Free The Elderine Stone by Alan Lawson

answer, but wanted to see Sherbit’s reaction, perhaps glean some sort of clue as to where his loyalties lay.
    “No, Master, I don’t.” He said, resuming the grip on his tail. “Please don’t say you want to go there. It’s a terrible place.”
    “We have to go there, Sherbit,” Emily said gently. “We need to stop the Dark Lady.” The pride in her voice was unmistakable. “But, we need to know where the ruins are, and how to get there.”
    Sherbit scuffed his heels a little, and looked up at her with his most innocent expression.
    “You could always go to Haspar,” he hinted.
    “ Of course! The Great Library! Now why didn’t I think of that? We could find out about the Order of Elderine and how to get to the Dark Lady’s lair. We may even get to see the King and Queen.”
    “The King and Queen?” Jason asked, incredulously.
    Emily nodded excitedly.
    “Yes! They’re supposed to be the only living descendants of the Order of the Elderine. I can’t believe I didn’t think if that before!”
    She stood up decisively, and started to kick dirt over the fire, handing the pot and cups to Jason as she did.
    “Right Jason, you rinse those in the pool, fill the waterskins and bring them back here. I’ll cover the signs of the camp.”
    Before long, they were packed up and the camp was as clear. Emily picked up her staff, and took the lead, Sherbit keeping close behind her.
    “We have a long way to walk, but as soon as we get out of this forest we should be able to see Haspar. Then it’s only a matter of getting to the path, and following it. Is everyone ready? Let’s go.”
    The day was spent walking through the brooding forest. They must have started out even earlier than Jason had thought, as the trees started to thin out while the sun was still high overhead. The heaviness of the wood lifted as they came towards the end of it, and it seemed to Jason that they made better time because of it, their hearts and footsteps growing lighter as they walked. Sherbit capered and sang and swung on nearby branches making them both laugh. Emily was glad to see that Jason’s earlier tension and suspicion had gone, and their conversation turned to brighter and happier things. Finally, they stood at the edge of the forest on a large slope that wasn’t too high or awkward to descend, but offered up the whole breathtaking panorama of the land. Jason had never felt so relieved to see open space. True to Emily’s words, they could see a vague image of what looked like a town to the south. It was further than Jason had hoped, but they could make it before dark if they put their minds to it.
    Sherbit took a quick glance north and suddenly hid behind Emily’s leg.
    “What is it, Sherbit?” Jason asked.
    The creature raised a trembling arm and pointed.
    “The Mingus Mountains” Emily explained. “That’s where we’ll be heading, when we find out more.”
    Sherbit looked up at Jason with a look demanding only sympathy.
    “It’s okay, Sherbit. We won’t let anything happen to you.” Jason smiled at him, and turned to head down the slope.
    Slowly they made their way down and headed for a path that lay a few metres away.
    As they joined it, they saw a signpost that proclaimed: “Haspar Walking Distance: 1 Day.”
    “Well, I guess we best start walking.” Jason said with a wry smile, and they headed south, the Mingus Mountains a dark sentinel behind them.

Chapter Four: The Slave Traders
     
    It seemed like they'd been walking for forever, but Jason could tell by looking at the sun that it had only been a few hours. The trees of the Elderine Forest were now distant, but at least they knew they were heading in the right direction.
    The day was warm and pleasant, with clear skies that stretched out above them, making the walk was more enjoyable than they had expected. Sherbit led the way, walking slightly in front of Jason and Emily. Every now and then, Sherbit would stop for a moment and look at something intently,