“A sham, nephew. I am in fact ready to teeter over, but no one will give me time. Praise be that Paladine chose to make me a cleric as well as a knight, for I doubt I would still be standing if not for his power.”
“You are the foundation of the orders, uncle.”
“And you are still the eager young squire, Bennett.” Lord Oswal bade his nephew to rise. “The two of you should not argue. Kaz, you will need the might of Solamnia behind you. I do not doubt that the dark elf will be found in some dire region. As for you, nephew, respect the knowledge and honor of this minotaur. Huma called him friend. I do now. Learn from his experience. In many ways, Kaz knows more than I.”
“I find that impossible to believe, milord, but I shall do as you say.”
“Fine. What about you, Kaz?”
“You have my word. Argaen Ravenshadow is my goal. I’ve sworn that I’ll hunt him down if I have to travel beyond the ice in the south.”
The Grand Master smiled sourly. “Let us hope it does not come to that.”
“This is all a bit pointless,” Bennett remarked in exasperation. He looked from his uncle to the minotaur. “I have been told that the magic thief flew south. But where in the south? Surely not Silvanesti or Qualinesti! Ergoth? Kharolis? Where?”
Kaz gritted his teeth. He took a deep breath and was about to launch into another tirade when the Grand Master spoke. “We will solve nothing with bickering,” Lord Oswal said wearily. “I suggest we try to get some rest. Bennett, walk with me for a bit, please. I wish to hear what you have seen since your departure. I wish to discover what else the knighthood must make amends for.”
Bennett grimaced. “As you wish, milord.”
“Get some sleep, Kaz.”
“A good suggestion, Grand Master.”
Kaz watched the two depart and felt exhaustion suddenly take control of his body. Arguing, however briefly, with the Grand Master’s nephew had just about used up his own reserves. He looked around. The sky would be his roof tonight, as it had been for so many nights in his life. He looked for a secluded spot.
The place he finally chose had only one drawback, and that was the sudden appearance of a particular kender, even before Kaz had a chance to lie down.
“Where’ve you been, Kaz? I’ve been looking all over for you since you vanished back at the gate while I was watching the knights arrive. How come you’re sleeping here when there are so many other places? Though I guess we can’t sleep at the library anymore, because the building isn’t in too good shape anymore, is it?”
“Delbin, unless you have something important to say, why don’t you go to sleep, too?” Kaz removed his battle-axe and harness and lay down. He put his hands under his head and stared up at the sky. Until tonight, the only things really visible had been the moons. Now, however, the stars were apparent. Kaz started to pick out the constellations he knew.
“Are we gonna stay here for a while, Kaz?”
“In Vingaard? Not if I can help it!” the minotaur grunted. “One can only take so much of the knighthood. I start searching for Argaen Ravenshadow tomorrow. The colder his trail becomes, the harder it’ll be to find him.”
“At least we won’t have to go far.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Delbin shrugged innocently. “Well, I mean, he probably headed for the mountains east of Qualinesti or for the southern part near Thorbardin. Don’t dwarves live down there? You wouldn’t go that way when I asked last time. Did you have trouble—”
The minotaur sat up. “Delbin, do you know where the elf is?”
“I do now. I was going to write about everything that happened and how big and powerful the knights looked when they arrived a few minutes ago, but when I reached for the book, I found this little crystal that I knew had to be Argaen’s, and when I thought about him real hard, all of a sudden I could see him landing someplace in the mountains just north of Qualinesti. I think they’re partly in Ergoth and partly in Solamnia, but I could be wrong.”
“Let me see what you found.”
Delbin pulled something out of his pouch. “I thought you might want to see it, but you looked pretty busy. I bet maybe Argaen put it into my pouch while he had me imagining I was helping you by opening the vaults.”
A look of wonder passed over Kaz’s bullish visage as he eyed Delbin’s prize. It was the same trinket that Ravenshadow had used to find the kender the first time he had disappeared, searching in the library. Kaz snatched the magical device from his companion’s diminutive hands.
