Wyldfyre awoke the next morning to the sound of the local cocks crowing in the sunrise. And what a sunrise it was! Through the window of his room, Wyldfyre saw the great shining globe of the sun rising up over the mountainous peaks on the horizon, bathing the entire town in rays of golden light, piercing the shadow that covered the land like a flurry of brilliant arrows. There was not a single cloud to mar the brilliant blue sky, and Wyldfyre felt refreshed just witnessing the beautiful scene.

He turned, intent on waking his companion and sharing the sight with him. "Lari-" his voice tailed off as he realised that Larieth's bed was empty. Quickly glancing around the room, Wyldfyre satisfied himself that all their possessions were still present, indicating that wherever Larieth had gone, he was not far.

Quickly changing from his night clothes to his more usual surcoat and cloak, Wyldfyre left their room and slipped downstairs to arrange breakfast. When he emerged into the front room of the tavern, he saw Larieth already sitting at one of the tables, the only other up this early, slowly sipping a mug of some hot liquid. There were two bowls on the table, one full of porridge, and the other empty. Wyldfyre walked over and sat down at the table.

"I thought you would be hungry," Larieth said, staring at the bottom of his mug as he absent mindedly pushed the full bowl over to Wyldfyre's half of the table. "I hope you don't mind, I already ate."

Wyldfyre pulled the bowl the rest of the distance to him and slowly stirred the thick contents with the small wooden spoon provided. "Couldn't sleep?" He asked, taking his first mouthful.

Larieth chuckled quietly, his eyes still fixed on the bottom of the mug as he began to swirl it around gently, watching the liquid churn within. "Not very well, no."

The silence that descended upon the pair lasted a few moments, as Wyldfyre took another couple of spoonfuls of porridge. "What's troubling you?" He asked. When there was no immediate reply, he added. "Trying to decide how to ask me to join you in your quest to defeat Korlath?"

The expression on the dragon's human face when he looked up suddenly was a mix of surprise and apology. He placed the mug on the table gently and opened his mouth to speak. "I-"

"You needn't have worried, Larieth." Wyldfyre smiled broadly as he interrupted his friend. "Of course I'll go with you. I think these people need our help, and Korlath sounds like a very dangerous foe."

Larieth looked down and lowered his voice. "Actually... I was considering asking you to stay behind."

Wyldfyre nearly choked on his next spoonful. Swallowing quickly, his surprise was clearly evident in his expression. "Stay behind? After all the travels and adventures we've faced together? After all you've taught me? Why?"

As he looked up, Larieth shook his head slightly as he mentally backtracked. He smiled weakly. "I'm sorry, Wyldfyre. I should never have asked. Of course we will go together."

Eyeing his companion suspiciously, Wyldfyre nodded slowly as he took another spoon of porridge. "Yes, we'll go together, and find out exactly what Korlath is up to." He paused for a moment to chew. "As it has always been."

Larieth tapped his fingers on the table and rose from his seat. "As always," he agreed. "Now, I'll leave you to your breakfast and ready our things for leaving. We should make an early start for the mountains to reach Korlath's tower by nightfall."

"You really think he has a tower carved out of the mountains, like Art said?"

Nodding slightly as he turned and headed for the stairway, Larieth muttered under his breath. "I'm certain of it."

**********

With a brief farewell to the tavern keeper, with their thanks for such kind hospitality, Wyldfyre and Larieth departed for the mountains. Art had told them roughly where the wizard's tower was supposed to be, with a warning not to go there. Neither of the two had mentioned any intention to go there, and Wyldfyre was not sure if the sword teacher had figured out their intentions almost before either of them had. In any case, he did not show up to see them depart.

They travelled along a well-worn trail for a while, heading up towards the only mountain pass in the region. Of course, the uniqueness of the mountain pass ensured that the trail was always busy, and more than once a passing merchants cart passed by the pair, stopping only to bid them a good day and safe journey.

