Chapter 7: The Long Ride

Bells tolled in the towers of Northwarden.

Jubilant guards shouted from the walls, slapped backs, exchanged war stories
only days old. Already a bard was milling through the crowd, gathering names and
 places, scribbling them down as fast as he could. Tonight they would gather,
and they would drink, and they would pay old Tamney the Minstrel each time he
sang their names.
	Listening to the general hubbub drifting in through an opened shutter,
Seigneur James allowed himself a grim smile as he dropped down to where Arutha
and Locklear conferred over a battle map.
	"By day's end, I warrant that Delekhan will have died on the sword point
of every man here," James said. "It's a shame he wasn't really leading that
raid."
	"Indeed," Arutha agreed, his eyes shrouded as he brooded about
something. "I would like to ask him a few questions."
	"I leave for Highcastle at noon. Even though the Moredhel have turned
from here, I am certain that the first of them will be upon our troops there by
sunup tomorrow. Fortunately, my army will be there to greet them. Still, I wish
I knew what they were up to."
	Arutha glanced up, startled, as a page boy skidded into the chamber.
	"Your p-p-ardon my lord!" the boy stuttered. "They have captured the
Moredhel raiding leader!"
	Without pause, Arutha's eyes hardened. "Prepare him for questioning."


ARUTHA:
Cooperate now Moredhel and I promise you'll live to see your children become
adults. Daunt me and I'll have your eyes for necklace beads and your manhood for
an inkwell!

MOREDHEL:
My death will be unimportant...

ARUTHA:
If you think we shall torture you unto death, I would advise that you ponder my
mood. Anxious though I am to have answer, I will keep you screaming this side of
death a month or a year or until I feel well satisfied that we have heard all
that you have to say!

MOREDHEL:
A day, a month, you've already lost! Nail my entrails to your door post, feed...
my brain to your dogs, it will not matter! Even if you act now, you will be too
late!

ARUTHA:
You will win only pain for your trouble! Instruct him, torturer!

MOREDHEL:
You do... not... listen!

MOREDHEL:
We know... the secret of Se- thanon! We shall free him!

ARUTHA:
What secret? Why to Sethanon?

MOREDHEL:
Ten years ago we attacked... with Murmandamus... you captured, imprisoned him...

ARUTHA:
Deluded fool, we killed Murmandamus at Sethanon and burned his bones for potash!
There is nothing there for Delekhan to find!

MOREDHEL:
A lie... we have spied... What else could... you guard so closely?

ARUTHA:
How does he think he will win past our garrison at Highcastle! He hasn't enough
men!

ARUTHA:
Answer me!

MOREDHEL:
Riiift-machine! The Six have a machine... It can take them place to place...
like a door between great distances... Even while your troops die at Sethanon...
we will walk through the machine!

MOREDHEL:
We shall be through the Dimwood and inside Sethanon a week before you can reach
us! Your troops will be exhausted! The day will be ours!

ARUTHA:
A rift- machine inside the Dimwood! That bastard Tsurani magician has been
consorting with Delekhan!

ARUTHA:
Torturer, tell Seigneurs James and Locklear to ride to the Dimwood. They must
find and destroy that rift-machine while I hie to Highcastle and divert our
forces once more! Time is of the essence!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

	 		    The Rift Machine

James held the Waani in his hand.

"I pray to Ishap this wooden gem works," he said. "Though I hate to think about
the fate of the Kingdom resting on this little experiment, I fear that is the
truth of it." He took a deep breath, "Well... shall we give it a try?"

The Waani arced gracefully through the air.
	James grunted loudly, nearly falling from the momentum of his throw. He
glanced up just in time to see the strange wooden object pass between the two
crystal-topped posts.
	The Waani never made it to the ground. Powerful lightning-like blasts
rocketed out from each crystal, ripping it into thousands of tiny fireflies of
light that floated gently downward to a cold death on the dusty forest floor.
The ground trembled, and before they could utter a sound, an ominous humming
buzz rolled towards them. Growing in intensity with each revolution it rose
before them striking like a hammer blow, knocking them from their feet in a
roaring rush of energy and sound.
	Still dazed, they watched in horror as the energy storm reversed
direction. Suddenly it was rushing back through the rift machine, sucking leaves
and dirt and small stones with it!
	An angry scream of air raked at James and Locklear like the claw of an
invisible beast, tugging at them as if to stuff them whole into the insatiable
black maw of the collapsing rift machine. Desperately they called out to Patrus
to grab on to something, but for him it was too late...

PATRUS:
Stay back! Stay back!

LOCKLEAR:
Spellweavers!