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The Lord of the Sites The Fellowship of the Page Book 2
By Seth Rex
Chapter 9
The four newbies stepped happily over the stone threshold and stood there, blinking in the luminous, bright lights. The lamps hung from the roof supports waving about slightly in the breeze. As they took in the marvellous house and all within, Mad-Rex turned and saw a woman sitting in a chair beside the door. Her beautiful golden hair flowed and shimmered and the wondrous sight of this pulled an audible gasp of wonder from Mad-Rex, and at this the others turned and saw her too. Her gown was deep green, as green as the leaves on the oak tree that had tried to capture them, and had gold and silver beads in places that contrasted with her in such a way that a small light seemed to shine within her. She had a crimson belt shot with bright blue spots that seemed to be sapphires, blinking and winking in the light, and at her feet were the dandelions that Dino-Snore had brought, and they seemed to dance about, making her all the more dazzling.
“Enter, my young friends,” she said softly, and they knew straight away that it was her who had been singing as they ran down the hill. Her smile charmed the newbies as much as her appearance that they bowed very low, as though they could not believe they were meeting someone so fair.
“Come now, little ones,” she smiled. “Do not trouble with being so courteous. Drink, be merry this night! I am Becky, the River-daughter, and tonight you dine with us!”
She took Seth-Rex by the hand and led them further into the house. None of the newbies could seem to find their tongues until Seth-Rex straightened up.
“Fair maiden Becky, until now I knew nothing of the true wonder of the elves and rivers and the like, but now it is clear to me. The fairest of the fair is now known to me!”
Becky laughed. “Do not trouble yourself, young master, for I am not the fairest. There are some fairer, but I see that you are indeed one of the sweet-tongued folk from the Kazaa; you have a light in your eyes and a ring in your voice. Sit now, and be happy; Dino-Snore will be along momentarily!”
The newbies gladly sat in some low chairs made of reeds. Becky went and did some work at the table, with movements so graceful they felt entranced. From elsewhere in the house they heard Dino-Snore singing and laughing. Finally, Seth-Rex voiced a question that had been eating at him for some time.
“Fair maiden Becky, as I shall call you unless I see some who you say are fairer, please tell me something that may sound foolish to you: who is our gracious host, Dino-Snore?”
“He is as he is, young Seth-Rex. He is Master of hill, wood and water.”
“Then he owns this forest?” asked DinoDude, finding his voice at last.
“Oh, no, no,” she said, and her smile faded slightly. “That would be too much of a burden. The forest, the trees, the flowers, the water, and the tiny blades of grass belong to themselves, no one owns them. Dino-Snore just keeps everything in peace. He has neither fear, nor any troubles of the outside world. His care is in happiness in the forest.”
At that moment, Dino-Snore himself walked in, no longer wearing his hat, but now his hair showed plainly. He bowed to the newbies and took Becky’s hand.
“Here’s my pretty maiden, my Becky with all her beauty! Is our table laden? I see honeycomb, yellow cream, and your delicious white bread and butter; milk, cheese, herbs and berries, all perfectly fine. Are we ready for tea?”
“You and I may be, but your guests are not.”
“Ah, of course!” Dino-Snore slapped his forehead. “Your guests, Dino-Snore, your guests! They are weary and (he sniffed the air) one of them stood in a puddle. Do not worry, young DinoDude, it is nothing to be ashamed of. Come now, Seth-Rex, Mad-Rex, Spinoboy and DinoDude, come with Dino-Snore, he shall help you. Follow!”
The four newbies followed him through the house to the north, where they found a large room in which four large and comfortable mattresses lay, and next to them were a pair of slippers each and on the far wall was a bench with wide basins of water.
Once washed and refreshed, they sat at the table with Dino-Snore and Becky, and such a merry meal the newbies had never had before. The food was so delicious DinoDude and Mad-Rex felt they could never get enough of it. The drinks seemed to be no more than cold water by sight, but once the newbies drank them it seemed to light their hearts with a fire of delight and loosened their voices. It seemed to them that singing seemed easier than normal, and before long, Seth-Rex, Spinoboy and DinoDude started singing a song they sang at Mad-Rex’s father’s inn.
“Hey, ho, to the bottle I go,
To heal my heart and drown my woe,
Rain may fall and wind may blow,
But there still be…many miles to go!
Sweet is the sound of pouring rain,
And the stream that falls from hill to plain,
Better than rain or children’s toy
Is a mug of beer inside this boy!”
The last line was sung by DinoDude only, the youngest of the four guests, who was sometimes referred to as a boy because of this. Every time he sung it everyone else started laughing, and this was no different. Dino-Snore let out a roar of laughter and Becky smiled in delight. Mad-Rex grinned. He had heard it before, but it never failed to get a chuckle out of him.
At last, Dino-Snore and Becky cleared the table and invited the newbies to sit in the reed chairs, which now had foot rests in front of them. A fireplace was alight near them and made everything pleasantly warm, as well as the smell, which was not of smoke, but of a sweet odour which reminded them of some special candles. After everything was cleaned, all but two candles and a lamp were put out. Becky took one of the candles and bade them all good night.
“Be at peace, young newbies, and sleep until dawn. Do not take heed of the noises of the night, for they are merely wind and small forest animals. Nothing will harm you in the house of Dino-Snore. Good night!”
She walked out with soft steps. Dino-Snore led them to their room and sat on a small chair next to the doorway. The newbies lay down on the mattresses, each very tired. But Seth-Rex could not sleep without asking a few questions on his mind.
“Excuse me Master, but I have some questions which I can’t sleep on without the answers.”
“Ask away, my young friend.”
“When you found us, did you hear me calling for help, or was it a mere coincidence?”
Dino-Snore stirred slightly. “Did I hear you? I’m afraid not, Seth-Rex. As you say, it was coincidence; I couldn’t hear you over my singing. No plan had I, just an errand I had to do. However, I had heard of four newbies in the forest. The trees were conversing about some wandering little folk, and I caught some of it. I was wondering if you’d run into me, because from what the trees said, at your pace you should have reached me a little bit before dusk. However, when dusk came, I assumed you must have gone past. I had no idea that the Old Oak One would be the culprit, though no doubt there were some other delays, I guess.”
He fell silent again, but Seth-Rex wasn’t done yet.
“One more thing…what IS the Old Oak One? Can you tell us about him?”
But this, Spinoboy and DinoDude would never stand for.
“Oh, no, please, no! Nothing about him until morning!”
Dino-Snore nodded.
“I am afraid they are right, Seth-Rex. You’re all weary. Sleep now, you’ll get the answer tomorrow.”
He put out the candle and walked out. The newbies felt they would never sleep, even on such comfortable beds, but they thought that and twenty seconds later, all were in slumber.
Seth-Rex was anything but restful. On his mind deep sleep had taken over and dreams awaited him. It became apparent that in the distance was a tower, and on top was a small figure holding a staff. The figure, which seemed small but was taller than a newbie, raised the staff, and suddenly a great flash of wings appeared. The figure ran and dived off the tower and landed on the winged beast, a huge flying creature of some sort. As it flew away, Seth-Rex heard wolves howling and shivered. Then his thoughts turned elsewhere, and he saw a small, slinking figure scrabbling over rocks in a huge cavern. As he watched, it came to some enormous doors and struggled to push them open. However, try as the figure might, he was not as fortunate at escape as his predecessor. This time, though, the name of it seemed to be on the edge of Seth-Rex’s mind. He tried to call it but in vain. The vision of the small creature vanished and was replaced by three horsemen, clothed all in black and on enormous black horses. Suddenly one of them let out a bloodcurdling screech and at that moment Seth-Rex recognized them. It was the now familiar Black Riders, spurring their horses on. In an instant their image was replaced by the most terrifying of them all: suddenly he saw what Icebreaker feared: a great eye, lidless, wreathed in flame, with a narrow black slit for a pupil. At the sight of it he suddenly shot up straight…and found himself sweating in terror at what he had seen. He was on the mattress, still in Dino-Snore’s home. He laid himself down, thinking about the two first images. What were they? A tall person on a tower roof being swept away by a winged beast, and a small figure in a cavern. It wasn’t until much later that he realized what the small figure was. It was what had kept the Ring before Martin found it.
All four woke at once, and it was revealed that only Mad-Rex had slept contentedly; Spinoboy had had a terrible dream of drowning in the pond near the Old Oak One, and it had worried him. DinoDude had dreamt about being back inside the Old Oak One with the tree laughing and jeering at him. Seth-Rex only said his dreams were troubling, and the others took the hint that he didn’t want to talk about his dreams. Dino-Snore was cheerfully opening the curtains when they woke, whistling happily. They all jumped up and peered out the windows. Seth-Rex and Mad-Rex looked north. Everything was coated with dew, and the trees shimmered because of it. There was a silvery taint to everything and the sky was so blue it hurt. The trees and shrubs swayed in the breeze and the forest looked very carefree. Looking out the eastern window, all Spinoboy and DinoDude could see was fog and mist. Luckily this meant they could see no oak trees, but they couldn’t see anything else. They wondered about the Barrow-downs, which were shrouded by the fog. What would they find there?
“Good morning, merry newbies!” grinned Dino-Snore. “You are sleepy! I’ve been out and about, as had Becky, but you sat quiet through both of us singing! Now come, breakfast is ready! If you don’t turn up, all you’ll get is grass and the dew on them!”
