Chapter Five - The Guardians

To the surprise of everyone, their journey through the rest of the woods and out into the foothills remained unopposed. Towering before them, the northernmost mountains of the known lands rose up into what seemed to be an impenetrable barrier whose peaks even at this time of year were tipped with snow and cloud. The mountains had appeared to be leagues away when they had entered the woods and even in the clearings around the river the peaks were little more than glimpses of white caps through the trees.

Now they were back out in the open and as if they had entered another world, the air took on a chill as the wind skirted around their capes and cloaks. Several of the gnomes were beginning to feel the effects of the bites and scars, reddening sores starting to itch and burn. It made for some irritable exchanges between them but Fulgar quickly settled any dispute with a barked command. Gawain also noticed that the gnome leader was keeping very close to the box now and the two gnomes assigned to guard it. His proximity made them glance nervously at each other every time they were approached. It was also apparent that they were having whispered conversations, specifically out of earshot of the humans. Gawain kept a close eye on all of this unusual activity and behaviour. He had half expected a cute move from Fulgar when they reached their destination, it was the usual tactic of people with something to hide.

Karl marched proudly on the right flank of the column, his rune sword flapping loosely in it’s scabbard. He did not have a proper belt and leg tie but if it drew attention to itself by it’s motion, he didn’t object. The main guide stopped them every now and then to survey the path ahead which had started to rise steeply. Turning and looking behind it was possible to see way beyond the woods and vast plain they had covered in a day’s march, to the misted out hills where the barbarian army had passed them.

That would be a whole barrel of fun, meeting another army out here Thought Gawain and decided to cross that bridge if they came to it.

Right now, they had the mountain pass to find and the hidden forest. Despite his insistence, Fulgar had refused to reveal the whereabouts of their destination or how they were to get there. Deciding there had been enough internal strife, Gawain had let the matter drop but he was not happy about it. Fulgar did not seem bothered and had gently stroked the leather scroll cover where his warrant of authority lay wrapped up to settle any objections the knight had.

At mid day they halted for a quick meal and to pick the tiny stones out of their boots. Karl inspected the horses’ shoes and dug the pebbles and sharp stones out, much to the relief and gratitude of those he helped.

Gawain until now had little time to prepare for the final leg of the journey and staring up at the tall peaks, he wondered exactly how they were to find a way through. The guide had told him nothing he didn’t already know and anytime it looked like he was getting near to finding something out, Fulgar was there and barging his own conversation in to throw them.

‘You could at least tell me how much longer we are going to be Fulgar, I need to plan for a camp if we are going to stop for the night’

Fulgar had brushed the question off with a grunt and muttered something about ‘need to know’ and refused to be drawn.

Even asking if the horses would make it through whatever pass they were heading for was met with a stony silence.

Gawain cursed himself for not getting this all sorted long ago. He should have been in from the beginning and had a good idea of what they were heading towards. He had never journeyed in these lands before, few men had and therefore little happened here that concerned him. How he wished that was different now. These mountains didn’t even have a name and as far as he could remember, they were only vaguely referred to on any map he had seen. The thought suddenly struck him as odd this should be the case. In all the centuries of adventure and exploration, men had almost never come here. He could only assume it was one of those strange situations where everyone thought that everyone else would get round to it one day.

Karl sat nearby watching the knight closely and Gawain wondered at the change in the boy. When he had first met him, he had been a skinny pale faced youth who looked as if a good kick would kill him. Now, after just a few short days, he was a combat veteran, an esquire and just as clueless about their next move as was the Knight of Legend.

‘Esquire, have you sharpened your sword today?’ Asked Gawain

Karl drew the sword and presented it hilt first. Gawain took it and inspected the smooth lines of the cutting edge and noted with satisfaction that the boy had kept the whet stone direction the same, using long sweeping runs along the blade as he himself had done these many years. It was rare for any sword to be sharpened by two different people and keep it’s edge razor like but this esquire had watched and learned.

When happy with the care the sword was receiving, he handed it back with a nod of approval.

The guide had watched all this with little pleasure. The thought of losing Karl to the court of King Lathas didn’t make him happy and with the death of Hammand he would have no assistants in what was already a hard and poorly paid occupation.

