan.

The apprentice first thought he wouldn't get an answer, but then the elf priestess began to speak. 'In the Dark Days the elves fought on the front line against the hordes of Dark Ones, our losses were many and the horrors we suffered were worse than the other races, as they were less susceptible to strong emotions than we were. There were…differences of opinion as to how we should deal with the chaos and suddenly swords were being drawn, bows tautened, brother against brother, father against daughter, and that in the middle of the war against the Betrayer. Two groups developed among our folk. One group began creating rules and rituals which would ensure harmonious living together and they concentrated on supporting the war in a less aggressive manner. We began to play to our strengths as healers, scouts and path-finders and badgered our enemy with our archery regiment. But we steered clear of close combat so that we could maintain our emotional health. The Eathinian that you have come to know grew out of this movement and spiritual mentality'. Jelninolan took a deep breath and Ahren noticed that the less comfortable part of the story was about to follow. 'The other group believed that only with the full potential of all our emotions, both good and bad, could we enjoy victory over the Betrayer. They embraced the state of intoxication which our emotions could awaken in us, and they experienced euphoria and blood lust, sacrifice and atrocity as they reaped a bloody harvest in the ranks of our enemy. They began setting ambushes, then night attacks, they poisoned foodstuffs, and some of them even allowed themselves to be taken as slaves so they could sabotage the enemy armies from within. All of these deeds dramatically altered their soul and spirit until it was no longer possible to live together with them. In order to prevent a bloodbath, they agreed to move away and find their own homeland. They travelled south and settled in a forest at the front so they would be as close as possible to the fighting. When the war was over, they swore they would roam in the Border Lands and keep guard against the enemy'.

Ahren was beginning to understand what the elf priestess was driving at. 'You're talking about the night elves from the Forest of Ire! They were normal elves? You're one folk?' He'd really meant to be more tactful, but every second horror story he'd heard was about the pale elves with their poisonous daggers who would move around soundlessly at dead of night, leaving corpses lying around that had been living and breathing the day previously. Jelninolan nodded in silence, then went to the entrance of their dwelling, stretched her face towards the sun, closed her eyes and stayed there.

Uldini went over to Ahren, laid a hand on his shoulder and whispered, 'maybe you could come to me if you have questions like that, what do you think?' Ahren nodded, embarrassed. Then he turned to put away his leather armour, which had been lying there unnoticed while the dark story had been related. He noticed the rucksack and he felt twice as guilty. His little foster child, the chipmunk! He hadn't seen him since the previous morning. Hopefully the little chap had made himself scarce at some point. He opened the rucksack and there the little animal was, a little white ball of fur with its silvery lines gleaming in the light. The nuts had all been eaten and he seemed in good health. He took the rodent out carefully and examined the cut on its side. If he hadn't known where to look, he'd never notice the fine line in the fur.

'Culhen really did a good job on you, isn't that right?' whispered Ahren. The rodent's little head turned towards him and the animal was making an angry noise when suddenly there was a clattering noise behind the apprentice. He turned around quickly and saw his master, sprawled on the floor beside the upturned stool he'd been sitting on, staring open-mouthed at Ahren. The young man instinctively wanted to apologise but then he noticed that Falk wasn't staring at him at all. Uldini looked over curiously too before uttering a brittle laugh, creaking with dry humour. 'Auntie?' he called over his shoulder, 'come in, please, you really have to see this'.

The elf came back into the lodgings, her eyebrows quizzically raised. Meanwhile Falk had picked himself up and righted the stool. The priestess was about to ask a question when she spotted Ahren with his little charge. She stood stock still, went white as a sheet and then walked over to him and stretched out her arms. 'Could I have a look at your chipmunk?' she asked with a nervous glance over her shoulder towards outside.

Ahren was quite intimidated by his friends' reaction and handed over the little animal, which was now chirping cheerfully and scrabbling about the priestess's robe.

'It's not mine', explained Ahren quickly. He was sure now he had done something wrong and didn't want the others to be jumping to premature conclusions. 'I only nursed it back to health after the Swarm Claw had almost killed it'.

