Wrede, Patricia C - Enchanted Forest 02

by Searching for Dragons

  “So you joined this club,” Cimorene prompted.

  “And it was wonderful!” Prince Rupert’s face lit up, remembering, “The places we went to, and the wines, and the discussions! It was everything I dreamed. Only then a smart-alec prince figured out a shortcut and broke the curse, and he and Rosannon got married and had Jorillarn here. And then the two of them left on some silly quest or other and put me in charge of him.”

  “It isn’t a silly quest!” Jorillarn objected. “It’s a matter of vital importance to the future of Meriambee.”

  “You can see my problem,” Prince Rupert said earnestly. “If I don’t do something really wicked soon, I’ll get kicked out of the club. I only have until sunset tomorrow.”

  “So you brought Crown Prince Jorillarn to the Enchanted Forest, intending to abandon him here,” Mendanbar said.

  “Actually, it was my idea,” the Crown Prince put in. “After the other thing didn’t work out, we needed to think of something fast.”

  “Other thing?” said Telemain, fascinated.

  Prince Rupert looked embarrassed. “I hired a giant to ravage a village by the eastern border. He was supposed to show up yesterday, and I was all ready to send the documentation in to the club when I got a letter of resignation saying he’d quit that line of work and wouldn’t be coming.”

  Mendanbar and Cimorene exchanged looks.

  “Did he say why?” Cimorene asked.

  “No, just that he’d done enough pillaging for one giant, thank you all the same, and now he was going to try something new.”

  “So I said Uncle Rupert should abandon me in the woods,” Jorillarn said. “That’s much more wicked than hiring a giant, isn’t it? And I’d get to have some adventures, too, instead of sitting home while Mother and Father are off on their quest. Only first we couldn’t find the forest, and then we got chased by some wizards, and then we found the forest just in time and lost the wizards, except we got lost, too, and Uncle Rupert wouldn’t leave. And then we were captured by a witch and she brought us here. Are you going to throw us in a dungeon?”

  “What was that part about wizards?” Mendanbar demanded.

  “I thought you’d be interested,” Morwen said with considerable satisfaction.

  “But that was before we got to the Enchanted Forest,” Prince Rupert said in a bewildered tone. “Why would the King of the Enchanted Forest be interested in that?”

  “Never mind,” said Mendanbar. “Just tell me what happened.”

  “Well, we were just coming out of the old Pass of the Dragons,” Prince Rupert said. “It cuts straight through the Mountains of Morning to the Enchanted Forest, and hardly anyone uses it these days, so I thought it would be a good choice. Only things must have changed, because when we came out of the pass we were in a wasteland, and not in the Enchanted Forest at all.”

  Mendanbar, Telemain, and Cimorene looked at each other. “Describe this wasteland,” Mendanbar said.

  ,,It was—it was bare,” Rupert told him. “Um, well, bare. No grass or trees or anything. Just . . . just . . .”

  “Just bare,” Cimorene finished for him. “Did it look burned?”

  “Yes, now that you mention it. I didn’t examine it closely, you understand, because that was when the wizards came out of the cave and chased us off.”

  “We had to run for miles,” Crown Prince Jorillam said with relish. “They almost caught us.”

  “It was a long way, but it wasn’t miles,” his uncle corrected. “And they lost us as soon as we got to the trees.”

  The forest must have shifted, thought Mendanbar. Good for it. “Thank you very much,” he said aloud. “You’ve been very helpful.”

  “We have?” Prince Rupert said.

  “Does that mean you’re not going to throw us in a dungeon?” asked Crown Prince Jorillam, sounding disappointed.

  “Not at all,” Mendanbar said. “Willin, after we’re gone, see that His Royal Highness, here, is made comfortable in one of the dungeons. The one under the North-Northwest Tower, I think.” Mendanbar smiled to himself, thinking that it might do the overeager young prince good to climb up and down six flights of stairs to get what he wanted, and it certainly wouldn’t do him any harm.

  “Of course, Your Majesty,” said Willin in tones of perfect understanding. He paused. “May I inquire where you are going and when?”

