Chapter Three
Northbound

Rael awoke to the bitter chill of morning, and moved uncertainly where he lay. He ached from waist to neck, and had dirt on his mouth too from laying on the ground. Mist lay thick on the camp, and he could not see far into the distance for all the fog. He wrestled himself up onto his knees and glanced around.

The first thing he saw was his brother, up on his feet already, and folding up his blankets onto his dark mount, Pesh. The others still lay asleep, and he couldn't blame them, it was barely light, the sun had not even risen above the mountaintops, the sky was a deep grey. Ralis gestured for Rael to join him, and to bring his blanket. Rael shook his head wearily and crashed back onto the ground.

When he opened his eyes again, it was because of a sharp kick to his side. Rael grunted and looked up. The sky was much brighter now, pale blue, with a yellow sun climbing above the distant hills. Above him stood Ralis, frowning. "Get up, Rael. And get in the saddle, now." He sat upright, and saw that the other four were all awake, and standing with the horses ready to leave. The camp was gone, logs pushed back into the wood and fire ashes buried.

"What?" He said wearily.

"Let this be a lesson to you." His brother turned sharply and walked away with his head in the air.

Rael rose to his feet, and regaining his thoughts, grabbed up his blanket and staggered across to where the others stood frowning. "Why did you not-", Daran gave him a glance that told him to keep his mouth closed, Ralis was clearly displeased. "Sorry Ralis, I was tired."

His brother paid no mind to him, and spoke over him. "We have decided that in the interests of speed, and balancing burden, that Mara and Elane shall ride the same mount, with no extra weight, and Tabett and Daran shall do the same. Rael, you shall ride Garsh, and take half of the load. I shall ride Pesh and carry the other half." Something was wrong with Ralis this morning, he was a bit too moody for his liking, it wasn't in character. The others did not seem to care though; they were too busy climbing into the saddles of their horses and preparing to move on.

Rael sighed, and brushed past his brother to where Garsh, the pale grey stallion awaited. "Easy, boy." He said, patting him on the nose, as he swung up from the stirrup.

"Ya!" Shouted Ralis, as he heeled Pesh out across the grassy field, darting nimbly between trees and boulders until he was out into the open clear plain. Rael heeled Garsh, and he started picking up pace, trotting after Pesh, and building up speed as the other two horses at either side of him started moving to a gallop.

The rising sun shone golden rays across the land as they blazed over the rolling plains of the southlands. Rael hugged his body low to Garsh's back, gripping the reins with white knuckles. The constant feel of being thrown up and down where he sat was unnatural to him, and felt very much like he was on a ship. He could not stand ships. He kept his legs tightly wrapped to his mount's grey glossy coat and did his best to look in control.

They rode around low hills and through marshy terrain, and occasionally through thicker crops of forest, where thornleaf and rakberry branches snagged against his sleeves and scraped his arms. It was s fine morning, as fine as he could have wished for riding, but he was in no mood for enjoying the scenery.

In time, he drew up level with Ralis and made it clear that he wanted to talk. He steered clear of the issue of the 'lesson' he had been taught, and instead started on something else. "Ralis, I have to ask you something."

By now, all of the companions had slowed their horses to a gentle pace, they would be taking the risk of riding them to their death otherwise. Pesh and Garsh trotted side by side, apparently uninterested in each other. Ralis was quiet for a moment, then turned his head to face Rael. He simply nodded.

Rael drew a deep breath, and glanced down at the long black scabbard that hung at his brother's waist, and the gold-leaf patterned hilt that protruded from it. "Your sword Ralis, where is it from?"

Ralis glanced at his brother sharply, then quickly turned away again, "My sword came from the western trading routes, Rael, I have told you that already. And I will hear no more of it."

Rael sighed, "Ralis there is no way you could afford a sword like that, no matter how much you managed to lower the prince."

"Let it go, brother."

Rael frowned, as his father might have done, "You didn't steal it did you?"

"Rael!" His brother snapped angrily. Then he looked behind him to see if he had not caught the attention of the others. "Leave it be." He grunted, then heeled Pesh on ahead.

Rael let Ralis be by himself again, and as he emerged from a thicket of trees he looked across the land ahead. In the distance to the North he could see tall tower, centred in a large town. Baradale, he thought to himself. They would arrive at sundown if they maintained this pace.

He pulled away from the others, and spurred his steed up onto the rocky slopes of a low rising hill away to the east. Daran called to him, but Rael just ignored his shouts. At his master's direction, Garsh moved nimbly between boulders and uneven grounds, up over grassy verges treading slowly here, and moving quickly there, working his way higher and higher, all the while moving northwards as best he could still. He came to a precipice, a shallow cliff overlooking an area of short dry grass in brown fields.

He dismounted, and did his best to stand up straight after having his legs so uncomfortably positioned for so long. The others were moving on by below him. He had to stretch his legs though. Up in the distance he could certainly make out Baradale, just dark shapes and shadows from here. It was built just on the outskirts of a large forest. The Grey Forrest as it was known. The dense forest stretched away beyond the horizon, and the tree line marked the northernmost border of the South Plains for leagues upon leagues both east and west.

Garsh whinnied, eager to rejoin the others. Rael patted him on the nose and swung himself back up into the saddle, muttering about how much he hated riding. "Ya!" He dug his heels into his mount's side, and raced with speed down a steep slope. His worries aside, he felt so free out here, and for a moment at least his troubles burned away with the wind.