The various elements of the army of Goél were busy. Ever since Goél had stated his intention of bringing on the final battle, men and animals and Nuworld creatures had constantly been brought into the camp. Weapons were sharpened and burnished, and supplies were laid in.
This place is like a gigantic beehive! Josh thought as he looked over the milling soldiers early one morning. He had risen early and breakfasted with the other Sleepers and now stood in the center of the plain, looking for Goél.
He found him in the midst of giving orders to several of his captains. Josh waited patiently, and finally he caught Goél’s eye.
Smiling, Goél motioned Josh toward him. “Good morning, Joshua. Are your companions outfitted and ready?”
“Yes, sire,” Josh said. “What is it you would have us to do?”
“Come with me, and I will give you your orders.”
Josh walked alongside the tall form of his leader as they made their way through the teeming camp. Finally they found a fairly secluded spot in a grove of small trees. A little stream ran through the plain here, and Goél motioned to the bank. “Sit down, Joshua.”
For a time they sat quietly, staring into the water that bubbled pleasantly over the stones. From far off came the faint sound of men practicing with their arms, but here it was still and peaceful.
“I wish every place was as quiet as this one,” Josh said. He reached into the cool water and let it make a small wave over his palm. He caught some then and tasted it. “Good water,” he said. “Cold and clear.”
“You’ve had a difficult time, my son. I regret that I have used you so hard.”
Josh looked up with some surprise. “That’s what we were brought to Nuworld for, Goél. To serve you— to fill your House.”
“Yes, but it is an expensive task,” Goél said slowly. There was deep, almost bottomless, sadness in his eyes as he fixed them on Josh. “No kingdom is built without pain and sweat and blood. It is not easy to send good servants like you into deadly situations. You have been a joy to me, my Joshua.”
The words warmed Josh’s heart. As always, his weariness and fears fell away when he was in the presence of Goél. He smiled with pleasure. “We have done little,” he said, shrugging. “Sometimes it seems so hopeless, Goél.”
“I know. The Dark Lord has his armies—his terrible captains—roaming the earth. At times it seems that those of my House are being swallowed by the Dark Lord’s dreadful strength.”
“It does seem like that.” Josh nodded. “If it wasn’t for you, I would say it was impossible.” He flushed and ducked his head. “As a matter of fact, I have said that a time or two.”
“Never take counsel of your fears, Joshua,” Goél said. Then he smiled. “You have come a long way from that callow boy who first came out of a sleep capsule. You have done battle in high places, and you have maintained your honor—and my honor, as well—in times of stress and danger. No man could have done more.”
Then Goél sighed heavily. “It is quiet here. I long for peace, even as you, my son. And that peace will come someday. Can you believe that?”
“I believe it if you say so, Goél.”
“Good! But before the peace comes the war.” He leaned toward Josh. “I think few recognize what a terrible battle this last one will be. We have not seen the Dark Lord’s full strength put forth. His wicked servants have multiplied. They are scattered over the whole earth now, but he will draw them to this place soon. And here we must meet him. Every sword blade will count; every arrow and every club must count also. That is why I am now sending you and your company to bring in three groups that have not yet responded to my call.”
“What are these three armies, sire?”
“I would not call them ‘armies.’ They are more like small tribes. But I repeat, it may be that one sword will make the difference as to which way the battle goes. We cannot spare one man, or one horse, or one blade.”
“I understand, sire. Just give me the orders.”
“You must go first to the Land of Ice, where you will speak to the chief of the Aluks. They are a hardy people, and they love me, but they know not of this battle. Give them the summons to come at once to the Plains of Dothan. Second, you must go to the Land of the Centaurs.”
Josh lifted his head. “Centaurs?”
“You have heard of the centaurs?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know they were real. You mean the half-horse and half-man people?”
“Exactly, and they are very powerful allies. Not just in their numbers, but they have powers that go beyond flesh and blood. You must convince them to come at once.”
“And the third group?”
“The third group is more difficult.”
“Are they your people, Goél?”
“Some of them are, but there is an element among them that fights against me. You must go to Celethorn, Land of the Magicians.”
“Magicians?”
“You seem startled at that. Possibly ‘magicians’ is not the best word,” Goél said quietly. “Wise men, perhaps. And wise women too. They have deep knowledge and powers, even beyond those of the centaurs. In the end it may be that the special powers they bring will be more important to the success of our battle than any sword of steel.”
Josh repeated the orders. “We’re to go to the Land of Ice, to the Centaurs, and to Celethorn, and to bid all to come to the Plains of Dothan.”
“With all haste. It is vital.”
“Do you have a map for us to follow?”
“I have something better than that. I have guides for you. Two of them. Tried and trusted in my service in the past. I will introduce you to them. Then you must be on your way.”
Back in camp, Goél hailed a woman wearing a simple white garment with a belt of gold. It came barely to her knees, and her arms were free. On her back was a quiver, and she held in her hand a beautifully constructed bow.
