Chapter four

Thistlemead tugged at the reigns before him, bringing his horse to a halt, ‘Thistlemead!’ he cried out, noting his own presence. Three men behind raised flags of red, waving them.
A single fire took to the sky in response.

‘They are lost and leaderless,’ began the old man in a serious yet quiet tone, ‘their lands have been torn asunder by the passing of time.’

‘You tell me this,’ Thistlemead spat, ‘when I care very little? Should every single one of them starve, it would not affect me.’

Thistlemead rose from his sleeping place in the middle of the field. He could still hear the cries of Greyleaf, whom had been tied to a pole in the exact middle of the camp. ‘He will get us all killed,’ he muttered as he came upon the group that had gathered around one of three campfires, ‘a merchant will be strolling down the road; he’ll hear screaming and call for the militia.’

It was a late night. Rather, a whole night - Even though his father had taken to ceasing his room, there would be no sleeping - But instead, planning.

And so it ends.

The younger brother rides into Celondim.

The younger brother watches as Damlan boards a ship, embracing an elf, as if the elf was his father, but the brother knows it is not so.  Damlans father lies in a grave near Edunas.

He calls out, and both elf and man turn to him.

Shock appears on Damlans face, and he leaps from the boat into the water, closely followed by the Elf.  The sails are lowered and the boat stops, waiting for its passengers to return.