Текст книги "Albrek's Tomb"

Автор книги: Mark Forman

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 26 страниц)

“Why not?” Thrang asked.

“I’ll tell you this much and then I have to go,” said Alex, leaning on his staff. “When we leave here, I will be casting a spell that will make the island impossible to find. The dragon has asked me for this favor. He regrets what happened to the dwarfs here, and he doesn’t want anything like that to happen again. I agree with him, and as he was here first, the island is rightfully his.”

“How do you know all of this?” Arconn questioned.

“The dragon told me,” said Alex, turning away. “I’ll answer the rest of your questions when I return.”

Alex walked quickly through the empty dwarf village and into the woods without looking back, making his way toward the low rocky hills. He knew where he would find Salinor, and he hoped that the dragon was as friendly in real life as he had been in the dream. Of course, knowing the dragon’s true name gave Alex an advantage. He still wondered why Salinor had done that; usually dragons closely guarded their true names. Still, Alex knew that Salinor had told him the truth and there was little chance the dragon would change his mind now.

Salinor’s cave was extremely well hidden, and it took Alex more time to find it than he thought it would. Salinor had cast several spells over the entrance of his cave in order to remain hidden from anyone or anything that might come to the island, and the dragon’s magic was impressive. It was only because Salinor had told him where to look that Alex was able to find the cave at all.

Alex spent the next eleven days and nights with Salinor, learning from the ancient creature and telling his own story to the dragon. Time seemed to melt away, and Alex didn’t remember sleeping or eating at all; he wasn’t even a little bit tired or hungry. When it was finally time for him to go, Alex was reluctant to leave the dragon behind. There was so much that Salinor knew, and so many more questions that Alex wanted to ask. Salinor also seemed sad that Alex was leaving, but he promised to visit Alex in his dreams from time to time.

“You are now a dragon lord,” said Salinor as Alex was preparing to leave. “If ever you need me, you need only call my name.”

“You have been very kind, my friend,” said Alex. “I hope I will never need to disturb your rest.”

“There are a few more things,” said Salinor, turning his giant head toward the back of the cave. “There are books that you should take with you.”

“Books?” questioned Alex. He’d never thought of dragons as reading or writing books.

“Ancient writings,” said Salinor. “Mysteries and knowledge that have long been lost. You may need what they hold.”

Alex went to the back of the cave and found a small gap in the wall. Moving through the gap, he entered a second cavern full of old-looking books. The number of books in the cave surprised him, and he wondered how they might have gotten there. Salinor could never have slipped through the gap, not even when he was a very young dragon. Alex picked up one of the books and glanced through its pages. The writing was different from the magic letters he had learned, but yet also strangely familiar. Without taking time to look at all the books, Alex held up his magic bag and moved them to his own library.

“The books are not written in letters that I understand,” Alex said when he returned to the main cave.

“They are not so much read as experienced,” said Salinor. “When you read these books, it will not be like reading, it will be as if you are there.”

“I don’t understand,” said Alex.

“In time you will,” answered Salinor in a confident tone. “And now one last thing before you go.”

“Yes?” said Alex, looking up at Salinor’s ancient face.

“Your family,” said Salinor. “You need to find your family to find yourself.”

“I have no family,” said Alex, turning away.

“We all have families,” said Salinor with a booming dragon laugh. “Your parents had families before they were your parents. Seek them out. They will need you, and you, I think, will need them as well.

“I will tell you this as a final gift in parting,” Salinor went on. “There was a time—a time long forgotten by most—when dragons and men were of one race. Not all men, but the great and noble men, the men who later became kings and rulers in the known lands, had the blood of the dragon in their veins. I was there, so I know what I say is true. I also know something about you that you have not yet guessed.”

“What is that?” Alex questioned nervously.

“You are of my own bloodline,” Salinor answered. “Both of your parents had dragon blood in their veins, and it flows very strongly in you as well, my child. In fact, I think that you alone among wizards could take the dragon form without fear of losing yourself.”

“The dragon form is warned against by all wizards,” said Alex.

“That is because most wizards would lose themselves in the form of a dragon. They would feel what it is to be a dragon and forget that they were ever men.”

“And you think I should take this form?” Alex asked.

“Not until you are ready,” said Salinor. “You will find great power in the dragon form, greater than you have now, greater than any I have ever had. Yet even with this power, I think you will be able to return to your human form at will. Unless I am much mistaken, you have two true forms—man anddragon.”