  “To rescue the King of the Dragons,” Mendanbar said, “and as soon as possible.”

  Willin swallowed hard, Prince Rupert choked, and even Morwen looked slightly startled.

  “The only question is, what’s the best way of doing it,” Mendanbar continued. “Any suggestions?”

  “We can’t just charge in and attack the cave,” Cimorene said, frowning. “The wizards could kill Kazul before we got to her. And if the area around the cave looks like that bit you showed us a few minutes ago, it simply won’t be possible to sneak up on them.”

  “What we need is a back way in,” Telemain said. “I don’t suppose there is one?”

  “Every cave in the Enchanted Forest has a back way in,” Mendanbar said. “The problem is finding it. Do you know anything about that part of the forest, Morwen?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Morwen said. She turned to the cats. “Chaos? Jasper? How about you?”

  The cats looked at each other, blinked, and looked back at Morwen. “They aren’t familiar with the area, either,” Morwen said with regret.

  Willin coughed. “If I may venture a suggestion, Your Majesty . . .”

  “Go ahead,” Mendanbar said.

  “I believe there is a list of caves, passages, vestibules, and entrances in the Royal Archives,” said the elf. “Would you care to examine it?”

  “Immediately,” Mendanbar replied. “I might have known you’d have a list somewhere with the right information, Willin. I should have asked you at once.”

  The elf bowed deeply, looking very pleased. “I shall bring it without delay, Your Majesty,” he said, and whisked off down the corridor.

  “Hey!” cried Crown Prince Jorillam. “Are you going to fight the wizards? Can I come?”

  “Yes, we are, and no, you can’t,” Mendanbar told him. “You’re going to be locked in the dungeon, remember?”

  “But a fight with wizards is much more interesting than being locked in a dungeon,” Jorillam complained. “I want to watch.”

  “Maybe so,” Cimorene said. “But that’s how it is with dungeons. You aren’t supposed to get a choice about whether you’re going to be locked up in one, you know.”

  This was evidently a new idea for the young prince, and he did not look happy about it. “But—”

  “But, nothing,” Mendanbar said. “I’m the King, and I say you go to the dungeon instead of fighting wizards, and no argument.”

  “Yes,” said Morwen. “We have much more important things to argue about. Such as how to get rid of the wizards once we find them.”

  “Buckets,” said Cimorene. “Lots of buckets, and soap, and lemon juice. Where do you keep your buckets, Mendanbar?”

  “Around somewhere,” Mendanbar said vaguely. “I’ll have someone bring us a few. Can the three of us carry enough buckets to get rid of all the wizards?”

  “Four of us,” said Morwen. The cats yowled. “Yes, I know, and of course you’re coming, but you can’t carry a bucket of soapy water, so for purposes of this discussion it doesn’t matter,” she told them.

  The cats gave her an affronted look, turned their backs, and began making indignant little noises at each other.

  “It seems probable that the wizards will be present in force,” Telemain said. “They were certainly aware of Prince Rupert’s appearance among them this morning, and they may well have detected your unsuccessful locating spell, Mendanbar. Consequently, I would wager that there will be far too many to dispose of by means of your, er, interesting methods, Princess Cimorene.”

  “We’ll bring some buckets along anyway,” Mendanbar said. “It can’t hurt.”

>   He nodded a summons to the blank-faced footman by the front door. The footman came over at once, and Mendanbar told him to bring half a dozen buckets of soapy water mixed with lemon juice out to the entrance hall immediately. The footman, who had worked at the palace for a long time and was used to peculiar requests, bowed impassively and departed.

  “Any other ideas?” Mendanbar asked.

  “Can’t the witch turn them into toads?” said the Crown Prince.

  “I certainly don’t object to trying,” Morwen said.

  Cimorene shook her head. “I don’t think it would work. The Society of Wizards has some new spell that soaks up magic. That’s what makes the bare spots in the Enchanted Forest.”

  “I still wish I understood why the Society of Wizards is doing all this,” Mendanbar said, half to himself. “I suppose it makes sense to try and blame the dragons for burning bits of the Enchanted Forest, but they’ve been deliberately trying to start a war. That would make almost as much trouble for them as for everyone else.”

