Текст книги "Albrek's Tomb"

Автор книги: Mark Forman

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Текущая страница: 19 (всего у книги 26 страниц)

Chapter Twenty

To the Golden Rocks

Alex and his friends remained in Neplee as winter slowly changed to spring. The city had become more like the other dwarf cities Alex had visited in the past, and everywhere he went he was greeted with bows and smiles. Turlock had officially named him a lord of Neplee, a title all the dwarfs took seriously. Even Thrang addressed him as lord, at least when they were out in public.

There were feasts and parties almost every night, and Alex soon longed for the quiet, simple life of the open road. The fact that all of the attention was to honor him and what he had done for Neplee meant he could not miss a single feast, no matter how much he would have liked to. He knew that the dwarfs meant well, and he loved them for their kindness, but he needed to be alone and think about what had happened to him.

Sometimes, when it all became too much and Alex thought he couldn’t face one more party, he would leave the city for at least part of the day. Taking the shape of an eagle or sometimes the wind, he was free to roam the lands around Neplee.

He had sent a message to Whalen telling him what had happened in the necromancer’s cave and exactly how he’d managed to defeat Mog. He did not, however, tell Whalen about what Salinor had said. Something kept Alex from sharing the dragon’s words, even with Whalen.

Whalen had been shocked to learn the necromancer’s name, and he had gone into great detail about the stories and myths he’d heard concerning an evil spirit named Mog.

“I have no doubt now that some of the stories and myths are true,” Whalen had written in his letter to Alex. “And once more, I am impressed by your abilities.”

Finally the snows began to melt, and the smells of spring filled the air. Alex’s companions were almost as eager as he was to be back on the road, and they were all excited to continue their adventure. The dwarfs of Neplee knew that Alex’s time in the city was growing short, and they made great efforts to have as many feasts as possible before the adventurers left the city.

Alex had spent a lot of time thinking over the winter, and he had finally decided that the crown of Set should be remade. One night, after yet another feast, Alex went to his room and slipped into his magic bag. He collected the broken crown from the treasure room and then quickly went into his father’s bag, hoping that his smitty friends would be able to help him.

“Bobkin, Belkin,” Alex called as he entered the workshop. “I know it’s late, but I need your help.”

“Coming, Master Alex,” Bobkin’s voice answered.

Alex heard the hidden door open, and he was about to light some of the lamps in the dimly lit shop when he stopped short.

“What can we do for you?” Bobkin questioned, hurrying toward Alex with Belkin and Dobkin following close behind.

“Um, what?” Alex said, his attention fixed on Dobkin. “I need you to . . . Why is Dobkin glowing?”

“Oh, well, yes,” said Belkin. “He does that sometimes, but it doesn’t seem to bother him.”

“That’s not normal, is it?” Alex questioned.

“No, not normal at all,” said Bobkin. “You had some tasks you needed our help with?”

“How often does Dobkin glow?” Alex asked, waving his hand and bringing light to the workshop.

“Every new moon,” said Belkin.

“That would mean . . . Of course!” said Alex, setting the broken halves of Set’s crown on the worktable. “I know what’s happened to him.”

“He was hit on the head,” said Bobkin.

“No, he was hexed,” said Alex. “Someone has tried to control him, but they didn’t do a very good job. Every new moon the spell is renewed, which is why he glows.”

“Are you sure?” Belkin questioned. “I mean, who would hex a smitty?”

“I don’t know,” said Alex. “But I’m sure I can remove the spell, and once I do Dobkin will be himself again.”

“If you could help Dobkin, we would be even more in your debt,” said Bobkin.

“Dobkin,” said Alex. “Look at me.”

The glowing smitty staggered forward, and his head bobbed about as if he was drunk. His eyes looked unfocused.

“Dobkin,” said Alex, snapping his fingers to get the smitty’s attention.

He looked up at the sound and his face slowly broke into a smile. “Dobkin!” Dobkin shouted.

“This shouldn’t take long,” said Alex. He lifted his right hand, extending his index finger.

Dobkin’s eyes followed Alex’s finger, and his head shifted to follow it as Alex moved his finger up and down and from side to side. Finally Alex reached out and tapped the smitty on the head. Dobkin instantly stopped glowing.

“That should do it,” said Alex. “Of course, he’ll need to sleep, but he should be his old self when he wakes up in the morning.”

“Oh, that isgood news,” said Belkin happily. “You’re sure it was a hex?”

“I’m sure.”

