The Troven (Kingdom of Denall Book 1) (36 page)

“Don’t move!”

Dune could feel the tip of a sword pressed firmly into his back. He stood still and glared at the older woman in front of him.

“So you thought you could stand against us? You fool!” She raised her short sword in a high arc over her head, then swung it directly at Dune’s head. At the moment when the blade was about to make contact, Dune vanished. Her sword passed directly through the air where he had been standing and toward the other seeker. The magical sword that had been previously held in Dune’s back jerked upward in response and met the attack in a crash that temporarily blinded the seeker.

From inside the tent Dune could hear them argue and fight as they tried to figure out where he had gone. Now inside the tent he raised his falchion and drove it downward to destroy the first barrel of Han’Or. Expecting to receive little resistance from the old barrel, Dune was severely jarred as his sword came to a complete stop, not even scratching the surface of the wood. Destroying the mixture was not going to be easy.

Dune pulled at the lid of the barrel, but it didn’t budge. He magically lifted it above his head and slammed it to the ground, he even shot some magic, but it did not break. Frantically, he swung his sword at each container, again trying to spill the contents, but nothing happened. After repeated failures, Dune stopped to think through the problem, but his time had run out. He heard the sound of Edgar’s panting approaching the opening of the tent. Before Edgar could enter the tent, Dune ducked under the table and pulled a pile of hand woven blankets over his body.

“Melna! Melna!” Edgar called from inside the tent. Dune heard him run inside the tent, then the footsteps moved farther away. They would all be back soon and Dune needed to be far away.

He looked from under the blankets and he could see the barrels. It was so frustrating to be so close to the elixir, but unable to do anything to dump them out. He fingered the little green bottle of poison in his robe. If he could poison the liquid, he didn’t have to destroy the barrels, but they were still sealed. Dune reached out with an imperceptible strand of magic and touched the closest barrel. He could feel the protective shield, but he could also feel that it was a physical shield only. It would protect the exterior of the barrel from any outside attack, but it did not protect the inside of the barrel.

By now, other seekers had arrived at the tent door. Dune could hear them approaching the table and talking in hushed whispers, waiting for Melna to return with Edgar.

“It’s right here, I’m telling you we all saw it,” Edgar was returning to the tent. “He used the stone to enhance his strength as he held the bowstring.”

“This is not the Strength Stone,” Melna replied curtly, throwing the stone to the ground. “If he used a stone to enhance his strength, then he still has it. Find Han, and then go pay our friend a visit. Don’t come back without the stone.” Dune heard footsteps scurrying quickly away.

“Genea, take three seekers and make sure the job is done.”

“Yes, mother,” the young woman answered. Dune was surprised by the pronouncement, as Genea looked nothing like the older seeker. Dune had no time to consider the exchange, as there was a flurry of motion, and the seekers rushed to obey their orders.

“The rest of you, there was a man here in his late thirties, a little taller than Edgar. He couldn’t have gotten far. He has dark hair, dark eyes, and he carries a falchion. He is a magician. Kill him.”

A rush of feet hurried in all directions searching for Dune while he silently waited just out of sight.

When the footsteps quieted, he slowly peered out from under the covers. There were two pairs of legs he could see from under the table -- Melna and the other older seeker he had fought with earlier.

Knowing the seekers’ power for detecting magic, Dune had one chance to sabotage the elixir before they would know his location. He retrieved the poison and looked out at the barrels. He had teleported himself or small objects hundreds of times, but this was different. He needed to teleport half of the poison into each barrel simultaneously, then get out. He just hoped it would work. Dune reached out with his magic, splitting the contents of the poison and teleporting it into the center of each barrel.

The moment Dune touched magic, the two nearby seekers shrieked and grabbed their weapons. They turned the table on end, ready to strike the blankets. Before their swords could find him, Dune teleported again.