Alex wanted to ask more questions but Salinor lowered his head to the cave floor and closed his eyes. Alex bowed to the great dragon, and then left him in his hidden cave. It was a long walk back to the dwarf village, and as he went Alex considered everything Salinor had told him and the promises he had made to the dragon.

The first promise was a small thing, really, and one that Alex had decided to do before ever meeting Salinor face-to-face: cast a spell on the Isle of Bones to hide it from any who might come looking for it. The other two promises Alex had made were more complicated, and he needed time to consider exactly what they meant.

Salinor’s words about his family filled his mind as well, and Alex wondered why he had never thought to ask about his parents’ families before. The idea that he might have living grandparents, aunts and uncles, even cousins, was something new; he wondered how he could find them.

There was one other promise that had come as something of a surprise to Alex, hardly something he’d expected the dragon to think about.

“Always go to your friends in their times of need,” said Salinor in a serious tone. “If a friend calls for your help, go as quickly as you can.”

Of course he would, wouldn’t he? If any of his friends were in trouble, of course he would go to them. That’s what friends did. It seemed natural, the kind of thing he would do without thinking. So why had Salinor made him promise to do it?

As he approached the deserted village, Alex reflected on Salinor’s parting words. Salinor thought that Alex could take the dragon form and still return to his own form again. That was something no wizard had ever done, at least as far as Alex knew. Most wizards would not even try to take the shape of a dragon. Every wizard Alex had read about who had tried had either flown away as a dragon or gone completely mad and died. As he walked along, lost in his thoughts, Alex thought he could hear Salinor’s voice echoing inside his own mind.

“Through your friends and your family you will find your true self,” the dragon’s voice said softly. “Go to them when they need you.”

What did that mean? Alex knew who and what he was, didn’t he? Well, no, he didn’t. He was still learning about whathe was, and he had no real idea about whohe was. Iownan, the Oracle of the White Tower, had told him on his first adventure that he was a mix of races. He’d always thought of himself as human, but that wasn’t exactly true. Somewhere in his family’s history there were other races—elves, dwarfs, and apparently even dragons, according to Salinor. Could that be part of the reason Salinor had told him to look for his family? Was there something in his future that the dragon could see? The questions were enough to drive him crazy, so he tried to push them to the back of his mind. There would be time to think about them later, right now he had to get back to his friends and prepare to leave the Isle of Bones behind.

Chapter Fourteen

The Road to Kazad-Syn

Alex soon left the woods and entered the empty dwarf village. It was a depressing sight now that he knew how sorry Salinor was that the dwarfs had been destroyed. Alex could see that his friends had been busy while he was away, because when he entered the town square piles of treasure glimmered all around him. Some of the piles were stacked almost as high as he was tall, and it was like moving through a giant maze to find the company’s campsite. It was almost midday, and Alex quickened his pace, hoping to reach his friends before they started their meal.

“Well, look who’s back,” said Nellus, looking up with a smile as Alex approached the camp. “Been hiding and getting out of the realwork.”

“Something like that,” said Alex, returning the smile. “Though eleven days and nights with a dragon is no easy task.”

“I think I’d rather sort treasure than spend any time with a dragon,” Barnabus said as he stacked wood on the campfire.

“I would say both have been profitable,” answered Alex. “Where are the others?”

“They’ll be along soon,” said Nellus. “Thrang’s had us all working down on the third level for days.”

“The colony was rich, then,” said Alex.

“They were doing well, that much is clear. Took us nearly a week to collect what you see here, and that’s just what came out of the houses.” Barnabus shook his head. “I’m not sure we’ll be able to get Thrang to leave.”

“The Seekerreturns tomorrow and we must leave on it,” said Alex.

“Thrang will argue the point,” said Nellus, taking a seat beside the campfire. “Dwarfs aren’t keen on leaving treasure behind.”

“Perhaps I can help with that,” said Alex, sitting down by Nellus.

“I hope so,” Barnabus said. “Thrang’s been moody since you left.”

“Moody is hardly the word for it,” said Nellus, looking troubled. “Thrang’s temper has gotten steadily worse, and so has young Thrain’s.”

“What do you mean?” Alex asked.

“The look in their eyes,” said Nellus, trying to explain. “It’s a wild, hunted kind of look. I’ve seen it in men who have spent too much time in the wild, or adventurers who have been on one too many adventures.”

