There was a bitter cold in the morning that stung Landor's cheeks, as he walked through the icy water. It was a coldness that pervaded the air, unaffected by the sunlight that lit up the mist in a white glow. It was still the early morning, but Landor knew that goblins could travel fast and they would probably be back for him soon, if not straight away. It was essential that he got to Rïduren before they returned. There he could buy clothes, food and a map. He should have enough money for it all.

He dragged his feet from the shallow water and walked with haste towards the town. The battlements and the turrets about the large gate were just about visible, their features blurred by the mist, which was now retreating towards the sea in the west. Landor had only been to Rïduren once or twice before, for the market. His memories were of a busy, crowded street and a maze of narrow cobbled alleyways. There he had enjoyed walking around and looking at all the different stalls. 

This time, he had a much more serious purpose. Once he reached Rïduren, he had to find a place to stay the night, and then prepare for the gruelling journey to Ithelïon. He had to be cautious--if his purpose was discovered, he would be in a situation that would probably end in death. Not to mention the downfall of an ancient power. It was strange how Landor knew almost nothing of the world outside his village and yet he was a central character in the bewildering history that came with it.

Despite the clear skies and the freshness of the morning, Landor felt troubled. He did not know where Dûrost was or what the Arka would do to him. He could be in Lugnar but there was a chance Dûrost was somewhere else. Balgor might have lied to Landor, hoping that he would go to Lugnar and be captured if he escaped the Arka. Landor had since realised that this would indeed be stupid. Dûrost had said to stay safe and reach Ithelïon, no matter what. And that is what he would do. 

*

A grim sight greeted the Arka as it stepped into the torture room. The charred body of the goblin lay before the furnace in a pool of blood, a look of raw terror forever etched onto its face. Its glassy eyes stared up at the Arka. For the Arka, however, the worst sight was the torture chair: empty, with frayed rope hanging down. It didn't take an intelligent brain to figure out what had happened.

The Arka turned to run, hesitated, and then stopped for a moment. The Arka all knew that the worst job was the bearer of bad news. Any unfortunate messenger would bear the brunt of the anger. But even it knew that this news was urgent, so it ran over the bridge and towards the central area, where the Leader of the Arka would spend most of his time, giving out orders.

When the Arka found the Leader, he was already talking to a small goblin.

"The Master says that you... um..." it said.

"I what ?" the Leader asked. The goblin seemed to be shaking.

"...that you need to catch both spies and their swords, and bring them to him, and any other spies and traitors with them--" the goblin blurted out. The Leader was already fuming "--or you will be sentenced to... death..." The goblin, petrified, ran away from the room.

"Those goblins are fools! They are responsible for this. They had that spy cornered. And they still managed to lose him! Idiots! Mark my words--they will pay for this!" the Leader screamed in rage. "Where is the prisoner? Bring him to me."

The Arka barely dared to approach the Leader, for the news it bore was possibly the worst that it could have told. It finally approached the Leader.

"Leader?" The Leader turned to the Arka. The Arka looked death in the eye. "The prisoner has escaped." 

* 

Landor could hardly get through the crowd entering the gate. The town's walls had been built before the market started so it wasn't designed for such a number of people. Small it was, but a beautiful work of architecture. Marble sentries stood guard above the arch, set in the granite stone of the battlements. It felt weird to Landor that those statues would have seen his father, and he would have seen them. I wonder if  he saw Rïduren as it is now? Perhaps it was quieter, and less busy.

The crowds were certainly unlike anything in Arnas, but Landor liked the buzzing atmosphere in anticipation of the market. The crowd pushed him along and he was enjoying himself so much that he almost forgot what he was supposed to do. First, he had to find a place to stay. He pushed his way forwards, towards the inner town where the market was to be held. Most buildings either side of him were narrow, two floored terrace houses made with very dark timber framework. Some had shops of various kinds on the ground floor, displaying an array of things such as Landor had never seen.

