“We have to get him back,” said Amelia.
“How do we do that?” asked Sherman. “It will be difficult to track him down.”
“Why don’t you change into a dragon and we can fly after the convoy?” suggested Amelia. “Surely we can catch up to them quickly.”
“The problem is which route did they take to the dwarven mountains?” said Zylor. He was now in his original form, having removed the amulet. “If they go a different way each time to avoid the ogres, we would be flying around aimlessly.”
“Besides, it’s too dark,” added Sherman.
“But that’s the best time to go,” argued Amelia. “We could fly under cover of darkness and look for the lights of the convoys. It would be easier to find a light in the darkness that a dark convoy in the daytime.”
“They don’t use torches,” said Olag. He had removed the invisibility ring since he was in the relative safety of the room away from any prying eyes. “They avoid using torches for travel and don’t even make campfires when they pause to rest in order to avoid detection by the ogres.”
“How do you know this?” asked Amelia.
Olag shrugged. “I found out by listening to a couple of dwarves in a tavern.”
“You were in a tavern?!” asked Amelia. “You were supposed to be searching for Harran!”
“What better place is there to find out information?” retorted Olag.
“What else did you find out?” asked Kazin.
“Apparently there is another dwarven convoy scheduled to depart the town this evening,” said Olag. “The meeting place is at a book store, of all places. It’s located on the north end of town.”
“Did they say if they had a prisoner to transport?” asked Sherman hopefully.
Olag shook his head. “No. This convoy is traveling light. They will merely be transporting gold obtained from the sale of dwarven weapons. But they did say dwarven civilians are welcome to go with them for security reasons. There will be some construction engineers who have recently completed work on the Tower of Sorcery who will be heading home with the convoy.”
“We could follow them,” suggested Sherman.
“I doubt if we could keep up without being noticed,” said Zylor, “if they travel as fast as the dwarf told us.”
“And we can’t exactly join them,” said Sherman.
“Not unless we were all invisible,” admitted Olag.
“What do you think, Kazin?” asked Amelia.
Kazin looked at her. “What does your orb tell us?”
Amelia withdrew her orb and studied it. As she concentrated, the orb’s colour varied its reddish hue. At one point it turned dark red and she looked up at the companions. Her face was strained. “I’m sorry, but if we go after Harran, we will lose track of our quarry and he will change history. Our only chance to stop him is contingent on us following his trail. If we go after Harran, we will lose that trail and our quarry will be unstoppable.”
Zylor pounded his fist on the table beside him. “We will not abandon Harran!”
“And what does the orb tell you about Harran? Will he escape his captors? Will he find a way to rejoin us?” asked Kazin.
Amelia studied her orb. It turned dark red again. She looked up and her face was haggard. “No, he will not escape on his own. If we don’t free him, he will change history as well. The orb shows that we still have a chance to free him if we respond quickly.”
“Then that is what we will do!” stated Zylor fervently. He gave Kazin a defiant look. “If history is altered by the one we seek, we can still go back to our own time and live our lives as we ordinarily would have before this quest began.”
Kazin shook his head. “I wish it were that simple, Zylor, but if history is changed now, everything after this can be affected. I can’t guarantee your own time will not also become affected somehow. Even small changes can have considerable repercussions.”
“Then we must have caused some of these changes ourselves by now,” said Sherman.
“If that were so,” said Kazin, “Amelia’s orb would indicate that.”
Everyone turned to the red-haired mage.
“Well, both of you are right,” said Amelia. “We should have made some sort of impact on history by now, however small, but we haven’t. I don’t understand why this is, but it’s true.”
“But either way, stopping the one we seek will be pointless if we don’t rescue Harran,” objected Olag. “Amelia just said so earlier.”
“What if we pursue both objectives?” asked Kazin. He nodded at Amelia. “Will your orb show if that’s possible?”
Amelia sighed. “That’s going to be difficult, but I’ll try.” She consulted her orb again and long moments passed. The orb colour wavered with varying shades of red but did not go to a dark red. At last, the mage paused and looked up. “According to the orb, it’s possible to succeed at both objectives. Barely. The odds are against us.”