“You saw where the elf was going just by thinking about him?” Ravenshadow’s image was burned into his own mind now.
The artifact in his hands began to glow a little, and something murky appeared within it.
“That’s how it did it last time,” Delbin offered helpfully.
“Quiet!” Kaz continued. A dragon, even a stone one, could cover astonishing distances in a short period of time. The mountains Delbin had described, however, were fairly near, several days’ ride at the very most. It amazed Kaz that the dark elf would position himself so close to the land of his people.
The murky image began to waver. Argaen Ravenshadow. His home. The emerald sphere of Galan Dracos.
With a flicker, he was suddenly flying high above a mountain range. Had he not flown on the backs of dragons in the past, the angle would have sent him reeling. As it was, he was able to study the range.
He knew these mountains, had seen them from a distance several times. The northernmost tip of Qualinesti was only a day to the south. How could Argaen hope to keep out of sight of his kin?
Slowly the image focused on one mountain in particular. The peak began to grow larger and larger—or rather, Kaz, through the crystal, was descending. Within seconds, he was below the tip of the mountain and still descending.
The ruins sprang from nowhere.
One minute he was gazing at yet more mountainside, and the next he was hurtling toward the roof of some long-abandoned structure. Kaz allowed himself a smile. He not only knew his prey was in a particular set of mountains, but he also knew where in those mountains.
Who?
The voice echoed through his mind, and Kaz nearly fell back. Only barely did he succeed in keeping his grip on the crystal.
“Kaz?”
Who? the voice demanded. There was an ethereal quality to it.
The crystal began to grow hotter. Kaz no longer had any desire to hold on to it, but now it appeared to be holding on to him. The image in its center had faded, but the voice remained in the minotaur’s head, growing increasingly powerful and demanding.
Where? Who?
Gritting his teeth, Kaz called out. “Delbin! Knock … knock it from my hand. Hurry!”
The kender reached into his pouch and pulled out, of all things, his ever-absent book. Taking it in both hands, Delbin struck the minotaur’s hand with all his might. Smoke arose from the book as the tiny artifact burned the edge of it before being sent flying away.
Clutching his hand where it had been burned, Kaz watched the crystal strike the ground and crack into several pieces. In that same instant, it ceased to glow. The voice that had been demanding the minotaur’s identity vanished as well.
Both Kaz and Delbin stared at the shattered remnants for several seconds before the kender dared to ask, “Kaz, what happened?”
“Someone was trying to locate me while I was locating the elf.”
“Someone?”
Kaz nodded, eyeing his injured hand. He hoped Tesela had the strength left to heal it. He had a feeling he was going to need to be at his best. The voice had not been Argaen Ravenshadow’s—of that, at least, he was sure.
Then, who?
CHAPTER 17
The group selected to hunt Argaen Ravenshadow would, by necessity, be a small one. Of the two hundred or so knights the Grand Master now had under his command, a good quarter of them would not be fit for very much activity for at least a few days. Still more were needed back at the
keep to guard the walls of Vingaard and start clearing the debris left over from the stone dragon’s departure. All in all, the Grand Master was stretching his resources to the limits when he assigned fifty knights to his nephew.
Darius, Tesela, and Delbin, of course, all insisted on coming along as well. To the knight, it was a sense of duty, of honor. The cleric insisted that they were likely to need her healing skills where they were going. Kaz suspected her real reason was Darius himself. Adversity had thrown them together.
As for Delbin, he did not need a reason, and Lord Oswal was more than accommodating when it came to the kender. If he stayed behind, without Kaz to watch over him, the knights rightly feared that he would pilfer everything in sight, plus, no doubt, some things that were not.
Those riding with the party were personally chosen by the Grand Master, and the entire expedition was supplied with whatever could be spared in the way of food and materials.