At the end of the street there was a town square. The stone was newer and it was more spacious and open than other parts of Rïduren. It must have been built for the market. Right at the far end, Landor spotted an inn. It was much larger than the terraced houses and it had a large, dark blue sign on it that read:

The Falcon

Pub and Inn

Inside it was busy and well lit. Smoke rose from its chimney and Landor could smell the breakfast being cooked. He was drawn to its friendly atmosphere and its location right near the market. There were plenty of other inns nearby, now that Landor looked around, but this one looked the nicest. He pushed open the door and noticed that on it was a picture of a falcon, one like the marble statues.

There was a counter right at the back of the room, next to the kitchen in the room behind. At the counter there was a rotund old man, leaning on the countertop and smoking a pipe. Probably the Landlord.

Landor made his way past the many chairs and tables, towards the counter. The Landlord stood up and put down his pipe when he saw Landor. He smiled cheerfully, "Welcome to the Falcon. What do you need? Breakfast? A room? Local gossip?" he chuckled to himself.

"I'm looking for somewhere to stay. Just for the night." Landor replied.

"Ah," the Landlord nodded obligingly, turned to the wall and studied a list for a few moments before returning. "There is one free, but it's at the rear end of the building. Window faces towards the outer city. Room eight."

"That's fine. How much is that?" Landor asked, reaching for his money.

"One night?" That's one deka." Landor took out one large, silver coin and placed it on the counter. He was about to walk off when the Landlord called out. 

"Excuse me, sir. What's your name?" he asked.

" Oh, Landor." The landlord took a quill and scribbled his name onto a list. "Mine's Atkin by the way." He smiled again, then put his pipe back to his mouth.

Now for a map, Landor thought as he left the pub. He saw someone setting up a stall and walked towards him. "Do you know where I can get a map?"

The stall owner looked up, paused for a second, and then answered. "There's a bookshop just down that street, on the right." He made a gesture towards the opposite side of the square.

"Thank you," Landor said as he walked across the square. The street where the bookshop was looked a lot less crowded than the one Landor walked through to get to the Falcon, but apart from that it was mostly the same. Timber-framed terraced houses.

The shop was one of the ground-floor businesses such as Landor had seen earlier. Inside, it looked quite dark, but there were a few people browsing the shelves inside. Landor stepped down into the room and shut the door behind him.

How am I supposed to find a map in here?

He saw books on cures, books about legends and all sorts of subjects... but no maps.

"Looking for something?" said a voice behind him. Landor turned to see a short, bald man with a whiskery moustache.

"Yes, um, a map," Landor said, and followed the man to a shelf at the far end of the room.

"What do you want a map of?"

"The... the whole Empire." Landor said, realising how long his journey must seem to other people. Indeed, the bald man gave him a queer look, before reaching to the top of the shelf and drawing out a large, folded map.

"Where are you going?"

Landor's heart jumped for a moment and he panicked, trying not to give away his real destination.  "Er... South-East to... Azten!" he blurted out, making up a name on the spot.

"Azten?" the man frowned in thought, then shrugged his shoulders. "I've heard of Arten in the East, but Azten? No. Must be a small village."

Landor nodded in false agreement, and the man handed the map over.

"Two dekazin, please." Landor reached into his bag and withdrew two small, copper coins, and handed them over to the man, who walked off.

A hand suddenly gripped Landor by the shoulder, and he spun around in alarm. In front of him there was a hooded figure; he was tall and looked much younger than the shop owner. His features were sharp and he spoke in an agitated voice.

"What were you thinking?!" he whispered. "South East? Azten? You're lucky he's stupid. Anyone else could have seen through what you said. You're also lucky that I happen to be on your side. What I can't figure out is why you are going to Ithelïon, and why I haven't heard about it. Follow and I'll explain, somewhere where we can't be heard."

Landor kept behind him, perplexed, but less scared than he was a few moments ago. He was glad to at least have found someone on his side.

How did he just happen to be in Rïduren? And in here, of all places! I thought Dûrost was the only spy around here. Odd.

The Ithelïon spy crossed the street and entered the house opposite the bookshop. It looked perfectly normal on the outside, as Landor expected, but he wondered what secrets it hid. What secrets this spy hid.

The door opened onto a dusty corridor. The house felt aged and unused; the floorboards creaked when Landor stepped on them. Inside it was quite dark, because what few windows there were had not been cleaned for a long time, if at all.

