Chapter I

The Road through Hallwood

The wagon rolled along the road. It was a bumpy ride, not only for the soldiers, but for the prisoners inside it as well. The road was one used by riders a lot, but rarely wagons or anything of the kind, there were better roads for that. This road went through a forest with tall trees and little underbrush, as it followed a small river valley. Hallwood, it was called, after the resemblance of a hall the tall trees and the shape of the valley had.

The soldiers had never chosen to take this route, but were ordered to, as they were to pick up another prisoner from a town on the road. Balgard was his name, a strange character obsessed with building things. He had joined the prisoners in the wagon not long ago.

The wagon itself was fairly large, and as it was pulled by only two horses, it wasn't very fast. But it didn't have to be, either. Just enough to get from one town to another in a day or two. It was made of thick dark wood, with a lot of metal chains nailed into it. A fairly small wooden hatch was in the bakc of it, and someone was looking out of a small window. As with everything else, the window was barred.

We'll hold here for a moment, one of the guards said. He was a sturdy man, and unlike the swordmen, carried a large axe with him.

Is that wise, sir? the driver asked, but did as he was orderred to.

There are better places, the axeman replied as he hopped off the bench up front of the wagon, but I want to check on the prisoners. That old man may not be in as good shape as the brutes back there. He headed for the back of the wagon.

And we also don't want him to build a battering ram out of splinters, the guard on top of the wagon joked. They all wore the royal insignia on their armor, a falcon-like white animal on a blue background. The insignia was also reflected in the crests on their weapons and on the helmets all but the axeman wore.

Funny, Garad, very funny, the axeman spat, trying not to laugh. The joking soldier rolled his eyes.

The axeman was now right behind the wagon. Aww, spoiling my view of the road, a mocking voice came from inside. Two yellow eyes glared at the axeman, who closed his eyes and swallowed. He opened the wooden panel that kept the prisoners from seeing too much of the world... Or rather, kept the world from having to see the prisoners.

Better now, Wolveneye? the axeman asked, keeping his calm even though this prisoner was a head taller than he was. In fact, the rather loosely dressed Wolveneye was about a head taller than the whole company of prisoners and soldiers, and even though the axeman would never be referred to as small or weak, he wouldn't stand a chance against this prisoner. But when the prisoner was was in chains, behind bars, blinded by the light from the newly opened hatch, and the axeman was armed, free, and on alert, there was no reason to fight.

So much better, Wolveneye grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth. Wolveneye wore loose dark pants, hung up with several belts over his usually plate armored chest, until finally reaching the wide shoudlers of the muscular human beast. An inch-long beard pointed straight out from his chin, it was cupperlike, even more so than some would consider polished cupper.

The axeman counted prisoners, all six were there. Marrack Wolveneye, violent brute, murderer, or rather, slaughterer. Keethra Ender of Endskeep, young mage and troublemaker. Maveari, a foreigner, a journeyman, or rather journeywoman but since that's not a word... A thief, caught redhanded. Elps Cliffman, thief, rebel, robber, kidnapper. Balgard the inventor, rebel, troublemaker, caught for assault on a royal escort. The most curious case in the wagon, however, was a woman on whom the axeman had no documents other than her name and that she was wanted by the crown. Her name was Janaris.

Hey, could I take a leak? Elps asked, forcing himself as close to the chains and grates of the hatch as he dared, when Marrack Wolveneye stood there. Elps wore, in the fashion of the rangers of the royal woodlands, long boots, thick pants, a light tunic, and normally also a cloak, in colors that would hide him in forests.

the axeman said and returned to his seat up front. He nodded at the driver to get the wagon moving again..

Elps noticed that. Hey, you don't expect me to do that here, in the wagon, do you? he yelled after the axeman, who only grinned.

Racklan, you're one mean piece of prisoner escort, Garad, from the top of the wagon, laughed.

