"Now, now, do not thank me. These are gifts from Tyr as much as they are from myself. I wish to be a valuable part of your group. Tyr will watch over all of us. Now, we should prepare for our journey."

Gamaliel led the way out of the chamber. The sky was growing dark. Knowing his mistress's habits, the barbarian spoke. "We'd better find a place to camp. It'll be dark soon, and we need a safe place to sleep. I assume you'll want to build a fire."

No one was in favor of sleeping in the graveyard, and Evaine explained she would need a place clear of the evil influences of such a site for her spell. She instructed Gamaliel to run ahead and find a clearing for them. He bolted out of the graveyard and was gone before the sorceress could explain.

"Gamaliel's a fast runner and an excellent tracker. He'll find a campsite in no time. And he may even have dinner for us by the time we arrive." Talenthia scowled, thinking that the sorceress was probably just bragging. Ren and Andoralson doubted anyone could be that efficient, but said nothing.

Evaine continued. "Is the ghost's black blade still lying in the grass? We can't just leave it here for anyone to find. Miltiades, what should we do with it?"

The knight spoke solemnly. "The blade certainly should be hidden, but no one may touch it. The safest place for it will be inside my tomb."

Without a word, Evaine strode to the site of the battle. The smoldering blade still lay in the blackened grass. The sorceress spoke a few words, and a green mist flowed from her hands. The vapor enveloped the sword and raised it a few feet off the ground. Concentrating, Evaine slowly walked toward the tomb with the blade suspended in the air ahead of her. She entered the tomb and promptly reappeared. "Is there anything else that should be done to safeguard that sword?"

Miltiades nodded and asked the other men to assist him at the entrance to the crypt. The doors were pushed shut with an unearthly creaking noise.

Gamaliel suddenly appeared at the edge of the graveyard. "I've found our campsight. Follow me." The companions gathered their horses and set out on foot after the barbarian. In moments, they arrived at a secluded clearing. The babbling of a stream filled the air. Two huge jackrabbits, freshly caught, lay at the center of the clearing.

Anything else I can do? Gamaliel silently asked Evaine.

The sorceress shook her head and chuckled. She knew he had transformed into a giant cat the instant he was out of sight. The others wondered what she found so funny, but were afraid to ask.

"If you'll be coming with us, Miltiades, you'll be needing a horse. Evaine, do you have anything in your magical bag of tricks that'll give him a horse?" Ren's voice was joking, but he wouldn't have been surprised if she had produced a steed.

"No need, ranger. I have my mount." The paladin reached into a pocket and drew out a miniature stallion carved of ivory. He held it out to Evaine, who grinned and nodded, then he set the figurine on the ground and spoke a word of magic. In a white flash, a fully saddled stallion appeared in the clearing. Talenthia eagerly admired the horse, then Miltiades reduced it to a statuette again and slipped it into a pocket.

The group quickly divided up the work of gathering firewood and preparing the rabbits. Evaine announced that as soon as everyone was settled, she would place a spell of protection around the site. Ren asked for volunteers to take turns on nightwatch.

"That won't be necessary," Miltiades stated. "I do not need sleep. I will be awake the entire night, and I am more than happy to serve as your guard." The exhausted party accepted the knight's offer gratefully. Still, Evaine was glad to have Gamaliel around-just in case.

When the meal was finished and everyone was settled, Evaine asked for attention. She would be casting her spell at dawn and insisted on explaining the procedure and giving instructions.

"This is one of the most dangerous spells a wizard can cast. It is not dangerous to the five of you, but it could kill me or render me insane. If anything goes wrong, I guarantee the result will be disaster.

"If no creatures approach overnight, the ward that I place around this camp will still be in place in the morning. Do not enter or leave the clearing or you will be fried to a cinder before you know what has hit you. I require this safeguard because I can't have monsters wandering into camp in the middle of the spell.

"Ordinarily, I must build a fire and purify it. The brazier will allow me to skip that step and conserve some of my energy.

"Once I begin casting, I cannot have any distractions. You must not speak and you must not walk around. If my concentration is broken, we'll all be sorry.

"I will be gazing into a crystal for the greater portion of the spell. My body and brain will be present, but my mind's eye will be elsewhere. Even if you think I'm in trouble, do not disturb me. Follow Gamaliel's lead if you think I need help. He has seen me cast the spell dozens of times."

The barbarian nodded grimly, and the others silently noted their agreement.

"When the spell ends," the sorceress continued, "the crystal will shatter, but I won't be injured. Gamaliel will take over from there. Follow his instructions; my life will depend on him.

"I will be nearly unconscious all day following the spell. Don't think you can wake me, throw me on a horse, and hit the road. I will have almost no powers, and you'll put us all in danger if you drag me along. All you can do is let me sleep and regain my strength. We can start out again the second morning. Any questions?"

Andoralson snickered. "Can you write down the instructions for this spell so I can try it sometime?" Talenthia's elbow landed squarely in her cousin's ribs.

Evaine's green eyes blazed at the druid. "I know you command some magic, but if you were to try this spell you would spend the rest of your natural life in a coma or hopelessly insane. Your brain would be plagued by monsters of your imagination so horrible that you could do nothing but scream and writhe in your bed. You would die a thousand horrible deaths in your mind and you would be so tortured that you'd wish for death. But you couldn't even ask to be put out of your misery." She scowled, almost daring the druid to ask another snide question.

Andoralson looked sheepish. Miltiades had hung on her every word. Despite her original feelings about the paladin, Evaine had the feeling she was going to appreciate having Miltiades around.

"Ren, I'm going to need you awake and alert during the spell," Evaine said after a moment. "I need you to concentrate on the pool with every ounce of energy you have. It will help me make contact and get a solid fix on its whereabouts." Ren nodded his cooperation, and the sorceress felt somewhat relieved. "I know I can depend on you with the lives of your friends at stake."

Evaine stood and paced the perimeter of the clearing. An emerald mist followed her, dissipating quickly. With the ward in place, the sorceress sat down to study. A few hours later, all the companions were in their bedrolls and sleeping fitfully.

Gamaliel awoke Evaine just before dawn. Miltiades stoically stood guard over the camp as she retrieved the brazier from its miniature bag and removed the platinum cap. To her relief, a bright flame sprang forth.

The sorceress spent nearly half an hour clearing her mind with meditation exercises. When she was ready, she signaled Gamaliel to awaken Ren and the others. The barbarian led the ranger to a position near the brazier, and whispered to the others to keep their distance.

Evaine drew a large crystal from a pocket and performed the same ritual she had used at the campfire a few days earlier. After the crystal was heated by the magical flame, she laid the stone in her lap and began to concentrate.