Landor was led into a larger room that was sparsely, but not uncomfortably furnished. An armchair sat in the corner, seemingly out of place. The spy went over to the armchair and moved it from its position. Landor was surprised to see a metal ring attached to the floor, indeed, to what looked like a trapdoor. 

This spy has got it all thought out! It's almost as if he was expecting me... 

The spy pulled on the ring to reveal a flight of steps. Taking a match from his pocket, he lit it and descended into the room below. Landor followed, closing the trapdoor behind him. He could just about see a cellar-like room, with a few chairs and a fire-place in the wall. 

"Welcome to my little hideout," the spy said whilst lighting the fire. He then blew out the match and sat down in a seat. "I said I would explain everything, for instance, why I am in Rïduren."

Landor took his seat by the fire. "I am in Rïduren, because a few days earlier, a goblin was seen leaving Zurin's fort and heading to this area. We guessed that it was important so a few of us came here to look out for anything happening. As it happens, I was bored and looking for something to read when I overheard your conversation. I could hardly believe my ears-"

"- And I could hardly believe mine!" Landor said. "I mean, what are the chances of just happening to meet an Ithelïon spy?" The spy shrugged his shoulders. "And who are you?" Landor asked.

"I am Verta, an elf." He pulled back his hood to reveal long, flowing brown hair and pointed ears. Landor stared at him, feeling rather awed. "I still do not know who you are, nor what you are doing. Come, explain it to me." He sat back in his chair, waiting for Landor to speak.

"I... am Landor, a friend of Dûrost. I am journeying to find safety in Ithelïon, for I am..."

"For you are what?"

"I am the son of Eradni. I have Isirin." Landor withdrew Isirin from his bag and placed it on his lap. Verta was utterly lost for words. He was frozen for a moment, held in an expression of mixed shock, awe and even slight fear. His face, one that up until now had given away nothing, now showed a multitude of confused emotions.

"As an elf, I am not easily surprised. Over my many years of living, I have experienced so many things that there are very few things that I have never come across. But this. This is a huge shock. I cannot convey what this means to me. I now swear that I will do my best to get you to Ithelïon, even if I die doing so. If I do, I will die happy, knowing that I have played a part in saving what is good in this world.

Landor felt deeply affected by the sight of the elf, and he too fell silent, realising how much this meant to people in Ithelïon. It would be a long time before he fully came to grips with his life. He felt as if his life had been wiped clean, and now he was slowly filling in the picture, but very slowly. It filled him with awe to think that what he knew was just the tiniest part of the picture.

"What about Dûrost? Is he a spy?" Verta asked.

Landor breathed deeply, feeling the now familiar grief again. "He- he was captured. I assume that he was taken to Lugnar," Landor replied, in a choked voice. The elf looked sad too, after all, Dûrost was a spy like him and he obviously knew what those creatures were capable of.

"I'm sorry about that. But if they did take him there, as I'm sure they would..." he paused for a moment, like Landor did earlier. 

"What?" Landor said, looking up. "... But what?" Verta looked straight at him.

"It cannot be a coincidence that the goblin went to Lugnar. They must know who he is. They might even know about you."

Landor looked at him in horror as the meaning sank in.

* 

Dûrost reached the final path, the one that would take him along the top of the last mountains before he came to Rïduren. The mist had cleared but the dew stuck to the ground and sparkled in the light, so that he had to squint to see where he was going. He wondered if his escape had been discovered. It probably had, in which case they might be at Rïduren before him. That would cause problems.

If Landor is there, how would he get out? How would I get in? They know what I look like and, in any case, they would probably search people anyway. If they search Landor, then that would be the end of all hope. I must think of an alternative entrance - a back gate, perhaps. Maybe a stream like in Lugnar.

But then it occurred to Dûrost that Rïduren was built as a fortified town. It was unlikely to have such weaknesses. The only thing he could do was get there quickly.

I'm thinking in circles. I should just concentrate on going fast, and how to actually find Landor in Rïduren.

He sped up as the path dipped and cut along the side of the mountain. It was not the time for complacency when a large group of evil creatures were somewhere close behind him.