“Well, if that’s settled, tell us what you need our help with,” said Bobkin, his eyes darting to the broken crown behind Alex.

“I need your help repairing this crown,” said Alex as he turned back to the table.

Bobkin hurried to climb onto the tabletop. “Oh, this was a nice piece at one time. Well made, dwarven design, and . . .”

“And?” Alex questioned.

“It had some magic in it once,” said Belkin, standing beside Bobkin. “I can’t see what the magic was for, but it was definitely there.”

“Is there any way to find out what the magic was?” Alex questioned.

“Maybe,” said Bobkin. “We’ll need to study it for a bit. How soon will you need it repaired?”

“Oh, there’s no rush,” said Alex. “I imagine it will be several months before I need it, and if you can discover what magic was in it in the meantime, that would be helpful.”

“Well, if Dobkin is himself again in the morning, it shouldn’t be too hard,” said Belkin. “Dobkin has a knack for spotting magic and figuring out how it works. We might need you to work the magic, Master Alex, but at the very least we should be able to tell you what it was and why it was there.”

“Excellent,” said Alex. “I’ll leave the crown with you, then. Feel free to use whatever you need to repair it.”

“It doesn’t look like it will take much,” said Belkin in a thoughtful tone.

“The sapphire might be a problem,” said Bobkin.

“Gems aren’t something we usually repair,” said Belkin.

“You have my permission to search the treasure room in this bag and in my other bag for a replacement,” said Alex.

“Very good, Master Alex,” said Bobkin with a bow.

“I’ll come back in a day or two to check on Dobkin,” said Alex. “And don’t work too hard on the crown. Like I said, I won’t need it for a few months at least.”

“As you wish,” Bobkin and Belkin said together.

Alex climbed into his bed knowing that the smittys would make the crown as good as new, possibly even better. He felt good about his decision to have the crown repaired, and he felt even better that he’d discovered and removed the hex that had been placed on Dobkin. He wondered again who would put a hex on a smitty, but the thought was soon lost as he fell asleep.

***

Before the snows had completely melted, Turlock sent several dwarfs to find horses for Alex and his companions, as there were few animals left in the city. Thrang began preparing for their departure, buying things he thought they might need along the way and stocking everyone’s bags with food.

“Turlock doesn’t know how far away Gal Tock is, and I doubt any other dwarf does. We should be prepared for a long road,” Thrang said as he sorted packages one night.

“I’ve spent some time in the libraries,” Arconn added. “All of the maps stop just south of the Lost Mountains, so there is no knowing what lies ahead of us.”

“There are no dwarf cities farther south?” Thrain questioned.

“Oh, yes, there are several,” said Thrang. “And even some to the west as well. The dwarfs of Thraxon have spread far and wide, and there’s no telling where you might find a dwarf village or city.”

“Is there some reason all the dwarf cities are not known to King Thorgood?” Alex questioned.

“Thorgood’s capital is in the north,” Thrang answered thoughtfully. “It has been a long time since any of the northern kings have sent messengers this far south.”

“Why is that?” Barnabus asked as he stored the parcels Thrang had given him.

“There’s no reason, at least none you could name,” Thrang said, shifting in his seat.

“What is it that you can’t put your finger on?” Alex asked, beginning to worry that trouble lay ahead of them.

“I only know what the legends say,” Thrang answered. “The king of the dwarf realm has lived in Benorg for nearly three thousand years, so if some of the cities in the far south have forgotten him or found a new king, well . . . I suppose that’s only natural.”

“So it is possible that the dwarfs of the south will not recognize Thorgood as the king,” Alex said thoughtfully. “In fact, they may not be too friendly with us once they learn we are on a quest for Thorgood.”

“It is possible,” said Thrang, returning to his sorting. “But if we don’t speak of our goal—or Thorgood’s name or title—there is nothing to worry about.”

“A title Thorgood finds difficult to keep without the crown of the ancient kings,” Alex said in a low voice so only Thrang could hear him.

Thrang didn’t answer but nodded his agreement to Alex’s statement. Alex thought about Thrang’s words as he stored his own parcels in his bag, realizing just how important Set’s request had been. Set knew that Thorgood was his heir, but there would be almost no way of proving it to some other king who ruled in the south of Thraxon. Suddenly, Alex remembered something else—something Mr. Clutter had told him before he had joined this adventure. Alex filed the thought away, determined to think about it more later.