Still, there was always the chance this job would come off alright.

And then we would see just who wanted to be with who!

Gawain hadn’t failed to notice the guide had been avoiding him where he could and instead of sharing meals and the company of his own kind, had rather more spent it alone. He spoke to Karl only when he felt he had to and the boy didn’t seem too bothered by that. Another unusual feature of this quest.

If they made it out, if Gawain managed to regain his rank and see the last of Gnomes for about 57 years, he would be content. Intrigue was the domain of courtiers and flunkies, not knights and warriors but it was rare to be able to be that choosy.

A screech from above made the entire camp jump and look skyward. High above them, circling in lazy arcs with wings fully outstretched were two mighty eagles. It was obvious the party had been spotted so hiding was futile. Instead, it was a matter of assessing the risk. Not all eagles were good and some were neither good nor bad. They dealt with others as the mood took them or how they had been dealt with. The memories of these guardians of the mountains were long and they were notorious for holding grudges.

The gnomes were the most worried by this sudden appearance. It wasn’t unknown for larger birds, when hungry enough, to have a go at them and out in the open they would stand little chance against two such large specimens.

Everyone watched anxiously as the eagles maintained their height. Their cry had been intended to provoke a reaction and Gawain was relieved to see that no one was stupid enough to either run or produce a bow. He had dealings with eagles in the past, but none out here and certainly none as big as these so it was uncertain how this encounter was going to turn out.

Another cry echoed through the mountains and one of the eagles started to descend in slow turns, it’s eyes never leaving them and darting from one to the other. Every now and then it corrected it’s flight with an adjustment of the wings and fine trim feathers at the edges, a master of it’s world and totally in command of the situation. It was close enough now that the true size of this bird was apparent and Gawain wondered if it might not be big enough to give a dragon a good fight. Certainly the talons looked powerful enough to gouge through anything a dragon could grow and not even his rune shield would take much punishment from them. If this bird decided to attack, it would be a hard fight, especially with the other hovering above.

The eagle turned slightly faster as it neared the ground, manoeuvring itself with an agility not normally seen in something this bulky but it did so with a grace that was breathtaking. It stretched out it’s legs and landed with a flourish on a rocky outcrop and glared down at the assembled visitors.

No one moved as they were scrutinized and awaited the eagle’s decision. Fulgar had managed to edge his way to Gawain when they had spotted the eagles, maybe he wanted the protection.

‘Go and bow to it’ He hissed to the knight who could barely hear the gnome and did not want to bend down to hear any better. Fulgar kicked his foot. ‘Do it!’ He spat

The eagle was staring at Gawain and Fulgar, it’s head craning forward as if to examine them closer. Then it ruffled up it’s wings and spread them out in an impressive display of power and authority. It suddenly let out a loud call that made the horses jump and pull back. Karl grabbed the reins of two but the eagle seemed not to care or notice. Gawain glared down at the Gnome who was franticly mouthing at him and nodding at the eagle.

Why me? He mouthed back

Fulgar nearly burst out of his face which had turned an impressive shade of purple.

‘Hurry damn you!’ He snapped

Gawain sighed and with his hands in clear view and empty, he slowly walked forward. The eagle sat up and folded it’s wings once again and concentrated on him. There just no way of telling if the look was one of approval, or the precursor to an attack.

The knight took five steps so that he was well forward of the rest and stopped. The eagle continued to glare at him and he looked up quickly, ever mindful of being set upon from above but the other eagle continued to sail on the currents of air high up.

Trying his best not to spook the bird, he moved forward again and stared fixedly at the rock below it . There are few animals who take being stared at as a mark of respect.

He was within ten paces and all his instincts told him he was close enough. Stop, run away, hide, anything but this. The talons looked even more deadly this close and the beak just didn’t need thinking about.

Nine paces to go. Eight. Seven. This was insane! He could practically smell it now. Risking a quick glance up, he could truly appreciate just how magnificent the eagle was. Easily the size of a man it towered up, knowing nothing but domination of it’s high and unassailable world. Even as a group they could never hope to take it on and with two, it was a matter of whether the eagles allowed them to live.