Where will Landor be... probably in the market place. Maybe one of the inns around there. He hopefully will be smart and get food for his journey.

Dûrost began to feel hungry and cursed himself for thinking of food. It was the last thing he wanted, together with the pain of his wounds and his fatigue. Despite this, he still kept up his pace. The exercise warmed him up and the Sun was beginning to take the chill off the air. Looking into the valley, at the Fords and the dappled yellow and greens, he was momentarily reminded of the view from the path in the forest on the other side, where he had later been captured. He shuddered as he remembered how peaceful it seemed then, like it was now, and yet what befell him only a short time later. Now he was not fooled by the peacefulness.

*

Landor and Verta stepped out into the open, their hoods up to partially conceal who they were. Landor had left Isirin  in the hidden room of Verta's house.

"Meet me tomorrow morning in the square. I am staying at the Falcon Inn" Landor said.

"Oh, yes. I know the place. The one with the blue sign, is it not?"

Landor nodded, and then headed back to the market place again, very relieved to have found an ally in the hostility of the Empire. He dearly hoped Dûrost was alright, but really he knew that with the news of the goblin, this could not be the case. And he too was in danger- after all, the goblins had spotted him. It was more a question of whether they knew he carried Isirin or not. If they did, Zurin would stop at nothing to find him. As it was, Zurin felt that someone had found it, and somehow he could connect with their mind- his mind- but he knew not where the sword was, nor did he know who had it.

What confused Landor was how the place in the dream had seemed so familiar even though he had never been past Rïduren in his life.

Where is that place? Why is it so significant and... why does it seem so horribly familiar, like a nightmarish memory? I guess it must be somewhere significant to Zurin and Ithelïon, But that still doesn't bring anything to mind.

Unable to answer these questions, Landor gave up the thought.

I'll find out one day.

He now began to focus on getting food for his journey, winding through the growing number of stalls to try and find a bakery. This was fairly easy- all he had to do was follow his nose; the scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the air.

The smell came from a short brick building near the falcon. Tendrils of smoke rose from its two chimneys, forming a cloud of smoke above the crowd. There was a large queue of people leading from inside.

Must be the best, looking at how many customers it has. Certainly smells good.

As Landor stood in the queue, inching along, he could barely stand smelling the bread and not being able to eat it. He felt he could eat about five loaves at that moment. The queue seemed slower than at the gate to Rïduren itself and even more annoying.

This is what I don't like about Rïduren, how you just want to buy everything and eat everything. But you can't.

After what seemed an eternity, Landor reached the counter. "Can I have two large loaves and one small one?" Landor said. They were placed on the counter and Landor paid, putting the loaves in his bag as he took out his money.

He broke off some of the smaller loaf and ate it whilst he left the bakery, walking once more out into the square. I guess Verta will have food ready. After all, elves are supposed to be wise. Verta certainly seems wise enough. Probably wise enough to get a pack big enough to fit everything in it, unlike me.

* 

Even from the mountain the crowd looked large. Dûrost was only too aware that this would be the case, and that he might not make it before the troop came. However, he had no choice but to try. He was glad that they weren't already there.

When I get there, I will go straight to the market. That way I might find Landor and I will myself be difficult to see in the crowd. The path came from behind Rïduren and curved around to the front, where Dûrost joined the outskirts of the crowd. It was a sea of people that heaved back and forth, shoving from all sides, like the great crowds that sought refuge in Lithuas when Zurin came to power. The memory of walking between the great white gates in all it's glory seemed like another age in contrast to the desparation he was in.

Dûrost was jolted to reality by a  sound he had heard before. The sound of a horn booming, reverberating through the earth. He looked up and saw, pouring over the hill, a troop of Arka. The crowd panicked and and chaos ensued. Horses whinnied, people screamed and everyone scattered like a flock of frightened geese. No one knew where to go , not even Dûrost.

I'm going to have to run. It is me they are looking for, not Landor.

His mind was lost in possibilities; indecisive for a moment, but then he ran towards the Fords. He would go south to Asturen. It would be dangerous, but it was unlikely they would look for him there.

