As the company left the safety of Berning’s campsite and once more entered the 
	desolation, Gento said, “For all his youth, Rufus is well versed in Geography. Although 
	he has no certain knowledge, he has pointed out several possible sites where BERNING 
	camped in the past. I did the same for him, so our meeting was both pleasant and 
	profitable.”
		Larn said, “We have been blessed with good fortune from the moment we began 
	this journey. Our encounter with GARTH'S creatures could have been much worse. Perhaps 
	it is too much to hope for that such luck will continue. We are certain to face great 
	danger from now on.”
		JOM replied, “We all knew that from the beginning and no one here considers 
	turning back.”
		The high spirits of the boy served to encourage the whole company. Jon was not 
	given to dire imagination. With a heart full of  faith and courage, he was ready for 
	anything.
		Larn thought, “I only hope his youthful exuberance is not destroyed when things 
	go badly for us. He is the true son of his Father. He will win great honor if we return 
	from this mission successful and alive.”
		So began many days of furtive and exhausting travel with little rest. It was 
	difficult to keep up ones spirit in the midst of such terrible desolation. It was truly 
	a foul country. There was no life of any kind. Here even the small lizards they had 
	seen closer to home were not seen. It was a land of death. The very air spoke a 
	message of hopelessness and doom.
		Their water was running low. The only water they had seen was a spring so foul 
	that no-one would touch it. The country was rougher here. Huge battlements of rock 
	lined their route. The ground was covered with sharp stones with few sandy places. 
	Soon their feet were bruised and sore.
		Ben commented, “This is hard on our feet, but the good side is that we leave 
	little signs for Garth’s creatures to see.”
		In the morning as they prepared to face the day, GENTO said, “I think we must 
	strike due south now, as soon as possible. All my information and my intuition lead me 
	to believe we will find one of BERNING'S campsites in that direction.”
		They had spent the night huddled against a sheer cliff. The edge of this cliff 
	ran east for some distance. The company determined to stay close to it as they searched 
	for a more southern route.
		Larn said, “Sound travels far in these canyons. Be as silent as possible.”
		After a few hours travel there were suddenly  pieces of gravel falling from the 
	cliff top above them . The company froze in their positions, listening intently to see 
	what this might mean. There was something moving up there! Then they heard a sobbing 
	sound such as made by a man in great pain. Motioning the others to stay still, Larn 
	stepped a few paces away from the cliff, so he could see the top. There was a man up 
	there! His clothing was torn and he leaned against a rock as if to rest.
		“What are you doing there?”
	Startled, the man fell to the ground. Struggling to stand up he rasped. “I have escaped 
	from the servants of Garth. I had to come away with no weapons or food. I have traveled 
	four days trying to find the way home. I am from Radiance. Can you help me?”
		“Find a way to get down and we will talk about it.”
		Motioning the others to stay out of sight, Larn walked parallel to the man as 
	he searched for a way down from the cliff. At last he came upon a crevice and began to 
	climb down. Losing his footing, he fell the last few feet and landed in front of the 
	Prince. He had no weapons and was badly bruised by his travels.
		Larn said, “The servants of Garth have never been known to take prisoners. What 
	were you doing with them?”
		“My family is very poor and my Father is very ill. The medicine he needs to 
	ease his pain is very expensive. When I heard of the offer of employment in the north 
	I thought to take advantage of it. When I discovered the nature of the work I was to do, 
	I knew I couldn’t do it. I pretended to go along with them and when the chance came 
	I fled.
		“Surely you know better than to believe the lies of Garth, man.”
		“I am only a poor man. Being desperate for a way to help my Father. I thought 
	to chance it.”
		“You are a foolish man and it will go hard with you if I find you have lied to 
	me. Probably I should kill you now, but you may have information helpful to us. For the 
	moment you are safe. Come with me.”
		So the company acquired another member, of doubtful value and possibly a danger 
	to them all. No one had the heart to kill him outright and if left here alone he would 
	quickly die. Gento was especially skeptical of taking this man with them.  All the 
	company felt that if he had such a lack of character that he would consider serving 
	Garth, then he was not welcome in this company.