Gawain stopped at six paces and bowed slowly, thanking his god he wore nothing with bird remains on it. He stayed bowed over and wondered what to do next. The eagle remained still and stared at him silently, evaluating his gesture and keeping it’s thoughts to itself. When he felt he could no longer stay bent over without falling, he raised his head. The movement provoked the reaction he had been dreading. A loud screech was followed by a rush of wind as the eagle stretched up and leapt at him, talons bared and aimed at his face. Instinctively he went for his sword but a thought exploded in his head that saved his life.

Eagles will only approach to greet you or kill you. If they want to kill you, they will. It’s best to just let things happen.

Where had that come from? One of those pieces of knowledge picked up somewhere. His hand left the hilt, against all his training but in the time he had to think it didn’t matter.

The eagle’s attack never came. It raced over the Knight’s head, barely missing him and the wind from it’s wings almost staggered him. With another long call it rose gracefully and spiralled on an updraft of air. Gawain didn’t move until it had reached it’s companion and they drifted out of sight over the mountains and into another world.

‘That went better than expected’ Said Fulgar as Gawain walked back to the group.

‘Meaning?’

The gnome shrugged and said matter of factly ‘You’re knowledge of eagle etiquette is impressive. He obviously thought so as well’

‘Eagle etiquette? What are you on about?’

Fulgar took his place next to the two gnomes carrying the box and checked they had it well guarded.

‘Knowing how close you can get. Normally they rip your face off if you do it wrong’ he said walking off

‘But…’

‘Which is why I wanted you to do it. I hadn’t got the faintest idea’

‘Wha….’

‘I was getting worried as well, thought they would never show up. Not far now and all will be revealed!’

The last word seemed to say more than Fulgar wanted but Gawain was still going through the rest of what he had said to really notice. He fell in at the rear, Karl leading the horses and the gnomes walking in line and all beginning to close in on the pair with the box. Whatever this secret way through the mountains was, it had best be making itself known soon. Their path showed no sign of leading to a way through.

They came to a stop once again and the Guide studied the ridge they were nearing, it’s hard outline would be tough going and Gawain had decided there was no way they were going to walk along it’s top and present a clear and unmistakeable outline to anything within two days march of here. Fulgar had other ideas and soon made them clear.

He joined the guide and they started pointing at things and talking quietly until the knight cleared his throat to signal his approach. Fulgar went quiet and the guide looked worried that something they had said may have been overheard. Gawain would remind him later that humans do not side with gnomes against other humans. Not if they ever want to work in the free worlds again that is.

Fulgar made to walk away but Gawain was not easily put off.

‘ Have you two decided where we are going yet?’ He asked loudly. The guide’s eyes remained fixed on Fulgar but he said nothing.

‘I have always known where we are going’ Said Fulgar evenly, ‘But we have to make sure that we approach from the right direction.’

‘Approach what from the right direction?’ Asked Gawain and aimed his question straight at the guide who pretended he hadn’t heard and continued to stare at Fulgar.

This was getting ridiculous. The knight was about to let his words fly when Fulgar held up a hand to silence him and then pointed slowly down into the rocky and bare land to their right. The track they were on rose up towards a high cliff with what looked like a pathway going around the base of the mountain. But to either side of them, the land dropped away sharply into a wide valley maybe three leagues across whose other side was a similar path to their own.

‘Look’ Said the gnome and Gawain turned to stare into the nothingness that lay there.

‘At what exactly?’ He asked, tiring of these cryptic games.

‘What do you see?’ Replied Fulgar and stared slyly at the knight.

‘Same as you, nothing’

Fulgar’s smile widened.

‘Exactly, why do you think it’s called the hidden forest?’

All the pieces finally began to fit and Gawain realised now why Fulgar had been so evasive. The mountains were impassable this way, that was obvious now. So, who in their right minds would either venture up here or even look for a forest? No wonder it was so desolate. He still had a million things he wanted to ask the gnome but for now he would settle on seeing the forest revealed. He waited. Nothing happened.

The wind started to moan and gust, the fading sun had started to sink in the west and the long shadows of the valley were pushed back by the light as it came round to peer straight up the valley.

