Temple of the Dragonslayer (18 page)

Catriona gave forth an exasperated sigh, but otherwise said no more.

“It’s too bad you didn’t catch the wizard’s name,” Sindri said. “Being a mage myself, perhaps I would have heard of him.”

“But I did overhear Oddvar speak the wizard’s name,” Raedon said. “It was Maddoc.”

Everyone turned to look at Nearra.

“That’s the name of the wizard who rescued you from Slean,” Sindri said.

“Slean?” Raedon yelped, but they all ignored the dragon for the moment.

Elidor said, “As I understand the story, Maddoc was the same wizard that suggested Nearra seek a healer in Tresvka. A healer who, in turn, suggested she journey to the Temple of the Holy Orders of the Stars, and who hinted that she might find a guide at the Blind Goose tavern.”

“Where the tavern keeper recommended the Theiwar,” Jax added.

“You’re all overlooking the most important part,” Catriona said. “Maddoc wasn’t alone when he rescued Nearra. Davyn was with him.”

They stopped walking and turned to look at Davyn. The ranger knew he should say something to allay their suspicions, but he couldn’t think of anything. So instead he took a deep breath and said, “It’s true.”

I
think he moved!”

“You’re crazy!”

“No, Gifre’s right! I saw his eye twitch!”

“You only
thought
you saw his eye twitch,” Drefan said. “He’s been turned to stone or something.”

“Then how come he isn’t the color of stone?” Fyren asked.

“Yeah, he’s still ogre-colored!” Gifre added.

Oddvar did his best to ignore the goblins, though it wasn’t easy. They stood in front of Ugo, but not too close. None of them wanted to get bashed by his bone club if the ogre started moving again.

Oddvar and the three goblins had watched Nearra’s encounter with Ugo from their hiding place behind a pile of rotted logs. The goblins had picked out the termites that infested the logs and eaten them while the battle took place. And as if that hadn’t been disgusting enough, they still had insect parts stuck between their teeth.

There was a flapping of wings as Maddoc’s black falcon landed next to Oddvar. The dark dwarf acknowledged his master’s presence with a nod. He knew the falcon had been circling high overhead, providing Maddoc with a literal bird’s-eye view of the action during the battle with Ugo.

“The girl’s luck is unbelievable,” Oddvar said. “When you left her in Tresvka, she was alone with Davyn. Since then, she picked up four other companions who are determined to protect her. And now she’s befriended a copper dragon, of all things.”

The falcon relayed a telepathic message from Maddoc to Oddvar.

The Theiwar turned to look at the falcon. “So it’s possible that the spirit of Asvoria has been magically gathering others to help her? But Nearra is not aware that she’s doing it?”

Yes
.

Oddvar looked back to Ugo. During the entire time they’d been standing there, the ogre’s club had moved only an inch or so. At this rate, if the copper dragon’s slow gas didn’t wear off soon, it might be morning before Ugo’s club finally struck the ground.

The goblins, emboldened by Ugo’s nearly frozen state, were now taking turns running between his legs and under his club. Even Drefan, the goblins’ leader, was participating, laughing along with the other two as they played.

Oddvar sighed. After Maddoc’s plan had been fulfilled, he hoped he never had to work with goblins again.

The falcon relayed another message from its master.
Three attempts, three failures
.

Oddvar steeled himself against his master’s wrath. He thought Maddoc was surely going to blame him and the three goblins for this latest failure. But as the wizard continued, his telepathic voice sounded thoughtful, not angry.

I never thought Nearra would get this far. But then I didn’t anticipate that Asvoria might be able to resist the Emergence, nor that Nearra would acquire so many traveling companions to help her along the way
.

“Davyn should have kept anyone else from joining them,” Oddvar said.

Yes, he should have. But that isn’t important now. What’s important is separating Nearra from the others—including Davyn. Without her protectors, she’ll be alone and terrified. And her terror should trigger the Emergence
.

As near as Oddvar could tell, the girl had been plenty afraid during the earlier attempts to force the Emergence, and it hadn’t helped any. But he knew better than to question his master.

“How are we supposed to get her away from her friends?” Oddvar asked.

The falcon cocked its head to one side, and Oddvar could have sworn that there was an evil twinkle in its eye.

I have a plan, naturally
.

“What do you wish us to do now?” he asked.

The falcon relayed one last telepathic message from Maddoc before taking wing and rising into the sky.

“Come away from the ogre and let’s be off,” Oddvar said to the goblins. “Maddoc commands we leave.”

“Just a bit longer—please, Oddvar?” Gifre asked, then kicked Ugo in the shin. The ogre, still almost completely motionless, didn’t react.

Fyren grabbed hold of the bone club and began to swing on it as if it were a tree branch.

Oddvar looked to Drefan for help, but the goblin leader merely grinned.

“How often is it that goblins can get the best of an ogre?” Drefan said, and then bent down, grabbed a handful of dirt, and threw it into Ugo’s face. Again, the ogre didn’t react.

