Chapter 3

The long run had Silor's hands tired and sore before they reached the North gate of the giant city of Qeynos. Then again, the run had been anything but easy from the start. Within an hour of crossing the river, a pack of gnolls attempted to waylay them as easy targets. The pack would be licking their collective wounds for weeks to come and defending their territory from the other tribes in the area. They had lost over half their breeding age males in one second as Winter flash fried the main group in front of them. The rest moved away and did not cause the trio any further trouble.

Next came a few stupider than usual highwaymen that wanted to share the wealth as it were. Their six corpses littered the road, cut into little piece's that even an avid puzzle maker would not be able to solve, B'rill did the honors that time with the whip. As he would use it, the roar it made echoed off the distant mountains to send animals and birds scattering, thinking a hungry dragon had arrived in the lands.

They stayed at a roadside inn on their last day outside the city, just a days walk east of the city gates. Silor had wanted to give his tired hands a day off, so they agreed to walk the next day. The only problem they encountered at the roadhouse was a drunken barbarian and halfling and a love sick Woodelven. The two they ignored, the one finally got the hint to not bother them about flowers and bugs when Silor took him outside and pounded him into goop. "Go find that shit yourself you lazy little snot," he yelled as he came back inside. He sat back down and nobody bothered them for the rest of the night.

The following morning was another story entirely. It would seem that several merchants owed a fair amount of money to one Matsy Rollingpin. She hired one of the local adventurers to go collecting for her, but that had turned into a disaster as robbers kept taking them out. "You want to know something B'rill," said Winter, "I feel just about at home here. I would hear the exact same arguments on a daily bases at the Inns and Taverns back in Kelethin." B'rill grinned, "Yeah, I know what you mean, it is comforting that this land suffers the same silliness that ours does." Silor just grunted and held his head as he had a hangover from the dwarven ale he had drunk the night before after beating up the idiot.

Matsy Rollingpin did offer them some JumJum pie before they left, but the smell made the three Elven shy away. She seemed surprised, "Most folks like my pies, what is wrong with this one." B'rill answered, "We just came from the Feydark. We don't have JumJum root there, so it is not a normal food for us, and it does not smell right to me, I've had it before."

Matsy stopped and sniffed at it, frowned, sniffed at it again. "Something isn't right here," She muttered and poked the pie crust with her finger and tasted the hot filling. She spat it out in disgust, ran upstairs as fast as her short Halfling legs could go and started screaming at the other cook about using fish sauce in place of the sweet root sauce in her pies. The Trio quickly fled the building and started towards the city, hoping to reach the north gate before sundown.

~Zek~

Tamalain woke slowly, her mind felt strangely light, as if some great weight and strain that had always been there was suddenly removed and nothing moved in to replace it. She saw that she was out in the open and heard William moving around nearby, keeping an eye out for more Orc patrols. She looked up into the night sky and saw a beautiful sight. Drinel, the second moon was in full phase, and sprawled across it, the burned out hulk of Luclin.

Her history suddenly came back, Drinel is a rocky cold body with little atmosphere that was deadly. Some early history from the Combine Empire seemed to indicate that they had traveled there and explored it. They found nothing usable or of value so never returned. Luclin on the other hand was a smaller moon, but it was a living world in every sense. The Shadow Goddess Luclin had reformed the small moon and made into a world that was as beautiful as it was strange. The biggest visible feature at one time were its iridescent rings that were said to once glimmer and glitter even in the daylight skies. That was before Luclin hid her world in the shadows from the sight of mortal men.

It had been discovered that the ringed moon was visible from the Plane of Sky still, and any that could travel there, did so just to see the wonder of the system. She now remembered that there were several other worlds around Ro, the sun, all dead worlds. Trorsmang, Anbeal, and Cordan. All with no hope of being used to support life from Norrath. So much history in her mind that had been locked away, she wondered how that could have happened, then drifted back off to sleep.