In an instant, the newbies were gone and at the table. Dino-Snore followed them, laughing. His threat wasn’t serious but it was motivating. He left them to eat, and eat they did. They only left when the table was devoid of food larger than a fingernail. Dino-Snore was about the house working, clattering in the kitchen, bounding up and down the stairs and singing the whole while. Of Becky there was no sign. The newbies opened the western window and hung out, taking in the view. But the mist had spread, and now the forest was veiled. Water dripped off the roof and splashed on the ground below. As they took in more of the view, which was all grey if it was more than half a mile away, a familiar voice came to them, and they listened happily as Becky sang. Seth-Rex was pleased with the haze as well, because it meant they couldn’t start out. He didn’t really feel like leaving this happy place, with the Barrow-downs on one side and the Old Forest on the other, and the haze stopped them.
It was a little while which they spent talking before Dino-Snore returned. He hung up his boots and joined them in the seats with the footrests.
“I’m afraid Becky won’t be joining us,” he informed them. “Today is her washing day, and you are for resting. You can’t leave with this mist. So we shall spend the day talking, singing and being merry. Ask any questions you wish! We have plenty of time to spare.”
And so they spent the day talking and singing, as he suggested. He asked them to sing their song from the inn a couple of times, and fetched them drinks to help. He told them all kinds of stories about odd things, and sometimes he’d start to sing the stories, and while he did this he got up and danced about, to the amusement of his guests. He told the tales of birds and bees, of swaying trees, of creatures that dwelt throughout the wood, of things that came, both evil and good. They listened in rapt silence unless he asked them to talk or sing. They began to get a good understanding of the forest and those that lived inside it. Something they noted was the fact that the Old Oak One always seemed to crop up here and there in their talk, and now Seth-Rex had more than enough to keep him content, because it wasn’t the most pleasant of information. One story about the oak tree that they did enjoy was where, as Dino-Snore told them, a small Pteranodon had come flying over destroying trees, and the Old Oak One gave it a blow to the head so fierce it cracked the skull of the Pteranodon. When Dino-Snore told them about himself, they pieced it all together like a puzzle, and it became clear that, jolly and pleasant though he may seem, he was extremely dangerous if roused. He had a deep hatred for cutters of trees, and things that harmed forest life. He told them the history of the forest, and they found out why it was called the Old Forest; it was over a survivor of ancient history, many thousand years old. He told them of the tree spirits, some pleasant, some not, but none more dangerous or cold hearted as the Old Oak One. His swatting the Pteranodon was for his own sake, not for the other trees. Dino-Snore even touched briefly on the things called the Barrow-wights, which made them uneasy; there were rumours in the Kazaa that Barrow-wights haunted the Barrow-downs.
And so the talk went on, and it became hard to tell how many hours, days or weeks they had been through, though of course they were still in the same day. When starlight crept through the windows, talk had dwindled, and conversation points became scarce. Suddenly something happened to Seth-Rex that seemed odd to ask.
“Who are you, Master?”
“Who am I?” he replied. “My name is the only real answer for the question, Seth-Rex. Tell me, who are you, alone, yourself, nameless? But then, I am old, very old, and you are still young. Eldest, I am. Here’s a possible answer: Dino-Snore was here before trees or rivers; before the first acorn. He made roads through the forest before veterans appeared, he saw the newbies come, he was before the Barrow-wights, before any sort of hierarchy, before graves, before the surfers turned westward, before…before the Dark Power rose.”
A shadow passed over the window. The newbies glanced through the panes, and when they turned back around, Becky stood there holding a candle, with her hand between it and the draught.
“Come now, my friends, so much talk must be wearisome. Let us eat!” grinned Dino-Snore, and he got up and bounded into the kitchen. When he returned, he had a tray laden with delicious things. He and Becky set the table, and the newbies gazed at the contrast of their movement: Becky’s grace led her around while Dino-Snore bounced and bounded everywhere.
“Supper is ready,” smiled Becky.
Supper seemed much better than the night before, possibly because their mouths were so dry from talking and singing. It seemed as though it had been a week since they had last eaten, but it had really only been around nine hours. At first they didn’t say or sing much, but eventually their spirits and tongues loosened and they laughed and sang contentedly. After the meal, Becky sang again, and they sat entranced by it. After a while of this she ended her songs of streams and rivers, bade them good night again, and left them. But though Becky had gone to bed, Dino-Snore was still awake and they talked some more. They talked blandly a bit about some more forest talk when he turned to Seth-Rex.
“Now, my friend, why not show old Dino-Snore this ring of yours?”
Seth-Rex jumped in surprise. How could he know of the ring? Dino-Snore laughed at the expression on his face.
“Oh, I know many things. Your uncle Martin had dealings with surfers, correct? Well, so have I, and they’ve told me things. And I took a guess at why you were in the forest, trekking eastward. And I see that I was correct.”
So they told him the story of their movements. He listened and shook his head at places, and then asked to see the ring again. Seth-Rex, to his own utter amazement, drew out the ring and immediately placed it in Dino-Snore’s hand. Dino-Snore examined it, and then slipped it on his finger. At first there appeared to be nothing amazing about it when suddenly it clicked. He wasn’t vanishing! He laughed at their bewildered faces and took it off, and then it vanished itself. Seth-Rex cried in horror when Dino-Snore grinned and handed it back. Seth-Rex looked at it. It appeared the same, but there was only one way to be sure. He put it on his finger while the others were listening to some absurd story about some Compies from Dino-Snore. Spinoboy turned to say something to him and gaped in astonishment. Seth-Rex smirked and knew straight away it was the real thing. He started sneaking away towards the door when Dino-Snore looked at him.
“Hey, hold it there, Seth-Rex! Where are you going? Old Dino-Snore isn’t that blind! Come on, take off the ring and sit back down!”
Seth-Rex laughed, though he was slightly annoyed with his host for making light of what even Icebreaker thought was extremely important. And so the talk droned on until at last they decided to go to bed. That night, none of them had bad dreams. Their minds were all laid to rest.
Chapter 10
In the morning the newbies all woke with a start. Dino-Snore and Becky were both in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Seth-Rex still felt slightly weary because of the ring, but he was ready for the new day. Today they would be reaching the barrow downs. Seth was worried about that place. All 4 of the newbies were. It wasn’t a place they wanted to go, but had to due to the fact that it was in front of them and Yahoo. Spinoboy had said that they could go around but it would take days away from their quest and on a quest like this, its better to go straight through.
“Besides, I doubt any of those rumours are true anyway,” he had said.
“Well I doubt you’ll be going now,” said Dino-Snore, “ But if you leave in the morning, then you should get there by nightfall. A good rest at the border to the downs should get you through the downs the very next day with light to spare.” And so it was settled that they’d be leaving in a few minutes. It was obvious though that Dino-Snore had planned for them to have a bit of breakfast before they left. It was a big wide world and Seth-Rex was going to go back out into it. And he was going to take his friends. Seth-Rex, Mad-Rex, Spinoboy, and DinoDude sat at the table and ate their breakfasts.
“I reckon you’ll be leaving afterwards so Becky prepared a good sack full of leftovers for you. I showed you the path yesterday so you won’t get lost. Now if I remember correctly the barrow downs shouldn’t be too big but be careful not to get lost,” said Dino-Snore.
“Thank you, Mr. Dino-Snore. We’ll never forget your kindness,” said Seth-Rex.
The newbies walked out of the house with their stuff packed. Seth-Rex glanced around the area. The hill was where they needed to go. They wandered up towards it and reached the top. They saw the foggy Barrow-downs and guessed what Dino-Snore had said about making sure not to get lost. All four turned back to look at the cosy little house they had spent the last two nights in. It looked so peaceful. Suddenly Seth-Rex jolted as he remembered something.
“Oh my god!” he cried. The others jumped in fright.
“What? What? What is it?”
“Becky!” he exclaimed. “We never even said goodbye to her!”
The others settled, looking embarrassed at their sudden scare. But they didn’t look worried.
“No matter, Seth-Rex,” noted Spinoboy. “She’s come to say it to us.”
He pointed to a tall figure not far off. Becky stood there, smiling at them, clad in dark green, the same clothes she had worn when they had first met, two nights ago. She walked towards them and smiled.
“Are you happy, my little friends? I hope you are, for I do not doubt that your road ahead by fraught with peril. You have a long way to go, much, much longer than you think. I have a feeling you shall go many miles beyond Yahoo. Indeed, you shall be completely dumbfounded when you realise how far this quest will take you. May the power of the spirits protect wherever you go. Do not fear, young DinoDude…you will find your courage. Ring-bearer, you above all others are in the most danger. You will find that more than just the Black Riders you fear are not the only ones hunting you. Indeed, I see a mark on the southern horizon…a white figure with a staff. And even further south, a great orange spot, with a flame glowing in. You are one who has seen the Eye. Mad-Rex…you must be with him forevermore on this quest. And Spinoboy, I think you will cause a great downfall to your enemy…a foe that pursues you shall be cast down by your hand, I think…you all must not lose hope. My love goes with you for your journey, and you will all find strength. Now go, my friends…your journey awaits.”
She turned and walked away. Soon she was out of sight. The four newbies turned to the hills before them, and silently began their trek.
***
“The power of Gamespot is at your command, Shniz, Lord of Hotmail.”
Parasaur held his hand over a black orb on the stand before him. The orb was one of the Link Stones, one of the few surviving. Icebreaker had seen it at a glance before, but Parasaur had kept him out of it as much as possible. His friend was on the roof now, out of reach from anyone. But more pressing matters were now at hand. A stirring in the shadows rounded the room, and then…the voice spoke.