  “Ah, well, but would it?” put in Prince Rupert timidly. “I mean, if these wizards are soaking up magic, they must want it for something.”

  Cimorene, Morwen, Mendanbar, and Telemain stared at one another in dismay. “Yes, what are they using it for?” Cimorene said after a long, thoughtful silence.

  “In all probability, to intensify their general enchantments,” Telemain said. “Alternatively, to enable themselves to achieve something more substantial than would otherwise be possible.”

  Prince Rupert looked at the magician blankly. “Oh,” he said in a doubtful tone.

  “Don’t mind him,” Morwen said. “He always gets technical when he’s talking about spells.”

  “But what did he mean?” the prince asked.

  “He meant that the Society of Wizards wants more magic to power their spells,” Mendanbar replied. “Or maybe to use in a spell that would be too big for them to work without it.”

  “Yes, and that is an idea I don’t care for at all,” said Morwen, frowning. “The Society of Wizards is too powerful already, if you ask me.”

  “You know, if the dragons start fighting with the Enchanted Forest, any new wasted areas would be blamed on the war,” Telemain commented. “The Society of Wizards could absorb considerable quantities of magic before anyone realizes what they are up to.”

  “That would explain why they’re doing this, all right,” Mendanbar said. “We have got to stop them.” Without thinking, he put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

  “Mendanbar!” said Cimorene suddenly. “Didn’t that wizard say something about you reversing his spell? Not Antorell, the wizard at Jack’s house. And you were using the sword. Maybe it can reverse this spell, too.”

  “It’s worth trying,” Mendanbar said.

  “Not until we have a better idea of exactly what we’re up against,” Morwen said firmly. “If the King of the Enchanted Forest gets killed trying to rescue the King of the Dragons from the Society of Wizards, goodness only knows what will happen.”

  “We’ll sneak in and take a look around,” Telemain agreed. “Then we can formulate a plan of action.”

  “As long as it doesn’t take too long,” Cimorene muttered. “This isn’t some kind of experiment, where we can take our time and try again. If those wizards figure out that someone is trying to rescue Kazul . . .”

  Mendanbar tried to smile reassuringly at her. “I don’t see how they—ah, Willin! Did you find that list? Good! Then let’s all go into the parlor and look at it. The sooner we’re done, the sooner we can be on our way.”

  15

  In Which Everyone Argues

  Willin’s list was remarkably clear and well organized. Once they found the section headed “Caves and Caverns Near the Mountains of Morning,” it was only a matter of a few minutes before they discovered the listing far the Cave of Stone Icicles, the only cave at the western end of the Pass of the Dragons. As Mendanbar had predicted, there was a back way into it. A tunnel started from the bottom of the Crystal Falls and wound around under the hills and forest until it reached a crack at the rear of the cave.

  “This doesn’t look as if it will be hard at all,” Cimorene said. “Let’s go.”

  “Right,” said Mendanbar. “This shouldn’t take long. I’ll be back in an hour or so. Willin, take care of everyone while I’m gone—you know, refreshments and things.”

  “Wait a minute!” Cimorene said, her voice rising above startled objections from everyone else. “You’re not going without me.”

  “But—!’

  “I am Kazul’s Chief Cook and Librarian,” Cimorene said firmly. “It’s my job to help rescue her.”

  “I suppose so,” Mendanbar said, “but all I’m going to do is sneak in and look at the wizards, and then sneak out again.”

  “That’s all you think you’re going to do, but what if something goes wrong?”

  “Exactly,” Morwen said. “You should have someone with you. Several someones, in fact.”

  “I’m real good at sneaking,” Crown Prince Jorillam put in eagerly. “And I want to see a dragon up close.”

  “No, you don’t,” Mendanbar said. “Morwen, are you trying to tell me you want to come along as well?”

  “No,” Morwen said, looking at him sternly over the tops of her glasses. “I’m telling you I’m going to come whether you like it or not. Kazul is my friend, and besides, I want a crack at those wretched wizards.”

  “We aren’t going to do anything to the wizards until we know more about what we’re up against,” Mendanbar said, feeling harried.