“This is Glori. She will guide you to the centaurs and then to the Land of the Magicians. That is a difficult place to find, but she has been there before. Glori, this is Joshua Adams, the leader of the Seven Sleepers.”
Glori was a woman of some thirty years, it appeared to Josh. She had striking light blue eyes and blonde hair, bound by a silver clip and hanging down her back. She smiled a greeting and said, “I had not expected one so famous to be so young.”
Josh flushed and felt like kicking at a clod, so embarrassed was he at her praise. He could say nothing at all.
Goél spoke up. “Josh is a modest young man. He will need your help, Glori. Now, both of you come. You will also need a guide to the Land of Ice.”
Josh and Glori followed him closely through the busy throngs to the outskirts of the camp, where some sturdy, swarthy dwarfs were thumping each other with clubs and wooden swords. They stopped their exercises and turned, puffing, to face Goél.
“Beorn!” he called.
One of the dwarfs approached at once. He was no more than four feet high but was as burly as a barrel. His arms and legs were thick with muscle, and his chest was deep. His glittering eyes were almost hidden behind the lank black hair that hung over his forehead.
“Yes, my lord.” His voice was guttural, almost a grunt.
“This is Joshua Adams, who leads the Seven Sleepers. You will guide the Sleepers to the Land of Ice. No one knows the way better than you.”
“It is a hard way,” Beorn said, “and filled with danger, but I will guide them.”
“Good. Afterward Glori will guide the Sleepers to the centaurs, then to Celethorn. You will accompany them. They will have need, perhaps, of your stout battleax.”
“Do I take none of my companions?”
“No, you must travel lightly. Force will not avail. You must be crafty, and I know you as the most crafty of all dwarfs.”
Beorn looked at Josh, and his nostrils flared. “This one is weak,” he said bluntly. “It will require a stronger than he to get through.”
Josh flushed and almost snapped out an answer but managed to keep his lips tightly closed.
Glori, however, said, “You have not heard of the fame of the Seven Sleepers? They have overcome greater odds than this.” Her tone was disdainful, and it was obvious that she did not care for the dwarf.
Goél smiled at Josh. “You will find Beorn a gifted guide and faithful to me. It would be useless to send more. You have done noble deeds in the past—now this one more time, my Joshua.” He put his hands on Josh’s shoulders. “I am putting great faith in you. You will not fail me.”
“I will do my best, sire,” Josh whispered.
When Goél had disappeared into the crowd, Josh turned to his two guides. “Let’s go collect what you’ll need to take along. We’ll leave at once.”
Beorn walked back to the other dwarfs, spoke rapidly to them, then picked up a heavy-looking knapsack and put it on his shoulder. It seemed to have no weight at all, so strong was he. In the other hand he carried a wicked-looking battle-ax with a razor-sharp edge.
Josh nodded approval, and the three left the dwarfs’ practice field. They picked up Glori’s gear, then Josh took them to the spot where the other Sleepers were waiting.
“This is Glori, who will be one of our guides. She will take us to two of our destinations, and this is Beorn, who will take us to our first task in the Land of Ice.”
The Sleepers stared curiously at the strangers.
What a contrast! Sarah thought. She’s so beautiful, and he’s so ugly! Nevertheless, she stepped forward at once and offered her hand to Glori, saying, “We’re grateful to have you.” Then she turned to the dwarf, who was scowling at her. “And you are welcome too, my friend.”
Beorn stared at her for a long moment, unsmiling.
Sarah flushed. She took a step back as the rest greeted the two guides.
It was the same in each case. Glori greeted each Sleeper with a firm handshake and a kind word. The dwarf simply stood there, his hand on his battle-ax. Finally he said gutturally, “Do we stand here talking all day, or are we going to obey Goél?”
An hour later, the Sleepers and their guides were long out of sight of the camp. They were walking along, Josh still angry at the dwarf’s rudeness, when the guttural voice spoke again. “And where do you think you’re going?”
Josh swung around and saw that the dwarf had stopped and was staring at him with a sneer.
“What do you mean?” Josh asked.
Beorn waved a hand forward. “You’ll never get to the Land of Ice that way,” he said. “I thought I was to be the guide.”
Josh flushed, and his freckles stood out. “All right,” he said gruffly, “which way is it?”
Beorn did not answer. He strolled past Josh and made a right-angle turn without even looking to see if the others were following.
Sarah came up to Josh, who was glaring after the dwarf, and whispered, “Don’t let him upset you, Josh. He’s grouchy—but after all, he is the one Goél gave us to show us the way.”
Dave asked Glori, “Couldn’t you show us the way?”
“I can take you to two of your destinations but not to the Land of Ice. That is Beorn’s specialty. But he is a horrible sort of creature, isn’t he?”
“He sure is.” Jake drifted up to stand beside them. “I’m surprised that Goél uses him. He’s not the kind you’d like to go on a two-week canoe trip with.”
