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There was a knock at the door. Chalmers looked at the wizard, whose expression was one of surprise. Slowly, Chalmers grabbed his sword from his side and peered out the window into the darkness. Then, he moved his hand to the door, and opened it.

Outside was a group of people of a different race. Their skin was darker, their hair more coarse, and there were two men and a woman. The oldest man with a coarse, black beard leaned closer. He spoke in a different language to Chalmers.

Chalmers answered back in the same language, and they had a conversation. He motioned them into the house, which was already crowded as it was. They sat by the firelight and talked for some time. Finally, the oldest gave Chalmers something wrapped in a bundle, and the three walked back out into the night.

Chalmers opened the bundle. Inside was a small cake and three gold coins. "These are gifts from the people of this forest. Those were people of the Naneen tribe, which has been making their home in the forest here for many hundreds of years. They were here long before this land was settled by the people of our race, but even longer ago, the Elves once inhabited this forest. At any rate, they told me something important." Chalmers frowned and turned to the wizard.

"They said you bring a great evil through this land. They said their chief physician, who is to us, a kind of magician, had told them that the evil would pass through the forest tonight," said Chalmers.

"No one should know it is here!" said Lefleur. "I am the only one who knows. I've not even told Pete."

"But still, the item you must be bearing is creating some disturbance of sorts. I believe you should do what is right regarding this," said Chalmers.

The wizard nodded in assent. He held the amulet out in his hands, passed his hands over it in several motions, and spoke some strange words. Immediately there was a shock of light which shone in his eyes and exploded in the air between the boy and the wizard. As the sound was loud, Pete was shook up. The wizard nodded, looking tired, and said "There, it is done. Perhaps I should have taken more precautions. Yet I did not know there were any magicians of that caliber out this way," said the wizard.

"They are from another time. To them, we are strangers here. They learned from the Elves much about magic, but only on the light side. Not the dark. They are on the same side as you and I," Chalmers said, smiling benevolently. "Yet I fear that evil treads closer than you think. I assume you are making for someplace far away. Be careful on your journey." Chalmers lifted his hands up. "Even though it may be very hard to sleep after such an excitement, I think you and the boy should take some rest. Here, I will give you a sleep powder which grows in the high hills among the bushes. I will stand guard over you and watch, for I fear evil may follow you. So rest tonight, and in the morning we will talk more."

The wizard nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, Pete, try to get some rest. I will do the same. We have a hard day's ride tomorrow. Indeed we may ride through tomorrow's night! So gather yourself together, and rest."

Pete spoke up. "Well I've never seen anything so bright in my life as those sparks! I have many questions, but ... yes, thank you," he said as he took the powder in his hands and ingested it, following it with a cup of water which Chalmers handed to him. He gulped it down and began to speak. "But tomorrow I will.. ask.." With that, the boy began to fall asleep. The wizard moved his head to a small pillow and covered him with a blanket. The fire still burned and the room was comfortable.

The wizard spoke. "Chalmers, the boy is ignorant of so many things regarding our journey. I will tell you more about it tomorrow, before I leave." He took his own powder, and went to sleep in the corner of the room. Chalmers stood guard, peering out the window, listening to the night, his sword at his side.