Elps bit together and returned to his seat. Balgard, old enough for his head to for a while already been lightening itself of whitened hair, moved slightly away from the somewhat shaky prisoner. This elderly fellow was wearing a set of robelike clothes, only they were only loose enough to seem like robes, it was the standard set of male clothing, pants and a tunic, only far more loose than most would recognize as such.

On the other side of the tight chains that kept the men apart from the women, Janaris sat in a corner, seemingly asleep. Seemingly. Keethra, fingering on a braid of her slightly curly black hair, looked at Maveari with her big worried eyes. You've been around the world, right? she asked her.

Maveari looked up from having been examining the floor of the prison wagon and pulled some of her light brown hair out of her face. she said. As around as I've dared, east to west, north to south. Why?What are you here for? she asked directly.

Uh... I'm here because... Because of a friend, or acquaintance of mine. Keethra looked at her in a way that compelled her to continue. We entered a manor, looking for something. Somehow, we were caught, but he got away. I didn't.I heard they spoke of your stealing , I didn't. Raven probably would, he's such a cleptomaniac, and as carefree as he is, he didn't think of my escape. How about you?It's... rather embarrassing, I'd rather not say. Maveari said.

Do you want to get back at him? Keethra asked.

Maveari said. Strangle him, or at least shake some sense into him. If possible. Keethra said, nodding slightly. She was about to say something, but chose not to, and looked down. Then she changed her mind: There was a spell I cast. It... Didn't go as planned. I don't understand why, I used to be a successful mage, but lately, all my spells, even the small ones, have just... failed. She sobbed, slightly.

Maveari saw that this wasn't a criminal, but rather a girl who wasn't in control of what she could do. Though she was a journeyman and not a magician, Maveari knew a bit about magic and how it worked, and chose to look after the girl. It happens to the best as bad as to the worst, she said. You'll manage. Keethra sobbed, and looked out at the road that curved away behind the wagon. I want to be out there. I'm not supposed to be in here. Not supposed to be locked neither, Maveari said. But hey, we're going to the Castle. I don't know all the things that influence the king, but I'm pretty sure we could both go free if we get our side of the story talk, Wolveneye muttered from the other side of the chains.

And how do you suppose we'd escape the dungeons, Wolveneye? Janaris calmly asked from her corner of their world.

Four words, Marrack Wolveneye said. Fists, force, and 's three, she replied. There was a loud grunt from the men's side of the wagon.

Not if you count the 'and', Balgard quickly said, trying to keep Marrack Wolveneye from going berzerk.

Doesn't count, Elps mumbled.

Sure it does, Balgard replied. If there's a will, it's a word. he continued, more silently: And we will not have him upset. Understood?I see your point, Elps muttered in reply.

Something hit the wagon, and it stopped. It stopped suddenly, as if one of the wheels had fallen off. Garad fell off the wagon and landed in a wet ditch by the road. The driver still sat where he was supposed to, but Racklan had taken a short flight and kissed the road.

What happened? Racklan demanded to know, just after he had finished an enfuriated scream.

One of the wheels broke, I think, the driver said and hopped down to check. Two of them, he them reported.

Racklan asked.

The driver thought for a moment. Yes and no... We'll just need new wheels, they don't even have to be exactly this size, we can switch with the other side's wheels.I've never seen wheels grow on trees, Garad said, working the water out of his hair.

That's because they don't grow... the driver started, but then decided not to bother. Oh never mind, Garad, just... I'll ride to the nearest town and see what I can do that, Tergard, Racklan said. We'll keep an eye or two on the thugs in the back.

Tergard, the driver, rode off. Not far after he had vanished over a slope or two, an arrow hit the dirt, having passed right by Racklan's ear. Garad, archers! he instantly called and dove for cover behind the wagon once he had grabbed the arrow. He grabbed Garad's bow which was lying on the road half way to where Garad had hit the ditch.

Once Garad had gotten behind the wagon, Racklan handed him his bow, and drew his axe. I thought I saw two of them, Garad said.

They're probably going to free the prisoners. We can't afford to let that happen, Racklan said. Garad nodded, and hopped onto one of the broken wheels to look over the drivers' seat to try to spot the archer. He did.

