by M. L. Forman
“In a moment,” said Alex, finally spotting what he was looking for and hurrying toward it.
He moved carefully into the trees on one side of the clearing, and when he returned, he was carrying two staffs.
“The nagas was even more dangerous than I thought,” Thrang said in a whisper.
“We were lucky to defeat it,” Nellus added.
“But a wizard?” Barnabus questioned.
“Perhaps,” said Alex. “It is a wizard’s staff, but the person carrying it may not have been a true wizard.”
“How did you know it was there?” Kat asked.
“The books,” said Alex. “They are too advanced for most, and I thought it unlikely that just anyone would be carrying them.”
“But a wizard would stand a fair chance against the nagas,” said Barnabus.
“A true wizard would,” said Alex. “We do not know who carried this staff, so we cannot say that he was a wizard.”
“Alex is correct,” said Arconn. “There are some who carry a staff and pretend to be wizards. This staff might have been carried by one of those.”
“Yes, but a staff,” Thrain said breathlessly.
“A staff is a tool and a symbol of a wizard, not the power of the wizard,” Alex explained, looking at Thrain. “The power is in the wizard, not in his staff.”
“What will you do with this second staff?” Thrang questioned.
“I will take it with me,” said Alex, “and send a message to Whalen and the counsel of wizards. They might be able to tell us who the staff belonged to. If they can’t, then I will have to assume the person who carried this staff was a pretender.”
“Very well then,” said Thrang, looking at the staff with interest. “We should move on, so if you will add this pile to what we’ve taken from the cave . . .”
“As you wish,” said Alex, reaching for his magic bag.
They moved back to the road and continued to head east.
At midday Thrang began looking for a spot to camp. He wanted to sort the treasure they had taken from the nagas, and he wanted a good place to do it. After a half an hour of searching, he found a spot that suited him, and they set up camp once more. Barnabus began cooking a meal for them, and Alex marked out an area to gather their treasure for sorting.
“Will it fit there?” Thrang questioned as Alex scratched a circle in the dirt with his staff.
“It might be a little tight,” Alex said with a laugh.
“Leave room for us to sort,” Thrang said. “Don’t pile it so high that we’re in danger of being buried if a pile tips over.”
Alex laughed again and finished scratching his circle. When they had all finished eating, Thrang gathered the company near the circle and asked Alex to produce the treasure. Alex bowed and spoke softly into his bag. In a rush of sparkling light, the treasure of the nagas appeared in the circle he had drawn. The late afternoon sun reflected brightly from the enormous pile.
“You’re sure you did not add some of your own treasure?” Arconn teased, smiling at Alex.
“Of course not.” Alex laughed.
“It looks like our work is cut out for us,” Kat said. “It will take two, maybe three days, to sort all of this.”
“Then let’s begin,” said Thrang happily.
“And you were worried we wouldn’t find any treasure,” Alex said to Thrain.
Thrain blushed slightly but didn’t reply.
Thrang set them to work sorting the treasure into piles. He was pleased as the various piles grew larger and larger, while the pile in the center seemed to remain the same size. As the sun was setting, he asked Alex to conjure the weir lights so they could continue their work.
Alex laughed and suggested that a meal and a good night’s sleep might be a better idea.
“Yes, of course,” said Thrang, glancing at the treasure. “I suppose this is safe enough here.”
“Unless something worse than the nagas comes looking for it,” Arconn said.
“Oh, don’t say that,” said Thrain, glancing over his shoulder into the gathering darkness.
That night was a happy one around the campfire. Nellus and Barnabus joked that Thrang had prevented them from attacking the nagas when he jumped in front of them. Thrang replied that he had to jump in front of them because he was afraid they would bungle the job. Alex commented on how well Thrain had done, and Arconn and Kat were both quick to agree. Thrain blushed at the praise, pleased by the attention.
It took them two full days to sort and divide everything they had found in the cave and the clearing. Thrang insisted that all the odd numbers go to Alex since he was the one who actually killed the nagas. Alex wasn’t happy about it, but he accepted Thrang’s decision, simply because he knew it would do no good to argue.
On the morning of the third day after their battle with the nagas, they resumed their journey. The weather was warm and dry, and they all knew they would soon reach the Eastern Sea. What would happen once they reached the sea, however, was something that none of them could tell.
Chapter Ten
Dunnstal
See there,” said Thrang, pointing to the east. “The Eastern Sea.”
Alex and his friends paused at the top of a small hill in the road. As they looked to the east, they could see the unmistakable glimmer of sunlight on water in the distance.
“There is a small city at the edge of the water,” Arconn said, shading his eyes with his hand. “I see several sails on the water as well.”
“That would be Dunnstal,” said Thrang. “Not the largest of cities, but we should be able to find a ship there to take us to the Isle of Bones.”
“Do the people of Dunnstal often travel to the island?” Kat questioned.
“I do not know,” answered Thrang. “If any of Albrek’s people are still on the Isle of Bones, I would guess that ships from Dunnstal make the trip often.”
“And if none of Albrek’s people remain?” Arconn asked.
