The Troven (Kingdom of Denall Book 1) (31 page)

“I warn you -- do not take another step,” Dune declared.

The man continued to walk.

Without saying another word, Dune moved his right hand in a sweeping motion in front of his body. Trae did not know what he had done, but the magic seemed to have no effect on the approaching man. As he got closer, the man picked up speed until he was at a full run, weapon raised. Dune threw a small ball of fire at the man. The ball flew at him, and just before scorching him, it shrank and disappeared.

“Get him!” At this command from his master the dog lunged forward. Dune’s horse was well trained and dodged the wild dog’s sharp teeth. Dune swung his staff. The magically enhanced staff struck the dog with powerful force and knocked it to the ground, yelping in pain.

Before he could confront the man, Dune was thrown off his horse by a powerful, unseen force. He flew backward through the air and pounded into the wall of the alley, falling in a heap on the ground, far from his staff. Trae gripped his mace and braced himself to attack. He was not going to let the man kill his friend.

“You warn
me
not to take a step?” The man let out a raspy laugh.

As Trae was rising to his feet, Dune rolled onto his side and held his hands out in front of him. He made a slight motion with his hand and a stone from the ground flew at his attacker. An instant before the stone could hit, the man deftly raised his cudgel, which met with the stone, breaking it into a spray of sand. With this moment of distraction, Dune levitated his staff and drew it into his hand.

Dune moved forward and began a series of spinning attacks with his staff. The staff whirled effortlessly in Dune’s skilled hands. He attacked with such speed and fury that the man was hopelessly outmatched, and if it were not for the cudgel, that seemed to be magically throwing the man’s arms around defensively, and his armor, he would have been quickly killed.

Dune continued to advance, but the cudgel, more than the man, moved quickly to block his attacks, and when he was able to strike the man, he seemed to not notice. The way the man reacted to the attacks, it seemed that his armor was magically enchanted like the armor Trae was wearing.

While still pressing the man back using his staff, Dune also hurled some more rocks. The cudgel moved with lightning speed to stop most of the attacks, but it could not stop everything from getting through.

Dune slowed his attack with the staff while at the same time picking up two stones on opposite sides of the man. In one motion, Dune thrust with his staff and simultaneously threw the rocks. The cudgel first blocked Dune’s attack, then it moved to deflect the larger of the two stones. The smaller stone struck the man’s helmet with no effect, and fell to the ground.

Dune stopped his attack and the man backed up a pace. “So, now that you see you can’t defeat me. What shall I do to you?” The man smiled wickedly and raised his weapon, ready to attack.

Trae tightened his grip on his mace. He was not going to stay hidden while his friend lost a fight in a dark alleyway. That man’s magical cudgel and armor couldn’t possibly keep up with two attackers at once. From the corner of his eye, Trae saw the wolf-dog moving. Dune was focused on the man in front of him and didn’t seem to notice the dog. The animal lurched back on its hind legs, positioned to attack. As the dog began to move, Trae came out from behind the water barrel, running to intercept the dog. The animal jumped forward, but Trae caught it in mid-air, smashing it to the ground with his mace.

At that moment, Dune raised both hands. Three stones from behind the man rose from the ground at the same time.

“You fool!” the man bellowed. “Have you learned nothing? I’ll beat you and your friend here, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” Trae advanced on the man, holding his mace in the air. While three large stones were floating in the air, there was also a tiny, almost imperceptible red fleck that was hovering above Dune’s shoulder.  Before Trae could move in on the attacker, the three stones hurtled toward him. His weapon made an arched sweep that smashed them to powder. In that same instant, the small, seemingly harmless, grain of sand launched directly from Dune’s shoulder into the man’s eye. Before the magical cudgel could defend him, the man fell to the ground.

Dune knelt next to the corpse “He had an awful lot of magical defense items,” Dune remarked as he made a pile of jewelry, armor, and weapons. When all the magical items were removed, he grabbed a leather sack from his saddle bag, and placed the items in it.  He then removed the leather pouch with the seeker’s elixir and placed it with the other items. Dune raised his right hand and the sack rose into the air. When he closed his hand, it disappeared.