“It is true,” Barnabus added. “They are both consumed, I think. The treasure, the loss of their people who lived here—and then you heading off to talk with the dragon. It’s changed Thrang and Thrain. They won’t listen to reason anymore.”

“They will have to listen,” said Alex. “We must leave tomorrow or remain on this island forever.”

“Thrang’s been mumbling something about revenge,” Nellus added. “He’s convinced himself that your dragon friend is to blame for what happened here. Even Arconn can’t talk to him about it.”

“Well, he’ll have to give up any ideas of revenge,” said Alex, feeling more than a little worried. “Even if Thrang were to call all the dwarfs of Thraxon to his aid, I doubt he would do more than inconvenience this dragon.”

“What’s that about revenge?” said Thrang’s voice.

Alex looked up and saw Thrang and Thrain coming around the piles of treasure.

“I said revenge is a dangerous game, and is often more dangerous to those looking for it than to anyone else,” said Alex.

“I see you’ve come back, then,” said Thrang, his voice colder than normal. “I suppose you’ve heard what this dragon has to say about my people. I suppose he told you that their destruction wasn’t his fault at all.”

“No, actually that’s not what he said,” said Alex. “As soon as the others are here, I’ll tell you exactly what he said, if you care to hear it.”

For a moment Thrang didn’t speak or move, but simply stood with a look of mixed rage and fear on his face. Alex could see that Thrang had been worried about him, but he could also see that he had made up his mind about Salinor, and about all dragons for that matter.

“Alex,” said Arconn happily as he walked into camp. “I thought we might have to come looking for you.”

“I said I would be back before the Seekerreturned,” said Alex. “And it looks like you’ve all been busy while I was away.”

“We won’t be leaving on the Seekertomorrow,” said Thrang, his voice tight. “There is far too much treasure to collect still, and I won’t leave the island until we have it all.”

“I’ve never known you to be greedy, Thrang,” said Alex, his tone calm and even.

“Greed has nothing to do with it,” Thrang snapped. “The treasures of this island were gathered by my people. It is my duty, and yours as a signed member of this adventure, to collect it all before we leave.”

Kat moved up beside Arconn, a troubled look on her face. Alex could tell that all of them were worried about Thrang’s mood. And Thrain looked almost as serious as Thrang did.

“Very well,” said Alex after a moment. “Forgive me if I have offended you. Collecting the treasure will not be a problem. We will still be able to leave tomorrow.”

“I don’t see how,” Thrang answered, ignoring Alex’s apology. “We’ve been sorting treasure for nearly two weeks, and we’re not even half done yet.”

“The sorting can wait for another time,” said Alex, trying not to become angry with Thrang. “As before, I can quickly place all of the treasure in my bag. That is, if you trust me to hold it for you.”

“Trust?” Thrang repeated, looking away from Alex. “Once the question of trust would never have come up between us. But now . . .”

“Now that I’ve spoken to a dragon, you’re not sure if you can trust me,” Alex finished for him. “You’ve made up your mind that the dragon is to blame for everything that happened here, and you long for revenge.”

“Revenge is not enough,” shouted Thrang, his face growing red with anger. “How can a single dragon pay for the hundreds of lives it has taken? No, I want the dragon destroyed, so it will never harm another creature.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” said Alex, his own temper starting to rise.

“You’ve been enchanted by this dragon,” Thrang went on. “You can’t see what really happened here, and you won’t admit that the dragon is to blame. A fine wizard you’ve become.” Thrang spat on the ground.

“Silence!” Alex commanded in a tone both deeper and stronger than his normal voice would be. The ground beneath them shook, and a dark cloud moved in front of the sun. “You will listen to what I have to say, and then you can decide if I am enchanted.”

Alex looked around at his friends, who were shocked and scared by his sudden command and display of power. He had never spoken so strongly before, and Thrang looked petrified with fear, as if something terrible was about to happen to him.

“Now,” said Alex, regaining control of his emotions. “The dragon that you blame has told me the whole story of what happened here. If you’ll sit down and listen, I will tell it to you.”

Thrang inched forward and slowly sat down, his wide eyes never leaving Alex’s face.

Thrain stood as if he had turned to stone, and he didn’t move until Alex pointed to a chair and told him to sit down.

Slowly, Alex told them what he had learned since they’d arrived on the island. Everyone remained silent as he spoke, though Arconn would often nod his head in understanding. As Alex told the story, he worked some special magic that would help Thrang accept what he was saying. He hoped that Thrang could let go of his anger and hate long enough to see the truth.

