“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 Seeker returned,” said Alex. “And it looks like you’ve all been busy while I was away.”
“We won’t be leaving on the Seeker tomorrow,” 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 Seeker when 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 b
roken 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 Seeker sailed 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 Seeker made 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’l
l 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?”