Brian was hidden behind some bushes and he saw Gunyan walking towards Laughly, slowly bending next to her. He looked for a moment at her and then Gunyan stood up.
�Dad?�
There came no response and Gunyan takes some steps towards the cabin.
�Dad? Are you there?�
Out of nothing the Knight in the Dark appears next to Gunyan, grabbing is shoulder.
�What do you think you are doing here?!� the Knight hisses.
Gunyan winces and looks with eyes full fear at his father. �I� I have got ne--news, father.�
The Knight grabs his other shoulder too and forces him to look the Knight in the eyes.
�What kind of news?�
Gunyan takes a deep breath and then looks his father proudly in the eyes. �About the lakeman, he�s lost in the forest.�
Brian feels how his heart is pounding. Although he trusted Gunyan there still was that little voice in his head that had told him that Gunyan would betray him again. He sighed in relief.
�Where in the forest?�
�I think I can lead you to the spot I have seen him last, father.�
For a moment the Knight stares suspiciously at Gunyan.
�Why would you��
�I hate him father.�
Still the Knight hesitates, but then his hate towards Brian take over his logical thinking. �Show me,� letting loose of his grip.
After a last glance at Laughly they both leave the place.
Brian can�t believe that it�s going this easy.
<There must go something wrong. Never went well yet, so why should this???>
For a couple of minutes he doesn�t dare to move, he almost doesn�t even dare to breathe. Then his worry for his friends takes over and he gets out of his hiding and runs towards Laughly.
�Laugh???� he whispers. He kneels down beside her and softly taps her cheeks. �Laughly???�
No answer. He notices a big gash on her head, but to his relieve she is normally breathing and there doesn�t seem to be any other damage than that gash. �Laugh� I�m going to have a look for Mical now��
Slowly he stands up and heads for the cabin. The door is not even closed and he slowly opens it.
<Gunyan is right about his �father�. He really is arrogant.>
�FRRROT!!!�
�MOY!�
Happily jumps Moy up and down, as far as his line lets him, his little tail is waggling franticly.
�Hey little fellow� I�m so happy to see you again.� Brian gives him a tight hug and frees him from his line. Then he turns to Mical, who is lying on the ground with his hand and feet bounded and with a big wound on his head.
�Well the Knight certainly knows where to hit��, whispers Brian. He�s more worried about Mical than about Laughly, because his wound is looking much worse than hers. He slowly uncut the robes and starts to prepare himself for dragging Mical to a save spot, when he notice a change in the air. It seems like the air has become even colder. Brian takes a look at Moy to see how the Winkle is totally concentrated on something, not moving an inch.
�Mickey, we have to be quick, before they get back.�
�Too late,� is the soft reply.
<Damn, it couldn�t be anything else� It went too perfectly.>
The Knight is standing in the door.
�I don�t trust anybody else than me� so also not my son.�
Brian is silence for a moment then he speaks. �What did you do to him?�
�I can handle my own son, lakeman.�
Brian glances at Moy and sees at his surprise that Moy�s tail is slowly waggling. The Knight follows his glance and also notices it.
�Why does that ---?�
�I�m sorry, Brian was your name was it? Got a little lost with those friends of sir here?� A man enters the room, nods in the Knights direction and then completely ignores him and walks towards Brian.
�Herbert?�
<Great� now I have got that same bloke who tried to save me before here again.>
�Who?� answers Herbert.
�Your name was Herbert, right?�
�My name??? You could be right. Herbert. Yes, I believe I was called that way in this land.� Herbert stares thoughtfully out of the window.
�HERBERT?� The Knight looks afraid at the odd man in front of him. �You are the famous Herbert?� After another look at Herbert he starts to laugh very loudly. Brian stares in amazement at the scene in front of him; the Knight laughing and Herbert staring as if nothing is happening. When the Knight calms down he takes a step towards Herbert and grabs his arm.
�I can defeat you easily,� he grins.
�What did you say sir? Defeat me?� hmmm� I wouldn�t say that.�
The Knight stares blankly at him. �Have you lost your mind?�
�I wonder that too,� mutters Brian under his breath.