Back to sender, Garad mumbled for himself as he aimed at the archer. Racklan snuck around the wagon to encounter two men, armed, trying to get the chains off the hatch so the prisoners could get out.

Racklan started by cutting into the belly of one and kicking the other before he could draw his weapon. Once he did, Racklan had spotted another archer. Garad, archer! he called and dodged a blow from his opponent's sword. Garad took down the archer at about the same time as Racklan blocked another blow. Garad spied for more archers, but found none. Racklan punched his opponent in the face before finishing him.

That's them, I think, Garad stated. Just then, a long arm came out from the prisoner section and grabbed Racklan, and smashed him against the wagonside so he was knocked down. The arm then reached for his axe, and having obtained it, withdrew into the wagon. Garad instantly shut the hatch.

And what good is that? Elps asked Marrack Wolveneye.

You'll see, he replied.

Lieutenant Racklan, get up, Garad said, shaking his commander. Then he decided to get some more arrows and drag his commander to refuge further away, at a place where he could shoot any escaping prisoners. He didn't get as far as to reach the arrows, as an axe exploded out of the roof. A few more swipes with the axe, and Marrack Wolveneye had made a small opening in the roof, not enough to crawl through, especially not for him, but enough to reach for the crates with their belongings. Soon, the crates had been dragged into the wagon, and Garad had pulled Racklan to a tree, further away from the wagon.

Inside the wagon, Balgard was going through the crates. He seemed very eager to do so. It was too dark for his somewhat aged eyes to see, so he was feeling around in the crates, barely trying to avoid anything sharp, trying to find what he was looking for.

Where are they, where are they...? he asked, almost panicking from crate to crate.

What's this, liquor? Marrack asked, having starting looking through the crates too. Into the little light from the window, he held up a dark brown vial with something inside.

Balgard manically exclaimed. Mine, mine, mine! Don't touch them!

Marrack looked at him with a look that said 'I take what I want, whether I have to punch you or not', but there was something about Balgard that made him question his hostility towards the inventor. He took a step away from the crate, but held on to the vial he had taken, shoving it into one of his belt pouches.

How's that helping us? Elps asked.

Balgard dug up his bag. This, my dearest co-captives, he said while holding up another one of the vials, is Ramian fire. He opened the vial and let out a drop of the liquid on the floor. As it hit the floor, there was a spark, and then smoke. Only slightly, but coming from the thick wood. The liquid was eating away the wood. But behold, it can do more than consume wood, he said and poured a few drops on one of the chains. A moment later, then chain was weak enough for him to tear it apart. And he was all but muscular enough to do so with chains that thick.

Marrack uttered, lifting his eyebrows in surprise. That's... potent. Balgard grinned, and poured the rest of the bottle on the remaining chains in their way.

Not much later, Garad saw the hatch fall off. It fell off it's hinges, thanks to Balgard's acid. As if that didn't spook him enough, a gigantic man came out, armed and dangerous. Instead of a sword or any other conventional weapon, Marrack Wolveneye used a steel armplate, oversized, enforced, and with a spike the length of a sword sticking forth just next to his hand. It made him look even more fierce than the muscular monster of a man otherwise did.

Garad didn't need to see any more than that, he took off running. Marrack ran after him. Even though Marrack was taller and stronger, he was heavier as well, and didn't quite match Garad's sprinting speed as they raced uphill along the road.

Stand aside, Wolveneye, Janaris called to him. The blonde woman was aiming a pipe at him, not much unlike a flute, but without holes. She blew in it, and a streak of light blue flew past Marrack and hit Garad's leg. A few more steps, and Garad fell to the ground. You've got your Ramian wonder, she said to Balgard, I've got my Kazid Janaris, Balgard said, surprised, amazed, and fascinated. I thought the Kazid were nothing but naturalistic cretins. Shows how little I 're skilled medics and chemists, and their woodcrafting is well beyond what I've seen any other tribe do, she coldly stated in reply and stashed her blowpipe down her backpack. You'd probably like them.