“Your task is at hand…my army is nearing your shores…bring them to you. Train my army to be worthy of Hotmail!”
The voice reverberated around the room. Parasaur nodded.
“Yes, my lord. I shall send for them now.”
“They are the fighting Flooder-Hai. Their leader is well trained already. Appoint him to help you. You and he can only do this…White Wizard. It is Parasaur and Bob.”
Parasaur acknowledged this and went into his office. Soon some flooders walked in. One of them stepped forward.
“What orders from Hotmail, wizard? What does the Eye command?”
Parasaur grabbed his staff and thrust it at the flooder. It screamed and was thrown out of the window by an unseen force. The other two stared in shock.
“You fools. Never call me wizard. I am your commander. Refer to me as ‘my lord’!”
The flooders bowed.
“Yes, my lord.”
Parasaur pointed at the one on the left. He was slightly bigger than his companion.
“You! Sharkey! Fetch your Wolf-Riders! Ride now to the coast. Ask for Bob. Tell him the Eye instructed me to bring him here.”
The flooder sprinted from the office. Soon a ferocious roaring arose from the ground outside. From a large cavern at the back of the tower came many huge Wolves with flooders mounted on them. Several descended on the body of the flooder that had dropped from the window and ripped it apart. At a swift order from the leader, the snarling beasts and their riders exited the area. Parasaur and the other flooder watched until they were out of sight, and then he turned to it.
“You are to take every remaining flooder and rip down every tree in the valley. We need wood for our smelts. We have work to do. Build the Caverns of Gamespot, for we must raise an army!”
“Yes, my lord!” The flooder growled in satisfaction and glee.
***
The four newbies sang to try and ease their spirits, and it was sort of working. It took a while but they soon felt a bit happier than before. They had cleared hills and trees (none of which attacked them), small valleys and ponds. They settled down for the night at the edge of a small, secluded pond and awoke early next morning, feeling relatively happy, unaware of the foul incidents going on down south. They were near to the Barrow downs now, and the fog over them had not cleared up. Despite their joyous moods they still felt uneasy, and were left clinging to the hopes that Barrow wights did not exist and on the other side there would be no fog. The sky was a slight yellowish colour where the sun was rising, and provided plenty of light for them. Nonetheless, the fog over the downs was thick, and when they reached it after several hours, Seth-Rex spoke up.
“We’d better go single file. It’s the best way to make sure we don’t lose each other.”
“True, that,” agreed Spinoboy. “Let’s do it. Seth-Rex, you lead. Mad-Rex, second, then DinoDude, then me.”
“OK, hurry up. I don’t like it here,” said Seth-Rex impatiently.
The line arranged itself and continued on. An icy wind puffed around them, more chilling to the blood than the skin. Their pace was slowed considerably.
“There’s no such thing as a Barrow Wight… There’s no such thing as a Barrow Wight… There’s no such thing as a Barrow Wight… There’s no such thing as a Barrow Wight… There’s no such thing as a Barrow Wight…” muttered Mad-Rex over and over again, but the wind prevented his companions from hearing him.
After an hour or two, Seth-Rex spotted something.
“Hurry up, guys!” cried Seth-Rex. “Come on!”
He had spotted a gap in the hills up ahead. If they cleared it, they would be about of this awful place. A flicker of hope ignited in him…and when he turned to tell the others the great news, it blew out. His friends were nowhere in sight.
He sprinted back the way he had come, all the while crying, “Mad-Rex! Spinoboy! DinoDude!”
In a little while, he thought he heard an answering cry.
“Seth-Rex! Over here!”
He ran as fast as he could.
“Where are you?” he yelled miserably. He hadn’t even got to Yahoo and already he and the others were in grave peril. The wind hissed over the grass like an angry snake, but…what was that? A faint call for help! He quickly staggered towards it, and was astonished to see the sun was beginning to set above him. Had they taken that long already? But the mist was still thicker and soon made the sun obscure. And then…a dark shape loomed ahead. A great black barrow, lying on the grass. Seth-Rex ran towards it.
“Where are you?” he bellowed, rage and fear patching his voice. And this time, a reply came.
“Here I am! I wait for you!”
A deep, icy voice, which seemed to penetrate the air through the bowels of the earth, arose, splintering the courage in the newbie. He had just enough time to catch a glimpse of a large shadow with narrow slits of light as eyes and long, claw-like fingers, before his brain and bones froze at its touch, and he collapsed.
He awoke in terror, knowing at once that the rumours were true; a Barrow Wight had seized him, unrelenting, and would not let him go. The Wights were spirits of long dead inhabitants of an ancient kingdom, laid about with unrest and a thirst to kill. And Seth-Rex and his friends were their latest targets, for there were the other three, on the ground beside him, pale, covered with white clothing. Gold and treasure lay about them, but it seemed ruthless and horrible in the light, contrary to marvellous treasure found in other places. The cave they were in shone with a horrible glow of a colour impossible to describe. Swords and shields lay about, too, but the most terrifying thing of all was the shadow holding one long sword at the necks of all four.
Suddenly a terrible rage burst into Seth-Rex. A new courage, unheard of in the last century in that country, awoke from a deep slumber in the newbie, and with all his strength he seized a nearby sword, leapt up and hacked ferociously at the arm of the shadow. The arm fell to the ground and vanished, and the sword the newbie had destroyed it with splintered and fell apart. A terrible snarling echoed through the cavern, and the shadow disappeared. The wall broke apart to reveal the outside of the Barrow downs, and summoning up all the strong will in his body, Seth-Rex started doing something he never meant to do; he sang in the same kind of language Dino-Snore had used at their first meeting. The chamber resounded with the song, and suddenly newfound strength flooded him, and he stood tall and yelled it as loud as he could. His voice echoed far and far…when there came an answer
The Wight, which had suddenly reappeared, screamed in rage as a familiar voice floated up the hill into the chamber, and soon, a large shape bounded in, and Dino-Snore brought a large stick down through its head.
“Out, out, you crazy Wight!
You horrible thing to cause such a plight!
Leave these newbies, fainted or not,
Lest you be boiled in a horrible hot!
Leave this hill and all you have done,
Or I shall return and smite you with a blun!
Leave behind your barrows and
Depart forever from this poor, troubled land!”
The Wight screamed and burst from the cave, and vanished from sight. The screaming continued and faded into the distance. Dino-Snore scooped up Spinoboy and Mad-Rex.
“Come, Seth-Rex, grab your other friend, and let us take them to the light!”
Seth-Rex picked up DinoDude, and followed Dino-Snore up the hill, and came to the top, where the mist had dissipated and the sun shone brightly. They had been unconscious for quite a while, because the sun had begun to rise by the time the three fainted newbies were laid on the grass. Dino-Snore pulled out four cloths and dipped them in a pond, and told Seth-Rex to lay them on the foreheads of the others.
“I will be back momentarily,” assured the jolly man, and walked back down the hill. Seth-Rex quickly did as he was told and spread the cloths on the heads of his friends and sat waiting in anxiety. Dino-Snore arrived back soon with a lot of treasure from the Wight’s chamber, including four small swords and shields. Three of the swords had odd runes written along the blades, but Dino-Snore handed Seth-Rex the one without the runes.
“The others will need some help, and I think they should get the ones with writing. I have a feeling they should need it. Take this shield.”
He handed Seth-Rex a white shield with a red marking on it. As Seth-Rex watched, the marking reshaped itself into a very familiar symbol.
“That’s Icebreaker’s mark!”
“Indeed. This shield has the power to shape the crest into the sign most worthy to its bearer.”
“Why this, and not the Ring?”
Dino-Snore looked at him.
“The Ring is evil. It is not your correct mark. The symbol of the Ring would go to others, perhaps, but not you.”
Seth-Rex nodded.
“You seem rather depressed today, my friend.”
Dino-Snore waved the comment away with a flick of his hand.
“Just disgust at the Wight. Think nothing of it. Now I must awaken your friends.”
He bent over the three on the ground, outstretched his hands, and murmured something Seth-Rex couldn’t quite catch. Then, to the delight and relief to those watching, the newbies stirred and slowly opened their eyes. Then they sat bolt upright, wide awake. They stared in confusion at the white rags on their bodies.
“What the bloody hell…” cried Mad-Rex.
“Where are we?” queried DinoDude.
“Easy, my young friends, easy!” grinned Dino-Snore, who seemed a lot happier now. “The Wight is gone, you are safe.”
“Thank god!” muttered Spinoboy. “I don’t like it, it was a spirit of InGenNet…what the hell am I saying?”
“Nothing of no sense, for the Wight was indeed from InGenNet, a follower of the Dark Lord. Let us not speak of him now, it is over.”
“Yes,” said Seth-Rex. The sooner we get out of here, the better I’ll feel.”
“Very well, Seth-Rex,” said Dino-Snore. “You all get those rags off, I’ll find clothes for you. Those weapons are for you, by the way. Seth-Rex has his; did you not notice his shield, with the wizard’s mark upon it? Now, run around for a bit down at the bottom. I’ll meet you there.”
So the newbies ran to the bottom with their weapons, and ran around for a bit in the sunlight. Dino-Snore soon turned up, with new clothes and lots of provisions for them.
“Here. Get those rags off, dress in these. They were in the trove, and I think you’ll find them comfortable, if a bit big.”
The newbies gratefully put them on, and packed the food. Dino-Snore then showed them some ponies.
“Here. Load some stuff on the fifth, and ride the others. The sixth is my pal. I’ll ride him. I’d better take you to the edge of the land full of things that will harm you. First oak trees, now dead people. You all have a knack for attracting trouble.”