William heard her move about a little as she woke up for a few minutes. She didn't say anything, just stared at the moons and sky, then she went back to sleep with a very uncharacteristic smile on her lips. He continued his lonely pacing, protecting his beloved wife from the evil that lurked in this foul land.

~Zek: main defense camp~

Captain Fildalgo watched as the Orcs set up a small, but well defended wall across the pass into the Spirit Valley. They intended to hold this area and attack the fort it seemed. The strategist could not figure out why they wanted the docks so bad. Orcs were not sailors by nature, so leaving by ship was not a viable option, especially since there weren't any usable vessels in the harbor. The bell was still out so that was not an option either. He stopped when a rather disturbing idea hit him. He quickly reported to the OD that he needed to report back to main headquarters in the village to check on something very important to all their safety.

It took him most of the night to run back along the trail to make it before dawn. He didn't wait for the staff to open up for the day, he just burst through the doors and quickly tracked down the office of Han'Mere. Han'Mere had told him once that the bell clapper was in the lower locked drawer in his desk. He pulled on each drawer and all were locked, until he reached the lower most. It opened and he saw it was empty, the clapper was not there. "Were is it," he said out loud.

"Were is what Fildalgo." asked the soft voice of Han'Mere, Master High Elven Mage. "The Clapper Han, the clapper, were is it."

"Ahh so that is why you came back in such a hurry. Hidden and safe, at least for now. Yes I am aware that the Orcs are going for the port and yes, they have made several attempts to find the device in my desk. They want the bell as bad as we do. If they got hold of the clapper, they then only needed the two missing stones to reactivate the bell. Is that what you had thought of?"

"That is exactly what I was thinking. I want to ask but it is better I not know where it is hidden."

"Smart boy. Now don't worry, I know for a fact the two stones in question are part of the set on the Emperors crown. So for Irontalon to get them he would have to assonate this Emperor. Go get some rest boy, We have a big day coming up and you will need all the rest you can get." Fildalgo looked at him questioningly. "Don't worry, you will be briefed in, in the morning."

Fildalgo sagged and had a look of great relief. "I don't know why I suddenly had the thoughts about it Han, it just came up in my thoughts as to why Irontalon is so hell bent on taking the ports. I guess it is something that was sitting in my mind waiting for the chance to come and be seen." Han'Mere nodded in understanding. "I hate to say this though, we will need to remove old Stormy before he betrays the troops there and lets the Orcs overrun the place. He is still fully in their camp from what the spies and scouts have been able to find out."

"I wouldn't trouble yourself to much about that foolish barbarian much longer. His own troops are ready to turn on him. He had them stand down so the Orcs could have the outer trenches. Then he refused cover fire to let them escape un-countered. No, he won't be in charge much longer I think."

Fildalgo didn't say anything, just nodded and left for the nearest bunkhouse, he admitted to himself, "I am tired, just very tired from all the intrigues and betrayals." Once in bed his last thoughts were of Tamalain and William, hoping they would be able to complete their part of the mission.

Han'Mere was also thinking along those lines, wondering how they would slip in without being detected. They needed a distraction to help them in, just like when she went down the shaft. You cover a quiet operation with a big noisy operation. Han'Mere stopped in place as he had been pacing back and forth in his office. He smiled, yes that would do it, a big noisy attack to draw out all the reinforcements long enough for them to slip in and grab the crown.

Stepping out of the building, he called a runner and handed him a note, "Deliver to the battle commander at once, I need to see him as soon as possible." He tossed the boy a silver and the kid was gone in a flash, Han'Mere heard the sound of the basic Selos song as the boy took off.

~Zek: Eastern Hills~

William had just refilled his water bags when he heard the sounds of another patrol entering the area he and Tamalain had settled in while she got her head back together. He quickly returned to cover her and himself in his cloak, but was surprised to find her standing, and looking in the direction of the wandering patrol. She saw him and smiled, then vanished from sight. He heard a faint rustling of cloth and then screams as the Orcs met something deadlier than themselves.

