Hey guys I'm writing this after we saved Third Earth. Yeah, that's right we did it. Now all the travelers and I are on Ibara. If we make it here then Halla is safe from Saint Dane. With Loor here to kick ass, Spader to do, well whatever Spader does, Gunny and Alder to keep our spirits up, and of course Aja and Patrick to deal with any machinery, how can we fail? LaBerge from Qullian is here too but I wasn't too sure he wasn't helping Saint Dane. We came in pairs; Spader and Gunny first; I guess they had become closer since they had both been trapped on Eelong. Next were Aja and Patrick (I think they like each other). LaBerge and Alder next, and without realizing it Loor and I found ourselves alone in an awkward silence. We had both been weary of each other since that night we found out about each others feelings. I thought about telling her to go first and going alone, but then she might have thought I didn't want to be around her and that was as far from the truth as you can get. The first few moments were silent but then Loor said, "Don't worry. With all of us here, and with you as our leader, we cannot fail."

How could she do that? Make me feel powerful and confident. I hope I never have to be without her. "Thanks Loor. You're a big help."

I thought about hugging her, but the music of the flume was fading.

We were placed gently in a small cavern that was lit by a single lantern. On a rock sat a pile of clothes. Gunny, Spader, Alder, LaBerge, Aja and Patrick were changing behind rocks. Loor and I grabbed a pile of clothes and hide behind rocks. The clothes were simple tunics that went down to my knees and loose drawstring pants. There were sandals that were just a pad of leather attached to string which I wound around my legs.
When I was finally dressed, I stepped out from behind the rock and looked around. There was a bright light about a mile away which I hadn't seen before. I figured it was an exit.

Finally when we were all dressed Patrick asked, "So what now?"

"Look there's a note," said Gunny

Alder picked it up and read: "Kelkie and LaRissa suck? What's that, a secret code?"

I took it and laughed, "I think its jut two people bashing each other."

We all laughed and just to check I flipped the paper over. On the back it said this: "To the Travelers. From the traveler of Ibara Kelkie and her acolytes LaRissa and Zory."
"Please excuse LaRissa and Kelkie's childish behavior. But they can't really help themselves."

Suddenly the writing changed.

"Excuse Zory because he doesn't know how to have fun."
Then writing changed again: "Anyway this is LaRissa telling you to go to the military compound and meet Kelkie. She will take you to us and we will tell you all we can."
I finished reading and passed it to Loor who read it aloud.
When she was done she folded it and put it in her pocket and Spader lead us through the entrance of the cave into Ibara.

Ibara was a mixture of Third Earth, Cloral and Eelong. There was an ocean at the edge of the city and forest to the east. The city was almost modern. There were several stores and even a trolley system. We stepped out of the cave and admired the scenery. We were on a mountain looking down on it all. The sun was just rising and it was beautiful. But it was clear Aja had seen enough because she said, "Well, lets go."

She tentatively stepped onto a lower rock Loor followed her then I went and helped Gunny down. The climb down the mountain was slow and silent because we were all trying to climb down without falling.

It took us about an hour to climb down. Loor somehow got there first and was helping us down. We were in an alley with two trash bins on the sides. We walk out and headed for the trolley and were about to board when a gruff voice rang through the street. "Tronan!" The first thing I thought about was the ghee compound, and if you can believe this, I grabbed Loor because I was afraid of getting hurt again. But the guy wasn't interested in me.

He wanted Aja.

"Stupid girl! You have fallen into the lion's den." He grabbed her arms and pulled her towards a building. Patrick ran to help her, but Gunny seized him and held tight. But we weren't left alone. An entire group of men seized us and pulled us after him. We were then thrown into a carriage that was going far away from our goal destination.

There we two other people in the cart beside us; a little girl and an old man. There was a caged incasing us in the cart to keep us from running away. As if that wasn't enough, there were four of the soldiers walking besides us and five behind us. The last one was driving the cart. I sighed we had been on Ibara a grand total of twenty minute and we already in hot water. That had to be a record. I was so distressed I didn't even see the soldier next to me was trying to get my attention.

"Hey."

I looked up startled and saw one of the younger soldiers was walking beside us. I looked around to see if anyone could hear him. No one had acknowledged him. "Are you talking to me?"

I saw him glare," No I'm not."

I believed him for a second. Just a second.

"Are you Pendragon?" I nodded unable to speak.

"Good. We are going to the gall that is a hundred paces from the fort Lacose. Kelkie is waiting for you there. By the way I'm Zory."

"That's great."

Zory looked past me," Are they with you?"

I followed his gaze. He was looking Loor, Gunny, Alder, Patrick, Aja and Spader.
"Yes."

"What about her, the blonde one?"

"Yeah Aja is with us," I nodded. "But not the man and girl. I don't know them."

"I knew that. We found them around the city gates."

"What is the gall?" He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening and said," The exaction square."

I went cold. It was hard to think. "Why are we going there?"

"To have you all exacted."

"Why?" I asked dumb fooled.

"You're friend Aja looks like a Tronan and the child and man are Tronan. I don't know what they are going to do with you but you might also be hung as a traitor."

I let it all sink in before I asked, "What's a Tronan."

He looked at me frustrated," The Tronans are our enemies. We are at war with them at the moment. The have started sending spies. We kill them without a trial."

"That's awful."

He shrugged," They do the same to us. But don't worry. I wouldn't let you die."

The wagon was pulled up to a platform, made of stone with seven poles which I figured were the gallows, by the sea. Our wagon was pulled under the platform. All the soldiers left, but the driver and two men, the biggest ones, stayed. I hoped and prayed Zory had a plan that would save us, but I knew he had left and forgot about us. We were release from the cage and the driver climbed onto the wagon and looked down on us.

"I wish for you to know that you have brought this upon yourselves, and this is nothing less than you deserve."

The old man looked up and yelled, "The Tronan will annihilate you for killing a child."

The driver looked at the old guy and said "For your insult you will be the first to die."

The man was seized by the two soldiers and pulled through the gate and a minute later we all heard his screams. I shuddered trying not to think about what they had done to him.

Spader leaped forward. "Why are you hurting us? What did we do?"

The driver stared at Spader eyebrows raised, looking amused "You really don't know?"

"Of course I don't."

The driver told me all that Zory had in the same amused voice.
"I'll leave you alone for a moment." He disappeared.

I felt myself being pulled behind the cart. I turned to see who it was. It was Loor. We were the same height now. She looked me in the eyes and did the last thing I expected. She kissed me; long and hard. Not on the cheek, right on the lips. "I don't want to die without having done that."

I was still in shock.

"Moments up!"

The driver was back, "Who wants to die next?"

Loor slipped her hand into my mine and lead me back to the group. Spader saw us holding hands and said to me with a smile in a voice only I could hear "So I guess Loor isn't available any more."

The driver was pulling at Aja through the door when it happened. A club flew out of nowhere.

A second later he was on the floor covered in blood. Zory stepped out the shadows with a club in his hand. "Thought I left didn't you?"

Before we could answer, Zory had taken a cloak and covered Aja in it, grabbed the little girl and was making his way to the door.

We stood stupidly. Zory glanced back at us, "Coming?"

We didn't need to be told twice.