* * * * *

Through the crowded streets of Lexingar Trae followed the seeker in the maroon shirt. After changing course three times, Trae was certain he knew who the seeker was following. A tall, slender woman with knee high leather boots, a leather tunic, and a long, flowing cape hanging down her back. Her long, dark hair hung perfectly braided down her back. She continued through the streets of Lexingar, stopping to peer into shops and speak to those she passed, unaware that she was in danger. Trae’s first instinct was to jump the seeker and ensure the woman was safe, but, remembering his actual purpose here in Lexingar, he kept his distance from the seeker, watching to see what he was up to.

For half an hour the seeker kept following the woman up and down the main streets of Lexingar, and just as Trae was beginning to lose patience with the pursuit, the woman began to run. The seeker broke into a dash, followed by Trae. Trae pumped his arms and legs for more speed, determined to catch the seeker before he could reach the woman.

She turned down a side street and the seeker ran after her. When Trae arrived at the ally he skidded to a halt. He saw no signs of the woman or the seeker. He continued jogging down the street, looking in the shop windows and down smaller side alleys. After walking down this street for several minutes, Trae saw something maroon. He proceeded with caution down the muddy street. On the ground, lying lifelessly, he found the seeker, but the woman was gone. Trae looked up and down the alley searching for the woman. He wanted to call out to her, but he felt foolish calling without knowing her name. Under his breath he spoke,

“Thank goodness she’s safe.”

Trae looked around a final time before leaving the alley. On his return trip to the magic shop, he doubled back several times to ensure he wasn’t being followed. When he reached the shop he was greeted by Morgin.

“Hello, welcome back. How did the tournament go?” the old magician asked in an uninterested tone.

“It went very well. I was the second runner up,” Trae responded. He had more important things to worry about than the tournament. He walked through the shop and toward the stairs.

“That is impressive for a warrior to also be so talented with the bow,” Morgin reached for some arrow heads and he held them up, as if trying to sell them to Trae.

“Thank you,” Trae cut him off. He walked past and found his way upstairs. When he stepped into his room he felt the presence of someone behind the door. Assuming it was Dune, he addressed the sneaky magician, “How did everything go?”

Before he realized what was happening, Trae was clubbed over the head, and everything went black.

* * * * *

Pain throbbed through his entire body as Trae began to regain consciousness. He did not know how much time had passed, but he looked around the room, and saw all his belongings spread on the floor.

“How does one remove that armor?” Trae looked up at the sound of the familiar voice and saw a crazed smile on Edgar’s face. He tried to move, but his arms were tied securely to a chair, and his mind was still foggy.

“Edgar. What are you doing?” Trae asked in a slurred voice.

Edgar slapped Trae across the face. “How do I take off this plate armor?”

Trae shook his head, recovering from the blow. “Edgar, I don’t understand. I thought you got what you wanted.”

“It would be a lot easier on you to just answer my questions,” Edgar pulled out a thin blade and moved closer to Trae.

“Wait. Edgar, please! What are you doing?”

“Trevor, I made a promise that you would never see me again. The only way I can be sure to keep my promise is if you can’t see at all.”

Chapter 34

Boon and Blade left their apprentices to explore Lexingar with a few words of caution, and the advice to stick together. The three started off with excitement, exploring all the great city had to offer.

“Look at that jewelry shop!” Angela exclaimed.

“Too bad you don’t have any money,” Farin reminded her. Not seeming to hear him, or perhaps not caring to listen, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the shop.

“I'll be right here,” Kaz said to the pair as he leaned on the door of the shop. For a while he watched with amusement as Angela led Farin from one display to the next. When he turned around to look at the streets, he was surprised to notice a woman standing right next to him, watching him intently.

“Hi, Kaz,” she said in a friendly tone. “That was some amazing shooting today.” She had a casual smile and friendly manner that set Kaz at ease.

“Thanks,” he answered, not knowing what else to say. The crowd was fairly large at the archery range, but even with a large crowd, he thought he would have remembered seeing this woman. Her long black hair and dark eyes were mesmerizing, and when she smiled he felt like he was weak at the knees. It was probably a good thing he hadn't noticed her during the tournament.