The newbies laughed and saddled up. And so the guardian of the forest rode them to the edge of the dangerous land. A small river ran by, and five of the six ponies jumped it. Dino-Snore stayed on the other side.
“Farewell, my friends! Come and visit when your quest is over!”
“Goodbye, Dino-Snore! Thank you for everything!”
The jolly man waved, and his pony sped away. Seth-Rex spoke to his friends.
“Here we are. Remember that my name is Underhill. None of you know anyone named Baggins. Got it? Good.”
Chapter 11
At first glance, Yahoo was a rugged looking town. It was inhabited by surfers and newbies alike, who were an uncouth pair of races with a decent nature. The oldest building in town was the Prancing Gallimimus inn, owned by a surfer named Cameron. Some people were gruff, rude and complete idiots, some were smart and pleasant, but either way they all enjoyed hanging out at the inn. The newbies there claimed to be descended from the first newbies to settle in the West, before the Kazaa was even a tiny town. Most of the Kazaa newbies thought this was pure BS, but nothing they said could shut the Yahoo newbies up. As for the surfers, they were the only ones to live so far north and so far west. Ever since the kingdom of Ezboards fell beneath the might of the Witch-King of InGenNet, Yahoo was the only town north or west of the mountains. The nearest settlement was extremely far east, near the Lonely Mountain, Filmaholics Anonymous. The surfer town near the mountain went by the name of MovieCrap. Other than that, the nearest surfer land was Google, extremely far south.
At nightfall, the newbies reached the West Gate of Yahoo, a slight rain dripping on their hoods. Mad-Rex picked up a stick and hammered on the door. A small window opened up and a grumpy surfer peeked out. Seeing no one there, he opened up a lower window and spotted them.
“What the hell? What do you want?”
“Let us in, please, we want to stay at the inn!”
The window slammed shut and the door opened. The tall guy looked at them.
“Newbies! Four of ‘em! Kazaa newbies too, from your accents.”
“Er, yes. Can we come in?”
“Oh, fine,” he growled reluctantly. He was a young, strong surfer, in his early 40s (pitiful, by sprite or veteran counts), and he didn’t like the look of them. But then it was also vice versa; the newbies didn’t like his tone of voice or the way he looked at them.
“So, now, what are your names, and what brings you east?”
“Our business is our own, and this isn’t a great place to talk about them.”
“Your own business, no doubt, but I don’t care.”
“You should,” cut in Spinoboy indignantly. “My name is Mr. Brandybuck, that good enough for you? I always heard Yahoo people were polite.”
“OK, fine,” he growled. “No offence, take it easy, whatever. But it’s my job to ask questions, see, ‘specially with talk of weird guys running around near here. But more than old Jimmy the gate keeper will ask ‘em, just go to the inn and you’ll see what I mean.”
The newbies nodded curtly to him and pressed on. He watched them leave with distaste, and didn’t notice a cloaked figure jump the gate and sneak into the shadows.
They arrived at the inn door. A sign above the door in the shape of a Gallimimus read “The Prancing Gallimimus, care of Cameron”. Mad-Rex felt disgusted. He had been hoping the inn would be a lot like his father’s inn, The Green Pteranodon, back in Newbie Town, but it was nothing of the sort. It was made of great ugly slabs of stone, and the door was a rectangular shape instead of a circular. They stood wondering about it.
“This looks pretty crap,” commented Mad-Rex. “It’s ugly.”
“Oh, what’s the matter with it?” asked Seth-Rex. “Dino-Snore recommended it, and anyway, Icebreaker told us to meet him here. Let’s get on with it.”
The light in the windows seemed welcoming enough, and as they listened, a song started up inside, seeming jolly and encouraging. They walked in the door (barely able to reach the knob) and walked around, looking for someone to ask. They tapped a surfer on the small of his back, and he turned in confusion before spotting them at his waist level.
“Oh, yes, what do you want?”
Seth-Rex stepped forward.
“Excuse me, who can we ask for lodging?”
“Oh, go to Cameron for that, guys,” he replied, pointing to a bald surfer scurrying about with a tray with a mug of beer. “Ain’t no more staff here, ‘cept him and a couple of newbies like you.”
They thanked him and approached the red-faced man.
“Um, excuse m-” began Mad-Rex, but he was cut off.
“Half a minute, guys, I got more booze to hand out!” he practically yelled. He carried the tray over to a man sitting in the corner, smoking a pipe with a hood drawn over his head, masking his face. He set the mug down, and turned to come back. He slipped on some spilled beer and fell flat on his face before them, before picking himself up and dusting himself off.
“I am Cameron, innkeeper of this…inn, yes. Lodging, little newbies?” he asked kindly.
“Yes, please,” said Seth-Rex. “A room for four newbies, please, and five ponies for a stable.”
“Five ponies for four newbies? You must have a journey ahead of you with that much. Now then, to the register…”
He led them over to a desk with a large book and a pen on it.
“Names, please. It’s a standard procedure, I won’t nose in, no fear.”
“Er…thank you. My companions are Mr. DinoDude Took, Mr. Spinoboy Brandybuck and Mr. Mad-Rex Gamgee. My names is Mr. Underhill.”
“Underhill? Now what does that remind me of? Hang on…no, I’ve lost it, sorry. Oh well, thank you for the names…one night only?”
“One night, yes, thanks.”
The innkeeper sent one of his newbie assistants by the name of Scott to stable the ponies.
“Scott and Mike are my assistants. Scott handles the stables, Mike handles the rooms. I’ll find Mike later. Now then, care for supper?”
“Oh, yes, thank you!” cried Mad-Rex. Some of the locals looked at him with raised eyebrows. The man that Cameron had delivered the beer to when they called him stirred. A smoke ring puffed from his pipe.
“All right, then, follow me,” said Cameron, and he led them to a small table in the next room with four seats around it and a tiny bell.
“Beer’s on the house tonight. The buffet table is over there. If you need something, ring the bell and Mike should show up. Please excuse me, I have work to do.”
All four thanked him again as he bustled off, slipping and falling on some beer again. Mad-Rex rang the bell and at once, a newbie rushed from the kitchen to the table.
“Good evening, young visitors. My name is Mike, is there anything you need?”
“Yes, thank you,” said Spinoboy. “Could we have some plates and crockery, please?”
“Of course.”
Mike walked away and came back a few minutes later with everything they needed. After they thanked him, he laughed.
“Kazaa folk are so polite these days! Pity not many come through here anymore. We’ve had too many sprites and foul-tempered surfers here. Enjoy your stay!”
He walked away. All four grabbed their plates and walked over to the buffet table. Soon they sat again with jam tarts, bread, pork chops, applesauce and butter, as well as a mug of beer each. At once they set to work on their food, and soon it was all gone. They chuckled at how fast they had downed it all, and as they sat contemplating what to do next, Mike walked up to them with a tray for their plates and crockery, and spoke to them.
“You know, the common room isn’t very full tonight,” he said. “There’s enough room for you four there, and as we haven’t had much Kazaa folk here and we’d like news, it’d be good for the locals. You’d find it fun! Of course, if you’d rather go straight to bed, you may, but think about what I said.”
He walked back to the kitchen, leaving the visitors to contemplate what he had said. Spinoboy soon spoke up.
“It sounds nice enough, and I may come in later, but right now I need some fresh air. All the smoke is making me gag!”
“Smoke?” echoed Seth-Rex. He and the others lived around Newbie Town so they were used to smoke, and didn’t notice it like Spinoboy. “Oh, that. We can deal with it. We’ll go in, I think. It should be fun!”
So Spinoboy walked out and his three companions entered the common room. At first glance there was a social gathering going on, as surfers and newbies (half of them badly drunk) were dancing around singing at the tops of their voices. There was the occasional sprite here and there, drinking disdainfully, and some figures in the shadows that were hard to make out. When Seth-Rex, Mad-Rex and DinoDude walked in, the man in the corner fixed his gaze on them again, and the people who were not passed out from alcohol that saw them enter gave a cheer of welcome. Cameron was wandering around, spotted them and introduced them to the inhabitants of the town. The surfers all had extremely odd surnames like Arnold, Yo, Admin, and Gardner. The local newbies had some names used in the Shire as well as some not, but familiar ones included Bolger, Banks, Brockhouse, Sandheaver and Longholes. There were also some locals named Underhill, to the amazement of Seth-Rex and Co., and as they couldn’t imagine someone not related to them having the same name, they assumed Seth-Rex was a long lost cousin.
When queried about what had brought them to Yahoo, Seth-Rex just said that they, unlike most Kazaa newbies, wanted news from the outside world, straight from the source. The surfers and sprites spoke up, and although the news differed from person to person, it was basically the same thing: trouble was brewing down south, and it was dangerous. So several surfers from down there were travelling north to find more hospitable lands, and it looked as though Yahoo would be increased in size to accommodate the newcomers in a while.
While Seth-Rex was talking to the bigger folk, the local newbies were chatting to DinoDude and Mad-Rex, who were fitting in quite well, right at home. DinoDude related the story of the Pteranodon firework at Martin’s party and brought up a lot of laughs, while Mad-Rex told a story of when DinoDude got sick at a different party and threw up in several kegs of beer. DinoDude looked disgruntled when this was brought to the light. But soon some questions arose which made them feel uneasy; one newbie, who had been through the Kazaa a few times, wondered where the Underhills lived, and who they were related to.