He was mentally screaming at himself for leaving Landor when he was so close, but he knew the truth was that staying would have been much worse. In any other circumstances he would have stayed far away from Asturen- it contained too many painful memories for him, being so close to the Fields of Eletari. This time, however, necessity came first.

Dûrost hid within the mass of people crossing the Fords, just in case they had sent someone there to look for him.

The danger now is the wilderness, not the Arka. The Black Mountains make their own weather. The creatures there are such beasts that legends are made of, untamed and unknown except to the few people who have seen it's dark heart.

He held up the sword that he had stolen from the guard and despaired at its inadequacy. He had no pack either- it had all been stripped off him. That meant no fire, no food, nothing. Unless he could salvage a few berries from the rotting bushes, he would be walking on an empty stomach all the way to Asturen.

This is going to be hard.

*

There was almost silence in Rïduren after the horn call pierced the air. Everyone knew something was wrong- Landor could hear whisperings about Arka, goblins and various theories about why they were coming. The whisperinings grew to panicking shouts and the market became a confused tide of people, most running to their houses or inns.

Landor sprinted down the street towards the elves' house, albeit rather clumsily from the weight in his pack. They had to leave before Rïduren was searched. He knocked at the door and Verta opened.

"I was just about to look for you- we heard the Arka from in here. Come in."

Landor entered the corridor and shut the door behind him. In the main room there were four other elves who Landor had not seen before, presumably spies. Verta had obviously told them about him, because they simply nodded courteously towards him. Landor nodded back. "How are we going to escape this? The Arka, you know." said Landor.

"Rïduren was built as a fort, so it has its secrets."

"And?"

"There are tunnels that go from Rïduren to outside the walls. And they are right beneath our feet. It used to be an Ithelïon outpost before Zurin took over. We kept these houses however, and so we can get in and out without anyone knowing."

Landor's jaw dropped. "Wait... so there's another trapdoor hidden in this room?" Verta smiled, then shook his head.

"There is a hidden entrance in the cellar, for double secrecy." He moved the sofa and lifted up the trapdoor. "Shall we?" One of the other elves stood up to hold it open.

"Aren't they coming?" Landor asked, gesturing towards the other elves.

"No, they will be fine here. This house has plenty of hiding places. We, on the other hand, must reach Ithelïon as soon as we can," Verta answered, picking up a match and lighting it as he descended the steps again. When he reached the cellar, he heard the trapdoor slam behind him. They were now on their own.

Verta went over to the fireplace and pulled the metal guard upwards, a stone slab coming with it. The stone looked very heavy, yet Verta handled it with ease. Sure enough, a ladder led down to a tunnel.

The tunnel was quite low and it was hewn out of the rock. Its walls were wet and shiny in the flickering light of the flame. Verta and Landor stooped as they walked.

"How long is this?" Landor asked.

"About a hundred metres long - it comes out at a cave on the mountain behind Rïduren. Right now we are underneath the western side of Rïduren - the back."

"How will we get to Ithelïon?" Landor said.

Verta thought for a second and then said, "Probably not the way I came... that's too dangerous. We will go to Blasca and south, to Loddfin. Then maybe to Etiraz... I'll know by the time we get to Blasca, anyway. If they are looking for us they will probably expect us to go through the mountains and then east past Besanc." Landor was lost by all the names.

I'll look at my map later.

The tunnel began to slope upwards and Landor realised they must be outside Rïduren. It continued for a while longer before a flight of steps, and a trapdoor at the top. Verta pushed it open and they climbed up into a cave. Sure enough, the back of Rïduren was before them, just visible through the cave entrance. Three horses were tied to a ring in the wall.

"I didn't expect you to have horses," said Landor.

"What, did you think that I just walked all the way here in a hurry?" Verta laughed, and then saddled the horse and patted its neck fondly. "Come on then!"

Landor hesitantly climbed onto the horse. I'm going to need to practise this!

Hope you enjoyed! Vote, comment and let me know what you thought of this chapter!

[hello from elfindisguise who's been typing this whole chapter for you amazing peoplez whilst simultaneously jamming to kpop... hehehe XD]