The little fox led them all day. That night it stopped when Evals called a halt. Evals made himself a bed of spruce bows to protect him from the night’s chill. On a whim he beckoned the fox to him when he was comfortable. To his surprise it cautiously approached him. He slowly reached out and scratched it behind its ears. Soon it was curled up next to him sleeping soundly.

It woke him with a lick on the face at daybreak. Evals’ stomach growled irritably, but he knew food would have to wait. They had traveled for several hours before Evals realized the Sirens’ song hadn’t disturbed him. He pulled the figurine from his shirt and kissed it. "Thank you," he said, and it warmed as he put it back.

Dusk had fallen when the fox stopped, its ears pricked forward. Evals listened and soon made out the sounds of men stirring. He patted his new friend and said, "It’s up to me from here. Your job is done." The fox disappeared the way they had come.

Evals crept forward. He soon saw the sentry, a small Pychnie. The man looked bored and kept looking back towards the camp. Evals crept closer until he could see the camp. A quick count told him there were fifteen Pychnies, the usual size for a squad. From the amount of wood they had gathered, it looked like they were going to be there awhile.

He eased around the camp locating all four sentries. He hadn’t seen Cosis but was sure he was in the small guarded tent. He saw two of the horses, the roan and the chestnut, Cosis’s mount. He bit back a curse when he saw the butchered remains of the little bay hanging from a tree. He had always had a special liking for the horse because it had led such a hard life. Tonight I will avenge your death, he thought as he posted himself close to one of the sentries.

The time to move came just before midnight after the sentries made relief. Evals gave the relieved sentries time to settle into their bedding and began. He eased up to the new sentry who was still yawning away the last vestiges of sleep. The sentry never heard and barely felt the knife lit his throat.

Evals quietly worked his way around the camp. When the sentries were dead, he eased into the camp. He heard the Pychnie guarding the ten humming a sad tune. He drove his knife into the man’s back and snapped Pychnie’s head back while covering his mouth. Evals crept from bed to bed spreading death. In two hours his grisly work was complete.

He slipped into the tent and found Cosis tightly bound and snoring softly. "You can sleep anywhere," he said lightly.

Cosis jumped at the sound of the voice. "Evals! Is that you? Have they captured you, too?"

"Not hardly, old man. Now keep your wits about you, and let’s get out of here," he said as he cut Cosis’s bonds. Cosis tried but couldn’t move his cramped, blood starved limbs. Evals dragged him out of the small tent and helped him to his feet. With Evals supporting nearly all of Cosis’s weight, they went for the horses.

While Cosis worked at regaining his legs, Evals saddled the horses. He dug their bedrolls out of the pack the bay had carried. He felt the weight of the chest holding Kilaal’s Sword and knew it was too much for the horses to carry easily. He quickly picked the lock and pulled out the sword. Again he felt a surge of power and was amazed at the lightness of the magnificent weapon. He was unaware of Cosis’s stunned stare. The priest had seen it once before, but had half convinced himself it hadn’t really happened. Evals should be dying, he kept thinking as the Scout wrapped the Sword in a Pychnie blanket and tied it to the back of the chestnut’s saddle.

"Get on your horse. I have a few things to do," Evals said as he began a search of each Pychnie’s bed area. He soon returned with several more quivers of arrows. He also had several large biscuits. He gave one to Cosis. "It may be the only food you get for awhile so enjoy it. We are going to need to put a lot of distance between this camp and us. As permanent as it looks, a messenger probably comes by every couple of days."

Cosis said nothing as he ripped into the food, something he hadn’t had since his capture. Evals led the way into the gloom, and Cosis’s horse followed without any urging. It was midmorning before Evals stopped at a creek flowing out of the mountain pass they were heading into.

"We should be in your territory by now. Do you know where to go from here?" Evals asked.

"Why? Are you going to leave me now?" Cosis asked, unable to hide the fear in his voice.

"No, I just need to know if you can shorten our trip any by getting us to your rendezvous without going all over the country to find it. I am just going on luck right now."