		That night as they hid in a small cave, Larn questioned the man closely. “Of 
	what use is Garth making of the men he has been able to hire?”
		“There are four men he has sent to travel the SOUTHERN KINGDOM and SUNHOLM 
	and earn all they can of conditions and morale there. He has only sixteen men that I 
	know of. Two were sent with one of his servants towards SUNHOLM.”
		Larn roared, “Those two will never arrive! They now lie dead and buried in the 
	sand. All praise to the Creator, we unknowingly saved our Kingdom from a great threat. 
	That is good news indeed. So is the fact that he only has sixteen men. He will have far 
	less when CARL'S company finds them. 
		I suspect there is at least one in Sunholm. Surely they represent the very 
	worst of what human beings are capable of. Their fate is sealed. Never will they enjoy 
	the riches and power that GARTH has promised them. You are very lucky to be alive, man 
	and be certain if you live that long, you will answer to KING JAMY. Surely if you had 
	encountered a man named CARL and his men you would not be alive now.”
		“I know CARL. There is no mercy in him. I must thank you for not killing me 
	outright. It is true that have done a very foolish thing, but my motive was the love I 
	have for my Father. My experience at GARTH'S meeting place has taught me that there 
	can be no compromise with his evil.”
		Ben said, “Larn is right. Those men will never live to see their reward. My 
	own experience has taught me that a man may sometimes stray from the true path, 
	but yes, he can  redeem his life by a change in thought and action. I, of all here am 
	aware of that. There may be hope for you, but you are not trusted here. You will be 
	tied, hand and foot at night. What is your name?”
		“I am called Druce and I am a carpenter by trade.”
		Gento said, “I still don’t like it, but there is no help for it. My hope is 
	that we may be rid of this man as quickly as possible. He can only be a detriment to 
	our cause.”
		LARN replied, “I am sure you are right, GENTO, but remember, the Creator is
	merciful in ways we cannot understand  and  sometimes uses His most unlikely subjects 
	to accomplish His Will. The days ahead will tell the tale. Now we must make all 
	possible speed to Berning’s campsite you believe is ahead. It seems likely that some 
	of GARTH'S servants will be tracking this man and are on our trail as well. An early 
	start and with swift marching we may arrive before nightfall.”
		Soon the canyon veered to the south and the company followed it. As before 
	they began to detect signs of hope before it came into view. They came upon a narrow 
        cleft on the edge of the cliff they followed. Even on the floor of the canyon outside 
	the cleft, there were signs of life. Sparse narrow leaved plants grew here. Inside the 
	cleft were plants able to survive in shade. There was no direct sunlight here.
		Larn thought, “A strange place for Berning to choose. It seems to come to a 
	dead end. We must trust his choice.”
		To the company he said, “At least this place is easy to defend. One sentry at 
	this entrance will be able to see anything coming from any direction. Ben, will you 
	stand watch here while the rest of us explore this place? I am sure that BERNING had 
	good reason to choose this site and I am curious to learn why.”
		The company carefully walked toward the end of the cleft. Clearly this was a 
	place where a few hardy men could withstand the assault of many. The floor was strewn 
	with boulders and there were deep cracks that they had to jump over. It was impossible 
	to see how deep these went. There was no sign of a bottom in the darkness. Jon tossed 
	a pebble in one of those cracks and it was long before they heard it hit bottom. At 
	length they came to the end. There was a dark crack there at ground level. It was not 
	as tall as a man and narrow.
		Trying to peer inside, Larn said, “We must have light to enter here. It is as 
	black as Garth’s soul.”
		Quickly tying together some dry brush into a torch, he struck flint to steel 
	and soon had a blazing torch.
		“Jon, please stay here and watch toward the entrance where Ben is. We will go 
	in and see what Berning thought so special about this place.”
		Crouching and twisting, Larn went through followed by Druce and Gento. The 
	first sight to greet his eyes was a narrow shelf with a pile of torches and a sealed 
	jar. Opening the jar, he found it contained oil for the torches.“Strange! It’s 
	as if Berning expected us here and prepared what we would need.”
