“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.”
“At least we’ll be riding,” said Kat with a laugh. “I’ve never been as sick as I was on that boat.”
“Nor have I,” Barnabus added. “It’ll be good to be on horseback again.”
“I rather enjoyed the voyage,” Arconn said with a laugh.
“As did I,” Alex agreed, rubbing Shahree’s neck as he spoke. “Though it is good to be back to a normal mode of travel.”
The others laughed as they made their way out of the stable. Arconn led Thrang’s horse along with his own, and they found Thrang waiting for them at the front of the inn.
“Ishly suggests that we follow the coast road south,” said Thrang, climbing into his saddle. “He says there is a good road from Darvish to Kazad-Syn, and Darvish is only four or five days south of here.”
“Are you sure you want to stay so close to the sea?” Alex asked with a smile.
“As long as we’re not in it,” said Thrang with a grunting laugh.
They quickly fell into line behind Thrang and rode out of Dunnstal. Alex looked back once before the city was lost to view, wondering what stories his friends from the Seeker would be telling at the inns tonight.
***
The coast road was a good one, and it was still early on the fifth day away from Dunnstal when they reached Darvish. Darvish was a much larger city than Dunnstal, with high stone walls around it. The gatekeepers were friendly enough, however, and let them pass after only a few questions. Thrang decided they would spend the rest of the day in Darvish and ride on toward Kazad-Syn the next morning.
“A few weeks out of the saddle and I’m not fit for a long journey,” Thrang complained.
The rest of the company agreed. They were eager to explore the city of Darvish, but Thrang insisted they find an inn before anyone went exploring. They were surprised to learn that there were few rooms available in the city.
“A busy time of year,” one innkeeper told them. “The calm sea doesn’t last all year, after all, and many merchants don’t like shipping their goods when the weather is bad.”
Eventually they found an inn that had three rooms available, and Thrang was quick to take them all. Thrang and Thrain would share one room, as would Nellus and Barnabus. Arconn and Alex would share the third room with Kat, though their room was actually a small suite, with two bedrooms attached to a fair-sized sitting room. Alex was concerned that each of the bedrooms had only a single bed, but Arconn wasn’t troubled.
“I do not need to rest like you,” Arconn reminded Alex. “I will be quite comfortable in front of the fire. Though I’ve noticed that lately you can go for days without sleep as well.”
“Only when I need to,” said Alex. “And I don’t think there is much need today.”
With the sleeping arrangements taken care of, they all set off for a look at the city. Alex was surprised by the number of dwarfs in the city, but Thrang explained that Darvish did a great deal of trade with Kazad-Syn as well as with several other dwarf cities.
“My brother owns some property here,” Thrang said as they walked along a crowded street. “He’s done a lot of trading, and he’s paid for ships to trade at most of the larger ports on the sea.”
“He must be prosperous, then,” said Nellus as they entered the city’s main square. It was filled with hundreds of little tables covered with all kinds of goods and items for sale. “It seems there is a little of everything here.”
“Darvish is one of the largest ports on the Eastern Sea,” said Thrang. “Thorson says they are a hard people to deal with, but always fair.”
“Thorson would be your brother, then,” said Arconn, looking at Thrang.
“Yes,” Thrang answered. “He’s quite a bit younger than I am, but he’s done very well for himself.”
Alex could tell from Thrang’s words and the look on his face that he was proud of his younger brother. It was strange to hear Thrang talk about his brother, as Alex had never really discussed family with any of his friends. For a moment Alex thought about his own family, the family that Salinor had told him to look for. Would Mr. Roberts know something about his family? And if not Mr. Roberts, then who?
“I’m going to look for some new boots,” said Barnabus, breaking Alex’s train of thought.
“You should take someone with you at least,” said Thrang.
“You don’t think there is any danger here, do you?” Thrain asked.
“No, but we should stay alert all the same,” said Thrang.
They agreed, so Nellus and Kat went off with Barnabus to look for boots. Thrang insisted that Thrain stay with him, which left Alex and Arconn free to wander the city together.
They worked their way through the open market in the square, looking at several items and even buying a few. The people of Darvish didn’t seem at all surprised to see a man and an elf together, though a few of them did take a second look at Alex when they noticed his staff. It was a pleasant morning, and at midday Alex and Arconn bought some food from one of the market stalls and went looking for a place to sit and eat.
“A fair city,” said Arconn as they walked along. “I wish we had more time to spend here.”
