Adventurers Wanted 2) The Horn of Moran (17 page)

Alex felt something powerful and as cold as ice hit him from behind. Pain filled his mind and drove him to his knees. He lifted his head and saw his sword on the ground a few yards in front of him, but he couldn’t remember dropping it. A great weight seemed to be resting on his back.

“Your sword is no match for my magic, boy,” a rough, jeering voice said from Alex’s left. “Take him. Put him with the others. We’ll have some good sport with this lot once we get home.”

Take him.

Those two words burned into Alex’s mind, igniting his anger once more.
Take him
—as if he were no threat, as if he were a piece of baggage to be carried away. He would not be taken, not by these foul creatures, and he would not submit to the magic that held him down. His friends might already be lost, but he would make the goblins pay for that loss.

As his anger rose up inside of him, the weight on his back grew lighter. Alex pushed himself to his feet, turning to look at the goblin who had spoken. Even in the shadow-filled meadow Alex could see the shaman clearly. A strange black mist filled with purple and blue streaks seemed to float around his enemy like a lightning storm at night. In his right hand the shaman held a staff with what looked like a human skull attached to the top of it. Seeing the skull sent Alex into an even greater rage, but instead of letting the anger take control, he used it to focus his thoughts and his magic.

The goblin’s eyes grew wide as Alex stood up. The purple and blue flashes around the shaman grew brighter and spun around him with dizzying speed. He was terrible to look at, but his voice was full of fear when he started to yell.

“Kill him! Kill him now!”

Alex reached out for his sword and it flew through the air to his hand. Even as his fist closed around the hilt of the sword, the dark blade was moving, becoming a blue-white flame. Three warriors stood between Alex and the shaman, but the flaming sword passed through them without slowing, instantly turning them to ash.

The shaman raised his left hand to cast a spell, but he wasn’t fast enough. The world seemed to slow down around Alex, and for a moment he could hear no sound at all. He didn’t move forward to kill the shaman with his sword, he only moved his own left hand in a small circle.

Flames exploded from the shaman’s chest, rising fast and hot and spinning wildly around the rest of his body. The shaman screamed in agony as a whirlwind of flame consumed him. Alex poured all of his anger into the fire, letting it grow larger and hotter with each passing second. The tornado of blue-white flame was more than thirty feet tall when it started to move with deadly speed and accuracy.

Goblins ran in every direction, yelling and screaming words that Alex didn’t hear. Wherever the goblins went, the flames followed, burning them like dry grass on a windy day. Rocks and trees exploded when the heat of the flames touched them, the debris tearing apart any goblins that were nearby. Soon it looked as if the entire forest was on fire, and Alex did nothing to slow the flames.

Once more he let his magic flow outward, searching for the cursed creatures he wanted so much to destroy. There were a few goblins left in the forest around him, but most were running away in panic. He could feel more goblins in the distance, but they were too far away for the flames of his anger to reach them. They would live for now, but sooner or later he would find them and destroy them, just as he had destroyed their shaman.

Slowly Alex’s anger faded. With his rage spent, the tornado of flame flickered and died out, leaving only the burning trees to light the meadow around him. He was tired, worn out, and terribly sad. His friends were lost, he was alone, and all he wanted to do was sleep.

Dropping to the ground, Alex tried to think. The shaman had said something about the others, but in his anger he hadn’t been listening. It was something important, something he needed to remember, but it wouldn’t come to him. Before he could force the answer out of his tired brain, Alex collapsed into unconsciousness.

Chapter Eight

Hostages

I
t was a few seconds before Alex realized he was awake and that the feeling of something approaching was more than just another bad dream. He didn’t move a muscle as he waited, letting his magic tell him what he needed to know. He tightened his grip on Moon Slayer, ready for whoever or whatever was creeping up on him.

In a flash of speed Alex was on his feet, his sword raised and ready to strike. Sindar jumped back in surprise, his own swords coming up in defense. For a second the two of them looked at each other, unable to believe what they were seeing.

“Alex! You survived,” Sindar almost shouted.

“Sindar, you’re alive,” Alex said at the same time.

They threw their arms around each other like long lost brothers, and for a minute nothing else in the world mattered.

“The others?” asked Alex, as they broke apart. “Have you seen any sign of them?”

Sindar shook his head “I thought . . . I thought you were all dead because of my foolishness.”

“Foolishness? What are you talking about?”

“I should have known this was a trap,” Sindar answered slowly. “I have fought goblins many times before. I know how cunning they can be. I should have known that an open path would lead to a trap. Forgive me, Alex. I’ve failed.”

“It’s not your fault,” Alex said softly. “If anyone is to blame, it’s me. I should have noticed the shaman’s magic sooner. I shouldn’t have been so confident in my own abilities. If I hadn’t believed everything my magic told me, this never would have happened.”

“You are not to blame,” Sindar replied. “And perhaps neither am I. Enough of doubts and blame—there will be time for that another day. What about the others? I’ve seen no sign of them, and I’ve searched the dead between here and the rocks we took cover behind last night.”

“I haven’t seen anyone,” said Alex. “What happened to you during the battle?”

“Halfdan and I were in the lead,” Sindar said. “Fifteen or twenty goblins attacked us, and we were separated in the fight. I tried to get back to the rest of the group, but more goblins appeared. I thought it best to lead as many of them away from the company as I could, so I killed a few to make sure they would follow me and I led them west.”

“He said to put me with the others,” Alex said suddenly. “‘Put him with the others. We’ll have some good sport when we get home,’ that’s what he said.”