But all eyes were on the animal, which had calmed down, clambered onto the priestess's palm and was now looking deeply into her eyes.

Uldini took a deep breath and then let out a sigh. 'I think we're at fault here'. He turned to Ahren. 'Everything's been going so quickly and none of us wanted to put too much pressure on you. But…would the situation become clearer to you if we told you this: you recognize the Voice of the Forest, if it dwells in an animal, by its silvery-white fur and its silver eyes?'

Ahren felt faint and sat down. 'Are you telling me that…?' He couldn't finish the sentence. It was just too difficult to acknowledge that he had carried the goddess's sacred animal around in his rucksack. Mind you, he had saved the life of the elves' most holy animal and there was a very good chance that the Voice wouldn't sentence to death the person who saved its life and his friends.

'That explains the strange behaviour of the Swarm Claws too. They weren't after us. They wanted to kill the Voice', added Falk when he noticed that his apprentice needed time to process the situation. 'Bestowing the Voice costs the goddess a lot of energy every time. If a young Voice like this one had been killed by a Dark One, the elves might have had to manage for years without leadership'.

'And we'd have been neutralized. At least with the Voice's rescue, the complaint against us should be off the table', added Uldini resolutely. Falk and Jelninolan nodded in agreement, grinning cheerfully. Uldini turned to Ahren and gave a little bow. 'Young man, you've saved our skins twice in the last two days. One thing is clear. I don't need any ritual to tell me that you're worthy. I was giving out about the lack of support from the gods yesterday, but tonight I think I'm going to pray long and hard and apologise. I'll go and spread the news before I start getting all sentimental'.

As the little figure was going outside, Falk called after him in an exuberant voice, 'but leave out the bit about the rucksack. The fact that a human has saved the Voice of the Forest will be enough for them'.

Jelninolan was still standing deep in silent conversation with the little creature in her hand when Ahren suddenly leaped up. The first shock was over but instead of the joy he should have been feeling, he was uncontrollably angry. All the dangers in the Weeping Valley had been completely unnecessary! Had he been told everything earlier, he would have walked into the elf village the day before yesterday, he would have presented the Voice, he would have been hailed a hero, and he would have been handed the soundless lute with a ribbon around it and been congratulated with lots of backslapping!

An angry red mist had descended on Ahren. He drew himself up to full height and jabbed a finger into Falk's chest. 'From now on you won't treat me like a small child. Selsena and Culhen could have been needlessly killed yesterday because nobody bothered to tell me anything more than the bare minimum. But that's over now!' While these words were being uttered, Falk's eyes had narrowed to angry slits and his whole body-language suggested to Ahren that the old Forest Guardian was on the verge of getting into a fight with him. But he didn't care. Neither of them pulled back by even a hair's breadth and the tension in the air was palpable.

'He's right'. The elf priestess's words, spoken in a soft and gentle voice, brought the two back from the brink.

Ahren's anger evaporated with the understanding that resonated in her voice, and Falk nodded hesitantly. 'Alright then. You have free rein. From now on you can ask whatever you want, and you will get all the answers. We only wanted to protect you, but that didn't work too well, so we'll try it his way. But don't think you're going to be happy with all the answers'. He held out his hand and the young man took it. Falk gripped Ahren's hand firmly and said in a voice of steel, 'and don't forget that I'm still your master. If you turn on me like that again, I'll have you running up and down trees until you think you've turned into a squirrel, is that clear?'

Ahren nodded silently. Then his hand was released and he found himself in a bear hug.

'You've been brave and clever and I'm proud of you'. Falk said that so quietly into his ear, that he didn't understand him. Before Ahren could react, his master had released him and said loudly, 'and now go wash yourself, put on something clean and polish your armour. The elves are going to want to see you and the hero of the hour can hardly appear looking like a snotty nosed kid in a filthy jerkin who doesn't know how to hold his bow'.

Ahren quickly grabbed his armour, went outside and marched to the nearby stream, which served all the village's daily needs.

The old man stared after him and Jelninolan came up beside him. 'He's not a boy anymore but he's still not a man and has to deal with so many things. I understand why you acted the way you did'.