“My name is Pentra, but everyone just calls me P,” she said as she extended a delicate hand to him.

“I'm Kaz, nice to meet you, P,” he replied as he took her hand and shook it. This response made her smirk and he realized that she had already called him Kaz, and she had seen him shoot, so of course she knew his name. Feeling rather stupid and knowing that his face was burning red, he tried to start a conversation with the woman.

“Are you from Lexingar?”

“I live here now,” she answered, then she paused as though she were considering what to say next. “Have you ever heard of Baron Omer?” Kaz nodded. “What do you know of him?” she asked.

After a moment to consider his reply, Kaz cautiously answered, “Well, he has the best vineyards in Denall. By all reports he seems to be a fair lord to his people, keeps them protected with his soldiers.” She was nodding and looking at Kaz thoughtfully.

“It seems that you don't trust the reports,” she said in a very perceptive way.

“I don't know. I just think there may be more to him than he lets on. Good, bad, or otherwise I have no idea, there's just more…” With that, Kaz asked a question of his own. “Why are you interested in what I think of the baron?”

“It looks like your friends are done flirting in the jewelry shop. I'll stop by later today and we'll continue this conversation,” she waved her fingers as she stepped into the street and melted into the crowds. Kaz watched her until she was completely lost to sight.

“What you looking at?” Kaz was startled by Farin's question.

He turned and absently responded. “Nothing. Just the people.”

“Well, let's get going, there are lots of other people to see down that way,” Angela pointed as she led the way down the street that seemed most likely to have shops with soaps, lotions and jewelry. Kaz noticed that she had not released Farin's hand since she had dragged him into the shop, and Farin was not objecting.

Kaz walked behind the two feeling very out of place. After the third shop he interrupted her unending chatter to bring her down a notch.

“Wow, Angela, if you don't watch which stores you go into people are going to start noticing that you're a girl.”

“I'm sorry, Kaz, who is it that wears a lady's necklace?” she countered in a tone that was more harsh than playful.

“Calm down there, little girly. Your mood swings are just going to make everyone know you're female.” With a bit of a huff and a sour look she turned from Kaz and continued down the street to the nearest fabric shop and darted in with Farin in tow. It was unusual to see her interested in anything other than weapons and fighting.

Kaz spent the rest of the afternoon scanning the crowds for P, hoping he would see her again while he waited outside shops with jewelry, scarves, clothing, and of course swords and armor. Those two were a perfect match for each other.

While waiting outside an armory, Kaz spotted one shop that interested him quite a bit, and he convinced the other two to follow him for a change. He entered the magic shop and was surprised by the variety of materials that were for sale. There were weapons of every kind, armor, clothing, stones, and jewelry, but what made this shop interesting to Kaz was the fact that all the items were enchanted. First he looked at the arrow heads.

“What will these do?” he asked the man behind the long, wooden counter.

The man was tall and slender with a look of age and wisdom. His grey hair and beard were long and seemed to flow down and meld into the long grey robe he was wearing. On his left wrist Kaz could make out a red mark, but was unable to see the number of marks as the man was partially hidden by the counter.

“These are all fire tips,” he answered in a raspy voice with a foreign accent. “They will burn hot like the sun as soon as they leave your bowstring. They will penetrate the strongest armor, but they can only be shot once.” Then, looking at Kaz steadily, he added, “They are five gold pieces each.” Looking down at the small box of arrowheads, Kaz carefully replaced the one he was holding, realizing what a treasure the enhanced weapons were.

“If I bring you an enchanted arrowhead, would you be able to tell me what it does?”

The man nodded thoughtfully. “Certainly, for a fee of course.”

Kaz moved closer to the counter and saw some small stones and rings that looked fairly common.

“What are those?” he asked pointing to a set of rings.

