by M. L. Forman
“Arconn told me this is your first time as a leader,” Alex said softly to Thrang as they ate. “I’m honored to be going with you.”
“You are very kind, my friend,” said Thrang. “I never thought I’d be leading an adventure, you know, but King Thorgood insisted.”
“I suppose this means you won’t be retiring anytime soon,” Alex said with a smile.
“Perhaps not,” said Thrang. “Though I might follow Skeld and Tayo’s example and find myself a wife. It’s time I started thinking about an heir.”
“Don’t tell Halfdan.” Alex laughed. “He was very disturbed by the lovestruck way Skeld and Tayo acted when we saw them in Norsland.”
Thrang chuckled but didn’t reply. Alex turned his attention to his meal and the rest of the company. Nellus asked a few more questions about Alex’s last adventure. Kat seemed interested in hearing more about Alex’s friendship with Whalen and wanted to know about the acts of wizardry he had done before taking his staff. Barnabus and Thrain were both happy to just listen, though Thrain would often blurt out a question in pure excitement. As they finished their meal and started for the door and their beds, Alex pulled Nellus aside.
“How is Tara?” Alex asked softly.
“Much happier since she met you, my friend,” said Nellus, his eyes shining brightly. “I’ve never seen such a change in a person, and I’m very glad for it.”
“As am I,” said Alex.
The two of them hurried to catch up to their companions, who had already moved out of the dining room. Alex would be sharing a room with Thrain, which pleased them both.
“Don’t let your excitement get the best of you,” said Alex as they climbed into their beds. “Try to stay calm, and pay close attention to what you’re told.”
“That’s exactly what the oracle said.” Thrain laughed. “It’s so exciting! I hope I do well. Grandfather will be so pleased if this adventure is a success.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Alex turned down the lamp next to his bed. “And I’m sure we’ll find some success as well.”
“Do you really think so?” Thrain asked, showing no signs of being tired. “I mean, with so many experienced adventurers I suppose we should, but I’m a little nervous. What if the Ring of Searching is lost forever?”
“Sleep,” said Alex in a soft tone. “We will find out soon enough if the ring is where Thrang suspects it to be.”
“Well, yes, I suppose so,” said Thrain, turning down his own lamp. “But what if we don’t find any treasure at all?”
“The amount of treasure we find has little to do with the adventure’s success,” Alex said sternly. Then he softened his tone. “But, don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find some treasure.”
Thrain didn’t answer, but Alex knew he was still awake. Alex understood Thrain’s excitement and his hopes of doing well. He felt the same way, though he was more concerned about finding the Ring of Searching for Thorgood than he was about finding treasure. Thrang was one of Alex’s best friends and he wanted Thrang’s first adventure as a leader to be a complete success.
Chapter Three
Thraxon
Alex woke early the next morning. He moved quietly around the room as he dressed, not wanting to wake Thrain. He slipped into his magic bag to inspect his new greenhouse. He was happy to see that all of the plants seemed to be adjusting to their new home. It took some time to get everything in order, and after he finished, he left the magic bag and shook Thrain awake.
“It’s time for breakfast,” said Alex.
“Already?” Thrain said sleepily. “I’ve only just fallen asleep.” He climbed out of his bed and dragged himself to the basin. Thrain’s excitement seemed to still be asleep, but Alex knew it would return over breakfast. He remembered his own first adventure, after all.
As they prepared to leave the room, Alex reminded Thrain to take his new magic bag with him.
“I can’t believe I almost forgot it.” Thrain shook his head they walked toward the dining room. “Please don’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t say anything,” said Alex.
Thrang and Arconn were already waiting in the dining room when Alex and Thrain arrived. Kat appeared soon after, followed shortly by Nellus and Barnabus. Thrang looked happy, though a little tense. Alex smiled at Thrang as he took his seat and then glanced at the dark sky outside the window.
“Starting early, then,” Alex said.
