Unrelenting remained the rain as we reached the High Pass. It was a steep approach to the actual pass; it did take us over the mountains, after all. The horses were skittish and didn�t much care for the trip, but we all made it atop the slope and into pass in one piece. We would see how long that would last for.
The pass was more or less a fairly jagged pathway cut through the stone that made up the higher parts of the Misty Mountains. It wasn�t too terribly hard to navigate, but like I said, the horses were skittish and I was incredibly nervous at the moment. I could tell that Mallor had taken my concerns to heart and that he was taking in every detail of our surroundings as we moved onward.
Around and about (sometimes in the middle) of this pathway there were some trees, shrubs, and other randomly assorted forms of plant life. There were some birds and some small animals that we ran into along the way. Why they would want to live in such a place was entirely beyond me, but if nature saw fit to put them there then I guess that was just groovy.
We were about halfway across the High Pass when I got the odd feeling that we were being watched. Now I figured that we probably were being watched, and I had a vague idea of what it was that was watching us. I sped up a bit to catch up with Mallor who was a bit ahead of me.
�I think we are being watched, Mallor,� I whispered.
�Aye, that we are,� he confirmed in a low voice. �I think it odd, though. I would be led to believe that there are goblins watching us, yet no attack on us has been made. The sun seems to hope to peek through these storm clouds, though the storm does not relent, and I find no reason for them to keep in hiding. I know it would be a foe of some kind, yet I cannot decide what sort it would be, if not goblins or orcs. Something is terribly amiss.�
�I think we should start moving faster. I want to get out of here as soon as we can,� I told him. I had a very bad feeling about all of this.
�No, no! Haste will rouse suspicion in the eyes of our observers. I would not wish to draw any more attention to ourselves! Do not leave my sight, for I dread misplacing you in the midst of this danger,� he said, adding a bit of an amused tone to his last statement.
�Misplacing me? I am not some pack of traveling rations to be mislaid!� I said in annoyance.
�Hush now, hush!� Mallor hissed at me. Something was definitely wrong. I could feel it, though, not being a person of exceptional perception, I could not tell what it was. I do not even think Mallor possessed the skill to identify what was following us. I knew he was nervous and I was scared.
There was then a thunderclap and a strong surge of rain moved some stones along our path. The horses jumped forward, leaping from our grasp and bolting down the pathway.
�Firefoot! Leira! Come back here this instant!� commanded Mallor loudly, but the horses did not return.
Great, now our horses were gone and we were being followed. This was wonderful. I looked at Mallor and he looked at me. We both shrugged and ran down the pathway after the horses. What we saw next chilled me deeper than my soaked clothing could. Standing at the edge of the slope that had become the path were shadowy cloaked figures, holding our horses� reins in their hands.
This was a very bad thing. I did not know who these cloaked figures were, but there were two of them standing there. I looked at Mallor again, unsure of what we were going to do next. After all, he was the brains of this operation. He looked at me, his eyes filled with worry.
With his arm he pushed me behind him.
We both descended the slope towards the shadowed uncertainty below.
