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

by Thomas J. Prestopnik

  Lane grinned knowingly. “He built a small cabin among those pines just inside the tree line. Hobin likes his privacy and isn’t particularly fond of intruders.”

  “That’ll help our cause,” Nicholas replied with a sarcastic edge to his voice. “Are you certain he’s our best choice for a guide?”

  “Once you tell him that I recommended his services, he’ll take to you like a frog to pond water.” Lane again pointed toward the towering pines, indicating a trail of wood smoke rising among the treetops against the cobalt blue sky. “Look, he’s home.”

  “Maybe you can come with us and make some introductions,” Leo suggested.

  “No, no,” he replied. “We’d get to talking and drinking ale and I’d lose half my daylight. Today’s for work, not socializing. I’ll catch up with Hobin someday at the Mossy Boulder over a plate of Norma’s finest. In the meantime, I need to push on while you two hire a guide. The days are getting shorter, my friends, so wherever you’re going, you’d better get going now. Soon the snow will fly and you’ll wish you were back in Arrondale.”

  “I’m sort of wishing that now,” Nicholas said, only half jokingly. “But you’re right. We’ve delayed long enough. It’s time to move on.”

  Nicholas and Leo grabbed their packs from the cart and slung them on their shoulders, anticipating the cumbersome weight of the many long miles ahead. They thanked Lane for his help and guidance, asking him to extend their appreciation to Will and Beth Ann one final time and promising to visit again if ever possible. Lane gently snapped the reins and proceeded down the road to finish his deliveries, waving over his shoulder as he disappeared into the sun-splashed hues of the woody countryside.

  Nicholas took a deep breath as he soaked in the surroundings. “Here we go again,” he said, contemplating where in Laparia he might be standing another week or month from now, uncertain if they would be any closer to their goal.

  “Let’s get this over with,” Leo said. He started down the path, his words tinged with weariness as he imagined the grueling footsteps to Wolf Lake. “Why couldn’t the wizard Frist have retired at a comfortable inn that serves fine food and drink? Now that’s a journey I would have volunteered for without thinking twice.”

  “Next time,” Nicholas replied as he followed his friend down the path still spongy and wet in spots from the rain a few days ago.

  They quickly hiked over three quarters of the distance to Hobin’s residence, eager to meet the man and strike a deal. The towering pines loomed like giants just ahead, the air thick with their sweet, clean scent. Leo suddenly stopped, thinking he had heard a rustle in the shadows beneath the trees.

  “Not more cows, I’m sure,” Nicholas said.

  Before Leo could respond, two large dogs bounded out of the trees and bolted up the path. The snarling, hairy animals, one brown and one black, barked incessantly as they targeted Nicholas and Leo before stopping in the middle of the trail, blocking their way forward. The two canines bared their sharp teeth and gazed at the unexpected arrivals, studying them amid a series of distrustful growls and intermittent barks. Nicholas and Leo took a cautious step backward, feeling more terrified than when Will Fish had confronted them with his pitchfork.

  “I’ll assume these two beasts belong to Hobin,” Leo said, swallowing hard as he kept his eyes fixed on the huge animals. “Charming pets.”

  “Let’s hope they already ate lunch,” Nicholas added, frozen in place. “So what’ll we do now, Leo? Go forward? Or turn around, run like horses and hire somebody else?”

  “If you boys don’t go forward, you’ll never get to where you’re going,” a sturdy voice called out from the trees. “But before you take that next step, the three of us need to have a little talk.”

  Slowly, a tall man stepped out of the pine shadows and ambled confidently along the path toward them, scrutinizing the pair with an eagle-like gaze. He wore a brown coat that fell below his waist, its hood flopped back, and the material well-worn and stained from its many journeys through the woods. His dark boots had seen similar wear and tear over the miles. A large knife was secured inside a sheath attached to his side. After he observed the strangers for a moment, he leaned back, folded his arms and slowly massaged his chin as if in deep thought. Nicholas and Leo silently looked on with a mix of unease and curiosity, wondering who would speak first. The man made the decision for them.

  “I guess you can’t be all bad,” he said, his voice firm yet cheerfully pleasant. “After all, my dogs decided not to take a bite out of either one of you.”

