“When would you like the apology and oath to take place, Master Taylor?”
“Tomorrow, I think,” said Alex. “Talk this over with Otho; even as an ox he will be able to understand you. If he agrees to my demands, bring him to the square tomorrow, one hour before the midday meal.”
“It shall be as you wish,” said Osgood.
Alex and Osgood shook hands, and Alex thanked him for coming. Osgood was in much better spirits when he left the tavern than he had been when he arrived. Alex watched him go and hoped that this ordeal had not been too hard on the old magistrate.
That night at dinner, Alex told everyone what Osgood had agreed to. Lilly and Indigo looked relieved, Tayo simply nodded, but it was Skeld who put into words what most of them were thinking.
“You couldn’t leave him with a tail, could you?” Skeld chuckled. “Might do him some good, and—”
Skeld’s words suddenly turned into a hacking cough as Lilly elbowed him sharply in the ribs. Alex grinned, glad to see that Skeld had met his match in Lilly.
The next morning, the square in front of the Dragon’s Keep was overflowing with people. Alex guessed that most of the city had heard about what he had done to Otho, and they had all turned up to see him change Otho back into his normal self. Alex also guessed that most of the people wanted to hear Otho’s apology and oath.
As Alex walked out of the tavern, the crowd parted in front of him. Osgood had arranged for a raised platform to be erected so everyone would be able to see Otho take his pledge. Alex was quick to notice that Andy was standing next to Kate in the crowd; she was wearing the brooch Andy had bought from Elwig.
Osgood seemed to be in good spirits and greeted Alex like an old friend. Otho, the ox, was standing close by and looked as if he wanted to run away when Alex approached. Alex tried to look stern, leaning forward to speak to Otho in a lowered voice.
“I’m only changing you back because of your father,” Alex said firmly. “If I ever hear that you’ve dishonored him in any way, or broken the oath you take today, I will return and change you into something far worse than an ox.”
Alex stood up and focused his thoughts. He had never actually changed a human before, or at least not this way, and he was hoping for Osgood’s sake that he could do it. With a wave of his hand and a loud popping noise, Otho suddenly appeared where the ox had been standing.
As soon as the change happened, Otho took several steps away from Alex, stumbling and falling backward into a water trough. The crowd roared with laughter, but Alex was unmoved. He simply indicated that Otho should proceed to the raised platform to make his apology and take his oath, dripping wet.
Once the conditions Alex had insisted on had been fulfilled, Osgood came forward and shook Alex’s hand again. Alex bowed to Osgood and thanked him for everything he had done. Osgood turned to his son, who, because it wasn’t yet springtime in Norsland, was covered in a growing layer of ice.
“Come,” Osgood commanded. “We have a great deal to talk about.”
“A pity,” said Skeld, stepping up beside Alex. “He did make a fine-looking ox.”
“Don’t insult oxen,” Alex answered.
That night they had their farewell feast, which Bregnest had arranged for. They all joked and talked as they ate, but there was a bit of sadness mixed with the laughter. When the feast was over, there were many sad good-byes to be said. Alex noticed that Andy said his good-byes quickly and left the inn in a hurry. He knew that Andy had another good-bye to make, and he felt happy for his friend.
They left Oslansk the next morning as planned, and Alex was happy to see that almost everyone they passed in the streets waved and wished them good luck. He liked Oslansk, and he hoped that he would be able to return here someday.
Chapter Sixteen
Alusia
The journey back to the great arch was a short one, and the company remained in good spirits as they traveled. Bregnest told them that they would be staying in Telous for three days, once they’d left Norsland, so he could arrange for them to travel to Alusia. Plus, that would give them time to divide the treasure from the Tower of the Moon.
Alex was pleased with the short stay. He wanted to find out if Val had an heir or any family as soon as he could.
They arrived in Telous in time for their midday meal, and after they had eaten, Bregnest hurried off to arrange for their journey to Alusia. Alex and his friends had the afternoon unexpectedly free, and Alex visited the bag maker in order to modify his library to expand as needed. He also added a second treasure room to his bag. Sadly, he also learned that the bag maker didn’t know about any heir to Val’s bag.
That night the company ate together at the Golden Swan, and Bregnest looked grim as they took their seats. Bregnest told them that he had received word that the situation in Athanor had grown worse.
“There have been some fights in the streets, and several disputes about land rights, but no open fighting,” Bregnest explained. “Not yet.”
“We can’t move any faster,” Halfdan observed. “But we have recovered the Horn and that will prove your kinsman’s right to be king.”
“It may be beyond the Horn’s power to do so now,” Bregnest answered grimly. “It seems that open war is not far off in Athanor.”
“Then we will aid your kinsman in retaining his crown,” said Sindar. “We are still in his service and will defend him and his throne if we must.”