At that point, Seth-Rex noticed the hooded man in the corner, staring right at him. He tapped a newbie named Mr. Banks on the shoulder and asked about the corner guy. Banks took one look at him and turned to Seth-Rex.
“Oh, that’s Jeff. He’s a wandering bloke-a Ranger, so to speak-and his name isn’t Jeff. That’s what he’s called around these parts, god knows why. I ain’t never heard his right name, but I think old Cameron does. I don’t care, either; he keeps to himself mostly. Very antisocial. Though he seemed not tonight, it’s funny you should inquire about him, ‘cause…”
But at that moment, his friend told him it was his turn to pick up beers for him and his pals. Seth-Rex turned back to Jeff and noticed him beckoning to him. He walked over hesitantly and sat with him. Jeff’s hood was still drawn, and his eyes were masked in shadow.
“Mr.…Underhill, was it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Around here I’m known as Jeff. Pleased to meet you, and give you some advice.”
“And that would be?”
“Stopping your friends saying any more.” Jeff pointed to the table where the other two sat, and DinoDude was…giving a recollection of Martin’s party, and was getting dangerously near to the part where Martin vanished! If he could make light of this, bring the name Baggins to everyone’s mind and a maybe even an accidental mention of the Ring…enough said!
“Quick, do something!” hissed Jeff.
Seth-Rex quickly leapt onto a table and called for attention. Immediately, half of DinoDude’s audience turned to look at him, and the other half was left wondering who to listen to. But DinoDude stopped talking right on Martin’s ‘Goodbye’, so the audience was completely focused on Seth-Rex, who felt pretty foolish now. Finding nothing else to do in his predicament, he thanked them on their reception, and expressed his hope that more Kazaa folk would come to have some fun here. The applause went up; even the drunks seemed please at his speech, and soon the local newbies soon started shouting for a song, so Seth-Rex called DinoDude to the table and they sang their song from the inn back at Newbie Town.
“Hey, ho, upon my home,
To heal my heart and drown my woe,
Rain may fall and wind may blow,
But there still be…many miles to go!
Sweet is the sound of pouring rain,
And the stream that falls from hill to plain,
Better than rain or children’s toy
Is a mug of beer inside this boy!”
The inhabitants cheered and laughed. As always, the song brought laughter to many. Even Jeff cracked a grin. A newbie brought up two enormous mugs of beers (“There’s a pint in each!” he laughed) and practically forced the visitors to take them. The rest all cried out to sing it again, and soon they were, and the locals joined in. They were quick at picking up words. When DinoDude sang his solo line, everyone, including Seth-Rex, roared with laughter, when Seth-Rex slipped on some spilled beer (there was a lot of it around that night!) and fell from the table, rolling around a bit. Most thought it was an extension to the act and started laughing again...when Seth-Rex vanished from sight. The audience stared. One minute he was right in front of them, the next he was…nowhere!
He crawled through the room, avoiding the feet of shocked locals that were stampeding about, and crawled into the shadows and sat there panting, all the while cursing himself for slipping the Ring on. But it all halted when a sudden light shone on him from above...and when he looked, he saw it again. The Eye floated above him, and seemed to be sneering with laughter.
“There you are…I see you…you can’t hide now…you shall be found…”
He ripped off the Ring and lay panting again, this time from terror at what he had seen. Twice now, he had seen the Eye. The Riders would have sensed it now. They were coming. As he was contemplating this, he noticed that he was not next to an empty table. He was next to a table where a hooded figure scowled at him. It was Jeff.
“Well, now you’ve stuck your foot in it! Or your finger, if you like. You halt your friend from endangering you and do it yourself, in a much worse way!”
“I don’t know what you mean,” said Seth-Rex, alarmed at what he had said.
“Oh, you do. When this stir you’ve caused has died down, I want a word with you, Mr. Baggins!”
Seth-Rex was silent, unlike the rest of the room. His two friends were desperately trying to cover things up without arousing suspicion, while Cameron was talking to some others.
“I saw him, Cameron, I saw him! Or didn’t, if you follow me. One minute he’s there, the next he’s nowhere!”
“I doubt it,” replied the innkeeper. “You all have had too much to drink, I’ll wager. He probably rolled under a table or something and you missed him.”
“Well where is he now?” shouted the locals.
“I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. He can go where he wants without you pestering him, just so long as he pays in the morning. There are his friends, they’ve not slipped away. It’s all a mistake.”
“Of course it is!” yelled an indignant voice, and the room fell silent. Seth-Rex walked up to Cameron.
“I rolled under a table, and when I got up you were all too preoccupied with where I’d fallen, so I had a chat with Jeff while waiting.”
Everyone eyed him suspiciously. Even the sprites looked confused. Soon most of them filed out the door or back to their rooms. A few groups stayed around, but backed away from him as though he had a disease they were afraid to catch. Cameron looked at him.
“Very well, Mr. Underhill. I guess I can accept that.”
“Thank you. I think my companions and I had better turn in. Can you have our ponies ready by eight tomorrow morning?”
“Very well. See you tomorrow, you three.”
Chapter 12
The three newbies walked up to their room, where the fire in the hearth was running low on fuel. Spinoboy was not there, so they loaded more logs onto the fire to wait for him. DinoDude collapsed onto a chair, exhausted, and did not notice that he was not on a chair until it moved.
“Please get off my lap. It makes me uncomfortable.”
DinoDude jumped up in sudden alarm, and the others whirled in fright. They had been in their room for five minutes already, and had not noticed Jeff calmly sitting on a chair in the corner, once again puffing his pipe. His hood was drawn back, and they could clearly see his dark green eyes, black hair and beard.
“Can’t you at least knock and say hello, like most normal people?” said Mad-Rex, after calming down slightly.
“Shall I now?” asked Jeff. He got up, knocked on the door and said, “Hello. That better?”
Mad-Rex arched his eyebrow reprovingly. Seth-Rex stepped forward.
“You said you wanted a word with me, correct?”
“That’s right. Some advice, and a request. The request is my payment for the advice.”
“All right, let’s hear this request. If you want money, too bad. I’ve got precious little as it is and all of it would not satisfy a rogue like yourself.”
Jeff laughed. “Rogue, is it? You think I am a petty thief? No, no, my price is much more affordable and rewarding for us all.”
“Indeed. Let’s have it, then. What do you want?”
“Just to come with you, and drop out of the group when I see fit.”
“Oh really! Well on your part, that’s too bad. If I wanted another companion I’d have asked for it, and in your case, I want to know just about everything I can about you before you join me.”
“Ah,” said Jeff, nodding in satisfaction. “So you are coming to your senses. It’s about time. As for what I know…let’s start with the basics. I can avoid being seen if I wish, it is a trick of my trade. But to disappear entirely is a rare gift indeed. And I was coming into this site via a small bush path I know this very evening. I was in a bush when, by the river, five ponies jumped over and one stayed behind. A forest guardian on the sixth went back home, and the other five headed towards town after one rider gave a little pep talk, which interested me greatly. What was it he said? Ah yes…‘Here we are. Remember that my name is Underhill. None of you know anyone named Baggins. Got it? Good.’ I climbed over the gate after you left Jimmy the gatekeeper. So a Mr. Baggins left his name behind for a good reason, but I advise him to take a bit more care while entertaining locals!”
“Very well, but why does his name interest anyone in this town? You, in particular. So a Mr. Jeff listened to private conversations for what may or may not be a good reason, but I advise him to give us that reason or I’ll jam a Barrow sword into him!” growled Mad-Rex.
Everyone looked at him, including their guest.
“What’s your problem?” asked DinoDude.
“Eh? Oh, he is. I don’t like the look of him,” answered Mad-Rex, drawing his sword. Jeff looked at it.
“So you are equipped. Excellent.”
“Keep talking, Jeff. I’ve got a shield as well!” Indeed he did, and he drew a small shield which, like Seth-Rex’s, had a familiar mark on it. Jeff nodded.
“Ah, good. That fits.”
“What does?”
“Shall I continue? I can get to that.”
“Very well.”
“Now, my reason for eavesdropping is simple. I was told by a friend of mine to watch for a newbie by the name of Baggins, as he held something perilously important.”
The newbies all jumped six feet into the air and landed with loud thuds.
“That secret something concerned me, I was told, and it looks as though old enemies are on the hunt for it.”
“Old enemies?” echoed Seth-Rex.
“I think you know them. I have met them before, but not in the shape they take now. They came through Yahoo not long ago, disguised as Riders in black.”
The newbies were silent.
“What are they?” whispered DinoDude.
“I will tell later when your other friend returns. But for now, please listen. You may think your cut through the forest led them amiss, but it did not, especially after that little stunt you pulled. They will come for you in greater numbers. How many did you see?”
“Three.”
“There are six you have not met yet, then. They will come. And not all the Yahoo people are to be trusted. Nick Gardner, for example. He makes mischief for amusement. You saw him, correct? That sneering guy with one of the dark Southerners. He’d sell you out to anyone who paid him.”
“And you propose to us protection.”
“Yes, and I can do it. You want to know why?”
“Why?”
“Because they are coming for you. They will not stop until you are found. They will find you, they will take your little secret, and you will die. Take me and I can help hold them off.”
Seth-Rex contemplated this.
“What do you want in return?” he asked.
“Nothing. You see, I know what your secret is and what it can do. If that Ring is taken, you and the entire Internet are screwed. And I’m putting it lightly.”
Seth-Rex thought it over (while concerned that he knew about the Ring), and then replied.
“All right, I’ll consider. But I want to discuss it with all of my friends, I will give you a definite answer tomorrow.”