“Stop this foolishness at once!” Oddvar shouted. “Maddoc has commanded us to—”

It was at this precise moment that the slow gas wore off. Ugo roared, the goblins shrieked, and the bone club—upon which Fyren was still swinging—came crashing down.

All was silent for a long moment, and then in a small voice, Ugo said, “Oops.”

“I lied when I said Maddoc hired me to guide him to Tresvka,” Davyn said.

Nearra felt a sudden tightness in her throat, and she thought
she might cry. She had only known Davyn for two days, but in that short time she had grown quite fond of him. She couldn’t bear to hear that he had lied.

Catriona gave Nearra a smug look, as if to say,
I told you so
.

Davyn spoke. “I was exploring the southern forest when Maddoc first approached me. He said that he was on a mission of vital importance, and that for reasons he couldn’t explain, he needed my help. At first I didn’t believe him. After all, it was like something out of a child’s story—a wizard suddenly appearing and saying he needs your help. But Maddoc wore the white robes, and I knew that meant he was a wizard who practiced his magic in the cause of Good, and so I agreed to help him.

“We traveled together through the southern forest for a day and a half. Maddoc didn’t tell me much during that time, only that we were searching for a very special girl who was in great danger. But there’s one thing Maddoc made sure I was clear on: the girl would be in a fragile mental state. Because she would be very confused, we needed to keep our explanations simple. He told me to pretend that he had hired me to guide him to Tresvka. Once we reached the village, Maddoc said I should take you to the healer Wynda. Somehow Maddoc knew that if she couldn’t help you, she would direct you to the Temple of the Holy Orders of the Stars. And he said we could find a guide named Oddvar at the Blind Goose to take you there.”

Davyn looked at Nearra. “I’m sorry that I lied to you, but Maddoc paid me well on the condition that I didn’t say a word. I needed the money. Please forgive me.”

Nearra wasn’t sure what to believe. When Davyn had asked for her forgiveness, he’d sounded sincere. But if he had lied to her once—for whatever reason—then he could lie to her again.

No, she told herself. She shouldn’t think such things. Friends were supposed to trust one another, even when they had doubts. Maybe especially then.

Nearra smiled. “Of course I forgive you. You only did what you thought was best at the time.”

Catriona hrumpfed but said nothing else. Davyn seemed relieved by Nearra’s response, but he didn’t look her in the eyes.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Sindri said. “If Maddoc is a good wizard, why would he first try to help Nearra by sending her to a healer, then later try to hurt her by arranging for an ogre to attack her?”

“It was Oddvar who set up the attack,” Elidor pointed out.

“But he was working for Maddoc,” Raedon said. “Unless you mean to imply that I might’ve heard the dark dwarf incorrectly.” Though Raedon was a metallic dragon, and therefore on the side of good, there was still a hint of anger in his voice.

Elidor held up his hands. “Not at all, friend Raedon. Far be it from me to argue with a dragon.”

“But how did Maddoc know that Davyn and Nearra would be in the same part of the forest where the ogre attacked?” Sindri continued.

“Wizards delight in complex schemes,” Jax said. “Who can say how or why Maddoc has done these things? And in the end, what does it matter? Our goal remains the same: to help Nearra regain her memory. It seems her only hope is to find these clerics at the Temple of the Holy Orders of the Stars.”

“Trust a minotaur to see things so simply,” Elidor said.

“Of course,” Jax replied, as if the elf had paid him a compliment.

So they resumed their journey, Raedon leading them on his shortcut through the forest. Nearra did her best not to worry, but she couldn’t help wondering what Maddoc wanted from her.

Slean dozed by the stream, her tail dipped into the cool water. Her wounds still hurt, especially her eye, but they had already done much healing. And they would heal even more, as long as she could continue resting. But then she heard the flapping of a falcon’s wings. Her rest was about to be interrupted.

She heard the falcon land on the grass in front of her, and she opened her good eye to look at it.

“Leave me alone, wizard,” Slean hissed. “I want to sleep some more.”

But Maddoc didn’t do as the green dragon requested. Instead, through the falcon, he informed her of how Nearra’s encounter with Ugo had turned out—and who had shown up at the last minute to help.

“Raedon,” Slean said, snorting twin puffs of chlorine from her nostrils. “He isn’t a serious threat. At worst, he’s a minor annoyance. I’ll take care of him, but later. First I will sleep.”

She started to close her eye, but before she could, the wizard sent another telepathic message consisting of a single word.

Vennatherensis:
Slean’s secret dragon name.

The dragon sighed. “Very well, I shall tend to Raedon now and then fly to the temple and conceal myself in the forest close by. There I shall await further instructions.” Slean fixed the falcon with a baleful stare using her one good eye. “But I tell you this, wizard: you had best keep your promise to show me how I can never again be banished from Krynn. If you don’t, I’ll come visit your keep and bring it crashing down upon your head!”

And with that, Slean spread her wings and launched herself into the air. With slow, powerful strokes of her wings, she flew off in search of Raedon.

The black falcon watched her fly for several moments before taking to the sky itself.