“We could still tell your dad what we know,” Earl said. “I feel sorry for Grady, but I don’t want Lordavia to be crippled if that city gets built.”
“No,” Elloriana said. “We can’t tip my father off. If they think we’re not onto them, that’s our best chance at stopping them. If we expose the Backer, then we might be able to talk to my dad.”
“Why do you look so down, then?” Earl asked, trying to be supportive. “We’ve confirmed the Backer is real, and we have a new quest. And Wendahl is going to help us.”
“Because I wasted my summer,” Elloriana said. “I spent all my time trying to get into the Solloughbys’ house, but you three were off having the real adventures.”
Earl patted Elloriana on the hand but then changed the subject to talk about their schedule for the rest of the summer. Unfortunately, he was met with sad news.
“Now that we investigated the Solloughbys,” Lita said, “I have to head back to Thornrim. If I run all the time and only sleep a few hours each night, I should make really good time.”
“Oh,” Earl said. “At least we’ll see each other again in just a few weeks.”
Dagdron watched as Earl and Lita gazed at each other, but Elloriana cleared her throat.
“What is your schedule?” Elloriana asked Earl and Dagdron.
“I’m heading north with Dagdron this time,” Earl said. “I told my parents we’ll be fine and that they can come for the Winter Carnival. They’re sending my trunks with a separate caravan. We’ll leave the last week of August, so we have plenty of time to get to the academy.”
“I’ll be stuck with the royal caravan alone again,” Elloriana said dejectedly.
“Cheer up, Princess. Our third year at the academy is going to be great,” Earl said.
Elloriana gave him a halfhearted smile, and then they continued their tour of the city.
* * *
Earl was emotional when Lita left Lordavia, but he kept his comments to himself, not wanting Dagdron to tease about him and Lita living in Bodaburg. To distract himself, he gave Dagdron tours around Lordavia.
“Dagdron, maybe we should look for a new cloak for you before our third year at the academy starts,” Earl said the day after Lita left. He eyed Dagdron’s dusty and untidy cloak up and down.
“No,” Dagdron said, but he couldn’t help glancing at his black cloak. He couldn’t remember exactly when his father had bought it for him, but he saw no reason for a rogue to have a clean-looking cloak anyway. “Lordavia probably only sells yellow cloaks. I’d never wear one of those.”
Earl smiled but didn’t mention the cloak again.
For their remaining two weeks, Dagdron and Earl enjoyed the city, visiting the four main plazas, but Dagdron also came up with the idea to see if they could track down Rance, Kas, and Wally. Dagdron, not wanting to alert his father, hadn’t been able to ask him any questions about where the enchanters stayed while in Lordavia, but they happened to spot Wally leaving a marketplace, his arms piled with pineapples, peaches, and other citrus fruits. The lumpy enchanter was so focused on balancing his fruit that Dagdron and Earl had no difficulties following him unnoticed to a house on the west side of the city, near a small plaza where many vendors were selling magical powders and liquids.
Dagdron and Earl chanced a glance in the front window, seeing Kas studying at a desk while Wally had set right to cutting up his newly purchased fruit. During their remaining time in Lordavia, Dagdron and Earl stopped by once or twice a day, and Dagdron, unbeknownst to Earl, snuck out at night to spy on the enchanters. Regardless of the time of day, they most commonly found Kas studying and Wally eating. They never saw any hint of Rance, but since Kas and Wally rarely seemed to leave the house, they were unable uncover any further information that might lead to proof about Rance being the Backer.
The last night in Lordavia, Earl’s two brothers, Evan and Eran, and his sister, Leah, came with their families for a final dinner. Earl was less talkative than normal, Dagdron noticed, which made it so his siblings and nieces and nephews talked more to him instead of Earl. He tried to get Earl to start telling stories by bringing up their summer experiences, but the young warrior never took the bait.
When the dinner was over, Dagdron watched Earl be even more affectionate than usual as he said his goodbyes to his family members. Dagdron tried the best he could, but even his keen powers of observation couldn’t figure out what was going on with his friend.
