Prince Iridian and his company left that same evening, without the knights from Eviellan realizing.
The next morning began with an exchange of words between Bendu and Sir Kraton. Having heard that the prince had left, Kraton seemed most upset. “Was he scared we would betray him?” he asked. “But we are men of honour and on neutral ground!”
“Prince Iridian is a knight,” said Bendu. “He is scared of nothing. He is also a wise man, and so he has learnt that he must beware of treachery, particularly when Eviellan is near. Of course, you know how Sir Edwinem came to be killed.”
“Will you stop bringing that up?!” cried Kraton.
“Fine,” replied Bendu. “I shall not mention it again until we are at the gate, at the moment you leave.”
“I do not accept your challenge,” said Kraton firmly. “I have already sworn to you on my honour as a knight that I had nothing to do with the death of Edwinem of Forèstèrra. So you would lose your honour if you were to attack me. I am an envoy and a negotiator and as such I am protected.”
Arturin spoke up now. “Bendu,” he said. “Sir Kraton is right. As long as he is travelling through our land as an envoy, you may not put any obstacle in his way.”
“Ha! That’s a fine shield to hide behind,” said Bendu with a sneer.
“When I return, I would be pleased to oblige you,” said Kraton. “I am no coward.” And he didn’t look like one either.
“Perhaps, Bendu,” said Arturin, “you would do better to abandon the idea of duels for now and to act upon your other plan. You were intending to go to Islan.”
Sir Kraton frowned as he looked at Bendu, then Arturin, before turning to Melas, who was standing beside him. They briefly spoke to each other in the incomprehensible language of Eviellan. As they talked, Bendu’s expression grew darker and darker.
Kraton saw the look on Bendu’s face and said, “As far as my companion is concerned, Sir Bendu, there are witnesses who can swear that at the moment of Edwinem’s death he was at Darokítam, his castle on the other side of the Grey River.”
Melas added something, loudly and angrily.
“He says,” translated Kraton, “that he has no wish to remain in this land any longer. He intends to return to Darokítam immediately. And he would like to show you his shield, Sir Bendu, with the deep dent you knocked into it. It happened in Eviellan, during one of your many fights with knights who had the misfortune to carry a red shield.”
Bendu turned red and Arturin brushed his hand over his mouth as if trying to hide a smile.
“Then I have nothing more to say to you,” said Bendu brusquely. “But wait, there is one more thing I should like to ask, Sir Kraton, if I may.”
“Go ahead,” said Kraton.
“You said yesterday that Sir Ristridin is in Deltaland. Could you tell me anything more about that?”
“I have already told you I know nothing about it,” replied Kraton. “It was a rumour, but there are so many rumours. I can no longer remember who told me.”
“And Sir Melas,” asked Bendu, “does he know anything about it? Darokítam is close to Deltaland, and almost all of Deltaland belongs to Eviellan.”
Kraton corrected Bendu. “We have not conquered any part of Deltaland,” he said. “We have only entered into an eternal alliance with them.” Then he turned to ask Melas the question.
But Melas shook his head.
“Fine. Well, that’s all, then,” Bendu said grimly. “Travel in peace. I shall say ‘until we meet again’, rather than ‘farewell’.”
That was the last thing Bendu said to the knights from Eviellan before they left. Sir Melas did indeed head back to the south, but Kraton rode to the City of Dagonaut. He did not travel alone; Tirillo accompanied him to the same destination. It is unlikely that the knight and the jester found each other pleasant travelling companions.
The farewell to Tirillo had been altogether friendlier. The jester had been unable to promise to visit on his return journey, because he would reach his king’s city much sooner by the First Great Road to the north. “But I shall also say ‘until we meet again’,” he said, “and I shall add ‘farewell’.”
He had a little more to say to Evan: “My dear boy, please do not look so worried. Go with Sir Bendu to Islan, or wait here for your friends.”
“I know there is nothing else I can do,” replied Evan, “but still I am uneasy about the prince. If he had not instructed me to wait for Ristridin, I would travel after him.”
“The Third Great Road is completely safe at the moment,” said Tirillo, “and our Sir Idian can take good care of himself.”
Then Arturin made a suggestion. “I could send some of my men after him,” he said, “with orders not to turn back until they are sure no further danger can threaten him.”
This proposal was gratefully accepted, and Evan’s squire, Marvin, went along with Arturin’s men.
After Tirillo’s departure, Evan was the only remaining guest from the Kingdom of Unauwen.
The next day, Bendu decided to go to Islan and he asked Tiuri, Piak and Evan if they wanted to accompany him. “I plan to stay there for two or three days,” he said, “so we will be back within the week. If Ristridin and Arwaut return in that time, well, then they can just wait for us!”
The three of them were very much in favour of travelling with Bendu, and Arturin agreed with their plan.
“It’s a shame I have to stay at home,” he said. “I should like to speak to the Lord of Islan, because I have not seen him for a long time. But I do not like to leave my castle, and Sir Fitil also travels rarely.”
Tiuri asked, “Is Sir Fitil the Lord of Islan?”
“Yes, he is,” replied Arturin. “His name was once widely known, but for years now he has lived, almost forgotten, in his castle on the plain between the forests.” He turned to Bendu. “If anything out of the ordinary happens here, I’ll have word sent to you. And you must let me know if you intend to stay away for longer.”
“We shall return within the week,” said Bendu. “And we shall depart soon. So we should reach the edge of the forest by this evening and be in Islan by tomorrow afternoon.”
Half an hour later, four riders left for the north: Bendu, Tiuri, Piak and Evan.
“This reminds me of last year,” said Evan. “Then, too, we flew along the roads and Bendu chose to take the lead, just as he is now.”
“But then Ristridin and Arwaut were with you,” said Tiuri, “instead of Piak and me.”
“And we were clad in the grey armour of mourning,” Evan continued. “Perhaps Ristridin and Arwaut have had other, stranger adventures since then.”
“And perhaps we are riding towards an adventure of our own!” cried Piak.
“You are in for a disappointment,” said Bendu, reining in his horse. “You don’t know Islan. It’s a place fit for a hermit, so lonely and isolated. There won’t be anything of interest happening there.”