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“I will,” replies James as he, too, gets to his feet. “I appreciate the warning.”

The door opens and Jiron’s head pops in. “James, we’ve got to go.”

“Be right there,” he says. Turning back he holds his hand out as he says, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Renlon says, shaking his hand.

Moving quickly to the door, he joins Jiron outside and they mount. He turns to the sound of the door opening and waves to the senior Renlon standing there as Jiron kicks the horse into motion and they bolt away into the night.

As soon as they leave Renlon’s Iron, they turn and ride around the edge of town until they meet up with the others on the eastern side. “Any trouble?” asks Fifer.

Shaking his head, James replies, “No.” He dismounts from behind Jiron and moves over to mount his own steed.

“Did you find out what you wanted to know?” Dave asks.

“Yes I did,” he says. “If we follow the north road out of town, we’ll come right to it.”

“Excellent,” Uther states. “How far is it?”

James’ enthusiasm dampens somewhat when he replies, “I forgot to ask.”

“No matter,” interjects Jiron. “We know where it lies.”

They get their horses in motion and circumvent the town until they reach the north road then turn to follow it. James doesn’t inform them about the strange occurrences at the mines. He figures they have enough to worry about right now. Besides, they could be the overactive imagination of miners left too long alone. Somehow that idea doesn’t bring him any consolation.

Riding through the night, they decide to put many miles behind them before they stop and rest until morning. The road moves through the foothills for the first couple of hours but then finally leaves them behind as it moves into open plains. No inns in sight, they pull off the road and make a camp some ways from the road.

Bellies grumbling from lack of food, they settle into their blankets. The stars are bright overhead which on the one hand is good as there’ll be no rain. But bad on the other as what warmth there is in the air will be gone by morning, escaping back into space.

In the morning as the sun breaks over the horizon, they awaken to find frost covering the grass and their breath fogs in the cold air of a fall morning. Shivering, they break camp and return to the road.

“I’m starving,” complains Dave as they make the road and turn to follow it north.

“We all are,” assures James. “We’ll get something to eat at the next town.”

“If there is a next town,” he hears his friend grumble under his breath.

Sighing, James rolls his eyes and tries not to worry about his friend. Frankly he has too much on his mind. He worries whether or not Orlander will be coming after him, if the Empire has more forces in the area, not to mention those creatures.

Also on his mind is what that crazy guy back in Illion had said. The temple must rise. Then he went and contradicted himself by saying the temple had to fall. He would completely dismiss it if it weren’t for the other things the man had said about shadows and fire. He could’ve been just a crazy man and his ramblings nonsense, but he doesn’t think so. And finally ahead of them is a place he’s been told strange occurrences have been happening for some time. Altogether too much to worry about.

Dave rides next to him as does Miko, one on either side. Two hours after leaving camp, a farmstead appears off to their right, quite a ways off the road. People are seen working the fields around it, probably bringing in the last of whatever crop they had.

“Fifer,” he says coming to a stop. “Take Miko and go over there to see if we can buy some food.” He pulls out the pouch he acquired at Orlander’s and removes some coins which he hands to Fifer.

“Sure,” he says, taking the coins. He and Miko then leave the road and begin making their way to the homestead.

James sits there with the others as they watch them approach. When the farmers notice them approaching, they hurry from the fields to the house. Fifer and Miko come to a stop near the house and look to be talking with the locals. After a few moments,