That night, Turlock held a grand feast, and every dwarf family in Neplee presented a gift of some kind to Alex. Alex accepted their gifts with thanks and bows, but he thought most of the families could not afford the gifts they were giving. Yet, he knew that he could not refuse any of the gifts without losing honor. Still he worried, and after the feast ended, he asked Turlock for a private word.

“Your city has been very generous to me,” Alex said once he and Turlock had entered Turlock’s private room.

“No less than you deserve, my friend,” said Turlock. “You’ve done us a great service and made it possible for us to prosper once again.”

“Yes,” Alex agreed. “But I fear that some of your people have given more than they should have.”

“I see,” said Turlock, taking a step closer to Alex. “And you fear they will suffer hardship because of their gifts to you.”

“As I said, your city has been very generous.”

“And I see you know enough of dwarfs to know that you cannot give back the gifts that have been given,” Turlock said thoughtfully.

“I would not insult your people, Turlock. I have another solution in mind.”

“What is that, Lord Taylor? Say what you wish, I will not be offended.”

Alex took out his magic bag and spoke softly into the top of it. The air in the room stirred slightly as the huge pile of gems he had taken from the necromancer’s cave appeared on the chamber floor.

“I wish you to use this wealth to help your people,” Alex said. “I took it from the mountains, so it rightfully belongs to your city.”

“I—” Turlock began but stopped, looking at the pile in front of him. “You are too good to us. I cannot accept all of this, not even for my people.”

“Yet you know that many of them will need your help,” Alex pressed.

“Yes, they will, but I don’t think they will need this much help,” Turlock answered with a weak smile. “Leave a third of this wealth. That will be more than enough to help the needy of this city.”

“You are wise and kind, and perhaps too generous,” said Alex. “I will leave half, but you must promise me two things.”

“Whatever you ask of me, I will do,” Turlock answered firmly.

“First, no one can know that I left this wealth with you, at least it can’t be generally known. You’ll have to explain things to the lords of Neplee, but I’m sure they will understand my wishes.”

“It will be as you wish. And the second promise?”

“That you use this wealth only to help those who are truly in need,” Alex said, holding Turlock’s eyes with his own. “You are not to give any of these gems to those who don’t work or don’t try to provide for themselves. You understand my meaning.”

“Yes,” Turlock answered with a bow. “It will be as you ask.”

“Then I will leave you for tonight, my friend,” said Alex. “And we will say farewell in the morning.”

“You are forgetting something,” Turlock said as Alex turned toward the door. “You are to take half of this with you, remember?”

“Yes, of course,” Alex answered, laughing at himself. “You know, there was a time when such treasure would seem like all the wealth in the world to me. Now it seems a small thing, something that is easy to forget.”

“Your wealth is greater than gems or gold,” said Turlock. “You have the love of friends, and their hopes for you.”

Alex smiled and nodded. He spoke once again into the top of his magic bag. The air moved slightly and the pile between Alex and Turlock grew smaller. Alex nodded once more to Turlock before he left the room, slowly making his way back to his friends and then to his room to sleep one last night in Neplee.

Their departure the next morning was both a happy and a sad event. Every dwarf in the city lined the road to the main gates, and those who couldn’t find a spot along the way crowded around and outside the city gates. Turlock waited at the gates to wish them farewell, reminding Alex one more time that if he was ever in need, the city of Neplee would come to his assistance.

“Farewell, my friends,” Alex called as Thrang led them away from the city. “May your city prosper in peace.”

There was a loud cheer in reply, and then the dwarfs began to sing an old traveling song.

“It is meant to bring us luck,” Thrang said by way of explanation. “It is an old song, and some people say there is magic in it.”

“Magic?” Kat questioned.

“I don’t know if that is true, but it’s well meant,” Thrang said happily.

They rode across the open lands, their horses’ hooves crunching loudly through the last few inches of snow that remained on the ground. The air was pleasantly cool, and they could smell the promise of spring in it.

“The open air is wonderful,” Nellus called from behind Alex. “The dwarf city was a good place to spend the winter, but I’m happy to be in the open again.”

“As am I,” Barnabus agreed. “We did too much sitting around in Neplee. I fear we’ve all grown soft from the kindness of the dwarfs.”

“Then you’ll have to harden in a hurry,” said Thrang. “I fear our quest for Albrek’s tomb is far from over.”

“The dwarfs of the Lost Mountains didn’t know where Albrek had gone,” Kat said softly. “If they ever knew, they have forgotten long ago.”

“And we are running out of places to look,” Alex added.

“That’s not true,” Thrang said with a grunting laugh. “There are lots of places we can look; we’re just running out of places where we know we should look.”