Falk glanced at her and answered. 'Still, we did overdo it. He has earned our respect and it's time we gave him more leeway'.

The priestess's voice then took on an amused undertone. 'Do you really want to answer every question he asks?'

Falk grunted and said quietly, 'I just have to make sure he doesn't ask the wrong questions'.

Only Uldini was present when Ahren returned to their lodgings. He was sprawled out contentedly on a large cushion. 'Good that you weren't here. It was all rather turbulent. Of course all charges against us were dropped on account of your heroic deed. I think two of the older elves almost had heart attacks when they heard the news that a little human child was their saviour in their hour of need while their treetop guards were sitting around on their bottoms, oblivious to it all'. The Arch Wizard giggled sarcastically and rubbed his hands.

I'm not a child any more', protested Ahren wearily. The wizard sat up and raised a defensive hand. 'Most of the villagers here are two hundred years old and more. What do you think they see you as?'

The Arch Wizard tactfully hadn't mentioned that he himself was considerably older than that, but Ahren got the message anyway. He sighed and began to get changed. It would be quite some time yet before everybody was taking him completely seriously.

'I'm responsible for you looking as impressive as possible, then we should go to the main square. The whole village is going to be there and a few representatives from the nearby settlements'.

'I thought the whole settlement was here', answered Ahren in amazement.

Uldini gave a friendly laugh and said, 'Eathinian stretches across the whole continent. Do you think there are only three hundred elves living in the whole forest?'

Ahren wanted to protest but Uldini raised his hands reassuringly. 'There are about fifty thousand elves living in Evergreen, in settlements like this one, and in most cases it takes many days to get from one to the next. We came to this one here because it was easy to get to by the Red Posts and Jelninolan was waiting here for us. She hasn't said anything, but rest assured she's been trying to make contact with the Voice of the Forest since she found out about you. Now we know why the old Voice never responded'. He drew his finger across his throat.

Ahren felt a little uncomfortable when he heard the Arch Wizard speaking so sarcastically and dismissively about such serious matters. But then it dawned on him that this little creature must have seen so many terrible things and that this was his way of dealing with them. Ahren himself had changed considerably in the previous months and his confrontation with Falk was evidence of that. Centuries full of responsibilities and change must take their toll on a person's spirit, even someone as mighty as the Arch Wizard.

Uldini's lifted his hands up to his face in feigned shock. 'Oh no! Are the green sparks there again?' he called and Ahren realized that he had been staring, lost in thought, at his companion. He turned away guiltily and hurried to finish his preparations.

The wizard sniggered behind him. 'I'm familiar with your reaction. You get used to it'.

Ahren wasn't sure if he was referring to his sardonic manner or to the distressing events of the last few days, and he came to the conclusion that the clever magus had probably meant both.

After a time Ahren turned around and said, 'I'm ready. We can go'.

Uldini tilted his head and scrutinized the apprentice with a critical eye. Ahren may have put in an effort but he was still an apprentice in tatty armour. The Arch Wizard produced his crystal ball and let it float around Ahren a few times while he quietly uttered some words. The young man looked down at himself and saw that his leather had taken on a bright sheen, as if it had been polished for hours. His clothes didn't have a speck of dirt on them.

'That's the best I can do. Almost everyone present has powers of magic, and any illusion that I create will only make you appear vain. Everything is so much easier in the Sun Court'. He stepped behind the apprentice and pushed him out into the light.

'Come on, the others are waiting. Let's get it over with, I'm hungry'. And at that he lifted off and floated quickly off, so that Ahren had to trot along quickly so as not to fall behind.


They met nobody along the way and once they saw the enormous trees in the centre of the village, Ahren knew why. The whole platform was full of elves, who turned as one in his direction as soon as he came into view. No sound emanated from the gathering and you could hear a pin drop. As they walked towards the silent community, Uldini looked over his shoulder and said, 'don't worry about it, it's their way of celebrating. They're all bound together on the same emotional level at the moment and they're jumping mental somersaults for joy. If you were an elf, you'd be participating and feeling fantastic. Just trust me. They're very grateful'.

