IN THOSE QUIET, silent hours before daybreak, violent storms raced across the highlands of Hannelora from the north slamming against the rocky, jagged cliffs and sending bursts of foamy sea spray up the cliff-face walls like geysers even as Magne prepared his Honor Pledge to ride for Riagon Loch as if his life depended on it.

Drenching rain soaked everything but it did not deter Magne's instructions to Neswren. Find, and bring Eiliq Clack straight away back to Blade Shield.

The two stood next to the great war horse which would hasten Neswren's trip. It pawed and lunged at the reins but Magne held the awesome mount steadfast, giving Neswren a leg up and handing him the reins.

Neswren tapped the horse on the flanks and it bolted into the fray of high wind and sleeting cold rain. Magne turned to watch as they took to the hills and beyond sight. Then he went back to the great hall to inform Neris.

~

Kitra, hiding along the the other side of the great Yahr Tributary, soaked clear to the bone, sat near a decaying rope bridge, watching with unfeigned interest as the war horse and rider galloped along the valley crease, scattering flocks of yellow ground quail before entering the road to Hannelore. He disappeared around the bend and she wondered where he was off to in such a dash. Perhaps Riagon had already learned of Terthil's imminent arrival in which case she would have to make haste herself, not wanting a run in with likes of Terthil and his type of men.

She had arrived here late the prior evening hoping to get a glimpse of Aarius but as of this time had seen nothing and she was starting to get the anxious feeling of dread mixed with fear that he wouldn't make it to her in time.

After hearing rumors swirling around Crescent Camp, she had made the swift decision to sneak out ahead of her company. King Terthil was furious, they said, because his men allowed Aarius to escape and planned to march to Blade Shield with a small army to confront Riagon Nor about it. If she could just manage to apprehend Aarius first, they could be gone from this whole mess but it looked as if she was going to have to enter the stronghold and find him herself.

Terthil was an opportunist and didn't take kindly to losing an important advantage over Medgar. In his mind, being King of Crescent Camp was only a stepping stone to being King of all the Marvelous Kingdoms. Kitra shook off her hesitation with thoughts of a King Terthil controlling their every move and pushed herself closer to the dilapidated, yawning gate of the rope bridge. It was her only choice if she desired to sneak into Blade Shield unnoticed.

With her heart beating in her throat she pressed her hands against either of the two wooden support poles at the entrance and looked down. A harsh wind whipped around her, teasing and threatening to send her plummeting over the edge to certain death below.

Her foot slipped, sending dirt and rubble cascading over each side of the crumbling entrance and she stifled a frantic yelp, shifting to hug tightly to just one of support poles. Her breath became a pant and she felt the heat of fear bath her with a thin sheen of sweat in spite of the stinging cold rain pelting her from head to toe.

Carefully, with her trembling arms still wrapped tightly to the massive wooden support she eased one foot down to the first rotting rung when she felt hard hands grab the collar of her tunic and with a violent snatch she was jerked back into a pair of strong arms which pulled her back and against a hard body that hissed a drawn out whisper somewhere above her head.

"Where do yew think yerrrrr going now, chippie?"

~

Helkild, Fynna and Skaenn along with their contingent rode at full thrust the entire day only stopping once to rest their mounts. They partook of bread and fowl patê washing it down with mead. It was during this time Helkild decided they would ride straight through to Riagon Loch and take rest at Eiliq Clacks Forge. There was room there for all his men to have a proper break and relief.

It was also the safest.

Surrounded by miles of nothing more than swampy marshes and the razor sharp water reeds, Eiliq's Forge was isolated and the last stop between Hannelore and Hannelora before one took to the land bridge and Medgar's henchmen had never been able to gain a foothold there. Besides the Forge, Riagon Loch was barren with only a small raised temple of Mithras on a hill overlooking the ocean beyond and had no places for an ambush, so after their short respite Helkild made urgent and they were off again.

Their arrival was perfectly matched, as fate would have it, with the arrival of Neswren who also had ridden through the day to make haste of his duty.

Becoming an Oath Guard. That was how he saw it. No more no less.