“Very well,” said Jeff. “But one more thing. Don’t spend the night in this room. Take mine, it is safer.”
Suddenly, Spinoboy burst inside looking horrified.
“Seth-Rex! It’s them! It’s the Riders, here in the village! I saw them asking around for a newbie named…”
At that moment, he spotted Jeff. DinoDude looked at him.
“It’s all right, it’s all right. He knows,” assured DinoDude. Spinoboy looked at them. They promised to explain later.
“Oh, and Seth-Rex,” said Spinoboy. “Cameron told me to give you this. Apparently he knows as well. Someone we know told him the name you’re going under, and he left this. Cameron forgot to post it.”
He handed Seth-Rex something. It was a small letter with a familiar mark on it.
“A letter to me from Icebreaker!” he cried. Hurriedly, he opened it. It read:
“Dear Seth-Rex,
I said to you I am going to see the head of my order, and I am, but I forgot to tell you a few things. Mainly, you may meet a friend of mine near Yahoo. He’s a tall surfer that tends to keep to himself. Around there he’s known as Jeff, but there may be impostors, so ask for his true name. If he says Aragorn, he’s telling the truth. You must make sure it is him. Also, I have learned that agents of the dark lord are quickly nearing you. GET AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN! And do NOT use IT ever, or they will be drawn to you and swoop down like an eagle on a rat. Don’t travel by night. Good luck.
Yours in haste,
Icebreaker.”
Seth-Rex looked up.
“Why the bloody hell didn’t you say you knew Icebreaker in the first place?! You’d have saved a lot of trouble!”
“Would you have believed me?” questioned Jeff. “Besides, I had to make sure it was you and not some drunken vagrant.”
“True, that,” agreed Spinoboy.
“Now,” said Jeff. “I have not seen that letter, but taking a wild guess, he said make sure it was I, Aragorn, and not an impostor, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s your lucky day, because that’s exactly who I am. I can lead you through the forests and keep the Riders off your tail with a few weapons.”
He drew back his cloak and showed the hilt of a sword in its scabbard. They all stared.
“It actually has been more of a knife for 3 millennia or so, but I do not care. See what I mean? Here…”
He drew the sword and held it up. It was broken halfway down the blade somehow. He put it back.
“I keep it with me. It is a part of my birthright. Now come, Spinoboy. Who did you see the Riders questioning?”
Spinoboy stirred.
“Oh…a guy with a nasty sneer and black hair. He had a bloke that looked different to most Yahoo folk with him. Why?”
Jeff smacked his hand into a table.
“Damn! Nick Gardner and the southerner! Now they know for sure the Ring is here! How many Riders were there?”
“Five, I think, but…”
Jeff didn’t let him finish. He stood up and opened the door and hurried them out.
“Come! Or else they will find you!”
He led them to a room a way from theirs. It over looked the street and had a window that could see 180 degrees around. They could plainly see the newbie room they had left. Jeff looked at them and walked out.
“I must talk to the innkeeper. He, Scott and Mike all must know by now who you really are, Seth-Rex. I must get them to prepare your room to look convincing. Get into bed.”
Jeff left. The newbies climbed into a bed and lay there. Before long Jeff returned with Scott and Mike.
“We’ve done the three pillow trick, guys,” said Scott. “It looks pretty convincing.”
“Oh, and Mr. B…er, Underhill, I made a paper bag to look like your head. We hope it helps,” assured Mike. They were thanked and left, shutting and locking the door on their way out. Jeff sat down in a chair by the window and told them to go to sleep.
***
Five dark shapes, unseen by Yahoo’s inhabitants, stood in the street outside. The black horses they rode stood silent next to them. One of them drew a knife and carefully jabbed at the window. A tiny crack appeared, and it used the knife to extend the crack. Eventually, a large hole was cut in the glass, large enough for the five shapes to leap in. They were in the correct room; four newbie-sized lumps were in bed, and the head was poking out of one of them. The tall figure sheathed the knife it had used to cut the glass, and the other four drew out huge swords. Silently, they crossed the room until one was at each bed and the tall fifth one stood in the middle of the room. They raised the swords slowly…and jammed them into the covers, penetrating them and stabbing the lumps inside. Relentlessly they stabbed into the forms below the sheets until they were sure no living creature could survive being such a pincushion. Then they ripped back the covers. What a shock they got. All of the forms were nothing but pillows! And the head that had been showing? Nothing but a paper bag! In rage, the figures picked up the beds and threw them around, shattering the windows and thudding against the walls. A voice on the other side of the wall yelled out.
“Oi! Shut up! I’m trying to sleep in here, you bastards!”
The tall figure smashed down the door in rage and erupted into the next room. The coarse person screamed, but it was too late for anyone to save him. All five figures tumbled out the windows, screaming in rage. They mounted their horses and rode out of the town, furious at being tricked. No matter; they would find the newbie, and kill him. If they didn’t, if he somehow avoided them, Shniz had plenty more to throw at him. He would not make it far. They had never failed yet, and they would not fail now.
Would they?
Chapter 13
Jeff showed them the wreck that had been their room. The windows were shattered, the beds and sheets were everywhere (one had even gone out into the street), the pillows were all covered with holes, the carpet was in shreds, and no one ever saw the paper bag again. Seth-Rex knew how lucky they had been to escape the Riders once more, but before they could go through the mess, Cameron burst in and slipped on a scrap of carpet. He fell face down (again! Bloody incompetent!) and saw the wreckage of one of his rooms. Only the fireplace was unscathed; the rest was in tatters. The body of the dead person next door was found hanging upside down in a cupboard.
“No! What is this Web coming to? Guests can’t sleep safe and my precious things are wrecked, other parts of my inn are looted! No, no, no no no no no!” While he was yelling ‘No!’ over and over he hit his head into the ground. Jeff patted his back, trying to comfort him.
“Don’t worry. When we go you may be left alone, so…wait, what did you say about the rest of the inn being looted?”
“The stables, Jeff, the stables! Someone let out every horse, pony and mule in the stables!”
Seth-Rex was astounded. How where they supposed to get to wherever they were going on foot with the Riders on their trail?
“Can we buy something in the village? A pony, horse, mule, donkey, cow…”
“I’ll ask,” said the innkeeper depressingly. “But I doubt it. Now go to breakfast.”
Breakfast was a silent meal. Some bread and cereal and water, that was all. Just as they finished, Cameron approached them.
“We have a pony. It wasn’t one that was in the stables and it looks pretty ragged but it’s the best we’ll find.”
Spinoboy and Jeff went to inspect it, leaving the others to finish whatever was left. After twenty minutes, the two returned with bruised fists. Mad-Rex asked them what had happened.
“Nick Gardner claimed he owned the pony,” replied Jeff. “He wanted to be paid so we beat him up and left him semi-conscious in a pool of blood and mud. We only did it because everyone thinks he let the horses out to try and make some money while blaming the Riders. Knowing him, it’s pretty likely.”
“What of the pony?” demanded Mad-Rex. He didn’t trust Jeff.
“It’s pretty ragged, like Cameron said. Skin and bones, like a trout,” commented Spinoboy. “But it’s the best we have so we may as well use it.”
Jeff cut in.
“We must go now, before the Wraiths return. Hurry up.”
So as fast as they could, they packed everything they had and loaded the pony up. They said goodbye to Cameron, Scott and Mike, and quickly tried to exit the town. Most of the Yahoo folk were still in too much shock at what had happened in the night to notice them leaving, bar one man next to a hedge near the East Gate. It was Nick Gardner, still sneering, but now with two black eyes and a cut on his cheek to match. He watched them walk towards him and spoke up.
“Well, well, got some friends at long last, Guffrey?” he smirked. Jeff glared at him. Gardner turned to Mad-Rex. “And you, Maddie, you better not treat my poor pony wrong or there’ll be trouble for you!”
In reply, Mad-Rex stooped and picked up a stone and hurled it as hard as he could at the moronic extortionist. Ironically, the pebble caught the wind and went directly into Gardner’s eye. Loud curses and snarls of pain could be heard for the rest of the day.
Jeff led them far and wide across the countryside, as far as he could inside one day. For hours and hours they trekked through woods and plains without seeing hide nor hair of the Riders, or, for that matter, anything else living, bar the mosquitoes that swarmed them in the swamp they had to stay the night in. They were heartily disgusted that they had to camp at the border of the swamp, and even more disgusted that DinoDude had forgotten insect repellent.
“Bloody clod,” moaned Mad-Rex as the mosquitoes attacked him. “What do they eat when there’s no newbies?!”
It wasn’t until that night, though, that Seth-Rex remembered something.
“Jeff?” he asked. “Where are you taking us?”
Jeff looked at him and replied, “To the same place Icebreaker would have taken you. To Dan’s JP3 Page. Tell your friends that if they ask. But for now, we are heading to Bungie, a hill not far from here. We should reach it tomorrow.”
Nothing more was said that night, except for several profane words from the newbies to the mosquitoes that shall not be repeated.
Their endless hike lasted long through the next day. The crickets and grasshoppers’ endless clicking ended as they left the swamp behind, but for some obscure reason, the mosquitoes did no such thing. In the end the newbies took a half-hour break to swat as many as they could before Jeff hurriedly pushed them on. After a day and several more hours of weary travelling and mosquito bites, they came to a small hill with a wrecked tower upon it. Jeff looked at it.
“The great watch tower,” he mumbled before turning to the newbies. “This is the hill Bungie. It was once part of a great kingdom, and is now a ruin. Come, we must set up camp.”
