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  In silent consternation, Aaron watched his men depart.

  “Captain?” Rayn interrupted Aaron’s troubled thoughts. “Shouldn’t we be going?”

  Aaron sighed. “Yes indeed. Let’s get our gear and return to the ruined cottage. Perhaps there is some burnt remnant of that book. I don’t know how much of what we heard is just ancient myth, but we need to start somewhere and that’s the best place.” The captain hoisted his cloak around his shoulders and trudged down the hill, followed by his companion.

  As they plowed through the snow, Aaron tried to walk in his previous footprints, but no amount of effort made the journey back to the barracks any easier. When they approached the guard tower, Aaron gave no thought to the two guards and pressed through the gate, unhindered. Back at the barracks door, Aaron instructed the guard to have their mounts prepared to depart.

  “Sir, will you return today?” the guard asked.

  “No, we’ll need supplies for at least a week,” Aaron replied. The guard saluted then ran off while Aaron and Rayn entered the common room to wait.

  Both men sat down at a table nearest the central fire to warm themselves when a young woman entered with a decanter of warm ale and two mugs. Aaron offered his thanks to the girl and poured himself and Rayn a generous helping of the drink.

  Rayn spoke first, “Sir, what of the information that we were told? There’s something unsettling about this entire mission.”

  “Well,” Aaron said, “I am not sure. I have heard stories about people who live beyond the borders of Celedon. I have never seen them or dealt with them. I don’t even know if I believe they exist, but we will find out. One thing is certain; anyone who has opposed the emperor in the past has suffered greatly. So, if there are rebels living outside our borders, the emperor will deal with them. In fact, if you remember your history lessons, the reason the Royal Guard came into existence was to protect the empire. Our mission is no different. What this book is all about or why the emperor wants it, I’m not sure. I am sure of this, however, you and I will find out.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Rayn said with dismay. “What of the dream you had and the creature the lieutenant saw? Do we just dismiss them?”

  “No, we don’t dismiss them, but don’t be taken to fear by them either.” Aaron tried to sound dispassionate. “What we’ll do is take the next step in the course that is before us. We don’t have enough information to do much more than that.” Just then, a messenger entered the common room.

  “Captain,” a young boy interrupted. “Captain”—he panted from his haste—“your horses and provisions are ready.”

  “Let’s go,” Aaron said.

  Aaron stepped outside to find the world bathed in light as clouds parted, and the brilliant sun burned over the eastern horizon. A hazy layer of mist drifted just above the snow as the sun’s warmth permeated the region. Aaron shielded his eyes against the glare and took the reins of his horse.

  As they rode through the center of the village to the main gate, Aaron contemplated the conversation he’d overheard the night before as he passed the two old men. He barely noticed the people of North Village as they bustled throughout the hamlet. Silent, Aaron rummaged through his own nagging thoughts. They exited the gate, ignored by two young boys who persisted in a valiant snowball fight, and started on the trail to the cottage.

  The track twisted through the trees. Both horses climbed the rugged terrain with ease, unhindered by drifts of snow that collected along the path. The evidence of their previous night’s trip still lingered on the trail despite the early morning snowfall as evergreen trees formed a canopy of reaching branches and protected the path from most of the winter weather. Around them, the crash of small avalanches echoed through the woods as snow cascaded from over-laden tree limbs.

  Occasionally, the path opened to look down upon the valley sprawled below them. Clear skies, deep and rich in stages of blue, hosted a scattering of gentle clouds, while the valley floor glowed in brilliant white, covered in a blanket of snow. Aaron stopped his horse long enough to drink in the sights, awed at the majestic scene on display. Several hundred feet below, and slightly south, Aaron looked upon North Village. Thin wisps of smoke hovered over houses crowned in white. Far in the distance, to the edge of the horizon, the eastern plains spread out like a painter’s canvas, white and barren.

  Aaron gazed over the vista desperate for the tranquility he observed. “Peace…” he said, thinking aloud as he stared toward the horizon.

  “What?” Rayn asked.

  “Oh, nothing,” he replied with a sigh. “Just that I’ve longed for peace, for an end to constant conflict, and I look out over the horizon and from here it all seems peaceful.” Aaron shook his head and turned his horse back to the path. “But peace is just a dream.” He rode up the trail in silence.

  They continued into the forest, again sheltered by trees that kept it passable, though both mounts took measured steps in the increasing drifts. Slow and careful, they rode up the mountain until they came within sight of the burned remnants of the old cottage.

  A bleak reminder of the activities of the previous night, snow that surrounded the cottage had become grey with ash. Tall pines, lush and green, bore the scars of the inferno with needles charred brown and branches scorched. The simple, elegant architecture reduced now to little more than charred ruins. Astride his mount, Aaron looked at the scene with dismay and wondered if any room had escaped the fury of the fire. Even as he watched, thin wisps of smoke drifted up from timbers that continued to smolder.

  Both men dismounted and tied their horses to nearby tree limbs. Aaron walked toward the burned-out house and hoped there was nothing left but the charcoal remains of an ancient book. “Private, I want you to look in the back, see what you can find. I’ll enter through the front and together we can investigate the entire building in a short amount of time.”