�Lost your mind? I can always help searching sir although I don�t know how a mind looks like.�
The Knight nods his head. �I can�t believe it. The famous Herbert, where everybody is afraid of is totally nuts.�
The Knight tries to drag Herbert out of the cabin, but Herbert starts to struggle.
�Listen� I can get you out of this cabin in two ways. Or you are coming with me or I�m gonna get you outside on a painful way.�
Suddenly Herbert�s arm is jerked out of the Knight�s hand and Brian sees a big white flash of light. When he is able to see again, the Knight is lying on the ground, unconscious. Brian stares in shock from the Knight to Herbert and back. Herbert is standing as if nothing has happened, trying to rearrange his clothes. Brian�s jaw is dropped.
Herbert turns around and faces Brian. He raises an eyebrow.
�Brian? Are you going to wait until a bird flies in?�
Brian stares at him as if he has suddenly turned green and then closes his mouth, not able to speak a word.
Chapter 23 � Herbert
�I still can�t believe this.� Brian had repeated this words the last couple of hours. Laughly was sitting next to him, in front of a small camping fire, with her head on his shoulder. Mical was lying asleep next to them, with a bandage around his wound. Herbert had disappeared in the forest with Moy with the words �We�ll be back.�
Laughly chuckles softly. �I should think that you should be used to unexpected things by now.�
�Who is this guy? I mean, he acts like he�s completely stupid, but� he saved us. He saved my live twice!�
�I shall tell you what I know about him, but I must warn you� for us he�s almost as big as a mystery as he is for you. Herbert was one of the first living persons in Lythari. When Lythari just existed there was a council of 8 persons. Mondrat, Ellyssa, Yarouk, Nenya, Menou, Suder, Haron and Herbert. They where the only humans at that time. They have founded almost all the cities of Lythari. They lived together in perfect harmony, some of them where couples. Herbert was deeply in love with Menou.
But then something went wrong. Suder, who was alone, started to act weird and he left their little community and founded the city Nae, the place where the door to death is. There he was totally alone and got bored and so he created a new human being, our king now, Andodulin and his servants the Eru�s. The first thing that the Eru�s did was killing Mondrat and Ellyssa, who were the leaders and the most wiset of the council. They never fought back. They didn�t have a clue what evil was, because that didn�t existed in Lythari before Suder created it. Haron went to Nae and he betrayed the council by swearing his loyalty to Suder. The 4 members left of the council where in panic. They had no idea how to defend themselves, because they didn�t want to fight. The Eru�s captured Nenya, tortured her and killed her and they did the same to Yarouk� and Menou.
Herbert was the only one left of the council, who didn�t turned to the dark side, but he didn�t want anymore. His will of live and his love for Lythari was totally destroyed after the killing of Menou, so the Eru�s captured him too. And tortured him in the terrible way only Eru's can do. But then something remarkable happened. They couldn�t kill him. They have tried and lord knows how Herbert survived those things, but they couldn�t. And then one day Herbert escaped. He had started to deeply hate Suder and the Eru�s and he escaped. There are only two people who have ever been able to do that; Herbert and Sam.
And he hides himself for the Eru�s and years went by. Herbert slowly becomes a memory for the people of Lythari and for Andodulin and his Eru�s. Suder still lives now, but he�s VERY old. He can�t move anymore and he�s lying in his bed while servants take care of him. Haron died out of regret what he had done. And the memory of Herbert slowly turned into a Legend, just like the entire story of the first council of 8, who created Lythari. And that�s why everybody is so surprised that he�s here. And I think that�s also the reason why he acts so strange. How would you react after your love is killed and you are tortured for years in the worst way possible?�
They are both silent for a couple of minutes, staring in the fire.
�I--- I didn�t know that� that is terrible. Poor Herbert.�
�I think the torture and loss of his love has driven him crazy,� says Laughly softly.
�Yes.� Another silence. �Did everybody from that council had that kind of powers.�
�Yes, only they have those. Andodulin don�t have them, but he has got great power because everybody fears the Eru�s.�
�I understand.�
Mical gives a soft moan in his sleep.