‘Look’ Breathed Fulgar as the shadow retreated up the steep face of the mountain. Gawain stared in wonder and amazement as the land before him was transformed. In the valley, trees as tall as any he had ever seen shimmered into existence and filled the entire space. But it wasn’t just this that made him gasp. They were no ordinary trees, they sparkled and shone as if covered in diamonds which swirled around in the branches and leaves. Each tree had a glowing heart that pulsed and hypnotised those who stared for too long. Gawain had only seen magic trees in one’s and two’s before but this was a forest of them! Their wood was prized beyond any other and only available to the most skilled cutters who fashioned them into bows of almost supernatural power. If they could see this lot!

Gawain had to concentrate to break his gaze away and turned to speak. But Fulgar was not there and neither were any of the other gnomes. The guide was missing as well and the only ones left were Karl, who was pointing madly in the direction of the trees, and the horses who stood silently watching. No lovers of trees anyway, they were not bothered about staying out of the forest. He looked around and just caught a last glimpse of a gnome scurrying into the cover of the tree trunks.

Well, that answers one question but if they think I’m staying out here..

He snatched the reins of his horse and was in the saddle in a flash.

‘Have you ever ridden a saddled horse boy?’ he called to Karl.

‘No sir but I have ridden bareback a fair bit’ Came the reply

‘Fine, either throw the saddle or mount up and learn quickly, this isn’t going to be pleasant. Draw your sword and keep it low, stay behind me and whatever you do, do not attempt to cut the trees!’

Karl knew the knight was not going to wait for him to loosen and remove the saddle and eagerly climbed onto the horse’s back. It twitched a little but he handled the reins smoothly and showed the horse he know what he was doing. Or more importantly, looked as if he knew what he was doing. He pulled the rune sword out and held it low as instructed and awaited the move off.

Gawain turned his horse and headed slowly down to the tree line, still hardly believing what he was seeing. Maybe it was just an apparition and when they reached it, the trees would fade and become transparent but somehow he doubted that. One thing he was sure of, there was no way he was going to track gnomes, especially in these wondrous titans which glowed softly and glittered in the fading sunlight.

Fulgar had played him off perfectly and the anger in him rose to his chest.

How stupid can one knight actually be? Letting him lead us here and then rushing off to do whatever he had to do was all very well but I am NOT staying out there like some serf whilst he collects all the glory. Besides, there is the little matter of an oath.

The way down was firm enough but having only one hand to control the reins and the other drawing his sword it had to be taken with care. His horse was not the nimblest of creatures and was not enjoying the sidestepping down. Behind him he could hear Karl giving reassuring commands to his own horse and steadying it with a natural skill. Some people could do that, as if the horse understood them and needed little direction.

Gawain paused at the base of the outermost tree which towered up into the sky and stared hard into the depths before him. He was staggered to see that the trees were laid out in neat lines that stretched way beyond visual range as the ground beneath fell slightly, evened out in the valley floor and then rose up the other side. Row upon row of the twinkling lights and throbbing hearts hypnotised him and made keeping his balance on the horse suddenly difficult.

The horses were surprisingly calm about it all, these trees never felt intimidating no matter where they were. But that did not mean that evil things would not live among them. Maybe the horses picked up on that and allowed their riders one quick glance at each other, a nod and then they made their slow way into a row and they knew not what.

They had barely gone in five tree widths when the first cries and sounds of trouble reached them. The ground shook and the branches above swayed as the trunks took the force of the tremor. The shaking faded to a low rumble and once again Gawain heard the unmistakeable cries of gnomes in distress. It was tempting to just turn and leave, after all, they had obviously decided they no longer needed him. But with a sentence of death over his head and that parchment in Fulgar’s possession there was no way he was letting it all disappear.

He turned to Karl and pointed in what he thought was the direction of the noise. The gnomes could not have gone far, even they had limitations. They set off at an angle, through the rows of mighty trunks, their horses soft footfalls barely audible in the dense but orderly forest. Karl held true to his master and kept his position guarding the rear, turning now and then to check as they slowly made their way deeper into the forest.

There was another rumble but nearer this time and not as intense. It was followed by a low booming that the boy thought almost sounded like a voice.

Gawain paled and turned and drew his horse up next to him.

