Garinor awoke with a start. It had been hours since he had first visited Elder Dorin and the doorways of time. His mind swam with fragments of the visions he had been given, but he couldn’t focus properly on them. The world around him seemed very different and he knew in his heart something unexpected had happened.
A strange scent filled the air. It was neither fragrant nor pleasant. It was something deadly. He rolled out of bed, unwilling to risk being spotted in a window. He crawled to the door, ignoring the surrounding room, knowing it was irrelevant to what was happening outside. He cracked open the door.
A gust of air rushed into the room as if filling a vacuum. Upon that breath of wind was the smell of burning wood. Ash and soot wafted through the air and Garinor knew with an odd clarity the entire hamlet was on fire.
He crawled from the hut and worked his way around the wooden walls. None of the homes here would withstand an angry blaze, he knew; and so had the attackers.
One thought pounded into Garinor’s head. The hunters had found him despite the assurance Elder Dorin had given him that this hamlet could not be found. The heat was beginning to well up around him and sting his eyes. He could hardly see. If he didn’t move and hide away from the flames, he would be a goner.
Pulling himself along the ground, Garinor scanned left and right, making sure no one was around. He would have helped a fallen villager if he saw one, but he was honestly more afraid of seeing a hunter leering over him. Scrambling on all fours, Garinor rushed around the burning homes and escaped into the neighboring woods.
The crackling and popping sounds of the fiery hamlet covered his escape into the trees. He rose to his feet and darted about, trying to put some distance between himself and the brilliant flames. Some time later he stopped and turned, catching his breath and listening carefully.
To his horror, voices crept up from somewhere nearby. He could barely make out the words. “Keep circling and keep watching. He had to have come to this place. It’s only a matter of time before the fire drives him out.”
A droll voice muttered loudly, “I can’t believe that blockhead Ollin was able to see this place.”
“Shut up and keep looking!”
Chills raced up and down his spine. They had come for him after all. His steps had to have led them to the village, to the place where he had been fed and given a chance to rest. He felt a terrible weight sink in his heart.
Part of him wanted to run toward the hunters and declare himself so no others would suffer because of him. Another part of him wondered what their sacrifices would have meant if he did just that. He realized he had passed the sentries without their notice. He had a chance to flee now and that meant abandoning the wisdom Elder Dorin might have been able to give him.
Frustrated at the circumstances, Garinor bit his lip trying to decide what to do. He remained quiet for a moment, unwilling to move until the sentries had continued their patrol. He let his thoughts wander to the visions he had seen through the doors of time. Three things were clear to him. The arrogant prince was up to no good. The throne room in the castle appeared to be empty. And there was something important about a scepter, but he realized he had no leads for finding it so he couldn’t pursue it yet. One of the other avenues would hold the key to his fate.