The morning came and the day was fair, with bright blue skies and fluffy clouds. Torstein had brought some good weather for the start of the journey. Before they set off Nathaniel made his farewells with Eira and Lucan. His heart was filled with sorrow at the thought of leaving them as he gave them one last hug. "If trouble comes, you must make for the Mygarian Mountains. You will find safety there," he instructed. As he turned to leave, Eira took his hand. He could feel her warmth almost flowing into him and it lingered even after her fingers slipped from his hand. He would miss them both dearly and it was painful trying to pull himself away. As he stared into Eira's forlorn eyes it was a physical struggle to turn away. A single tear gently rolled down her cheek and Nathaniel slowly backed away. He picked up his pack and slung it over his shoulder, then fastened the glaive to his back, within easy reach.
Nathaniel and Torstein set off on foot along the road heading east. Nathaniel turned and waved his final farewell to his family, before they were out of sight. He could feel the yearning of Eira in his heart, like she had a string attached to it and was pulling him back towards her. The first steps along the road were a struggle but as he pushed on it became gradually easier. Torstein had been a good travelling companion in the past, although he never said too much. Mostly he would just answer Nathaniel's questions. "I will stay with you for the first day and lead you to the road you must take. I have my own path I must take and cannot afford delay," He began cryptically.
"Where will you go?" Nathaniel questioned, wishing the wizard would remain.
"First I must return to Morthalia, to warn the king so they may prepare. Then there are others who must hear the news." He concluded, still not fully answering the question. Nathaniel knew better than to ask any further.
The journey continued mostly in silence, though there was little for either of them to say and they were both content not to speak. Away in the distance Nathaniel could see a mountain range ahead of them. Although the road departed from the lake, it still remained ever present on their left side. This land was unknown to him as he had never ventured away from the settlement since arriving. As he thought back to that day he wondered if this was the road Martyn had taken before he left. He had often thought of his old friend over the years and wondered if he found somewhere to settle. Martyn and those that followed him onward had lost much in the city. Although Nathaniel found peace by the lake and was happy to settle, some had not. They were perhaps not ready to stop running, eager to leave things far behind them. It was possible that Martyn was still travelling the roads. He had left east and for all Nathaniel knew the land could stretch on forever eastward. If it was not Torstein telling him of the seas and islands to the east he would have never thought about it. Perhaps Martyn had reached the sea and crossed over them.
After a long day of walking the light started to fade from the sky as the sun dipped below the horizon. They found a sheltered spot not too far from the road to set up their camp. Nathaniel had a blanket for a bed and canvas just big enough to give shelter should it rain. With Torstein there he did not expect the weather to turn foul for long though. Finding some suitable wood he made two steaks to plant in the ground and hold up one side of the canvas. The other he secured on the ground with three fairly large rocks. It was not much of a shelter but it would provide some cover from the wind and rain. He sat down next to the fire which Torstein conjured and took out some bread and salted meat from his pack for his dinner. As he sat looking into the flames and sharing in their warmth, it dawned on him that he would need to obtain himself a bow. There would no doubt be times when he would need to hunt and catch his own food. He could not rely on a warm tavern at each leg of the journey and he did not know what towns would lie on his path.
Torstein stared deep into the flames as he sat by the fire, as if he was enchanted by them dancing around hither and thither. It was quite a shock when he broke the silence to speak, yet did not break his gaze. "I must say Nathaniel, the years have been kind to you. Perhaps your elven pendant is more powerful than I imagined," he pondered.
"Not as kind as they have been to you for your age," Nathaniel joked in reply.
"I am being serious Nathaniel. By all rights you should be an old man. Almost fifty years have passed since I last saw you in Orseth." Nathaniel sat back, stunned. How could it be true? In Nathaniel's mind he was still in his middle years, because that was how he looked. More shockingly though Eira had not seemed to age either, which must have confirmed his belief in his youth. His mind tried to piece together this new found knowledge but it was perplexing. As Torstein suggested the pendant must have been delaying the rigours of old age, but for Eira as well.
The fire gave a comforting glow as they both sat, watching the last of the sunlight fizzle away. The three moons reflected a serene light across the dark land where the gaps in the cloud permitted. As the flames died down to glowing embers, Nathaniel took to his bed, once again leaving Torstein alone by the fire. He wondered whether the wizard actually ever needed sleep as he could not recall ever seeing him bed down. Nathaniel lay down on the soft ground and wrapped his blanket around him for additional warmth. He stared up at the sky, catching occasional glances at the glistening stars above and thought of Eira back home. They had not spent a single day or night apart since leaving Ollorath and it was a feeling alien to him trying to sleep without her.
By morning Nathaniel was awakened by a gentle sizzling sound and a smoky yet rich aroma. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he found Torstein smoking mackerel over the renewed fire. He must have walked down to the lake and caught them at first light. It was a pleasant sight to say the least and would help to preserve his own supplies. He had enough to last a few days so would hopefully reach civilization before needing to replenish. If not he had the skills to set snares to catch rabbits. He would then be able to smoke some of the meat to preserve it. While serving in the city guard he had spent a few nights in the wild and knew how to survive. Nathaniel scoffed down the fish with delight. It was just what he needed ahead of a long day of travelling. From what Torstein had said he had a couple of weeks travel ahead of him so would no doubt have to resupply along the road a few times.