They all agreed with Sindar’s words and pledged to defend the rightful king of Athanor, whatever the cost. Bregnest did not comment, but he nodded his understanding of their pledge, a grateful expression on his face.
After they had finished their meal, Alex followed Bregnest to a large room at the back of the tavern. He retrieved the treasure he had taken from the Tower of the Moon, which he had already sorted, and then bowed to Bregnest.
“A sizable treasure,” Bregnest commented, looking around the room. “I see how most of your winter in the enchanted woods was spent.”
“There was little else to do,” said Alex. “I thought it might save time, and I was looking for the Horn anyway. I’m sure you will want to check my sorting, however, as I may have miscounted.”
“Nonsense. I am sure you have sorted fairly. In the morning, I will divide the shares.”
Alex wanted to say something hopeful, but the possibility of war in Athanor had him worried. This adventure had seemed so simple when he’d first heard about it, but it wasn’t just about returning the Horn—not anymore. Now it looked as if he and his friends would have to help fight in a real war.
And if war started in Athanor, there was no telling where it might spread to. It had to be stopped before it got out of hand.
In the morning, before the others woke, Alex took some time to write to Whalen about the possible war and his fears that it might spread. He mentioned his own pledge to defend the rightful king of Athanor and explained that he knew that it was not required for adventurers to defend the people who were paying for their adventure, but that this felt like the right thing to do.
After breakfast, Bregnest led the company to the back room where the treasure waited.
“There are seven piles of treasure, as our agreement called for,” said Bregnest. “One for each of the company who signed the agreement, and one for the finder of the Horn. Since Alex was the one who found the Horn, these two piles are for him.” Bregnest pointed to the two stacks closest to Alex.
They all cheered until Bregnest held up his hands for quiet.
“The pile for Val must be decided on,” said Bregnest, his tone changing. “As Alex and Sindar have twice saved us on this adventure, I say the pile should be divided between them. Do any disagree with this decision?”
The company remained silent and Bregnest nodded after a moment.
“Then the treasure is divided,” said Bregnest, smiling for the first time in several days. “We should store our treasures and then prepare to ride to Alusia.”
They cheered once more
and started storing their treasure as fast as they could.
They were on the road to the great arch less than an hour later, leaving Telous a day earlier than planned. They rode at a gallop, hoping to make the journey to Athanor in as short a time as possible. Things may have changed in Alusia, but they were ready to do whatever they had to do in order to make their adventure a success.
Alex hoped that Whalen would reply to his last message soon, and maybe offer some advice about how to deal with the situation in Alusia. Whalen’s home was in Alusia after all, and Alex thought he might know a great deal about both Bregnest’s cousin and the family that was causing problems in Athanor.
When they reached the great arch, the company paused for a hurried meal. They said little, though Andy and Halfdan did try to cheer up Bregnest from time to time. He accepted their attempts in a good-natured way, but Alex could tell that his friend’s thoughts were already miles ahead of them, worrying about what they might find at the end of the journey.
As they rode through the great arch, Alex found that he instantly liked Alusia. The land was made up of gently rolling hills and the air smelled fresh and clean. Tall grass waved in the gentle breeze, looking like a vast green sea. Clusters of tall oak trees dotted the grasslands and the hilltops, adding a darker shade of green to the view. The temperature was warm, but not too warm; it felt like a pleasant spring day.
“Is the weather always like this?” Alex asked.
“For the most part,” answered Bregnest. “In high summer it is not so green and in the winter it rains most days.”
“And the temperature remains so agreeable?” Andy questioned.
“It is a little colder in winter,” answered Bregnest. “Though it is never as cold as Norsland in spring. It seldom snows here, except in the far north and south.”
They continued until it was too dark to see more than a few yards in any direction. They set up their camp quietly, and Bregnest asked Alex to conjure a cooking fire for them. There were no stories or jokes that night. A harsh but determined mood settled over them.
The next day, as they moved forward once again, Alex’s worries began to grow. Whalen had not written back to him since his last letter, which was odd. Surely Whalen would be as worried as Alex was and want to do anything to prevent a war in Athanor.
“We still have almost three weeks before we reach Athanor,” Alex whispered to himself. “Whalen will write back soon, I’m sure of it.”
The days seemed to pass slowly despite their attempts to move as fast as possible. They were all becoming as tense and nervous as Bregnest was. Alex tried to calm his worries by imagining Whalen turning up in Athanor and setting things right in the nick of time. These thoughts were of some comfort, but the need to hurry still pressed in on him.
Early on the morning of their tenth day in Alusia, Alex and his friends crested the top of a large hill and saw trouble.
“Bandits,” Bregnest said angrily. “They have surrounded a company on that small hill.”
“The company are adventurers,” said Sindar, shading his eyes from the sun. “I count seven standing. One down.”
