Return to Kinthaldith

They did make better time. Jesh found it much easier to keep up now that the weight was more evenly distributed. The pack Risser took was the heaviest. He tried to match Risser's pace but still couldn't. Risser was capable of an endless and untiring pace. Again, Jesh had to admire his ability.

They rested for lunch and ate more jerky and cheese. Jesh was hungry again, but not overwhelmingly so. The rabbit they'd eaten last night had helped a lot.

As afternoon wore on, it began to drizzle, which almost felt pleasant since the day had grown warm. The rain made the air smell fresh and fragrant, reminding Jesh of the difference between Prent and Kinthaldith. The overcrowding on Prent came with the high price of pollution, and he'd never smelled the air so fresh in that place.

The rains continued in the late afternoon, the clouds darkened, and a cold wind began to blow fiercely. In the distance, Jesh could hear thunder. Jesh pulled his cloak tighter to try to keep out the chill. The trail had become muddy and treacherous as they went up a hill.

Jesh stumbled and nearly fell on the slope, coming to a dead stop. "Come on!" Risser shouted at him. Jesh struggled to get the rest of the way up the hill.

Annoyed, Risser grabbed another bag from Jesh and put it over his own shoulder. "Let's keep going. We're nearly there!" Then he darted up the path, and Jesh hurried after him, trying to keep up. Soon, the rain came in torrents.

Sloshing through the heavy rain made the next hour miserable, and Jesh's cough worsened. He had definitely caught something. Finally, they arrived at a town, and Risser navigated through it quickly as though he'd been there many times. He stopped at the Mountain Eye Inn and went straight down the halls without getting a room and up the stairs to a suite of rooms at the top. He opened the door and entered without knocking.

Jesh tried wiping his muddy shoes on the doormat, but he wasn't sure it did much good. He followed Risser in and dropped the bags he'd been carrying on the floor.

Two well-dressed men, both about Risser's age, sat in this lavishly decorated room. They rose with surprise as Risser and Jesh entered the room. He had seen these lords before and was sure they were friends of Lord Risser.

"Lord Risser!" said the older one, smiling and coming over. He clapped him on the shoulder, "You made it at last."

The man then noticed Jesh. "So, this is him?" He came over to Jesh and studied him, circling around him. "He doesn't look like much, does he? So, this is the Skyman."

"This is Lord Darrishbelvar of Yannishannor and his brother, Ferrelldannan," Risser said for Jesh's benefit. Jesh bowed politely.

Lord Darrish considered Jesh a moment. "So tell me, Skyman, what do you think we should do about the Prenth?"

Suddenly excited at the prospect of being heard by another lord on the subject, Jesh glanced at Risser, knowing that he had forbidden him to speak on that subject, but Risser made no objection.

"If we don't act soon, the Alliance will grant territorial rights to Prent. We still have time to stop it with an appeal. We must unite the Council of Lords to pass a resolution requesting home rule."

"But all this would mean making a treaty with the Offworlders?"

Jesh hesitated. "Yes."

"I see," said Lord Darrish. "Then you approve of the Offworlders and of their ways? You believe we should become like them?"

"I think we should adopt what is good."

"So you think they are good?" he asked skeptically.

"There is good in them. There are many things we can learn from them, yes."