“Then we may have some difficulties,” Thrang answered, looking slightly worried. “Though I imagine we can find someone to take us, if the price is right.”
“Take us? What about bringing us back?” Alex asked.
Thrang didn’t reply, but simply prodded his horse forward. Alex and the others followed, their eyes on the sea and the distant city in front of them. The city of Dunnstal was more a large town than a city, but it looked inviting enough, sitting on the shore of the Eastern Sea.
“Thraxon must be a peaceful land,” Alex said.
“Why do you say that?” Thrang questioned.
“The city has no wall,” said Alex.
“Some of the people around the Eastern Sea don’t build walls to protect their cities,” Thrang said. “Or, at least, the smaller cities like Dunnstal don’t. If trouble comes, they simply get in their boats and sail away.”
“What about their homes and riches?” Kat asked.
“Their wealth is the sea and their homes are their boats,” Thrang answered. “At least, that’s what the old dwarf songs say.”
“Yet they have houses on land,” Arconn pointed out.
“Well, old dwarf songs don’t always give the whole story,” said Thrang.
As they approached the city, they found that, even without a wall, Dunnstal was well guarded. Watchtowers stood at several points along the road and in the fields around the city. Each of the towers contained a bell, and as they passed by, each bell would ring once.
When Alex and his friends were about half a mile away from the city, the meaning of the bells became clear. A large company of well-armed men on horses rode out to meet them, and Thrang stopped in the road, waiting for the men to approach.
“Greetings, travelers,” said a rugged-looking man riding up to Thrang and looking at him closely. “Not many people come from the west, so we must ask your business before we allow you to enter our city.”
“We mean no trouble to your fair city,” said Thrang. “We are hoping to find passage here to the Isle
of Bones.”
“There is little hope of that,” said the man as his horse moved back and forth in front of Thrang. “Few of our people hire out their boats, and fewer still would sail to that island.”
“And why is that?” Thrang questioned.
“For what reason do you seek the Isle of Bones?” the man countered.
“We are looking for lost dwarfs,” said Thrang. “Many of my people came this way long ago, and I have come with my friends in search of them, or at least to find out what happened to them.”
“There are some old stories about dwarfs,” said the man thoughtfully. “Perhaps they are true, perhaps not.”
Alex noticed the man’s eyes moving quickly over all of them, deciding if they were a danger to the city or not.
“You are a strange company,” the man said, “but we will allow you to enter the city.”
“You are most kind,” said Thrang. “Perhaps we will find what we seek here, or at least we may hear some of the stories you have spoken of.”
“You are more likely to hear stories than to find passage to the Isle of Bones.” The man gestured. “Come. We will find you a place to stay.”
The man rode back to his companions, and Thrang and the rest of them followed at a distance.
As they entered the city, the armed men quickly disappeared down side streets. The commander of the group led Alex and his friends to a large, two-storied tavern with lots of chimneys poking out of the roof at odd angles. A large, round-faced man in an apron was standing in the doorway, watching as they approached.
“The Sea Mist is the only tavern large enough for your entire company,” the commander said, nodding toward the tavern. He bowed to Thrang. “May the wind blow true for you,” he said formally before riding off deeper into the city.
Thrang dismounted and took a couple of steps toward the door of the tavern, when the man in the apron spoke.
“Passed old Top Mast’s test, then, did you? Most do, though he doesn’t get to test people as often as he’d like.”
“Yes, well,” Thrang began, surprised by the man’s sudden words.
“I’m Ishly Prow, owner and keeper of the Sea Mist,” the man said. “You can call me Ishly, if you like.”
“I see, Ishly,” said Thrang, trying to regain his train of thought.
“You’ll be wanting rooms, and stables for the horses, I expect. I’ll get one of the lads to take care of the horses for you, and then we can discuss rooms and rates and all that,” said Ishly, turning away from Thrang and yelling back into the building.
A pair of young men who looked like they might be Ishly’s sons appeared in the doorway.
“Very good, then,” Ishly went on. “Both of you, take care of these horses, and I’ll skin you alive if they don’t receive the best of care.”
The boys nodded and hurried forward to take the horses from Alex and his friends, leading them around the corner and toward the back of the tavern. It appeared that they knew what they were doing, and Alex decided that he didn’t have to worry about Shahree, or the boys being skinned alive.
“Now then, if you’ll follow me, we can see about your rooms,” said Ishly, smiling and waving his hand toward the door.
“We may be here some time,” said Thrang, looking flustered by Mr. Prow’s quick way of speaking. “You see, we are looking to hire a boat to—”
“Well, this is a good place to hire a boat, seeing as we’re so close to the sea,” Ishly interrupted. “Of course, I don’t know why you’d hire a boat if you weren’t near the sea, but to each his own.”
“Of course,” said Thrang, and tried again. “You see, we wish to sail to the Isle of Bones, and—”
“Not many sailors here in Dunnstal are keen on hiring out their boats. I suppose old Top Mast told you that,” Ishly went on, either not hearing or not caring what Thrang said.
“Well, yes, he did,” Thrang said, “however, we would be willing to pay, and—”
“Don’t mind doubling up, do you?” Ishly questioned, still not listening. “I have a nice single room for the lady, and if the rest of you don’t mind doubling up, it will make things easier.”