Cosis breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at the mountains towering over them. "If we head west from here and angle just a little north, we should reach Sirens Forest in a couple of days."

"Good. That’s where your friends will be meeting you, right?" Evals asked as he mounted.

Cosis nodded. "That’s right."

"Then that’s where I’ll be leaving you."

"You’ll have to. The others wouldn’t stand for a man it their midst." Cosis felt a twinge of shame and added, "If I had my way, you could accompany us all the way to Eprium. I am certainly glad you have come this far." His curiosity piqued, he asked, " How is it you are no longer affected by the Sirens’ song? And where did you go that night? When I fell asleep, you were completely hypnotized by the song and trussed by the best knots I could tie."

"The sprites saved me and gave me something better than the song had to offer."

"Really? What was that?"

"The real thing." Cosis shook his head. Sprites saving a man and protecting him from the Sirens’ song. How could they? They had virtually no magical ability. At least, that’s what he had thought.

When they were riding again, Evals asked, "Wouldn’t you think Pychnies would be affected by the song?"

"They should be," Cosis agreed. "Erridaba must be protecting them."

"Who is Erridaba?"

"He is the reason we must get the Sword back to Eprium. He is Bagorda’s agent on earth. His power has grown over the centuries, and now he is making his move on the West. It is he who is transporting all of these Pychnies and Mandogos to places the shouldn’t be."

"He’s the one you were talking about with Daxlan and Larthan."
"Right."

Evals frowned. There were forces working he didn’t understand. He would be glad when his part was done and he could return home. Protecting it from Pychnie and Mandogo encroachment was something he understood, and it was something he was prepared to do.

That night, Evals chanced a small fire because he hadn’t seen any sign of the enemy. He split the last biscuit with Cosis and had taken his first bite when he heard something huge crashing through the forest. Both horses whinnied and yanked frantically at the picket ropes. Evals jumped to his feet his sword in his hand.

A giant standing twice his height burst into their camp. He smashed his club down on the fire. Sparks showered around him.

"Troll, why are you disturbing my camp?" Cosis demanded. The troll turned his gnarled face towards Cosis and stared intently at him with his small, piggish eyes. With one swift movement he snatched Cosis off the ground and sniffed him. He then gently set the elf on the ground.

"You elf. You good. He man," he said pointing his tree trunk sized club at Evals.

"Yes, but he is my companion, my friend," Cosis said.

The troll stared at Cosis. "No. Man bad. No friend of elf. Cronc kill." He swung his club at Evals who dodged it. The ground shook from the club’s impact.

"Cosis, if you can talk sense into this mountain, do it," Evals said more than a little scared. He dodged again and the club slammed into a small tree uprooting it.

"Cronc, this man is a good man. He has save my life many times," Cosis said. The troll looked at Cosis again. He shook his head.

"No. Man bad. Elves tell trolls for many seasons it is so. Cronc kill." He swung again. Evals dodged the blow and lashed at the thick wrist with his sword. It bit into the giant’s wristband but did no damage.

"Cronc!" Cosis protested.

"Hush, elf. Cronc need to keep eye on quick little man."

Evals dodged under the troll’s swipe and tried to hack at his unarmed hand. He, too, missed. His next try bit deeply into the troll’s club, and Cronc snatched the sword from his grasp. Cronc bellowed triumphantly and started raining blows onto the ground. Evals dodged them frantically. He was tiring, and the troll seemed to just be warming up.

Cosis was out of the way, tears of frustration streaming down his face. Trolls were loyal and strong, but they weren’t too bright, and the elves had played on all of their strengths and weaknesses to get them to protect their mountain passes from man. Now his friend was going to die because of it and there was nothing he could do.

Evals dove over Cosis’s bedroll and grabbed the blanket with Kilaal’s Sword. He dodged another crushing blow as he frantically unwrapped the sword. Power surged through him as he grabbed the hilt. He met Cronc’s next swing with his own.

