Nicholas Raven and the Wizards' Web (The Complete Epic Fantasy)

by Thomas J. Prestopnik

  “Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Nicholas asked a while later after making two more turns, scratching his head as he looked about. The two had paused a moment to survey the landscape after wandering about aimlessly for an hour as the Fox Moon drifted westward.

  “Sure we are,” Leo said halfheartedly. “At least I think so. Maybe we made a wrong turn that last road back.”

  “Or maybe Sims lied to us.” Nicholas climbed off his horse, trying to keep his frayed nerves in check. He grabbed the reins and walked along the dirt path to stretch his legs as Leo followed.

  “Let’s go on for a bit longer,” he said. “If we don’t see what looks like an abandoned farmhouse soon, then we know we’re on the wrong path.”

  Nicholas nodded, not in the mood for words. When the moonlight peeked out of the clouds a half hour later, highlighting a desolate expanse of grassy fields and dark water in the distance–but no sign of any farmhouse–Leo glumly concluded that they were heading in the wrong direction. Nicholas agreed and they turned around, backtracking to their last turnoff to determine where their path went awry. They continued along the previous road for about a half mile until they reached a turn onto another road they had passed earlier.

  “Should we try this one?” Nicholas asked, noting that it was a left turn from where they had originally approached. “I know Sims said this next turn was also to the right, but maybe he misspoke or we misunderstood.”

  “Or he sent us on a lost cause,” Leo remarked, quickly shaking the thought out of his head. “Can’t start thinking like that or we’ll get nowhere. Come on. Let’s go.”

  Leo snapped the reins lightly and his horse trotted along the road. Nicholas followed, mustering up what he thought were the last traces of hope within him as the Fox Moon dipped in the west.

  Several minutes later they noted a small farmhouse in the distance, though when they passed by it, they smelled smoke drifting from the chimney and moved onward. Another mile down the road Nicholas pointed out a second farmhouse, this one also clearly not abandoned. They trotted by in dismal silence, neither wanting to say that they may have been deceived by Sims as they trudged through the dreary predawn veil slowly settling over the landscape. A nagging weariness tormented them. They each battled a lack of sleep and wondered how much longer they could continue without rest. Leo was about to say as much when he noted a dilapidated barn slouched in the field to his right, a gaping hole punched into its roof.

  “Look!” he said, pointing it out.

  Nicholas glanced up, shaking the sluggishness out of his head. A one-story house of wood and clay bricks off to one side of the barn appeared to be in even worse shape. “That has to be it!”

  They hurried down the road and crossed some tall grass that had taken over the property. When they neared the house, its shutterless windows yawned in the darkness. They jumped off their horses and scouted around while the two animals grazed. The Fox Moon slowly sank behind the tips of the Trent Hills in the distant west as a hint of gray tinged the edge of the eastern horizon. Dawn would break within the hour.

  Nicholas raced along one side of the house while Leo ran the opposite way around the barn. The smell of decaying grass and damp soil permeated the air. They met up on the back side of the barn, shrugging their shoulders as they frantically craned their necks in the gloom. Then Nicholas spotted a low roof near the edge of the field camouflaged by clumps of tall grass and thorn bushes.

  “A root cellar!” he exclaimed, racing to the front of the structure as Leo followed. He stopped suddenly when he saw that a low door at the entrance had been left ajar, a black silence oozing out. He threw a worried glance at Leo before hurrying down a few stone steps and slowly opening the door, ducking his head as he stepped inside. Though very little gray light seeped within, he immediately realized that the tiny enclosure was empty. He sighed and stepped backward, leaning against the wall.

  Leo walked inside, stooping so as not to bump his head on the low ceiling. He wondered how late they had arrived since Ivy left.

  “If she had been here,” Nicholas said despondently. “Is this the right place? And if it is, Ivy could be anywhere right now.”

  “It has to be.” Leo sniffed the air, noting a familiar scent. “Smells like somebody burned a candle in here. Maybe an oil lamp.”