		Further in his theory was confirmed. In the center of a flat stone floor was a 
	fire pit, obviously much used in the past. Stacked in one corner was a good supply of 
	firewood. 
		Gento marveled. “How did he get this firewood here? There is not a tree for 
	many miles in any direction.”
		Larn replied, “The ways of Berning have always been a mystery without an answer 
	for us. I have seen enough of his genius to not be surprised at anything.”
		At one side there was a trickle of water which formed a small pool and then 
	disappeared into the floor. Then Gento noticed a movement of flowing air through the 
	place. But going where? He had already noticed that the ceiling was not blackened by 
	ancient fires.
		“Where does the smoke go?” 
		Taking his torch he went to the very end of the cave and looked up.
	“There is a hole here and the current of air is moving my torch flame in that 
	direction. There has to be an outlet to this place somewhere here.” 
		Raising his torch higher, he exclaimed. “There is a rope here. It has knots 
	in it every two feet or so and disappears in the darkness.
		Someone must climb up and see what is there. Since I am most trained in 
	observation, I will go.”
		Chuckling, Larn said, “I am sure you are most qualified, but isn’t that a job 
	for a younger man?” 
		“I many be older than all of you, young man, but I respectfully say to you that 
	I have spent my life traveling the wilderness. I could probably run the rest of you 
	right into the ground.”
		With a smile, Larn said, “Forgive me, master Gento. I was only joking. Wait a 
	moment while I call Jon to go with you. He would never forgive me if I failed to tell 
	him what is happening here.”
		Returning to Jon, he handed him the torch and said, “See for yourself, Gento 
	awaits you.”
		When Jon had seen the wonders of the cave for himself he went to where Gento 
	stood. “What has BERNING hidden here, GENTO?”
		“There is only one way to find out. Come” He leaped up and grabbed the rope. 
	He began to climb holding his torch in his teeth. Jon was right at his heels. Not only 
	were there knots in the rope in the right places, but there were footholds chopped 
	into the solid rock for them to brace their feet in.
		After some twenty feet of climbing the hole began to level off and became a 
	floor. It was larger here also, but still not high enough to stand up in. After 
	rounding some curves, they met an astounding sight. 
		For a moment, bright sunshine hurt their eyes after the darkness. Soon they 
	could see that the tunnel widened out considerably and outside the tunnel were green 
	grass and flowers. Coming closer they could see Cedar and Fir trees standing tall 
	in the sunshine. 
		They were in a deep pit which GENTO estimated to be eight hundred feet in any 
	direction. The walls of the pit were sheer and almost smooth.
		“Too smooth to be natural,” thought GENTO. “This place could only be detected 
	from high in the air. Surely the Creator guides us or we would never have found it. 
	Given a supply of food a man could be safe here indefinitely.”
		For JON, who had a simpler mind, the place was an enchantment. “It is like a 
	tended garden.”
		Beautiful many colored flowers and vines were everywhere between the trees. 
	Suddenly Jon started. “Something is moving up there.”
		The next moment they heard a squirrel chattering and JOM shouted for joy. “A 
	miracle. Only BERNING could have created a place for a creature like that in the very 
	heart of the  desolation of Garth.”
		GENTO said, “As long as they remain inside these walls they are safe, but 
	should one ever venture outside, it’s death would be swift and sure. Now we must not 
	keep the others waiting. They will all want to see this place.”
		They hurried back down to the lower cave and when they met LARN and DRUCE, JON 
	handed his torch to LARN and laughing, said, “See for yourself. If I tried to tell you 
	now, you would not believe me. You must see for yourself.”
		GENTO smiled. “JON is not exaggerating. I would question the sanity of anyone 
	who told me such a tale.”
		As fast as the treacherous footing allowed, JON ran out to BEN and said. “You 
	would not believe the sights we have seen. Go with DRUCE and LARN and see for yourself. 
	I will watch here.”
		After a time the three returned to the lower cave with awe written large on 
	their faces. 