“How do we do it?” asked Sherman.
Amelia shook her head. “It’s not that specific. It only shows me that it can be done.”
“I don’t like it,” muttered Sherman. “United we stand, divided we fall.”
“True,” said Kazin, “but if we don’t separate, this whole expedition is a failure.”
“If the orb is to be believed,” added Olag.
Amelia shot him an angry glance.
“I believe the orb,” said Kazin. He looked at Amelia once more. “If we succeed, will our whole group be able to reunite? I wouldn’t want half of us lost in time.”
Amelia sighed and consulted the orb again. A few minutes later she looked up again. “There’s a good possibility we will reunite. Ultimately that depends on how we fare with our goals.”
This time it was Kazin’s turn to sigh. Then his face lit up. “Of course!” He withdrew his miniature pouch and used enlarging magic to increase its size. Then he searched through it and pulled out several rings which he placed on the table. “These rings,” he explained, “I brought along for just such an occasion. I anticipated that some of us would get separated. In hindsight, I should have handed them out earlier. Then we wouldn’t have been in such a predicament in the first place. These rings allow the wearer to magically transport themselves to the one wearing the master ring, in this case the one I’m putting on right now.” He slid a ring onto his finger. Then he handed one out to each of the others, except Amelia. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I wasn’t expecting any additional companions on this journey.”
“But you have one left,” said Amelia, pointing to a left over ring on the table.
“That one is for Harran,” said Kazin. “Whoever finds him has to give him this ring and it will allow him to be magically whisked back to me with the others.”
“How do they work?” asked Olag.
“When you’re ready to come back to wherever I am,” instructed Kazin, “you rub them continuously with your finger for five seconds.”
“Why so long?” asked Sherman.
“Because that eliminates activating the ring by accident,” said the mage.
“There’s one problem,” objected Zylor, holding up his ring in his giant hand. “It’s too small for my fingers.”
“No it’s not,” said Kazin. “It’s magical. It will fit any finger you choose to put it on.”
The minotaur looked doubtful as he tried to slide the ring onto his finger. But as Kazin had promised, it slid onto his finger perfectly. “Remarkable!” exclaimed Zylor in fascination.
“But now the real question that’s on everyone’s minds,” said Sherman. “Who’s going on which quest?”
Everyone looked expectantly at Kazin as he considered. “Well,” he said at last, “the only way to track our original quarry is using Amelia’s orb, so Amelia has to go on that quest, and since we are in human territory, the best one t
o send to protect her is Sherman. As far as the quest to find Harran, if the trail leads to the mountains, Zylor is best equipped to find his way through the dwarven tunnels. The training you received from Harran previously is an asset that cannot be overlooked.”
“Good,” said Zylor. “I would have gone after the dwarf anyway.”
“That’s what I figured,” said Kazin. He turned to Olag. “The ring of invisibility makes you an asset either way, Olag, but I think you should go with Zylor.”
Olag looked at the minotaur without enthusiasm but Zylor merely grinned back.
“The ability of stealth is paramount if you are going to free Harran,” continued the mage. “And if I change Zylor - wait a minute! I have a better idea! Zylor has a tendency to draw his weapon too readily, so if I transform him, he will be prone to returning to his original form at an inopportune time. But if I transform you, Olag, into a dwarf, you can blend in with the dwarves who are heading home with the caravan. As long as you refrain from drawing your weapon, you’ll remain a dwarf indefinitely. Zylor can protect you, and stay nearby while wearing the invisibility ring!”
“You mean - you mean I could have had a turn at wearing the ring of invisibility all along?” exclaimed Zylor. “I always thought it was because my fingers were too big!”
“Um, I suppose you could have had a turn,” stammered Kazin, “but I just thought that you didn’t want to wear it because it wasn’t particularly honourable to do so.”
“Being invisible is cowardly,” agreed Zylor, “but this time I’m doing it for Harran. His life is at stake. In my current form I would never be able to get close. With the ring there is a chance.”
