by M. L. Forman
“I do not think we will run into any trouble between here and Oslansk, but we should arm ourselves and be prepared. Better to be cautious then to be dead,” Bregnest concluded.
Once he had finished speaking, they all began taking their weapons out of their magic bags. Alex retrieved both his magic sword, Moon Slayer, from his bag and the true silver dagger that had been given to him on his first adventure. Fastening Moon Slayer to his left side and his dagger to his right, he looked around at the rest of the company.
Bregnest carried the same weapons as before: a sword at his side, a two-handed sword across his back, and a round shield with a red dragon’s head painted on it. Andy carried a round shield along with his other gear, and Halfdan’s ax had some fancy gold inlay added to the handle, but other than that, their weapons were the same as last time. Val carried a broadsword and a dagger, much like Alex’s own. Sindar, however, had a long knife hanging from his belt, and across his back were a pair of scimitars that looked extremely deadly. Sindar also had a helmet of black steel, which Alex saw him return to his magic bag.
“Ah,” said Sindar, glancing at Alex’s weapons. “I see you wear the ancient sword Moon Slayer. My people have said much about your sword. I hope that, if time allows, you will show it to me.”
“Gladly,” Alex replied. “But I hope you will not need to see it in battle.”
“A wise hope,” answered Sindar. “Though I must confess, I have wondered if the stories I have heard are true.”
“I can tell you that they are,” Alex replied in a low tone, so only Sindar would hear him. “And though there is something of joy when I use the sword, I would prefer to keep it sheathed.”
“I understand,” said Sindar with a nod.
Alex was impressed. There was something about Sindar that reminded him of Arconn, but he seemed much older than any other elf Alex had ever met.
After storing their water bottles in their magic bags, they mounted their horses once more and rode toward the great arch. Alex remembered being disappointed the first time he had seen the great arch. He had expected a beautiful stone arch, but it was only two large hills topped with white towers. Andy had explained that the hills were the sides of the arch and the sky was the top, which had only made Alex wonder why it was called an arch at all.
As soon as they passed through the arch, the landscape around them changed completely. Now they were riding along a road that cut through a green meadow lined with tall pine trees. There was still a fair amount of snow and ice in the shadows of the trees, but the air was pleasantly warm.
“A large company has passed this way in the last day or two,” Sindar commented as they rode forward.
“How many, do you think?” Bregnest questioned.
“Thirty or forty riders. Perhaps five or six pack animals,” said Sindar. “No wagons, and nobody was walking with them.”
“Do you think it might mean trouble?” Halfdan asked, his eyes moving to the trees around them.
“They might be traders,” said Andy. “A lot of people come to trade for wool in the spring.”
“Perhaps,” said Bregnest. “As they are ahead of us and not following us, I don’t think there is anything to worry about.”
They moved on without saying anything more. The sun was warm and bright above them, but the occasional gusts of wind were much colder than expected, and Alex wished he had worn heavier clothes. He could tell from the chill in the air that spring had only just arrived and that winter wasn’t completely gone. They followed the road south for about an hour before coming to a crossroad. Bregnest halted the company and looked at the three pathways before them.
“Well, Andy,” said Bregnest, “which of these will lead us to Oslansk the quickest?”
“The eastern road.” Andy pointed. “If we follow it, we will turn northeast and reach Oslansk in six days or less, barring any bad weather.”
“Then east we go,” said Bregnest with a nod.
It was obvious that Bregnest had known which way to go and had asked Andy out of courtesy. Alex tried to remember what Whalen had told him in his letters about courtesy and honor due to people during adventures in their homelands. It had all been interesting at the time, but Alex was finding it difficult now to recall all of the rules for Norsland. He promised himself that he would reread Whalen’s letters as soon as he could.
They continued to ride until the sun began sinking behind the tall pines. A steady cold breeze was blowing now, chilling them as they set up their camp. Once everything was in order and Halfdan was busy cooking, Alex took the opportunity to show his magic sword to Sindar.
“An ancient weapon,” Sindar commented, looking closely at the sword but not touching it. “I have long studied these weapons and their making. I can tell you that Moon Slayer was one of the greatest swords ever made by the dark elves.”
“Do you know a great deal about the dark elves?” Alex asked.
“I do,” Sindar answered. “Their ways of magic have always been of great interest to me. My own swords are also of their making, though not as old nor as powerful as yours.”
“Can you tell me about Moon Slayer and how it was made? I mean, about its power? And how it chooses its master?”
“I can tell you some things, but not all. There are none now alive who know everything about the great swords and how they were made.”
“The knowledge was lost with the dark elves then,” said Alex sadly.
“I believe that most of the information was lost, though there are some who say it is not lost, but only forgotten.”
