Writing a letter to Mother was far more complicated than William had expected. For one thing, he was having second thoughts. The office, his Father's office once, was a small place with lots of books and papers he'd read for ages. The ink and parchment were something he was well-acquainted with writing. Most nobility was, and William was well-educated by their standards. Often, Father had entertained guests here and Grandfather. The old Duke Garath had compiled some of the most extensive records in Haldren.

There had been little else to do. House Gabriel's fortunes had been on the wane after losing the Escorian Civil War. What ought to have been Erik the Voyager's great triumph became his final humiliation. One of the greatest heroes of his era, the old man had to flee to Haldren to regroup. As an old man, he and his descendants had served in the name of Haldren. The Kings of this Land had been waning, but House Gabriel had proved critical in stopping the decay. And at last, they were awarded Gel Carn, a rocky and defensible realm north of House Telus. But, unfortunately, they were meant to be vassals.

But Father would never be a vassal again, not since the Duke had returned with Mother as a bride. He had returned before all the rest of his companions. House Gabriel's star was rising through political maneuvering and brilliant military feats. And William had been left outside until now. He wanted to be involved in the wars nor to win great glory for his house.

In the old days, writing was a rare skill, but with the rise of King Andoa, I had seen Antion become dominant. And Andoa II had picked up where he left off and arranged tutors for the nobility.

Rusara had put a hand to all of that. She habitually taught people around Harlenor how to write and tell stories. Still, William wondered if his desire to see Father again would be well received. However, he'd already told Raynald and Rusara he was coming, so he didn't feel proper backing out now. Also, he wanted to see the world outside, even if he feared it.

Now, he sat in his room, writing a draft as best he could; his doubts ran through his mind. Eventually, he finished his letter and set down his quill. Then, drawing up the parchment, he read it to himself and threw it into the fire in disgust. Then, taking up another sheet of paper, he started writing again.

This was his fifth draft.

"I can't believe you are going along with this," said Felix.

"Rusara and Raynald know best, I'm sure," said William, only half believing it himself. "Besides, Tanith left Carn Gable at about this age?"

"Tanith was of the Telus family," said Felix. "They are of lower rank than you. Have you forgotten House De Chevlon used to be House Gabriel's archenemy? There was an entire war fought in Escor between your families. Rusara was on the De Chevlon's side."

"That was a long time ago, Felix," said William. "No one is still holding a grudge about that. Least of all, Raynald." This was a gross exaggeration at best, but it was polite.

"The slaughter of Anoa the Bright's heirs was long ago," muttered Felix. "Yet everyone still hates Calishans." Anoa the Bright was the most excellent King in the world. Or at least the most outstanding war leader, depending on who you asked. Father regarded Anoa as a kind of necessary destructive force. A forest fire clears out the deadwood of the decadent old world. The elves hated him because they had run that world. But humanity was forever in his debt, and he'd been the one who led to the Halfling's rise to prominence. As a result, his name was universally feared.

But that was long ago. The sense of politics had changed, and the all-out conflict was gone forever. The orcs were exterminated, and the goblins were dead. The giants stuck to their hills, and the dragons had gone into banking. And to the east, under the hand of Baltoth, lay Calisha.

Calisha was the greatest empire the world had ever seen.

Calisha was the most terrible fighting force that had ever been witnessed. Whose soldiers never retreated without orders and who died with her name on their lips.

Calisha was where criminals met with swift and brutal retribution on the cross. It was ruled by a barbaric and calculating Emperor Baltoth, who brutally kept command.

Calisha, the Empire that the Heir of Kings, the descendant of Anoa the Bright, would destroy.

William was not the Heir of Kings. He'd kept careful track of his lineage and was unrelated to Anoa in any way, shape, or form. It had been quite disappointing to him. His family had been more or less obscure. That was before Erik the Voyager brought House Gabriel's star into the ascent. But Mother had been quite firm that his destiny lay west in the distant lands of Themious. William knew nothing about Themious, and he did not care about Themious in the slightest.

