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explained. We studied his work and soon we were prepared for every major event which would affect this land before it would even happen. When we heard rumors, we knew which were true and which were not. The interpretations have guided us in that respect and we have relied on them ever since.

“To the people of this church, the interpretations have become a great source of strength and hope. They project great things for those that hold to the works of Godson. The interpreter told us of a time when this land would become a place of peace. While I can not reveal to you his work, I can tell you that many of the prophesies have not occurred and are not scheduled to occur for many cycles.”

“I really don’t see what the problem is,” Ryson admitted.

“The problem is that this quake was not prophesied to us. The translator made no mention of such an event in any of his writings. Yet, we have grown accustomed to knowing such events before they occur. Unfortunately, this morning we faced the quake just as the rest of the town, with no warning and no idea that it was coming. For us, this is most unusual. It is also most discomforting. Some of our members are wondering if the interpretations are now in danger of failing. This would be a terrible event, for we have grown to base all of our hopes on these same interpretations.”

“What has the translator to say of this?”

“We can not ask him. His stay with us was only for a few seasons. Such was his way. He would stay temporarily at each church explaining the meaning of the prophesies before moving on to the next. If he were here, he might be able to explain what is wrong, but he is not.”

Ryson considered the tale, scratched the side of his face as he offered his own explanation. “Could he have just missed this one? Or maybe it wasn’t even in the prophecies.”

The reader shook his head. “Every major event has been prophesied and translated for us. I can’t believe he missed it.”

“What if it wasn’t a major event?” Ryson offered. “Maybe this was just a minor incident?”

“Is that what you really think?” the reader eyed him questioningly.

The delver raised an eyebrow and sniffed the air around him. To his senses, he already noticed subtle alterations. “I’m not sure. I sense changes, something in the air. But how important… I just don’t know.”

“I’m sure you can sense things which are beyond my reckoning,” the reader allowed and once again his focus shifted to the lands to the west, “but what about the tremor itself? Wouldn’t you consider experiencing a quake in these parts as out of the ordinary? I’m not even sure of when the last recorded tremor came upon these lands.”

“I would have to agree. The actual quake was a unique event. But who knows how important it really was?” Ryson kicked lightly at the stone steps of the ancient church. “From what I’ve seen so far, the quake has done little to leave its mark. There’s hardly a damaged building to be found. Maybe that’s why your prophet failed to alert you to its coming.”

“I have thought of this myself,” the reader allowed. “It is what I’m saying to comfort the others. It is not, however, making any of us rest easier. We have spent much of the day going over the work of the translator in hopes of finding something we might have missed. We have even gone as far as attempting to interpret prophesies in different ways. We have not done this since the translator made his visit. But our attempts have been useless. It’s a daunting task and we have not been able to find any reference to this strange tremor. It continues to disturb us all, and as I look upon you, my doubts become even heavier.”

Ryson looked thoughtfully at the reader. “Why is that? Have I said anything which bothered you?”

“No, no!” Matthew said apologetically. “It is not in what you have said. Instead, it is in the heightened excitement I sense within you. Your natural instincts are driving you to explore the lands and investigate what has happened. I can see that and that is precisely what worries me. I think your powerful senses might be telling us that there is something important out there.”

Ryson shook his head doubtfully. “I wouldn’t be so certain. I admit my urge is strong, but I’ve never been able to rely upon that with any certainty. There may be nothing more to see than a few cracks in the land or a broken road. I simply won’t be able to tell what’s out there until I make my exploration.”

Matthew nodded in agreement. “That is why I have made this request of you. If you report to us that the quake left little mark on our world, than we will all sleep easier.”

Ryson held out his hand in friendly reassurance. “Then, I’ll ask you to relax, for now. I’ll include you in my reports, and I’ll let you know if there is anything to worry about only when I find it. Due to the nature of your concerns, I will limit my reports to include only the changes I find and not to those seeking supplies or building materials,” Ryson smiled broadly in hopes of breaking the tension which gripped the reader.

The reader chuckled. “Thank you. I doubt we could offer any real help. Leave that to the council.”

“I will,” Ryson replied with a continued smile, “but I will tell you what I see and what I find. I’ll let you interpret this as you see fit. As to finding the source of the quake, I’ll make every attempt to find it, but if I do break off my search, I will send you word.”

“That is all I can ask, even more.” The reader placed his hand upon Ryson’s shoulder. “Go now and do not hesitate to report any of your findings. I need to know the bad as well as the good.”

