Ramon, Breeks, and I passed near the place where we had been confronted by one of
Kerberus' lieutenants after fleeing into the land of Death (see chapter seven for the details). My
memory of the outcome of that encounter made me uneasy and I was eager to be gone from that
place as soon as possible; but my companions were fatigued and it was growing late, so we made
camp.
As we rested around our small fire, Ramon and I ate from our store of supplies gathered from the woods about the Temple of Light. Breeks flew off by himself, as he did most nights. I didn't know what he was up to and I didn't ask. When it was time to sleep, Breeks usually returned to roost on the Horn.
It was shortly after midnight when I was rudely awakened by a shove. I wearily opened my eyes to find a mangy wolf breathing in my face. "Kerberus promised us safe passage," I mumbled. "Go away or I might have to demonstrate how this Horn works."
The wolf laughed a weak and wheezing laugh. "I no longer serve Kerberus; I've a new master now."
The voice was familiar but at the time I was too tired to care. "Huh?" was all I could say.
"You don't remember me, do you?" the wolf snarled. "It wasn't far from here where we last met; across the border, in the land of Death."
Realization struck me like a bolt of lightning. I was wide awake and on my feet in an instant. "You…you're…it can't be…"
"Oh, but it is. And my new master has an interest in you. He has given me great power; such power could be yours as well, if you abandon your quest and join us. Otherwise, you will serve him anyway, as a slave."
"I serve the Light," I replied, though I know not where the words came from. "And the Light is my power!" The Horn upon my brow began to glow. The wolf shied away from the light of the Horn.
"Your Light is nothing," the wolf laughed defiantly. "Compared to my master's darkness, which shrouds his servants and hides them in shadows, your Light is a beacon, calling your enemies to you."
"Let them come! I am no coward, and my Light can cut your master's cloak of darkness and leave you exposed to the Light. When you are not hidden, you are powerless." The Horn glowed brighter.
The wolf scowled. "You are a fool! My master's power is greater and you will serve him, one way or another."
"No, your master has no power. You say he is strong and yet you shy away from the Light. If darkness is greater, why do you fear the Light?" The Horn's light flashed as brightly as the sun. My tormentor recoiled as if he had been struck by a physical blow.
The wolf snarled at me and then turned to Ramon, who was still asleep. "Denounce your Light. Denounce it and lay aside the Horn or I will kill the rat."
"No! " I cried, and leapt between the wolf and Ramon just as the wolf lunged for my friend. I was able to cut him off. The Horn flashed and the wolf howled in agony.
The commotion awakened Breeks, who had moved his roost to a small, gnarled tree. "Kraaa!" he squawked. "A ghost! Warpony, quickly be rid of it, before it's too late!"
"Cursed bird," the wolf snarled.
I lowered the horn and advanced on the wolf. "Be gone, dark shade, or whatever you are!" The Horn glowed brighter than I had ever seen it glow before. The wolf shrank away and disappeared into the night, but the Horn didn't stop glowing, or at least the light didn't go away. Even when I went back to check on Ramon, the extent of the light remained as it had been when the wolf fled.
Breeks woke up Ramon with a peck on the head. "Huh, what's up, you two?" the rat asked groggily. After we filled him in on the events of that evening, we decided it would be best if we took turns keeping watch for the rest of the night, but none of us got any more sleep. The light from the Horn remained until dawn and there was no further sign of the wolf.
We set out at first light that morning. We wanted to get as much distance as possible between us and the land of Death before we had to make camp again. Oddly, that same morning, I saw what could have been the same red-furred rabbit I had seen after our first encounter with the wolf.
"What do you mean?" Brightblade asked.
"Though the evil we have come here to fight is the most immediate threat, there are others who would take advantage of the current situation. There is no need to worry; if we are successful, the situation will no longer be available for their advantage. Come, it is time to move on."