  “Captain, what am I looking for?” Rayn asked.

  “Maps, documents, books, anything that might give us a clue to this man’s associations.” Aaron gripped the pommel of his sword and approached the ruins as Rayn walked around to the back.

  The captain approached the front door with caution, concerned that the blackened shell of the cottage might collapse and fall in on the both of them. He walked up the stone stairs to the double doors and tested them to see if they would open and felt the radiant warmth of the charred timbers. Both doors collapsed inward when he touched them, their hinges were burned through and the frame scorched. Aaron did a double-take when he noticed two rhododendron bushes on either side of the entryway undamaged by the fire, just a few scorched leaves on the outer branches.

  Aaron passed through the main door into an entryway, smoke-stained and burned. To his left he noticed a small room with its door burned beyond recognition. Inside the room, two chairs still smoldered. On his right stood a small closet with empty hangers that dangled on a round beam. Garments, burned and frayed, lay sprawled on the floor. In front of him another set of doors, broken and scarred, had fallen to the floor and exposed a large central chamber.

  Aaron stepped with caution through the fractured entryway as the heat of the inferno still lingered in the air. The hall glowed in the sunlight as a massive hole in the ceiling exposed the room to the sky. Light filtered in like streams of ribbon that reached from heaven. The room was larger than Aaron expected and boasted several benches and tables with a raised platform on the opposite wall from where he entered.

  On the dais, a scorched and overturned table caught his eye. Snow had settled in the room and swirled in the air, mingled with dust and ash. Aaron approached the platform, and the acrid stench of charred wood filled his nostrils. Through a closed door on the right side of the dais, he heard a crash and presumed Rayn knocked over some furniture in an antechamber.

  As Aaron approached the overturned table, a sense of dread fell upon him. His eyes narrowed. He drew his sword, and it rang with metallic vibrations as it cleared its sheath. The hair on
his neck bristled as he drew nearer to the platform, not sure what to expect. Then he saw it. Crouched and slumped over behind the table sat the figure of a man. The man’s arms were folded in front of his chest and he sat with his knees pressed up against them. His head bowed so that it almost pressed between his knees and no signs of breath or life issued from the figure. Aaron let out a sigh as his tension dissipated. He examined the old man, bewildered when he saw no trace of fire or smoke upon the body.

  The man’s hands were positioned so that he gripped an item to his chest. He used the tip of his sword to jostle the man’s arms free and discovered—two empty hands. Though the man’s hands were clutched as if he gripped an object, he held nothing. Aaron looked around but found only ash and dust. Then he saw the faint imprint of large booted feet next to the body.

  Aaron followed the prints and discovered some intruder had come through a breech in the east wall. The footprints entered and departed through a hole made by the fire and collapsed timbers. Aaron paced back and forth across the dais. As to the identity of the perpetrator, he didn’t have the first clue. One thing is certain, Aaron thought, the book has been stolen again.

  Aaron listened to the clattering of Rayn as he worked in some back room.

  “Captain! I think I’ve found something!” Rayn called out.

  To the right of the platform a small, narrow door exited the hall. Aaron ventured through it and found Rayn busy searching through the contents of a small desk in the center of the room. Shelves of books lined the walls. Some burned beyond recognition; others lay scattered on the floor. Rayn shuffled through a pile of papers on the desk. It was to the pile that Rayn directed Aaron’s attention.

  “What is it Private? What have you found?”

  “Well, sir,” Rayn said, “it seems our thief was well acquainted with a group of people who live in some region known as Hidden Valley. I found what might be a personal letter to the man who died.”

  He handed the letter to Aaron.

  Derrick,

  It is with a heavy heart that I hear of your trouble. I want you to know that you are not alone; there are many here who have not given up hope for the Restoration. Bring the book! We are anxious to have you and it safe with us. We need you. Come to Hidden Valley. Make your way through the mountains and you will be safe. We eagerly wait for your arrival.

  Dunstan

  “Well, now,” the captain said, “it seems that we have a clue after all. Good work Private—”

  A loud crash from the central hall shook the building. Both men drew their swords. Without a word, they rushed toward the sound. In the center of the chamber stood a large, winged creature. Its leathery skin was the color of dark ash with its wings folded against its ridged back. Powerful claws gripped a long, black sword and heavy brows loomed over eyes that glowered with red flame. The creature of his nightmare stood before him. Aaron’s courage melted like wax in the presence of the hideous beast.

  “Old man, where is the book?” The monster’s voice rolled like thunder from its throat as it stepped toward the place where the fallen man lay. It tossed aside tables and chairs like toys. Each step brought it closer to the dais. Steam, or perhaps smoke, issued from its mouth with each breath, and its footprints seared the wooden floor as with a branding iron.

  The beast reached the table that concealed the fallen man then it tilted its head as if it listened to some call. Aaron heard no sound but the creature stretched its massive wings and took flight through the hole in the ceiling. Rayn, eyes wide with fear, looked at his captain speechless.

  “I think,” Aaron said, “our mission has just become complicated.”