Early the following morning, Mr. and Mrs. Valorington had a food bundle ready for the boys, and they sent Earl and Dagdron off proudly.
“Is it okay if we swing by Adventurer Plaza before we go?” Earl asked.
“Why?” Dagdron asked, knowing the plaza was in the opposite direction from the gate.
“Just forget it.”
“No, let’s go,” Dagdron said. Then when Earl looked at him in surprise, he said, “I want to steal some food for the road. Your mom didn’t pack any good stuff.”
Earl looked confused but then smiled and led Dagdron to the northwest corner of the city. It was still so early that there were no vendors out, but Earl walked across the plaza, looking all around.
“We better go,” Earl said.
Dagdron didn’t reply this time, and they headed through Lordavia, leaving through the front gate.
“I’m not taking the long route,” Dagdron said.
“That’s fine with me,” Earl said.
Dagdron kept his face blank but wondered internally why Earl hadn’t fought him more about taking the safer route to Central Crossing before heading north. But Earl didn’t say anything else, and they headed straight north, along the same route as Dagdron had followed last year.
After they had been walking for five or so minutes, they heard running footsteps coming from behind. Earl drew his sword and Dagdron pulled out his dagger as they turned to face their pursuer.
But it was Elloriana.
“Put your weapons away,” she said bossily as she walked right past them.
“What are you doing, Princess?” Earl asked.
“I’m just leaving,” Elloriana said.
“What does that mean?” Earl hurried after her, grabbing her arm to stop her.
“Earl, I am not going to listen to you talk all the way to the academy, so shut your mouth,” Elloriana said. She yanked her arm free and started walking again.
“Oh, yes you are,” Dagdron mumbled to himself. He let a quick smile cross his face as he and Earl, who was still completely confused, followed after the enchantress.
Chapter 8: Just Leaving
Elloriana led Dagdron and Earl at a record-setting pace for the first few hours of their trek north and refused to answer any of Earl’s questions until three hours had passed.
“If I didn’t get far enough away from Lordavia, then I was probably going to turn around,” she explained when Earl pressed her for information.
“You didn’t tell your parents you were leaving?” Earl asked.
Elloriana, never breaking stride, told Dagdron and Earl how, after asking them about their schedule the day before Lita left, she had decided impulsively to accompany them. She had packed her chests and left a note, explaining that she was taking a caravan with fellow students. The note also told her parents that they were welcome to travel north, but, if they so desired, they could just have her trunks delivered to the academy as well.
“I can’t believe you did that, Princess,” Earl said.
“Even I can’t believe it,” Dagdron added.
“I’m just glad we’re taking this off-the-beaten-path route,” Elloriana said. “That way my parents won’t be able to find me along the main roads. And you know they’re going to try to stop me.”
“This path works well for all of us, then,” Earl said, glancing at Dagdron.
Dagdron returned a casual glance from beneath his hood. He still wondered why his safety-always-first companion hadn’t put up a fight about using the main roadways. Earl smiled at Dagdron when he s
aw the rogue’s head turn slightly. Dagdron could tell that Earl was itching to explain exactly what he had meant, but the rogue refused to take the bait.
“Why does this path work for all of us?” Elloriana said impatiently. Their pace had slowed during the conversation and she appeared anxious, as if her legs might still betray her and march her right back to Lordavia.
“We have a stop to make along the way,” Earl said, widening his smile. Elloriana glowered at him, so he continued. “We’re doing a follow-up quest at the farmhouse Dagdron rescued from the goblins last summer.”
“No, we’re not,” Dagdron said. “I never want to see those people again.”
Elloriana burst out laughing. “Sounds good to me,” she said. “To be honest, I’ve never completely believed the quest was real. At least we can confirm it.”
“Quiet, wench,” Dagdron said.
“Dagdron would never lie about something like that,” Earl said.
This time, it was Dagdron’s turn to pick up the pace, leaving his annoying traveling companions a good ten feet behind him at all times.