“I expect Thrang wants to see his brother,” said Alex, spotting a patch of green that looked like a public pa
rk and pointing it out to Arconn. “How much do you know about Thrang’s family?”
“I know he has several brothers,” Arconn answered as he and Alex sat on a bench in the shadow of a tall tower. “Families are not often discussed between adventurers, though I don’t know why.”
“Not something that comes up as part of the adventure,” said Alex.
“No, I suppose not,” said Arconn.
“Do you know anything about ancient books?” Alex questioned, changing the subject because he didn’t want to consider how little he knew about his own family.
“How ancient?”
“I would guess that they are older than the elvish writing, maybe older than the magic writing as well,” Alex answered.
Arconn thought for a moment. “Why do you ask about such books?”
“I have some,” said Alex. “The dragon on the Isle of Bones gave them to me. I’ve only looked at one of them, and only for a few seconds, but I could see it wasn’t written in either the magic letters or the elvish language.”
“Why would a dragon have books?” Arconn questioned, as much to himself as to Alex.
“I don’t know,” said Alex, wishing Salinor had explained things a bit more. “He told me to take them and that they had a great deal of lost knowledge in them.”
“I would say almost anything in them would be considered lost knowledge,” said Arconn, looking up at the sky. “I’ve heard stories of such books, but nothing more.”
“And what do the stories say?”
“These ancient books are rare,” Arconn began slowly, as if trying to remember. “The oldest of them would date from the time just after the creation of the known lands, before the different races spread out from their own lands.”
“So they tell about how the lands were created and who did what? Where each race came from and things like that?” Alex asked.
“Perhaps,” said Arconn. “Who can say for sure? What I’ve heard is mostly rumor and legend. I don’t think the oldest elf alive could say what was true about such books.”
“And what do the rumors and legends say?” Alex pressed, noticing that Arconn hadn’t really answered his question.
“They say such books can be dangerous,” said Arconn. “Some of the legends say that the books give power to the reader. Depending on who the reader is, such books could either be very dangerous or possibly very profitable.”
“Or both,” said Alex, considering Arconn’s words.
“If the books the dragon gave you are from the ancient times, you should be careful when exploring them,” Arconn advised. “Perhaps you should ask Whalen about them.”
“Yes, I suppose I should,” said Alex thoughtfully.
“Masters,” said an old-looking man, interrupting Alex and Arconn’s conversation.
“May we help you?” Alex asked.
“I would like to ask why you are here,” the old man answered.
“We are traveling through your city on our way to Kazad-Syn,” said Arconn.
“Oh, no, I mean here, in the shadow of the empty tower,” said the old man with a smile.
“Should we not be here?” Alex asked.
“There is no law against it,” said the man in a reassuring tone. “It is just that few people ever sit so close to the tower, as they know its dangers.”
“Dangers?” Arconn questioned.
“This is the Empty Tower of the Oracle,” the man explained. “I am Kathnar, the keeper of the grounds. I, and my people, are known as the Servants of the Empty Tower.”
“And how long have you served?” Alex asked.
“My family has cared for the grounds of the tower for more than a thousand years,” Kathnar answered proudly. “We have kept watch, waiting for the oracle to come.”
“A long time to wait,” commented Arconn.
“Yes, but we will wait as long as we must,” said Kathnar in a sad tone.
“Who is this oracle that will come?” Alex asked as he looked up at the tower.
“The dragon will bring her,” Kathnar answered reverently. “At least, one of the legends says that. It is difficult to know which legends are true, as so many have been told.”
“May we enter the tower?” Arconn asked.
“Oh, no,” Kathnar answered quickly. “It is most dangerous. The tower is sealed by magic.”
“Take us to the entrance,” said Alex. “I would like to see what magic holds the gates of this tower.”
“As you wish,” said Kathnar with a bow. “The gate is not far. I will show you.”
Alex and Arconn followed Kathnar through some trees and along a stone path. The tower had a high wall around it, and as they came around one corner of the wall, Alex saw Nellus, Barnabus, and Kat standing in front of the gates. Barnabus and Nellus both looked worried, but Kat seemed perfectly calm as she walked toward the gate.
“Kat, no!” Arconn called, racing forward.
“You should not stop her,” yelled Kathnar, hurrying along behind Arconn. “She has a right to try.”