Olag reluctantly passed the ring to Zylor. Just to be sure, the minotaur tried the ring on - and disappeared. Then he reappeared as he removed the ring again.
“That’s a lethal combination,” remarked Sherman.
“What about you, Kazin?” asked Amelia suddenly.
“I will have to proceed with the original quest,” said Kazin. “I fear our adversary is particularly dangerous, and I will need all of my magical power to stop him.”
“Good,” said Sherman.
When everyone looked at him, he added, “Um, I mean it’s good that he’s coming with me. It’s easier to keep an eye on him that way.”
“Ditto,” said Amelia with a twinkle in her eye.
Kazin addressed Zylor and Olag. “Take what supplies you need. We can purchase more in the morning.” He passed Harran’s ring to Zylor. “See that Harran gets this.” Then he gave Zylor’s amulet to Olag and cast a spell on him, making him look like an ordinary dwarf. His quiver of arrows was altered to look like a pack with tools for making concrete.
“Remember,” admonished Kazin, “don’t draw your weapon, and you will continue to look like a dwarf. That will ensure you will get passage into the dwarven mountains if that’s where Harran was taken, which is very likely. Good luck to both of you.”
The minotaur and skink warrior/dwarf shook hands with everyone and Zylor put on the invisibility ring. Then they departed.
Kazin looked at the remaining companions. “Well, I think we should take advantage of the rooms and get some sleep. We’ll need our wits about us tomorrow. I hope that Zylor and Olag find a way to get some rest riding with the caravan.”
“I still don’t like our odds now that we’re split up,” said Sherman.
“We might make better time as a result,” said Amelia. “Smaller groups tend to travel faster.”
“Let’s hope that’s true,” said Kazin. “We’ve already lost some valuable time.”
Chapter 18
Harran awoke with a start as his body jostled violently and the sound of creaking and hooves filled his ears. He raised his head briefly, but the world spun and his head throbbed in tune to the horses’ hooves. It felt like he had awoken from a night of heavy drinking. Fervently he hoped this was a bad dream, but it didn’t stop. Another bounce caused him to land on his elbow and a sharp pain engulfed his senses. This was no dream. In agony, he tried to sit up and take note of his surroundings. It was daylight, perhaps mid-morning, and he was riding on a wagon as it sped down a rocky road. He squinted between the bars of a cage to catch sight of a considerable number of horses ridden by dwarves. Most of the dwarves were armed, consisting mostly of males, with a smattering of females, who were undoubtedly children of the fighting classes of dwarves. They were brought up in military fashion, and were trained just as well as the males. Interspersed with the fighters were a number of civilian dwarves, who rode with their heads held just as high. They were experts in their trades, and had no shame in being non-fighters. Some of the more ambitious ones carried weapons, and, even though their combat skills were not at the same level as the trained fighters, they would surely put up a fight regardless.
One of the military types nudged a civilian and muttered something. The dwarf in question looked over at the wagon that Harran rode in. Seeing Harran awake, his eyes lit up and he moved his horse so it ran beside the wagon. The dwarf had a bushy black beard and wore a long grey coat. He appeared to be a business dwarf of some sort, possibly a merchant.
The wagon lurched again and Harran had to hold onto the cage to steady himself.
“So!” drawled the dwarf with a slightly high-pitched voice. Just looking at him one would not have expected that kind of voice. “I see you have awakened.”
“Yes,” said Harran slowly. “What are you doing to me? Why am I caged?”
The business dwarf chuckled. “Don’t be coy with me. You are either a coward or a thief. Either one is punishable by law.” His face darkened. “Either one is also dishonourable.”
“You’re mistake,” said Harran angrily. “I’m neither. What gave you the idea I was a coward or a thief?”
The business dwarf laughed. “Surely you jest?”
“I see no humour in this!” snapped Harran, slapping his cage.