Just before noon, they started out the front gates. There was no cheering, for those riding forth might be heading to their deaths, and nearly every knight remaining behind manned the walls against equally uncertain destiny. When Kaz looked back, just before Vingaard Keep became too distant, he saw that the men on the walls were still there, silently watching.
The shortened day passed without incident. There were signs of occasional goblin activity, but not one of the creatures was sighted. The column avoided villages and other settlements. Until people could be brought to understand what had happened, it was best to give civilization a wide berth.
The most promising sign of the day was the presence of the bright sun. It was encouraging. Certainly it raised spirits.
Just before nightfall, a scout reported signs that a relatively large band of men, some riding and some on foot, had been in the area earlier that morning. They, too, were headed in a southerly direction. No evidence indicated that they were heading toward the same destination as the column, but the thought nagged at Kaz. Who could they be?
When night came at last, there was some debate as to whether or not they should press on. Common sense won out. Everyone needed rest.
A perimeter and watches were established. Kaz felt as if time had slipped back several years and he was once again in the great war. He wondered what they would do if Argaen’s unliving servant returned under cover of darkness.
He felt the twin edges of the blade, admiring the workmanship of the metal axe head. His face reflected back at him, crystal clear despite the dim light of the night sky. Kaz studied the image for a minute wonderingly, when something registered. The minotaur stared at the axe head, at the handle, and then at the sharp edges.…
That was it! The area where the axe had been chipped after it had struck the rocky hide of Argaen’s monster was whole and unbroken once more! Sharp as ever again! He also recalled a moment in the vault, when the unliving beast had shied away from the minotaur’s seemingly futile attack with the battle-axe. Could the stone dragon actually fear the axe? Granted, the weapon was somehow magical, but why would a creature that size, magical itself, fear Sardal’s gift?
How powerful was the battle-axe? Could it do anything else besides mend itself? Kaz grunted, recalling how, before, he had found himself carrying the axe after leaving it behind. A one-time fluke, or would it come to him again if the need arose?
“Kaz?”
Kaz looked up at Bennett, who seemed disturbed about something. “What, human?”
“We may have trouble—trouble that you might be familiar with. Would you follow me?”
Kaz arose and followed Bennett.
They moved toward the eastern side of the camp. One or two knights stood guard in the camp; the rest, along with the minotaur’s companions, were asleep. The only other knights awake were those on sentry duty on the edges of camp.
The countryside consisted of small hills covered with wild grass and ugly, twisted trees. It was not a region Kaz would have voluntarily traveled through, but dire circumstances seemed to delight in forcing him to cross it again and again.
“What is it you want me to see?”
“Nothing, perhaps, but the knight ahead of us reported something I felt you would appreciate being told about.”
The knight on guard duty saluted Bennett and looked uneasily at the minotaur. Bennett cleared his throat and told the man, “Describe what you thought you saw.”
“Milord” He was a Knight of the Crown, such as Huma had been, but much older, a veteran who perhaps had decided to stay with that particular order rather than move on to the Order of the Sword. “I would not have even mentioned it, milord, but I was told that all strange things, no matter whether they seemed like a trick of the eyes or not, should be reported.”
“What did you see?” encouraged Kaz.
“It was only for just a moment, mind you, but I thought I saw an animal. Just a glimpse of one, but it did seem real. The odd thing was, it looked to be completely white, only not like some of our horses. More like that of a corpse.”
“White like a corpse?” Kaz grimaced. “What sort of animal did it appear to be, knight?”
“I cannot say for certain, for I only caught a glimpse. A large cat, possibly, or—or—”
“A wolf?” the minotaur finished for him.
The knight nodded. “A wolf. Yes, it could have been a wolf.”
Bennett glanced at Kaz. “That cannot be possible. You know that, minotaur.”
“You came for me, which means you’ve enough doubt to think it possible. It may be that Argaen knows a few more tricks than we thought. He keeps surprising me with his Sargas-be-damned ingenuity!”