‘If there is one thing I didn’t need to meet in here, it’s a dark ent’

He turned in his saddle and pointed in the direction of the noise

‘And that my boy is the sound of a very angry dark ent. You had best leave the forest now and await my return. If I do not appear by sunrise tomorrow, make your way back to Ardougne whatever way you can’

Karl stared at the knight and made to object but Gawain held up his hand to silence him.

‘No, not this time. You will obey my orders and await me out there. Stay well clear of the forest and whatever happens, whatever you hear, do not re enter here. This place is more evil than you can possibly imagine and if we all die here, no one will know what we did or how our quest went. You must live boy, you must take our memory back and if our lands are laid waste, find a place to live where you can rekindle our history and tell your children what we did and who we were.’

He laid his gauntlet on the boy’s shoulder and saw the tears forming, but they were not tears of weakness. He would have stayed and fought to the end, Gawain never doubted that. He also knew Karl did not want to be alone in the dark, on a mountain with a forest of magic and unimagined horrors in front of him and the possibility of a journey back through enemy held lands. That though was his fate and so he held his sword out in salute, received a knight’s salute in return and turned his horse towards the dim light of the forest edge with a heavy heart. He dared not look back and if he had there would have been nothing to see.

Gawain had turned and made his way to the heart of the forest with little hope that he would ever see the sunrise.

When the forest had first appeared, Fulgar’s heart leapt with excitement and not a little fear. This was what all the effort and sacrifice had been about and his plan was about to be fulfilled. All he had to do was reach the centre, there his mission would be complete and his people would be safe once again. It was a shame about the knight, he had been a noble and true companion, if a little short tempered. That was hardly surprising given his task, humiliation and inherent pride. Well, the eagles would take care of him, if his first line of defence didn’t work out. It had all been arranged. Telling the knight he had done the right thing with that eagle was a nice little touch and no doubt the human had no idea how incredibly naive he had been.

He hoped Gawain would be entranced by the vision for the time it would take him to get to the trees and with a quick wave of his hand the gnomes had set off quickly and quietly. The lead scout said nothing and as arranged, he too slipped quietly away.

The boy was a problem and Fulgar had thought of silencing him permanently but that would have taken too long. The knight would have made short work of him in the open and the whole quest would have ended in disaster. Instead, he had used his one chance and put a finger on his mouth to keep the boy quiet. He was still the paymaster of the boy and therefore he should do as he was told.

He could not believe how far they got before he saw the Knight look around for them. His entire party was in the trees and he slipped in last of all, hoping that he had managed to do so unnoticed.

Within the forest he took the box from the two guards and held it up. A faint glow from underneath matched that of the trees and he smiled in relief that the two knew each other. They should get through without any problems now, it was just a matter of finding the centre tree. The box glowed slightly brighter on one side and Fulgar pointed in that direction, setting off at a brisk pace.

Time in a magic forest is not an exact nor uniform subject and even though Gawain and Karl had reached the edge of the trees as Fulgar was setting off, by the time the two humans had actually entered, the gnomes were far away and nearly at their destination. Fulgar had checked the underside several times just to make sure they were still on course and his confidence grew as they saw far ahead down a long column of trees, the light of the centre faintly ebbing and growing.

So near now and as before, it was within reach of their goal that they relaxed and things started to go horribly wrong. One of the gnomes at the back thought he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye but when he looked there was nothing but the still tall trunks. He put it down to excitement and fear and turned back to join his companions. He never felt the blow that killed him. It was instant, painless and without warning. The dark wood limb smashed down into his head and shattered his skull in all directions and the body was lifeless before it hit the ground. His partner just had time to cry out and warn the others before he too felt a devastating blow that flung him sideways into a thick tree trunk, snapping his spine so that he twisted double like a rag doll.

The others panicked and ran in all directions as Fulgar desperately tried to rally them and lookout for a killer blow aimed his way. He knew immediately what had attacked and was prepared for it.

From his pouch he drew out several runes such as were rarely seen in the world and cast them to the ground. Shouting an ancient curse in his native language, the earth around them erupted skywards in an ear splitting roar. Trees splintered and cracked open, gnomes were sent flying high into the branches of surrounding trees, some to be strangled, others to lie for eternity in a trance that could never be broken while the forest remained.

