At Chetvinde's northern gate, another heavyweight figure arrived in secret. He was an exceptionally tall old man, dressed in ancient robes, with a long beard that reached down to his abdomen.

As he moved, hills and streams seemed to fall away behind him, covering in minutes what should have taken hours. When he passed through deep forests, even the fierce beasts inside fell silent, no longer daring to make a sound.

Suddenly, he stopped. From his sharp, narrowed eyes flashed a cold gleam. "Come