his indifference and let the matter drop.
Shortly afterward a pair of figures emerged from the shad-
ows of the split, bearded, hard-faced men with longbows and
knives. They greeted Matty Roh and Morgan perfunctorily,
then beckoned for them to follow. Single file, they entered the
split and passed along a trail that wound upward into a jumble
of rocks that shut away any view of what lay ahead. Morgan
climbed dutifully, unable to avoid noticing that Matty Roh con-
tinued to look as if she were out for a midday stroll.
Finally they reached « plateau that stretched away north,
south, and west and offered the most breathtaking views of the
Dragon’s Teeth and the lands beyond that Morgan had ever
seen. Sunset was approaching, and the skies were turning a
brilliant crimson through the screen of mist that clung to the
mountain peaks. Hence the name Firerim Reach, thought Mor-
gan. East, the plateau backed up against a ridge grown thick
with spruce and cedar. It was here that the outlaws were en-
camped, their roofed shelters crowded into the trees, their
cooking fires smoldering in stone-lined pits. There were no
walled fortifications as there had been at the Jut, for the pla-
teau dropped away into a mass of jagged fissures and deep
canyons, its sheer walls unscalable by one man let alone any
sort of sizable force. At least, that was the way it appeared
from where Morgan stood, and he assumed it was the same on
all sides of the quarter-mile or so stretch of plain. The only
way in appeared to be me way they had come. Still, the High-
lander knew Padishar Creel well enough to bet there was at
least one other.
He turned as a familiar burly figure lumbered up to meet
them, black-bearded and ferocious-looking with his missing
eye and ear and his scarred face. Chandos embraced Matty
Roh warmly, nearly swallowing her up in his embrace, and
then reached out for Morgan.
“Highlander,” he greeted, taking Morgan’s hand in his own
and crushing it. “It’s good to have you back with us.”
“It’s good to be back.” Morgan extracted his hand painfully.
“How are you, Chandos? ”
The big man shook his head. “Well enough, given every-
thing that’s happened.” There was an angry, frustrated look in
The Talismans of Shannara 97
his dark eyes. His jaw tightened. “Come with me where we
can talk.”
He took Morgan and Many Roh from the rim of the cliffs
across the bluff. The guards who had brought them in disap-
peared back the way they had come. Chandos moved deliber-
ately away from the encampment and the other outlaws.
Morgan glanced questioningly at Matty Roh, but the girl’s face
was unreadable.
When they were safely out of earshot, she said immediately
to Chandos, “They have him, don’t they? ”
“Padishar? ” Chandos nodded. “They took him two nights
earlier at Tyrsis.” He turned and faced Morgan. “The Valeman
was with him, the smaller one, the one Padishar liked so
well—Par Ohmsford. Apparently the two of them went into
the Federation prisons to rescue Damson Rhee. They got her
out, but Padishar was captured in the attempt. Damson’s here
now. She arrived yesterday with the news.”
“What happened to Par? ” Morgan asked, wondering at the
same time why there had been no mention of Coll.
“Damson said he went off in search of his brother—
something about the Shadowen.” Chandos brushed the ques-
tion aside. “What matters at the moment is Padishar.” His
scarred face furrowed. “I haven’t told the others yet.” He
shook his head. “I don’t know if I should or not. We’re sup-
posed to meet with Axhind and his Trolls at the Jannisson at
the end of the week. Five days. If we don’t have Padishar with
us, I don’t think they’ll join up. I think they’ll just turn around
and go right back the way they came. Five thousand strong!”
His face flushed, and he took a steadying breath. “We need
them if we’re to have any kind of chance against the Federa-
tion. Especially after losing the Jut.”
He looked at them hopefully. “I was never much at making