The somewhat commonly dressed Elps appeared from further into the woods, he had run off as soon as Marrack was out of the way, to do his business, and had found the archer.

We owe these people our freedom, he said. In the outdoor light, his dirty blond hair gave him a far more heoric appearance than in the containment they had just been in. He wasn't particularily short, but seemed that way when Marrack returned. As did Balgard, and though he was slightly tall, by standards that was, he wasn't in comparison to Marrack.

In her youthful mage half-robes Keethra jumped out of the wagon, followed by a more fit for offroad travel, less sophisticately clad Maveari. Did you kill him? the latter asked Janaris.

she replied. It's a weak dose of poison, it'll only have his fainted for a few hours. We should leave to? Elps asked her.

Another direction, Janaris coldly replied.

Another direction than... Elps asked.

I don't think that's such a good idea, Maveari said. Janaris cast an odd look at her. I mean, we should go to the Castle, see the king, explain our situation. What better way to prove we don't deserve in the dungeons than to go see him ourselves, by our own free will, even though he may just as well have us...?You're assuming we're all innocent, Janaris interrupted.

Maveari looked at her. Keethra's crime was being a teenager and not being in full control of her magic. Mine was, apparently, associating with Raven. Balgard's standing up for what's right, I think. She now turned to Marrack and Elps as well. As for the remaining three of you, I don't know, but... I don't think any of you meant to be malevolent, whatever your crimes may journeyman's right, Balgard said. I think we should head for the what do we do, sit here and wait for the guards to come back? Elps asked. I can't shake the thought that someone got us free, there's got to be a reason for that. So we're just gonna sit around and wait to be imprisoned again?Their lieutenant is hardly going to let us present out case if we've broken free, Balgard said. But if we run off, how does that make us look? Keethra asked. Balgard nodded. Can't we go to the Castle without running into these guards? she asked.

We can't take the roads, Janaris said. One of the horses is missing, someone went to pick up new wheels. When he comes back, he'll see what's happened here, and take off towards any major garrison to issue a full search. And, that is going to alert the Castle. We've got to get to the Castle before they on the roads, then how do you suppose we do it, flying? Digging? Elps said in protest.

Got a flying machine or a portable tunnel with you, techie? Marrack asked the inventor, who frowned in reply.

We could... But I'm not saying we should... Maveari mumbled, thinking aloud.

We could what? Elps asked her.

We could take the old road, if we could find it, she said and chose to explain a little more as none of the others seemed to have the slightest idea what she was talking about, save maybe for the indifferent Janaris. The old mountain road, from Everwatch to the Castle. It should go not far northwest of ... The tower? Keethra asked.

Maveari replied. It's ruined, and a hermit society is all there is society, sounds rather oxymoron, Balgard said for himself. Maveari grinned, nodding.

The tower is straight north of here, Janaris said. The road goes through the Northern Lands, we could start following it Northern Lands are wildlands with beasts the size of houses, Elps said. I say we just take off any suitable direction away from this I'd spend years on the run for something I didn't do? Maveari said, confronted him.

You have a point, he relucantly admit.

Maveari's right, Janaris said, nodding to Elps statement. I'm going with a... The Northern Lands is far too vile and wild and violent and vast and... so on, for two women to travel through there alone,Marrack said.

So you're offering to join them, to protect them? Balgard asked, and cast a quick glance at Maveari. She caught the glance, and knew what he was aiming for.

That's so sweet of you, she said to Marrack. We'll feel so much safer with you around. Marrack blinked, not quite understanding he had just offered to escort them.

I want my name cleared, Balgard said. Can't work under the pressure from running, hiding, fearing, and so on. I'm going. Three warriors there to keep me from being lunch...I'm going with Maveari, Keethra said. It wasn't my fault I'd be stupid to run off on my own then, with an opportunity like this, Elps said and turned to Maveari. He smiled at her. You had me at hello.

The six set off, northwest, away from the road. A dizzy and still far from conscious axeman watched them leave that way. He wasn't quite grasping reality: his pay just took a hike.