Uldini's dry manner helped to calm Ahren's nerves and stepped onto the platform. All the elves were greeting him with quiet smiles and he managed to respond with a smile of his own. The crowd divided and Ahren went to the middle of the platform, trying not to think about the fact that there were five hundred people standing on a thin cloth platform high in the air. Although he was used to the cloth paths, this enormous flat surface with its knotted material still made him nervous. His companions were waiting for him in the middle.

Jelninolan looked the same as ever. Her small, round figure, her red hair and green eyes were even more marked, now that she was surrounded by these many tall, slim, white haired elves.

Falk was standing by her side, in full regalia with his gleaming armour and his fur cloak, and Culhen was lying on a fat cushion in front of them with a contented look on his face. He must have been thoroughly groomed because his fur shone like satin in the warm afternoon sun. He greeted Ahren with a joyful bark. Uldini floated beside the high priestess and indicated to him to stand in front of them.

As Ahren stepped closer, he saw the Voice of the Forest, who had rolled himself together between Culhen's front paws and was now looking at Ahren with sleepy eyes.

Jelninolan smiled at him and produced Tanentan. The artefact had been cleaned and polished but the impression it left was still that of a simple lute. The priestess began to sing in the Elf language and her fingers plucked the strings, but no sound came from the instrument. At first Ahren thought the lute was broken, but then he felt it was talking to him, as if the individual sounds were being generated directly within his spirit. The priestess wove her song out of this spectral music, and suddenly it became clear to the young man that although he didn't understand the Elf language, she was singing the story of his battle with the Swarm Claw.

He saw the images with his inner eye. It was as if everything was happening again, and when it came to the point where his dagger lunged into the Swarm Claw's chest, Culhen uttered a howl which was the perfect imitation of the one he had uttered under the tree, when he had distracted the Dark One.

Then the song was over. Jelninolan place her hands on the strings and the horrific episode vanished. Ahren was dazed and it took him a while to come back to the present. He blinked repeatedly to banish the memories. When he had regained his sense of orientation he noticed that everyone present was bowing towards him and Jelninolan spoke in a booming voice. 'We thank you for your deeds!'

Then everyone straightened up again and a quiet murmuring could be heard. The elves were beginning to behave like individuals again and not as one large, indivisible group. The ceremony seemed to be over and the spiritually united bond had dissolved.

Uldini clapped his hands. 'That was refreshing. What is there to eat?' he called in a self-satisfied voice.

The magus was obviously familiar with the elf customs for a short time later there was a movement among the crowd. Cushions were artfully arranged, and baskets of food were brought from the surrounding lodgings. Soon all the participants were sitting around, scattered in little groups on the floor. Ahren and his friends ate in the middle of the platform which had filled up in no time. Soon there were elves sitting on all the edges of the cloth, their legs dangling in the air below. There was eating and drinking, the air was filled with laughter and the melodic language of the forest dwellers.

There were groups of singers scattered about and Ahren was amazed at how harmoniously the songs intertwined with each other. There still seemed to be some kind of unconscious union among the elves.

Ahren was starving and gobbled down everything he could lay hold on. Provisions had been pretty meagre the last couple of days and so he stuffed himself with bread and honey, not to mention mint pasties stuffed with meat, washing them both down with a sharp-smelling fruit juice, which tasted a little of apple and aniseed.

Chewing with his mouth full, he asked his master quietly, 'I thought elves didn't eat meat'.

Falk nodded. 'They only do it rarely. You could put it like this: they only eat what the forest has too much of. The rabbit population had to be reduced considerably this year, so that's why there are pasties'. He bit heartily into one, then continued, 'I remember one season when the river changed direction nearby and there was an explosion of blueberry bushes. For weeks afterwards all the meals had blueberries. As the gods are my witness, I avoided that fruit for years afterwards'. He laughed and slapped Ahren on the back.

He had rarely seen his master so happy and Ahren was painfully aware that this place really was the Forest Guardian's home. He chewed thoughtfully on his pasty, then he put it aside and asked Jelninolan, 'can I have a quick word with you?'

