Slathbog's Gold

by M. L. Forman

  “What’s the book then?” asked Thrang, pushing toward Alex.

  “I’m not sure,” said Alex, looking up. “I can’t read what’s written in it.”

  “What?” said Thrang in surprise. “You don’t know how to read?”

  “I can read,” Alex protested. “But the writing in the book is like the magic book that Arconn gave me.”

  “It’s elfin,” said Arconn, looking over Alex’s shoulder. “This appears to be a book of herb craft and healing potions.”

  “Elfin?” Alex asked in wonder. “Is the magic book written in elf too?”

  Arconn smiled at Alex’s question and looked at the note that Bregnest handed to him.

  “The other book is a magic book, one not written by elves,” replied Arconn, handing the note back to Alex. “Though many people use elfin letters in their writing because it is easier to express your true meaning with them. You have not looked at the magic book for a long time now, have you?”

  “I haven’t really thought about it,” said Alex, feeling ashamed that he had neglected Arconn’s gift.

  “Then we shall make time from now on,” said Arconn firmly, patting Alex’s shoulder. “I will teach you the elfin letters so you can read this book and the magic book as well.”

  “You are most kind,” Alex replied with a bow. “I am in your debt.”

  “Not at all,” said Arconn, returning the bow.

  Alex took his new book back to the sleeping house. Carefully, he tucked Iownan’s note inside the front cover, and then thumbed through some of the pages.

  “You are eager to start then?” questioned Arconn from the doorway.

  “Yes,” replied Alex, looking up at Arconn. “I have a lot to learn.”

  “As do we all,” said Arconn. “Shall we begin?”

  “Yes, please.”

  For the rest of the evening Arconn sat beside Alex in the sleeping house teaching him the elfin way of writing. By the time Thrang called them to join the rest of the company for dinner, Alex had already learned the names and shapes of most of the elfin letters as well as how the letters joined to form words.

  “You’ve done well,” Arconn beamed at Alex. “I have never seen a man take to the elfin language so quickly. Most humans have great difficulty with the ways of elves.”

  “It seems natural,” said Alex. “It’s like this is something I already know and only need to remember.”

  “I’m not sure I understand,” said Arconn in a thoughtful way.

  “And I’m not sure I can explain,” replied Alex. “It’s like when I first saw my sword. I thought I could read something written in the swirls of gold, but when I blinked it was gone. What you’re teaching me now is like that, only different.”

  “Then let us hope what you learn today is not gone tomorrow,” said Arconn with a laugh.

  Alex followed Arconn out of the sleeping house to join the rest of their companions in the second house. It was almost dark, but the moon was rising in the east. Alex looked up at the tower as they walked and wondered why Iownan could not join them. He felt sad and a little troubled that she could not be with them.

  After eating another grand meal, Alex walked to the stables while the others headed to the sleeping house. Bregnest was telling them about his first adventure, but Alex wanted to see Shahree.

  Shahree whinnied as Alex entered the stable and moved toward him in her stall. Alex stroked her forehead gently with his fingers but did not speak. He gazed into the horse’s eyes, remembering how they had once scared him. Now he found comfort in those eyes, the comfort of a trusted friend.

  Alex hoped Iownan would appear in the stable again, but she did not. After several minutes of waiting and thinking, he patted Shahree’s neck and said goodnight to the horse. He walked out into the moonlight and looked up at the White Tower. Alex knew he and the others would soon leave this place and the thought made him sad.

  Returning to the sleeping house, Alex found Arconn telling a story about the ancient elves. Alex listened closely and when Arconn would speak a name in the elfin language, he thought—or rather felt—he knew what it meant, though he could not explain the meaning in words.

  Alex went to sleep that night with the elfin words in his mind, dreaming of things from the distant past.

  * * *

  The next morning as they were finishing breakfast, Bregnest stood to speak to the company. He had a stern look on his face, but he seemed happy just the same.

