Traveling through Shem on the way to Argos, Conan and Erfu are ambushed by Shemite tribesmen. Conan takes an arrow to the shoulder and manages to take down a couple of the horse-riders, but they are outnumbered and attempt to hide in the tall grass while Erfu attempts to use magic to frighten the Shemites away. However, he is attacked by an orange mist that begins to choke him until Conan manages to pull him out of the mist. He swings wildly at the mist until it dissipates and they discover the mist has slain the Shemites. Moving along the trail, Conan stops when he hears sounds of movement. He lifts Erfu over the grass and he reports a column of Aesir marching through the fields. Shocked to see northerners so far south, Conan rushes forward only to run into a group of dwarves who seem to