She gave him a quizzical smile and when he stood up, she followed suit. Ahren wound his way through the crowd until they got to a quiet spot near the edge. The elf priestess stood beside him and waited politely while he enjoyed the view and wondered how he should start.

'Everyone seems to be very happy that we saved the Voice', he began, awkwardly. The priestess smiled in amusement and raised an eyebrow quizzically.

'And you worked that out for yourself?'

Ahren sighed. He was no good at these things and it wouldn't get any better unless he came to the point. 'I wanted to ask if I could make a request, now that we've helped you'.

The elf hesitated and looked at him in surprise. 'You want a reward?' Jelninolan's aura had lost none of its power over Ahren and the disappointment that was revealed in her question caused him to flinch.

'Yes…no, well, not for me anyway', he said quickly. 'I'd never be here without Falk, I'd never have learned how to climb or how to hunt Dark Ones or how to treat injured animals. Without his training, I wouldn't have been able to save the Voice of the Forest. Would it be possible for his banishment to be lifted?' His voice had been getting quieter and quieter and now it petered out. His companion looked at him thoughtfully with eyes narrowed and with a maternal sternness. Then she nodded and said, 'I'll see what I can do'. She turned around and went, leaving a somewhat baffled apprentice in her wake, who didn't know what to make of her reaction.

The elf priestess didn't return to the others and so Ahren went back alone. Every elf he passed gave him a broad smile, or proposed a toast in his honour, or even bowed slightly before him. When he arrived back to his friends, he saw that Culhen had an enormous bowl of rabbit meat in front of him, which he was holding between his front paws as he wolfed down the food, growling with enjoyment.

Uldini watched the wolf with amusement and then turned to Ahren. 'It seems our furry hero is perfectly content. The Voice has retired back into the forest. He was probably afraid our friend would eat him by mistake'.

Ahren laughed and then became serious and sat down on one of the cushions. Daylight was gradually vanishing, and a soft twilight was settling in on the forest. He took another sip of the strange drink and Uldini leaned over him.

'Be careful with that. You hardly notice it but there's some alcohol in it. If you drink too much and then go for another walk along the edge, well…'

He wriggled his eyebrows in an exaggerated manner and Ahren had to laugh again. The Arch Wizard really knew how to use his childish appearance to his advantage, whether it was just to make jokes or to highlight the difference between appearance and reality.

Falk was chatting to a group of elves some paces away and Uldini leaned closer towards Ahren. 'We're alone now and I'm in a talkative mood. Falk took off your muzzle today, so if you have any questions, now would be a good opportunity'.

The wizard's offer took Ahren by surprise, but then he asked a question that had been troubling him for a while. 'Why did you connect the reappearance of the Paladin with the eternal spell. Would it not have been better if all the Paladins were there before the betrayer wakes?'

Uldini's eyes lit up. 'A really clever question. We did discuss that at the time. We wanted to intertwine the problem and its solution. A balance of strengths if you so wish. None of the other ideas were implementable. The most popular suggestion at the time was: the Pall Pillar falls when the gods awaken. Sounds mad, doesn't it? But it wasn't. We would have had to connect the sleep of the gods to the Pall Pillar and thereby create a channel between THEM and HIM. Can you imagine how much power HE would have been able to draw from such a connection? Other alternatives presented the same problem. If HE or his servants had somehow managed to conjure up the end of the Bane Spell, then you'd have a world without a Paladin. So we decided to make things simple and fool-proof. First you appear, then HE wakes up. The Paladins were our best option. Half of us thought the thirteenth would never come back, the other half thought the new chosen one would be found within a few months. Then we would have gone with the little child to the Pall Pillar, we would have carried out the ritual of Naming and speared the swine without giving him a chance to bat an eyelid'. The Arch Wizard gave him a penetrating look. 'Nobody planned it to take this long for a new candidate to appear. We came up with the idea of the focus stones sixty years later when it became clear that there was no short-term solution in sight. But now, hundreds of years later, the situation has completely changed. We have to travel all over the place, picking up people and items for a ritual that in those days we could have done in a day, because everything was close together'. He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. 'We enshrined the Naming of the Paladin with the eternal Bane Spell because the ritual of Naming has enormous power. No-one should have been able to remove the Bane Spell or evade it. That worked. But the powers of the thirteenth Paladin were set free with your election and now HE can tap into this power, slowly but surely – through the connection between the Bane Spell and your election. And the longer it takes us to perform the Naming, the more power HE can steal'.