“The bandits have taken their horses,” said Bregnest without replying to Sindar’s comment. “See there—away from the group—some of the bandits are waiting with the horses.”
“We must assist the adventurers,” said Halfdan, pulling his ax from his belt. “We are honor bound to give them aid, as you well know.”
“But how best to do that?” Bregnest questioned. “If we attempt to save them, we may lose their horses. Or do we try to recapture the horses and then save the party?”
“I have an idea,” said Sindar.
“Explain,” said Bregnest.
“Bregnest, you go with Halfdan and Andy to recover the horses,” said Sindar, still looking toward the encircled company. “Alex and I will attack the bandits around the hill. The magic of our swords will scare them, and I think they will try to flee. If they do, they will most likely flee in your direction.”
“Where we will be waiting for them,” said Halfdan in a grim tone.
“And Alex and I will be behind them, pressing them forward to their doom,” Sindar added.
“Very well,” said Bregnest. “We have no time to make other plans. Come, Halfdan, Andy, we will ride behind this hill and take the bandits holding the horses from behind.”
“Alex and I will ride the opposite way in order to reach the hill unobserved,” said Sindar.
The group split up without another word, and Alex and Sindar made their way along the back side of the hill, moving closer to the bandits. They had more than a mile to go before they could launch their attack, so they moved as fast as they could. It wasn’t long before they entered a cluster of large oak trees only a few hundred feet from the attacking bandits.
“They are not goblins, but they are just as evil,” said Sindar, looking at Alex and drawing his scimitars.
“Then they will fear us as goblins do, or they will never fear anything again,” said Alex, pulling Moon Slayer from his side.
Alex and Sindar charged out of the trees, yelling like wild men.
The bandits spotted them before they had covered half the distance between the trees and the hill, and they let out several loud yells of their own.
The power of Moon Slayer filled Alex as he charged forward, riding Shahree into battle. Shahree moved so fast that the bandits nearest the trees had no time to run or fight before Alex had cut them down.
The bandits, as Sindar predicted, wheeled their horses away, breaking into a run as they tried to escape. Alex and Sindar pursued the bandits without slowing, hacking them down from behind as they went.
When Alex had fought the goblins, he had been filled with rage and the desire to destroy, but now there was only the heat from the magic sword, and his desire to do what had to be done.
The fleeing bandits came to a sudden stop, turning and screaming madly at each other. Bregnest, Halfdan, and Andy blocked their path; there was no easy escape. Several of the bandits charged forward toward Bregnest and the others, preferring to take their chances there rather than face Sindar and Alex. The fight was short and bloody, and few of the bandits made it out alive.
The last three bandits, having been knocked off their horses, dropped their weapons and fell to the ground. Alex jumped from his saddle, his sword at the ready. There was no sorrow or pity in his mind as he advanced on the three evil creatures before him, only a need to finish this work.
“Alex, no!” yelled Sindar sharply, rushing forward to block Alex’s path.
Alex paused and looked at Sindar in confusion. Sindar had put away his swords, and Alex could see that their magic was already fading.
“They have surrendered, Alex,” said Sindar. “They have given up and are begging for mercy.”
“And would they have shown mercy if we had not arrived?” Alex asked, the power of his magic sword flowing through his veins like fire.
“No,” Sindar answered honestly. “But they have no honor, and we do.”
Alex paused, thinking about Sindar’s words but still wanting to finish what he’d begun. He knew that Sindar would not try to stop him from killing these three bandits, but he also knew that Sindar was right.
Alex stepped away from the bandits, returning Moon Slayer to his side. The heat began to fade as soon as he let go of the sword, and he was glad that it did. He had nearly killed three unarmed men who were begging for mercy, and, while they were bandits, it still would have been a dishonorable thing to do.
“Bind them,” Bregnest said to Halfdan. “We will deliver them to those they attacked.”
Halfdan hurriedly tied the bandits’ hands together and then tied them to each other with a long piece of rope. While he was doing this, Alex helped Andy gather the horses that had not run off. Once they had collected all the horses that were close by, Bregnest led the company back to the adventurers they had rescued. Halfdan rode at the back of the company, pulling the captured band
its along behind him on foot.
“Well met,” a voice called from the hill as Alex and his friends approached.
“Well met,” answered Bregnest.
“We are in your company’s debt,” said a tall, thin man, stepping forward. “Had you not arrived when you did, I fear we would all have been lost.”
“We saw from the hill that one of your company was down,” Bregnest commented. “Is the wound serious?”
“The wound is small, though we fear that it may be poisoned,” answered the thin man. “Have you a healer among you?”
“We do,” said Bregnest. “He has some considerable skill and will do what he can for your comrade.”
“Please, hurry then. Our fallen member is of some importance to us.”