The shock numbed Evals’s arm, and the explosion of Cronc’s club shattering stunned everyone. Cronc stared dumbly at the splintered remains of his club. Evals grimaced, trying to hide the pain shooting through his arm.

"Sit and join us, Cronc," Evals said in a pleasant, commanding voice hoping to take advantage of the troll’s astonishment. The troll stared at Evals, the remains of his club, then sat roaring out his laughter.

"Cronc will. Cronc like man. Man fights good."

Evals sat across the remains of their fire from the troll. "Thank you Cronc. You fight good, too." The troll beamed at the compliment. Evals waved Cosis in. "Come join us, Cosis. I think Cronc and I have settled our differences." Cosis joined them his face red with shame. He could never have forgiven himself had either of them been killed.

"Have you seen any men smaller than me and maybe some larger and darker than me?" Evals asked as he coaxed the scattered embers back into a friendly flame.

"No," Cronc said.

"Do you guard this entire pass?"

Yes. Cronc strong and fast. Guard all of pass."

"Does this pass go all the way to Sirens’ Forest?"

Cronc nodded. "Best pass. That why Cronc guard. No man get through. Unless he beat Cronc," he added respectfully.

Evals nodded his acceptance of Cronc’s decision on the outcome of their fight. "Cronc, soon there may be many men coming through this pass after my friend and I. You are strong and could kill many of them, but I fear there will be so many that you and I together could not kill them all."

Cronc laughed. "Good. Cronc get brothers and cousins. We need good fight. Mate need good fight, too, so leave Cronc alone." He rubbed his head for effect. Evals and Cosis laughed. A roar interrupted their laughter. Cronc stood and said, "Mate call. Cronc go." He rubbed his head again and his roaring laughter followed him into the night.

"Do you think we will be followed?" Cosis asked as he watched Evals wrap the Sword.

Evals shrugged. "I don’t know, but it’s better to let Cronc know what might happen than to let him stumble into a whole battalion of Pychnies." He searched around the flattened area of their camp and soon found his sword. "I don’t claim to really understand what is going on, but it seems that sword is important to both sides. If the Pychnies who captured you got word to their commanders about it, I think we’ll be followed when those commanders show up to claim the prize and find nothing but half-eaten soldiers."

He buried their fire. "Now get some sleep. We are going to ride all day tomorrow. I want to get you to safety as soon as I can. My luck won’t last forever."

"Evals."

"What?"

"I’m sorry I couldn’t get Cronc to stop."

"You did your best. You aren’t to blame for what your ancestors taught his. Now go to sleep."

Cosis wiped a tear from his eye. He was the priest. He was supposed to be the one philosophizing, not the Scout. He closed his eyes, but sleep came slowly and fitfully. His world was being turned upside down. His only consolation was he was sure he was doing the right thing with the Sword.

The next morning Evals had them riding up the pass before the sun had peeked over the horizon. Cosis bobbed sleepily in his saddle and was happy his horse trailed after Evals’s roan so well. He patted the horse. We have seen a lot. I hope it is nearly over for us, he thought.

Clouds packed between the mountains as the day wore on. By noon, a steady drizzle fell on them. Neither spoke as the horses slogged up the steep slopes that the pass had become. Often, Evals had them dismount and lead the tired mounts.

"I am glad this is the best pass," Evals finally said. "Cronc will be able to stand off an army by himself if he stations himself correctly." Cosis could only nod. He was exhausted.

By mid afternoon they were traveling an easy path with a slight downward slope. It merged with another pass and the two soon opened into a valley, which stopped Evals. Filling the valley were huge pines. The trees were larger by two and three times any he had ever seen.

"Sirens’ Forest," Cosis said as he rode up beside the Scout. "We will reach the center in another day. There are well marked paths to it." Evals could only nod as he stared dumbly at the towering trees.

As they rode, the pines gave way to a mixture of trees Evals had never seen. Some had leaves wider than a man’s arm, others had leaves with sparkling silver bottoms. Even in the deep shade flowers abounded. Still, the patter of rain played a slow dirge that crept into the soul. The beauty masked a sadness, which permeated everything. Even the horses lagged.