Ahren gave an understanding nod. 'That's why he wakes up earlier if we dawdle. He'll become stronger, I'll become weaker'. Ahren felt a shiver run down his spine at this thought.

Uldini hesitated. 'Yes, more or less. I've gone through all the calculations again. Ideally, we'll execute the ritual before the winter solstice. Then we have a few years before he wakes up in order to find the others and kill him with the united powers of all thirteen Paladins. But if we need longer than next winter solstice, he'll wake up in the following winter and we'll be done for'.

'So that's the reason for the delay tactics. The Swarm Claws that are looking for us and forcing us to travel more slowly, the bandits ambushing us and the attempt to kill the Voice of the Forest', said Ahren slowly.

'Exactly. You recognise the pattern. HIS main aim is to kill you, don't believe anything else. But if HE can slow us down at the same time, that's almost as useful to HIM. Death by a thousand cuts'.

Everything was much clearer to Ahren and he was grateful to the wizard for his explanations. But there was one thing he still wanted to know. 'We have two of the three Einhans but who is the third? Has Falk said anything yet?'

Uldini shook his head. 'We haven't had a chance to have a private conversation yet, but he seems to have a plan. I mean he knows where to look and who to ask. That's comforting. We can ask him together later'.

Ahren squirmed with excitement. He was being included at last. 'And then we can carry out the ritual of Naming! What does that mean for me?'

Uldini raised his hand reassuringly. 'Almost. We sealed the place of ritual at the time with magic so that nobody could find it by accident. One of the Wild Folk will have to lead us there, but that's no problem. And no, not much will change for you, unfortunately. By rights you should get the talents of the THREE at the Naming, but because you're a special case, I'm not sure what exactly is going to happen. Only the MOULDER will definitely touch you and make you resistant to the Betrayer's influence. But I've been protecting you with my magic anyway since I've been with you.So you won't feel any difference'.

Ahren looked at the childlike figure in surprise. 'Thank you', he said.

Uldini nodded and smiled drily. 'One does one's best'.

It was getting even darker now, and soon some of the elves were conjuring up spheres of light which were floating above them on their gentle paths and partaking in a ghostly dance. Ahren lay on his back and looked up enthralled, leaning his head against Culhen's overfull stomach. The wolf gave a disgruntled growl but was far too full to resist his friend. Ahren let the sweet night air take hold of him and followed the complicated patterns of the blue-white illuminated spheres which were moving across the sky like glow-worms. A solitary elf started to sing, then another and soon the harmonious singing was everywhere. A deep peace enveloped the young Forest Guardian and he let his fingers run through the wolf's fur. His questions were forgotten, and he surrendered to the peace of the moment. Ahren took another sip of the elf fruit drink and was soon lulled to sleep by the light, the song and the warmth of his wolf friend.

[ Epilogue ]

When Ahren woke up the next morning, he saw that he wasn't the only one had slept outside in the cosy warm embrace of Evergreen. At least half of the revellers were still lying around in small groups on the platform, their heads or bodies on the cushions. The sleep patterns and sleeping arrangements of the elves was as much a mystery to him as everything else about them. The missing doors in all their lodgings, the singing of the individual elves which always harmonised with the singing of the whole group, not to mention the previous day's ceremony, all showed the young Forest Guardian how closely-knit the elves were. He tried to imagine a human group living like that and he could only laugh. The bailiff would have a lot on his hands because their living together would be far from harmonious.

He stood up and Culhen stretched himself in gratitude. Ahren had misused him for the whole night as a pillow. The wolf shook himself off and sniffed his friend's hand.

'You can't be hungry again', Ahren chided quietly.