�I�m a bit worried about him,�� says Laughly, �that wound doesn�t look that good.�
Brian looks at Laughly. Slowly he strikes some hair out her face, showing the wound on her head. �He has hurt you to,� he says softly.
Laughly smiles �Yes, but not that much.�
Brian stares at her face. Suddenly Laughly bends in his direction and he feels two soft lips on his. First Brian is surprised, but then he lets his feelings take over him.
�I�m sorry,� whispers Laughly.
Brian looks her in the eyes. �Are you� are you sorry for that kiss?�
Laughly gives him a little smile. �I shouldn�t have done that. I mean, it�s a bit hopeless that I� have fallen in love with you��
This time Brian smiles. �It�s maybe hopeless, but that doesn�t take back that I have started to fall for your magic too.� This time it�s Brian who starts the kiss.
�It�s about time,�� says a voice behind them. Brian and Laughly both look next to them in the two twinkling eyes of Mical. �You two are not very quick, aren�t you?� he says with a teasing smile.
�YOU little�� Laughly gives him a soft punch and then gives him a kiss.
�The torture!� Mical jumps on his feet, but then slowly sits down again. �Hmmm� dizzy. Not really a smart move.�
�You deserved it,� says Laughly with a smile, giving him a hug. �I was worried about you Mic,� she whispers in his ear.
�You don�t need too. You know that my head is made of stone.�
Laughly sticks out her tongue, while Brian looks at the two with a huge smile.
�You two really are a team, aren�t you?�
�We are the Dream Team, isn�t it Mic.�
�Yeah right� I�m the brains and she is the� OUCH� why did you hit me for???�
Laughly sticks out her tongue at him and then cuddles herself next to Brian.
Noises are heard in the forest and they recognise a happy �Frot� from Moy.
�I guess that Herbert is on his way.�
At that moment Herbert appears followed by a happy jumping Moy. Herbert looks at the three in front of the camp fire. �What are you doing here?�
Mical rolls with his eyes. �Waiting.�
�Oh� on the train?�
This time it�s Laughly who answers. �There are not trains in Lythari at all.�
�Lythari?�
�Yes, that�s how it�s called here.�
�Right� so there is no Doctor Evil here I need to fight?�
Laughly and Mical exchange some glances. �I guess not.�
�Oh� young man,� Herbert turns to Brian, �weren�t you looking for something?�
�Yes, I��
�I recieved a message for you, from�,� Herbert grasps a note in his pocket, �Gunyan.�
�Not that� jerk!� says Mical.
Brian gives him a look and then turns back to Herbert. �A note?�
�Did I say I had a note for you?�
�You said you had a message��
�Oh� from who?�
Brian sighs. He started to like Herbert, but he didn�t had much patient with him. �From Gunyan.�
�Gunyan? Never heard of the guy� Oh wait! Gunyan! Why didn�t you said before young man��
Brian tries hard to not lose his patient. He sees how Mical and Laughly try everything to avoid bursting out in laughter, but it�s not really working. �WHAT is the message?�
�What� never mind. Young man Gunyan said that he�s with his father right now and that you don�t need to worry.�
Suddenly Herbert kneels next to Brian and grasps his both shoulders, forcing him to look him in the eyes.
�You need to follow the way, you walked before the Knight captured your friends. You will meet a new person, but I cannot tell you if that person can be trusted or not. You are on the good way towards the door. Follow the way through the forest. Let Mical lead you. There is going to happen something in the near future, but don�t be afraid. When you don�t loose your mind you will be able to survive that. Don�t worry about the future at this moment, everything is going to be alright.�
Brian has got the feeling that Herbert looks right into his soul. There is no way that he can look away from him. Then Herbert stands up again and is his confusing self again. Laughly and Mical both stare at him as if he is turned into a ghost or something close to that.
�How did you know?�
�Know what, young man?�
Brian sighs. He understands that Herbert will not saying anything else. �Never mind.�
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