Tales of Uncle Trapspringer ll-3

by Dixie Lee Mckeone

  Halmarain and her escort of strange humanoids were left to gallop directly for the campsite. A few seconds later, Trap, still in the center of the stampede, was swept down the hill and nearly into the camp. The 'waris around him followed the others, splitting to the right and left.

  Just beyond the fire were the eaves of the forest. The large birds, creatures of the plains and open fields, wanted nothing to do with the shadowy wood. They charged around the camp, running in both directions. The kender was nearly knocked out of the saddle as four birds on his right jostled to move to his left.

  The 'waris circled the fire in both directions, still too panicked to stop running, but also afraid of the fire. Trap heard shouts and saw the heads of a band of more than a dozen goblins appear in the tall grass. The humanoids jumped to their feet and raced for the dubious safety of the campsite.

  As Trap galloped closer to the edge of the camp, he heard the clang of weapons, Halmarain's screams, and angry shrieks from Beglug. The strange shapes that had paced Halmarain also ran into the light of the fire. From the tales he had heard since childhood, Trap recognized a group of wemics, centaur-like creatures who had humanoid torsos joined to lion-type bodies.

  The six wemics seemed to have joined forces with the goblins who had dashed into the camp from the other side. Meanwhile several kobolds and goblins were fighting the wemics, the kobolds and wemics were fighting the goblins, and off to the side, two goblins were fighting each other.

  "Golly! How do they know when to switch sides?" Trap asked his pony as he tried to figure out who he should attack.

  Just within the circle of light, and trying to avoid the panicked 'waris, a seventh adult wemic was circling with two young ones at her side. Closer to the fire and still mounted, Halmarain had pulled her axe, which she still wore as part of her disguise. She used the flat side of the blade to slap at a hapless kobold who came within her range as he tried to escape the spear of a wemic. Beglug, frightened and angry, howled and swung his tree branch at everything within reach.

  Beglug, striking wildly at a wemic, tangled the small branches of his weapon in the flowing mane of the lion-humanoid and jerked to free his weapon. When he yanked it back, he struck his own mount on the rump and the pony sidled and bucked. The little merchesti kept his seat, but his wildly swinging limb struck a goblin. The humanoid raised his spear to retaliate.

  Trap had set a stone in the pouch of his hoopak and was swinging it over his head as he watched for an optimum target. He let the stone fly and caught the goblin on the side of its flat nose. The humanoid roared and spun like a top, its spear knocking down one of its companions.

  "What's happening?" Ripple, who had reached the scene of the fight shouted over the din of the stampeding 'waris and the shouts, roars, and screams of the fighting mass. She stood up in her saddle, her whippik in her hand, a short kender arrow fitted to the loop.

  "This looks like fun! Which side are we on?" she called as she sought a target.

  "Everyone's fighting everybody. " Trap said, enjoying the excitement. "Why don't you throw something at Halmarain?"

  He pulled out another stone as he watched the battle. One goblin was trading spear thrusts with a wemic, while the others were battling the kobolds. Halmarain, still leading the pack pony and Beglug's mount, had been shunted to the other side of the campfire. She had lost her axe and gripped the saddle with her left hand. She used the butt end of her wizard's staff to beat off a kobold. Beglug howled with glee and swung his tree limb. The leaves had long since fallen off and two kobolds backed away from the still flexible branches that stung like willow switches.

  Behind Ripple, one of the confused and still circling 'waris collided with Umpth's mount. The pony leaped forward, almost into the fire. As the animal tried to pull away from the confines of his lead, he dashed across the path of Ripple's and Trap's mounts. The wagon wheel, still in its travois, knocked a kobold into two of its fellows.

  A group of kobolds decided the gully dwarves would be easy prey. Unused to fighting, Umpth and Grod ignored the axes in their saddle scabbards and pulled off their helmets. Holding their headgear by the straps, they deflected weapons and struck their attackers with a rain of blows.

  Across the campfire, a wemic seemed intent on hacking the little wizard with her own axe. Ripple sent an arrow into his rump just as Trap struck him on the jaw with a stone slung from his hoopak. The wemic roared and backed away from the wizard.

  The roar seemed to echo across the plain and the kender realized that the 'waris had finally sorted themselves out and were charging off to the north.