“Do you know how the great swords choose their masters?” Alex pressed.
“I do not,” said Sindar in a thoughtful tone. “I do not think even the makers of the swords knew how the masters would be chosen.”
“They were foolish to make such swords then,” Val commented, looking over Sindar’s shoulder at Alex’s sword. “To make a sword that you cannot use—that is foolish.”
“Perhaps,” Sindar agreed. “But when the dark elves made these weapons, they were made for a specific person or a specific reason. The first masters were known, so making the swords was not foolish. It was when these first masters died or passed on their weapons that the swords began choosing their own masters.”
“And what would happen if someone the sword had not chosen tried to use it?” Val questioned.
“If the master were still alive, I believe it would be dangerous for anyone else to use the sword. I think the magic of the sword would turn it against anyone who tried to use it,” Sindar answered. “If the sword had no master, it might work as a normal sword, without giving its magical powers to the user. I’m not sure.”
“Did the dark elves make other weapons as well?” asked Alex.
“Yes, they made all kinds,” Sindar answered. “Many have been lost or destroyed. I believe that most of the weapons that remain are swords.”
Halfdan called out that their meal was ready, so Alex put Moon Slayer back into its scabbard and accepted a plate of food. He wanted to learn more about his magic sword, and the other magical weapons the dark elves had made, but he pushed his thoughts aside, thinking that he would have time to ask his questions as they traveled.
“Will your family be in Oslansk for the weddings?” Alex asked Andy as they ate.
“Yes. And they are excited to meet you all. My little brother, Michael, seems almost ready to burst with excitement.”
“How old is he?” Alex asked.
“He’ll turn thirteen the day after the weddings,” Andy answered. “He keeps hoping I’ll buy him his own horse for his birthday.”
“And will you?” Halfdan questioned.
“I’d like to, but Father isn’t happy with the idea,” Andy said.
“And why would your father be unhappy with such a gift?” questioned Sindar.
“Oh, well,” Andy began slowly, as if considering his answer. “The horse Michael wants is not as tame as the horses we already have. Father thinks it migh
t be too much for Michael to handle.”
“And what do you think?” Alex asked.
“I think Michael will get his wish,” said Andy with a sly grin.
“Perhaps we should consider getting him a saddle to go with his horse,” said Halfdan.
“Oh, no,” said Andy, suddenly looking nervous. “You don’t need to get him a present, that would be too much.”
Halfdan winked at Alex, and Alex understood that he and Halfdan would be buying a saddle when the company reached Oslansk.
They finished their meal with a great deal of talk, and they stayed sitting around the fire for a long time. The night was growing colder, but the fire was warm and comfortable. Alex wondered if they should set a watch, but Bregnest said nothing about it.
“So tell us about Norsland weddings,” said Halfdan as the fire burned down. “What customs should we know about? What kind of gifts should we give?”
Andy paused to think. “I suppose the most important thing for you to know is that friends of the groom give gifts to the bride, while friends of the bride give gifts to the groom.”
“Nobody gives gifts to them both?” Alex asked.
Andy shook his head. “It’s an old custom all over Norsland. Though to be honest, I’ve never asked why nobody gives gifts to both the bride and the groom.”
“So now we have to find presents for brides we’ve never met,” Halfdan grumbled.
“You don’t have to give anything expensive or extravagant,” said Andy defensively. “It’s more of a thank-you for the invitation to the wedding sort of gift.”
“What type of gifts do strangers give?” Sindar questioned.
“Oh, well, I don’t know. I mean, I don’t think there is any need for you to give anything,” Andy stuttered.
“It is a poor wedding guest who gives nothing,” said Sindar. “Perhaps, when we reach Oslansk, I can learn more about your customs and discover what sort of gift to give.”
Alex knew that, while Sindar and Val had not been formally invited to the weddings, they would both be included as part of the company in all the feasts and parties that went along with the celebrations.
“We had best put blankets on the horses,” said Bregnest as the fire turned to glowing embers. “It may be spring in Norsland, but the nights are still cold.”
They all tended to their horses and then went to their tents for the night. Alex was still a little concerned about not setting a watch, but he decided that Bregnest knew what he was doing. Letting his worries drift away in the darkness, he soon fell into a restful sleep.
* * *
The next morning Alex was grateful that Halfdan had brought along his dwarf remedy for soreness. All his muscles and bones ached when he woke up. Halfdan’s remedy quickly cured his pains, though it didn’t work quite as fast as it had the last time he had used it.
Turning, Alex saw Andy tumble over with a surprised yell. Andy had taken the remedy just before Alex, but it appeared that the potion had not worked for him.
“I can’t feel my left leg,” Andy shouted.
