997: Sunrise is hazy and red. Matthew climbs to the top of a nearby hill, and sees smoke and fire on the horizon to the north. As he is about to leave, he sees some sort of creature, and then Alain is standing over him. Whatever knocked him unconcious left him with a ferocious headache. The fire is closer now, and camp is hurriedly struck as animals flee southward around them. They head southwest, eventually finding a canyon with a small stream flowing east to west. Laughing Bear pushes ahead, and gets himself and Lily stuck in some quicksand. Moreau pulls them out. A little farther on, they find a pool where many animals have taken refuge. Stirges dart in and out, taking advantage of the situation. Everyone gets as wet as possible, and as the fire gets closer, Moreau shapes and purifies the air, creating breathing space. The fire jumps the canyon and continues on its way, and the animals start to scatter. Several brownies in chipmunk cloaks climb down from Hyssop's back. The party retraces its steps out of the canyon, and stops to examine a boundary stone. Moreau sees a headless creature with claws and falls unconscious, awakening with a headache and a feeling of unease. The landscape is covered with fine ash as they head east. They come upon an old farmstead with a well, and a small grove of cottonwood trees. Mariam purifies some of the water for themselves and the horses, and as they drink, a young woman comes out of the trees and silently pleads for water. She drinks as much as she is allowed. Laughing Bear notices that she leaves no tracks in the dust, and thinking she might be something dangerous, stabs her with a javelin. The dryad disappears, and a wailing sound is heard on the wind. All of Laughing Bear's wooden possessions warp. Later, the grey, headless creature is seen at a great distance, and is shot at by Matthew, who misses it by only an inch or two. Moreau is convinced that something is missing from the party's belongings, and keeps checking and rechecking the packs. He is obviously unwell. Hoping to lose the headless beast, the party rides into the night. They come to a hill, where Alain sees dim shadows of walls and towers, though the structures themselves cannot be seen. Using the spirit sword, Matthew sees a beautiful walled city. Under an archway, there is a huge statue of an elf -- the face is the same as the face in the fragment of blue stone that was picked up after the battle of the orcs. His helm matches one seen in the Canticle. Matthew reads the lines carved into the crown: "Oh Erenoch on Erenoch". At about this time, everyone realizes that Matthew is both reading and speaking Elvish, and that everyone except Moon can understand him. They must have gained this knowledge while they were in the Wyrm. The ruins of the city are ringed by artificial hills. When Matthew looks down into it, he sees tall white buildings and avenues radiating from a central lake. Everyone else sees a tangled waste of thorns spreading out from a swamp. Strange lights and sounds can be heard as the party rides around the edge of the area. The wildfire has burned away some of the undergrowth, and at one point something glitters in the moonlight close by a cleared space. Alain rides down to see what it is, while Matthew readies his bow, just in case. Alain dismounts and finds the head of a statue surmounted by a crystal crescent moon. At about the same time, a huge crocodile finds him. Armiger, with the help of Matthew (from about 60 yards away) and Alain, stomps it to death, although he is bitten in the leg while doing so. Alain grabs the crescent and rides back to safety. The party leaves the city behind, and finally camps a few miles away to the west. Moreau, exhausted and still worried that something is missing, falls into a nightmare-ridden sleep, awakening even more tired than before.