  A lighter roar came from Trap's left and he felt the small claws of a young wemic. It had reared and clawed at his left leg. He raised his hoopak, intending to spear his attacker with the sharp, steel-shod point and realized he had been struck by a child.

  "Stop! Behave! That's not nice, " he warned, but seeing it was ready to claw him again, he had to drive it off. He flipped the hoopak and struck it sharply on the nose with the forked end of his weapon. It howled and backed away to be grabbed by the female who was trying to keep the young ones out of danger. She pulled the child away and was growling at the kender when she raised her eyes and gave a wail of distress.

  Trap looked in the direction of her staring eyes and saw what had frightened her. A dark figure in a black cloak was wading through the goblins, hacking with a sword. The kobolds and the wemics were giving way in front of him.

  He wore a heavy, black, cowled cloak. When the robed figure turned his head toward the kender, Trap could see a red glow from his eyes.

  Chapter 28

  Trap shivered at the aura of evil emanating from the tall robed figure, but he never considered backing away. His fingers were already digging around in his pouch, seeking another stone for his hoopak. He was sufficiently awed so that his gaze was transfixed. Almost automatically he fitted the projectile into the leather pouch of his hoopak and swung the weapon over his head.

  Beneath the cowl, he saw the almost skeletal face twist into an evil grin as if a stone slung by the kender was nothing to fear. He made no effort to duck the stone that whipped from Trap's hoopak, and when it struck him on the side of his head he ignored it. In one lightning-swift move he stepped around the campfire, reached past Umpth, nearly knocking him out of the saddle, and grabbed Ripple by the arm. With super strength he dragged the kender girl from the saddle.

  The cowled figure had moved so rapidly Trap and the gully dwarves were caught completely off guard. Umpth gave a roar and struck out at the stranger with his helmet, but the gully dwarf barely touched the death knight. The undead warrior had turned his back and strode away, dragging Ripple with him.

  His next object seemed to be Beglug. In another swift movement he strode toward the merchesti. Beglug gave a howl of terror and struck at the tall figure with his tree branch.

  Trap urged his pony forward, but his mount was affected by the aura of evil and fear. It bucked and the kender left the saddle at the arc of the pony's leap. He flew through the air and attempted to land on Ripple's empty saddle, but his foot slipped and he fell on the opposite side of the frightened animal.

  Blocked by three panicked ponies, he gave up trying to scramble between them and reached for another stone, the only thing he could think of at the moment.

  Trap spun the hoopak over his head and sent the missile flying. He knew immediately that his aim had been off. He had aimed for the back of the man's neck but the evil influence had deflected his aim. The stone dipped low, narrowly missed a scuttling kobold and struck the death knight in the middle of the back.

  But Trap had not thrown a stone as he intended. He had accidentally grabbed one of the flame balls he had picked up in Deepdel. The impact, when the glass struck, was strong enough to break the thin glass globe and fire raced up and down the back of the black robe.

  The garment, incredibly old and dry, ignited in a flash. The death knight freed Ripple and she tumbled on the ground as he fumbled with the ti
es that held the garment in place. He turned, staring at Trap as if he could not believe what had happened. Beneath his hood the death knight's red, glowing eyes widened in fear as he struggled unsuccessfully to rid himself of the burning garment. In less than two seconds, his entire body was aflame. He staggered about, a pillar of fire, and from him came a wail that seemed to originate from some incredible and terrifying distance. He bumped into a goblin whose leather vest sprouted flames. The goblin screamed and rolled on the ground.

  More fearful than the danger of being burned was the evil emanating from the dying figure. Goblins, kobolds, and wemics all cried out in fear and dashed in all directions. Halmarain's pony reared and charged off into the darkness, taking the little wizard, Beglug, and the pack pony toward the dark forest of Lemish.

  "We'd better follow her, " Ripple warned as she ran for her mount and jumped into the saddle.

  By the time Trap reached his pony and vaulted into the saddle she was right behind him, leading the two gully dwarves. Ahead, they could hear Beglug still complaining. They passed the running kobolds, then the stumbling goblins, and finally caught up with Halmarain. They had outrun the others who were fleeing the aborted battle at the campsite, but Trap took the lead.