The business dwarf chuckled. “We’ll just let the authorities decide your fate. Once they see your chain mail, they’ll confirm your identity. If you are the owner, you’ll be punished for abandoning your post. If you’re not the owner, you’re a thief, and will be dealt with accordingly. There is no way out for you. But for me there is only the reward of bringing you in. Personally, I hope you are this General Ironfaust, as the armor indicates. It will fetch me a tidy sum indeed! But if you aren’t,” the business dwarf shrugged, “I will still receive a reward. I can’t lose! Maybe the real General Ironfaust will reward me for returning his armour!” He chuckled again and shook his head.
Harran took a few moments to digest what he had just heard. Then it dawned on him. The chain mail he had brought back in time with him originally belonged to a dwarf who lived in this era and was part of the king’s personal guard. Once endowed with the task of the king’s personal guard, a dwarf had to stay near the king, and could only leave the realm if the king did. Later in time, this dwarf - Ironfaust - had no more need of his chain mail, so he passed it onto someone, who in turn gave it to Harran the last time he had gone back in time. Not sure whether that item had a bearing on the alterations to history, Kazin had asked Harran to bring it along on this quest. Unfortunately, someone had noticed the chain mail and recognized it for what it was. They had suspected it was out of place, and laid a trap for the unwary dwarf. And now here he sat, riding in a cage to be turned over to the authorities in the dwarven realm.
Harran cursed and sat back in despair.
The business dwarf chuckled gleefully upon seeing Harran’s reaction.
Harran contemplated his situation. His armour had landed him in trouble, and if he was turned over to the authorities, they would surely involve Ironfaust. What would Ironfaust do when he saw his chainmail? What if he wore his chainmail when he confronted Harran with identical chain mail to his own? What would happen when an object made contact with itself from the futur
e? Could it occupy the same space in the same time? Kazin had warned of potentially dire consequences if this happened. Now, due to his lack of caution, Harran was in a position to cause such an event! Furthermore, his ice axe had been taken. He had to find it or it might fall into the wrong hands. It had the potential to change history as well. He put his head in his hands in despair.
Another heavy jolt from the wagon brought him back to the present as his wagon struck another boulder. A loud crack was followed by a snap and the entire wagon tilted to one rear corner, threatening to topple Harran’s cage to the ground. A grinding noise confirmed that one wheel had broken and the dwarf driving the wagon cursed and yanked sharply on the reins to halt the horses.
The wagon lurched to a precarious stop amid a choking cloud of dust. The driver climbed off the wagon while the surrounding dwarves rode up in concern. Several dismounted and ran to inspect the damage.
Harran’s cage had been mounted to the floor, but several of the lighter crates had bounced across the wagon onto the ground. Two had split open and the contents were strewn about on the ground. Things became a flurry of activity as the dwarves hurried to deal with the damaged wagon. This delay, with potential roving bands of ogres in the vicinity, was not a welcome situation. They had to work fast.
Harran was impressed with the dwarves’ efficiency. It was as though they had trained to deal with this. Ignoring Harran and his cage despite his offers to help, they moved the heavy crates of gold to the front right corner of the wagon. This caused the weight on the wagon to shift to that corner, thereby lifting the damaged rear left of the wagon off the ground. By combining the tools on the wagon and those of the civilians, the dwarves worked together to remove the remnants of the broken wheel from the axle. A spare spiked wheel, previously fastened to the wagon’s side, was installed on the axle in place of the damaged one. In the meantime, some civilians re-packed the damaged boxes and a carpenter nailed them shut. When the wheel was changed, the boxes were loaded and the weight was once again centered properly on the wagon. Within half an hour they were ready to depart, when one of the civilians called out and pointed to the other rear wheel of the wagon. One of the spokes appeared to be broken, and upon closer inspection, it was discovered that two spokes were damaged and were very close to snapping off. A brief discussion ensued and most of the dwarves with construction background agreed it would be better to repair the damage now rather than risking another wheel breaking off, since they had no spare one left to replace it with. The military dwarves didn’t like this, but deferred the decision to the experienced dwarves. While the repairs ensued, the military sent out scouts in every direction to watch for ogres.
Spirit Blade: Book III of the Dragon Mage Trilogy Page 22