After the items were gone, he rubbed his hands together three times, then opened his hands palms down toward the man. A white hot flame appeared, encompassing the body. After a short moment, Dune lowered his hands and the flames died down, leaving only a small oval of ash. He mounted his horse and turned back to Trae.

“Thank you. If you go down the street two blocks you’ll find the magician’s shop. I’ll send word to you there.” Without waiting for Trae to respond, he kicked his horse into motion and rode out into the street as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

After Dune left the alley, Trae silently thanked his friend for the protection offered by the armor and disguise, then he threw his leg up over the saddle and made his way to the magic shop.

Chapter 31

The thin, wooden door creaked loudly as Trae pushed his way into the small magic shop. After leaving the alley, Trae had walked down the street and circled back to make sure he wasn’t being followed, then he headed for the shop. Morgin was standing behind the counter, smiling when Trae arrived. He had more gray in his long beard than when Trae had last seen him at the magician work camp, but otherwise he looked like Trae remembered him. When first seeing Morgin, Trae unconsciously glared. He had no love for the tall, lanky magician. Seeing Morgin’s look of confusion, Trae remembered that the man did not recognize him, so he softened and returned a weak smile.

“Hello, I am looking for a place to stay. Do you know where I can stable my horse for the night?”

“Oh yes.” Morgin walked quickly from behind the wooden counter. “I’ve been expecting you. I’ll be right there.” He joined Trae on the street outside his shop and directed him to the small stable behind the shop. “That is where the horse can stay, I’ll have him fed and brushed each day, as instructed.”

Trae was not sure what kind of arrangements Dune had made, but decided it best to play along. “Good, and where will I be staying?”

“Right up the stairs, Sir…” Morgin paused and raised his eyebrows questioningly.

“Trevor,” Trae said. “You can call me Trevor.”

“Wonderful, Sir Trevor. I’ll get your horse in the stable. Just go up there and your room is on the right.” Trae nodded and made his way up the narrow staircase and ducked through the low door as he entered a cramped room. He looked around and was grateful to see that it had one small window to break the monotony of the otherwise bare walls. In the corner there was a modest bed and a sturdy stool. He reached up to the latch on his armor and unclipped it. It felt good to finally have the armor off for a time. While he pulled off his boots, Morgin knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Trae answered.

“How is everything?” the older magician asked.

“This will do nicely. Thank you.”

“I don’t have a dining hall, but you are welcome to join me for supper at my table down the corridor.”

“That sounds nice,” Trae responded.

“We will be eating in about two hours, after I close up the shop. You can also look in the shop for any magical items that may interest you. I have some that would make wonderful gifts…”

“Tomorrow, perhaps,” Trae interrupted. “Now I think I will rest from a long ride.”

“Of course, of course.” Morgin bowed slightly as he exited the room. Trae had never seen Morgin act so humbly toward anyone.
What had Dune told him? What had Dune offered to pay him?
Shaking his head, he dismissed these unimportant questions and laid down for an overdue rest.

It seemed only moments since his head had touched the thin pillow when there was an urgent knocking at the door.

“Sirrrr Trevorrrrr,” Morgin tentatively pushed the door open holding a small wooden box. His other hand was viciously scratching his body and his voice sounded like a sheep bleating. “This came forrrr yoouu. Urrrgent business.”

“Is everything all right?” Trae asked as he tilted his head to see the magician.

“Pleeeaseee, take it.” Morgin said holding it out to Trae.

Moaning, Trae rolled off the bed and reached out for the package.

Morgin stepped into the room, handed Trae the box, then retreated.

“Thank you.” Morgin’s voice had returned to normal and his scratching had stopped. He promptly closed the door behind himself and left the room. Puzzled, Trae waited, listening as Morgin’s footsteps moved down the stairs back to his shop.