“Early starts are always best,” said Thrang, ringing the bell to summon their breakfast.
“Where will we be starting our adventure?” Nellus questioned as they ate.
“We will be stopping first at Benorg—the city of King Thorgood,” said Thrang. “He wishes to meet you all before we begin our search.”
“Checking to see what kind of company you’ve put together?” Arconn asked in a sly tone.
“No,” Thrang said quickly, his smile fading slightly. “He just wants to meet you. He is sponsoring this adventure, after all.”
“Is Thorgood a good king?” Kat asked, a thoughtful look on her face.
“Of course he is,” said Thrang. “He’s one of the best kings Benorg and the dwarf realm has ever had.”
“I meant no offense,” said Kat.
Alex looked at Kat curiously. He knew Kat was a seer, but her question had seemed a bit odd.
“How long will it take us to reach Benorg?” Thrain asked, his voice full of excitement once more.
“Five, maybe six days,” answered Thrang absently.
“You have said little about where we will search specifically for Albrek’s tomb,” said Barnabus, pushing his chair away from the table. “Can you tell us more?”
Thrang looked worried again. “As I’ve said, there are three possible locations for the tomb of Albrek. These locations are not marked on any map, however, and I have only a general idea of where they are.”
“Which is why we have a seer,” said Arconn, bowing his head slightly to Kat.
Thrang nodded as well. “King Thorgood already has a team searching the libraries and archives of Benorg for information. I’m hoping we will learn a great deal more about Albrek’s journeys when we reach Benorg.”
As the meal and the discussion came to an end, the company prepared to leave the Golden Swan. Alex went to the stable with Nellus and Barnabus to collect the horses, while
the rest of the company waited in front of the tavern. Soon they were riding south toward the great arch, Thrang and Arconn in the lead, Alex and Kat directly behind.
“You seem troubled,” Kat said quietly to Alex.
“Simply curious. I have been wondering why you asked about King Thorgood.”
“I have met several kings,” answered Kat. “Some are good, most are fair, and a few are evil.”
“And you wanted to know what kind of king Thorgood was before we reached his city,” Alex said with a nod.
“It is best to know something of your host before arriving at his house.”
Alex was glad Kat was a member of the company. A seer could often see things that even a wizard could not, and Alex could tell that Kat was a clever person who thought things through. Her interest in King Thorgood had made Alex think. Whalen had once warned Alex that kings and lords often hid their dark desires from even those closest to them. Alex trusted Thrang, and he knew that Thrang would never go on an adventure for an evil king, but he wasn’t sure, however, if Thrang would be able to see the evil if it was well hidden.
“Can you tell us anything more about the libraries of Benorg?” Alex asked Thrang as they rode along.
“I can tell you they are large.”
“What language are the records written in?”
“Several languages. Mostly in dwarvish, though some things are written in elvish.”
Alex could read elvish easily, as the letters were similar to magic letters. He had studied dwarvish a little after his last adventure, but it was a difficult language to learn, especially if you didn’t have someone w
ho spoke it to help you.
They continued toward the great arch, and Alex felt happy to be starting a new adventure. He enjoyed listening to Thrain’s excited questions from where he rode between Nellus and Barnabus. He smiled as the two older adventurers tried to answer the young dwarf’s questions as fast as he asked them.
The company stopped for their midday meal, and Alex headed to a spring to refill his water bottles. When he returned, Barnabus was busy cooking their midday meal, and Alex noticed that Thrang was watching Barnabus closely. Thrang had been the cook on Alex’s first adventure, and watching him hover around the campfire made Alex laugh out loud.
“Miss cooking, do you?” said Alex.
“Old habits die hard,” answered Thrang, looking a little sheepish.
“If you’d like to take over, just say so,” said Barnabus.
“No, no, not at all,” Thrang said quickly. “I’ve heard about your ability, Barnabus, and I’m happy to let you do the cooking.”
