The sky continued gloomy, though the air was cool and dry. About midway through their journey, they began to encounter the extensive diggings that had turned the ancient battlefield at Lake Randera into a wasteland. They saw a few of the treasure-hunters, but passed them without incident.
Perhaps something had changed it, or perhaps it was because he was out of doors instead of in some candlelit room, but this time when Sparhawk caught that faint glimmer of darkness and menacing shadow at the very corner of his vision, something was actually there. It was late in the afternoon of a depressing day which they had spent riding through a landscape denuded of all vegetation and littered with great mounds of raw, dug-over earth. When Sparhawk caught that familiar flicker and its accompanying chill, he half-turned in his saddle and looked squarely at the shadow which had haunted him for so long. He reined Faran in.
‘Sephrenia,’ he said quite calmly.
‘Yes?’
‘You wanted to see it. I think that if you turn around rather slowly, you’ll be able to look as much as you want.
It’s just beyond that large pond of muddy water.’
She turned to look.
‘Can you see it?’ he asked her.
.Quite clearly, dear one.’
‘Gentlemen,’ Sparhawk said to the others then, “our shadowy friend seems to have come out of hiding. It’s about a hundred and fifty yards behind us.’
They turned to look.
‘It’s almost like a cloud of some kind, isn’t it?’ Kalten noted.
‘I’ve never seen a cloud like that before,’ Talen shuddered.
‘Dark, isn’t it?’
‘Why do you suppose it decided not to hide any more?’
Ulath murmured.
They all turned, looking to Sephrenia for some kind of explanation.
‘Don’t ask me, gentlemen,’ she said helplessly. ‘Something has changed, though.’
‘Well, at least we know that Sparhawk hasn’t just been seeing things for all this time,’ Kalten said. “What do we do about it?’
‘What can we do about it?’ Ulath asked him. ‘You don’t have much luck fighting with clouds and shadows with axes or swords.’
‘So? What do you suggest then?’
‘ignore it,’ Ulath shrugged. ‘It’s the king’s highway, so it’s not breaking any laws if it wants to follow along, I guess.’
The next morning, however, the cloud was nowhere to be seen. ‘
It was late in the autumn when they once again rode into the familiar city of Paler. As had become their custom, the Domi and his men camped outside the city walls, and Sparhawk and the others rode on to the same inn where they had stayed before.
‘It’s good to see you again, Sir Knight,’ the innkeeper greeted Sparhawk as the blackarmoured Pandion came back down the stairs.
‘It’s good to be back,’ Sparhawk replied, not really meaning it. ‘How far is it to the east gate from here?’
he asked. It was time to start asking questions about Martel again.
‘About three streets over, My Lord,’ the innkeeper replied.
‘It’s closer than I thought.’ Then something occurred to Sparhawk. ‘I was just about to go out to ask around about a friend of mine who passed through Paler two days ago,’ he said. ‘You might be able to save me some time, neighbour. ‘
‘I’ll do what I can, Sir Knight.’
‘He has white hair, and there’s a fairly attractive lady with him, as well as a few others. It is possible that he stopped here in your inn?’
‘Why, yes, My Lord. As a matter of fact, he did. They were asking questions about the road to Vileta – although I can’t for the life of me think why anyone in his right mind would want to go into Zemoch at this particular time.’
‘He has something he wants to take care of there, and he’s always been a rash and foolhardy man. Was I right?
Was it two days ago when he stopped?’
“Exactly two days, My Lord. He’s riding hard, judging from the condition of his horses.’
“Do you happen to remember which room was his?’
‘It’s the one the lady with your party’s staying in, My Lord.’
‘Thank you, neighbour,’ Sparhawk told him. ‘We certainly wouldn’t want our friend to get away from us.’
“Your friend was nice enough, but I certainly didn’t care much for that big one who’s with him. Does he improve at all once you get to know him?’