Fulgar and two others who had stayed with him ran on, away from the explosion and straight at the growing light at the centre of the forest. The box was tightly gripped in Fulgar’s hand as they darted in and out of the trees, dreading another attack by the dark ents but that was not likely now. Their enemy knew they too were forest guardians and could use powerful spells to ward off their evil. They also knew there were other victims out there not so well equipped to fight back. Roaring in anger the ent turned towards the scent of humans and horses, forgetting the little devils for now. He would deal with them later.

The guide had waited for the gnomes to make their move and sped back down the pathway from which they had approached the forest. Fulgar’s instructions to him had been quite clear and he wanted to put as much distance between himself and the knight as possible. The boy he had given up as lost and did not even give him a look as he slipped away from the column. Now came the tricky part.

The forest did not look hard to navigate and he could easily slip between the gnomes and Gawain without too much trouble. The throwing knife which had stayed hidden through all their adventures and travels was in his hand as he lay hidden behind a large boulder, awaiting pursuit if it came. He had been a many times decorated champion in Asgarnia with throwing knives and was supremely confident that the knight would be dead long before he could react should he be stupid enough to give chase. He did not expect to be pursued, the main focus would be on the gnomes, that box and the Tree Spirit.

That box. Well there was the twist in the tail. How much would that be worth in the markets of Varrok or Falador? No matter what you wanted to sell, there were always people willing to pay for the right goods at the right price there. Maybe if he was lucky, he would make enough to retire from this life, buy a place in the woodlands of the north and spend his time fishing and hunting. Yes, that’s what he wanted and these gnomes would be his passport to that life. Far from knights, kings and stupid people wanting to be guided through lands they hardly ever heard of, and for what? A few gold coins and a look of contempt at the miserable price they had to pay. It was all going to change and all he had to do was get that box and make sure he was the only one who came back alive.

Fulgar was expecting him to be in the forest, to kill Gawain and so would not think it unusual if he appeared to report his success. The chances were most of the gnomes would be killed in the course of the night anyway and he could easily deal with the survivors. Once he had that box.

The sun was finally setting but it was not yet dark as he made one last check along the path before running at full speed into the forest and his objective.

He had barely made it deep enough before he felt the tremor and heard the roars and screams from far away to his left. He steadied himself against the trunk of the nearest tree and was astounded that it felt warm! The trees were actually pulsing with life and their energy seeped out as heat. There was little time wonder at this phenomenon and knowing what he had heard could only be bad news, he sprinted deeper inwards.

Gawain spurred his horse away from where he thought the dark ent had called from, thankful that the high trees had few branches this low down. It made his passage through them that much easier as he sped along the endless straight row. His main problem was the lack of light but horses have other senses, sharper and more finely tuned than humans. His confidence that the war horse would see them safely through was all that kept him in the saddle.

His idea was to outflank the dark ent and rely on speed to put him between the gnomes and the centre of the forest which it was logical to assume was their goal. Ahead he could make out the growing light of the centre and he called out to quicken the pace. The horse’s head dropped slightly as it gave a burst of speed and Gawain was beginning to believe he had made the right move. The sword swirled in his hand as he charged headlong at the beacon of light, preparing to slow down so he could cut in a couple of rows and watch for the gnomes.

The flash of steel reflecting the light betrayed the knife spinning through the air towards him from dead ahead and years of experience came to the rescue as his head fell down to the side of the horses neck which lurched back and forth in full gallop. He heard the whuzz of the blade as it sheared inches over him and out of sight.

He just caught the dark blur of a man diving to one side to avoid being trampled to death as horse and rider thundered on. Even though he had no hope of physically recognising the guide, it was all becoming clear what the end of this quest was supposed to be and Gawain burned with a rage as he realised there was little hope of a happy ending for him, no matter what the outcome.

Well that’s no excuse to take it lying down and if one thing is certain, that traitor will not live to see the sun rise.

He kept the horse at it’s present speed to get them clear of knife throwing range and closer to the light. He knew the disadvantage of being mounted on a full sized war horse in bright light and he would be hard pressed to hide from anything, but he did have the ability to remain mobile and clear an area quickly. That was important against a dark ent. The guide had lost his only advantage of surprise and was a dead man, either by ent or sword. It was immaterial which.