“Or any kind of trip with,” Wash agreed. “But we better get after him. He looks like he’s not going to slow down for us.”
“All right,” Josh said with grim determination, “let’s show him the Sleepers can keep any pace he can set.”
By noon, however, the Sleepers were all gasping for breath. The land had turned uphill, and they seemed headed toward a steep mountain pass.
Beorn’s legs were short and stumpy, but he appeared to be as tireless as a machine. He had forged ahead all morning without a single stop, even for a drink.
Now, as the sun was exactly overhead, Josh called out to the dwarf, “Wait a minute. We’ll take our noon meal here.”
Beorn turned and stared back at him expressionlessly, then shrugged his burly shoulders. He put down his knapsack, opened it, pulled something out, and began to eat.
Sarah was usually the one to see to the meals, and she called to him, “Don’t you want to share what we have, Beorn?” She got no answer, and her face reddened. “Well,” she said quietly to Abbey as they took food out of their knapsacks, “he doesn’t seem to be worried about table manners. Goél certainly has some strange servants.”
When they had eaten their cold lunch, Josh said, “We’ll make camp tonight in time to have a fire and cook something hot.”
Beorn spoke up. “I thought you were in a hurry. Didn’t Goél say our journey was urgent?” Finished with his own meal, he was standing impatiently, arms crossed, looking down at the seated Sleepers.
“We’ll get there,” Josh said grimly. He got up and began repacking his kit. Then, when the others were set, he looked at Beorn. “All right, now we’re ready.”
All afternoon they trudged uphill. Abbey developed a blister on her heel, and Sarah insisted they stop while she put ointment on it and a tight bandage so that it would not be rubbed even worse.
Abbey bit her lip. “Why does he have to be so mean? We’re going as fast as we can.”
Reb strolled up to Beorn. “Couldn’t you have a little consideration for the ladies? They’re not as strong as we are.”
Beorn looked the Sleepers over and laughed harshly. “Strong? I don’t see anything strong about any of you.”
Reb took this as a challenge. “We might be a little bit stronger than you think—some of us.”
“You? You’re just a boy.”
Reb, always sensitive and carrying a bit too much pride, said, “A runt like you shouldn’t be too hard to handle.”
Beorn grinned. “Why don’t you try it?”
Reb put a hand on Beorn’s thick chest. He shoved hard, forcing the dwarf one step backward, but he had time to do no more. A steely hand clamped around his wrist. Then he found himself rising in the air and turning a complete somersault. The dwarf tossed him as easily as if he had been stuffed with feathers instead of flesh and blood!
Reb hit the ground, rolled over, and came up spitting dirt. With a wild yell, he charged Beorn, who simply stood waiting.
When the young Southerner was upon him, Beorn shifted quickly, grabbed Reb, and threw him to the ground easily. He held him there while Reb kicked and screamed.
“As I say,” Beorn said, “it’s up to Goél who goes, but I don’t see why he chose a bunch of children for the job.”
“Turn him loose!”
Beorn looked up at Glori, standing beside him. Her eyes were half slitted, and she looked very angry.
“Turn him loose, I said!”
Beorn stared at her arrogantly, then slowly nodded. “All right, he’s loose.”
Reb came to his feet and would have continued the fight, but Glori took his arm. “No, Reb,” she said, “this is no time to fight. No one doubts your courage. Dwarfs are known for their brute strength.” She glanced at Beorn and sniffed. “They don’t have many brains, but they make up for it with brawn.”
Beorn simply looked at her, saying nothing. Then he picked up his knapsack, put it on his shoulder, and without another word strode off up the hill.
Reb was trembling with anger and embarrassment.
Wash came up to him. “Never mind, Reb,” the small black boy said, slapping his friend on the back. “He’s built like a bull. And like Glori says, he doesn’t have a lot upstairs, seems like.”
“I don’t see why Goél had to send him,” Reb said angrily. “We could’ve had a map.”
“Seems a map would be a lot better than being around him, all right.”
But Josh called everybody into order, and they followed after the dwarf, who again set an exhausting pace.
That evening, when they made camp, Beorn disappeared for a time. He came back with a rabbit, which he proceeded to roast and then devour without even offering a share to the others.
Later on, when the dwarf was asleep, Glori approached Josh and said quietly, “We have to have a guide, but that one is dangerous.”
“What do you mean ‘dangerous’?”
“I mean he has no judgment. He’s not very bright. He’s strong enough and too ignorant to be anything but brave—but that can get us all killed. Be very careful, Josh! That dwarf could lead us all to destruction.”
She turned away, and Josh and Sarah stared at each other, considering what Glori had said.
“But we have to follow him,” Josh said finally. “He’s the only guide we have. And for some reason Goél gave him to us.”
“All right, but let’s all watch him,” Sarah said. “He can get us to the Land of Ice, but after that I don’t care if he just disappears and leaves us alone. We have Glori —and she’s all we need!”