		“Berning has created a living miracle here,” said LARN. “I know his powers are 
	vast, but this is beyond belief. At least I know where that supply of firewood came 
	from.”
		“It is time to consider our next move. Let’s go out to where JON watches and 
	discuss it.”
		Returning to the entrance to the ravine, they all sat down on rocks for a talk. 
	LARN began. “I have given a lot of thought about DRUCE. irst I suggest we spend two
	days here in this place of relative safety for rest and give DRUCE a little healing 
	time. He needs to be in good enough condition to keep up when we travel. Then we 
	should escort him to RADIANCE and the KING'S Justice. It would also be helpful to talk 
	to KING JAMY and his advisors about our mission. News of CARL'S mission would also be 
	welcome. What say you all?”
		BEN replied, “I think you have the right of it, LARN. I, too have considered 
	our options.”
		GENTO said, “I said it once and I’ll say it again. The sooner we are rid of 
	this man, the better. What say you, Jon?”
		“For me just the opportunity to sleep in a real bed and eat some else’s cooking 
	would be wonderful.” The whole company laughed at that, even DRUCE.
		He said, “I need to say something now. I have received better treatment from 
	you men than I deserved. At this point my fate is in your hands. I will willingly go 
	home and face whatever I must face. This company has done more than save my life. It 
	has given me hope. My experience has taught me that no amount of money can take the 
		place of honor. I did what I did out of love for my Father, but now I know I 
	should have sought a better way.” 
		Even Gento approved of that speech and suggested that Druce no longer be bound 
	at night. After all, where could he go alone?
		Larn said, “Then it is settled. Early, three days from now we leave for the 
	Southern Kingdom.”
		Leaving Ben on guard, the company returned to prepare food and rest for the 
	night. When the food was ready, a portion was carried out to Ben with a promise that 
	he would be relieved in three hours.
		Larn said, “ I know we would all like to spend more time in that 
	amazing world above us, but remember our danger. Someone must always be on guard at the 
	entrance to the ravine and another at the entrance to this cave. Should the enemy 
	appear we must be ready for quick action. I just hope that someday, when the 
	world is free of the evil of Garth, we can return and visit this place. It is a 
	masterpiece of Berning’s genius. From what I know of Berning, he did not create it just 
	to give us a place to camp. We may learn more in the future.”
		Although Jon was a bit of a dreamer and a romantic, he had his practical side. 
	He said, “We must arrange some kind of a signal so that the guard at the ravine 
	entrance can quickly communicate with the guard at the entrance to the cave. And it 
	must be done silently.”
		“An excellent idea, Jon,” replied, Larn. "Let me go out and discuss with Ben a 
	way this may be done. Gento, don’t you have a small mirror in your gear?”
		“Yes, I do. It will serve as a signal in daylight, but what about at night?”
	In the shade of this ravine I think a spark from flint and steel could probably be 
	seen day or night. Whoever is on watch there must be alert every second for a flash or 
	spark of light from Ben’s position.”
	With that, Larn left to tell Ben of their decisions. On his return he said. “It is 
	agreed. There will be scant sleep for the four of us because two must be on 
	guard at all times. We agreed on four hour watches. In two more hours Gento must 
	relieve Ben and Jon watch from the cave entrance. Ben and I will relieve you in four 
	hours.”
		Druce hung his head and said, “I don’t blame you for not trusting me. I just 
	wish I could do my share.”
		Larn replied, “You can build us a fire and prepare our food. See to a 
	comfortable sleeping place for those off duty.
		Druce began removing the rocks and debris that was scattered on the floor and 
	unpacking rations for their meal. Their bed was solid rock. This posed no problem for 
	any of the company except Druce. 
		The company was well used to rough conditions. Druce slept the sleep of 
	exhaustion.
		Druce was well known at home to be skilled in cooking. The company would get 
	more that they expected.
		That night passed quickly and peacefully. Druce was healing quickly. The 
	company was somewhat surprised at the quality of the meal he prepared from their 
	meager supplies.