  “She was here!” Nicholas said excitedly, standing up quickly and bumping his head on a wooden beam. “Ow!” he muttered, rubbing out the pain though he couldn’t help but laugh at himself.

  Leo grinned and yawned at the same time. “No doubt she was. But if we don’t rest, Nicholas, we’re never going to find her. The sun will be up shortly. Let’s sleep for a couple hours and then get our bearings. Whoever kidnapped Ivy will have to rest, too. And since they don’t know they’re being followed, maybe they won’t be in a hurry.”

  Nicholas was about to protest but realized Leo was correct. His eyelids were heavy and his thoughts in disarray. So they agreed to grab a quick nap on the east side of the barn, knowing the rising sun would jar them awake. They plopped down in the tall grass, bundled in their hooded coats, and promptly fell asleep near the horses. As the Fox Moon disappeared behind the Trent Hills, a light mist formed upon the dirt roads and fields, swirling about in a gentle breeze, momentarily safe in the lingering night.

  Nicholas felt the warm touch of light upon his face as he slowly opened his eyes, the pungent scent of grass and soil dancing in the breeze. He stretched, feeling rested, and then sat up, his heart suddenly racing when he noticed the sun blazing behind a thin layer of gray clouds. How long had he slept? It must have been several hours past sunrise, he calculated as he shook Leo awake.

  “Get up! We overslept.”

  “Huh?” He struggled to sit up, scratching his head. “What?” He noticed the sun climbing high in the eastern sky. “Oh…”

  A few minutes later they were standing on the main road, eating some dried beef and bread as they surveyed the landscape. The western end of Sage Bay was only a short distance to the east, its gentle waves tipped with the subdued morning light. The shoreline of the Trillium Sea lay about five miles to their north, its rich dark waters hugging a slate gray horizon. A vast expanse of grasslands stretched westward like a sea of brittle stalks swaying in unison wherever the capricious winds commanded it. Nicholas wondered where they should go next.

  “I can’t imagine these roads go much farther west,” Leo said. “There’s nothing in that direction except tall grass. And Sims mentioned hearing something about a waiting ship. So whoever abducted Ivy must be traveling along shore.”

  Nicholas agreed as he took another bite of his cold breakfast. “We’ll head north for the shoreline and follow it west. If a ship’s waiting somewhere, we shouldn’t miss it.”

  “Assuming it hasn’t sailed off.”

  Nicholas didn’t want to ponder such a thought. He walked over to the horses, ready to begin the next leg of their journey.

  The clouds thickened as they reached the seashore. Nicholas’ spirits fell when he gazed upon the somber stretch of water and the unreachable horizon. If Ivy were already on a ship, where would she go? The Northern Isles were the closest place out on the water, nearly two hundred miles away. With an aching heart, he wondered how he would ever find her.

  They trudged westward along the shoreline through the gloom and desolation. The wall of tall grass to their left stood like a legion of silent sentries. Nicholas and Leo rode their horses as often as possible, walking alongside them when the terrain turned too stony or soft from recent rains. They spotted impressions of horse hooves and wagon wheels on the ground from time to time which encouraged them as they set out. Meals and rest stops were brief, though they paused to sleep from time to time.

  As darkness descended, they attempted to make a small fire using the tall grass as fuel, though it wasn’t dry enough to do so. In the end, they took shelter within the grass to escape the ceaseless breezes off the Trillium Sea, sleeping for a few hours near the hor
ses. When they awoke, the full Fox Moon was still high in the clouded sky, its gauzy light enough to guide them through the night as they marched onward in sluggish silence.

  Chances of finding Ivy briefly increased when Nicholas spotted the remains of a small campfire the next morning. The damp smell of cold ash enlivened his spirits and urged him and Leo on at a faster clip. Their need for food and sleep diminished over the next several hours as they made steady progress.

  “We must be gaining on them,” Nicholas said, hoping that speaking the words would make them come true.

  “We are,” Leo replied, encouraging his friend despite the miles of rugged shoreline ahead.

