5R

5R

Elam and Jemuel entered the city to assay what prices they might fetch for their animals, it it seemed to them a pittance. So Elam resolved to continue west in the direction urged by the Director on the Ark. But Jemuel lifted his eyes and beheld a large mountain that lay across their intended path, and he inquired as to the name of the peak.

"Mount Naratha," came the reply from one of the city dwellers, "on the border between Alodra and Nath." Then Jemuel remembered the curse of Gabriel and begged his brother to turn aside from the way the Ark was leading them, either north or south. But the city dweller told him the tribe of Reuben lay south, with much cultivated land, and they would not look kindly upon wanderers grazing their flocks there. Beyond the lands of Reuben was the kingdom of Alodra, which had been a mere province of House Bellon in the days of the dragon, but now boasted a king of it's own. And the king had decreed all travelers among the children of Israel must hold fast to the established roads. So Elam made the decision to turn north.

It only remained to see what Rosh would do, as he had vowed to obey Elam in all things except which direction to travel, when he would obey God himself as made manifest by the Director. But when Elam and Jemuel returned to the Remnant, the Ark was already pointing north.

They journeyed with their flocks over a broad saddle between Mount Naratha and a smaller mountain to the northeast, until they were come to the outskirts of Linan. Here the lands were even more arid and impoverished, and the Reubenites of the city turned them away before any could enter, and they would favor Elam with no parley. "Much lessened is the welcome we received from the House of Reuben when father Lael first brought us here," Jemuel said ruefully.

The Tablet continued to counsel they should move towards the city, but they were clearly not welcome to go on. Puzzled, Rosh said, "I will go where my chieftain leads."

At first Elam led further west, but after a number of days a vast forest loomed across their path. And Elam remembered the curse of Gabriel. Not wishing to rush his doom along, he steered the Remnant south and west. But the grass was brown and poor provender for the animals. They were fed some of the seed grain they were carrying just to keep them alive.

The land began to rise once again. Against Jemuel's deepest wishes they reached the western flanks of Mount Narutha.