by Jaxon Reed
Dudge and his guards split up when they found the way blocked, taking the other drainage tunnels down. Deep under the mountain the passageways converged, and separately the teams made their way back up to the fissure. Thus they were delayed in the battle, coming in by groups. Dudge’s group came in first and held their own until the others made it.
The darkstone was the only wizard’s stone that came from a fallen star. Obviously it was different from the Forlorn Dagger’s metal, which sapped magic. Somehow the differences had a violent reaction when the two struck. The Forlorn Dagger exploded into dust, which explained why nobody could cast a spell in the tomb afterward.
The slab upon which Lok had rested for centuries had a blood spell under it. When he was thrown back in the explosion, puncturing his skull on the edge of the slab, his blood triggered the spell. The dust evidently did not go back far enough in the tomb to dampen the magic there. Either that, or the spell had been cast under the floor where the blood drained. Regardless, the spell caused everything to collapse: tomb, cavern, and tunnel.
Pudge’s treachery seemed particularly dreadful to the dwarves. Pywot looked embarrassed when he joined the conversation.
“He were me gues’ fer weeks,” Pywot said, with a mortified expression on his face. “We was so ’appy t’ ha’ th’ Crown Prince as a gues’ in Osmo. We ha’ nay idee ’e were a traitor!”
Bartimo said, “He would have been another Endrick had he lived. A king controlled by an evil wizard.”
Pywot nodded and said, “Tha’s if Lok let ’im live. Lok woul’ likely wan’ t’ be king hisself.”
A dwarven boy burst through inn’s door yelling about a “wizard ball” out on the street. A moment later, Greystone walked in and smiled at the group. Pywot ran to fetch him a mug.
Greystone said, “Well met! How is our ‘Bearer of the Knife’ doing this afternoon?”
“Stin is still sleeping,” Bellasondra said. “But thanks to you, he’ll make it.”
Greystone chuckled and waved off the gratitude.
He said, “I think it was more Redstone’s doing, actually.”
Dudge entered shortly after, and greeted Greystone warmly. News had already spread across town about the wizard’s arrival.
Greystone said, “Highness, if you need to get some messages back to Ore Stad quickly, I would be happy to make that transport globe for your messengers, now.”
Dudge agreed this was a good idea. He called for parchment, quill and wax. Pywot had all three readily available, including ink, and brought them out for the prince. Dudge asked him to fetch a couple of trusted guards for message duty, and Pywot slipped out the front door to go find some.
Soon, Dudge finished two letters. One was addressed to the Trade Council, and had been written for public consumption since very little reaching that council remained private. The other was more open and detailed. This one was addressed to his father, King Nudge. He knew it would remain out of public sight. Nonetheless, he did not detail everything about Pudge’s treachery, leaving things out for when they could speak face to face.
Pywot fetched two guards ready and willing to perform messenger duty. Dudge gave them each a letter with detailed instructions regarding delivery. Greystone led everybody outside and cast Globe of Transport, telling the guards he would keep it open for an hour. They saluted their prince, then disappeared through the globe. Everybody else retired back inside the Tin Hammer while Pywot served rounds of ale, much to the pirates’ delight.
The hour had not quite lapsed before one of the guards ran inside the common room looking for Dudge.
He said, “Th’ king be comin’!”
This announcement created quite a stir. Pywot made a mad dash to clean things up and straighten chairs. Dudge stood and smoothed out his beard, then his tunic. Without a word he went outside to wait near the globe. The guard raced off to the Hall, spreading word about the king’s imminent arrival all along the way.
Within minutes, six royal guards from Ore Stad stepped through the hazy yellow globe. They looked everywhere, and what surprise they felt about suddenly stepping out to the farthest point in the kingdom was quickly overshadowed by their sense of duty. They surrounded the globe and waited patiently for the monarch’s arrival.
King Nudge stepped through a moment later, blinking in the afternoon sunlight. A large crowd awaited him. All the dwarves who had rushed to the Tin Hammer on word of his arrival gasped in surprise. He stood a head taller than most present, save a couple of his guards who topped him by a finger or two.