Trae slid the top of the box back. In the box was a scrap of paper that had been folded and sealed with melted wax, a small white pebble, and a green bottle containing some liquid. Trae removed the seal from the message using his small boot knife and read:

Sir Trevor,

When convenient, walk to the green tent and put this liquid in the barrels behind the table. If you are stopped, tell them you came to trade this stone with Edgar and you’ll meet him at the archery tournament. Best to not use your stone.

If anyone other than you tries to open the box, they may feel somewhat sheepish until they have returned it to you.

Trae moaned about his lost sleep, and then chuckled thinking of Uncle Morgin. After stretching his arms out wide, he quickly dressed in his full armor and exited the magic shop. Walking through Lexingar was slow going. The city was filled with people, and with the tournaments beginning tomorrow, all the contestants were strutting around, some of the more notable ones followed by small crowds.

Down the main street, Trae was amazed at the musicians, storytellers, and jesters entertaining large groups. On one block, the crowd was so thick that Trae needed to hop up onto the steps of a small soap shop to make his way through. From the height of the porch he saw what was making all the commotion. A fire eater was billowing smoke and fire from his mouth. He continued to watch the show over his shoulder as he edged around the crowd until he bumped into a small table he had not seen.

“You look like a strapping young man. What can I put you down for?”

Trae looked up to see that he had run into a sign-up table for the tournament.

“Oh, sorry. I’m not signing up for any events.”

“It’s a great chance to win some extra coins.” Trae hesitated and the thin man with oily, slick hair began his sales pitch. “Single sword combat is only five pieces of gold, and the winner takes home fifty.  All you need to do is win five rounds.”

“Not today.”

“Archery is three pieces of gold. You compete against fifty people. If you hit just two direct bull’s eyes you could win the entire thing. Fifty gold pieces for the winner, I’m sure you can hit two bull’s eyes.”

“I really do need to be going.” Trae moved away from the table with the man’s offers following him. He did glance back to see the fire eater, but through the throng, he could not make out anything that was happening.

The sun was setting by the time Trae reached the north end of town. His rumbling stomach reminded him that he had not eaten since breakfast. Feeling the grumbling in  his belly, he thought that it might have been better to wait at the magic shop until after supper, but the longer he was out, the more he realized that waiting longer for the crowds to dissipate would be futile. It was the day before the tournaments were to begin, so the streets were getting more crowded, and by the sounds of the people, they would be up all night long.

Trae left the city through the north gate and immediately saw the large, green tent. The tent was situated along the road with the opening facing the road so that anyone passing could peer in and look at the supplies. Looking for the barrels, Trae walked down the main road out of town and past the large tent. He saw tables and stands set up with various items for sale ranging from wooden toys to leather clothing. The owners were haggling with customers, while also engaging in polite conversation. Trae noticed, in a quick glance over the people in the tent, that the owners all had bottles hanging from their belts. He also noticed that as he passed by, many of them looked up at him. He remembered that the armor he was wearing was drawing their gazes like manure draws flies.

“Hello!” Trae cringed when he heard the familiar voice.

“Hi, Edgar.”

“So, did you find anything valuable to trade?”

Trae took a deep breath, readying himself to keep one step ahead of Edgar. All he wanted to do was get out to the tent, dump the liquid into the barrels, and go back to the shop for rest. However, he was almost certain Edgar wouldn’t leave his side. He searched for the right words to explain why he had come out to the tent, and as he did, his hand rubbed the white stone that was in his pocket next to the small bottle.

“My friend has left some of his merchandise in my care, and I thought you or your friends might be able to offer a good price on one of the items.”

“Really?” Edgar was sincerely interested. “What sort of item? Anything magical?”

“He had a stone that he gave me, but I’m not sure what it does.” Edgar’s eyes opened wide, and Trae thought he might fall over. He recovered quickly however, and seemed to be calculating as he swept his gaze around, making eye contact with a couple of other venders.

“As we only just arrived, I have mostly only got merchandise available for barter. Would you consider a trade for some of my best work?” he indicated the tables full of wooden items just inside the large, green tent.

Trae turned away and began to walk back toward the city. “I don’t know. He said it was special. I think we would only be interested in coin.”