  They continued onward for several hours, enduring the bland and chilly surroundings. Pangs of doubt again crept into both their minds, forcing them to wonder if they were merely chasing an illusion. If Ivy was already on the sea, each additional mile of their journey would make such a bitter outcome all the more heartbreaking. And if they didn’t find her soon, when would they admit to themselves that their efforts had failed?

  After following a gentle curve along the shoreline, Nicholas noted a flash of familiar color in the gray light which purged such gloomy thoughts from his mind. He jumped off his horse and scrambled to the edge of the grasslands. Leo slowed his steed and trotted over toward him.

  “What’s the matter, Nicholas?”

  “Nothing’s the matter,” he said, reaching to the ground. “Luck’s finally joined us in the search!” He grinned, clasping Ivy’s scarf in his hand and joyously holding it up. “She’s left us a sign. We’re on the right track.”

  “Then let’s not stop to celebrate,” Leo said. “Get back on your horse.”

  They urged themselves forward through the slogging hours of the dreary afternoon, finding no more signs from Ivy as the air cooled and the clouds drifted slowly overheard like a mass of gray mountains. Occasional hoof prints or wheel tracks offered the only hint that they were still on the correct course. Nicholas sighed as they journeyed into another night, wondering if Ivy and her captors were traveling just as fast as he and Leo were as he watched the distant tips of the Trent Hills fade into darkness.

  After another brief meal and a few more hours of sleep, they moved on underneath a canopy of clouds. The Fox Moon, now past full, had risen in the east, and the larger Bear Moon, still a few days from full, lingered higher in the west. Both glowing orbs cast their gentle light above the cloud cover, guiding the travelers cautiously along the water’s edge. But after a few hours had passed, the Bear Moon set in the west. And before the break of dawn, the Fox Moon also deserted the night sky, dipping behind the distant mountains as the landscape succumbed to darkness. Sleep again called to Nicholas and Leo, so they took shelter in the grass and slept for a few hours until the lemony face of the sun again graced the eastern sky.

  After they had traveled a few hours in the morning, Leo finally spoke the words he had been thinking during the night. The horses trotted on at a slower clip, noticeably more tired than when they had begun their journey.

  “This is our third day of traveling,” he said flatly, his eyes ahead on the terrain. A few breaks in the clouds allowed a splash of sunshine upon the dark water and the waves of grass. “We’re getting low on food, and the horses are–”

  “I know what you’re going to say, Leo. How much longer can we go on?” Nicholas pushed off the hood of his coat as a cool breeze brushed through his hair. “I was thinking that, too.”

  “The Trent Hills are nearly upon us, and we’re quite a ways from Boros. I never expected us to go this far,” Leo admitted. “I never expected we would have to.”

  “Me either.” Nicholas gazed up at the struggling sun trying to find its way out of the clouds. “Ivy may already be on that ship Sims talked about, but I don’t want to think it or believe it.”

  “I know.”

  He glanced at his friend, wanting advice and direction. As much as he had endured since fleeing Kanesbury, Nicholas had never once felt the guilt and anguish that now tormented him as he reluctantly entertained thoughts of abandoning their search. Maybe it was a task too big for them to handle alone. He said as much to Leo, feeling awful for putting such thoughts into words.

  “Let’s give it until morning,” Leo said. “If we don’t find Ivy, well, maybe we can come back again better prepared.”

  “But if she was taken to the Northern Isles, we’re sunk. I can’t imagine what might happen to her there.”

  A chill ran through Leo when he heard the despair in Nicholas’ voice. He didn’t know what to do, but maybe others would.

  “We do have one arrow left in our quiver,” he said. Nicholas glanced at him with questioning eyes. “Our friendship with a princess. Maybe Megan can convince her grandfather to launch a rescue effort.” He immediately saw the doubt scrawled upon Nicholas’ face. “It’s just a thought.”

  “I’m sure one of the last things on the King of Arrondale’s mind is the problems of two commoners like us,” he replied with a grim laugh. “He’d boot us out of the Citadel for sure, not that we’d even get a chance to see him in the first place.”

  “I suppose you’re right. The lack of sleep is getting to me.”

