Chaos Unleashed Read Online Free PDF Page A

welcome…though they must understand there is a good chance they will never return.”
    —
    The morning of their departure was clear but bitterly cold. Shalana had expected their escort to be made up mostly of Stone Spirit warriors, but to her surprise nearly fifty men and women—some from virtually every clan at the Giant’s Maw—had volunteered to join them. Selecting only twelve from among them—seven men and five women—had been difficult, but fortunately the high turnout had allowed them to choose those with the courage and skill to give them the best chance of success.
    Despite the cold and the early-morning hour, a massive crowd of men, women, and children had gathered to see them off, including Roggen and the other chiefs. Even Terramon was there, leaning on his cane and scowling at everyone.
    Two small sleds had been loaded with supplies: hides and blankets to wrap themselves in when they camped each night; several bricks of peat they could burn to ward off the cold; and enough food to get them to the edge of the Southlands.
    After that, the sleds won’t be much use,
Shalana thought.
We’ll have to abandon them.
    The hope was that they’d be able to find enough supplies to keep going once they reached the more populated regions. Exactly how that was supposed to happen was something they hadn’t yet figured out. Sort of like how they planned to get through hundreds of miles of hostile territory without being arrested or killed.
    Vaaler was confident they would find a way to succeed. Shalana trusted him enough to believe the same thing despite all evidence to the contrary.
    And everyone coming with us believes enough in me to follow my lead.
    The honor guard were making the final preparations to the sleds; it was time to move out. From the crowd, Roggen stepped forward and held up a hand for silence.
    “We are gathered here to wish good fortune on Shalana and Vaaler,” he called out, his voice rising clearly in the cold, crisp air of the morning. “Together, they defied impossible odds and led us to victory when all seemed lost.”
    He paused, and a loud cheer rose from the crowd. Shalana raised a hand to acknowledge their support though she couldn’t help but notice Terramon standing motionless and silent at the front of the throng.
    “Hadawas, Norr, and the others have forged ahead,” Roggen continued. “Now these brave warriors must join them, for their destiny lies far to the South.”
    Roggen stepped forward to clasp first Vaaler, then Shalana by the forearm. When he spoke again, his voice was lower, his words meant not for the crowd but for them.
    “Every winter must give way to spring. When the ice melts, we will be here, waiting for your return.”
    Neither Vaaler nor Shalana replied; everything that needed to be spoken had already been said. Roggen nodded, then turned away and retreated back into the crowd.
    Before Shalana could give the signal for their escort to move out, Terramon stepped forward, his cane angrily stabbing into the snow-covered earth with every step.
    “What does he want now?” she heard Vaaler hiss beside her ear, but she forced herself to remain calm.
    The argument is over. We’ve won. Nothing he can say will change my mind.
    Terramon kept coming forward, stopping only when he was directly in front of her. Then, leaning heavily on his cane, he reached out with his free hand and gripped her firmly by the shoulder.
    “I still think this is madness,” he told her. But he wasn’t speaking loud enough to address the crowd; this wasn’t some final political speech.
    “Be careful among the Outlanders,” he added, much to her surprise. “They are Barbarians with no honor.”
    “I will,” she said, slightly taken aback.
    “Look to Vaaler to guide you; he knows their ways. If anyone can keep you safe and bring you back, he can.”
    “We will look after each other,” Vaaler promised, speaking up at her side.
    Terramon nodded, but his hand kept its grip on her