As he led them along a narrow, icy trail high in the mountains, Burdy thought about what it meant that such a man would take this route at this time of year. It couldn’t be for any upright and honorable reason. With the troubles that have been developing between the two nations, Burdy figured him as a spy of some sort. If he hadn’t of been a noble, perhaps even a saboteur.
Either way, Burdy really didn’t care. What nations did to one another was none of his concern. He kept to his mountains and no one bothered him except when they wanted him to lead them through the passes as was the case now. Though he had never done so for such a one as rode behind him now.
“How much further is it?” asked Erz for the hundredth time.
Burdy glanced back with a grin. “Not far,” he replied. Turning back, he pointed to where their trail rounded an outcropping of rock two hundred feet ahead. “We’re almost out of the mountains. Once we reach that point, you’ll be able to see the foothills below. You’ll be able to make your way on your own from there.”
“Excellent,” Erz said.
The one who rode beside him remained quiet.
As they drew closer to the outcropping, Burdy turned his head back to those behind him and said, “I’ll go check to make sure a snow drift doesn’t block our way.”
Erz nodded and shooed him on.
Burdy nudged his horse in the sides and quickened his pace.
Lord Kueryn silently raised his hand with fingers spread wide, then quickly brought them together to from a fist. Immediately, two of his men moved to follow Burdy.
Erz looked questioningly to the lord as the two men rode past, but received no reply. Up ahead he watched as Burdy reached the outcropping and rode out of sight around it. The two riders quickened their pace.
“What are they doing?” Erz finally asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
Lord Kueryn glanced to Erz and said, “No one can know we came this way.”
“But…” Erz said then grew quiet when he saw the eyes of the lord turn to him. “I understand.”
Turning his gaze back to where his two riders were disappearing around the outcropping, Lord Kueryn rode on.
It seemed his men had only just disappeared past the outcropping when one reemerged and returned quickly. “My lord,” the rider said as he came to Lord Kueryn.
“Is it done?” he asked.
“He’s gone!” the rider exclaimed.
“Gone?” responded Lord Kueryn.
“Yes my lord,” the rider replied. “When we rounded the outcropping, his horse was there, but he wasn’t.”
“Idiots!” shouted Lord Kueryn. “Lord Hurrin,” he said as he turned to where the lord rode. “Send your men out to find him. We cannot let him escape.”
“As you wish,” Lord Hurrin replied. In a moment, riders were thundering up the trail toward the outcropping in search of the hunter.
“I don’t think we have much to worry about from him,” Erz assured him. “He cares nothing for others, only his mountains.”
Lord Kueryn ignored him.
When they reached the outcropping, they found the narrow trail they had been following opened up onto a gently downward sloping hillside. The panoramic view was breathtaking as it seemed the entire world opened up below them. Far below, a road wended its way through the hills as it moved east to west.
Men were combing the hillside and the upper reaches of the outcropping. “My lord,” one man said as he approached them. “He’s vanished!”
“Nonsense,” replied Lord Hurrin. “He couldn’t have just up and disappeared.”
“But he has,” the man replied. “We’ve searched everywhere.”
Then, from high atop the outcropping above them, laughter rang forth. “I thought you might try something like this!” The silhouette of the hunter Burdy was easily recognized.
“How did he get up there so fast?” questioned Erz.
“Kill him,” Lord Kueryn said to his magic user.
“Yes my lord,” replied Geffen. Raising his staff high, he began speaking arcane words of magic. As the words were spoken, the temperature around him began dropping fast. What had been merely cold now grew to be bitterly cold, and still the temperature dropped. Then when the last word was spoken, it seemed as if spears of ice shot forth toward the hunter.
Even as the first spear shot forth, Burdy leapt from the outcropping and disappeared behind it.
More arcane words issued forth as the spears of ice arced several feet above the outcropping, then began moving down the other side in pursuit.
The ground began to shake as Geffen continued speaking. Then, when the last word rolled off his lips, there was a final, massive movement of the ground. Those men still on the outcropping leaped for their lives.
Crack!
The outcropping broke from the mountain, crumbling into hundreds of smaller rocks, some quite large. With a roar, they began rolling and sliding in the direction Burdy had fled.
Erz stood transfixed as he watched what once had been a massive, single piece of rock, disintegrate before his eyes.
When the rumbling finally ceased, they went and stood at the edge. In the canyon below, they saw the path of destruction wrought by the landslide. The trail they had been following was gone. Nothing could have lived through such destruction.
“Very good,” Lord Kueryn said to Geffen.
Geffen gave him a slight bow. “Thank you my lord,” he replied.
“Now,” he said as he turned toward Erz, “there is just one more loose end to deal with before we depart.”
“What would that…?” he began, then saw Lord Kueryn draw his sword. “No!” he screamed as the lord’s intention became clear. Striking quick and true, Lord Kueryn’s sword sliced through his neck, severing the head from the body. Sliding from his horse, Erz’s torso fell to the ground.
Producing a cloth, Lord Kueryn cleaned the blood from his blade. Once cleaned, he tossed the cloth to the ground where it landed on Erz’s headless torso. Resheathing his blade, he turned to Lord Hurrin. “Let’s go.” As the riders returned to their horses and made ready to get underway, Lord Hurrin sent several down the slope to scout ahead.
Next to Lord Kueryn, Geffen produced the dart with which he had been struck back in Hylith. Casting a locater spell, he had the dart point to its previous owner’s current position. Moving on his palm, the dart indicated him to be almost due east. Exactly how far couldn’t be determined.
“Excellent,” said Lord Kueryn as he saw the dart pointing the way. Nudging his horse into motion, he and the others began making their way from the mountains to the hills below.
“One of the scouts returns,” Lord Hurrin announced. Now two hours from where the body of Erz lay, they were making their way through the low lying hills on the north side of the Tinderlock Mountains. They had to be careful as they were completely in Byrdlon territory now.
Turning toward the oncoming rider, Lord Kueryn brought them to a halt and waited for the approach of the rider.
“My lord,” the rider said once he drew near. “Riders to the north.”
“How many?” Lord Hurrin asked.
“At least a score,” the scout replied. Pausing only a moment, he added, “They wear the uniform of Byrdlon.”
“Are they aware of our presence?” asked Lord Kueryn.
Just then, they saw the soldiers of which the scout spoke cresting a hill to the north. It was clear they were heading straight for them.
“I believe so my lord,” the scout said.
Lord Kueryn remained where he was and watched them approach. As the scout had said, they wore the uniforms of Byrdlon. A murmur began running through his men as the soldiers approached which he quickly squelched.