“Erm…are there any barrows on this hill?” asked DinoDude nervously.
“No, no barrows. Just ruins of the tower. It may look uninviting but as to that I cannot help.”
On top of the hill, they looked around in amazement. It looked around for miles in every direction. They could easily see Yahoo from where they stood, and could only just barely make out the Kazaa in the distance. Thankfully, there was no sign of any of the Riders.
Jeff set them doing odd jobs, like collecting firewood and taking some food from the pony. The pony munched some grass nearby, just as it started to get dark. Jeff told them to put the fire out and walked away, saying something about keeping watch. They stamped out the fire and had a few apples. Before long they felt carefree and were joking around loudly. Soon, however, DinoDude produced a bottle of beer he must have taken from the Prancing Gallimimus. He wrenched the top off, but before he could drink it, Seth-Rex swatted it away.
“No alcohol,” he said sternly. DinoDude looked upset when suddenly…
A loud, bloodcurdling screech pierced through the still night. The four newbies whirled in sudden terror and peeked over the side of the hill. On the ground, five dark shapes were swiftly heading towards the hill. As fast as they could, they drew their swords and shields and sprinted to a small alcove, hoping that the figures might miss them completely. Soon, the five figures were on the hilltop, staring around for some sign of the newbies. But they were in vain; the newbies appeared to have vanished. As it was, they were not more than three feet from the tall one, but with the moon hidden, the fire extinguished and the stars not out, they could not see their prey. They could sense the Ring nearby but could not see it. They all turned to leave and walked to where they had come, when just as one turned for a last look, the moon came out and flashed upon something in the alcove. It was Mad-Rex’s shield the moonlight had caught, and the figure had seen it! It whirled around, screeching in rage, and the others came too, in confusion, until the moon glinted off the shield again. The newbies knew at once what had happened, and could do no more than fight. Quickly, they hurried from the alcove and readied themselves as the figures advanced. The one who had spotted them halted two feet in front of Mad-Rex, who had run to the front of the group. He glared at it, trying to appear braver than he felt. The short figure that had seen the flash drew a large sword and lunged. Mad-Rex leapt to the side with a roar.
“Back, you monsters!” he bellowed, and dived at his opponent. But it wasn’t long before the black figure gained the upper hand, and soon swatted Mad-Rex in the face, and he flew back to collide with a rock, unconscious. Meanwhile, DinoDude tried to hold them off and lunged. He stabbed ruthlessly at another figure, trying to impale it in the gut, but the figure shoulder-charged him and swept him away. Spinoboy stared at his two unconscious friends and charged bravely at the other shorter figures.
“The Kazaa!” he cried as he attacked them with a sudden speed and ferocity they hadn’t anticipated. He drove one back from his never-ceasing bombardment of blade, but the other soon brought an armoured fist down on his head, and tossed him away like a biscuit. The short figures approached their targets and raised their swords, about to stab down, as the tall one approached Seth-Rex. He dropped his sword and shield in sudden terror and backed away from it. As he did so, he tripped over and fell, and as he did, something rolled from his pocket. He stared. The Ring! He grabbed it and looked back. The tall figure had seen it. He gave a slight screech to alert the others. The four shorter ones turned and stared, and abandoned their quarries. Soon all five were converging on him, the tallest out in front. He snatched up his sword, climbed to his feet, picked up his shield and in a fit of inspiration from fear, he dived past them and ran.
“Help! They’re everywhere!” he yelled as he ran, and as he did, he tripped again and accidentally slipped the Ring on. At once, the figures whirled.
“We shall find you…the Ring is ours…” they hissed.
“Never!” he screamed, but it was too late. The tall one was above him, and instead of a sword, he held a deadly knife. But with the Ring on, he did not see them as tall, hooded black figures, but tall, white faced kings of surfers, deformed almost beyond recognition. Using all the might he could, he stabbed his sword right into the figure, and in retaliation, the figure shoved its knife into his shoulder. His screams filled the wrecked tower, and suddenly a bellow of rage answered as a shadowy figure vaulted over the wall with a broken sword and a flaming stick in his hands.
Jeff!
He lashed out with the burning stick and kicked the tall figure back past its accomplices and into the wall. The others were racked with amazement, but soon one lunged forward with a sword outstretched.
“Foolish surfer…”
But it was the figure that was foolish. Jeff parried the slash it made and struck it with the fiery stick. Its folds of cloaks burst into flame immediately, and it screeched in horror as it sprinted away and down the hill. The other three shorter figures advanced on him, but he jumped over them, turned and spin-kicked the one on the left. It fell against the wall, and its friends charged again. But this time, Jeff stood firm, and as they charged, he did so, too; and he collided with one, knocking it back, and he lighted its hood. It screamed and toppled over the edge of the hill, rolling down and setting the grass alight. The one he had spin-kicked stood up uneasily, and they both ran at him. He jumped up quickly to a rock above them, and they accidentally ran into each other. Jeff reached down and lashed out again with the stick, and two more figures caught fire. Screeching, they jumped out after the other two and sprinted away. Only one more was left to be accounted for; the tall one. It regained its footing behind Jeff’s back and headed for Seth-Rex. Jeff turned and glared at it in rage. It turned its invisible head to look at him, and he threw the stick right into its head, where it stuck. It screamed and wrenched the stick from its forehead but it was still on fire. As it ran about screaming, Jeff picked up the smouldering stick and bludgeoned the blazing figure in the back, and soon, it too had fallen from the keep, lighting yet more of the grass.
Mad-Rex, DinoDude and Spinoboy had recovered from their brief duels and sprinted over to their fallen friend. He was unconscious but soon sat up. His eyes looked very glazed, but before they could say anything Jeff ran over.
“Hurry!” he cried. “The grass around the hill is on fire, and if we don’t get away now we shall be trapped!”
They needed no further encouragement. Jeff scooped up the small knife the figure had stabbed Seth-Rex with, and all five ran from the tower, and Mad-Rex grabbed the pony, leading it away.
Not far off, the figures rolled about on the ground, trying to extinguish the flames on their cloaks. Soon the flames were out, and they beheld Bungie on fire from base to top. Nothing alive could survive that. One of them turned to the tall one.
“Are they still there?” it hissed. The tall one shook its head. No, they could sense the Ring on the move. The newbies and their surfer friend had all survived. But the figures didn’t care; they had pierced the Ring-bearer with a Hyper blade, and a few surprises would be in store for him now…
Chapter 14
Seth-Rex was laid down on the grass. The others examined him. He looked fairly disgruntled.
“Why do you do this?” he protested. “I’m fine. I was stabbed but I survived it, I’ll be fine.”
“Actually not,” said Jeff. “Look at this.”
He held up the knife that the figure had stabbed Seth-Rex. As they watched, the blade dissolved and blew away in the wind.
“It’s a Hyper blade,” said Jeff. “These often have strange lasting effects which I don’t know enough about to try and heal. We must get you to Dan’s JP3 Page as soon as possible.”
He turned to the others.
“He will feel sick and weak by morning. Take some things off the pony; Seth-Rex will have to ride it.”
Much to the protest of Seth-Rex, he was put securely on the pony. Mad-Rex started to tow it in the direction the others were walking.
“But Icebreaker said not to travel by night,” said Mad-Rex, but Jeff countered that.
“And I’d agree if Seth-Rex hadn’t been wounded. Now we need to cover as much ground as possible in as little time as we can. Moving like this, we should reach Dan’s JP3 Page in seven days at least, which is much quicker than travelling by day only. So, move it or they may catch us again. I’ll deal with whoever had that beer bottle later.”
Not wishing to be spoken to, DinoDude quickly said, “Can you at least tell us what those things are now?”
“They are Site-wraiths. The Messengers of the East. They are the captains of Shniz, and there are nine of them. They are headed by the Witch-King of InGenNet and his lieutenant Cheetah. The Witch-King was the one who stabbed Seth-Rex. Where Cheetah was, I do not know. They were once surfers like me, great kings, until Shniz the Treacherous Deceiver presented them with the Nine Rings of Power. They took them without reluctance, blinded by greed and desire for power, and became the Wraiths you know them as. I have had dealings with them before, though they did not know it. They know Icebreaker well; he discovered Shniz taking power in his fortress in E-Bay, and after Shniz left, we suspect Cheetah took over. But all nine have left E-Bay and Hotmail to find the Ring. Icebreaker was lucky to escape the forest, as all nine of them converged on him. But now, they seek a new target, and they will recognise him on sight now. I was foolish to leave you alone. You nearly avoided them, and for that I give you credit, but you really should not have drawn your weapons if you were hiding. But I guess no blame can be laid until we are safe in Dan’s JP3 Page. Now hurry!”
All through the night and well into the next day they ran as fast as they could. They stopped for rests every seven hours and ate slight rations every time. If they felt they had to answer nature’s call, they had to wait until they reached the next stop. For two days straight they ran, on the same rest schedule, and saw neither scorched hide or scarred hair of the Wraiths. While they wondered over the location of the Witch-King and his four burnt cronies, they felt more concerned about Cheetah and the other three they had not seen yet. They didn’t know it, but Cheetah and two of his followers were the three to enter the Kazaa. It was Cheetah who had nearly caught them at the river. The fourth was waiting somewhere else for them, and Cheetah and the other two had met him later. Now they were hiding somewhere in the wilderness, and, for all the newbies knew, about to pounce on them from the undergrowth.