He ran towards the sounds only to find a dozen Orc bodies in various stages of dismemberment. Tamalain was standing in the middle of the piled bodies, looking rather pleased with herself. "I haven't lost my touch Will. It has been so long since I have been able to do this so well." William looked around, then shifted to his wolf form and listened. He didn't hear anything right away, so he figured they might have enough time to escape this small valley and continue the mission now.

Switching back to Elven form, "Come on Tama, we need to pack up and move out now. This patrol will be missed and they will send others to investigate." Without another word he turned and headed back to the small glen he had set them up in. By the time she made it back, he had his gear mostly loaded and ready to go. He gestured for her to do the same. She did not though, she moved up behind him and put her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you Will my love, thank you for protecting me while I rediscovered myself and fixed the mess that thing made in my head."

William turned around and returned the hug with a solid kiss to prove he meant it. "Mmmm," she sighed. "I do wish we had more time, but as always, you are right about needing to get the hell out of here before the uninvited arrive. I haven't told you yet, but I'm pregnant from the last few weeks of nightly howling." She grinned in a sexy manner that warned him if he gave in, every Orc in this region could find them just by tracking in on her screams.

"Your sure of that then?" He now had a smile a mile wide and the thought of a baby made him happier than he had been in a long time, but like all expectant fathers, it scared the living hell out of him as well.

"Better believe it lover boy. Jeez, listen to me. I sound like a teenager in heat. This will only take a second." She blurred and her gear seemed to fly into her pack, then she slowed and said, "Let's get out of this death trap and kill us some Orcs."

She moved out before he could say anything to correct her plans. Following her, he quickly discovered he was seeing the true Tamalain Arrowmark at her peak power for the first time. She is fast, decisive and unstoppable once she had made up her mind. He was in awe of her shear speed and agility as she went from outcropping to outcropping without slowing. He had to race to stay up with her at first. When Tamalain realized William could not easily keep up with her at this level, she slowed and let him catch up.

"Sorry Will, I have forgotten how much speed I can put on when I let go. I will slow down my husband. I can't afford to be separated from you now that I am myself again." She suddenly had a thought, "Hey you know something, I bet it was that thing that caused the suit to go insane. It tried to take it over, but the rage conflicted with it and the minds in the gear went insane from it. A shame really, I loved that Dragon scale armor at first. The power I would have had to work with would have been unbelievable. But no worrying about it now, the suit is well beyond recovery where we dumped it in the Tears."

She took off again, this time slowly enough William was able to stay with her. He watched her in wonder, this was a woman of every Elven mans dream. Even her form seemed to have altered for the better. She was trimmer looking, her skin once again a creamy white, not pale, just white. She had a sprinkling of freckles running across her nose and around her eyes, and her hair had lightened into a pure copper red with golden highlights. When he had the chance to see her eyes, they no longer had that disturbing hint of madness in the green. She was once again who she was always meant to be, he was in love and knew it. The real kicker though in her body was the change in her breast, they hadn't grown or shrunk, but seemed firmer looking and didn't bounce around much at all now as she moved. He decided right then if it came to killing every Orc between here and the bell, he would do it to complete this mission to get her alone in a quiet tent well away from the rest of the world for two solid weeks.

She soon had them back to the last line of hills around the Orc citadel, she stayed low and looked over the situation. "To many for easy entry, but I saw a map, while in the torture room where I died that day. I couldn't remember it before, but now I do. There is and entrance around back in the moat. We can slip in that way and enter through the basement. There is actually a small town in those walls, so we need to get high up as we can as fast as possible, then we drop down through the skylights into the main hall at night. We should be undetected for a number of hours to complete our search and grab."

William looked on and listened, this was a totally new Tamalain, a planner and thinker. What had that thing been doing to her all this time, he had to wonder. "We can cover up here and wait until Ro sets, then we move out Tam. Tam, is this the real you that has been buried for most of your life?"