  Shadows: Book of Aleth Part One

  3

  Road to Revelation

  While Aaron shuffled about the room, Rayn sat on the platform in stunned silence. His sword lay forgotten on the floor at his feet. Aaron, white knuckled, gripped his sword as if the creature might return at any time, though he took no stock in his ability to defeat such a monstrous beast. Leaving Rayn to his thoughts, he stepped around the overturned furniture and burned artifacts to examine the decimated room. He stooped down to inspect the burnt imprint left by the creature, tracing his fingers along the ridges of the mark upon the floor. The smoky scent of charred wood still lingered, and the print felt warm. Aaron’s brows furrowed and eyes narrowed as he wrestled through fragments of old memories, desperate to recall some long-forgotten knowledge.

  “Captain,” Rayn broke the constricted silence, “what are you looking for?”

  “I’m not sure,” Aaron replied. “I wish I could remember.”

  “Tell me Captain, was that the monster in your dream?” Rayn’s voice trembled.

  “I don’t know,” Aaron said. “I’ve never met such a creature, but it resembled the beast from my dream. But that’s not what I’m struggling to recall…if only I could remember.”

  Rayn sat, his fists clenched and sweat beads glistened upon his forehead. “Well, I don’t know anything about it, and I hope I never will! I’ll tell you, if that is what we have to face, I’m rather concerned.”

  Aaron was gripped by the same apprehension. “That monster had the power to shred us to pieces and, if I am not mistaken, we’re still here.” He tried to reassure his young private, “Let’s look around some more because the book is gone, and it appears that more than just the emperor wants it.”

  “But what was that creature?” Rayn asked. “Do you think the thief was in league with such a monster?”

  “I don’t know,” Aaron said. “I’ve read legends that spoke of such creatures.” Then he smiled with delight, as if he stumbled upon a lost treasure. “That’s it!”

  “What’s it?” Rayn asked.

  “I just remembered where I’ve heard of that creature,” Aaron said. “Years ago, when I studied at university, I remember reading some of the ancient myths of the Elder Days. One such legend spoke of great winged creatures, dark and powerful. As I recall, they were said to have fought during a great cataclysmic war.” Aaron paused as he thought. “In fact,” he continued, “the story said that a king ruled Celedon and creatures like that were in league with his enemy. And—”

  “Sir,” Rayn interrupted, “I think we have just encountered a creature from that tale. What you’ve studied as a myth, the both of us can describe as firsthand knowledge!”

  “Perhaps,” Aaron said. “All myth has some basis of fact, and that creature might fit the description. However, I don’t hold any stock in the ancient legends, and you shouldn’t either. We’ve met a hideous beast, but let’s not start believing fairytales.” Aaron’s words, however, felt empty in his own heart as he silently wondered if an ancient legend had come to life.

  “What do we do, then?” Rayn asked.

  “We follow our orders. We have a mystery in front of us and very few clues in hand. Our task is to find this book.” Aaron sensed he was in a race against time to regain the stolen book. “Our duty is clear so let’s get to it.”

  Rayn began to relax. “One question, sir, do you think that this book might be an artifact from those days? Isn’t it said that relics from those days possessed great power? Could that be the reason why it was stolen in the first place?”

  “One question,” Aaron quipped. “That sounded more like three.” He continued. “It’s possible, there is no way to know,” Aaron replied. “All we know is that we have too few clues and too many questions, and less time to conduct our search. Standing around here doesn’t get us anywhere. So on your feet private, let’s see if we can discover a better clue than ‘a hidden valley’ in some mountains.”

  Rayn stood, and retrieved his sword. He wiped the soot and dust off the blade and returned it to its leather sheath. The chill morning settled into the room and penetrated to Aaron’s bones. He rubbed and patted his arms to keep warm as a gentle snow began to fall.

  Rayn took the captain’s order to heart and returned to the small antechamber to investigate the undamaged documents while Aar
on continued to examine the body of the fallen man. Aaron knelt down beside the remains and rummaged through the man’s pockets with the hope of finding some clue. He found nothing.

  “Captain, I found another note.” Rayn shouted and waved a document in his hand as if it were a treasure map. “I think that this also might be of interest.” He handed the parchment to Aaron.

  Derrick,

  We are eager to see you. We know that your time is spent in desperate circumstances, and you have been in constant peril, but we need your wisdom and skill. We have taken our clan and are hiding in the Heart of the Mountain. We believe that we are safe here; no one else knows the location, save you. Come quickly if you’re able; we will stand together with you. We know that once the Book of Aleth is recovered the time of Restoration is at hand, and the world will forever change. Send word.

  Farik

  Aaron looked over several other documents, but to his dismay, none of the correspondences contained any information about the location of the people mentioned.

  “This is of interest,” he said, “but I have never heard of such a place. We now have references to an unknown mountain location and to a hidden valley,” Aaron’s frustration mounted. “What we need is someone who can lead us to these locations or someone who knows where they are!”

  “Yes, sir.” Rayn sighed. “Any ideas as to where we can find such a person?”

  Aaron paced around the small room with the letter in his hand and kicked at burned and broken debris. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and tried to think through the circumstances that surrounded his mission. Rayn watched and waited for Aaron’s decision.