  “For which we’re much appreciative,” Nicholas replied, studying the man with interest. He was over twice his age with a head of light brown hair that was beginning to thin and gray, growing almost to his shoulders. His wide, whiskered countenance was punctuated with a set of aqua-colored eyes radiating joyous enthusiasm and a seriousness of purpose at the same time. “Are you Hobin?”

  “I am,” he casually replied. “But how do you know my name? I don’t recall seeing either of you in the village before.”

  “We crossed the river with Lane Fish earlier today,” Leo explained, wanting to get to the heart of the matter so that Hobin would call off his dogs. “He recommended that we seek you out since we’re interested in hiring a guide to take us into the Dunn Hills.”

  “To Wolf Lake,” Nicholas clarified. “We’ll pay whatever fee you think is fair.”

  “That’s definitely an offer in my favor,” he replied.

  “I’m Nicholas Raven and this is my friend, Leo Marsh,” he said, still slightly uncomfortable. “Can we discuss terms?”

  “Only if we discuss them over a drink,” Hobin said, snapping his fingers twice and pointing toward the pine trees behind him. Suddenly the two dogs stopped growling and ran off into the woods, leaving the three men alone. Nicholas and Leo were visibly relieved at the canines’ departure. Hobin chuckled. “Frank and Gus wouldn’t have harmed you–at least not without my say-so. We watch out for each other around here. Where’s Lane?”

  “We just had lunch with him at the Mossy Boulder,” Leo said.

  “I’m sure he recommended the lamb stew. Norma makes a fine kettle.”

  “She certainly did. Lane dropped us off here before leaving to make his deliveries,” Leo continued, quickly filling in Hobin on how he and Nicholas had met him and his brother. “Lane insisted that you were the perfect choice for a guide.”

  “Kind of him to say–and accurate.” With a wave of his hand, Hobin indicated for them to follow him to his home. “I had planned to slip away into the hills and go to Lake Lily for a few days starting tomorrow, but as I haven’t been to Wolf Lake in quite some time, I could easily convince myself to hike there instead.” He glanced at the two men as they neared the soaring pines. “Why do you want to go there anyway? There are some strange tales out of that region.”

  Nicholas and Leo glanced at each other, again confronted with the task of how much of their business they could or should reveal to their prospective guide. Hobin, however, instantly picked up on their hesitation and let them off the hook for the moment.

  “But I suppose that can wait until we’re settled inside. Some food and drink by the fire is our first order of business, gentlemen. You can tell me as much as you’re inclined to,” he said, putting them temporarily at ease. “Based on that, I’ll make my decision as to whether I’ll be your guide or not. Sound fair?”

  “More than fair,” Nicholas said as they passed under the low hanging branches of some pine trees. They were suddenly consumed in shadows and filtered sunlight.

  Moments later they approached a large, rectangular one-story cabin constructed of pine logs. It stood in the middle of a small clearing, its stone chimney issuing curls of blue smoke into the early afternoon sky. The waters of a nearby creek washed hypnotically over a series of smooth, mossy rocks. Several stacks of split firewood had been piled against one side of the cabin in anticipation of a brutal winter ahead. Behind the cabin were the fallow remains of a m
odest field that had grown corn, potatoes, beans, carrots, pumpkin and squash during the summer. A line of five apple trees stood farther away in the open light, long since plucked of their ripened fruit. Nicholas noted that Hobin’s appearance and demeanor were perfectly reflected in the roughhewn surroundings and the staggering sense of isolation that oozed up from the soil between the trunks of the creaking pines. For one who felt so much at home among the trees and in the outdoors, Nicholas knew beyond a doubt that Hobin would be the perfect guide.

  Hobin sliced up a loaf of pumpkin bread. He, Nicholas and Leo enjoyed the tasty treat with generous servings of ale. The trio sat at a table next to a fire in the central room of the cabin. Four smaller rooms were accessible from the main area, two on either side. Frank and Gus lay near the hearth, each gnawing on a beef bone.

  “If Wolf Lake is your destination, I suggest we head north to Beetle Lake first,” Hobin said after downing a mouthful of ale. “Gray Hawk Mountain is just east of that lake. We can climb and get a view of the Five Brothers and of Wolf Lake just beyond them.”