It was the driver of the fourth such cart, drawn by two horses and carrying a full load of hay, that actually offered the travellers a lift to their destination. He was a kindly old man, with a well developed greying beard and bald head. His clothes were plain but sturdily fashioned, the typical dress of local farmers.

"I'll be heading off along the mountains to Tarvaith," he explained. "But the two of you are more than welcome to hop on the back and come as far as the pass, if that's where you're headed."

"That would be most appreciated, kind sir." Larieth bowed graciously. "I am Larieth, and this is Wyldfyre."

"Strange names for this land, sure enough, but well met, Larieth. And Wyldfyre too. My name is Raith, local farmer and market trader, at least, when the harvest is good!" He motioned to the back of the cart. "Just hop up on the hay there. Should be comfortable enough for you. If you'd be kind enough to honour me with your conversation during our journey, I'd be well glad of the distraction from the trail."

Wyldfyre climbed on to the back of the cart and gave Larieth a hand with their packs. Making sure they were well stowed, the two laid on their backs, watching the sky as Raith drove the horses onwards down the trail.

"So, I assume that the harvest was indeed good for you this year, Raith." Wyldfyre ventured with a smile. "Given that you carry so much now to Tarvaith."

The elderly man chuckled and nodded, though Wyldfyre and Larieths' eyes were not on him. "That it was, young friend, that it was. The gods have smiled upon my family and I this year. The winter will not be such a harsh burden to bear."

The conversation continued between the three in a jovial fashion for a long while as the horses gently drew the cart along the trail, traversing the gently rolling hills leading up to the ever-more intimidating skyline of the Dorilden Mountains. The giant peaks rose from the rolling hills, almost high enough to cleave the sky in two with their snow-capped peaks. It was an impressive sight.

Finally, after a time, Wyldfyre decided to ask the question that had been on both his own and Larieth's mind since this phase of the journey had begun. "Raith, what do you know of a wizard called Korlath?"

There was a grunting sound from the horses as Raith pulled at the reins and brought them and the cart to a stop. He lowered his voice and spoke without turning to face his passenger. "That's not a safe name to be speaking in these parts, friend. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't do so again."

Wyldfyre was sufficiently startled that he propped himself upright with his arm and turned to look at Raith, who still didn't turn to face him. "I... I'm sorry, Raith. I did not mean to cause offence. Please, forget I asked." Looking back at Larieth, he shared his worried expression. Larieth simply gave a slight wave of dismissal and signalled for Wyldfyre to settle back down.

"That I will, Wyldfyre." There was a crack of the whip in Raith's hand and the horses began their steady pace again. "Though I think we're not too far from the point where we should be parting ways."

**********

Not long after that the cart did indeed reach the trail junction for Tarvaith. Wyldfyre and Larieth dismounted and thanked Raith for his assistance in travelling this far. The cart then turned and continued its journey alongside the mountains, while the disguised elf and dragon turned to face the rising trail into the mountains.

"He was scared," Larieth said as they began to walk uphill, answering Wyldfyre's unspoken question.

"I saw that, Larieth, but why? The others in the town, like Art, they did not seem to fear speaking the name of that wizard aloud."

Larieth nodded and smiled. "Safety in numbers. They don't live outside of the town on comparatively remote farmland. A town has guards and soldiers. A farm, more often than not, does not."

Wyldfyre considered this for a moment. "I suppose you are right, but I doubt that Korlath pays any great attention to the farms around Aspinara. As far as we've heard, his attacks have been concentrated on the town itself. Though I suppose we have already witnessed that a great deal of their fear is fuelled by rumour and superstition."

The two continued onwards in silence for a short while, climbing the steady gradient of the trail for a short while, before reaching the point Art had told them about, where a stream cut across their path. They turned upstream and walked along its bank, looking for the abandoned pass that Art had described, a cleft in the mountains that would lead them into the large valley where Korlath's tower was located.

"Larieth... I have a question." Wyldfyre suddenly ventured.

"What is on your mind, my friend?"