His long white beard almost touched the ground. Silken purple ribbons adorned it, holding it up it clumps so it would not drag. His face under the beard looked webbed with wrinkles, but his eyes remained sharp and bright.
He wore a pale yellow robe, fringed with white fur. A thin crown of solid gold, intricately worked in fine detail, topped his gray hair.
This crown would be for daily wear, Dudge knew. It was relatively light and allowed the king freedom of motion without much discomfort. The crown Nudge wore while sitting on his throne was considerably more impressive, and heavy. His father had often complained of headaches and a stiff neck after wearing it for long periods.
Nudge looked back at the lazily spinning globe and patiently extended a hand. A moment later, Queen Frum stepped through, a frightened expression plastered on her face. She quickly moved closer to Nudge and grasped his hand tight.
She too wore a thin crown, this one a mere strand of gold circling her head. Her dress was elegant yellow silk matching the king’s robe, and it highlighted attractive plumpness she retained in old age. She wore a dwarven glamor spell on her face and did not look five and a half centuries old. She only appeared to be about 300 or so, without a hint of gray in her hair.
Both king and queen quickly picked out Dudge standing atop the steps of the Tin Hammer. The prince came down to meet them and the three hugged warmly. Frum immediately burst into tears.
Seeing this, Greystone said to no one in particular, “I suppose I’ll leave the globe spinning for longer than an hour.”
The royal family moved inside the inn for a modicum of privacy from the crowd outside. The new guards from Ore Stad stood at the door to keep everyone out.
By the time Dudge finished filling in all the details on his brother’s demise with his parents, almost the entire population of Port Osmo stood outside the Tin Hammer waiting to catch a glimpse of their king and queen. Tun arrived with local guards, and set up a perimeter around the hazy yellow globe and the entrance to Pywot’s place. He demanded everyone stay back.
Mostly, the crowd listened to Tun and maintained their distance. One young dwarf sneaked between the guards and ran into the globe, disappearing over to Ore Stad. A few minutes later he came running back out, a look of wide-eyed wonder on his face. Tun quickly grabbed him and had the wayward youth shipped off to the dungeon under the Hall for his impetuousness. But as the guards dragged him through the crowd, he was smiling. He would have a story to tell for decades to come. Other youth in the crowd stared at him with envy as he was dragged away.
At last the royal family emerged from the Tin Hammer. Silence swept across the throng as their king, queen, and prince stepped out and stood at the top of the steps. Nudge looked out upon the sea of faces crowding in from all around, held back by the ring of guards. People clogged all the nearby streets. Windows were full of faces and the rooftops held many more. He cast a simple Spell of Amplification without even thinking about it. Then he spoke.
“My dear subjec’s o’ Port Osmo, th’ good fo’k of our mos’ distant outpos’. In so many ways youse be th’ mos’ importan’ city in all Norweg.”
Audible gasps could be heard as surprise from the statement swept through the crowd like a wave. They looked at one another with the same wide-eyed unspoken sentiment: the king was complimenting them.
“Youse be th’ only contac’ wi’ th’ ou’si’e worl’ we have, an’ youse provide many in tha’ worl’ wi’ th
eir only impressions of our people. O’er th’ centuries, youse has always maintained fair trade, an’ youse ha’ performed admira’ly through goo’ times an’ bad. I be very proud o’ youse all.”
He paused and the crowd held their collective breath as he gazed out at them.
Finally, the king spoke again.
“We regre’ th’ loss of our son, Pudge.”
Here, Nudge looked back at Frum, who wiped away tears. But she nodded, despite crying, and he continued.
“A’ th’ same time we are so grateful fer all youse, in yer par’ o’ th’ final defeat o’ th’ evil Wizard Lok. Truly, i’ coul’ nay ha’ been done wi’out th’ good dwarves o’ Port Osmo, an’ fer that youse will all be celebrated forever in Ore Stad an’ throughou’ th’ realm.”
Everyone’s chest puffed out now, as they basked in the praise from their sovereign. The local guards in particular, especially those who had ventured down into Lok’s tomb, appeared very well-pleased.