  “Five Brothers? Who are they?” Leo asked.

  “They’re mountains,” Hobin said. “A string of five beautiful mountains just south of Wolf Lake.”

  “One moment,” Nicholas said. He went to his backpack and fished out a map of the Dunn Hills. He spread it out on the table before them. “This might help.”

  Hobin stood up and leaned over the map, nodding and muttering as he scanned the lines and representations of the hills and lakes he loved so much. “A fine map,” he said, looking up. “At least for someone who only wants to study the Dunn Hills from the comfort of a chair miles away from the real thing.” He went to a shelf and rifled through some rolled up pieces of sturdy parchment until he found the one he desired. He returned to the table and spread out another map over the one Nicholas had displayed. “If you really want to know where you’re going, this is the proper map for the job.”

  Nicholas and Leo’s jaws dropped when they saw the detailed drawings upon the map. It depicted a section of the Dunn Hills encompassing the area around Lake Lily, Beetle Lake and Wolf Lake. The black, brown, blue and green ink sketching was breathtaking to behold in both its beauty and meticulous detail. Hobin noted the appreciative amazement upon their faces and was silently pleased.

  “Where did you get this map?” Leo asked.

  “I drew it,” Hobin replied matter-of-factly. “Kind of a hobby. Very accurate, too. I’ve explored the Dunn Hills for over the last twenty years and have mapped all of it to one extent or another. I need to refine some of my drawings to make them as precise as this one, but that takes time.”

  “Still, if your other maps are only half as good as this one, that’s quite an accomplishment,” Nicholas said, tracing a finger along the small river leading from the eastern end of Wolf Lake to the Trillium Sea. Visions of Ivy swept through his mind. “They should have such accurate maps in the Blue Citadel,” he added, not thinking about what he was saying. “The royal cartographers could learn a thing or two from you.”

  Hobin looked askance at his guests. “You’ve been frequenting the halls of the Citadel? There must be quite a story behind that.”

  Nicholas looked up, horrified at his verbal slip. Leo glanced at Hobin, feeling guilty for not explaining the true purpose of their journey, yet knowing that they would now be forced to tell their host part or all of the truth if he was ever going to trust them and agree to be their guide. But Hobin said nothing, seemingly unfazed by the comment as he leaned back in his chair, allowing the uneasy silence to work its will.

  “There is a story,” Nicholas said before downing the last bit of ale in his cup. “And quite a complicated one, too. I suppose Leo and I owe you an explanation about the purpose of our journey before you decide to be our guide. As our task is a well-guarded secret, I don’t envision any danger to us–other than what we might face in the wild. But you should be made aware of some aspects of our mission despite the oath we took.”

  “First you mention the Blue Citadel, and then a secret task and an oath?” Hobin rubbed his hands together. “Now you have me really intrigued.”

  “We’ll bring you up to date on how we arrived at your doorstep,” Leo said, “and then you can make your decision.”

  “Fair enough.” Hobin peered inside his nearly empty cup and glanced up at his guests. “Uh, will this be a long and rambling tale?”

  Nicholas nodded. “It can be, depending on how many details you’d like.”

  “Perfect! Let me tap the ale cask one more time so I can enjoy your story properly,” he said, grabbing an empty wooden pitcher from the table and hurrying off to another room to refill it. Soon he returned, and after topping off everyone’s cup with a frothy head of foam and throwing more wood on the fire, he settled back in his chair and stretched his legs, eagerly awaiting their account. “If your grand quest is leading you into the Dunn Hills, a place I hold dear to my heart, then I’d like to know how you arrived here and what you plan on doing.” He took a gulp of ale and signaled for them to proceed.