It was a realm of mighty Amazons, feuding city-states, and great warrior women. But there were plenty of great warriors here in Haldren. Some of the greatest were under this roof now. And what William had learned of the history demonstrated an inability to organize. There were no Great Themosian empires, simply regional hegemonies. Acoria, where he was descended, was the greatest. But Mother had kept it all secret, and William was not interested anyway.

If she intended to keep it a mystery, let it remain a mystery until the time was right. William was no longer waiting for his destiny.

The wars of the east were where he would earn glory. No one in Harlenorian cared about Themious, so neither did he.

He finally finished writing the letter and looked at it, feeling satisfied. Or at least as much as one can be when explaining why one has left without the leave of one's parents. Father might disapprove of his actions, but Father was never here.

"What do you think of this?" asked William before reading aloud;

"Mother,

"I am going with Raynald and Rusara to Artarq. I need to see more of the outside world. I have carefully considered this decision. Raynald is one of the finest swordsmen in Harlenor, and Rusara is a powerful sorceress. I am safe.

"Signed,

"Your son, William Gabriel."

"Short, to the point, a pack of lies and ultimately futile," mused Felix. "You haven't considered this decision or wouldn't be making it. Second, you are only doing this because Rusara told you as part of her ongoing campaign to spite Lady Azgora. Third, you are only partially safe; travel always has risks, no matter how you are guarded. And lastly, she will be angry no matter what you do.

"You might as well not write this letter for all the good it will do you."

"Well, I have written it," said William, "I will leave it for her. Have you gotten the packs and things together?" He set the parchment on the desk by the window to see it.

"Of course," said Felix, hoisting a pack over one shoulder, "we can go at any time."

"Then let's get to it," said William. "Before our resolve falters."

"Resolve?" asked Felix. "Do I have a choice in any of this?"

"Not really," admitted William, "be glad Father pulled most of our men to Artarq. Otherwise, we'd never be able to sneak out of here." William began to wonder if they were going to lose Gel Carn. House Telus was a loyal ally, and Tanith had been one of his best friends for years. He wished he could have gone with her on the raids to Calisha, but Mother had forbidden it.

She'd won great glory out there. She had sacked many Calishan towns alongside Prince Aris and Eitrigg. Her letters were often sent to him and others. She often described the fortifications and shorelines, though her pen had become bloodthirsty. She was fond of Calishan women and had good relations with her companions. That and several others she'd written up. Would that he had been able to fight in raids from Estal. William would love to meet Tanith again someday.

They slipped out of their room and entered the nearly empty torchlit halls. Evading the guards was simple enough, much to William's relief. He wanted to avoid explaining to the guards where they were going with travel packs and swords. So they got to the bottom floor and into the courtyard without incident.

As soon as they got out, they saw Mother standing on the wall by the gatehouse. She was speaking to Maria. Mother got on well with most of the soldiers; it was why Father could leave her in charge.

"A beautiful view, is it not, Maria?" asked Lady Azgora.

"Yes, Lady Azgora, it is," answered Maria.

"Sometimes, we miss things in all the scurrying to and fro. We don't stop long enough to appreciate beauty while it is there," said Azgora. "Take those flowers down there. They bloom for a time, then fade and die. We'll never get another chance to see them."

"But others like them will come when the gods will it," noted Maria.

"Yes, but will they be the same?" asked Azgora. "Look at any flower, and you'll find that no two are alike. Yet all of them fade and die. As everything does."

"The gods don't fade, Lady Azgora," said Maria.

"Not to us," conceded Azgora. "But I wonder if even goddesses and gods may grow old and wither in some far-off time. They have the shape of mortals, do they not?"

"Perhaps we have their shape," suggested Maria.

"Yes, it might be the other way around," mused Azgora.

They fell silent and stood where they were, staring out over a view that neither of the two boys could see. So typical; Mother had never had this kind of conversation with him. William tapped Felix on the shoulder.

"We'll be caught for sure if we go through the gate," said William. "Let's scale the wall and climb down that way."

"I didn't bring any rope," said Felix.