		At the change of shift, Larn said to Ben, “The day after tomorrow we must be 
	on our way. I still think that Garth’s servants will not allow Druce to escape without 
	an attempt to track him down. Although they will not enter Berning’s campsite, we could 
	be trapped here and starved out. There may be men with them who would even risk 
	attacking us. Garth would be greatly pleased with men who were able to defeat this 
	company.”
		Ben replied, “Of course you are right. There can be no safety for us until we 
	reach the Southern Kingdom. Also there is the matter of supplies. We now have another 
	mouth to feed. It would not take long to starve us out. It would be well to conserve 
	our rations as much as possible now. Please tell the company of these decisions. Urge 
	extreme vigilance. Just because we have not been disturbed yet, does not mean that the 
	enemy is not close.”
		Because of the very nature of Berning’s campsites it was easy to fall into a 
	state of peace and contentment here. That could be a very big mistake.
		In the small hours of their last night in the cave, Jon saw a spark of light 
	from the entrance where Gento stood watch. He quickly awakened Ben and Larn who went 
	out to the entrance to see what Gento had discovered. There was a half moon shining 
	into the canyon, making visibility good for human eyes.
	“I spotted movement in the canyon. Four figures. They have stopped and hidden some d
	istance to the west.”
		Ben said, “Well done, Gento. They must know we are here. They will not approach 
	in the open for fear of arrows from our concealed positions. Surely when we leave here 
	they will follow us and attack as soon as the believe we are in a vulnerable position. 
	Thank the Creator there are only four.”
		“Please return to the cave,” said Larn, “and be sure all our equipment is 
	packed and ready to go. Meet us back here with all our gear. Ben and I will watch as 
	you prepare.”
		As Gento left to get ready, Ben said, “I think we must wait until the sun is 
	over the canyon wall. That will be to our advantage and the disadvantage of the enemy. 
	There will be no more sleep this night anyway, so we might as well wait right here. 
	Yesterday I thought it would be hard to leave this place, but to stay would only bring  
	certain death. I only hope these servants of Garth have not sent him a message that we 
	are in this country. Well, there is nothing we can do about that now.”
		As the company made ready to leave their sanctuary, Larn said, “I am hoping the 
	enemy 	does not know that we are aware of their presence. They only wait for an 
	opportunity to attack us. Let them believe we are somewhat careless travelers, while at 
	the same time being vigilant for their movement. I don’t think they will attack in an 
	open place. As far as they know we are five men armed with strong bows, which they 
	rightly fear. Their attack will come in a confined place where they will try to 
	surprise us.”
		“We shall surprise them instead. Now that they know we are here we can’t  let 
	any escape to tell Garth.”
		This brought grim faced nods from the company.
		When the sun was high enough the men stepped out into the canyon in a loose 
	group, giving the appearance of casual travel. 
		Gento said, “Soon we will be leaving this rough country and entering the edge 
	of the more open land to the south. The attack is sure to come before we reach that 
	area.”
		Ben said, “Yes, usually at the edges of this kind of country there are areas 
	of jumbled rock. That is where we will spring our surprise. I must warn you that we 
	may not be able to use our bows. Just remember what I told you about how to counter 
	the deadly fear they inspire. Do not allow it to cloud your judgment or weaken your 
	courage. Remember all your loved ones at home. Love and Faith can conquer the worst 
	fear. It will not stop the fear, but will enable you to act with intelligence 
	and bravery in spite of it. I believe we will soon come to the right place. We will 
	conceal ourselves in the rocks and await their coming. Just be ready for anything.”
		As Ben spoke they noticed the cliffs getting lower. Soon they were at the 
	jumble of rocks he had predicted. With only a gesture from Larn the company concealed 
	themselves behind boulders. Ben pulled out a long hunting knife from his belt and 
	handed it to Druce with a nod. Druces eyes shone with gratitude as he took his place. 
		It was only moments before the enemy came in sight. There were six instead of 
	four. One was a man. They came cautiously in a column. The lead monster was larger 
	than Larn had ever seen or heard of.
		“Garth must be improving his creations. That one will be my target.”
	The enemy hesitated as if unsure of proceeding. Larn thought, “He suspects something. 
