Conrad swallowed hard for second there, pondering his answer. The harshness of the rebuke contained by the words of the Emperor put weight to his mind. He knew quite well, too well, of his failures to serve his brothers in times of need, no need to be reminded of those. But he could hardly have held grudge, when pilgrims' safe houses and the fortresses of the poor were put to the sword by the invaders. And when the words failed and the might of weapons replaced them, where was he to serve, as he once swore? Alas, he knew all these too well, and he hoped redemption for these could be found but in the news he was carrying.

He followed silently the retinue accompanying the Emperor to a more silent corner of the vessel, and when Smelgar sit on a nice chair, surrounded by his company and brother Hyrkan, he cleared his voice, standing few steps away, looking straight forward:

He was no Emperor indeed, and I must ask for forgiveness, old are the days since I was following the ways of politics. Yet he was like a brother to me, even if not by blood, and for his sake I left this place of the world, to learn about his fate. And Your Majesty may be pleased to find that Julian is very much alive and in good health, at least that's how I left him only two months ago. he paused a moment,letting the news sink into the minds of the gathering. Noticing with unhidden satisfaction the surprise and the excitement his words produced, he waited a moment longer, and continued:

And for this I have sacrificed even my oath to the Order, God have mercy on my soul, and I was not here when storm from the West ravaged our peace loving brotherhood. Aye, Your Majesty, for I have found myself of the vileness which was brought from the West by that renegade, may the jaini forever devour his soul in the endless desert beyond the horizon. Conrad muttered some words in a strange language, sounding like glass paper to the men's ears, before raising his head again:

'But allow me to start from the beginning, Your Majesty, and you brother Hyrkan, and you, honorable knights of the Empire, and I promise it will worth the waiting. For large and strange is the world out there, and little our knowledge is about. As brother Hyrkan already knows, I was in the service of the Caliph of the Abbasides, when dependable words were whispered to me about the path Julian has taken years before. But there was much secrecy and people were afraid to speak in plain daylight about the lands of Ethiopia, for the Caliph himself thought it was inhabited by infidels and forbidden it was to tell about, under the penalty of death. And the road there was filled with monstrous creatures and barbaric people, and none has ever returned from those parts. But that road I took nevertheless, as soon as I was able to leave the service unharmed and in good understanding. The Caliph himself gifted me with a fine horse and words of appreciation, for him did not know my true destination.'

Conrad took a short pause, letting the memories fill him, and swallowed dry, for this was the harshest part he must tell about, and he was not grateful the sun hid from their sight at this time.

'Many days and nights I have traveled, riding straight into the sun, and many rivers I have crossed. And deserts spread so far as the eye could see, followed by barren plateaus with only rocks and gravel for many miles. There was an empty land, and many times I have thought this path is taking me beyond the world of living, into the chasm beyond. But soon high mountains, reaching for the sky, their heads covered in snow, have stood before me, and I have known my journey must go on. The slopes of those mountains, Your Majesty and friends, hold woods so old as the world itself, and no path or road pierces them. And few dare to venture, for vile creatures of unspeakable evil lurk in there. Even the plants, of shapes and design not seen elsewhere, they bite and they sting, and crawl around the traveler, entangling him between roots and stalks, till life leaves his body. And during the nights the wood comes alive, and unseen birds and nameless beasts, they roam, they sniff, they grunt, or they cry, for their hunger for fresh flesh is great. Huge claws and sharp teeth glimmer in the light of the fire one foolish enough is to light there, for fire attracts them the most, and they know no fear of it. And when the sun rises somewhere in the world, for below the ancient trees none could be seen of it, they do retreat in their caves and wait, cunningly, for their prey to come to their grasp next time.'

Conrad shuddered, involuntarily, and sighing, he continued, not paying attention to the faces watching him. Only a gentle breeze, freshening him up, felt like comfort.

'The poor beast the Caliph gave me could not stand, and I had to let him loose, when trembling of fear and heavily sweating, fell to the ground, unable to move. Little hope there is it could have escaped that terror, and made its way to better places. My poor faithful! Alone I was left, in that desolation and despair, and days I have wandered, for no end seemed to be of that forest, and the stars and the moon never pierced the thick green shroud around me. And then it was, when I gave up hope, and said my final prayer, with the blade on my hand, waiting for the end to come from a hungry mouth or a grasping paw, when sounds of powerful horns broke the evil of the forest, and sounds of cheering and laughing pierced my heart with a spike of hope. Hunters they were, and they took me and helped the ghost I almost have become. They showed no fear for the malice of the woods, nor did they show surprise for my appearance.'

'To their small village I was brought, up into the mountains, under the peaks where winter dwells forever, and sun shines as bright as the light of the angels, and there my hope was reborn. Strange folk they were, and marvelous in all, for they were tall and powerful, and magic was strong in their hearts and mind. Fire-worshipers they were, keeping Zoroaster as their prophet, and they loved all that was growing and was green.' Conrad smiled in relief, but a mere recollection of the feelings which must have embodied him at those times. 'There, I knew my journey is close to end now, for across the mountains the purpose of it was to be found.'

Conrad paused, feeling thirsty, and the night grew darker above them, and clouds covered the stars. Lights were lit on the ships, shimmering in the dark, and the silhouettes of men seemed shapeless.