“Growing tired of the adventure already?” Arconn joked with a glance at Alex.

Alex laughed and shook his head. He was partly amazed at what they had already accomplished on this adventure and partly troubled by what he had learned along the way. More than anything else, however, he was worried about taking the form of the dragon. Salinor had warned him that it might be difficult for him to return to his human form once he had made the change, or, at least, he had hinted that it might be difficult. Alex didn’t want to risk it, and he didn’t want to run into anything that might tempt him to use his new power. He took comfort in knowing that he had faced and defeated the necromancer without taking the dragon’s shape, even though he had used some of the dragon’s power to do it. For his own reasons he hoped he would have time to prepare himself before making the change.

Alex pushed his worries to the back of his mind as they continued riding south. It was a sunny day, and the land was pleasant to look at.

They camped that night near a small stream, and though it seemed unlikely they would meet trouble, Thrang insisted they keep a watch.

“We don’t know what lies ahead of us, so we might as well prepare for the worst,” Thrang said sternly.

“Hopefully nothing as bad as what’s behind us,” Thrain said.

“It has been an exciting first adventure for you so far,” said Alex.

“Much more than I ever expected,” Thrain agreed. “I’d heard stories about first adventures, and most of them seemed very dull. Your first adventure was full of excitement, but you were a wizard-in-training then.”

“Yes, that’s true,” agreed Alex. “Though I don’t think my first adventure was as dangerous as this one has been.”

“Easy to say that now.” Arconn smiled at Alex. “Your past adventure is over and you made it home safely.”

“That is also true,” Alex agreed. “But we’ve met more dangerous things on this adventure than we did on that one.”

“Oh?” Arconn questioned. “That time we faced a three-legged troll, an oracle, bandits, wraiths, the dark shadow, and a dragon. This time it was a nagas, the hellerash, and a necromancer.”

“You count the oracle as dangerous, but not the dragon on the Isle of Bones?” Alex questioned. “And you have forgotten to mention Bane.”

“Oracles can be more dangerous than most other things,” Arconn answered with a smile. “And the dragon on the Isle of Bones proved to be friendly—or at least not dangerous. As for Bane, I’m not sure.”

“All right,” Alex said, waving away Arconn’s argument. “Thrain has had an exciting first adventure so far, but I hope that most of the excitement is over.”

“As do I,” Thrang agreed, taking a seat beside the fire. “We’ve been lucky so far, and I hope we don’t need too much more luck to finish this adventure.”

“I wouldn’t call it luck,” Arconn said with a nod in Alex’s direction.

“No, I suppose not,” agreed Thrang.

They ate in silence, as everyone was tired from the long day’s ride. As the others went to bed, Alex remained by the fire alone, assuming his customary first watch. Staring at the glowing coals of the fire, he thought about the crystal he had taken from Nethrom’s table. The crystal was the same as the one he had recovered for the Oracle, Iownan. He thought about the crystal and the empty tower by the Eastern Sea for a long time.

When his watch was over, Alex woke Thrain, but he did not go to his tent to sleep. Returning to the fire, he continued to think about the crystal, the tower, and the oracle that was to come. He wished he could make sense of it, but he didn’t know much about the empty tower or the legends surrounding it. He watched the fire for a long time. Slowly he felt his mind drifting away, returning to the hidden Isle of Bones.

“So, you come again, young one,” Salinor said softly.

“I wanted to thank you for waking me when I was under the mountain,” said Alex.

“And to ask more questions of me,” Salinor said with a smile.

“Yes.”

“The crystal you took from the cave is the tool of seers and oracles,” Salinor said calmly. “Yes, you could make it work, but you don’t really need it.”

“Should I give it to Kat? Is she to become the Oracle of the Empty Tower?”

“I do not know,” Salinor said slowly, as if he were thinking about Alex’s questions. “I know she could use the crystal, if she chooses to. I also know that the oracle must reach the tower soon or it will be lost. Also, only a dragon can take the true oracle to the tower—that much of the legend is true.”

“Then I must take the shape of the dragon if Kat is to be the oracle?” Alex questioned, his heart racing.

“Perhaps,” Salinor answered. “You still fear to take the shape?”

“I fear I will be lost.”

“Yet it is your true shape, or at least one of your true shapes,” Salinor said kindly. “You are so different from a dragon and yet so much the same. I cannot tell you what to do, but I can tell you this: you will never find your full power or become all that you can be until you accept both of your true forms.”