"William, this is the me that did a striptease one day for some of the other kids that wanted to see how in shape I really was then." Getting down, she motioned for him to cover both of them with his cloak, then continued in a low voice. "This is the Tama that enjoyed learning to make a bow, only to see it explode on the tiller and had to clean it up. I went into overdrive to finished the clean up that day. Boy did I get a chewing out for that by my old mentor, Eaglesclaw. What a Ranger he was Will, I was so hurt when I heard how he died. I had been making stakes for vampire killing when I found out one may have been used to put him down. I didn't understand it at the time, but I hurt and the rage started to awaken then. I think that may be why I used so much power on Thornbreak, rather than just stop him, I killed him and enjoyed it."

"You did what you had to do Tama, he had to die or he would have just kept coming at you."

"Maybe so, but I still was so young then, I should have been shocked and upset, instead I was angry. I wanted to kill him over and over, it was wrong and I knew it, yet I wanted it." She set lowered chin down onto her crossed arms and sat silently for a minute then continued, "I went crazy on the Isle of Refuge Will. I didn't hesitate to maim, or kill if I was upset. That wasn't like me, yet I couldn't seem to stop as the rage would rise up and take over for a few minutes." She chuckled at one thought, "I will admit though, kicking that gnome up out of the basement shop was enjoyable without the rage to back it. He was a snotty little shit until he found out who my woodworking teachers were."

"I know who Tama, and I am in awe of your skill as a wood worker. Watching you cut a simple bow in a day like you did a few weeks ago for the young archer was amazing. I wonder what it will be like now that your skills are free to fly once more." He froze and put his fingers to his lips for her to be quiet.

They heard voices approaching the area they had stopped in, but they weren't Orc voices. In fact she could make out human, elven and dwarven voices as they whispered about planning to attack near sundown. "If those two are anywhere around here, I hope they take the chance to go in while we keep those stupid grunts busy out here."

She looked at Will wide eyed and questioning, his look was very much the same. A distraction attack for them to slip in? This had to be Han'Mere and Fildalgo's doing. She whispered right at his ear, "Do we break cover?"

"Let's wait a few more minutes and see what they have planned, then we'll decide." She nodded in agreement.

"Listen Fildalgo, I know you want them to succeed and all, but isn't this a bit on the dangerous side, even for us as a spoiler attack."

"It has to be, those two are around here somewhere right now, stuck because they haven't been able to slip over the walls. We make lot's of noise after sundown, make lights and fires and rain arrows down on the valley for a bout fifteen minutes then run like hell back up the way we came in."

The dwarf sighed, "Aye lad, you're right, I just hope they made it this far."

The two couldn't see the speakers, so they didn't see that Fildalgo was looking right at them and admiring the camouflage efforts of the cloak William had picked up from one of the stranded sailors. He looked then pointed slowly and the dwarf smiled then nodded. "I will signal the attack thirty minutes after sunset then the screaming and shouting commences, if those two can drag themselves out from under that cloak that is."

Tamalain didn't hesitate, she pulled the cloak aside and glared at the Dwarf, "Thanks a lot you two, can't a girl have any private time to screw her husbands brains out before slipping in the hidden back door in a citadel loaded with killer Orcs and insanity?" Both William and Fildalgo blushed as she slowly rose up, and then charged into Fildalgo's arm to give him a back breaker of a hug. "It is so good to see you again friend. I take it the war is not going well?"

"Actually it is in a stalemate at the moment. Stormwrath allowed the Orcs to capture the outer perimeter of the Port valley. That was his undoing, two days ago, his second arrested him and sealed him in the gnome cannon until this mess is settled one way or another." He looked at her more seriously, "Something happened out here about five days ago Tam, what was it. Han'Mere and the other casters all about had heart attacks all at once when they felt a massive energy surge out this way. He sat there and put his finger on the map, right in this area."

Tamalain looked at Fildalgo, thinking about it, "I will write up an after action report, we don't have time now for the story to be told." She stopped, looked around listening, "Company coming, and not friendly company either. Sounds like about five or six, be right back." She blurred and was gone she moved so fast.

Fildalgo knew she was fast and said so, "But that was an entirely new class of fast, what happened Will. She has changed in very noticeable ways to anybody that has gotten to know her."