Wyldfyre thought for a moment, trying to decide how to phrase the question, though he decided a while ago exactly what he would say. "Those creatures we fought. They troubled me. It was liked they were familiar in some way, but I don't recall ever having seen their like before."

It wouldn't be until a while after that moment that Larieth decided if he had really expected that question or not. Regardless, he almost stumbled in his tracks, and did well to hide the multitude of expressions that all seemed to want to leap to his face at once. Worry, surprise, panic, discomfort, they all vied for control, and all were suppressed. His voice also managed to keep calm. "Why do you ask, Wyldfyre? How exactly were they familiar?"

They walked a little further as Wyldfyre tried to figure out in his mind exactly what had felt so recognisable about the twisted beasts. The answer was not forthcoming, though, just the constant feeling that he had seen them somewhere before. He shrugged slightly. "I'm not sure, Larieth. I just have this strong feeling that I have encountered them before. Maybe in a dream, perhaps? One that I had after you told me those stories about the Dark Hoarde in my youth."

Larieth's blood froze, and he struggled to contain the mental battle that he had been engaged in on various levels for so long. Again, he took the decision to remain silent and merely smiled at his companion. "Perhaps so, Wyldfyre. You did frighten a little more easily back then."

Wyldfyre chuckled, and Larieth breathed a silent sigh of relief. "I suppose I did. Still, it is an odd feeling."

**********

After a couple of hours trekking through ever more mountainous terrain, the two finally reached the cleft in the peaks that Art had spoken of. They carefully traversed the treacherous landscape and passed between two of the peaks to emerge into a great valley, just as had been described to them.

A narrow rocky trail led along one of the sides of the valley, suspended some couple of hundred feet from the river running along the bottom of it. The trail itself was barely wide enough to fit a cart down, and it was obvious to see why this particular mountain passage had been abandoned so long ago.

On the same side of the valley, a couple of miles distant on the horizon, small orangey lights marked out candlelit windows in what must have been Korlath's tower. Wyldfyre strained his vision to see more detail, but in the dying light of the day which bathed the valley in shadow, he could make out nothing but a greyish structure, clinging to the valley wall in the distance.

Larieth regarded the sun, now dropping behind the valley wall. He looked a little way ahead on the trail, to where it widened beneath a rocky overhang. "We camp there for the night and move on to our destination tomorrow."

Wyldfyre nodded his approval and the two set up their sleeping furs, the curvature of the valley at that point shielding them a little from the cold wind that blew fiercely along it. They both settled down to sleep, but neither of them slept particularly well.


WYLDFYRE

I don't really see how I could have expected to sleep well. Those creatures preyed on my mind like they really were stalking me in my dreams. I get the feeling that Larieth isn't telling me everything, but he has never lied to me before.

No, I'm sure I'm just paranoid.

As for Korlath... Well, the structure I saw on the valley wall, even though it was getting dark and it was far away, it just didn't seem that impressive to me. Powerful wizards, crazy, evil or otherwise, all seem to have a craving for impressive architecture. Or maybe that's just a stereotype. I suppose it must be, because for a wizard powerful enough to twist those creatures into the mutated forms we battled, his tower was distinctly lacklustre.

Another mystery to be solved.


LARIETH

I don't really see how I could have expected to sleep well. He's just so close to the truth now. All right, so he could learn that this wizard has somehow managed to exert a power similar to that of the Dark Hoarde, to somehow twist those creatures into the terrifying forms that ravaged his homeland. They may not be as powerful, and they may not be as smart, but that blood, the blood of death that burns and corrodes all life it touches, that convinced me in the end. That is why we must stop Korlath now, before he perfects the art and becomes truly dangerous.

But what questions will Wyldfyre ask me once our mission here is completed? What will he discover when we enter that tower? I tried to leave him behind in Aspinara for a little while, and by all the stars in the sky, I wish I had. But as ever, I could not bring myself to leave him, not even for a little while. His life is precious to me, more so his happiness, and I would not ever see that threatened.

He has seen enough pain for this lifetime.