“Now, alas, me younges’ son be yer new Crown Prince. I mus’ perforce bring ’im back wi’ us t’ Ore Stad where ’e’ll begin new responsibilities fer all th’ people o’ Norweg. A’ this time, youse shoul’ all bid ’im farewell.”
Cries of dismay poured out as communal pride was suddenly replaced with the realization they were losing their beloved prince and portreeve. A loud murmur of discontent rolled through the crowd.
Dudge stepped forward and raised his hand, quelling their voices.
He said, “There be no finer dwarves in th’ realm than those in th’ Farmlan’s and Osmo. Ha’ nay doubt abou’ tha’, frien’s. An’ be assured, I wi’ be returnin’ t’ y’ when I can.”
A roar of love and affection erupted from the crowd. They strained forward against the line of guards, trying to rush the royal family. The guards snapped at them and cursed, valiantly holding them back, popping more than one in the face as they struggled to get past.
Dudge raised his hand again, and order restored itself, although more slowly this time.
When silence reigned once more he said, “I be appointin’ Tun as yer new por’reeve. All authority from Crown an’ Council be residin’ in him from this day forward.”
Tun looked back in surprise from his place in the line of guards. Dudge nodded at him. He made an awkward bow, without fully turning around.
Nudge and Frum walked down the steps, followed by Dudge. The crowd applauded them as they approached the hazy globe. The king and queen turned and waved at their people, then stepped through and disappeared.
Dudge turned and waved, too. Then he smiled at the humans and Pywot up by the door of the Tin Hammer. Everyone waved back and cheered. He winked at them, then followed his parents and walked through the globe.
-+-
Stin leaned back in his chair on the deck of Coastrunner, a large merchant ship that thankfully had room in her spacious cabins to accommodate everybody in Stin’s party. Its next stop, after Port Osmo, was Coral City. Then the captain planned to head straight for Refugio. Since these were places everybody wanted to go, they happily paid his asking fare and set sail for home.
Greystone had left already by the time Stin was ready for travel. After a long discussion with Kirt, the wizard invited the boy to come with him to visit Oldstone in his flying castle. Kirt agreed, and had said goodbye to everyone, leaving the older humans in Port Osmo.
It was something of a tearful departure with Stin and Bellasondra, who knew Kirt the best. But after promising to find them and visit sometime in the future, he hugged them and they wished him well. He and Greystone departed through a globe, which disappeared as soon as they left.
Later that day, Bellasondra arranged passage for the two couples and the pirates on Coastrunner.
The captain’s name was Garreth, a wide man with a wide face and neatly trimmed brown beard. He had a ready smile and a jovial personality. After selling what he could to the dwarves, the captain was happy to earn some extra coin by taking on new passengers.
Once they set sail, in light of his recent brush with death, Stin decided there was no time like the present to get married. He discussed the idea with Bellasondra, who enthusiastically agreed, turning the discussion into a proposal. Next he approached Captain Garreth, who readily agreed to lead them in their vows. The entire crew turned out for the ceremony, with Phanissa serving as the matron of honor.
Bartimo gave his sister away, then performed double duty and stood beside Stin at the mainmast. Garreth spoke a few words then pronounced the couple wed. He allowed his crew one bottle of ale each, to celebrate.
A handful who did not drink willingly gave theirs up, so some of Coastrunner’s sailors had more than one bottle. But, no one became truly drunk and the ship continued sailing without trouble. Even Veeroy and Plinny behaved, despite somehow obtaining half a dozen bottles each.
That night, as he and Bellasondra shared a bed for the first time, Stin threw out the idea of returning to Corsairs Cove.
“What would you have me do there?” Bellasondra said. “Serve as a pirate captain’s wife?”
“No. I’ve been thinking about it. I have enough gold for us to live comfortably for quite a while. It’s true there is a lot of money in piracy, but there’s a lot of risk, too. On any given voyage, one runs a decent chance of violent death.”
“So, what then? Would you become a sea lord and finance the expeditions of others?”