“That will be fine,” said Thrang with a resigned sigh.
“I’ll just show you to your rooms,” Ishly continued. “Let you freshen up a bit, and then we’ll talk about dinner. We can make whatever you’d like, but fish is our specialty.”
Alex was amused by the exchange between Thrang and Ishly, and he could see from the looks on his friends’ faces that they were too. Only Thrang seemed unhappy about how things were going, but just as he was about to attempt another question, Ishly offered up some useful information.
“Speaking of dinner—most of the captains stop in for a drink now and again,” Ishly remarked. “They normally start turning up about suppertime. Your best bet of finding a boat would be to talk with some of them—not that I’m saying they’ll hire out, of course.”
“Is their business so good that they can turn down paying customers?” Thrang questioned.
“’Course, there are a few who might be interested,” Ishly went on as if he hadn’t heard Thrang. “Might cost you a bit. I doubt they’d take less than nine or ten gold coins a day.”
“Payment is not a problem,” said Thrang. “However, we do not know anyone here, so if you could—”
“And here are your rooms,” Ishly interrupted. “Feel free to join the common room whenever you are ready.”
“Yes, but—” Thrang tried again.
“I’ll leave you to it, then,” said Ishly. “And if I happen to see any of the captains, I’ll be happy to let them know you’re looking for a boat. I can’t say I hold out much hope, but you never know.”
“Thank you,” said Thrang as Ishly hurried away.
“You tried valiantly, my friend.” Arconn laughed.
“I don’t think he heard a word I said,” Thrang grumbled.
“At least he knows we’re looking to hire a boat,” said Kat hopefully.
“And he did say some of the captains might be interested, though the price seemed a bit high,” Barnabus added.
“Getting a boat to take us to the island seems a small problem. It’s getting one that will bring us back that worries me,” said Nellus.
Alex agreed with Nellus. Since it sounded like only a few sailors might be willing to go to the Isle of Bones, Alex thought that meant they were unlikely to find any of Albrek’s people there.
Thrang suggested that they all wash up quickly and then meet back in the common room.
Alex was sharing a room with Arconn, and it only took them a few minutes to wash up and change their clothes. The two of them entered the common room a short time later and sat at a table to wait for the others.
“Ishly seems to talk fast and listen little,” Alex commented, looking around the common room. He kept his voice low so only Arconn could hear him.
“I think he hears quite a bit more than he lets on,” said Arconn. “After all, he did say the ship captains would be here later and that there might be a few who would take the job.”
“Who might be interested in the job,” Alex corrected. “I have my doubts. I would like to know what stories are being told about the Isle of Bones.”
“No doubt they are bad,” Arconn allowed. “The man that Ishly called Top Mast looked grim when Thrang mentioned the island.”
“I noticed,” said Alex. “It has made me doubt that any of Albrek’s people are still on the island.”
“Where would they go if not back to Benorg?” Arconn questioned.
“South with Albrek, perhaps,” Alex answered. “Or perhaps they didn’t go anywhere at all.”
“A dark thought for such a sunny day,” said Arconn.
“Dark or not, it is a possibility that Albrek’s people died on the island,” Alex insisted.
“I hope your guess is wrong, but we will not know until we reach the island,” said Arconn.
Thrang entered the room, followed clo
sely by the rest of the company. He looked around the sparsely filled common room as he joined Alex and Arconn at their table.
“Too early for much business,” Thrang said. “Though I don’t doubt things will pick up as the day grows old.”
“You think we should wait?” Alex asked.
“What else can we do?” questioned Thrang, a puzzled look on his face.
“We could go down to the docks,” said Alex. “There are a few ships there. Perhaps we can find one to take us to the Isle of Bones.”
“Perhaps,” said Thrang, stroking his beard as he thought. “However, if all seven of us go, we may have a hard time getting anyone to speak with us. We are strangers, after all, and most men are not overfond of strangers.”
“Then only one or two of us should go,” Arconn said.
“It might speed things up,” said Thrang, considering the idea carefully. “Still, I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”
“No harm will be done,” said Alex. “And I want to know what stories the men of Dunnstal are telling about the island.”
“As do I,” Thrang said thoughtfully. “I suppose you’d best go and see what you can learn. Take Barnabus with you. If the people here have reason to fear the Isle of Bones, they may blame the dwarfs for that fear.”
“Very well,” said Alex, bowing slightly. “We will find out what we can and return before the evening meal.”
“Be careful,” Thrang said as Alex and Barnabus headed for the door. “Sailors can be a rough crowd, and they tend to be a bit superstitious.”
Alex and Barnabus left the tavern and made their way toward the waterfront.
“I would expect more trade to be going on,” Barnabus said as they approached the docks. “If the sailors of Dunnstal are so busy, there should be a great deal more happening at the warehouses.”
“It does seem odd,” Alex agreed, noting how few people were moving about the city. “Perhaps this is a slow time of year for them. Or maybe most of the ships are away at other cities.”
“Perhaps, but it still seems strange,” said Barnabus.