by M. L. Forman
“Well, if you really need me to,” Thrain said, a hopeful look on his face.
“Go on, then,” Thrang said gruffly.
“That was kind of you,” Alex said as Thrain left the library. He shifted a stack of documents off his table.
“Well, it’s his first time out and all,” said Thrang. “I really should have had this part of the adventure done before putting the company together.”
“What, and deprive us of all of this?” Alex joked.
Thrang laughed with Alex and reached for another stack of papers.
Alex was actually enjoying his time in the vaults. He had found the dwarfs to be both helpful and willing to explain any of the runes he did not yet understand. They were also impressed that a man, especially a wizard, had taken the time to learn so much about their methods of writing.
“Not many men ever learn this lore,” the chief librarian said. “It does my heart good to know that a wizard would take the time to learn our ways.”
On their tenth day in the vaults, Kat finally found something that was useful. It was a piece of parchment, almost too dirty to read. Placing it carefully under a bright light, Thrang and the chief librarian were able to piece together what it said. Some parts were impossible to make out, but other parts of the page were clearly legible.
“This is part of the tale of Albrek,” said Thrang excitedly.
“Does it say where he traveled?” Arconn questioned.
“Just a moment,” answered Thrang, looking back at the paper.
“The Isle of Bones,” the chief librarian muttered.
“Isle of Bones?” Kat repeated with a worried look on her face.
“In a moment, in a moment,” said Thrang, holding up his hand for silence.
Alex looked over Thrang’s shoulder at the parchment, reading as much of it as he could, but several of the runes were still unfamiliar to him.
“Ah, yes, of course,” said the chief librarian, slapping his head as he looked up. “This indicates that the full story of Albrek is written in the special history of the city. I never even thought of looking there.”
“Special history?” Alex asked.
“Oh, it’s not secret or anything like that,” the librarian said, moving toward the back of the vault. “We just keep a record of special events—things that are outstanding in some way or another.”
“And Albrek’s search for new mines was outstanding?” Arconn questioned.
“Well, the stories say that he took more than five hundred dwarfs with him,” said Thrang as the librarian hurried away.
“A large party to go looking for mines,” said Kat.
“Not really,” said Thrang. “Mining is a labor-intensive job, after all, and you need to sink a shaft or two before you know if your mine is worth anything.”
They waited in a tense silence for the librarian to return. When he did, he carried with him a thick volume bound in black leather. He set it on the table and began thumbing through the pages. He seemed to be looking for a certain page, flipping large groups of pages all at once and making dust fly from the book’s cover. In a surprisingly short time, he had found what he wanted, and he and Thrang huddled around the open book. Alex, standing nearby, also began to read the book.
“Interesting,” said Thrang. “It seems Albrek planned to travel farther than I thought.”
“And?” Arconn asked.
“The story is a bit confusing, but basically it says where Albrek was going, or at least where he planned to go,” said Thrang. “According to this, he was going to the Isle of Bones. After that he was going south to the Lost Mountains, and finally to Gal Tock.”
“What is Gal Tock?” Alex questioned.
“What is the Isle of Bones?” asked Kat at the same time.
“The Isle of Bones actually has nothing at all to do with bones,” answered Thrang. “It’s a mountainous island in the Eastern Sea. We call it that because the mountains are rocky and remind us of the bones of the earth.”
“And Gal Tock?” Alex asked again.
“Gal Tock is a dwarf name meaning gold rock, or golden rocks,” answered the librarian. “The exact location isn’t known, but the stories tell of a place where the morning sun shines on the rocks and make them look like gold. All I can tell you is that it is supposed to be far to the south.”
“That would make sense, because the Lost Mountains are also well south of here,” Thrang added. “It looks like Albrek went northeast to the Isle of Bones first, then south to the Lost Mountains. If he went farther than that, then he must have gone looking for Gal Tock.”
“Does the story say if he made it to any of those places?” Arconn questioned.
“It mentions some of his group returning,” said Thrang. “They came back while Albrek was still on the Isle of Bones, so we know he made it that far.”
“It seems we know where we are going,” said Kat, a slightly troubled look on her face.
“Yes, yes, we do,” said Thrang happily.
“How soon will we depart?” Alex asked.
“As soon as possible,” answered Thrang. “It will take at least a month to get to the Isle of Bones, maybe longer. Summer has already begun, and I’d like to head northeast while the weather is warm.”
“Tomorrow, then?” Arconn questioned.
“The day after, I think,” said Thrang. “We should make sure we are well stocked with provisions and warm clothes.” He turned to the librarian. “It would also be useful to look at some of the older maps of Thraxon to get a better idea of Albrek’s journey.”
“Does anyone live on the Isle of Bones?” Kat asked.
“Not that I’ve ever heard of,” answered Thrang. “It’s a rugged island, and being as far north as it is, a very cold place in the wintertime.”
“Hopefully we will be there while it is still summertime,” said Alex.
“If all goes well,” Arconn added.
“And if things go really well, and we find the Ring of Searching on the Isle of Bones, we could be back here before winter sets in.” Thrang laughed. “Though I doubt it will be quite as easy as that.”