“Dreadwolves!” Bennett shook his head. “I’d thought never to hear about them again. I thought everything concerning Galan Dracos could be buried from sight and mind forever.”
“For a dead man, the renegade mage does seem to pop up in one way or another, doesn’t he?” Kaz considered. “With your permission, Bennett, I think we should talk to some of the other men on guard duty.”
“Very well.”
The first man they spoke to reported nothing. The second man proved no more informative than the first, and they spent even less time with him.
Bennett seemed to think the whole thing pointless. “Perhaps there is an albino wolf out there. I have seen albinos in other species from time to time, and they do tend to be nocturnal.”
“Perhaps.” Nevertheless, Kaz continued on.
It took them a moment or two to locate the next nearest sentry, for the man was standing on the other side of a small rise. It was a good place to keep watch, for the knight avoided the light of the moon and anyone approaching would have to be right on top of him before noticing him.
“You there,” Bennett called out softly. While he spoke to the guard, Kaz, his axe resting lightly against his shoulder, peered around. Something was making him uneasy.
“Milord?” The man turned but did not abandon his post, as was proper.
“Have you seen anything tonight that you have not reported … anything at all?”
The other knight peered at them, trying to make out who stood next to his commander. In this place, each of them was little more than an outline. “Nothing, milord, unless you count a couple of carrion crows. They seemed to be going nowhere in particular.”
“Hopefully they’ll keep right on going,” Kaz muttered, his back almost to the man. The light of Solinari caught the mirrorlike finish of the metal axe head and glittered in the minotaur’s eye.
Beside him, Bennett turned and sighed. “I think we should cease this. There’s nothing to be gained. If anything should arise, we will be forewarned by those on watch.”
“I suppose so.” Kaz lifted the axe head from his shoulder. As he did, both his reflection and that of Bennett caught his eye momentarily.
“Is that all, milord?” the guard called out.
Kaz froze, then carefully glanced back to see where the knight was standing. The guard was directly behind them.
�
�That is all. Return to your duties,” Bennett replied.
Turning away, Kaz lifted the axe so that once again the side of the head would reflect everything behind him. He saw the same odd, distinct reflection of his own visage and Bennett’s shoulder. Of the other knight, there was not even a shadowy outline.
Yet, when he turned back again, Kaz could see the dark form of the man, still there.
The knight on guard duty was casting no reflection in the mirrorlike surface of the axe head!
Kaz hesitated. The sentry, his attention fixed on the surrounding countryside, paid him no attention. What does it mean?
Noticing the minotaur’s strange behavior, Bennett, too, had stopped. “Is there something—”
“Quiet. Wait a moment,” Kaz whispered. The minotaur, axe ready in one hand, stalked over to the other knight. “You!”
The man turned around slowly. “What is it you wish, minotaur?”
“Your name.”
“Alec, Knight of the Sword.”
“Alec”—Kaz tightened his grip on the battle-axe—“do you know what the phrase Est Sularis oth Mithas means?”
There was a short pause. “I cannot recall at the moment.”
Every muscle in the minotaur’s body tensed. “I didn’t think so.”
The battle-axe came up in a vicious arc that should have ended with the flat side striking the unsuspecting Alec. There was only one problem. Alec was neither unsuspecting nor a knight. Kaz’s swing sailed a foot above the false knight’s head even as the man ducked and his longsword flashed out.
“Kaz! What are you doing?” demanded Bennett.
The minotaur parried a powerful thrust and growled, “We may be under attack at any moment, commander!” Another swing of the axe proved as futile as the first. “In—in case you haven’t figured it out by now, this isn’t a knight!”
“Paladine!” Bennett unsheathed his own sword and started forward, but Kaz yelled. “Forget me! Warn the camp! Go!”
Bennett paused for a second, then nodded his head and ran. He withheld a shout, for fear of giving away their discovery to anyone waiting beyond the camp. Quiet and caution were important now.
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