**Chapter 21: The Challenge of the Kaelos Tribe**

As Scorch and Sir Valoric rode on, the silence of the forest seemed to grow thicker, until it seemed as though they were being slowly enveloped by some unseen presence. Suddenly, a woman emerged from the trees, her skin a warm golden brown and her hair a wild tangle of black locks. She was flanked by a group of burly warriors, their eyes gleaming with a fierce light. The woman, who appeared to be the leader of the group, s