"Then we'll do it by hand," said William. "It's not that hard."

"Easy for you to say," said Felix.

They crept up the stairs and came to the battlements. William quickly got on top of one of the crenulations and gradually lowered himself. The surface looked smooth, but he knew where the footholds were from years of climbing it. William was glad the Furbearers who constructed Carn Gable were worse stonemasons. t made climbing easier. Any recent fortress would have been far more challenging to scale.

As he reached the base of the wall, he looked up. Felix was coming down much more slowly, looking uncomfortable. He'd never had William's natural talent for it.

"Would you hurry up?" asked William.

"I can't climb as fast as you," hissed Felix. "I'm human, not an ape in human form."

"What's an ape?" asked William. "Do you mean that elvish slur the Urishia used to use?" The Urishia had been the former rulers of Calisha in all but name. They'd administered everything on the part of Valranor.

Then Baltoth and Anoa started killing people, which all evaporated quickly.

"Um... It's not a slur," Felix paused, "they are sort of humanoid creatures, but with hair. They are very good at climbing trees and cliffs. I read about them before Duke Vanion freed me. They live in the jungles of Dinis, the Far East. Now quiet; I'm climbing."

Felix reached the bottom after a bit more work, and they made their way along the edge of the wall. The village they were to meet Rusara and Raynald it was about a mile away, with many thatched houses built of stone. They were sure to be spotted if they went straight on for it. William looked to Felix, then to the edge of the trees about half a mile to their left.

"We'll head for that forest," said William. "Once we're there, we'll follow along the road, then make for the village once we get near. Anyone who sees us from the walls may not recognize us from that distance."

"Whatever you say," said Felix without much enthusiasm.

They made for the forest. As they ran, William felt his heart beating. He was afraid someone on the walls would look up and notice them with every passing moment. No call went out, and the trees drew nearer and nearer. Finally, they passed the eaves of the forest and halted for breath.

William found he was smiling despite himself. His journey had only begun, but escaping without being noticed was exciting. He felt a little foolish thinking like that. Felix could have been more enthusiastic.

"Can we please turn back now?" asked Felix.

"Come now, after all that?" asked William. "You want it to be for nothing?"

"More or less," admitted Felix. "I don't like going behind Lady Azgora's back like this."

"Then you ought to have brought it up before," said William.

"I did bring it up before," said Felix. "You never listen."

"Well, it's too late to go back now," said William. "Come on, let's keep moving."

They made their way along the edge of the trees as quickly as possible. The trip itself was more uneventful. Soon enough, they were parallel to the village.

"Let's take it slow," said Felix. "No one will recognize us at this distance anyway."

"You are probably right," admitted William.

As they made their way towards the village, William risked a look at the walls. He could see no sign of Mother. William hoped that it wasn't because she had seen them and was coming to drag them back by force. William did not want to see a showdown between her and Rusara.

They entered the village, and nothing happened.

They got into the square — still, nothing. William's nerves frayed. He had a feeling that their actions would be discovered very soon. He kept glancing behind him. He was expecting to see Mother coming around the corner with a furious look in her eyes.

"At the least," said Felix, "all the men are out in the fields. On the other hand, the secret may be slow to get out."

"You certainly took your time," said Rusara behind them.

William jumped with sudden fright before turning around. How did she do that? He saw Raynald leaning against the far wall behind Rusara, spinning a dagger in one hand. "Mother was on the wall. We had to scale down and go through the forest ways to get here."

"I suppose the precaution was well-founded," said Rusara. "But it has cost us precious time. Come, let's get moving. I don't doubt your absence will soon be discovered, and I'd rather be far from here when that happens. So we'll head south along the road until we reach the port of Ran Telus."

They departed the village and made their way along the road. William and Felix had to run several times to keep up with Raynald and Rusara. The party moved very quickly, and their haste proved wise. Just as the village was fading into the horizon, they heard it. It was a cry of unfathomable rage echoing throughout the hills.

"I think we'd better run," said Raynald.

They did just that.