“You are most kind. But perhaps you should wait until you taste it before making up your mind.”
The entire company laughed, but there was no need to worry. Barnabus was an excellent cook, and Thrang made a point of telling him so.
“Now then,” said Thrang as he finished his meal. “I have a few final instructions before we distribute our food shares and arm ourselves. First, we will be following the standard rules for adventures on our journey. If anyone gets lost, we will search for thirteen days, as is customary. After the thirteen days, the lost person or persons will be free to do what seems best to them. Second, our quest is not widely known in Thraxon, so I must remind you all not to speak of it openly. We will be passing through areas with lots of people, and the temptation to talk will be great.”
“Especially for those of us who might meet kinsmen,” Arconn said, looking at Thrain.
“There is that,” agreed Thrang. “Most of our journey will be in lands peopled by dwarfs, but we will also meet many men as we travel, and possibly elves as well.”
“Are there many men and elves in Thraxon?” Alex asked.
“More men than elves. The elves of Thraxon are not very friendly, and, if Arconn will forgive me, a bit secretive.”
“Reluctant to mingle might be better,” said Arconn.
“Reluctant to mingle, then,” Thrang repeated. “There is one last thing of importance. Remember that the honor of each member of our company is linked to the honor of us all. It is possible that we will meet people who will question or doubt our honor. I would ask that we all be willing to stand up for each other if such questions arise.”
“You are most kind, Master Silversmith, though I fear it will be myself alone who will be questioned,” said Kat, her voice a mix of sadness and pride.
“I won’t deny that seers are not as well respected as they should be in parts of Thraxon,” said Thrang, bowing to Kat. “However, you are part of this company, and I will not have your honor called into question.”
The rest of the company agreed, and Kat smiled and thanked everyone for their kindness.
“Now, we will share our food so that we all have plenty in our bags,” said Thrang. “Then we will arm and ride into our adventure.”
They all cheered at Thrang’s words and quickly started swapping packages. Alex accepted several parcels from both Thrang and Barnabus, who seemed to be carrying most of the company’s food between them. He still had a fair supply of food in his bag from his first two adventures, however, and he was not surprised to find that none of it had spoiled.
As Thrang and Arconn helped Thrain store packages in his new magic bag, Alex turned to his weapons. He attached his magic sword, Moon Slayer, to his belt, along with his true-silver knife. Taking a deep breath, he retrieved his staff from his bag as well. He had never carried a staff on an adventure before, and he felt a little odd carrying it now.
“A fine-looking staff,” Arconn commented. “I have never seen one quite like it.”
“It is different than most,” said Alex.
“I wish I could have been there when you took the oath,” said Thrang, also looking at Alex’s staff. “Halfdan told me about it, but still . . .”
“I missed you both on my last adventure,” said Alex. “But we are together again for this adventure.”
“And I hope we find as much success as we did the last time we rode together,” said Thrang.
Alex nodded and then looked around to see how the rest of the company would be armed. Nellus wore a long sword at his side and carried a bow, while Barnabus carried a short sword and a fair-sized ax. Kat was carrying both a finely made scimitar and a bow. Arconn and Thrang were both armed as they had been on Alex’s first adventure: Arconn with his longbow and dagger, Thrang with his short sword and ax. Thrain was attaching a short sword to his belt, though he already had a crossbow slung across his back.
“A fierce-looking company,” Thrang said with pride.
“Very fierce,” said Arconn. “Though I doubt we will meet trouble so close to the arch.”
“It’s not likely,” said Thrang. “But it’s always best to be prepared.”
Alex agreed, though he wondered if it might actually be a good thing if they did meet something not too dangerous, because then they could see how well they fought together as a group.
“If we are ready, then,” said Thrang, “let us ride to Thraxon and hope for success.”
“Success!” the rest of the company echoed loudly.
They rode toward the great arch. Alex found that his staff was a little awkward to ride with at first, but he soon got used to it.