“Not noticeably, no. Thanks again, friend.’ Sparhawk went back upstairs and rapped on Sephrenia’s door.
‘Come in, Sparhawk,’ she replied.
“I wish you wouldn’t do that,’ he said as he entered.
‘Do what?’
‘Call me by name before you’ve even seen me. Couldn’t you at least pretend that you don’t know who’s knocking at your door?’
She laughed.
‘Martel went through here two days ago, Sephrenia.
He stayed in this very room. Could that in any way be useful to us?’
She thought about it a moment. ‘It may just be, Sparhawk. What sort of thing did you have in mind?’
‘I’d sort of like to find out what his plans are. He knows we’re right on his heels, and he’s likely to try to delay us.
I’d like to get a few specifics on any traps he may be laying for us. Can you arrange to let me see him? Or hear him at least?’
She shook her head. ‘He’s too far away.’
‘Well, so much for that idea.’
“Perhaps not.’ She thought for a moment. “I think that perhaps it’s time for you to get to know Bhelliom a little better, Sparhawk.’
“Would you like to clarify that?’
“There’s some sort of connection between Bhelliom and the Troll-Gods and the rings. Let’s investigate that.’
‘Why involve the Troll-Gods at all, Sephrenia? If there’s a way to use Bhelliom, why not just do that and leave the Troll-Gods out of it altogether?’
‘I’m not sure if Bhelliom would understand us, Sparhawk and if it did, I’m not sure that we’d understand what it was doing to obey us.’
‘It collapsed that cave, didn’t it?’
‘That was very simple. This is a little more complicated.
The Troll-Gods would be much easier to talk with, I think, and I want to find out just how closely Bhelliom’s linked to them if I can – and just how much you can control them by using Bhelliom.’
‘You want to experiment, in other words.’
“You might put it that way, I suppose, but it might be safer to experiment now, when there’s nothing crucial at stake, than later, when our lives might hinge on the outcome. Lock the door, Sparhawk. Let’s not expose the others to this just yet.’
He crossed to the door and slid the iron bolt into place.
‘You’re not going to have time to think when you talk with the Troll-Gods, dear one, so get everything set in your mind before you start. You’re going to issue commands and nothing else. Don’t ask them questions, and don’t seek out explanations. Just tell them to do things and don’t worry about how they manage to obey. We want to see and hear the man who was in this room two sleeps ago. Just tell them to put his image -‘ she looked around the room, then pointed at the hearth, ‘- in that fire there. Tell Bhelliom that you will talk with one of the Troll-Gods – probably Khwaj, the Troll-God of fire. He’s the most logical one to deal with flame and smoke.’ Sephrenia obviously knew a great deal more about the Troll-Gods than she had told them.
“KhwaJ,’ Sparhawk repeated. Then he had a sudden idea. ‘What’s the name of the Troll-God of eat?’ he asked her.
‘Ghnomb,’ she replied. ‘Why?’
‘It’s something I’m still working on. If I can put it together, I might try it and see if it works.’
‘Don’t extemporize, Sparhawk. You know how I feel about surprises. Take off your gauntlets, and remove Bhelliom from the pouch. Don’t let it out of your grasp, and be sure that the rings are touching it at all times. Do you still remember the Troll language?’
‘Yes. Ulath and I have been practising.’
‘Good. You can speak to Bhelliom in Elene, but you’ll have to speak to Khwaj in His own tongue. Tell me what you did today – in Troll.’
The words were halting at first, but after a few moments he became more fluent. The changeover from the Elene language to Troll involved a profound shift in his thinking.
In their language itself lay some of the character of the Trolls. It was not a pleasant character, and it involved concepts entirely alien to the Elene mind – except at the deepest, most primitive level.
“All right.” she told him, ‘come to the fire, and let’s begin. Be like iron, Sparhawk. Don’t hesitate or explain anything. Just give commands.’
He nodded and removed his gauntlets. The two blood-red rings, one on each of his hands, glowed in the firelight.