Ella turned an even deeper shade of red.
They pressed themselves against a wall as a throng of Petryans ran past to join the great crowd piling into the town square ahead of them.
"Trouble ahead," one of the bladesingers said.
They could see squares of armed men formed up, red and black colours decorating their heavy armour.
"We need to get through the square," another said.
"Find another way," the High Enchantress hissed.
The bladesinger nodded to his two fellows and ran off. The other two pressed Ella and the High Enchantress behind them. Ella carried the Lexicon and her tools in her shoulder bag. Part of her wished the High Enchantress would take them from her, another part wanted to keep learning, to find out what she could from the knowledge within the book’s metallic pages.
"Is it us?" Ella said in a small voice.
"No, I don’t think so, Ella," the High Enchantress said.
Ella looked out into the square. Someone was addressing the files of soldiers, a man dressed in the red robes of an elementalist. On his back was an emblem, the teardrop and flame raj hada. Voices suddenly rose up from the crowd, cheers and shouts. At first there was such a din that the words were indistinguishable. Then they became clear.
"War! War! Death to Raj Halaran! Death to Raj Altura!"
The two remaining bladesingers exchanged glances.
"Nothing changes," the High Enchantress said sternly.
The other bladesinger returned. "There is a way, follow me."
They followed the bladesinger, almost running now in their haste. He led them through several alleys and finally to a small gate in the wall.
"Urgh, what is that smell?" Ella said.
"Refuse gate," said the bladesinger with a grin.
"Well done, Bladesinger," said the High Enchantress.
They passed swiftly through the gate. People were running in from the countryside to hear the news; long queues of drudge-pulled wagons were lined up outside the main gate. They soon lost themselves in the crowd and left the city of Torlac behind.
"We will head south," the High Enchantress said.
"South?" said one of the bladesingers.
She nodded firmly. "It is the only way open to us. Now that we have the Lexicon back, we cannot afford to get caught by the Petryans, nor by whatever beast lurks in the darkness."
One of the bladesingers spoke up. "But south means the Hazara Desert."
"It does indeed. We’ll find water on the way there."
"And the tribes?"
"The tribes are the lesser of the evils. You heard. You were there. We are officially at war with Raj Petrya. The soldiers will be out in force, people will be on the alert for anything suspicious, let alone a group of strange travellers. We stand the best chance in the desert. The Lexicon must make it back to Altura safely. That is our priority."
They entered a hidden canyon and Ella saw at least three dozen soldiers in Alturan green waiting for them. Evora seemed to breathe in relief — as if fearful they might not have been waiting.
A worried-looking soldier ran up, a captain by his raj hada. "High Enchantress, what news?"
The High Enchantress looked about the camp. Sensing an announcement, the soldiers stopped what they were doing and began to gather. Evora waited, letting the tension build until they were all standing below her.
"Soldiers, hear this. You have come far from home. You have experienced trial and fear. But listen to me, and listen to me well. All has not been in vain." She whispered to Ella, "Show them."
Evora turned back to the men. "We have it!"
Ella raised up the Lexicon.
The cheer was deafening. Ella could see broad smiles across the men’s faces as they slapped each other on the back.
"The news isn’t all good, however," Evora continued. "We are now officially at war with Raj Petrya."
The soldiers instantly sobered.
"Now. Captain," Evora said.
"Are we heading for Altura?
The High Enchantress dropped her voice. "It will take days to renew the Lexicon. Time we do not have, not exposed as we are here. There is an army behind us and a strange beast dogging our steps. I fear now even more than I did before, for now that we have what we were looking for it is even more imperative that we return safely. We head south."
"South?" he said incredulously.
"South," she said firmly. "We’ll pick up water and head south. Into the Hazara Desert."
Captain Joram quickly moved the men out. They marched throughout the night, every soldier thinking of the comforts of home. The touch of a missed woman. The taste of fine foods.
They marched south.
~
THE sun rose across the land, revealing a desolate landscape of tan and dark brown. The red in the rock was absent now. The boulders were not so massive.