“It never is,” said Alex.
Chapter Five
East by North
That night, as the company ate dinner, Thrang presented his plans for their journey. They would travel east from Benorg and follow the main road, which would take them out of the mountains and into the open plains beyond. From there they would travel as directly east as possible, though they would eventually need to turn northeast to reach the Isle of Bones.
“How far away is the Eastern Sea?” Nellus questioned.
“About two hundred miles,” answered Thrang. “If we travel straight from here to there. But since we need to go north as well as east, that will add at least fifty miles to our journey.”
“Is this Eastern Sea the border of Thraxon?” Barnabus asked.
“Not at all,” Thrang said with a laugh. “In high summer we could travel around the sea to the north, though few people have ever done so. And you can easily sail around the bottom of the sea to the south, though you would have to go extremely far south to do so.”
“Are there cities along the sea coast?” asked Thrain, his excitement showing yet again.
Thrang nodded. “There are; though I’ve never visited any of them. The southern coast is well populated—more than the north, but as I’ve mentioned, northern winters are hard, and not many people want to live in so rugged an area.”
“I wonder if there will be anyone at all on the Isle of Bones,” Kat said. The troubled look Alex had seen before on her face had returned.
“Why do you say that?” Alex questioned.
“Something about the place,” said Kat, not meeting Alex’s eyes. “I cannot say why. It is just a feeling.”
“Any feeling a seer has is worth paying attention to,” Arconn said.
“It may be nothing,” said Kat, smiling weakly. “I thought of another place when I first heard the name, so now I
have the two linked in my mind. The other place was a terrible place—somewhere I hope never to go again.”
“If you feel there is danger on the Isle of Bones, we should know about it,” said Nellus, his voice kind but firm.
“No, nothing like that,” answered Kat with a wave of her hand. “Please, do not be troubled. A memory from my past has darkened the name for me, that is all.”
“Very well then,” said Thrang, glancing from Kat to Alex and back. “We will leave the day after tomorrow, and we should easily reach the seacoast long before winter comes.”
With Thrang’s final words, the group began separating for the night. It was late, and everyone was thinking of bed and their last day in Benorg. Alex stayed in his seat for a minute, watching Kat as she crossed the room toward the stairs leading to her room. He wondered what experience she was remembering that caused her such pain, but he knew better than to ask. Perhaps he would ask later, when the time was right and they were alone.
***
They woke the next morning to a light rain. Alex didn’t know when they would be coming back to Benorg and had wanted to spend the day wandering the streets and seeing at least some of the city. He hoped Thrang would offer to show them around the city, but he said he needed to talk to Thorgood again and finish preparing for their journey.
Arconn offered to accompany Alex into the city after breakfast, despite the rain. Alex jumped at the chance and quickly found a hooded cloak to wear. He considered inviting Thrain to come along and show them what he had discovered during his days of exploration, but Thrain was busy repacking his magic bag. Nellus, Kat, and Barnabus were likewise busy with their own preparations for the long journey ahead of them.
“Just the two of us, then,” said Alex to Arconn.
“Two strangers in a strange city,” said Arconn. “Though I doubt we will find any trouble among our friendly hosts.”
“And don’t you two start any trouble either,” said Thrang with a grunting laugh. “I don’t want any of Thorgood’s people turned into farm animals.”
“Oh, and here I was hoping to practice my craft,” said Alex.
Arconn laughed and followed Alex into the street. The rain was still light, and the air was warm and full of sweet smells. They wandered the streets of the aboveground city for a time, entering a few of the shops they passed along the way. The dwarfs were all friendly, though many seemed shy of Alex and his staff. Alex asked Arconn about it as they left a shop where Alex had bought several bags of dwarf candy.
“I expect a lot of people are shy of you and your staff,” said Arconn. “A wizard with a staff makes a great difference to most people, which is not always a disadvantage.”
“I have noticed a difference in the way people look at me,” said Alex with a hint of unhappiness in his voice.
“Do not let it bother you,” Arconn said. “There have never been many wizards and to see a wizard as young as you are is somewhat unexpected.”
“Whalen said that most wizards are at least thirty or forty years old before they take a staff,” Alex said.
“That is true,” Arconn said. “Or at least, it is for all true wizards.”
“Do some false wizards take staffs at a young age?” Alex questioned.
“There are some people who carry staffs who are not wizards,” said Arconn. “You will find in your travels that some magical people wish to be called wizard, but do not know what the title truly means. It is a matter of pride for some, power for others, and foolishness for all who do not deserve the staff or the title.”
“And some people take a staff just to give the appearance of being a wizard,” said Alex, considering Arconn’s words.
“They do. Though many of them can actually use the staff, as you could have if you’d taken one on your first adventure,” said Arconn. “Not knowing what a true wizard is does not mean the staff will not work.”
“That is true. However, it won’t work as well as it might if someone took the time to become a true wizard.”
“I would not know about that,” said Arconn. “I have known a few wizards and have always chosen not to associate with pretenders.”
“Is it easy to spot the pretenders?”
