The last king had fragmented his own soul to escape Death's final Judgment, hiding his thoughts and memories inside the Crystal Skulls he'd lorged for that purpose. Now, as those memories returned to the

dead king, Isak felt the echoes of Aryn Bwr's pain. He cast around, searching for something to push the Elf's dismal thoughts from his

mind, but there was little to attract the attention. They were almost at the highest point in the area, but aside from the narrow dirt track they were following there was nothing but a small cairn of stones, some thirty yards away.

In the hills of Meyon I held my heir and watched him die. In the hills of Meyon / cursed the ground where Velere died.

|sak felt a wave of sadness and rage radiate through his body, and He remembered the letter he had carried to King Emin about the place called Velere's Fell. It was no longer a tale of horror on the page for him, but a glimpse of grief and fury so strong it still scarred the Land, seven thousand years later, and its echo left a sour taste in Isaks mouth. Isak sighed and scratched his cheek, waving away the inquisitive fly that was darting around his face. Are you really going to ruin a beautiful view for me? he wondered.

This land is so different to the one I used to know, the voice went on, musing. Its colour has been bleeding out over the long years. Now

it is grey, and marked by the scars of my passing. Aryn Bwr was lost in

HIS OWN thoughts again; only twice since leaving Llehden had Isak actually conversed with the spirit that had taken up residence inside his head.

'That's my good mood gone,' he muttered, and he slid from the saddle.

'My Lord?' Vesna enquired.

'I just need to stretch my legs for a bit,' Isak said with a dismissive wave of the hand. Carel immediately gave the order for the guards to split up, as he did every time they stopped for a break, then he dismounted himself and joined his young lord. Isak forced a smile and draped an arm over the old man's shoulder. As they wandered slowly towards the cairn of stones, Isak felt his smile become genuine. Here was a strange thing: only after it had become unseemly for a man in his position had Isak ever felt the urge to hug the man he thought more of a father to him than Horman had ever been.