The Faithful and the Fallen discussion

Corban is in the Baglun, enjoying the peace and recalling tales his father Thannon would tell him while working his forge. At the thought of hidden outlaws I think Corban may have slowed willow's pace.

He finds himself riding towards the oathstone. A huge slab of dark rock scribed with runes in a language long forgotten. A remnant of the giants that dwelt there once. When Corban touches the stone the glade darkens and all manner of strange things happen. When he pulls his hand away his fingertips are stained red. While he contemplates this his heart is pounding, his vision blurs and he is falling.

When he wakes he is still in the glade but the world around him is different. 'As if all colour had been leached from the world.'

A strange figure approaches him and claims he has been looking for him. Corban determins the man is old, ancient even but bases this on the figures eyes.

The figure explains he has need of Corban's talents. When Corban asks why him the figure says 'Not all are able, capable of helping him, but there is something about Corban, something of value.'

Corban asks what the task is and the figure tells him he must find something. He offers to show Corban, he covers Corban's eyes and Corban finds himself in a room, at its centre sat a great cauldron. Taller and wider than a man. A figure emerges from within the cauldron. Corban studies this figure but senses something behind him, he wants to turn but finds he can't. Out of the corner of his eyes he sees two great, white-feathered wings and the figure before him raises its arms as if to ward off a blow.

Corban later wakes back in the glade, the world has returned to how it was before he touched the oathstone. He hears an inhuman howl, at first he thinks it is an echo of the scream he heard the figure make before he woke but after a moment realises they are real. After a little contemplation he walks his horse towards the sound. His friend Dylan warned him of the Baglun's deadly bogs that could pull you down and smother the life from you.

Eventually he comes to the source of the sound. 'Not more than twenty paces in front of him was the head and shoulders of a wolven.'These were fearsome pack hunters, bred by the giant clans during the War of Treasures. They were wolf-like but bigger, stronger, and with a sharp intelligence. It is stuck in the bog and Corban finds himself in a dilemma, he wants to help it but realises it would probably just kill him and his now-nervous horse. After feeling his way forwards and nearly losing a leg to the bog he pulls a rope from the supplies Gar packed for him and eventually manages to get the rope around the wolven, he then ties his end to his saddle and his horse pulls the wolven free. When the wolven is free his horse bolts. Corban notices the wolven is in pup. He sees eyes all around him and realises the pack has come, he thinks he will soon be dead...

After an appraising sniff the rescued wolven bounds away deeper into the Baglun.

Corban has been walking for a while now and comes to terms with the fact that he is probably lost. He climbs a tree in the hopes of seeing Dun Carreg and at least confirming his direction. After falling out of the tree he hears a voice calling, he runs to it and for the second time in the story, Gar has come with Willow to help Corban.

This was were the book really got it's claws into me and hooked me ;) I loved the scene in the Baglun and find the Wolven very intriguing.