Elloriana chuckled the first time Earl pulled out his sword to practice as they walked. But, not long after, she was casting the occasional spell, trying not to be too obvious about it. And, when they camped for the night, she didn’t hesitate to pull out one of her magic books to study. She had brought a light pack on the journey but hadn’t been able to leave all her books behind, fearful that her parents might not send her trunks.
Earl, trying to be chivalrous, offered his bulky bedroll to Elloriana on the first night, but she declined, explaining how she was trying to see what life like an adventurer was really like. Earl smiled proudly at her, and the two Lordavians had a conversation about possible sleeping arrangements they might be presented with during quests.
Dagdron had been content to travel silently, ignoring the sound of Earl’s voice and his grunts as he swung his sword. Occasionally, Earl had tried to discover if they were traveling the same path Dagdron had the previous summer, but Dagdron never gave him any information. And it was easy not to, Dagdron thought. Last time, he had just headed north with no thought of where he was going. He assumed he would run into Bodaburg eventually. Running into the old farmer’s house was a long shot, so Dagdron stopped worrying about Earl’s ideas of a follow-up.
After a couple days of travel, Elloriana’s spirits were soaring, Dagdron and Earl noticed. She commented on the scenery and practiced her spell casting without shame. Only when Dagdron told her that she sounded like Earl did she tone down her remarks about how exciting it would be to be an official adventurer after their third year.
The food Mrs. Valorington had given them wouldn’t have lasted long even if only Earl and Dagdron had shared it. But, with a third mouth, it went even quicker. Dagdron gathered fruit from the trees for dinner and, whenever they passed a farm, he was sure to steal some vegetables. Even so, he always kept his eyes open to make sure they didn’t by chance pass the farmhouse the goblins had been terrorizing.
On the fourth day of the trek, Dagdron didn’t know how it happened. He had felt positive that he didn’t recognize the area, but then, suddenly, they were passing through a hilly, wooded area, and a farmhouse appeared and an old man hurried out the door, waving enthusiastically. Dagdron made an effort at escape, but Earl, in spite of his constant talking, had been focused and ready for that very moment. He clutched Dagdron’s cloak, wrestling him until he stopped fighting to get away. Elloriana, laughing, assisted Earl in forcing Dagdron through the crops. The farmer had been joined by his wife, and they were both smiling broadly as the warrior, rogue, and enchantress approached.
“Are you the rogue that rid us of those goblins last year?” the farmer called as they approached.
“No,” Dagdron yelled, but Earl clamped a hand over his mouth.
“Yes, he is!” Earl called back, taking Dagdron’s hood off.
The farmer and his wife maintained their smiles regardless of the strange sight of the rogue who had rescued their farmhouse being dragged by his companions.
“Come in for dinner,” the farmer said.
“Did he really get rid of three goblins?” Elloriana asked as they filed inside.
“He sure did,” the farmer said. His wife nodded as she beamed, clutching the locket that hung at her chest. “And those goblins never came back. We’ve been happier and healthier this past year without the stress of those monsters.”
Dagdron had kept the scowl on his face during the entire arrival and didn’t change his expression now as Earl introduced everyone, making sure to find out the farmer and his wife were named Lloyd and Rosamund. Earl smiled at Dagdron, so the rogue put his hood back on.
“We know you’re a rogue,” Lloyd said, “so we won’t embarrass you anymore. But we’ve been watching the past few days. We had an inkling you might be heading north again, so we’ve got sausages and peach pie all ready for you.”
Rosamund hurried to the kitchen to finish up the final preparations for the meal.
“Did you decide to become an adventurer, then?” Lloyd asked as he set the table.
“Yes, he did,” Earl answered.
Dagdron didn’t bother correcting Earl and sat down to eat. In the end, his return visit to the farm wasn’t too bad. He was able to eat in silence while Earl and even Elloriana chatted with the farm couple about their upcoming third year at the academy. Their hosts praised adventurers throughout the meal, always smiling at Dagdron whenever they did so.
