It was not the first time Tiuri and Piak had made their way across the Great Mountains and down into the Kingdom of Unauwen. They had travelled along a different road before, across a pass that was much higher, along a path that was narrower and more difficult. The Road of Ambuscade was an easy enough walk, even though it was still early in the year. It was cold, but the weather was fine, so they could travel quickly.
And yet still Tiuri felt gloomy and apprehensive, because of what had just happened, and also because he was not sure they’d reach their destination in time. The bleak landscape around them did not improve his mood.
The slopes, they are so high and steep,
deep and dark the gorge below…
Those were the words Lavinia had sung, adding the lines about his own white shield. But even the snow up on the mountaintops looked cold and grim, rather than the glorious white of the shields of Unauwen’s knights. There were no beautiful vistas ahead, only grey slopes and ranges of hills stretching out until they vanished in the distance, hiding their destination from view.
They walked very quickly, Piak leading the way to set the pace. Now and then they looked back at the pass, half fearing that threatening figures would appear there. But after a while a slope blocked their view of the highest point of the road.
Tiuri went to walk beside Piak and said, “We have almost a day’s lead. That’s if Tehalon is right and the guards don’t change sooner.”
“What do you think they will do?” Piak said. “Come straight after us? But they won’t catch up with us, not even on horseback. Still, a day isn’t all that long…”
“We just need to make sure our lead doesn’t become any smaller,” said Tiuri. “The Tarnburg is quite a way from the pass, so it’ll be a while before they hear about what’s happened, but even so…”
“Yes, we need to keep moving,” Piak said in a whisper.
“And by the time they mobilize…” Tiuri did a few calculations. “Yes, if we’re lucky we should have enough time to warn Unauwen.”
The light took on the colour of mother-of-pearl, and their surroundings were bathed in a strange, almost unearthly glow.
“You would think nobody ever comes here,” Piak remarked. “But they must, as the road is so well maintained.”
“But what is there to maintain?” said Tiuri. “Nothing grows here.”
Piak pointed at a nearby slope. “Look, a load of stones have tumbled down over there,” he said. “Do you see them? But there’s not a single one on the road itself. Someone’s neatly stacked them up on the roadside. Though,” he continued, “it could have been done a while ago, I suppose.”
“That’s true,” said Tiuri. “But you’re right. It’s likely that people often pass this way. And we may well meet some of them…”
“At least the good road means we can make quick progress,” said Piak. “And the lower we go, the easier it’ll be. We should aim to walk at night, too.” He looked around and said anxiously, “I just pray we don’t have any snow.”
Piak’s prayers were heard, and until noon the following day their descent went without incident. It had taken a lot out of them, though, as they’d had to face enemies including cold and exhaustion, fear and thoughts of despair.
That afternoon they saw the first sign of people: a dilapidated mountain cabin close to the road. The hut looked uninhabited, but of course they couldn’t be sure.
“I wouldn’t like to live there,” whispered Piak as they walked by. “There’s no good meadow for grazing and…” He paused.
A shadow moved across the road in front of them. Tiuri and Piak peered up to see an eagle, slowly beating its wings as it flew over. As they looked at each other, they tried to smile.
But that nervous, apprehensive feeling remained.
The day went by and was followed by another night with far too little rest. But the next morning brought a little cheer. It was not as cold, the road was dry, and the landscape became green and more welcoming.
But then something spoiled their good mood. They heard a cry and saw a man standing on a hill, waving at them and beckoning. Not wanting to make him angry or suspicious, they waved back, but then walked on quickly.
“Maybe it was foolish of us,” said Piak, “to be so nervous. He wasn’t even dressed in red. But he was armed. Did you see his bow? I don’t trust anyone around here. How about you?”
“Me neither,” replied Tiuri. “If we could, I’d take a different road.”
“There must be other paths at this height,” said Piak. “But we can’t take them…”
“Or we’ll miss the gong,” Tiuri said, completing his sentence for him. He watched as the man walked away.
A little later, they passed another mountain cabin; there was definitely someone living in this one. Two grumpy-looking men were standing in front of it. They eyed Tiuri and Piak suspiciously, and didn’t respond to their friendly greeting. As Tiuri and Piak walked past, though, one of the men approached them.
“Hey,” he said, “wait a moment!” He was armed with a bow and arrows and may well have been the same man they’d seen earlier. He and his companion were shabbily dressed. Perhaps he was a hunter who eked out a living up here. But the two friends did not like the look of him.
“Is there a problem?” Tiuri asked in a calm tone.
“What are you doing here?” came the question in return.
“We are walking along the road,” replied Tiuri coolly, “and heading down the mountain, as you can see.”
The man looked him up and down, as if weighing up an opponent. Then he said gruffly, “Oh, no offence meant! I wish you a good journey. Be careful you don’t take a tumble.”
He turned around, walked back to his friend and the two of them disappeared into the hut.
“Phew!” said Piak quietly. “That’s him dealt with.” He didn’t speak the thought that these men could quite easily follow them, or take other paths and wait for them somewhere down below. But he held tightly onto the stick in his hand, and Tiuri reached for the hilt of his sword.