He must really look a sight -- a bedraggled Atavist in homespun and weather coat screaming into the wind. He gritted his teeth. How had he, Sandon Yl Aris come to this? It was mere weeks ago that he had been sitting calmly in the main Guild room of Primary Production in discussion with Ka Vail, talking about the horrors of the Return. He steered the padder up the next slope, cresting the hill and drew it to a halt. Up here, the wind was worse, but at least it gave him a vantage point.
Over there, a vague flickering in the darkness. There was someone out there carrying a lantern. He grunted and kicked his padder into motion. It might not be Men Darnak, but at least it would be someone. Whoever it was might just have seen the Principal and his men.
He caught up with the two men in just a few minutes and breathed a sigh of relief. It was a pair of Men Darnak's men. They were riding against the wind, their lantern held high, shielded well enough to withstand the worst of the onslaught, but still fluttering and flaring with the occasional strong gust. He was pleased to see that one of the pair was the young man, Fran.
"Fran," he shouted against the wind.
Fran leaned close to him and shouted back. "Tchardo, what are you doing out here? We thought we'd lost you."
"Fran, I have to find the Principal."
"So do we!" Fran shouted back.
"What do you mean?"
"We found a lodge. We were going to hole up against the storm." He screwed up his face against the wind and leaned closer. "The Principal took one look and headed out into the night. The Priest went after him."
"Come on. I'll help you look. We have to find him."
Fran clearly saw something in Sandon's face. "What is it?" he said.
"Later, Fran. Later," he yelled, trying to make himself heard above the wind.
Fran nodded and kicked his padder into motion.
It took them another hour battling against the winds before they came upon Men Darnak and Kovaar huddled in a small decline. Witness Kovaar was standing over the old man, holding the reins of both their animals while Men Darnak sat hunched over, grasping at handfuls of the scant vegetation and tearing them from the ground, then tossing them into the wind. Kovaar was clearly trying to get him to stop and return, presumably back to the lodge.
"There!" Fran yelled, pointing.
"Yes, I see them," said the other man.
They spurred their animals into a quick canter, and Sandon quickly followed up behind.
"What's he doing?" Fran said over the wind as Sandon drew abreast. Sandon shook his head. He didn't know, but it didn't look good, he thought grimly. He needed the Principal at full strength right now.
Something alerted Witness Kovaar to their approach, for he looked up, an expression, half concern and half relief on his gaunt features. As soon as they slowed, Sandon slid from his animal and stepped up beside Kovaar, still buffeted by the wind, but less so in this half shelter.
"We need to talk to him," he said as quietly as he could, virtually impossible with the rushing noise.
Kovaar frowned at him. "What is it?"
"I have news."
Kovaar fixed him with a querying look, frowned, turned back to look at Men Darnak, still sitting at his feet apparently oblivious to any of them, and chewed at his bottom lip. "We need to get him back out of this weather. I'm going to need help," he shouted, turning back to look at Sandon.
"Fran, help me get him on his padder," yelled Sandon.
Together they moved to lift Men Darnak from the ground, each of them with one hand in an armpit, and the other holding an arm. The Principal was like a dead weight between them, but he didn't resist. Sandon noticed how frail the man's arm felt, as if he were a mere shade of what he'd been just a few months before. Men Darnak had never been a big man, but he was tall and wiry, with compact muscles. The Principal wavered between them, staring out into the darkness, his beard and long hair flying in the wind. They were out of the direct force of it here, but it was still enough to flap his cloak about him. The flying hair, the vacant expression, none of it augured well for Sandon. Together, he and Fran managed to guide him onto the back of his padder, with Kovaar still holding the reins.
"Which way?" asked Sandon.