"Do you feel something...wrong with this place?" Evals whispered.

"Yes. Even we elves can feel the Sirens’ sadness when we are in their forest."

They camped that night under a tree that shed water like a huge umbrella. Evals couldn’t sleep and sat with his back to the tree staring into the gloom. He jumped when he heard the music begin. He hadn’t been bothered by it since leaving Crystal Lake.

He started to wake Cosis but noticed the song wasn’t affecting him as it had. It touched him, but like any beautiful thing. It’s sadness brought a lump to his throat but no more. As he listened, he thought he could pick out individual voices. Suddenly he remembered the request of the Lake Mother.

He got up, listened until he thought he had a direction, and started for it. He had been walking for over an hour when he saw a light flickering ahead. Soon he was just outside a circle lit by a large fire burning without any fuel that he could see. Sitting in circular rows around the fire were nearly fifty women. Sirens! Evals held his breath. He felt like he was desecrating a shrine. Still, he had promised the Lake Mother.

Girding himself, he stepped into the light and walked slowly towards the fire. A woman looked at him and left the group to intercept him. She couldn’t hide her surprise when she saw he was a man.

"What are you doing here?" she spat harshly.

Evals had to force himself not to either gawk at the woman or look away. She was a pathetic looking creature. Her hair was so thin she appeared nearly bald. Her face was pockmarked, her teeth were nearly all missing, the few remaining were brown with decay, and her eyes had a gray film covering them. It didn’t hide the anger in her eyes, though.

"I was asked by the Lake Mother of Crystal Lake to deliver this to you should I get the chance." He lifted off the chain with the vial on it. He started to hand it to her but on impulse place it around her neck. Her icy glare softened as his hand touched her. The film covering her eyes seemed somehow less.

"Why did you do that?" she asked.

Evals shrugged. "The Lake Mother asked me to give it to you."

"Did she say to put it on me?"

"No. She asked me to show you as much kindness as I showed them."

"You showed them kindness. How was that?"

Evals laughed. "To be honest, I don’t know. They certainly did more for me than I them."

"Come, come. You must have done something. The Lake Mother didn’t just give this to you."

"Well, I saved the princess from being raped by Pychnies, but I think what was more important was I knew it was rape. Cosis didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with it since sprites liked sex once it was started even if it was forced on them."

"Ah, so you saw them as more than pretty pieces of flesh." She mumbled something to herself and asked, "Was that all?"

Evals blushed. "At their request I bedded many of them so their magic could protect me from your song. Also, they seemed to think I left them some of my essence, by doing so made them stronger."

"You saved a sprite from being raped and then bedded them all. My, my, aren’t you the hero," she cackled sarcastically.

Evals bit back a sharp reply. Instead he took a deep breath and said, "I have delivered the bottle to you as the Lake Mother requested. She asked me to treat you kindly, but she didn’t ask that I subject myself to your insults." He turned to go, but she stopped him.

"What do you think of our forest?" she asked.

"Do you want an honest answer?" responded.

"Of course."

"It’s dead." The mumbling from the fire stopped and every head turned to him. Evals felt the hairs on the nape of his neck stand on end. It was too late to take back what he had said, so he blundered on. "It has more beauty in one tree than hundreds of acres of forest from my homeland, but there is more life in a handful of dirt in my forest. I haven’t seen one animal, not one spark of life since entering this forest. And it’s no wonder. Gloom smothers the place."

"There may be no ‘life’ as you call it, but there is nothing ugly here. Not a single blemish exists."

Evals laughed. "This forest reminds me of a woman from a story Daxlan once told me. It was about two sisters. One of them spent all of her time preening and making herself beautiful. That is this forest. The other loved animals, people, everything, and spent her time living and enjoying life. A prince wanted to marry the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, so all the women had to be presented to him.

"When the two sisters were presented to him, the preening sister was certain she would be picked, but all of her outward perfection couldn’t hide that she was empty inside. The other sister was able to make herself quite pretty with just a little trying, and her love of life diminished her flaws even more."