  “Tomorrow we will depart,” he said. “The parting will be a sad one, but our adventure and our quest are still ahead of us.”

  “Sad for Thrang and his loss of ale,” Skeld commented, elbowing Thrang in the side.

  “Sad for us all, I think,” said Tayo. “It will be long before we eat such fine meals in such fine surroundings again.”

  “So eat while you can. I won’t cook so much or so well on the road,” said Thrang, laughing softly.

  The day was warm and sunny and Alex walked in the courtyard and the nearby gardens. That afternoon, Arconn sat with him in the gardens, teaching him more of the elfin writing in his new book. Alex almost asked about the magic book he had ignored for so long, but then Arconn began teaching him to speak the elfin words out loud.

  As darkness filled the courtyard, Rothgar appeared and again asked them to forgive Iownan for not joining them.

  “My lady will see you in the morning,” said Rothgar. “She wishes to speak to you all before you depart.”

  “We will await the lady’s arrival,” Bregnest replied with a deep bow.

  Alex and his friends were subdued but happy that night at dinner. Skeld told them a story of when his company had been surrounded by bandits and almost killed. With a great deal of luck and a very clever plan, they had managed not only their escape, but also to capture many bandit horses as well. Alex’s thoughts were not on Skeld’s story, though he pretended to listen and managed to smile and laugh at all the right places. He was thinking of the road ahead of them and the troubles they might meet. He knew little about this wild land and less about adventures, but he knew enough to be concerned.

  Once more after the evening meal, he went to the stables to see Shahree. Once more, he hoped Iownan would appear and talk to him. Once more, she did not. Alex thought about Iownan and her kindness as he rubbed Shahree’s forehead. He thought of her words at their first dinner in the tower, and he wondered what it was she would ask them to do.

  There were no stories that night in the sleeping house, and little talk. Everyone was busy checking their bags and making sure everything was ready for their departure in the morning. Bregnest rang the gong and asked the girl who appeared to bring him paper and pen. The girl bowed and departed, returning quickly with the requested items. Alex wondered why Bregnest had asked for something to write with, but he didn’t ask.

  Before the sun was up the next morning, Alex and his friends had gathered in the second house. Breakfast was waiting for them when they entered and they ate quickly and with little talk. Alex knew he was not the only one who would be sorry to leave the White Tower behind. When they finished their meal, Skeld, Tayo, and Halfdan went to the stables to saddle all the horses, while Alex and the others returned to the sleeping house to make sure nothing had been left behind.

  When they exited the sleeping house, Iownan was waiting for them in the courtyard with her servants behind her, each one holding many parcels. She smiled kindly at them all, bowing slightly first to Alex and then to Bregnest. Alex blushed at the honor as he returned Iownan’s bow. Iownan waited as Tayo, Skeld, and Halfdan brought the horses from the stable and joined their companions.

  “We have brought you some things to take with you,” said Iownan, waving her hand toward the servants. “I would not have you depart without improving your store of food as your journey may be a long one.”

  “You are most kind, lady,” replied Bregnest with a bow. “We find great sorrow in leaving.”

  Iownan nodded. Her servants came forward an
d gave each member of the company several neatly wrapped and labeled parcels. Alex put his in his magic bag as quickly as he could, his eyes returning at once to Iownan.

  “The road ahead may be cold as there is no guarantee that you will reach your goal before winter,” said Iownan, still smiling. “So we have also prepared warm clothing and blankets.”

  “Your kindness is too great,” said Bregnest with another bow. “We have not words to give thanks.”

  Iownan nodded once more. More servants came forward and more parcels were given to each member of the company.

  “Now I will answer your question,” said Iownan, her smile fading. “Though it troubles me greatly to ask such a thing of my guests.”

  “Ask what you will, great lady,” said Bregnest. “If it is in our power, we shall do as you ask.”

  “You are very kind,” Iownan replied, a weak smile returning to her face. “This is what I would ask of you all: that you return to me a lost treasure of the White Tower.”