“There are ways to know, but it is not always easy.”
“Can you explain the ways?” Alex asked, wondering if he would be able to detect a false or pretend wizard.
“You would know,” said Arconn in a definite tone. “Power knows power, and like knows like. You would see the pretender and know that they were not what they pretended to be. And if they had any magical ability at all, they would know you for what you are as well.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not,” said Alex softly. “Though I hope I never run into a pretender.”
“You might not,” said Arconn. He directed Alex toward the entrance to the underground part of Benorg. “Few pretenders would want to be caught by a true wizard. I believe there are some harsh penalties for pretenders.”
“There are,” said Alex, remembering what Whalen had taught him. “The punishments are usually left up to the wizard who finds the pretender.”
“Posing as a wizard is a dangerous game to play,” Arconn agreed.
Alex was a little surprised that Arconn knew so much about wizards and their rules, but then he remembered that Arconn was several hundred years old—perhaps even a thousand years old—and the elf knew a great many things.
The two of them spent the rest of the day exploring as much of the city as they could, returning to their home in time for their evening meal with the rest of the company. The others were already seated around the table, and Thrang was glaring at Thrain. While Alex and Arconn had been exploring, Thrain had taken everything out of his magic bag looking for a logbook he wanted to use as they traveled. Thrang had stumbled over some of Thrain’s gear as he was rushing around the house and had hurt his ankle. Nellus and Barnabus had been quick to intervene, helping Thrain store his gear and explaining more clearly how to use his magic bag.
“That ankle isn’t going to keep you out of the saddle, is it?” Nellus asked Thrang as they ate.
“It will take more than a bad ankle and Thrain’s foolishness to keep me from this quest,” said Thrang in a grumpy tone.
Thrain went red and slouched in his chair, his boundless enthusiasm dampened by Thrang’s dark mood.
“It’s your own fault, you know,” Alex said to Thrang.
“My own fault!” Thrang said hotly. “How could it possibly be my fault?”
“If you’d explained the magic bag properly, Thrain could have found his logbook without taking everything out of his bag,” said Alex in a matter-of–fact tone.
“I explained everything,” said Thrang loudly. After a pause, he admitted, “Though I may not have been as clear on some things as I should have been.”
“That’s as close to an apology as you’re likely to get,” Arconn said to Thrain.
“It was my fault,” said Thrain, sounding and looking sorry. “I should have asked for help and not scattered things about like I did.”
“Oh, no serious harm was done,” said Thrang, his voice softening. “Just ask for help the next time you don’t understand something.”
“I will,” said Thrain. “I promise.”
“Now that that is settled, do we have anything else to discuss?” Barnabus questioned. “I’m bone tired and would like to go to bed. I imagine we’ll be leaving before the sun comes up.”
“We will,” said Thrang, his voice returning to normal. “We should all get a good night’s rest. We have a long road ahead of us, and who knows when we will have such a fine place to stay again.”
“Kat might,” said Alex with a grin.
“I’m a seer, not an oracle,” said Kat.
“Then I suppose we’ll have to trust to luck,” said Nellus.
“And a good night’s sleep is always a lucky thing,” Thrang added, draining his mug and setting it on the table with a thump.
Alex went to his
room and stretched out on the bed. His excitement about the adventure was beginning to grow inside him once more. The dust-covered papers and books in the library had been interesting, and he was glad his ability to read the dwarf runes had improved, but for him, being on the road was the best part of any adventure.
The next morning they were all up early. Thrang was eager to get underway, and the night’s sleep, what little there had been of it, seemed to have healed his sore ankle. After a large breakfast, Thrang led the group to the stables, where their horses had been groomed and saddled and were waiting for them. Several dwarfs were moving around the stables, ready to help the company with any last-minute details.
Before the sun had fully risen, the company had left the city of Benorg behind them. Alex thought it odd that Thorgood had not come to see them off, but he kept his concerns to himself. They rode east through the mountains, enjoying the warm sun and talking about past adventures. Barnabus told them a story about one of his own adventures, but Alex only half-listened as his mind was already racing ahead of them to the Isle of Bones.
The Isle of Bones was a strange name. Of course, dwarf names did not always translate well into the common language. Alex thought a better translation would have been “the place where the earth’s bones can be seen,” but that was a bit much. He wondered how the translation he read from the runes had changed into the Isle of Bones. Thinking about the name made him think about Kat, and he wondered again why she seemed so nervous about traveling to a place called the Isle of Bones.
They camped early that night. Alex helped Nellus and Arconn look after the horses while Barnabus prepared their evening meal. Watching from a distance, Alex saw Thrang help Thrain practice starting and extinguishing the campfire before starting it for good. Alex wondered how many adventures Thrang had been on and how many first-time adventurers he had helped train.
“I’ve lost count,” said Thrang, when Alex asked him. “A fair few, I’d say, but I’ve never sat down and counted them out on my fingers.”
“More than all your fingers and toes put together, I expect,” Arconn said with a laugh.
“Quiet,” said Barnabus, joining in the fun. “He’ll lose count and then we’ll all have to take off our boots for him to add it up.”