  “Then how come you wanted those buckets of soapy water?” Crown Prince Jorillam demanded.

  “Just in case,” Mendanbar said. “This is only to find out what the wizards are doing and how many of them there are.”

  “Which is precisely why I must accompany you,” Telemain put in.

  “Not you, too!”

  Telemain frowned at him. “You don’t seem to realize what a priceless opportunity this is,” the magician said. “It is entirely possible that we shall be able to observe the Society of Wizards in the very act of casting their magic-absorbing spells. Since they are extremely secretive about their methods, this may be the only chance we have of studying their techniques.”

  “It isn’t worth the risk,” Mendanbar said.

  “Not to you, perhaps,” Telemain told him. “I, however, intend to take full advantage of these circumstances. One way or another, I am going to get a look at those wizards.” He leaned the wizard’s staff against the wall and folded his arms stubbornly.

  “Yeah, and then we melt ‘em!” Crown Prince Jorillam said enthusiastically.

  “You are not coming with us,” Mendanbar told him.

  “But I’m real, real good at sneaking,” Jorillam said. “Tell them, Uncle!”

  “He is,” Prince Rupert said earnestly. “And I’ll keep an eye on him so he won’t get in your way.”

  Mendanbar stared at him. “No, you won’t. Because you aren’t coming with me, either. I am going to sneak into the Cave of Stone Icicles by myself.”

  “No, you’re not,” said everyone at once. Morwen’s two cats glanced up, then went back to washing their tails. Mendanbar got the distinct impression that the only reason they hadn’t joined in the general outcry was that they thought it was beneath them to argue.

  “It is inappropriate for the King of the Enchanted Forest to embark on a mission to the King of the Dragons without a formal escort,” Willin added.

  “You want me to take all these people along as a formal escort?” Mendanbar said incredulously. “Really, Willin—”

  “Not at all,” the elf replied. “They are all persons of distinction, and it would not be suitable for any of them to take a position as a formal escort to Your Majesty. Properly, only those of your subjects already in Your Majesty’s employ may make up such a retinue. Due to Your Majesty’s general dislike of formality, we have very few such persons available at
present.”

  “What are you suggesting?” Mendanbar asked with a sinking feeling.

  “That I am the only possible person who can accompany Your Majesty in this capacity,” Willin said.

  “If he gets to go, so do I!” Crown Prince Jorillam cried.

  “Not without me,” Prince Rupert said, setting his jaw. “I don’t know anything about this business with the dragons and wizards, but Jorillam is my responsibility. Until I lose him in the forest, that is.”

  “And Kazul is my responsibility,” Cimorene said.

  “Like it or not, I am going to get a look at those spells,” Telemain stated flatly.

  “Those wizards have caused me a lot of trouble, what with one thing and another,” Morwen pointed out. “I intend to cause them a bit of trouble back.”

  “It is necessary to Your Majesty’s dignity that Your Majesty take a proper escort with you,” Willin put in.

  “QUIET!” Mendanbar said.

  Everyone stopped talking. Willin looked utterly astonished. Jorillam had a wary expression, and Prince Rupert and Telemain both looked mildly taken aback. Morwen’s eyes gleamed approvingly behind her glasses. Cimorene looked momentarily startled, but then she smiled.

  Mendanbar took a deep breath. First things first. “Crown Prince Jorillam.”

  “Yes?”

  “You are not coming on this expedition. You will stay here, at my castle, until I return. In the dungeon, just as you requested.”

  “But it’s not fair,” Jorillam said. “I didn’t know then that you were going to go fight wizards. And that elf—”

  “Willin is one of my people, and a native of the Enchanted Forest,” Mendanbar said. “You aren’t. Don’t bother arguing; you don’t get a choice. I’m the King here, remember.”

  Jorillam gave him a sulky nod.

  “Prince Rupert,” Mendanbar went on, “you were quite right to say that your nephew needs watching. You will stay here and keep an eye on him while I’m gone.”

  “Certainly, Your Majesty,” Prince Rupert said with a relieved sigh. “If you say so.”