Stepping between Kat and the gate, Alex stuck the ground with his staff. The rolling sound of thunder filled the air, and Kat’s eyes turned from the tower to Alex in surprise.
“This is not for you,” said Alex, his voice full of power. “You have other tasks to do.”
“Yes,” Kat said in a dreamy voice. “I have promises to keep.”
“But the time is so short,” Kathnar shouted. “If the oracle does not arrive soon, the tower will be lost forever.”
“What do you mean?” Alex demanded, turning to look at Kathnar.
“Legend says that the tower will remain empty for only so long,” said Kathnar, looking from Alex to Kat and back again. “If the oracle does not arrive before that time is up, the tower will vanish like the mist.”
“How much time is left before the tower vanishes?” Alex questioned.
“It is hard to say,” said Kathnar, his anger fading into helplessness. “The exact count was lost years ago.” He shrugged. “A year, maybe less. Forgive my anger, I . . . It’s just that I feel that the time is almost over, and I don’t want the tower to fade.”
“There is no need for forgiveness,” said Alex, glancing at Kat. “My friend is a seer. The power of the tower called to her as I’m sure it has called to others.”
“Yes, there have been others who have tried,” said Kathnar. “They have all failed to enter the tower, but that doesn’t mean your friend shouldn’t try.”
“Those who failed, what happened to them?” Arconn questioned.
“They lost themselves,” Kathnar answered slowly. “They had no sense of who they were or even where they were. Some went mad. Others wandered away from the city. Still others simply refused to eat and, well . . .”
“Yes, I understand,” said Alex. “The tower is seeking a new oracle. The power of this place is trying to find someone who can control it, and it will call to anyone who might fill its need.”
“That sounds more than a little evil,” Arconn said, glancing at the tower.
“No, not evil,” said Alex. “It is a test of magic and will. The magic of the tower does not destroy those who try to enter; it is their failure to enter and their inability to accept that failure that destroys them. I don’t think Kat is ready for this test—at least not yet—and I won’t let her go blindly forward. When she understands what has happened and what might happen to her, then perhaps she will wish to make an attempt to enter.”
“As you wish, master wizard,” said Kathnar, bowing to Alex. “I hope that she will not wait too long before making the attempt.”
“And I hope that the oracle appears before the tower fades,” Alex answered.
Kathnar bowed to Alex and walked away.
Kat was still looking at Alex, her eyes blank and distant, and it was only when he softly spoke her name that the trance was lifted.
“I don’t know why I came here,” said Kat after the others told her what had happened. “It was like a dream, but t
he more I try to remember it, the more it slips away from me.”
“Don’t be troubled by it,” said Alex. “We have an adventure to finish first. If you decide that you want to try to enter the tower once you understand what your attempt might mean, well, then I will come with you and help in any way I can.”
Kat nodded her acceptance of Alex’s words without speaking, and they all returned to the city without looking back at the tower. Alex worried that Kat might slip away from them and return to the tower, but she didn’t. Kat did seem to be thinking about the tower, and she said very little to anyone for the rest of the day.
“Kazad-Syn is a wonderful city,” Thrang said at dinner. “A week or ten days and you will see it shining like a jewel in the sun.”
“I’ve never heard you speak so fondly of any city,” Arconn said, looking at Thrang.
“It is the city my family comes from, my home,” said Thrang with a smile. “My brother Thorson still lives there, though the rest of my brothers have moved away. Still, I have cousins and other family there, so our visit should be a happy one.”
“Then let us drink to Kazad-Syn, and hope to reach it quickly,” said Nellus, raising his mug.
The others followed Nellus’s example, which made Thrang happy.
“One final drink and then off to bed,” said Thrang as they finished their meal. “We’ll make an early start in the morning, and if we’re lucky, we’ll reach Kazad-Syn in less than ten days.”
They all drank and headed to their rooms. Thrang motioned for Alex and Arconn to wait as the others departed. When they were alone, he spoke in a lowered voice.
“Do you think she will try to return to the tower?”
“I don’t think so,” Alex said softly. “I’ve blocked the magic that called to her, at least for now.”
“And when you remove the block?” Arconn questioned.
“Then the magic of the tower will call to her again,” said Alex. “If she wants to try to enter the tower then, well . . . In any event, I won’t let her do anything without really understanding what the attempt might do to her.”
“It’s good that we’ll be leaving tomorrow,” said Thrang in a thoughtful tone. “Arconn, keep an eye on her tonight, just in case she tries to slip away.”