Fredow skipped along the path on his big feet. I hurried to catch up, wishing I hadn't invoked the Spirit of the Wolf for both of us. Fredow moved very fast for someone so short and stocky. "Who is this uncle of yours?" he called over his shoulder.
"He's not really my uncle," I said. "He's a friend of my father's." Kithicor Forest looked rather peaceful during the day. Mist floated around huge trees that stretched as far up as I could see. Somewhere, insects hummed. We'd seen a couple of goblins, but they'd shuffled off without bothering us.
"How come you need to see him so badly?"
I caught up to Fredow and fell in stride along the path. "He and my father had an argument a long time ago," I said.
"So what?" Fredow swatted away a bug.
"Well, it's kind of a long story," I said.
"We have time--oh, look at all the bixies!" Fredow ran off the path, toward a flock of the buzzing creatures. "Look at their little faces!" he giggled.
The bixies noticed Fredow. "Zzzztone Hivvvvve..." they said in one droning voice as they began to fly toward him.
"Uh, Fredow," I said, "I don't think--" But it was too late. The bixies swarmed the little rogue, covering him in a cloud of black and yellow.
"Ow! Gwion?" A waving arm escaped the hurricane of creatures. "Help!"
I looked at the bixies. Individually, they'd be no match for either of us, but so many together were almost a force to be reckoned with. We'd have to kill several of them, or at least scare them away, before we'd have a chance to get rid of the rest.
"Hang on, Fredow," I said, hastily opening my spellbook. I knew I had a spell that would damage several creatures at once, but I couldn't remember what it was called.
"I'm OK," Fredow shouted. "Ow! They can't really hurt me--I don't think--owwww! Stop it, you stupid bugs!"
Then I had an idea. "Run, Fredow," I shouted. "They won't all be able to catch you!"
Fredow said nothing, but began to run, arms flailing, big feet leading the way. I stuffed my spellbook back in my pack and followed the trail of buzzing bixies.
"Are you all right?" I shouted.
"Yes!" Fredow called out, "But this is really embarrassing!"
"Keep going!" I said, smothering a laugh. "I'm going to try to stop a few of them!" Halting, I called on Tunare to snare half a dozen of the nearest bixies. They slowed, turned, and began to fly toward me. Backing up, I evoked fire to harm them before they could get to me. One by one, they fell easily.
"Zzztone..." buzzed the last as it dropped to the ground. I looked around for Fredow, but he was nowhere to be seen. I listened for buzzing, or running halfling feet, but heard only the quiet of the forest.
"Fredow?" I shouted. "Fredow!" My voice echoed back to me, but I heard nothing else. He couldn't have been anywhere nearby.
But the undead couldn't have attacked him. We'd left Rivervale before noon. Frustrated, I flopped onto the ground at the foot of an ancient tree. We'd been on the path only an hour or so; it wasn't late enough for me to be worried yet. Maybe Fredow had run back toward Rivervale, where the bixies wouldn't follow. No, I decided, they weren't strong enough to worry him that much. Perhaps he'd stopped to just kill the rest as best he could. That must be what had happened. If I stayed where I was, he'd come find me soon and we could be on our way.
I foraged a few berries and returned to the tree, munching. Uncle Zophia was going to be so happy when he found out what Hibbs Rootenpaw had told me. Imagine, I thought, the solution was right there all the time. Tunare hadn't been punishing Uncle Zophia for helping Tinna, not that day in South Karana nor any day after. He could still call on the Mother's powers for magic--he'd just have to remember how to do it.
Once he did remember, he and Tinna could go anywhere they wanted, and live any way they wanted. I felt my being overflow with happiness for them, and reverence for the Mother of All.
I looked up, but I couldn't see the sky. The trees were too tall. How long had I been sitting there? Surely it had been at least a quarter of an hour. Where was Fredow?
A piercing scream answered my question. Hair standing on end, I leapt to my feet. "Fredow!" I shouted.
"GWION!" came the scream again. "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" No bixie could make anyone scream like that. I dashed away toward the sound.
In the distance, I saw Fredow running toward me, still pursued by the bixies--and by several drow, all armed to the teeth. Where had they come from?
"RUN FOR THE COMMONLANDS!" Fredow screamed again. "THEY'LL KILL YOU!" I panicked. Somehow, shaking all over, I whipped around in mid-stride and began to run as fast as I could. I hoped I was heading toward the Commonlands, but I'd lost the path when I'd run toward Fredow. I could hear him behind me, panting, terrified. The way he sounded, I knew we were in real trouble.
How long could we run? What if we died here? We'd end up wandering among the ranks of the undead, coming out only at night. I'd never see Kelethin again, or Uncle Zophia, or Father. I began to pray, silently, over and over: please, Mother, help me find the way.
Now I could hear the drow shouting, "There he is! Get him!" over the clanking of their armor. I dared not turn around. I began to pray aloud.
"Help me find the way!" I wailed. I felt tears of panic on my face. "Help me find the way! Help me--"
Hands grabbed me. "Here!" said a familiar voice. "Here, quickly!" I felt Fredow--or what I hoped was Fredow--grab onto my leg as strong arms half-dragged, half-carried me into a passageway cut through the stone cliffs. "Don't stop!" said the voice. I looked back and saw the drow only a few feet away, waving their weapons. I shut my eyes tight and screamed.
Then there was nothing but darkness.
A long moment later, I opened my eyes again and saw brown grass in sunlight. The beautiful, beautiful Commonlands! I tried to sit up, but I felt as if a terrible weight were crushing my legs.
"Ugh," said Fredow's voice. "Gwion? Where are we?" Then the weight shifted, and I saw Fredow stand up.
"You're all right!" I said. "Thank Tunare! But how did we--"
"I think I can answer that question," said the familiar voice from behind me. Still sitting, I turned to see who it was.
"FATHER!" I shouted. Forgetting my pain, I launched myself at our savior and clung to him as if we were still in the forest. And then, after everything, I began to cry.
"Easy," he said. "You're all right." I felt Fredow's stubby arms trying to encircle us both. After a while, I looked up at my father's face. I never thought I'd be so glad to see him smiling down at me.
"Gwion," he said gently.
"Yes, Father?"
He wiped a tear from my cheek. "Perhaps, in a moment," he said, "When you're feeling better, you can explain to me where in the nine hells you've been for the last three weeks?"