Stin sighed and stared up at the ceiling. He said, “I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable doing that, either. You know, your brother and sister-in-law may well be financing a ship of their own someday. And that ship might be the one our boys struck. That wouldn’t be right.”
She punched him in the arm and said, “It wouldn’t be right whoever the ship belonged to, Captain Stin.”
He smiled in acknowledgement, then said, “That would be Captain Steck. Everybody on Corsairs Cove knows me as Steck.”
“Or Lord Fortune.”
He winced and said, “Don’t call me that.”
“So what’s your big plan if we are not to sail the seas in piracy or finance others to commit acts of piracy for us? You realize Corsairs Cove is filled with pirates, right?”
“Yes. I still retain one of the Gloomis Keys.”
He picked it up off his bare chest, where it dangled on a chain, and shook it gently.
“My plan,” he said, “is to borrow an idea from Phanissa’s family and start a shop there. Maybe help finance some other shops. We can start by helping the men set up a weapons store with all the dwarven blades they captured. That will provide a king’s ransom in and of itself. But they have no way to fund a proper store. They likely have no idea how to set one up and run it. I’ll help them get started for a share of the profits. Then we can look into helping fund other things, maybe start a place of our own. I think I’d feel better buying and selling on Corsairs Cove than running pirate ships.”
“So if we go back, you’ll give up that key?”
He chuckled and said, “Absolutely. I’m no sailor, much less a captain. A man must be aware of his shortcomings, after all.”
She reached over and kissed him, passionately.
The next morning he discussed the purchase of Coastrunner’s shore boat with Captain Garreth. The captain was not inclined to give it up, but eventually Stin came up with a sum of gold that persuaded him it was worth selling after all.
Veeroy and Plinny were ecstatic when they learned of the plans to return to Corsairs Cove. They quickly gathered all their belongings and stowed them on the shore boat. They spent the remainder of the time impatiently pacing the deck while waiting to cast off.
Stin and Bellasondra made their farewells with Bartimo and Phanissa. They all agreed to write often, though getting letters in and out of Corsairs Cove could prove difficult.
At last the newlyweds made their way to the shore boat and loaded what few belongings they carried.
Many in the crew came out to see them off, curious that someone woul
d leave the ship like this in mid-voyage. After a final round of waves and goodbyes, the little boat was lowered into the water from a boom and set adrift.
Veeroy paddled them away several paces, then stood up and unfurled the little craft’s sail.
Stin nodded at Plinny who sat aft holding the till.
He said, “Alright, Plinny. Blow us away from the ship.”
Plinny’s face lit up and he flashed a grin showing his missing front teeth. Then he cast his blowhard spell, took a deep breath, and puffed out a mighty gust of wind into the little sail. The boat hopped over the waves and quickly skimmed away from the larger vessel.
Stin kept an eye on Coastrunner, and when her sails dipped below the horizon he nodded at Plinny to let him know he could stop.
Veeroy said, “Is we close enough, Cap’n?”
Stin said, “Actually, I’m not sure proximity is all that important. But, it probably helps that we won’t need as big an entryway with this little boat.”
He concentrated, feeling the direction to Corsairs Cove through the key. He thought he probably could have made a way home for himself, at least, back in Coral City or Port Osmo. To make a way large enough for an entire ship, he would have to be closer to the Ageless Isles than they were now. But for this little boat, he felt certain they were close enough.
Then, convinced he had it, he made a throwing motion with his hand, conjuring a small ball of light which sailed out over the water. Before it reached the waves, a large transparent globe appeared, floating just above the surface. Through it, they could see a distant dock, a town, and mountains climbing up into the sky.
Stin turned and smiled at the other three people on the boat.
He said, “Plinny, blow us home.”
The big pirate grinned, and filled the sails with wind once more. The tiny craft sailed into the globe and disappeared.
Epilogue
Kirt looked down at the pail of soapy water and the scrub brush, then the dirty floor in the flying castle’s entryway. The ugliest servant he had ever seen had left the cleaning supplies for him before taking her leave. He thought he heard Oldstone call her “Cutie,” and he decided the name must be deliberately ironic.