	This one shows more intelligence than Garth’s creatures usually show.”
		The lead creature motioned and two of the others began climbing the rocks on 
	each side of the ravine. “He senses our presence. He is taking precautions against our 
	surprise.”
		The three remaining monsters and the man waited some time before moving. This 
	gave the other two time to flank the companies position. Having confidence in his 
	friends, Larn believed that their victory was assured in spite of that.
		As soon as the enemy began to move, Larn rose up in plain sight. Having 
	confidence in the power of his bow, He took his time and aimed straight for the lead 
	monsters chest. Upon seeing Larn the creature roared and charged with his axe ready 
	to throw. He had not taken four steps before he was transfixed by a Sunholm arrow.
		One more went down with Jon’s arrow in him. Gento fired at a third, but his 
	arrow stuck some metal piece of the creatures gear and was deflected, only wounding him. The man was cowering and looking around for a way to escape. The wounded monster stuck him with the flat of his axe, driving him forward screaming. Ben’s arrow stopped him in his tracks. 
	While this was taking place the other two creatures crept through the rocks seeking to 
	surprise the company. One of those monsters almost succeeded. Seeing Jon with his back 
	turned he raised his axe to throw. Suddenly there was a scream and Druce leaped from a 
	rock, landing squarely on the creatures back. Jon whirled with his sword ready, but the 
	creature was already down with Druce savagely ripping at his throat with Ben’s knife. 
	A final thrust from Jon’s sword and it was over.
		The other creature sought to creep up on Gento. Gento waited. The old map-
	makers courage was sorely tried by the appearance of  a living nightmare two feet 
	taller than himself.
		“I cannot fail my friends.” Stepping from behind a boulder he swung his sword 
	at the monsters legs. The thing went down, but as he fell he clutched Gento’s shoulder. 
	Clawed fingers easily pierced Gento’s leather tunic and he screamed in pain and fear. 
	With a roar of rage Ben appeared with a sword in his hand. One mighty cut and the 
	monsters head rolled on the ground.
		This left only one wounded enemy left. Taking careful aim, Larn put an arrow 
	in his left eye.
		Ben quickly got Gento to his feet. “How is it?”
		The old mans face was ashen. “Provided there was not a lot of poison in those 
	claws, I will heal. We have strong ointments just for this. Just let me lie down a 
	short while.”
		Ben opened his pack. “Here, drink a little water and I will clean and bandage 
	the wound.”
		It took stern words for Larn to quiet the company. “That was very well done, 
	but quickly now we must hide these bodies and be gone from here. The sudden addition 
	that man to their party leads me to believe that there may be more not far off.  There 
	will be time to celebrate later. Gento, can you walk?”
		“I think so, just let me rest while you hide the bodies. We cannot stay here.”
		Quickly concealing the bodies among the boulders and covering them with rock, 
	a subdued party left the place and traveled toward the more open country ahead of them. 
	It was hard going for Gento, but he kept moving and even urged the company to more 
	speed.
		Jon said, “Druce, that was the bravest thing I have ever seen. You saved my 
	life. I did not even know that thing was behind me.”
		Larn said, “Yes and you can be sure that when I speak with King Jamy, he will 
	hear of your deed.”
		Ben said, “Druce, that knife has been with me many years, but never has it been 
	used in more honorable service. Please accept it as a gift from me. I am sure that of 
	all this company, you felt the emanations of evil and fear from those monsters the 
	most. You were unprepared, but at the right moment you acted in spite of your fear. I
	I would not have believed you capable of such a deed. Now all of us must recognize a 
	great change in you since we first met.”
		Druce smiled and said, “It is because of the company I have kept lately. Also 
	because of your wise counsel  last night. As I crouched on that rock watching that 
	monster, I thought of my Father in his pain and distress and my poor Mother trying 
	her best to help him. My heart was greatly moved and as you said, it overcame the fear 
	I felt.”