The large bowl that the Blood Wolf had licked clean yesterday wasn't two paces away and Ahren was convinced that half a dozen rabbits must have been in it. Culhen whimpered quietly and pushed against Ahren's hand with his nose again. He shook his head in disbelief and relented.

'Alright then, let's get you something to eat. You've certainly deserved it'.

Ahren tickled the wolf between the ears and then began to pick his way slowly through the groups of sleepers. There was no sign of the others and Ahren figured that they must have returned to their lodgings during the night. He had no idea where he could find something to eat in the village and he didn't want to wake any of the elves, partly because he didn't speak Elfish, so he decided to go to the lodgings and ask Falk where he could fill up his greedy wolf.

Culhen trotted contentedly beside him, sometimes panting quietly and sometimes sniffing the ground curiously. The young Forest Guardian looked at his friend thoughtfully. In nearly two years Culhen had grown into an imposing wolf. His head was now above Ahren's hips, he was muscular and a little broader than normal wolves. If he kept on growing, he would be heavier than Ahren and no-one would take him for a normal animal any more. He tried to comfort himself by remembering what he had read in Vera's books. The tome stated that Northern Wolves - and Culhen's breed was descended from them – reached their full height at two years. Hopefully his friend would take after them rather than after his mother.

The truth was that Culhen was unique and would always put up with Ahren no matter what happened, so long as they could be together. He threw his arms around the animal impulsively, which resulted in his face being licked and being enveloped by the aroma of six eaten rabbits. He gave a groan of disgust and wiped his face dry with his sleeve. Then they went on towards the others.

Ahren arrived at the lodgings and found Falk, Uldini and Jelninolan at breakfast. The atmosphere suggested that they'd been having a friendly conversation and they greeted him heartily. He sat down beside them and Culhen made a beeline for the corner of the communal room where a bowlful of rabbit was waiting for him.

Falk looked over in amusement and said, 'your wolf will get fat if he carries on eating like that. Soon he'll only be able to howl at the Dark Ones because he'll be too heavy to budge'.

Culhen glanced back, the picture of injured innocence, before continuing to eat. Jelninolan smiled and responded, 'and he's vain. There was no need for his howling yesterday, the song would have brought forth the memory anyway. But he wanted to show off'.

The animal gave a quiet whimper but carried on eating.

Uldini shook his head. 'I'm telling you, he's slowly beginning to understand every word we say. It seems it's not only his tummy that's growing', and he tapped his head.

Ahren was glad that everyone seemed to be in a relaxed mood. Their latest victory and the harmonious feast had done everyone good, and he himself felt full of derring-do this morning. Hoping he wouldn't destroy the mood, he asked, 'so what happens next?'

Falk answered calmly, 'first we have to leave Evergreen, then straight through the Knight Marshes to King's Island. That has the only harbour with a connection to the Silver Cliff. And, from what I've last heard, there we will find a dwarf, who would be suitable as an Einhan'.

'Who is he?' asked Uldini curiously but Ahren was hardly listening. He would ride through the length of the Knight Marshes, he would land on King's Island, a small island that contained a capital city of the same name! And he'd never seen the sea before! And they'd even travel by ship! He tried to hide his excitement.

Falk answered Uldini's question. 'At the moment he doesn't have a name. He's staying on a lonely sentry post, or Lonely Watch, as it's called'.

Uldini whistled through his teeth and Jelninolan snorted with disgust.

Ahren gave a questioning look, and much to his silent delight, Falk answered immediately. 'It's common among the dwarves to give certain, usually very difficult tasks to individual dwarves, who then have to fulfil them. Until they have done this, they are left on their own and don't have a name. They first get this back once they have performed the task, with a new syllable added in recognition of their service to the community. You can recognise the oldest and most decorated of them by their terribly long names'.

The elf priestess shook her head and Ahren understood why. It sounded tough enough to his own human ears, sending an individual into exile and without a name, in order to do something for the community. It had to sound like pure barbarity to elves with their understanding of harmony.

Uldini followed up with a question. 'And you think he'll help us? You know what dwarves can be like'.