"So the prince chose the ugly sister," the siren sneered.

"No, he chose someone else entirely. After all, he had an entire kingdom of women to choose from. However, the preening sister’s life collapsed and she died. She couldn’t accept that everyone else didn’t share her idea of perfection. After mourning the loss of her sister, the other sister continued her life as she had done before."

"You are saying this forest will die?" she asked shrilly.

Evals quaked. He was getting in real trouble and sinking deeper with every word. "Like the preening sister, it is really already dead because it has never really lived."

Evals forced himself not to flinch as her gnarled hand reached out and stroked his cheek. "You gave the sprites bravery. Can you give us life?"

"How?" he asked.

"You know how," she whispered as her hand caressed his ear. "Can you?"

Evals gulped, trying not to shudder at the thought of bedding the old crone facing him. "I don’t know. I... I’ll try."

The siren studied him intently for several moments then laughed heartily. "You really would, wouldn’t you?" Suddenly the scene around Evals became a mass of flying, swirling half-visible figures of sirens. The speed increased until everything around him blurred into a whirlwind of color. Vertigo overwhelmed him and he fell to the ground his stomach knotting up as it threatened to dump its contents.

"Perhaps you will find it easier to sleep with me," a soft feminine voice said as gentle hands rolled Evals onto his back. He looked into the greenest eyes of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Before he could answer, he was smothered by a demanding, hungry kiss.

He awoke with the sun beating down on him. In his arms was the raven-haired beauty with the emerald eyes. His movements woke her, and she took him one more time. As they dressed afterwards, he looked around but saw none of her sisters.

"Has everyone gone home?" he asked as he helped her on with her white shift.

"There are no others," she said and laughed at Evals’s perplexed look. "They were all just different aspects of me. They have been my doom since I claimed to be perfect and would accept nothing less from others. Each had a flaw, some grotesque, some minor. When you accepted the ugliest aspect of me, you released me from the curse. Now I may return to my mother’s side. For that I cannot thank you enough."

"You’re not going to kill yourself, are you?" Evals asked worriedly. She didn’t seem to be making a lot of sense, and talk like hers often meant dying.

She laughed, her laugh bringing a song to Evals’s heart. "No. Could I have done that, I would have done so before but not now. No, I shall go home to Librethon. Historia is waiting for me."

"Historia is your mother? That means..." Evals couldn’t finish.

"Yes, I am Jewal, Evals." She stepped into the fire in the center of the clearing. As she disappeared, she said, "I left you a small token of my appreciation on your chain."

When she had disappeared, and the fire vanished, Evals looked at his chain. Hanging next to the sprite was a diamond cut into the shape of a beautiful flower with a slight, almost imperceptible flaw that to Evals only enhanced its beauty.

A glint on the ground caught his eye. He looked down and saw the vial on the ground. He picked it up and tucked it into a pocket. What was really going on he didn’t know, but he had a strange feeling he was being manipulated by forces much more powerful than he was. He smiled thinking of Jewal. He wouldn’t complain, though, at least not yet.

He heard his name being called. "Over here, Cosis," he yelled back as he jogged towards the sound of Cosis’s plaintive voice.

--------------------

"Thank you, Winnowlas," Historia said. "Thank you for tonight and thank you for my daughter."

Winnowlas stretched his lank frame in Historia’s cloud bed. "Thank me for tonight, not for your daughter. I had nothing to do with that."

Historia arched an eyebrow. "No? Winnowlas, I am not as easily duped as some are. I have been through my books. The answer isn’t there in print, but it is easily deduced. You have set this in motion if you are in fact not directing it."

"You’re right. I have set something in motion, but you must not tell any of the Council unless you want history to repeat itself."

Historia kissed him lightly on the lips. It had been a long time since she had been to bed with another. She pushed him back. "You needn’t worry about me talking. My silence can be bought easily enough. I just hope you know what the consequences will be."

Winnowlas winced at the thought. "I do," he whispered into her ear.