“I know. What I don’t know is if I am strong enough to do it. What if I become lost in the dragon shape? What if the power is too much for me to control?”

“Then you will break,” Salinor answered. “As the Oracle of the White Tower once told you.”

“Did she know?” Alex questioned, remembering everything that Iownan had told him. “Did she know what I was, or what I might become?”

“She may have guessed, but I don’t think she knew,” Salinor answered. “She knows a great deal, but even her powers are limited. I believe she told you as much as you needed to know at the time.”

“Yes,” Alex agreed. “I suppose even you don’t know everything.”

“I know many things,” said Salinor. “But everything is quite a lot, and I have not lived long enough to know everything.”

After a moment, Alex decided that Kat should have the crystal, even if he never took the shape of the dragon.

“You have my thanks, ancient one,” Alex said. “You have given me much to think about, but the path ahead already seems less dim.”

“If there is light on the path, it comes from you,” Salinor said softly.

Alex’s mind was already racing back through the darkness to his body. He heard Arconn call his name and he opened his eyes. “Was I gone long?”

“You were here all night,” Thrang said, looking confused.

“Only my body was here,” said Alex, getting up and stretching his legs. “My mind has traveled far, but my body is hungry.”

“Then have some breakfast,” Barnabus said, holding out a plate for Alex. “The rest of us have already eaten. Arconn said we shouldn’t disturb you until we were ready to go.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex said as he took the plate from Barnabus. “You should have called me as soon as breakfast was ready.”

“Not a problem,” Thrang said, taking a seat next to Alex. “We’re all a little stiff this morning. It won’t hurt us to stretch for a while before climbing back into our saddles.”

“We’d all be better off if we had some more of that dwarf remedy of yours,” Nellus said.

“One sip each,” Thrang said, holding out his silver flask for Alex. “More than that and you might go back to sleep.”

“I wouldn’t mind a bit more sleep myself,” Barnabus laughed.

“There is something I need to do before we leave,” Alex said, handing the flask back to Thrang and setting aside his plate. “And I need you all to witness it.”

“Oh, what is that?” Thrang questioned.

Alex turned to Kat. “Kat, I won’t insist that you take this, but I will offer it to you just the same.”

“Take what?” Kat questioned.

Alex spoke into his magic bag and retrieved the crystal he had taken from Nethrom’s table. As he held it up, the crystal caught the morning light and blazed like a ball of fire in his hand.

“An oracle’s crystal,” Kat said, stepping back from Alex, her eyes wide in wonder. “How did . . . Why would . . . I don’t—”

“You are a seer,” Alex said, getting to his feet. “You may even be more than a seer. You can use this crystal if you will, that much I know. I offer it to you now, freely and without condition.”

“But, I . . .” Kat stammered.

“You are what you are,” said Alex. “Who can say what you may become?”

“The tower,” Kat said, holding Alex’s eyes with her own.

“Perhaps.”

“Very well, I will accept this gift you offer. I will try to use it wisely and for good.” Kat took the crystal from his hand.

Alex turned to the company. “Will you all witness that Katrina Dayyed has accepted this crystal?” he questioned loudly.

“We will,” the others answered as one.

“Then I think it is time we got moving,” Alex said. “There’s no telling how far the golden rocks are from here.”

“Yes,” Thrang agreed, shaking the stunned look off his face. “Let’s get moving.”

They rode south, taking their time and stopping for their regular midday meal. Kat remained silent as they went, and Alex thought he could understand at least some of her feelings. She was struggling with the idea of what her future might hold, just as he was struggling with his. The only difference was that everyone knew what Kat was thinking, and only Alex knew his own fears.

Two days later, Kat asked Alex for a private word. They had already made camp, and Alex suggested he and Kat gather some extra wood for the fire.

“There’s plenty here,” Thrang started to say but trailed off when he saw the look on Alex’s face. “Yes, that’s a good idea. Spring is slow in coming, and some extra wood might be useful.”

As Alex and Kat walked away from the campsite, Alex could feel the others watching them. He knew they all wondered what the two of them would be talking about, but he also knew they would not ask. In fact, the others seemed willing to accept Kat as a true oracle already, which was something that seemed to annoy Kat a great deal.

“You’ve given me a great honor,” Kat said after a long silence. “You’ve formed my destiny around me like a cage.”

“I . . . I’m sorry. I did not mean to,” Alex said, surprised by Kat’s words. “If you do not want the crystal, then do not use it. Hold it safe for another if that is your wish.”

“It’s not your fault,” Kat said, her voice shaking slightly. “I suppose I should have expected something like this.”