Falk nodded. 'I know him from before. He's the only dwarf I can think of who would be worthy, and would help us without too much persuasion. And anyway, he's on the Silver Cliff at the moment. Trogadon's shield is stored there as well. That will do for our ritual and it's not important to the dwarves. It's only used for ceremonial purposes every couple of decades when a new master blacksmith is being appointed. That way we'll avoid having to go to Thousand Halls'.

Ahren racked his brains, trying to remember what he knew about dwarves. There were two dwarf settlements. Thousand Halls, the actual kingdom of the dwarves, lay to the south, beneath the Eastern Sunplains. The High King had his seat there and most of the dwarves' military might was based there too. The Silver Cliff on the other hand, was a small enclave, which specialised almost exclusively in trade with Kelkor and the Knight Marshes, and lay on the banks of Kelkor. Ahren could understand why Falk would prefer to go there. The journey was half as long and the Silver Cliff dwarves were considered to be much more open-minded than their southern cousins.

Uldini nodded approvingly and said, 'that sounds promising. Let's hope that your friend has finished his task by the time we get there'.

Falk shrugged his shoulders. 'Even if that isn't the case, the dwarves are a pragmatic folk. As non-dwarves we can give him a hand, and usually it's only something like smoking out cave spiders or things like that. The dwarves don't possess any magic but you, Uldini, should be able to manage whatever it is he's supposed to do in a day'

The Arch Wizard pulled a face. 'I hate spiders and now I feel I'm being used'.

Falk responded calmly, 'it's time you made yourself useful'.

The verbal combat showed to Ahren that the informative part of the discussion was now over and he began to think over what he had just heard. The Knight Marshes, a voyage on a ship and visiting the Silver Cliff. It all sounded incredibly exciting and would ease the pain of leaving the elf forest.

He looked over at Jelninolan and a wave of pity came over him. She would have to leave the community of elves for a long time. Ahren was beginning to feel what this meant for an elf creature.

He leaned over to her and whispered, 'maybe you could come later to some agreed meeting point after we've found the dwarf. You and Uldini could talk to each other using magic'.

She smiled at him and said, 'that's very nice of you but it really is time that I moved away again so as not to lose my connection to the outside world. We have a tendency to withdraw too much. Anyway, I have no intention of letting you out of my sight until you've been named. Too many enemies are after you, and you're going to need all the help you can get'.

Grateful for her support, he settled down to breakfast, all the time listening to the playful conversation between his master and the Arch Wizard.

When he was finally finished eating, his master looked at him with eyebrows raised. 'We'll be leaving tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn, which means that you have the rest of the day to continue with your disrupted training', he said firmly.

Ahren nodded guiltily, then took his bow and Windblade in his hand and went out to look for a quiet place to practise.

The day flew by. The quiet atmosphere in the forest and the familiar activity gave Ahren time to think and mull over the events of the previous days. Falk came by from time to time and gave him new tasks or asked him a complicated question at difficult moments in the training. Jelninolan provided him with company too, and tested his knowledge of the plants and animals in the forest.

Above all, he enjoyed Uldini's visit. The Arch Wizard entertained him with anecdotes about the Sun Emperor's court. Late in the afternoon his master gave him climbing exercises to complete until finally, shattered and exhausted but nonetheless content, the apprentice made his way back to the guest lodgings. A hearty stew was on the table and Ahren helped himself. Then he curled up under his blanket, relaxed his exhausted muscles and dozed off to the sound of his companions' quiet conversation. The day had almost been the same as in his earlier existence in the forest cabin, and as he drifted off, he thought of the wonders and adventures that awaited him and a smile spread across his face.

The three others looked over at the sleeping youth and Jelninolan said, 'he's come a long way in a short time. How long have you been training him now, two years?'

Falk nodded proudly. 'I'm glad we can give him a little breather now'.

Uldini chuckled quietly. 'Breather? We're going to travel through a kingdom full of feuds, go on a voyage half the the length of the eastern coast, and then we have to help a dwarf on his lonely watch. What could possibly go wrong?'