As they packed away the camp and put out the fire, Torstein pulled a small book out from under his cloak. Nathaniel pondered for a moment how he had managed to conceal it so easily, but of course the answer was magic. Despite knowing of Torstein's powers he still somehow felt surprised when he did something magical. The book fit nicely in the hand and had a worn leather cover, with a small metal clasp holding it shut. "Of all the books I had in my home, this is the one I chose to save," he explained, handing it over to Nathaniel. This book must have been of great value or importance for Torstein to choose it over all others. If he was not willing to let them fall into enemy hands, it was important this one did not either. As Nathaniel took it from him, he could feel the weight of responsibility he now carried.
"This book will help you navigate that in this world which will seem most strange to you. But do not think this alone will secure your quest. Always be ready for unexpected turns. Fear not the unforeseen diversion. Above all do not turn away help. Friends can be found in the unlikeliest of places and you cannot do this alone. Though they do not know it, the whole world is bound by fate." Explained Torstein. Nathaniel unclipped the clasp and began to examine the pages. At first they appeared blank, but this book was written with magic. Soon the text began to come out of the page towards his eyes. There was a wealth of knowledge written within the pages, written in exquisite detail, seemingly about all life in Ilandri. "It is my own compendium, written through my studies of the world over many years. Anything you could possibly ever want to know is written in those pages." Described Torstein, "even a spell or two that may get you out of trouble," he added with a chuckle. Nathaniel closed the compendium and placed it securely in his pack.
Once Nathaniel had repacked his shelter and blanket to his pack, he put it back onto his shoulders and they set off again. The road began to veer away from the lake and take a more southerly route. It turned away from the mountains and followed the lay of the land more, heading in the direction of the forest which sat at the mountain foot. The road began to ascend the hills as it got further from the lake. The gradient was shallow though and was still easy going on his legs. After a few miles or so they approached a crossroad where Torstein paused. "Continue straight Nathaniel, you will reach Vergot town in a few days. This is where I leave you, my path lies to the west."
"How will I find my way to Yarbok Port? I do not know these lands."
"Keep heading south of Vergot Town, over the wolds and to the foot of the forest. Then you must take the road east, it will lead you to the port." He instructed.
"Will I see you again, old friend?" Nathaniel asked with a concerned expression.
"I cannot say for certain, but I have a strong feeling. Good luck my friend."
Nathaniel stood and watched as Torstein walked away down the right fork of the crossroad, not once turning back. His raven however, still perched on his shoulder glanced round to look back momentarily. As Torstein's figure slowly shrank to a small blip on the road, Nathaniel took a deep breath and continued his own journey. It was a strange feeling walking the unfamiliar land alone. Whilst Torstein had not been a great conversationalist, there was something about having company that made travel better. He still heard all of the wizard's many warnings and wisdoms playing over in his mind. He tried his best to remember the different directions he had been given. The journey to reach Yarbok Port and then beyond that to the kingdom of the elves. There was a lot of information to retain but with Torstein's compendium it would be somewhat easier. He wondered if the wizard had been gracious enough to provide a map amongst the rest of the material. As he put one foot in front of the other he advanced into the unknown. He had no clue what to expect along his quest and although Torstein had told him not to reject help, he did not know if anyone would offer it.
His journey continued without incident or disturbance for the rest of the morning and long into the afternoon. The roads seemed quite deserted and he wondered if there would even be anyone in Vergot town when he arrived. As the road ran, more or less straight across the country side, it began to level out. The mountains remained ever far away to his left and soon the forest began to draw near. The sun reached its zenith and began to dip ever toward the horizon. Slowly darkness began to fill the land again and Nathaniel decided to find a spot to camp. The road ran along the edge of the tree line, so he decided to look toward the forest for some shelter. The grasses at the roadside were tall and the ground sloped away gradually. He pushed his way through the head height grass and found a bank which had eroded away. This would make a nice spot to shelter in. He put down his blanket and used some small branches to fashion some steaks and peg down the canvas for a covering.
After a brief but satisfying dinner, Nathaniel lay on his rough bed tucked out of sight by the muddy bank, obscured by the long grasses. He lay and hummed a soft tune as he thought of Eira back home and hoped she and Lucan would be safe. He knew deep in his heart she was ok as if somehow they were connected even over the distance. Somehow he could feel her presence in his heart even though he could not quite understand why. Her face was a vivid vision in his mind. Even more so than his mother who's features he had forgotten in detail and could only remember the vagueness of her kind face and the golden aura she used to have when she smiled at her son. The comforting thoughts helped to dissuade the dark thoughts from his head and gradually the clutches of sleep took him away into a blissful slumber.