Chapter 2

At its infancy, Connel sat nestled on the edge of the largest pine forest in the land of Uton. The trees stretched to the south, west and northwest for untold lengths until giving way to rocky ground or mountains. Hills abounded beyond the reaches of the forest as gateways to other landscapes. A scorching desert waited past rocky ravines to the southwest, and hundreds of snow-capped mountains towered over the horizon in the north. A few scattered peaks stood directly west; forming a jagged boundary between the eastern flatland prairies and the western coastlands.

As Connel became more populated, pioneers moved further beyond its limits. Dark Spruce began to shrink steadily as thousands of trees were cleared to create the outlying farmlands. Two new western outposts were also developed, though in much more recent history. The settling of these towns and the increase in farming eventually removed the forest from Connel’s sight. While Dark Spruce remained a large stretch of woodland to the south and southwest, the vein which strove northward was reduced to a narrow band. This thin extension served as a small border between the newly colonized towns and the western mountains.

At the outset of his exploration, Ryson scoured the countryside to the immediate west of Connel. He concentrated first on the pastures and farmlands. Moving on foot at speeds defying human understanding, he covered wide areas while the sun barely moved overhead. His eyes scanned the wide-open lands. He stopped only momentarily to speak with farmers in the field or merchants on the road. To his satisfaction, these outlying lands received little damage.

Finding only traces of the quake’s path in the farmlands, he turned his attention to the neighboring outposts, Burbon and Pinesway. Each received more damage than Connel, but nothing which could not be repaired within a season or two. A few buildings had suffered structural impairment and more than one road had crumbled, but the lasting consequences of the tremor were insignificant. Like nothing more than a strong storm passing through the night, the quake had come and gone. The damage was merely temporary as no lives were lost and no permanent alterations in the land could be found.

Ryson’s investigations within the towns took greater time than his explorations over the open flatlands. Most of those he met were not accustomed to his pace, and the delver slowed to match their needs. Days passed as he made several contacts with people of both towns. He promised them additional supplies and labor from Connel at prices to be negotiated with a second representative, probably councilwoman Bent.

During this time, he dispatched messages to the council and to Reader Matthew. He detailed his findings, described the degree of all damage. He continued his investigation until he assessed all prospective sites that would be of interest to the council. He sent a final message appraising them of everything he had discovered. He advised one member to make the journey to represent Connel and offered his own estimates of needed supplies. With his duty to the council fulfilled, he turned his attention back to the path of the quake. He sent word to the reader that following the quake’s path would lead him into the dense tree-covered regions of Dark Spruce. The lack of any villages within the forest would create a lag before he could send his next communication. He ended his note by promising to forward another message as soon as possible.

Ryson moved westward without further delay. After passing beyond the limits of Pinesway, he soon entered the vast forest. At his point of entry into the woodlands, no road broke through the trees and no footpath existed for travel. A staggered multitude of tree trunks filled the landscape, created a broken labyrinth of infinite paths. While underbrush was light, due to the dense shade of the evergreens, the ground remained uneven and rocky. Large roots jutted up from the soil, creating even more obstacles. Ryson glided over such hindrances as if they did not exist.

He carried nothing which might impede his progress. Even as he advanced into pure wilderness, he ignored thoughts of extra rations of food or water. He brought nothing more than his basic supplies. The forest itself would provide Ryson with everything he needed. Food and shelter were plentiful. He would eat the seeds, nuts, and succulent fruits of all the indigenous trees. He would drink from streams or dig below the roots for ground water. He would sleep within the pines, using the thick branches for shelter and security.

As for getting lost in such a dense forest, that remained a human calamity. Humans saw the forest as an obstacle between two points. They conceived themselves lost when they could no longer determine the correct path toward their destination or back to their point of departure. A delver, however, was never lost, for a delver did not think in terms of which was the correct path. Even a forest as large as Dark Spruce was viewed in whole. Being lost meant being unable to find a way. For someone with Ryson’s skills, there was always a way to travel, a path to cross.

Ryson explored Dark Spruce on previous occasions. The largest and closest forest to his adopted home of Connel often enticed him. Pioneers looking for new lands to conquer would also employ him for such missions. In his first trips to the northern branch, he actually began his investigations with great anticipation. Such an immense area must have held untold secrets. To his disappointment, he never found anything more than the legion of ancient trees. Large sturdy trunks growing boldly to the sky filled the landscape with a universal sameness. The number

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