When Alex finished the story, he could see that they all had questions for him, but they held back, waiting for Thrang to speak first.

“So, Languinn attacked the dragon while it was still asleep,” said Thrang, his voice almost a whisper.

“Yes,” said Alex. “A good idea, but only if you’re sure you can destroy the dragon before it wakes up.”

“Yes,” Thrang repeated. “And a foolish move if you cannot defeat the dragon.”

“How could you know?” Thrain questioned. “I mean, how could you know how powerful the dragon was until it woke up?”

“It would not really be possible,” said Alex. “And the dragon on this island is not evil. He was here, hidden from the world, trying to stay out of harm’s way.”

“But you could destroy it,” Thrain went on, a hopeful tone in his voice. “I mean, you defeated Slathbog, so you could defeat this dragon as well, couldn’t you?”

“No, I could not,” answered Alex. “I could control him because I know his true name, but if it came to open battle

. . .” Alex trailed off and took a deep breath. “I think if it came to open battle, we would destroy each other, and probably this entire island as well.”

“You know the dragon’s name?” Arconn questioned, a look of surprise on his face.

“Yes,” said Alex.

“Then you . . . you are a dragon lord,” said Arconn, his surprise changing to wonder.

“A dragon lord?” Thrang repeated, looking at Alex, his expression changing from confusion to understanding. “Yes, of course. How stupid of me. Forgive me, Alex, I have been a fool.”

“There is no need for forgiveness,” said Alex. “Your feelings are understandable. But know that the dragon regrets what happened here.”

“Yes, I see that now,” said Thrang, looking away for a moment to dry his eyes. “We will leave on the Seekerwhen it arrives. We will take as much treasure as we can, but whatever we cannot gather will be left behind without regrets.”

The tension was broken now that Thrang had agreed to leave, and Alex’s friends all looked relieved. Barnabus quickly started preparing their meal, and Thrang walked slowly away from the campfire. Alex followed Thrang, wanting to reassure his friend that there were no hard feelings. He caught up with Thrang outside the dwarf archives.

Thrang led Alex down to the third level. Alex was amazed by the amount of treasure in the cavern. His friends had been busy sorting, but they hadn’t even started to store treasure in their bags.

“With your permission,” said Alex, bowing slightly to Thrang.

“Do what you can,” said Thrang, his voice weak. “Time has run out, and what remains here will remain forever.”

Alex wanted to comfort Thrang, but he didn’t know what more he could say or how he could say it. Thrang’s confidence had been shaken when Alex had commanded him to listen, but it had been broken when he saw the truth. It had been for the best, Alex was sure of that, but Thrang had lost face in his own eyes. Alex could see that Thrang doubted his own ability to lead the company, and that could be a problem.

With a few magic words and a command whispered into the top of his magic bag, Alex emptied the giant chamber of its treasure. The hoard glimmered for a moment in the torchlight, and then sped into Alex’s magic bag with a sound like a cracking whip.

When they returned to the surface, Alex saw that the rest of his friends had managed to store the treasure they’d gathered from the village in their own bags. Thrang said nothing, but simply returned to his seat by the fire and silently waited to leave the island.

***

The next morning they returned to the beach. Everyone seemed to be in a dark mood, and Alex knew there were doubts about Thrang’s ability to lead them on the rest of their adventure. If Thrang did not regain his confidence, it seemed likely that the adventure would end and they would divide the treasure and part ways. This was not acceptable to Alex, and he tried to think of a way to help Thrang get back his old confidence.

About an hour after they arrived on the beach, the Seekersailed into the harbor. Alex and his companions pushed their rowboat back to the water’s edge, climbed inside, and quickly made their way back to the ship. Bill Clinker and his crew greeted them happily, though they could tell something was wrong with the company. Bill, being quick to grasp what the problem was, asked Thrang for permission to get underway. Thrang didn’t speak but simply nodded, and Bill gave the orders for the crew to set sail.

“A moment, please,” said Alex, looking at each of his companions in turn. “I promised to cast a spell on this island, and I think you all should bear witness.”

They all agreed, though only Arconn seemed happy about it. As the Seekermade its way out of the harbor, Alex and his friends gathered on the raised stern of the ship. Alex waited until they were a few miles away from the island, and then turned and looked at Thrang.

