AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We had been following the coastline from Brightwind. Eventually, our path would lead us directly into those mountains, provided we did not skirt them by continuing along the sea.
“I’ve never heard of the place, but then, there are many mountains,” Draven remarked.
“Aye. Too many in the mist to count or name. And few who have traversed there. But none such as this. Appearing as it did one day.”
“What do you mean?” Lancelet demanded from her horse, leaning down a little. “Appeared? Appeared how? Mountains don’t just appear.”
“Appeared from nowhere. Towering over all of the others with a summit that one can see even over the clouds of mist.”
“That is high indeed,” Draven murmured, his gaze thoughtful.
“Perhaps it was always there. Some say so. Perhaps it grew.”
Behind me, Gawain gave a chuckle. “I’ve never heard of such a thing, my good man. Mountains usually stay where they are.”
The man cast Gawain a sour look. “Once, I would have said the same.”
“We’ve seen many strange things already,” I murmured to Gawain.
He shrugged. “I suppose. What’s one more?”
“Has anyone gone to the Black Mountain? Tried to explore it?” Hawl challenged in their thundering rumble.
The man’s eyes widened, taking in the Bearkin mounted on the oversized black stallion.
“An Ursidaur,” I explained quickly. “You may have heard them called Bearkins. Hawl hails from Myntra.”
“Myntra?” I heard the woman in the wagon murmur. “So far.”
“You’re fae,” said the man suddenly, looking at Draven, then me, then Gawain. “Fae and a talking bear.”
I smiled encouragingly at him. “We’re here to help.”
“There’s fae in that mountain. Fae treachery at the heart of it all, and worse,” the man said darkly, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me more carefully, taking in the markings on my wrists and hands that peeked out from my tunic, then seeming to note Draven’s small black horns for the first time.
I sensed him turning against us and becoming fearful.
“There was a battle at Brightwind,” I said swiftly. “Did you know?”
“Brightwind? A battle?” The man glanced back at the woman in the wagon. Both seemed surprised.
“The soldiers appeared to come from Rheged. Brightwind was under total attack.” I gestured to my companions. “I come from Pendrath and some of my friends from Myntra. We fought with the Tintagel forces at Brightwind.”
There was no need to tell the man exactly who we were or how we’d fought.
“Rheged attacking Tintagel?” The man shook his head. “There were battles last year. Attacks on Pendrath. We were spared from that. Our village was too far north. But now... no one is spared.”
I decided we’d bothered the man and his family enough. Besides, hearing him speak of the Black Mountain had told me all I needed to know about where we should head.
“You’ll find safety in Tintagel,” I promised the man. “King Mark is a fair ruler. He doesn’t blame the people of Rheged for the attack. He knows it came from... somewhere else.”
“The Black Mountain,” the woman in the wagon whispered.
I nodded. “As you say. Good luck on your journey.”
“May the Three watch over you,” Guinevere murmured as the wagon rolled past.
We rode in silence a few moments until the road was clear once more.
