The Reluctant Champion

Interlude: Galen

Madoc sat on a point of rock, moodily tossing pebbles off the cliff before him. They had finally come to the end of the mountains, it seemed. Once they found a way down this last escarpment, a broad, green land stretched before them off into a haze of distance. It was a pleasant prospect, especially after the past difficult days, but Madoc scowled as he tossed his pebbles.

"Y'think this journey still makes sense?" he growled.

Galen sat down beside him. He'd made no noise approaching, but he wasn't surprised Madoc knew he was there. He hadn't taken him unawares yet.

"The wizards said to follow this trail east."

"Why in the name of the holy harlot couldn't they just have just brought her back with you?"

"They said something about putting her where she could do good, but not why. It didn't make a whole lot of sense."

"Stupid conniving birds. Let's give this up. Let's go back where the problems aren't any more complicated than where the next drink's coming from."

Galen laughed, but shook his head. "I'd like to see Lidah one more time, think on," he said. "If only to make sure she really is free."

"You don't know she's on this path."

"I'm sure we'll not find her if we go back. And we still have the tree, and Jaspar."

Madoc tossed another rock. "The tree. Who will get us in a fight with brigands. And for what? It's not our fight."

"No. But it's our story. And she's in it, somewhere."

"Story." Madoc spat. "Seems pretty damned thin to me. Very well, we'll find your girl, Galen. And then what?"

"And then what the season brings, think on."

Madoc tossed a rock. "Holy harlot. What the season brings."