“With your permission,” said Alex, bowing to Thrang.

“Yes,” said Thrang, slowly returning the bow. “Yes, of course.”

Alex stepped away from the others and raised his staff. Salinor had explained the spell to him, and he remembered the dragon’s voice as he quietly spoke the words. As he worked the magic, the sun seemed to dim as if a cloud had moved in front of it. A strange mist began to grow out of the sea, circling the island. Alex focused all of his thoughts on his task. He could feel Salinor’s magic joining his own as he wove the spell, and he knew that the island would be hidden forever.

Soon the island was hidden by a great cloud that sat on the surface of the water. Slowly Alex finished his work, binding the magic forever as he lowered his staff. He felt drained of strength, but oddly happy as he looked toward the island. The cloud remained where it was for a minute or two, and then blew away in the sea breeze. There was nothing but open water where the Isle of Bones had been.

“Impressive,” Arconn said, looking surprised. “I thought the cloud would remain to hide the island.”

“That would be a marker,” said Alex in a tired voice. “This way is better, as it leaves no trace.”

“You’ve done well,” said Thrang, smiling weakly. “And I suppose it’s for the best.”

Alex smiled and bowed once more to Thrang. The others all seemed impressed by Alex’s work, but they also wanted to get below deck. They still didn’t like sailing, and the ship was already starting to roll on the waves of the open sea. They made their way below, leaving only Alex and Arconn standing on the stern of the ship, watching the spot where the Isle of Bones had been.

As night fell, Arconn went down to check on the rest of the company. Alex remained on deck, looking across the open water. He wanted to talk to Thrang, but he didn’t want to do it in front of the rest of the company. He hoped that Thrang would shake off his doubts on his own, and he tried again to think of something he could say that would help. Then, to his surprise, Alex saw that Thrang was making his way across the deck toward him.

“Do you have any of that seasickness potion left?” Thrang asked, holding tightly to the railing of the ship.

“Of course,” said Alex with a smile. “Decided it might not taste as bad as you remember?”

“I can’t bear to remain below deck,” said Thrang, looking as troubled as Alex had ever seen him. “They all have doubts now—even Arconn.”

“I don’t,” said Alex. “And I’m not sure the others do either. I think perhaps you see your own doubt reflected in their faces.”

“Perhaps,” said Thrang. “But I have no idea what to do now.”

“We carry on, of course,” said Alex, handing a small bottle to Thrang. “You’ll want to sip that a little at a time.”

Thrang took a swallow of Alex’s potion.

“I’m a fool,” Thrang said. “I let my own foolish beliefs take over and cloud my judgment. I forgot what we were really after.”

“You made a mistake; all of us do,” said Alex. “The only thing you can do now is learn from it and try not to make the same mistake again.”

“You are very kind, Alex. You’ve tried to help me save face, but—”

“But nothing,” Alex interrupted. “You are the leader of this adventure, and you are the one who says where we go and when. You made a mistake. So what? Everyone makes mistakes.”

“You didn’t,” Thrang pointed out.

“I didn’t this time,” said Alex. “I’ve made mistakes before, and I’ll make them again. I just hope I don’t make the same mistakes over and over again. And when I do make a mistake, I hope that I’m the only one who has to pay for it.”

“You’ve changed a great deal since we first met,” said Thrang with a short laugh. “You seem so much older now. I suppose that’s your wizard training coming out.”

“I suppose it is,” said Alex. “I’ve never really thought about it, but I guess being a wizard has changed me quite a bit.”

“Yes, but you’re still the same friendly, trusting boy I met that day in Clutter’s shop,” said Thrang.

“And you’re still the confident and wise dwarf I met that day as well. You’ve had your confidence shaken a little, but you are still the same.”

“Perhaps,” Thrang allowed. “And perhaps I’m a bit wiser than I was, thanks to you.”

“What are friends for?” said Alex.

Thrang finished off the seasickness potion, and then remained on deck with Alex. They talked about their first adventure together, remembering a time that seemed so long ago, but wasn’t really long ago at all.

“I suppose we should ride south and west when we get back to Dunnstal,” Thrang said at last. “We’ll stop at Kazad-Syn before starting for the Lost Mountains.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” said Alex.

“We might even be able to get some information about the Lost Mountains in Kazad-Syn,” Thrang went on. “I have family in the city, and it would be good to see them.”

“It is always good to see family,” said Alex, remembering Salinor’s comments.