  Their mounts stumbled. Trap's pony nearly fell as the animals stepped on tree roots in the darkness, so the ken-der was forced to slow their pace. They traveled for an hour before they stopped. At the little wizard's insistence, they unloaded the tired animals in silence.

  The kender quickly grew bored.

  "If we don't light a fire they won't find us, " Ripple told Halmarain. "The kobolds and the goblins, if they came this way, have passed us by now. "

  "Everything that's supposed to be chasing us always goes on ahead, " Trap grumbled.

  "I hope you're right, " Halmarain said. She cleared her throat. "I must give you credit, Trap. Killing the death knight was a very brave act, one worthy of any famous warrior. Not even your Uncle Trapspringer could have accomplished such a deed. "

  "I-uh-I did, didn't I?" Trap didn't want to admit he had thrown the flame ball by accident.

  "You removed a terrible danger to Beglug, and to the world. I could have done it-if I had not been too scared to think about it, " she fairly admitted. "If anything were to happen to Beglug, we'd never get Orander back or prevent his mother from entering our world to search for him. "

  "Was good to fight kobolds?" Umpth asked.

  "Golly, yes, they were fighting us, " Trap replied.

  "Good. Gave good hits with helmet, " Grod said with a sigh. He sounded relieved, as if he needed approval for his actions. He spread his bedroll and plopped it down. He sprawled half on, half off it, his right knee scrubbing the dirt as he worked his way into a comfortable position.

  "Wheel knock kobold down, " Umpth added his bit. "Aghar magic good. "

  "Here we go with the wheel again, " Halmarain groused.

  "Me need magic too, " Grod muttered. "Lose dead squirrel-not find another. " He sat up and looked at Halmarain hopefully. "You make dead frog, maybe?"

  "No, I will not!" The little wizard glared at him before turning back to the kender. "What started the 'wari stampede?"

  "That was an accident, " Trap replied. "I wanted to pull a leaf to see what sort of bushes we were passing. "

  "Only it wasn't a bush, " Ripple, as quick witted as her brother, gave a chuckle.

  "You pulled out a 'wari's feather?" the little wizard demanded. "You started that stampede?"

  "Gee! I didn't know it was a bird, " Trap explained.

  "I didn't either, I thought the clumps were bushes, " Ripple defended Trap. "And they didn't start stampeding until you and I started shouting and you whipped your pony into a gallop. "

  "I don't know much about 'waris, but I've heard noise frightens them, " Trap added, partly in defense of his own actions and partly because it was a fact he could impart.

  "Well, it's done now, " Halmarain said grudgingly, which meant she didn't like being partly responsible. "But that fight-what was that about?"

  "I don't know, " Trap said after a moment's thought. "I think there would have been one anyway. Those goblins were so close to the camp, I bet they were sneaking up on the kobolds. "

  "The wemics were probably camping on the plain, " Ripple said. "We might have met them if the 'waris had not stampeded. I'm almost sorry they did now, I would have liked to talk to a wemic-if they talk, but the stampede was fun. "

  "That was fun?" The little wizard sounded as if she could not believe her ears.

  "Kender fun no Aghar fun, " Umpth muttered. He had decided to take Halmarain's advice and lie down.

  "Kender got no smarts, " Grod added his mite.

  "Well, one thing is certain, " Halmarain sighed. "That creature in the black cloak won't be following us again. You did get rid of him, whoever he was, and probably his kobolds too. "

  "Was he the one following us?" Ripple asked.

  "I recognized that feeling of evil, " Trap said. "Now I wish I hadn't been so quick to throw the flame ball. I would have liked to know why he was after us. "

  "I don't think you want to know, " Halmarain said as she wrapped herself in her blanket.

  "Thorns and thistles. We didn't get to talk to him, and we didn't get to really meet the wemics, " Ripple complained as she found her own bedroll. "I'm beginning to think we'll never get to do anything that's fun. "

  "We did enjoy the stampede, " Trap said.

  "Maybe we can go back and find the 'waris again, " Ripple suggested.

  "You lie down and go to sleep or I'll put a spell on you, " the little wizard warned them.