  And neither one of his guests disappointed Hobin. They took turns recounting their adventures in the villages of Kanesbury, Minago and Boros, to the sprawling grasslands along the Trillium Sea, and within the corridors of the Blue Citadel itself. He was touched by Leo’s budding relationship with a princess and seemed genuinely moved when Nicholas explained how Ivy had been ripped from his life just as the possibility of true love had begun to blossom. The story of the Enâri especially intrigued him as well as their encounter with Carmella, Jagga and the soldiers from the Northern Isles. Guessing that Hobin had seen the lighted rafts being poled upriver at night and probably viewed them as invaders, Nicholas hoped that he would be sympathetic to their cause. When a half hour or so of storytelling had passed, with a few questions from Hobin tossed in, Nicholas was delighted to be proven correct.

  “If anything irks me more than good ale gone bad or unwanted and annoying visitors–present company excepted–it’s the sight of those blasted Islanders slipping into our territory with death and destruction on their minds.” Hobin pounded a fist on the table. “I’ve seen them at night when I wander down by the river, floating by as if they own the place. There have even been rumors from up and down the river of how they’ve come ashore in spots and cause trouble just for sport. Mostly I hear that they’re traveling to Kargoth as quick as they can like you said. Apparently Vellan needs more help than his own soldiers can provide.” He glanced at Nicholas, his face crinkled with doubt. “So they really exist–those Enâri creatures you spoke of?”

  “They do. The stories of their attack on my village twenty years ago are legion,” he replied. “Now they’re causing trouble in Montavia as well as in the trio of mountain nations near Kargoth.”

  “And if a journey to Wolf Lake will help put an end to them, it’s well worth the effort,” Leo added. “Nicholas and I don’t plan to give up, but we could sure use your experience at this point. Will you help us?”

  Hobin extended a hand and snapped his fingers once. Immediately, Frank and Gus looked up and whimpered from their comfortable positions on the hearth, a beef bone still clamped in each of their mouths. “No, not you two,” Hobin said to the dogs, indicating for them to go back to their treats. He addressed Nicholas, rubbing his fingers together. “Let me see it please, if that doesn’t violate your oath any further.”

  Nicholas realized that he was referring to the medallion, hesitant to respond to his request. Yet their host had been nothing but gracious so far and had been highly recommended by Lane Fish, so the caution in Nicholas’ mind was soon overcome by the trust in his heart. He carefully lifted the leather cord over his head, revealing the medallion from its hiding place beneath his shirt. He handed the cold piece of metal to Hobin who examined it in the glow of the firelight.

  “Doesn’t look like much to me,” he muttered, squinting as he brought it close to his eyes. “And as I know nothing about magic, I can’t f
eel any of the power you say is swirling inside this thing.”

  “Tolapari assured us that the spell had been altered somewhat, or even diminished, when the key was subjected to the heat of the forge,” Nicholas explained. “But it’s still a potent object nonetheless.”

  “And this wizard Frist is supposed to fix it up nice for you?” Hobin asked, glancing at the unremarkable object in his hand.

  “Assuming that Frist is still alive,” Leo added uneasily. “But we have to try in spite of the odds. If we’re successful, the gains would be unimaginable.”

  “I suppose so.” Hobin handed the medallion back to Nicholas who hid it beneath his shirt again, feeling protective of the mysterious object. “And I suppose I’ll take up the offer to serve as your guide, too. Whether this wizard is alive or not, it’ll still be a fine jaunt to Wolf Lake. I haven’t been there in a while and am due for a trip back. And as you two seem like decent folk, I wouldn’t want you to get lost. The Dunn Hills can be treacherous to the uninitiated despite the many miles of trails I’ve marked. Even I could get disoriented in the gloom or if bad weather should spring up on the sly.”

  “In the short time we’ve gotten to know you, Nicholas and I have complete confidence in your abilities,” Leo said. “What could go wrong?”

  “Oh, lots of things,” Hobin warned. “One of my basic rules is never to be complacent when wandering through the wild. It could kill you in a snap–or worse.”

  Nicholas looked at him in bafflement. “What’s worse than death?”

  Hobin appeared surprised. “Why, you could get seriously injured and forever lost, which wouldn’t be a more attractive alternative. So you were smart to seek me out. And after hearing your story, I know we face an additional challenge.”

  “What?” Leo asked.

  “That Frist character you spoke of. I told you earlier that I had heard strange stories from around the Wolf Lake region,” he said, lightly drumming his fingers on the tabletop. “This explains all those rumors then. There’s a wizard about.”