  “What treasure of the tower has been lost?” Bregnest questioned in surprise.

  “Long ago, there was a stone in the high places of the tower. It was not a gem; it was a crystal of clear stone, like glass, and it was stolen from the tower.” Iownan looked pained as she spoke. “The stone is now hidden in Slathbog’s hoard, so I ask that you return it to me, if your quest is completed successfully.”

  “If any of us remain alive when Slathbog is defeated, we shall return the stone to you,” said Bregnest, dropping to one knee as he spoke. “This I pledge on my life and my honor, as leader of this company.”

  “Your pledge is great, Silvan Bregnest, and I know it to be true. But I will not hold any man to another’s pledge and so must ask that each of you make his own pledge. If any of you feel you cannot make this pledge, I will not force it on you.”

  Arconn dropped to one knee beside Bregnest. “I shall pledge as Bregnest has. I will do as you ask.”

  The rest of the company followed Arconn’s example, each kneeling and pledging that if they were still alive when Slathbog was dead, to return the crystal to the White Tower. The pledge took on more meaning for Alex as he said it out loud, and he saw once more Iownan’s wisdom.

  “True friends, you give me great hope,” said Iownan, smiling at them. “Though there is great sorrow in our parting, ride now, and know my hopes and good wishes go with you.”

  Alex found himself unable to reply to Iownan’s words. A strange feeling of joy was in his heart, along with a deep sorrow as well. The company mounted their horses without speaking, and each of them bowed to Iownan as they rode past.

  Alex and his companions rode east toward the rising sun. They soon left the orchards and gardens of the White Tower behind, but they didn’t look back. Alex’s sorrow diminished as he rode, and only the joy of Iownan’s kind words and smile remained with him.

  Bregnest halted the company at the top of the first hill they came to, looking back at the White Tower before it was lost from sight. In soft voices, Alex and his friends each repeated their promise to Iownan, then turned away and rode on.

  chapter ten

  Magic Sword

  The road grew worse as Alex and his friends continued east. Grass and weeds grew over the path in several places and there were no bridges over the streams they had to cross. Alex thought the road hadn’t been ridden over for a hundred years or more.

  The day was clear and the sun grew hot as they traveled; it seemed the heat of summer would soon replace the pleasant warmth of spring in Vargland. Alex looked up at the clear sky, considering how far they still had to go. He had already traveled further on this adventure than he had ever gone in his life.

  They camped early that first night away from the White Tower, finding a sheltered place a short distance off the road. There was less laughter now than there had been, but they all remained in good spirits.

  “We should keep a watch again,” said Bregnest as they ate their evening meal. “These wilder lands have many dangers.”

  “That is true,” Thrang said. “Though I doubt we’ll find any trouble so close to the White Tower.”

  They agreed that keeping a watch would be a good idea, and Bregnest marked eight stones and placed them in a bag for each member of the company to draw their watch as he had done before. Alex, with his normal luck, drew the stone marked for the first watch, which made him happy.

  As the others prepared for sleep, Arconn remained by the fire with Alex. He asked Alex to bring out his books so they could continue their lessons. Alex was happy to do so since the book that Iownan had given him was turning out to be interesting, now that he could read parts of it. Arconn also insisted he try to read from the magic book, even though it was much harder to understand, even with Arconn’s help.

  “The book of magic is written with letters similar to the elfin,” Arconn explained, “though they are not exactly the same. You will need to learn both. Learning the one will help with the other.”

  “Do the words mean the same thing in both books?” Alex questioned.

  “At times they do,” said Arconn as he considered the question. “But magic words are not elfin in nature. They are more difficult to speak and read, but also more powerful.”

  “There is power in the words?” Alex asked.

  “All words have some power, whether written or spoken,” Arconn replied with a soft laugh. “You know this already, as do all who can read or speak, but perhaps you have never thought of it that way before.”

