She nodded to Garth and he released theboy and stood up. The boy rose slowly and looked all around thecampsite. He saw the two boys with their bows ready. He saw Kalinastanding next to the wagon in a black sleeping robe with her handson her hips and he saw Garth standing seemingly at ease, or atleast as at ease as a predator gets. Garth motioned to the boyswith a hand signal and they reluctantly lowered their bows andreturned their arrows to their quivers.
For a long moment, nobody moved andnobody spoke. Finally, Garth turned to the boy. “Either eat inpeace or leave in peace, but make up your mind,” Garth demanded. “Ido not fancy losing sleep while your friend takes the night todecide.”
Fredrik finally made up his mind andwaved Niki into the campsite. Everyone watched the redheaded girllead the two horses into the clearing.
“Tedi,” Garth called, “see toour guests’ horses. They look like they have been ridden sincefirst light. Arik, light the fire and get some coffee going.”Turning to Fredrik and Niki, Garth looked them over before heindicated that they should sit by the fire.
“You could have just asked forfood,” Garth commented. “No one but Dark Riders and bandits wouldrefuse you if they had any to spare. Who are you and where are youheading that you travel at night?”
Niki, even though frightened, appearedready to fall asleep sitting up. Fredrik appeared to be calmingdown and spoke. “We are Fredrik and Niki and we are from the south.We are traveling at night because we have not eaten in days and Iwanted to push on in hopes of finding a village. I smelled yoursmoke and followed it in to the clearing. I saw no one awake so Ithought I would just grab whatever food I could find without wakinganyone. It was wrong and I apologize.”
“It was wrong because you gotcaught, you mean,” Garth frowned. “Your apology is accepted, justthe same.”
Kalina emerged from the wagon withplates of cold food for the new couple and they tore into it as ifthey were really hungry. Kalina watched them eat and looked atNiki’s cloak with interest and suddenly frowned. Garth caught thelook, but gave no indication. She looked over at Garth and said,“It would appear that we are becoming a magnet for Collapsechildren. We need to keep these two from the Dark Riders, aswell.”
Fredrik looked up in surprise and thenlooked over his shoulder at Arik and Tedi. Niki just kept on eatingand mumbled, “How does everyone know?”
Kalina had been watching theirreactions closely and just smiled. Arik and Tedi stared at theredheaded witch whom Garth and Kalina had just welcomed into theircampsite and Garth strode out of the clearing to fix his trip linewithout anyone noticing.
Fredrik and Niki finished all of thefood that Kalina brought out. Garth started a pipe as he sat andwatched them finish up. Kalina made another trip into the wagon andcame back with blankets for the visitors.
“We may be having visitorstomorrow,” he began. “The Dark Riders that Kalina mentioned areonly a few miles north of here. We may have to wake you early sothat we can arrange to hide you. They do have a witch with them andany use of magic, no matter how small, could result in death forall of us. Will you listen to my orders in the morning?”
“We have little choice,”sighed Fredrik. “There are Dark Riders to the East and to the Westand I know that we cannot survive the trip back south. If you arecorrect about Dark Riders to the north, we are stuck with you oryou with us. We will not resort to magic unless our lives depend onit.”
“So, you are both magicians?”Garth asked.
Fredrik shrugged. “I have been toldthat you should not submit to interrogations when you are tired,”he chuckled. “Now, I know why. Yes, we both have the ability and,yes, we will behave.”
Garth nodded. “Then you should both getsome sleep. You look like you can use it.”
After Fredrik and Niki were settled intheir blankets, Garth and Kalina spoke in private. “Let me guess,the cloak has a spell on it?” Garth asked.
Kalina nodded. “The same type of spellthat I detected on the necklace. You did get a good look at thecloak didn’t you? Including the burn marks?”
“I saw it,” Garth said. “Thishas turned into quite a fishing trip. The Dark One would bethrilled to know where we are right now. In fact,” Garth smiled,“he would give almost anything to know.”
“There is something else,”Kalina added. “The boy has the ability to gather the power. He wasdoing so when you held him. That ability is very rare. I do notknow if she possesses it, as well. If she does, she wasn’t using ittonight.”
Chapter 12
Discovery
Tedi rose early and looked around inthe pre-light darkness of the campsite. He was sure that he hadheard something, but nothing seemed amiss. Suddenly, he heard itagain and looked towards the sound. Someone was doing somethingjust outside the clearing. Gently, he nudged Arik awake and heldhis finger to his lips. Arik took a few moments to acclimatehimself to his surroundings in the dark. Slowly the boys tiptoedtowards the sound, always keeping the trees between them and themysterious person in the woods.
Arik, who was the quieter of the twoboys, used a hand signal to tell Tedi to stay back and continuedslowly forward. After gaining a few more trees, Arik stiffened andshook his head. Cautiously, Arik turned around and retraced hissteps back to Tedi. He signaled for Tedi to follow and led the wayback to their sleeping areas. “It’s Garth,” Arik whispered, “and heis digging graves. He is just finishing the second grave, but I cansee two more outlined in the dirt.”
“We have to tell thenewcomers,” Tedi whispered. “Maybe with their . . . their powers,they can help us escape.”
Arik nodded his head in agreement andthe boys headed across the clearing to where Fredrik and Niki weresleeping. The first light was already appearing when the boysreached Fredrik’s side. Gently, Arik shook him and held his fingerto his lips so Fredrik did not shout.
“We have trouble," Tedi saidsoftly. “Get your friend up quietly and quickly.”
Fredrik half rolled and half crawledthe short distance to Niki’s blanket and simply put his hand overher mouth. Niki’s eyes popped open widely and she stared up intoFredrik’s face. When Fredrik was sure that she understood hiswarning, he withdrew to a sitting position.
Niki sat up and looked around and sawthe other two boys. “What is going on?” she whispered.
“Garth is digging fourgraves,” Tedi explained softly. “We may need your special talentsto get us out of here before he discovers that we areawake.”
“Are the Dark Riders reallycamped close to us?” Fredrik asked softly.
When Arik nodded his head, Fredrikcontinued, “That would not be a good idea. Kalina is correct thatthey would detect us if we cast anything major or more than oneminor spell. We should just sneak off and hope to lose themboth.”
“You will never lose Garth bysneaking off,” Tedi assured the newcomers. “He can track the windthrough the branches of a tree by the scent it left behind. And forsome reason, I expect that he would follow us until he found us, nomatter how long it took.”
“Even so,” Niki interrupted,“if we got enough of a lead on him, we could use magic to stop himcold once we were away from the Dark Riders and theirwitch.”
Arik smiled and nodded his head. “Thatjust might work,” he agreed.
Just then, the door to the wagon openedand Kalina stepped out. She looked around the campsite and her eyesstopped on the four children. “It is good to see the four of yougetting along so well,” she commented,” but it is time to start theday. Arik, get the fire started. Tedi, get water for coffee. Hasanyone seen Garth this morning?”
Four quickly shaking heads met Kalina’sblue eyes. “Very well,” she said. “Fredrik, observe Arik and thefire so you will know what to do in the future. Niki, you can helpme with the food.”