The rest of the ride down the mountain is made in silence. The lower half of the road is beyond the boulder-fields and slightly less steeply inclined, making the going somewhat easier. The first of a long chain of wagons are now on their way towards the border, teams straining on the incline.

Alex, as usual at the front of their band, maintains a generally friendly demeanour with approaching teams. He tells the senior guard of the first squad that there’s a large rock on the road and also mentions hearing other rocks falling behind them. It’s news that is met with genuine thanks and an air of resignation from the labouring wagon drivers and their banksmen.

Their rapid descent brings a pleasant change in both the landscape and the climate. Down here on the floor of the valley, the landscape is open woodland, stands of trees on either side of a small stream. Sheltered from the wind and now seeing the first hints of sunlight through breaking clouds, the air is warm, but uncomfortably humid after the heavy rains of the night before.

Every camping spot for the next mile or so is occupied by a train of wagons in the process of breaking camp. One or two men seem relieved to see riders from above, calling words of welcome and asking about the state of the pass. It’s clear that all have heard of the delays at Berak, yet they still wish to be at the border, rather than down in the valley.

It's only early afternoon, but Alex can clearly see that Jamie is flagging. It’s pretty obvious that using magic on such a scale has taken more out of him than he admitted immediately after the incident.

Finally clear of the waiting wagons, Alex spots a small clearing well off the side of the road, right alongside a short section of rapids on the now slightly wider river in the bottom of the valley. The clearing is blocked from view on two sides by scrubby woodland with the river on the south side and just a hint of a track back to the road on the north.

“Right,” Alex begins as the men dismount. “I know we’re not exactly making good time, but that’s the worst of the road until we are beyond the city. Besides, I think we’ve all had enough excitement for today.”

There are one or two murmurs of agreement, but Jamie still hasn’t moved from his horse. Cato looks to Alex and nods in the young prince’s direction. Alex simply nods in acknowledgement and moves over to Jamie and his horse.

Catching the bridle in one hand, Alex places the other gently on Jamie’s knee and rubs softly. “Come along, Jamie. Let Brion look after the horse for you?”

“We’re stopping?” Jamie mutters as his distant gaze relaxes and he looks down at Alex beside him, blinking a couple of times to focus. “It’s early, isn’t it?”

“Yes, and yes. Come, dismount and let Brion take the horse.” Jamie still looks a little bewildered, but finally he does as Alex asks and gets wearily off the horse, almost falling into Alex with a stumble of fatigue.

“Woah, sorry,” he mutters as Alex hugs him to stop him from falling over. “Feel like I’ve been hauling a cart, not riding slowly.”

Keeping one arm around Jamie’s shoulder, Alex hands the horse off to Brion and begins to guide the young man off to the rocks by the side of the river.

“It was them or us, wasn’t it?” Jamie asks softly once they are sitting down on a broad flat rock within touching distance of the cascading clear water.

“Yes, it was. They had only one intent – to kill us all.”

“I’m sorry I’m so weak. I feel drained.”

“Honestly, I’m not surprised. My sense of magic isn’t very specific at all. Just enough to be aware of the build-up of power before someone uses their talent. I can feel it. Even as slight a power as Peta’s ability to be aware of the presence of steel. As soon as he reaches out to use his power, I’m aware of it if I’m close enough to him.”

“So, that means that you have magic too?”

“Not that I really know about, just that I can feel it. I certainly can’t use it, although I do think it has something to do with my seeming good luck.”

“It’s an interesting skill. Did you sense I was going to do something?”

“Yes, just a moment before you acted. I’ve never felt such a massive build-up of power, of course. I’d been told you were strong, but that was more than I was expecting. That rock must have been twenty tons and you moved it like a pebble.”

“In my defence, I’ve never used the power in anger and might have over-reacted.”

“No, I don’t think so. You did well. They did want to kill us and without your intervention, we would have been pressed to overcome so many. I do have a question, though.”

“What is it?”

“You moved the boulder. Would it not have been easier to just sweep the men away?”

“I’m sure it would, but I find is somehow difficult to touch a living thing. Even plants or animals. If I was to try and lift you now, nothing would happen, but I could lift this rock with the both of us sitting on it easily.”

“I see. So, the man on the road?”

“He was already dead. I don’t understand how this works any more than another man might. He was dead, so he was just another inanimate object and suddenly easy.”

“I’m going to assume that you do have limits, though? I’ve never seen such power being wielded, but your strength is clearly not limitless.”

“Far from it. That was not perhaps the biggest object that I have moved, but in combination with the speed of movement and the suddenness of my decision to do so, it was enough to leave me drained, as you see.”

“How much of that was because you were not prepared?”

“I don’t really know. I feel as if I could do more, but it may be that I would just not be as tired afterward if I had more time to be ready and to focus beforehand.”

“Well, while I am more than grateful that you intervened, I must ask you to be careful. Another question springs to mind, though. Is this the sort of power that the Flame is supposed to amplify?”

“So the ancient texts tell us. Cato and I have studied pretty much all that has ever been written on the subject, in many different languages. There’s a general agreement in the writings that I should be able to touch the Flame, but not much about how much additional strength it grants or whether there are additional powers that come with it.”

“There seems to be much that has been written about the Flame. How do these writers know if no one has ever been successful?”

“That is the real question, isn’t it. Some even tell that anyone can share in the power, particularly if they are there when the Flame is taken. Honestly, who really knows? I don’t think anyone does.”

“I understand that it is our mission, but a part of me is not keen to find out exactly what it ultimately entails. Still, that is a problem that, right now, seems very far away indeed. It’ll take a miracle for us to get to Eridan if things carry on like this.”

“Well, Alex, we don’t have much choice. Haran, if he is really behind this, seems more determined than ever and I will do what I must to protect my family and my kingdom.”