As they rode through the arch, Alex immediately noticed how different Thraxon was from the other lands he had visited. The hills instantly changed to towering, jagged mountains. Tall pine trees were scattered on the mountainside, and Alex was amazed that not only had the trees managed to take root but also that the narrow spaces where they grew had not collapsed under the weight of the trees. The well-made road under their feet stretched along the base of the mountains in a southerly direction.
“Are these the Gray Mountains of Thraxon?” Alex asked.
“They are,” Thrang answered. “The Gray Mountains are large, however, and there are no dwarf cities between the arch and Benorg.”
“What about other things that live in the mountains?” Arconn asked.
“What other things?” Thrang questioned.
“Goblins,” Alex answered, knowing exactly what Arconn was thinking.
“There are none that I know of,” said Thrang. “There are goblins in Thraxon, but they are mostly in the Blue Mountains, which are far to the south and west.”
“Yet goblins move and are seldom seen until they wish to be seen,” said Arconn.
“That is true,” Thrang agreed. “However, my people are more watchful than most.”
Alex hoped Thrang was right. He had battled goblins on his last adventure and was in no rush to face more of the evil creatures.
Riding along the edge of the mountains, Alex studied the landscape and the rugged beauty around him. The mountains formed an uneven wall, broken by wide, green valleys with deep rivers running through them and narrow valleys with smaller streams. Across all the rivers and streams were well-built stone bridges. The water flowed to the west across open grasslands, and Alex wondered if they joined together at some distant point.
They spoke little as Thrang led them forward. Even Thrain seemed happy to simply watch the countryside slip by and not ask questions. As the sun set over the grasslands to their right, Thrang called them to a halt in an open space close to a stream.
“I’ve used this campsite many times,” said Thrang. “There are several adventurers who live in Thraxon, and we all use the same campsites as we travel to and from the arch.”
“Well-used campsites are not always the best,” Arconn said.
“Do you feel something?” Thrang asked in concern.
“I do not,” said Arconn. “I was simply think
ing that such a campsite might be a target for bandits.”
“If bandits had ever attacked one of these campsites, I would have heard about it,” said Thrang, shaking his head.
Once they had taken care of their horses and set up their camp, Thrang waved for Thrain to join him. Alex watched as Thrang piled up branches for their campfire, and he knew that Thrang wanted to teach the younger dwarf how to magically light and put out a fire. He remembered the first time he had tried this bit of magic, as well as the effect his untrained magic had on the pile of branches.
“Watch your beard,” said Alex to Thrang with a smile.
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” said Thrang, stroking his beard. “I doubt very much that young Thrain will be able to ignite it, as you once did.”
“You lit Thrang’s beard on fire?” Thrain asked in shock and surprise.
“Not his beard,” said Alex. “I overdid the inferno command, and the effect was more than Thrang bargained for.”
“My own fault for not explaining things clearly.” Thrang laughed. “Though I should have known better, as we knew about your abilities even then.”
“You might have known, but I still had doubts,” said Alex. “I didn’t know Thrain had magical ability.”
“Only simple dwarf magic,” Thrain said, looking embarrassed.
“Only?” Alex questioned. “Magic is magic; it all has the same root. And if you were to master all the dwarf magic there is, you would know a great deal indeed.”
“You’re talking more and more like a wizard,” said Thrang, shaking his head. “Soon you’ll be harder to understand than Arconn.”
Alex laughed and took a step back. He watched as Thrang showed Thrain how the inferno and quench commands worked. Thrain was impressed, and Alex smiled as Thrang carefully told the young dwarf to concentrate on a single branch, something he had not told Alex the first time Alex had tried the spell.
Thrain stood still for several minutes, concentrating. Finally, he pointed at one branch and spoke the magic word. A thin wisp of smoke rose from the branch but was quickly blown away by the breeze. Thrain looked disappointed, but Thrang was extremely happy.