"Like she said, read it in the report, if I can get her to write one."

Seconds later they heard grunts of pain then silence. She slipped back into the group in her camo then dropped it with a kiss that almost seared Williams lips off. When she came up for air, "Easy kills, Grunts and Pawns. No armor to mention, just cloth and tattered leather. Weapons a hodge podge of rusted iron mostly. I don't think they have any heavy troops outside the fort."

"Don't assume that Tam," said William. "They could have a reaction force of heavy mounted plate on the other side of that gate."

"Maybe so, but how long would it take them to suit up and get out the gate. I doubt even the big ones stay in metal all the time."

Fildalgo spoke now after watching and listening to the exchange between these two Rangers that did not seem even close to natural anymore. "Our spies have reported it takes close to fifteen minutes for them to suit up and ride during the day, nearly twice that at night since the horses are unsaddled and in the stables by then."

William nodded then asked Tamalain, "How long for us to get around at the maximum speed I can make in wolf form to stay up with you."

She looked around and studied the terrain she could see, then did a cast she had never tried before, she summoned a hawk and linked her eyes to it's. It flew off and looked out over the terrain and she soon had an idea of what they would be facing. She swung it around and started looking from the other direction when an arrow transfixed the hawk, breaking the spell. Tamalain grabbed her head then felt around her body, making sure she didn't have an arrow sticking out of it.

"Ok that wasn't good, in fact it hurts like hell to take an arrow like that." She looked at her stomach one last time, then ran her hand lower and held it there for a minute to make sure nothing had harmed her child. Reassured that the small group of cells was unharmed, she went on to describe what she saw. "It is rough going all around the edge. Rocky and uneven with dense scrub all over. The paths through it all are narrow and twisting with scattered tent camps and hut all over the place. We will both be in wolf form in about ten minutes. I think the northern route will be the easier and safer of the two. The terrain that way make farming impossible and camps don't have any large level areas to set up in."

"Easier and safer she says," grumbled the Dwarf. "I will just charge the gate, that way my Axe will see some work tonight."

"Sorry Greybeard, no gate charging tonight, just noise and arrows to make the buggers follow us," said Fildalgo. "Just lots and lots of noise."

For the rest of the day Tamalain and William went over every detail she could recall about the map and what it meant to their mission. Once he was sure they had at least a basic route and plan ready, he settled back and closed his eyes to get a few hours rest before sundown. Tamalain curled up to him and slept as well. For the first time in many years no nightmares haunted her, but other lives did.

She found herself on the Platform of Old Kelethin before Skyfall, long before in fact. She could hear talking, a man and woman talking about having a child. She turned to look and saw a woman that could be her own twin in size, build and hair color. Then they spoke again, "Tam my love, I don't know how long I will be gone this time. They are shipping the entire company to the Commonlands to deal with this new threat of the Litch king. I don't know when or if I will be coming back."

"Then now is the time, I am fertile right now. Beside, Axeman needs a brother or sister now that he is twenty five and bonded to Willow, so we need to make this happen over then next few nights. Else I will never have another child, even by another. This child can carry on our line along with Axe and then the following few generations will lead to the final events that saves our world. That Time raid told me more about my future than is good for me to know, we must do this tonight Ollan Trueshot. Besides, your brother Jordan can take your place as head of the academy now. He is one of the top ten Rangers in all the Feydark."

Tamalain was startled to say the least, this was the night the baby that was murdered by the Beast was conceived. And even more that she was directly related by blood to Jordan the traitor. "I wonder if he even knew who I really was when I was there all those years ago. And why am I seeing this now, of all times."

"Because daughter, you are free from that world eating monster. It was the real reason why we had to stop visiting you."

She spun about in her dream and was suddenly on the plain that her grandmother always met her on. "Father, is that you?" He was younger than she could ever remember him being, yet strong and able. "Yes Tama, it is I, come on out ladies." Two more elven walked out of the mist to join them. She saw immediately it was her Mother, Willow and grandmother, Tamalain.