  "The 'waris are probably too tired to run anymore to-night anyway, " Trap said philosophically. He had spread out his bedroll and had stretched out on it before he thought of a question he had wanted to ask. He sat up again.

  "Halmarain, you were hitting that kobold with the butt of your staff. I thought magic was supposed to come out of the top end. "

  "And why didn't you use any of your spells?" Ripple asked.

  "Magic should be kept for when it's needed, " she answered in a superior tone.

  "I like that, " Ripple muttered. "He had me by the arm and had pulled me off my pony. I thought it was needed. "

  A long silence followed Ripple's complaint.

  "If you must know, I was too scared to remember any of my spells, " Halmarain admitted. "I had memorized my magic missile spell and could have thrown a flame ball. I could have set that creature alight too. " She gave a long, gusty sigh. "I was just too scared to think about it, so it's a good thing Trap used one of the flame balls. "

  Trap smiled in the darkness and lay back on his bedroll again. He had not even thought of using a flame ball. He had plucked it out of his pouch thinking he held a stone. No one had asked him if he meant to set the evil human on fire. If the little wizard wanted to think he did it on purpose, he would let her.

  Suddenly Halmarain jumped up. "This is not my bedroll!" she shouted, unmindful of her earlier caution. "By the smell it belongs to one of the gully dwarves. "

  "Then make them trade with you, " Ripple said in a sleepy voice.

  "Umpth? Grod?" the little wizard called, but the Aghar were asleep, and when they slept it wasn't easy to wake them up.

  Trap grinned and drifted off to sleep, leaving Halmarain to solve her own problem. He knew she'd never wake the gully dwarves, but her frustration might make the rest of the night more exciting. When he went to sleep she was still complaining.

  Chapter 29

  … and in the musty library in Palanthus, the words flowed from the pen of Astinus…

  "Impossible!" Takhisis glared through the orb at Draaddis Vulter. The walls of his underground laboratory seemed to writhe with the anger of the Dark Queen. The black-robed wizard bowed, hoping to deflect the anger of his god.

  "If you want to question the messenger yourself, I'll bring it to the globe, " he said. "When it returned its memory was of a confused fight and the
death by fire of Jaerume Kaldre. If I have somehow erred in creating the messenger, I am not able to discover how, but with your wisdom and power, you could show me how I went astray. "

  "Your flattery does not impress me, " Takhisis snarled. "Bring the messenger to the orb. "

  Draaddis placed a high stool a foot from the black globe and crossed the room. The winged rat, busy with a crust of bread, was not aware of the wizard until Draaddis picked it up by the tail. He carried it, squeaking and struggling, back to the stool.

  The wretched creature shrank from the glare of the evil god, shrieking in terror as she probed its memory. Freed after five minutes of her probing, it launched itself off the stool and flew to the far corner of the chamber where it huddled behind a large earthen pot, gibbering in terror.

  "Impossible!" Takhisis repeated. "How could a kender destroy Kaldre? How would he know Kaldre's only vulnerability was fire?"

  "Perhaps he did not know, my lady queen. Kender are strange creatures. They're seldom logical by our standards. " Draaddis sought a way to soothe her anger, which could rapidly turn on him. "You feel the messenger's news is the truth?"

  "The creature is only a rat with wings. It would not have the ability to lie. It must speak the truth about what it sees unless you put a falsehood in it's mind… "

  Draaddis shrank away from the globe, though he knew no distance would protect him.

  "Cease your fear, even you know you would not benefit from bringing me such ill news. "

  "No, my queen, nor would I ever want less than the success of all your aims. "

  "You will insure that success, " Takhisis replied. "You will get the kender, the gate stone, and the merchesti yourself, and when waves of merchesti roam Krynn, you will have your reward. "

  "Waves of-" Draaddis was surprised into blurting out his ignorance. Once he had shown his queen his confusion, he decided he might as well explain it. "I knew we planned on trying to bring the parent of the infant fiend to Krynn-"

  "Not only that particular fiend, but as many as can come through, " Takhisis hissed. The one perfect eye seen through the black crystal globe paralyzed him. "The lands and races of Ansalon are still divided. The distrust after the Cataclysm is still rampant, but every day they fight less, they draw closer together. I must enter Krynn while they are still at odds. Half a score of merchesti could create just the diversion I need. "