“Why?” Alex questioned, truly puzzled.

“When I was very young, a real oracle came to my village,” Kat said in a low tone. “The oracle told me that I would be an adventurer, but . . .”

“But that you might become something more,” Alex finished for her.

“He told me about being a seer, about seeing things that others could not. He also told me to beware of the sea. He said the sound of the sea would capture my heart, and once I heard it, I would never be the same.”

“You’ve heard the Eastern Sea of Thraxon, and now your heart is there.”

“The empty tower fills my dreams,” Kat said, shaking her head. “Ever since that day when you stopped me at the gate.”

“Do you think you are the oracle that was prophecied to come?”

“I don’t know. I don’t see how I can be. I’m a seer, and a good one, but an oracle is something more.”

“And I am a wizard, though I never thought I would be,” said Alex. “You know, when I went on my first adventure, I didn’t even believe in magic. I didn’t know anything about dwarfs or elves or oracles. It all seemed like a dream, or even some huge mistake.”

“You didn’t know?” Kat questioned in surprise. “How could you not know? You are a great wizard. How could you not know what you are?”

“Who really knows what they are or what they may become? We learn about ourselves as we do things. We discover what we are as we move through life. If we don’t like what we see, we try to change. That is how we grow, that is how we become all that we can be.”

“But what if I am not strong enough? What if I can’t do what is needed?”

Alex heard echoes of his own questions in Kat’s voice, his own doubts and fears.

“I asked the same questions of the Oracle Iownan once,” Alex said. “I asked what if I was not strong enough to be a wizard. Do you know what she told me?”

“No.”

“She said if I was not strong enough, I would break.”

“That seems a very direct answer from an oracle,” Kat said, a slight smile curling her lips.

“Iownan was kind to me, and she answered me as openly as she could.”

“So I must try to do what is needed, and if I am not strong enough, I will break,” Kat said softly.

“I will tell you this,” Alex said as he turned and started back toward the camp. “I do not think you will break.”

“Then at least I will have hope,” said Kat.

When Alex and Kat returned to camp without any firewood, the others simply accepted the fact that their friend the wizard had talked with their friend the new oracle, and what was said did not concern them.

They continued their journey the next day and the next, always moving south, but never seeing anything that might be the golden rocks. After another week of riding, the Lost Mountains had almost vanished behind them, and the world seemed to open into a wide grass-covered plain in front of them. After the second week, they could see a single mountain in the distance, but even Arconn could not guess at how far away it was.

“We will ride toward that mountain,” Thrang said in a decisive tone. “If ever a mountain called to a dwarf’s heart, that one does.”

The next day it started to rain, and the mountain was lost from sight.

“Spring rains, moving north,” Arconn commented as they rode south. “I would guess they will last for several days.”

“Weeks perhaps,” Thrang said in a slightly grumpy tone. “The spring rains of Thraxon can sometimes last for a month or more.”

“Then we will all be well watered before the sun comes out again,” Barnabus said.

“We may all be drowned,” Nellus added, pulling up his hood a little.

“How will we see the golden rocks if the sun isn’t shining?” Thrain questioned.

Nobody answered, but they were all thinking about it. Of course, they knew the golden rocks were more myth than anything, but a little sunshine would help them to find such rocks, if they really existed.

A week later, as they continued to ride south through the rain, Kat suddenly stopped her horse. Alex paused as well, feeling something powerful move above them in the clouds. None of the others seemed to notice anything, but they stopped and looked from Kat to Alex and back again.

“Something big,” Kat said, turning her face toward the rain clouds. “Something powerful.”

“I felt it as well,” Alex said. “Though it didn’t feel evil, if that’s the word.”

“No, not evil,” Kat agreed. “Yet powerful and possibly dangerous. We should try to move more quickly. We will need to reach the cover of the mountain before the rains stop.”

“And if the rains stop before we reach the mountain, then what?” Thrang questioned.

“Then we will see what moves above us,” Kat answered, her eyes still fixed on the sky.

“Must be part elf,” Thrang grumbled, urging his horse forward.

For another week they rode as quickly as they could. When they camped, they only made small fires, allowing the rain to put them out as soon as Barnabus was finished cooking.

Alex remained alert, trying to feel whatever it was that had passed above them, but there was nothing. Finally, late on the eighth day, they came to the mountain.

“There is an entrance to the east of us,” Kat said, pointing.

“Are you sure?” Thrang questioned. “Have you seen what lies in the mountain?”