Next morning was clear and fresh. Warm enough, however, for just simple linen shirt and leggings to suffice. The loose-fitting clothes suited the Teller’ s mood. It was good to feel free from his theatrical duties as he strolled through the camp, exchanging greetings with those he met. People were going about their business and children were playing. A young man approached in a most obsequious fashion and handed him a gift of warm apple cake. He requested forgiveness and realising him to be the youth who had interrupted him the night before, the Teller gladly gave absolution. He wandered over to the camp’s main entrance. It led down to the base of the hill, protected on either side by tall, sturdy wooden palisades and at top and bottom by gates. The expanse of ditches and defences surrounding the fort were enough to deter all but the foolhardy. To the east lay a wooded ridge and turning he could just make out the dim outline of hills that held the lofty encampment of those known back in time, as Gatekeepers of the South.
He finished eating his gift and was on the point of continuing the circuit when a group of youths ran towards him. “Tell us a story,”they begged him. “Tell us about Erdi.”They clamoured in a ring,surrounding him. His heart sank and he did his best to resist, being fatigued from the previous night’s exertions, but in the end capitulated and perched himself on the fighting step of the fortress wall while they seated themselves in an eager group below.
He explained the main characters and then said, Now where shall I start? I know. I’ll take you way back to when Erdi was beginning to explore his locality. He was still just a boy. It had been a dream of his to climb that far ridge. The one behind me now. He yearned to see what lay beyond. He knew there were numerous lakes, for that was where his grandfather Tollan had trapped fish to add stock to their local pools, but apart from that and the fact the people talked a bit funny -The boys laughed and said that they still did - the world beyond the ridge was a mystery. Erdi and his cousin Yanker had both finished the morning’s grind of feeding the pigs, taking scraps to the dogs, shelling peas, splitting and lugging in wood for the fire and were now at a loose end. Suddenly, as if from out of nowhere, an exciting plan materialised. They would set off on a little journey of discovery to see what lay beyond that enigmatic east ridge. Even at this early age Erdi had become noted for his accuracy with slingshot and they both carried their trusty staves everywhere and so were well equipped to face danger.
Slipping away unseen, they headed along the well-worn path winding through the trees. This petered out into what was no more than an animal trail and the sun had started its dip to the west by the time they reached a tiny brook that marked a personal boundary. The winding ooze of water, never more than a chuckling brook even in winter, was of no great significance other than the fact that beyond it, lay the great unknown. They had never ventured further than this before. Penda and Dowid had told their sons that beyond this point lay danger. They had never specified exactly what type of danger, but had given strict instructions not to take so much as one step beyond that seeping trickle, hardly audible, just beyond their toes.
The boys stared long and hard at forbidden territory. It looked much the same as where they were standing. They continued peering at the trees and shrubs ahead expecting to see at least some clue as to what might lurk, but hard as they looked, they received not the slightest hint. Maybe there were monsters, dragons or giants, as in frightening stories related to quell a child’s natural tendency to wander. Maybe tendrils would entangle and drag them, bound as food for the green forest spirits to devour. Looking at each other and back at the woodland ahead, which appeared no different to that they’d just scrambled through, they concluded, ‘Monsters? Surely not. Why not just go a little