On the third day of running, they had a slight hindrance. DinoDude volunteered to run ahead and scout a path through. Jeff reluctantly agreed and sent him on, telling him to run straight back if he saw something, and screech like an eagle if he couldn’t. DinoDude ran on while the others jogged behind him. After ten minutes he came bolting back, out of breath, his face livid.
“There are things down there! Big skeletons or whatever! I could have sworn one moved!”
Jeff drew his broken sword and advanced cautiously. He reached the bottom of the slope, waving the newbies on behind him. When he arrived in the clearing, he looked around. There were three skeletons, all right, but they looked long dead. They all stared at DinoDude, who went red, pointed at one and insisted it had moved before. That was explained when the wind kicked again and rattled the skeleton. DinoDude looked heartily embarrassed. But as Seth-Rex looked around, he realised what the skeletons were.
“Hang on,” he said. “I know what they are! These are the three raptors that Martin was talking about…the ones that were going to eat him and the sprites, and were in turn eaten by the Tyrannosaur! Wow, we are forgetting our family history!”
Jeff laughed.
“I heard that story. I never would have guessed that these were the same raptors. Oh well, as much as I’d like to inspect these, I think we had better get going. Come on,”
***
Hours later, the skeletons remained untouched by anything but wind…but in the undergrowth, something moved. The moonlight cast down through the bushes, and out of them crept five dark shapes on large black horses. One got off its horse, bent over and looked at the ground. Whatever it was looking for, it found; it stood up and nodded to the tallest of the riders. If the tall shadow had eyes they would have narrowed; their prey was only hours ahead. They could catch up.
***
Far behind them, Seth-Rex heard a strange sound, carried by the wind. Night had passed and it was now dawn of the fourth morning since they had left Bungie, and Seth-Rex heard something several miles behind. They were still going through forest; could it have been an animal of the woods? No, surely not, it was too clear to be mistaken for a forest creature. He spoke up.
“They’re behind us.”
Everyone turned and looked at him. No one asked whom he meant by ‘they’. All four knew perfectly well.
“I know the sound their horses made; I know for certain I heard one far behind.”
“We must move as fast as possible,” said Jeff grimly. “Move. Now!”
They plunged through the forest, going faster than before. Hours passed, no one protested at the lack of rests, and Seth-Rex began to feel a little woozy. Suddenly, around midday, he retched and spewed over the side of the pony. Everyone stopped and let him continue. None could remember him eating this much, but it came out anyway. Jeff looked grim.
“The effects of the knife are taking hold. I find it surprising that it took four days. A surfer would have succumbed to it in a quarter of time. We must press on as hard as we can if we are to get him healed.”
“What happens if we’re too late?” queried Spinoboy nervously.
“He’ll descend into the shadow realm, and become something like them, except slightly weaker. He’ll walk willingly into their clutches if he can and they’ll take him straight to Shniz.”
The three newbies felt they might join Seth-Rex in throwing up. This news scared them. They were about to move on when…
A rustling in the bushes made everyone freeze. Jeff drew his broken sword and Seth-Rex’s, but as they watched, Seth-Rex’s cracked into several pieces and fell apart, but before it could be explained, a tall figure leapt from the bushes.
“What the…” he cried and held back the knife he had ready. Jeff stared.
“It’s you!” he cried in joy. “I don’t believe it!”
“Aragorn, you sneak!” laughed the newcomer. “What kept you?”
Jeff’s expression darkened.
“Wraiths,” he said. “The Messengers of the East. The Witch-King and four of his cronies caught us at Bungie and wounded one of our company.”
He indicated Seth-Rex, who was watching this and still retching. Jeff turned to the newbies.
“This is Carna. He is a veteran who resides at Dan’s JP3 Page, one of Dan’s advisors.”
“This one on the pony would be…the Ring-bearer, Seth-Rex, correct?”
“Yes,” said Jeff. “The Witch-King stabbed him with a Hyper blade.”
He handed Carna the handle of the knife. Carna studies it and nodded. He was a tall veteran, with short black hair and brown tunic under a dark green cloak.
“Yes, the effects are taking hold,” he said, handing the knife back to Jeff. “The Witch-King, you say? Was Cheetah one of the cronies you speak of?”
“No,” said Jeff. “We do not know where Cheetah and the other three are. We left the Witch-King behind and ran on ahead, but earlier today Seth-Rex said he could hear them behind us.”
“So five are behind you. Unfortunately, Cheetah and the other three are much closer. I set out to find you at dawn, two days ago. I came to the river and found Cheetah and his accomplices waiting to cut you off. I managed to lure them away, but now they are somewhere close. As we stand and talk now, they all nine get closer from different directions.”
“We must hurry,” agreed Jeff. “Is your horse near here? If they catch us it would be a good idea to send Seth-Rex away on your horse as fast as possible.”
“Yes, he’s here,” said Carna, and led them to the finest horse they had ever seen. It was a silvery white and looked marvellous. The pony walked up and Carna had a brief chat with it. They used this opportune moment to put Seth-Rex on the horse. He had stopped puking now, but he was very pale and his eyes were glazed over. Quickly, the others gathered their equipment and continued their running for another hour when…
“What was that?” said Mad-Rex. He had heard something not far off, something…alive.
“What was what?” asked Spinoboy.
“Quiet!” said Carna. “I heard it too.”
They stood still for a while as Carna listened, straining his ears. Then he stood straight upright.
“It’s them!” he said urgently. He pushed the pony, Jeff and the three newbies into the bushes, then spoke to Seth-Rex.
“You must ride on! They will catch you otherwise!”
But Seth-Rex was not listening. A strange reluctance had seized him. Carna swore and spoke to the horse instead. What he said, no one could understand (except Jeff) because it was in a veteran language. Whatever it meant, the horse understood; it suddenly sprinted away. Carna watched it for a moment, then joined the others in the bushes. For five minutes they sat there and nothing happened. Carna and Jeff silenced them, just to be safe. Then…
The sound of horses running met their ears, and suddenly four dark horses vaulted over the bushes they sat in. At the same time, five more appeared from where they had come. A brief conversation of hissing ensued between the nine dark figures cloaked in black that sat upon the horses. They noted that the leader of the group of four was not as tall as the leader of the five, yet taller than the rest. He was obviously the one named Cheetah they had heard about. The tallest, the Witch-King, spoke briefly to Cheetah, and Cheetah nodded and pointed in the direction the horse had gone. Quickly, all nine spun their horses and sped off after Carna’s horse. Jeff, Carna, Mad-Rex, Spinoboy and DinoDude all emerged behind them.
“Hurry!” said Carna, and all of them (Mad-Rex still towing the pony along) sprinted as fast as they could behind the Wraiths.
***
Seth-Rex rode on and on and on, and the horse he rode showed no signs of slowing down. He vaguely remembered Carna and his arrival, but he had been sick then, and he could only vaguely recall it as though it was something he wanted to forget. The bumping of the horse had sort of revived him from his sick stupor, but as he looked back, he was terrified at what he saw. The horse had left the woodland behind and was bolting across an open plain, and he had turned around just in time to see nine huge black horses burst from the trees, carrying nine tall figures cloaked in black. The Wraiths! He clutched the horse in terror.
“Please, if you can go faster, do it, or they’ll kill us!” he begged the horse, not really expecting a response, but to his surprise he got one; the horse suddenly sprinted faster. A dust cloud kicked up behind them, and Seth-Rex laughed as the Wraiths, staring in amazement, were blanketed in it.
“That’s good! Keep it up!”
The horse continued to run and entered a new group of trees. Seth-Rex allowed the horse to steer and turned around to watch the Wraiths, so he would know if the horse would need to speed up more. As he watched, the Wraiths entered the woods as well, and one of them, behind the biggest, didn’t notice a tree right in front of them. The Witch-King managed to jump out of the way, but the other collided with the tree and fell behind, slightly stunned. Seth-Rex laughed again, but this time the Wraiths heard him and screeched in rage. The one that had fallen behind got back up and sprinted after them. The Wraiths seemed to increase their speed and started to catch up. Seth-Rex quickly said this to the horse and they went slightly faster. But in a blinding instant, Seth-Rex had left the trees behind and was sitting on the horse on the side of a river, facing the way he had come. The Wraiths emerged on the other side and stood in a line, with the Witch-King in the middle and Cheetah next to him. The Witch-King stepped forward and said something in a horrible, raspy hiss of a voice.
“We shall catch you, newbie.”
Feeling brave, Seth-Rex sat up.
“You want me, come and get me!”
The Wraiths all laughed wildly at his statement.
“Get him!” snarled Cheetah, and all nine poured into the water. The horse backed up and Seth-Rex drew his shield, preparing to fight them all. As he watched, the sunlight suddenly shot off his shield, at a bright light in the air, and suddenly all the Wraiths stopped, turned and stared upstream. As they watched, an enormous wall of water flowed towards them. The newbie and the Wraiths all could have sworn the water at the front was shaped into the forms of several charging Triceratops, and it all slammed into the Wraiths. They washed away, screeching in amazement. Seth-Rex could’ve sworn he heard one yell.
“What the bloody hell?!!”
Seth-Rex laughed, when all of a sudden his stomach clinched and heaved. He threw up and fell off the horse, landing on the ground. He was vaguely aware of a tall shape standing over him, and the horse scooped him up with his cloak in its mouth, tossed him onto its back and sprinted up the hill.
“You were great,” he managed to choke out before he faded into unconsciousness.
Across the river, a veteran, a surfer and three newbies sprinted after them.
1/17/2007 11:13:18 PM
(Updated: 3/1/2007 2:24:46 PM)
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