Earl tried to convince Dagdron to spend the night at the farm, but Dagdron refused as he dashed to the door. He only stopped when Rosamund called to him and brought over a basket filled with baked goods. Dagdron took it and hurried outside.
“He’s just excited to get back to the academy,” Earl told the old couple as he and Elloriana exited the house.
Lloyd and Rosamund, not offended by Dagdron in any way, waved vigorously as the warrior and enchantress walked briskly, trying to catch up to the rogue, who was already partway through the crop field.
After two more days of travel, Dagdron, Earl, and Elloriana entered the forest of the northern region. They didn’t think Bodaburg was too far away, but darkness was setting in, so they decided to camp for the night and head to the academy in the morning.
Dagdron wadded up his cloak and lay down quickly, while Earl laid out his bedroll carefully, and Elloriana found a grassy enough spot for her expectations. The warrior and enchantress had practiced their respective skill sets nonstop over the past days, and they excitedly talked about how prepared they felt for the start of their third year at the academy before they fell asleep.
“Even though he won’t admit it, I bet Dagdron feels prepared, too,” Earl said. “Right, Dagdron?”
Silence was the only reply, and Elloriana chuckled.
“I wish I had done this earlier,” Elloriana said. “Lordavia is beautiful, but seeing the countryside like we just did was exhilarating.”
“I am so proud of you, Princess,” Earl said.
“Earl, I know you like to be chivalrous, but I think we know each other well enough that you can stop calling me Princess.”
“Call her ‘wench’ instead,” Dagdron mumbled in the darkness.
Elloriana lifted her hand to cast a spell but put it back down. “Even a thieving rogue isn’t going to ruin my mood tonight. I’m glad we got here early. I can shop in Bodaburg for spare robes in case my trunks don’t get here.”
“No richy talk,” Dagdron said.
“I should just make you buy them. You still owe my family that money you stole from my dad.”
“I didn’t steal from you dad.”
The night fell silent. Earl had been listening with a smile to Dagdron and Elloriana’s usual banter. He looked up the starry night happily.
“This is the life,” Earl said, sighing.
Dagdron, lying in the darkness a short distance away, shifted his position without Earl noticing. The rogue looked toward th
e dark shape of his roommate.
There it is again, Dagdron thought. Earl had always talked boldly about the grandiose life of an adventurer, but, all through the summer, Dagdron had caught the subtle tone of nostalgia mixed in. But Earl had all his adventuring days ahead of him, so Dagdron couldn’t understand what there was to be sentimental about.
I’m a rogue, Dagdron thought. Why am I trying to figure out someone else’s feelings? He scowled at himself and lay back down on his cloak pillow.
The following morning, Dagdron, Earl, and Elloriana set off early, deciding they would eat breakfast once they reached Bodaburg. And Earl decided it would be beautiful to see the sunrise as they climbed the beginning slope of the mountainous northern region.
They made good time and, right when they began the final ascent to the wall of Bodaburg, a dark-robed figure levitated over the wall. It was the first time Dagdron and Earl had seen the Backer in the daylight, but the robe shrouded him so completely that they couldn’t distinguish any physical features. Elloriana gasped in fright because, as soon as the enchanter floated to the ground, he began casting lightning spell after lightning spell down the slope at the three young adventurers.
Dagdron, Earl, and Elloriana rushed behind a tree, escaping the shower of lightning balls. But before the Backer could start down the slope, something came thudding and crashing through the forest, and a muscled figure burst from the trees. The aged warrior had his sword drawn and he charged up the slope, and the evil enchanter turned instantly and fled into the forest.
The warrior continued his charge up the slope until he reached the top, where he kissed his sword. Then, as the early rays of the sun bathed him, he struck a pose with his hands on his hips and his arms and chest flexed.
“Egon’s alive!” Earl exclaimed.
Earl was about to charge up the hill, but Egon broke his pose and bolted into the woods just as another enchanter levitated over the wall of Bodaburg. Dagdron, Earl, and Elloriana watched as Headmaster Gwauldron lowered himself to the ground before following the same trail the Backer and Egon had taken.
The Howl of Avooblis Page 8