“And you’ll be able to return the lost bag to its heir.”

“Yes, I need to do that, don’t I?”

The stood in silence for a moment, and then Thrang patted Alex’s shoulder. “Well then, I guess I’ll try to get some sleep. I only hope the weather stays calm; I don’t think I could take any more rolling than we’re doing now.”

Alex watched Thrang stagger across the deck, working his way back to the rest of the company. He was happy that Thrang had decided to continue with the adventure, and he hoped that his other friends would be happy about it too.

The days remained clear and calm as they sailed back to Dunnstal, which was a good thing for Alex’s companions. When they arrived, Alex and Arconn helped the others off the ship while Thrang paid Bill Clinker and his crew. Alex noticed how hard Thrang was trying not to look sick, and he was quick to help his friend off the ship once payment had been made.

“I hope I never sail again,” Thrang said, leaning on Alex. “Even your potion did little to calm the sickness.”

“Yes, well, I was reading up on that,” said Alex with a slight laugh. “It seems the potion works best if you stay in the fresh air, above deck.”

“Oh, that’s nice to know,” said Arconn, laughing as he took Thrang’s other arm.

Thrang did not find Alex’s information as amusing as Arconn did, but he still managed a weak smile.

It was late afternoon, and Thrang and the others wanted nothing more than to return to the Sea Mist and find a bed to lie down on and recover from their voyage. As it turned out, Ishly had expected them, and he had rooms ready for all of them. Alex and Arconn remained in the common room for a short time after the others had gone to bed, and then wandered out into the streets of Dunnstal.

“Thrang’s mood has improved since we left the island,” Arconn commented, looking at Alex.

“We had a talk,” said Alex. “He knows he made a mistake, but he’s learned from it. Now I think he’s prepared to move on.”

“I am glad to hear that,” said Arconn. “For a time I thought he would give up.”

“I think he wanted to, but that would have been unacceptable,” said Alex.

“Unacceptable to you or to him?”

“Both of us, I think,” said Alex. “And I think you would agree with that as well.”

“I would,” said Arconn.

There wasn’t much to see in Dunnstal, but Alex liked the sea air and the soft breeze blowing in his face. He and Arconn went down to the docks and found the old fisherman who had told Alex the story about the Isle of Bones. The old man seemed pleased to hear Alex’s story about the lost dwarf mines, though Alex left out the fact that a dragon lived on the island. Once again Alex offered to put a spell on the fisherman’s nets, and once again the old man laughed and said no. At sundown, Alex and Arconn left him on the docks and returned to the tavern. Only Thrain and Barnabus had managed to make their way down from their rooms for dinner, and Alex thought it best to let the others sleep.

The next morning all of Alex’s friends looked much happier and healthier than they had the day before. The long sleep in soft beds had done wonders for them, and they all ate their breakfast without wasting time to talk. As they were finishing their meal, Thrang stood up, looking around the table at each member of the company.

“I’ve decided that we will ride south to Kazad-Syn,” said Thrang. “We should be able to get some information about the Lost Mountains there, and Alex has the bag of a lost adventurer that needs returning. The heir lives in Kazad-Syn, so we should be there for a few days at least.”

“What do we know about the Lost Mountains?” Arconn asked quickly.

“Well, we know they are not actually lost,” said Thrang with a soft laugh. “They are called the Lost Mountains because it is easy to get lost in them. I’ve never been there, but I’ve been told that there are hundreds of narrow canyons winding through the mountains.”

“Is anything dangerous supposed to live there?” Nellus asked.

“I don’t know of anything, but I’m sure we’ll find out more when we reach Kazad-Syn,” answered Thrang. “I believe some of the dwarfs who live there have been to the Lost Mountains, and their knowledge might be useful to us. After all, we don’t want to search all of the mountains looking for signs of Albrek.”

There was general agreement with Thrang’s comment, and they all got up together, ready to ride south. Alex and the others made their way to the stables, while Thrang stayed behind to find Ishly and pay for the company’s stay. Alex could see that Thrang’s renewed confidence had impressed the others, and they all looked a great deal happier than they had when they left the Isle of Bones.

“How far is it from here to Kazad-Syn?” Thrain asked as he worked to saddle his horse.

“Ten days—maybe two weeks’ ride,” said Alex, remembering the map of Thraxon he’d studied in Benorg. “Of course, the roads could be difficult, so it may take longer than that.”