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Halfdan exclaimed as he rushed to Andy’s side. “No feeling at all?”
“What do you mean?” Andy yelled. “My leg won’t move at all.”
“It’ll wear off in a few minutes,” Halfdan answered with an unconcerned wave of his hand. “Try wiggling your toes, and pay attention to which toe you feel moving first.”
“What?”
“This is important, Andy,” Halfdan said in excitement. “After drinking from a new batch of potion, if a person loses feeling in part of their body, their fortune can be told by which parts start feeling things first.”
“You didn’t mention anything about losing the use of our body parts before giving us the potion,” Val commented with a sour look.
“It doesn’t happen that often,” Halfdan replied, blushing slightly. “To be honest, I didn’t think it would happen, but now that it has . . . Andy, are you wiggling your toes like I said?”
“How should I know?” Andy snapped. “I can’t feel anything.”
“Well, keep trying. It should only take a minute or two.”
Halfdan’s prediction was correct. After a few minutes Andy’s leg started to move, and before long, he was back on his feet. Halfdan continued to ask questions about which toe Andy could wiggle first, but Andy was in no mood to answer.
“I’m trying to be helpful,” Halfdan finally said. “If you’ll tell me which of your toes moved first, I could tell you a lot about your future.”
“The little one,” Andy replied as his anger cooled. “My little toe was the first one I felt. So what can you tell me about my future?”
“Oh, that’s good, that’s very good,” said Halfdan. “If the little toe moves first, you’ll have a long and happy life, filled with good fortune.”
“What if his big toe had moved first?” Bregnest questioned.
“Ah, well, if the big toe moves first, you’ll live to a ripe old age and have a happy marriage,” Halfdan answered.
“Do all the toes have something to do with long life and happiness?” Sindar questioned.
“Hmmm, now that I think about it, they do,” said Halfdan in a serious tone. “Still, it’s considered very lucky to have this happen with a new batch of potion.”
“Lucky that the loss of feeling doesn’t last for long,” Val commented quietly.
“Come,” Bregnest said before Halfdan could reply to Val. “We’ve got places to be and things to do. We can talk about dwarf fortune-telling another time.”
The short journey from the great arch to Oslansk was a pleasant one. The weather remained fair as they traveled, though the nights continued to be cold. Most mornings there was frost on the ground when they woke up, and Alex knew that Shahree was grateful for the heavy blanket he put on her at night. More than once he thought about conjuring a magical fire to keep everyone warm at night, but he always remembered Whalen’s warning about using his powers.
Each night after their evening meal, the company would sit around the fire, talking and telling stories of past adventures. Alex was beginning to feel as if he had never gone home at all, but had simply continued his last adventure.
On their sixth day away from Telous, Alex and his companions reached the city of Oslansk. Alex was impressed with the city’s appearance, even from a distance. Oslansk looked like it had been carved completely from white marble. The large city sat on a hillside and was surrounded by high walls. The white buildings of Oslansk shimmered in the afternoon sunlight, looking both inviting and friendly to travelers.
“My father has invited us all to stay with him and the rest of my family,” Andy said as they rode toward the city.
“Will there be enough room for all of us?” Bregnest asked in a slightly worried tone.
“Yes,” Andy answered. “In fact, he rented a large house where we will be able to stay.”
“Then we will accept your father’s kindness and give him our thanks,” said Bregnest.
“I should have told Bregnest that my father is rich,” said Andy in a lowered voice to Alex. “After all, he went on many adventures before settling down in Norsland.”
“Going on many adventures does not always mean great wealth,” Val commented with a sly grin.
“Perhaps not,” replied Andy. “But he has done very well since he retired from his adventures, and I know he can afford whatever we may require.”
Alex didn’t say anything in reply to Andy’s words. He knew that Andy could easily pay for anything they or his family might need. After all, Andy had a huge amount of treasure from their last adventure together, and Alex was sure he hadn’t spent very much of it yet.
The gates to Oslansk stood open as Alex and his companions rode up to them. The guards at the gates nodded and waved them through without questions. They were apparently expecting many guests to arrive for the upcoming weddings, and they didn’t seem to think there was any danger to worry about.
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nbsp; As they rode through the narrow and busy streets of Oslansk, Andy joined Bregnest at the front of the company. When they reached the gates of the house Andy’s father had rented, Alex saw that it was more of a mansion than a house, with its own stable and gardens inside a high wall.
“Welcome to Oslansk,” said Andy, as they entered the courtyard and climbed off their horses.
Chapter Four
Oslansk
Alex and his companions looked up at the impressive house that had obviously been built with great care and attention to detail. They were just turning away to lead their horses to the stables when an excited voice shouted behind them.
