Gemmell, David – Morningstar

‘Where would he be heading?’ I asked Wulf.

‘There is a port, Barulis, at the Dee way estuary, north-west of here. If Edmund’s fleet hasn’t yet blocked it, maybe he is planning

to take a sea voyage. Or he may just lie low in Barulis. But whatever his plan, it will take him some days to reach the city. I think I can cut his trail before then. We’ll find him, Owen.’As we walked I reached out with my Talent, sending a new search-globe to the north-west. As I concentrated my mind, honing my powers, I became aware, as magickers will, of an enchanter close by. I stopped, closed my eyes and linked my thoughts to the globe. I became one with the spell, and my soul floated high above the forest in a circle of light. I had not the strength, nor the mental strength, to hold myself for long in this spirit form, but it was long enough to see what I had both sensed and feared.

A second Search-spell was floating above the trees.

The enemy were also seeking the Morningstar.

There was much on my mind as we travelled. Ilka’s death was still an open wound, and still I could not bring myself to talk to anyone about her. But I thought of her constantly. And Megan’s dying words continued to haunt me. She had lived for two thousand years, waiting for the answer to a question. What question ? And who could have answered it? And what did she mean when she told me she would see me again, but that she would not know me? Was she delirious then? Was it a kind of madness that precedes death?

But more than anything I thought of Jarek Mace, and the confusion he must have felt at being a hero to so many. There is a legend of a giant called Parmeus who stole the book of knowledge from the gods.. Every step he took with it saw the weight grow, until he felt he was carrying a mountain. At last he fell, and the weight pushed him far below the earth where he still tries to carry his burden. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are attributed to these struggles in certain areas. But I knew that Mace would understand the awesome pressure Parmeus bore, for hero-worship can be no less weighty, no less burdensome.

True, there were rewards. Mace had enjoyed several parades. But notwithstanding these distractions, he still had a legend to live up to, whereas in truth he was merely a common soldier and a skilled swordsman. How could he – despite the expectation of the people – hope to defeat the Battle King?

We made good time, for the rains held off and the ground was firm, and within two days we had reached an area of level ground high in the mountains, a verdant plateau with several villages and an ancient castle built upon an island at the centre of a long loch. It was a pretty spot, untouched by war. Fat cattle grazed on the new grass, and sheep and goats could be seen on the hillsides.

We were tired of walking and made our way down to the lakeside. An elderly man approached us; he was carrying a loaf of bread which he broke into three pieces for us, an ancient Highland custom of welcome. We bowed our thanks and I described Mace, asking him if such a man had passed by.

‘You mean the Morningstar?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ I answered, surprised. ‘We are friends of his.’He nodded sagely. ‘Well, if you’re his friends I don’t doubt he’ll find you,’ said the old man knowingly.

‘He would if he was told that Owen Odell, Wulf and Piercollo had travelled far to see him.’And you’d be Odell the Wizard?’It would have taken too long to correct him, so I merely nodded. He said nothing more and walked away to his hut. The three of us sat down and finished the bread, which was a little stale but still tasty.

‘He’s here,’ said Wulf, ‘and I’ll wager he won’t see us.’As the day wore on and the sun fell lower, it seemed that Wulf would be proved right. Just after dusk the old man came out of his hut, bringing with him a pot of stewed beef and several clay bowls. I thanked him and questioned him about the settlement – how long it had been here, and so on. He sat with us for a while, talking of the Highlands and his life. He had been a soldier for twenty years, and had fought in three Oversea Wars. But he had come home a decade before, and was now a fisherman and content. I asked him about the castle at the centre of the lake.

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