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the shady wood about half a mile away. The cover looked inviting and he was ready for a rest from this beating sun. He found time to examine his surroundings more as he walked. Thick tussocky heath grass seemed to be everywhere, making him feel as if he was walking on a never-ending soft, springy mattress. Stunted bushes punctuated the landscape here and there, but the main shrub seemed to be a type of gorse in full yellow flower.
    No sooner did he seem to have started towards the forest than it was upon him, its outer eves above his head, cutting out the rays of the sun. This afforded no protection, however, but seemed to change the heat from intense and direct to diffuse overall humidity, making his head swim and him feel drowsy.
    â€œMust ... have ... sit ... down,” he muttered to himself, licking his lips to try to stop them fusing together. He finally lost control of his will as the heaviness took over the driving forces of his mind. The forest seemed to be murmuring to him of cool shady copses with inviting, chuckling and trickling streams, offering rest and refreshment to his weary travel-stained limbs. On and on he stumbled, the forest ever around him like some great soothing blanket, taking him further from his path.
    He stopped finally, the great black abyss not one pace away; one more step and he would experience the headlong fall to oblivion. The Great Gaping Ghyll had opened up before his unsteady steps, and his legs were about to move again, taking him forward to an uncertain end.
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Chapter Four
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    Tarna’s settlement, astride the River Lin at its shallows, was a wonderful if rather strange sight. The river was wide but reasonably shallow at this point and flowed around a large flat island upon which was set, amid a great profusion of trees and flowering shrubs, a mighty thatch-covered hut. Circular and low, it must have been fifty paces or more in diameter, with small round windows set at intervals in its smooth, matt-grey walls. Although large, from a distance the building merged in with the surroundings and became totally lost to view. The other buildings were of like construction but much smaller, and although they were many, they fitted into their undulating surroundings like so many of the hillocks around them. Apart from that, on the island there was very little vegetation, or ordered cultivation of the land, leaving the observer wondering how they obtained their food, roofing, and kindling for fire.
    As they entered the outer circle of huts, Tommy experienced a strange feeling; one he couldn’t readily describe or account for. It was similar to that tingling sensation he had always felt when approaching Uncle Reuben’s, but somehow this time it was different. He had never been to this settlement before, even though he had visited Omni many times, or at least he didn’t think he had.
    Although, from the size of the settlement, there must have been many people living there, it seemed almost deserted. There was an oddly quiet and still feel to the place.
    â€œTarna,” Tommy said to his companion, who was a few paces in front, “why, if your enemies are about, are there no sentries or guards, or even people about? No walls, fences or gates to keep them out?”
    Tarna dropped back level with him, and tried to explain in that slow, deliberate way of his.
    â€œThe Senti do not come here,” he said. “We do not need guards, for we have our Guardian who watches over us, and whose power is so strong in the surrounding area that no enemy, save Seth himself, could ever enter our stronghold. I will take you across now to be presented. Come with me.”
    â€œBut how do we get across without ..?” Tommy started.
    â€œgetting wet?” Tarna finished. “Come, I will show you.”
    Leaving Tommy with mouth agape, Tarna leaped onto the surface of the rapids and lightly and swiftly sped across to the other side. Turning with a smile on his face, he