  “Words have power to communicate and to tell us what things are,” said Alex, thinking hard.

  “Yes, that,” Arconn agreed. “But words can do more than explain what things are. Words can give us knowledge and understanding. They can tell us of things as they once were, as they should be, or even as they might be.”

  “And that is power?” questioned Alex.

  “Understanding and knowledge are the beginning of all power,” answered Arconn. “It is late, and your watch has passed. Go sleep. We will continue tomorrow.”

  Alex left the fire and sat down on his blankets. He considered Arconn’s words about understanding and knowledge. He wondered what Arconn meant by “should be” and “might be.” He didn’t see how understanding what something might be could be magical. Arconn’s lessons were not nearly as simple as Thrang’s inferno and quench commands had been. Alex’s questions and the magic letters continued to bounce through his mind as he slowly fell into a deep sleep.

  The next morning, Alex woke early, his thoughts about magic vanishing in the night, but Arconn’s lessons continued. As the company rode, Arconn would occasionally ride to one side or the other and climb off his horse. When he caught up to the group again, he would stop next to Alex and Andy. He would hand a leaf or twig or a seed to Alex and ask him to identify it. Most of the items Alex recognized from studying Iownan’s book. When Alex could not tell Arconn what an item was and what it was used for, Arconn would simply smile and place the item in a leather pouch that hung from his saddle. Alex knew Arconn would bring these items out again when he had read more and could identify them.

  By the end of their third day away from the White Tower, the weather turned wet once more. Low clouds filled the sky, and the wind picked up from the west. The road led them more to the south, though their main direction remained east.

  “Summer rains are coming,” said Tayo as they ate their dinner.

  “At least it’s not cold,” Skeld replied with a laugh. “Though wet is wet, no matter the temperature.”

  “Wind and rain are allies to bandits,” Bregnest commented thoughtfully, scanning the area around their camp.

  The hills they had been riding through were small and had spread out. The small meadows had grown into wide open fields with only a few clumps of trees and small hills between them.

  “We should stay alert,” Bregnest continued, returning his gaze to the company.

  “Alert and quiet,” Thrang added, glancing at Skeld.

&nbs
p; That night, Alex had a hard time reading as he sat beside the fire with Arconn. His mind was occupied with thoughts of bandits and the trouble that could mean. Arconn seemed strangely watchful as well, as if he were waiting for something. He would gaze into the darkness for long periods of time as Alex read aloud, seeming to pay no attention to what Alex was saying.

  “Are there really bandits this close to the White Tower?” Alex asked as he finished his reading.

  “We are far from the tower now,” replied Arconn, his eyes fixed on the darkness. “Bandits have little respect for anything, even an oracle.”

  “Will they try to kill us?” Alex questioned nervously.

  “Perhaps. Though I think they would try to steal our horses first. A company on foot is easier prey.”

  “Andy said bandits would attack first and steal our horses later,” Alex commented, remembering Andy’s words at the Troll’s Stream.

  “Andy has little experience with bandits. Though at times they will attack first and steal later.”

  Alex stood beside Arconn and looked into the darkness, but he couldn’t see anything at all. He listened as hard as he could, but all he heard was the wind moving through the nearby trees.

  “Perhaps we should build the fire up.”

  “That would draw them like moths, if there are any about,” said Arconn. “Take your rest. Your watch has passed and mine is just beginning.”

  Alex did as Arconn said, putting his books back inside his magic bag as he moved to the tent he and Andy shared. They had been sleeping under the stars, but with the threat of rain, they had set up their tents as a precaution. Alex looked back at his friend before entering the tent; Arconn remained still and silent, gazing into the darkness.

  They followed the road for several more days, seeing no sign of anyone or anything as they went. Each night, Arconn would teach Alex, who was learning quickly; Arconn seemed happy and impressed with his progress.

  “Soon you will be able to read elfin as well as any man, and better than many elves,” said Arconn with a smile as Alex put his books away.