  “Me too.” Nicholas loosened his grip on the reins, wanting so much to plop down in the grass and sleep the day away. But they continued on in bouts of silence as the day slowly progressed and the clouds began to break, neither knowing, yet dreading, what decision the morning would bring.

  They stopped at noontime for a brief meal and then treated themselves to an apple each that Castella had provided. Leo took two additional pieces of the fruit and fed them to the horses who were much appreciative of the juicy, sweet snack. After a short rest, they faced the drudgery of the bleak seaside terrain once again. For two hours they progressed in subdued silence, each wondering where tomorrow would find them. The grass to their left stood particularly tall, swaying in unison along a stretch of shore less rocky than usual. The Trent Hills rose gracefully against a slate gray sky less than ten miles away in the west.

  A few more hours passed as twilight gently enveloped the shoreline and the clouds began to break. The sun prepared to dip behind the mountains as the Bear Moon climbed high in the east. Nicholas was lost in thought, his eyes to the ground ahead of him. Leo glanced out across the sea in the last light. A repetitive string of small waves washed hypnotically onto shore. As he took a deep breath of salty air to clear his mind, he thought he noticed an object upon the water several miles down shore. He gently reined his horse to a halt and gazed unblinkingly at the spot not far off the water’s edge. Then he saw a flash of light upon the shoreline in the same vicinity. When Nicholas finally realized that he was riding alone, he turned around and saw Leo sitting statue-like upon his horse.

  “Why’d you stop?” He turned his horse and sauntered over to him. “See something?”

  “Take a look,” Leo said, pointing. “Way down shore just off the water’s edge. Looks like a ship. And I see firelight, too.” He glanced at Nicholas. “Somebody has come ashore.” Upon closer scrutiny, Nicholas arrived at the same conclusion, suggesting they bolt the remaining miles to rescue Ivy. “Not so fast,” Leo cautioned. “We don’t know how many are down there or what kind of armaments they carry.”

  “I know,” he said, coming to his senses. “I’m talking faster than I can think. We have to approach in secret. And on foot.”

  Leo agreed. “The sun will set shortly, so we’ll have the cover of night. I suggest we ride along as close to the grass as we can for another mile or two, then abandon our horses. We’ll trek the final mile or so through the grass so we won’t be spotted and then wait for full darkness.”

  Nicholas took a deep breath, now wide awake as his heart beat steadily. “And then?”

  “Then we make our move,” Leo replied. “But don’t ask me what that is just yet.”

  Swiftly and steadily they traveled nearly two miles along the grass as the sun slipped behind the mounta
ins. The darkness deepened as the smell of wood smoke drifted from the west. They finally dismounted and led their horses into the tall grass.

  “Stay here,” Leo said, petting his steed before he removed two more apples from the food bag, one for each horse. “We’ll be back soon. Wish us luck.”

  “And if luck fails, a sharp dagger is a good substitute,” Nicholas said, unpacking a small knife still in its sheath that Castella had packed away in a blanket roll tied to his saddle. He attached the knife to his belt, his heart pounding and his senses sharp, determined to fight anyone who might get in his way. “I’m certain Castella tucked one away for you, too.”

  “She did,” he replied, finding his own knife and arming himself. “Now let’s see who we’re dealing with.” Leo indicated that they should hike westward through the grass, keeping inside the vegetation until they determined how many people were on shore.

  The last mile proved difficult. The deepening darkness concealed them and the constant sea breeze muffled any sounds they made rustling through the brittle grass. They felt as if they were fighting their way through a dense forest. As they moved parallel to the shore, they monitored the bright flames of the bonfires through the grass to keep them on track. When at last arriving near the encampment, the two plopped down to rest.

  “I counted five tents,” Leo said, gazing through the grass and studying the glow of firelight dancing off the sides of the round structures. “Almost as many bonfires, too.”

  Nicholas inched closer for a better view. “Doesn’t look like a whole lot of people,” he whispered. “Less than twenty.” He noticed a few men bundled up in coarse, long brown coats, some wandering along the shore while others warmed themselves near the fires.