He brought the horse to a halt and felt it’s flanks heaving as it sucked in deep draughts of air and cantered on the spot to relieve the pressure on it’s forelocks. Dropping the reins, his shield was brought up and covering his body as he listened intently for the sound of approaching danger. This was not easy in a helm and he knew he had to rely on the horse to help. The visor was up to improve his vision but at that moment there was nothing to see.

The horse bolted forward so fast he almost went over the back but his powerful legs gripped the flanks as he turned to try and see what the threat was. In some ways he wished he hadn’t, the dark brown shape behind him lumbered along in pursuit. It’s thin body and gangly arms were covered in barbed coils and it stood many times higher than a man. No doubt it could out run a man as well, but a horse? That would soon be answered.

The muscular legs of the horse pounded along and as he turned to look behind, the receding figure of the ent gave Gawain heart that he had the upper hand.

He heard the roar of frustration and hate but a roar wasn’t dangerous unless it was a call to others. In which case he was as good as finished. No time for that though.

The sword went back into it’s scabbard, not an easy thing to do on a galloping horse and there was the ringing chime as his lethal dragon bladed axe came out and sparkled under the trees. If there was one thing that could scare an ent, it had to be an axe. And an axe forged with a blade made from the hardest black dragon hide known to the world was going to give the tree guardian something to think about.

Gawain pulled the horse to a halt once again and turned to face the charging shape that hooted and roared as it rushed towards him. The lethal axe glittered as if it relished the coming battle and it’s heavy but agile weight felt good in the Knights hand. He was a master of this weapon, his main skill had always been the axe. Limited until now to where he could use it, need and desperation drove all other considerations out as he balanced it evenly at his side. The horse, steady and faithful as ever, held fast and awaited the onslaught.

The ent had been maddened to the point of total breakdown. Firstly the little tree dwellers had thrown it with that spell after only two kills, now this horse had taken the latest victim away at a speed it could not comprehend but revenge would be sweet. Gawain raised his shield high to one side and the movement distracted the oncoming monster which failed to see the mighty axe swing in from the other side as it reached out to smash the face of the horse. The blade bit into the outstretched limb, the force pf the blow severing it cleanly.

The attack had failed and the ent stumbled to one side, shocked and racked with pain as it struggled to realise what had happened.

The axe passed neatly through and swung outwards, fully under control. The horse turned instinctively to keep it’s rider in the action and drove a hoof down into the ground to trip the ent as it fell into them. It roared with deafening malevolence and turned it’s head up just in time to see the lethal blade come down once more on it’s body, digging into the sinewy outer skin and cutting through with deadly power. This time the axe did not make a clean cut and Gawain let go to avoid being dragged out of the saddle. It mattered not, the ent was mortally wounded but still a danger. It thrashed around underneath the horse which made a big thing of stamping down on it and leaping to one side before it’s stomach could be ripped open in a last savage swipe from the remaining arm.

Gawain drew out the sword and hacked downwards repeatedly at the flailing limbs as the horse turned and jumped around the stricken foe. Pieces of the ent flew in all directions as the blade mercilessly dug into it’s flesh. Finally the ent let out one last ear piercing screech and went still. The horse circled it several times as Gawain made sure it was really dead before reaching down and recovering his prized axe. What was left of it couldn’t move anyway and he turned the horse back towards the glowing light which seemed to be growing in intensity all the time.

Now for the gnomes.

There was still a knife throwing guide out there somewhere to deal with but that was a footnote to the reckoning Fulgar would face.

The guide could not believe it. The knife had been carefully aimed, timed and thrown with deadly precision. Yet it had missed! The massive horse had borne down on him and he had leapt out of the way at the very last second and ran sideways to it’s course, into the gloom. He knew Gawain would not stop until he was safely out of range and that gave him the time he needed to double back and intercept him. That was until the dark outline of an ent flashed past in the distance. Intent on the horse and rider, it had failed to notice him.In that case, Gawain had other things to worry about and keeping the ent busy was going to be a bonus. If he lived through that it would be too late. Fulgar would be at the Tree Spirit any moment and he had to head there himself. With expert skill, he silently made his way to the light.