		Now Gento halted and the rest halted with him. “Druce, even at my age there 
	are new lessons to be learned. I was wrong about you. I am acquainted with many in 
	the scientific community at Radiance. I promise that when we get there your Father 
	will receive all the help he needs. It is strange, but you say that is the reason you 
	went north in the first place. In a very round about way, you have succeeded in what 
	you set out to do.”
		That statement was vigorously endorsed by the rest of the company. 
		As the company traveled south the country became somewhat less evil looking. 
	Here again where the lizards and insects. In the hazy distance could be seen hills 
	where it seemed possible that trees grew. Jon’s sharp young eyes were sure that 
	trees grew there.
		Gento said, “We are approaching the borders of the Southern Kingdom now. 
	This country is well known to me. In two more days we will begin to see signs of old 
	farms and other human endeavor. Mostly they are abandoned now, due to the peoples 
	fear of Garth’s creatures. It could be that we may find friends and maybe even horses 
	to complete our journey to the Capitol. Like Jon, I long to rest in a real bed.
		Larn laughed, “Knowing you well, you won’t rest for long. Soon you will be 
	urging us on into the wild country again.”
		“True enough,” replied Gento. “My maps are still incomplete. I could hope to 
	see Rufus in the Capitol and share our discoveries, but probably he is still in the 
	north with Carl.”
		Ben said, “We may hear news from the men he intended to send back once they 
	had destroyed Garth’s meeting place.”
		The company walked south toward the hills with many a backward glance. Even 
	here there was danger. As Gento had predicted, they came upon rotting old houses and 
	barns. There was little life. An occasional sickly bush or plant struggled to survive. 
	The scarce trees were stunted and many were dead.
		Near the end of the second day they saw a welcome sight. A solitary hawk 
	wheeled in the sky.
		Gento said, “Where there are hawks, there are mice and rabbits.”
		Jon said, “Did you say rabbits? My mouth waters at the thought of a rabbit stew. From now on I will be prepared.” 
	Taking a game arrow from his supply he moved off some distance from the others.
	Druce said, “I have no skill with the bow, but I am well acquainted with cooking. I 
	will pray for a successful hunt.”
	The rest of the company followed Jon’s example and spread out many feet apart to see 
	if any game would be flushed. Suddenly there was an explosion behind a bush in front of 
	Larn and a large bird leaped into the sky only to be brought down by the un-erring 
	arrow of a Sunholm hunter. It was a type of pheasant that Gento said was only found on 
	the northern borders of the Southern Kingdom. By nightfall two rabbits had been added 
	to the larder. They camped that night in an old barn that still had a partial roof.
		True to his word, Druce was able to put together, using the most unlikely 
	ingredients, a savory stew rich enough to satisfy all. It was a tired and sleepy group 
	after they had eaten.
		Jon said, “Are you sure we want to lose this man? None of you have been able to 
	prepare a meal like that.”
		Larn replied, “Yes, it was delicious, but where we will travel, good cooking is 
	a luxury we must do without. Now we are in safer country, but we must still be alert 
	and stand rotating watches through the night. Since Jon is almost asleep where he sits, 
	I will take the first watch. Druce, will you relieve me in two hours?”
		“It will be a privilege.”
		Larn’s question meant a lot to Druce. He was beginning to feel less like a 
	criminal and more like a friend to these men.
		One half of the decaying old barn’s floor was covered with moldy old  hay. 
	This provided a softer place for the men to make their beds than the hard ground. 
	Gento dug in his pack and produced a wool blanket which he began to arrange over 
	himself.
		Ben asked, “Sir Gento, are you cold?”
		The old man replied, “No, but sometimes this old  body thinks for itself and 
	won’t fall asleep when it should. The blanket is just sending a message to my old body 
	that it is time to sleep. That is conducive to falling asleep.”
		Ben said, “That is remarkable, I never would have thought of that. It seems 
	that Jon needs no help in falling asleep. He is there already.”
		Gento replied, “It has been a long day. Surely the boy needs his rest.”
	Then he said, “From the looks of the sky, I think we will be grateful for this old barn. There is stormy weather coming.”