“Who said that?” Sindar asked in alarm.

“The goblin shaman. He was here when I entered the meadow. He hit me with some kind of magic that pinned me to the ground. I don’t remember everything that happened, but I know he said to put me with the others.”

“The shaman? Did he escape with the other goblins?” Sindar questioned in a worried tone.

“No, I destroyed him,” Alex answered, sitting down on a large rock.

“It would have been better if our friends had died with him,” Sindar said slowly. “Death is better than being hostage to a goblin.”

“Hostage?” Alex questioned in alarm.

“You are sure the shaman said to put you with the others?” Sindar asked, ignoring Alex’s question.

“Yes, I’m sure that’s what he said.”

“Then the others have been captured, probably with the help of the shaman’s magic. The goblins will take them back to their caves, and then . . .”

“If our friends are alive we have to go after them,” Alex said. “If there is any chance at all of saving them we must try.”

“Yes. It will be difficult, but we must try.”

“Let’s get started,” said Alex, standing up once more. “The goblins have been running for hours, we need to hurry if we are going to catch them.”

“Rest a little longer, Alex,” Sindar answered. “You’ve had a long night and used a great deal of magic. You will need all the rest you can get if we are to chase the goblins on foot.”

“We won’t be on foot for long,” said Alex. “The horses may have run, but I can call Shahree back to me. She’ll bring the other horses with her, and then we can go.”

“Then call to your friend, and rest while she comes to you,” Sindar said, his voice little more than a whisper. “I will search for any signs of a trail, and try to find our friends’ weapons while you gather your strength.”

Sindar hurried off as soon as he had spoken, leaving Alex alone.

Alex stood for several minutes, trying to relax and letting his feelings melt away. His mind became clear, and he focused his thoughts on Shahree, trying to picture her as clearly in his mind as he could. He knew that Shahree would not go far and that she had only run becuse he had told her to. For a long moment he held his breath, concentrating on his horse.

“Shahree,” Alex called softly. “Shahree, come to me.”

For a moment he stood listening, hoping that his magic had worked. There was no reply to his words, though he had not expected one. And then his magic told him that Shahree had heard him and that she was already gathering the other horses and galloping back to him.

“I have found our friends’ weapons,” said Sindar when he returned to Alex a short time later. “And I have found the trail of the goblins who have our friends. Now we must consider how best to pursue our enemy.”

“What do you mean?” Alex questioned, thinking that they would simply ride out as soon as the horses returned.

“Goblins will not travel in sunlight unless they absolutely must,” said Sindar. “They are unsteady on their feet while the sun is up.”

“So if we catch them in sunlight, we will have a great advantage.”

“I doubt that we will catch them during the day,” said Sindar, rubbing his face in thought. “These goblins will move at night. They will find a hiding place when the sun starts to rise and not move again until it begins to set. Our advantage is that days are long in Norsland during the summertime, so we will have more time to pursue them and they will have less time to flee.”

“And when we overtake them?”

“Then we will rescue our friends, or at the least avenge their deaths. Rescue will be difficult, as goblins would sooner kill their captives than let them go.”

“Then we have a great disadvantage in trying to save them.”

“We may find a way,” said Sindar. “Much will depend on where and when we find them.”

“How many goblins do you think there are? I mean, how many are we going to have to kill to free our friends?” Alex questioned.

“Fifty—maybe sixty of them,” Sindar answered. “From the trails I could find, it appears that they have broken into smaller groups and are all running for their holes. I would guess the loss of their shaman has them scared. Whatever trouble they were on their way to make, it will not happen now.”

“At least we have done some good,” said Alex. “The horses will be here soon, and then we can start after the goblins.”

“They will know you for a wizard and a warrior, and they will fear you,” Sindar commented. “You have used a lot of magic; perhaps you should rest a little longer before we start.”

“Their fear may drive them to kill our friends,” said Alex in a worried tone. “I can rest once we have rescued the others.”

“Their fear will drive them to run, but not to kill the others. They will keep them alive as hostages, and use them to drive you away, if they can.”

“How could they use my friends to drive me away?” Alex asked.

“They will make threats and promises. They will promise to let them go if you will promise not to attack. Their promises will be lies, of course, but as a wizard, you would be bound by your promise.”

“I would not feel bound by anything I promised to goblins,” said Alex defiantly.

“They are clever and wicked. They will make you promise by something that matters to you greatly. I have seen others caught in such traps before.”

“I do not know what promise goblins would ask that I would feel bound to keep, but I do not wish to find out. Perhaps we should start walking now, the horses can catch up.”

“Your magic needs time to recover,” Sindar said slowly. “And we may need all the magic you can summon to save our friends.”

“My magic is fine,” Alex answered. “I will be able to do whatever needs doing when the time comes.”

“Are you so sure?”

“I—” Alex started and stopped. “No, I guess I’m not. Whalen explained how there is only so much magic a wizard can do before it runs out. He told me that magic is like a bowl catching raindrops. Every bit of magic used takes some of the water out of the bowl, and it sometimes takes a long time for the bowl to fill up again.”

“From the looks of this meadow, I would say you poured a great deal of water out of your bowl,” Sindar said in a worried tone.

“Whalen also said that different wizards have different sized bowls,” Alex answered, not wanting to think about what might happen if his magic ran out. “He told me I would know when the bowl was nearly empty, and right now, it doesn’t feel very empty.”

“Very well,” said Sindar. “We will begin our chase as soon as the horses return.”