Fulgar and his two companions ran in and out of the trees, stealing fearful glances behind for any sign of the ent. The spell had thrown so much of the ground up that it had been completely taken unawares. Mercifully, it was nowhere to be seen and they headed off, the light ahead almost blinding as they at last came into the clearing around the centre tree.

All three stopped and shielded their eyes, oblivious to anything else but the realisation that they had, against all the odds, made it. The box in Fulgar’s hand sparkled and shone out in response to the calling from it’s spiritual home but Fulgar did not move. He stared down at it and turned it slowly in his hands to the enquiring looks of the others.

‘Go on’ Said one of them. ‘Take it Fulgar, do it now!’

Fulgar turned and looked at the gnome, the light blazing in his eyes and slowly he shook his head.

‘No. We have completed our quest, there is nothing more to do’ He said slowly.

‘What?’ Spat the gnome

But Fulgar did not reply. He looked up at the edge of the trees in time to see the guide running towards him. He watched as if time itself had slowed down as the throwing knife was raised and drawn back. He saw the arm come forward and the blade fly towards him. It tumbled in the air, over and over as it flew and he had time to smile and laugh as it struck him in the chest and threw him back against the trunk of the great tree. The knife drove right up to the hilt, mortally wounding him as his blood poured out of the hole. He felt no pain, just a numbness that crept into every part of his body but not even this could spoil the moment. As he sat there dying he smiled still, knowing he had fulfilled a mission he had never believed he would survive. If only the knight could se him now. Would he acknowledge the sacrifice with honour and see him not just as some irritating little tree dweller but as a faithful servant to the last and to his king? It no longer mattered as the life force drained out of him and his senses began to fail. He lifted his head and saw the other two gnomes kneeling beside him but he could not hear their cries.

There was a dark shape moving quickly towards him, but his vision was too blurred to make it out. He thought he saw a glint of metal, a bright flash of light and suddenly things went dark.

Gawain knew he was too late, something told him the ent attack had cost him time but time in here didn’t follow any true pattern. Even so, he just felt that something had been lost and if he had been there, it may have been different.

The sudden blaze of light as he neared the centre caused horse and rider to look away. Gawain found himself staring right at the guide who was running at the gnomes, his knife flashing out from his hand. The Knight knew instinctively what he had aimed at and decided that two could play that game. The massive head of the axe arced through the air and with only two revolutions, hit the moving target so hard that the body was smashed into a tree and pinned there by the blade which had cut right through flesh and bone and dug deep into the wood.

Gawain jumped down from the saddle without looking at the dead guide and ran to the dying gnome, shield and sword burning with the light of the Tree. There was no time to wonder at the sight as he knelt down and took the Fulgar’s hand in his gauntlet and prayed for a sign of life. He glanced at the throwing knife and knew it was too late to do anything. The two gnomes stood up out of the way, fearing the anger of the knight and yet not wanting to leave their comrade.

Fulgar’s eyes opened slowly and his head moved slightly in Gawain’s direction. He tried to raise his hand holding the box but there was no life left. The knight took it from him gently and held it up for Fulgar to see.

The gnome’s mouth moved but no sound came out and Gawain had to watch closely as the words formed. Still he didn’t understand and Fulgar seemed to grow anxious that he should know something. His voice suddenly croaked into life and the words rasped faintly as his fading eyes stared at the knight.

‘Open it’ He whispered.

Gawain stared at the box which still sparkled, unaware of the events happening around it. His hand trembled slightly as he took the lid and gently lifted it away. At the very end, it was he who would complete the task and he blessed Fulgar for his dying act of honour.

He had no idea what to expect or what he would see and he held the box slightly away from him. There was no point in being careless this late in the day.

The lid detached itself easily and he slowly turned the box to peer inside. He stared for a couple of seconds at the dark interior, lined with silk and patterned with mithril inlay. Then he looked at Fulgar whose eyes were nearly closed, just hanging on long enough to the last strand of life for this moment.

‘It’s empty’ Said Gawain quietly as the realisation began to dawn on him.

‘Yes’ Said Fulgar with the merest hint of a smile on his face. ‘Lovely isn’t it?’ His eyes closed as his head slowly fell forwards.