Before she could ask, "I showed you that night granddaughter as that was the last time we were ever together. The unborn was conceived that very night. Sadly, Ollan's battle group was betrayed and destroyed before they could retreat back to the druid rings. It was pretty much known that the Thornbreaks were behind it, but no proof could ever be found. I know I told you I never made it to The Plane of Time before, but it was important that you not find out that part of the past and future until it was safe for you to learn of it.'

Willow spoke now, "Tama my darling girl, in spite of the evil from that other realm battling to take over your soul, you fought back and kept it at bay. Even when you had to contain that rip in reality, you still held it in check up to the very end. It finally gained the power it needed when that beast murdered you. I cried Tama, I wanted so badly to return and assist you, but the Gods prevented it. Yet even without us, you prevailed, you held it in spite of the induced rage. Then once revealed, even though it was the most evil creature ever to show on our world, you showed mercy rather than hate."

Axeman took over, "That mercy will have to be paid for daughter. You released it on a world not ready to deal with it, so when it is time, you will have to help correct the mistake you made. It was never to be able to return to the realms of the living. By the way, the keys for the back door are in a chest almost directly across the valley from where you are sleeping. Be safe, we will not speak again until you are free of this land."

They vanished and she suddenly woke as William was shaking her by her shoulder. "Time to go sleepy head."

~Antonica~

Silor just looked out over the valley at the city in the distance. The towers seemed to glow in the late morning sun and the farm fields covered almost the entire valley. To their left was a tree line that seemed to be cut at a straight line at the high point on this side of line. They stayed on the road and started towards Qeynos at a fast walk.

Silor stopped and looked at one of the fields, "That scarecrow is moving, I didn't know they could do that."

"That is a conjuration magic, nasty stuff when used like this. Look at it and what it is doing. It is moving back and forth across the field, crushing the stalks and the farmers aren't able to stop them, I see at least six others further out," said Winter.

B'rill looked at the two younger travelers, "Are you saying you want to assist them in removing those nasty straw men?"

"Yes we are, aren't we Silor."

Silor seemed to think about, then smiled, "I need some sword work today, lets go play."

B'rill chuckled and shook his head at the insanity of youth. He pulled out the whip and charged after them to keep the kids out of too much trouble should the locals object to the help. He needn't have worried, the attack on one from Silor on the first one brought all the others from the surrounding fields running in to help their fallen fellow. Winter set a small series of attack spells to draw them to a large clearing then opened fire with her heavy fire blast.

By the time the flames had settled down, the farmers arrived and began thanking them profusely. "I am farmer Walcot, these fields are mine and have been ravaged by those creatures. Thank you, all of you for destroying them for me. Now I just need to find the source and a stop can be put to them entirely. How much do we owe you for this service?"

B'rill took over the conversation, "Not a single copper, and I hope you can find it as well. I fear we can't stay here for long, we need to get to the city and see the rangers and Mages guilds right away."

Walcot nodded in understanding. "I see, well I wish you the best of luck. You do know the guards will not let you in the city."

"No we didn't," said Brill. "Why would they prevent travelers from entering the city."

"From what we heard out here, Freeport tried to infiltrate the city and caused damage and destruction all around. Now all travelers have to go to the suburbs of their race and apply for and test to gain citizenship. The testing is more towards loyalty than anything else."

"How do we find out were we need to go."

"Well, if I was you, and I'm not, I would head off to Coldwind point at the lighthouse way over yonder and use the shuttle boats to get to the proper town."

"Thank you Mister Walcot," said Winter, "We will head that way now, by the way, what are those bugs I see running around?"

"Them? Those just be fire beetles. They ignore the crops but love the mice so we leave them alone. Just don't step on one unless you want to be burned bad, and swarmed by the others in the area. Now off with you, I have a problem to solve and can't be standing here talking like an old lady all day." From a nearby tree they heard a woman's voice shouting, "I heard that you lazy lout, Talking like an old woman..."