		The old map-maker was proved correct about the weather.  Around midnight there 
	was a sudden loud clap of thunder and it began to rain very hard. A strong wind 
	rattled the rotten old boards of their shelter. The company was weary and slept 
	soundly in spite of the noise. At daylight it was still raining lightly, but the wind 
	had lessened. They left the old barn without breakfast this day. All were anxious to 
	reach the Capitol City.  They continued south at a good pace.
		Druce suddenly stopped and said, “Look! Someone is over there to the west.” 
		There were two figures traveling in the same direction as the company.
		Ben said, “No servant of Garth would be seen traveling here in daylight. We 
	must find out who they are. Why are they coming from the same direction as we?”
	The company began to run, shouting to the men to stop and wait. In a low voice, 
	Ben said, “Be sure your weapons are ready.”
		As they drew nearer, Druce said, “I recognize those men. They were at Garth’s 
	meeting place. They must be the ones that Garth sent as spies to the Southern Kingdom.”
		Larn stopped and fitted an arrow to his bow. “Stand where you are or you are 
	dead men!”
		Being badly outnumbered, the men did as Larn said. They were dressed in the 
	manner of merchants, but unlike merchants, they carried only small packs.
	“Who are you and why are you here?”
		The taller of the men replied, “We have traveled far from the country of the 
	Tanners. We wished to negotiate a caravan to bring furs to the Capitol during the 
	trading season.”
		Larn answered, “You don’t look like you have traveled far to me. Where is the 
	rest of your gear? You surely didn’t travel all the way from the Tanners with what you 
	carry now.”
		Druce could no longer be silent. “They lie! I saw these men in conference with 
	the servants of Garth not that many days past. They are spies in his service.”
		Drawing himself into a stance of righteous indignation the man said, “How do 
	you know that unless you were there yourself? It is you who lie. We are only honest 
	merchants intent on our business. What right have you to interfere?”
		Gento said, “It is true that Druce was at that meeting and therefore his 
	witness is valid. He is not a spy for Garth. He has traveled with us many days now. 
	We have seen him attack a servant of Garth with only a knife as a weapon. Prince Larn, 
	we must disarm these men and escort them to the Capitol.”
		“So be it. Tie their hands securely. The justice of King Jamy will decide 
	their fate. If their story is true there will be friends of theirs in the Capitol who 
	will testify for them.”
		The two men were disarmed and tied and the company resumed it’s march 
	southward. The land was becoming more fertile now and in the distance they could see 
	rolling hills with trees growing on them. The rain had stopped and there were patches 
	of blue in the sky.
		Ben said, “It is unlikely we will find enough horses very soon to transport 
	this whole party. We may have to walk the whole way.”
		After a few more hours of travel, they began to see signs of human life. 
	There were fenced fields with corn and grain growing. Not long after that they saw 
	farm houses that were occupied. Barns and other outbuildings were still in use. The 
	few people who saw them coming hurriedly hid themselves. Clearly they wanted no 
	communication with anyone coming from the north.
		Soon, ahead of them they saw a large wagon, pulled by two horses and driven 
	by a single man. Hurrying the party along to catch up with the wagon, Larn said, 
	“I want to speak to this man, if he will.”
		When they were close enough, Larn called to the man to stop and wait for them. 
	Obviously surprised, the man turned and said, “What do you want of me?”
		“Only conversation, and perhaps a ride,” replied Larn. “As you can see, we are 
	from Sunholm and travel to see your King on urgent business.”
		“I can see by your long-bows that some of you are from Sunholm, but what of 
	these two?” He pointed to the men with their hands tied.
		“I am Larn, son of Gil, King of Sunholm and these others are my friends. As 
	to these two men, they are a mystery which I believe will be resolved by the justice 
	of the King. Where are you bound?”
		“It happens that I go the Capitol myself. Hay is scarce in this land. I must 
	find feed for my animals. You are welcome to ride in my wagon. It may not be very 
	comfortable.”
		So the last of the company’s journey to Radiance was done in a rustic hay 
	wagon. It was a bumpy ride, especially for the two with their hands tied.
	When they finally entered the outlying areas of the Capitol,