“Did he say anything else?” Edgar quickly said, trying to keep Trae from walking away.

Trae turned back to Edgar with an evasive face. “Not really. He is a very mysterious person.”

“Well, if you want, I can look at the stone, and then I can tell you what the stone can do. Magical items can be dangerous; it’s best to know what they do.” Edgar reached his hand out expectantly.

“You might be right, but perhaps it would be best to have a professional magician evaluate it,” Trae said. He hoped that by stringing Edgar along for a short while, he could get a look at the barrels. “Perhaps arrangements could be made for a sale after you have had some time to trade and accumulate some coin. Why don’t you show me around the tent?”

Eagerly, Edgar led the way into the tent. “This is Sareena; she sells rugs, mats, blankets, and fine woven clothing. It is of the highest quality.” The woman behind the table smiled and inclined her head, but she kept her eye on Trae’s hand where he held the stone. The table was covered with an assortment of materials with wild patterns and colors. Trae picked up one shirt that was the brightest yellow he had ever seen. It seemed to glow when he held it up in the lantern light. After a few moments examining some items, Trae moved to the back of the tent, passing a table filled with clay pottery.

As they walked past several venders, Trae kept moving toward the back of the tent, always looking for some barrels containing the strange seeker elixir. When he reached the back table, he saw Melna. “Hello, Melna. It seems you were able to get everything set up.”

Melna nodded. “I see that you found something magical, otherwise Edgar wouldn’t be following you like a lost puppy.” She clicked her tongue and glared at Edgar.

Trae turned to see the hurt look on Edgar’s face at this comment, then he looked back to the woman.

“Yes, I was hoping to help my friend sell a magical stone.” Melna’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly which, on her otherwise stone face, spoke as loudly as if a normal person had smiled from ear to ear and danced. “I’m looking around to see if it is worthwhile to recommend a trade for the stone, otherwise I’m sure to find someone in the city who can tell me what this stone can do.”

“I’m sure Edgar here will find something for you, he is very interested in magical items.” Melna spoke with an uninterested tone, though it sounded somewhat forced.

“Well, there is one thing I could use.” Trae started looking around behind the table until he spotted two large barrels. “That,” he pointed to the containers that he felt sure held the seekers’ elixir.

When he pointed at the barrels there was a sudden tension in the tent. With his peripheral vision, he could see Edgar putting his hand on the hilt of his hunting knife, and other seekers in the tent dropped all pretense of being merchants as they watched Melna. At this moment Trae realized two things: first, he had found the elixir, and second, it was Melna who was the head seeker. Melna gave Trae a level look. “What do you want with that?”

“I’m so thirsty! I skipped supper tonight, and I could really use a drink.” Trae could feel the tension in the tent dissipate. Edgar dropped his hands to his sides and the other seekers went back to their business.

“Those barrels, sadly, have spoiled,” Melna answered with a sickly smile. “Unfortunately, all we have is a rain barrel at the front of the tent.” Melna motioned in the direction of the barrel and Edgar jumped to action.

“I guess that will have to do,” Trae responded with forced disappointment.

“Come with me and quench your thirst,” Edgar said, pulling on Trae’s arm.

Trae stood his ground for long enough to incline his head. “Thank you, Edgar. Melna, it was a pleasure seeing you again.”

The pair walked quickly to the rain barrel and Trae took a deep, refreshing swallow.

“So,” Edgar began, not wanting to miss an opportunity, “let’s have a quick look at this stone.”

Trae handed Edgar the small, white stone. For a moment, Edgar silently stared at the stone. At first, he simply stood, but after a few moments, large beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Without warning, he looked up at Trae.

“I’ll give you three gold pieces for the stone. It’s magical, but not powerful.”

“Edgar, I am no fool,” Trae said, grabbing the stone from Edgar’s hand. “I can see in your eyes that you would give me everything in this tent for this stone.”

“No, wait. I’m sorry,” Edgar pleaded. “You’re right, the stone is worth more than three gold pieces.” He held his hands together in a pathetic beg.