“They are rings of fire and ice. They are a helpful pair to have for traveling. If you are cold, the fire ring will warm you, if you are hot the ice ring will cool you down. They have also been used as weapons.” Kaz looked confused. “Would you linger in a fist fight if your body had a sharp pain of frost or burning each time you were struck?”

“No, I guess not,” Kaz admitted. “So, how do they work?”

“When you are feeling a chill, you press the fire ring against your body and the ring will give off heat. If you are feeling hot and want to cool down, do the same with the ice ring. The amount of heat or cold from the rings increases as you press the rings harder against your skin. Each ring will last almost a year if you use its power sparingly.”

Kaz smiled and asked the cost of the rings. The store clerk explained that because of the size of the rings, and this common type of enchanting they had, and because the enchantment did not require too many days to create, the rings were only ten gold pieces each. Kaz reached into his pocket to retrieve the twenty-five gold pieces he had won from winning second place in the archery tournament and found that he only had thirteen pieces left. Cursing under his breath that he had let his guard down and been robbed, he turned back to the store clerk longingly. The man took Kaz's thirteen coins and handed him the pair of rings that looked identical.

“I'll give you this deal because I like your eyes; you seem like a good boy.” Kaz put them on and tested their magic before leaving the shop.

* * * * *

Dressed in his dark cloak, Dune stood in the shadows outside his uncle’s magic shop, watching as Edgar and another seeker entered, followed shortly by Trae. He had reached out with magic and quickly learned that both seekers were covered with magic jewelry and weapons. Before he faced these two foes he needed to create a magic block over the entire shop. Dune began to emerge from his hidden place to follow when a group of two boys and a girl opened the door and entered the building. He ducked back. One of the boys was Kaz, the tall young man from the archery tournament. He watched them walk around the shop looking at items and talking with Morgin. As they were searching the shop, Genea walked past. She led three other seekers to an alley across the street from the shop. Once there, the four seekers waited and observed.

Dune watched as Kaz made a purchase and moved to exit the shop. He pulled the cowl of his cloak over his head and walked across the street to his uncle’s shop just as Kaz reached for the door.

“I hope you didn’t spend too much on those trinkets,” Dune said, seeing the cold and heat rings in Kaz’s hands. At that moment Dune had an idea. “They won’t last you to the end of the week.”

In defense of his merchandise Morgin bellowed, “Be silent.”

Dune pulled down his hood and looked at his uncle. “Morgin, it has been too long.” Morgin immediately fell silent.

Addressing the youth, Dune continued, “Give them here.” He stretched out his hands and took the rings from Kaz. Heat and cold rings were a simple enchantment that required very little energy, but he intended to use this display as a decoy for weaving his magic block. He solidified some air under the rings and lifted them into the air, then infused them with some light so they would glow as if being forged. While he hung the rings in the air, he began skillfully weaving the magic block around the shop. Although he could still cast spells and create enchantments, all magical items within the store would not perform their functions. He worked as quickly as he could, not sure what was happening to Trae upstairs. When the magic block was finished, Dune infused the heat and cold rings with energy.

Dune gave the rings back to Kaz, and as he walked the young man to the door, he explained how they worked. Before Kaz could leave, Dune added,

“Great job today! That was truly amazing!”

“Thank you!” Kaz said. “You did great too!” Dune nodded, then opened the door for the trio to exit. He closed the door and latched it shut behind them.

* * * * *

“That was odd,” Angela commented, looking back at the closed shop.

“I'm just glad he came and fixed your rings,” Farin said to Kaz. “Do you even know how much money you just spent? That would feed the entire caravan for a week.”

“I won that money from the tournament,” Kaz countered, “and the caravan easily made that much selling the horses, armor and weapons from the robbers. Just let me enjoy this, okay?” He finished by giving Farin a sharp punch to the left shoulder, which caused a jolt of cold to run through his arm.

“Ouch! Watch it with that thing!” Kaz smiled and they continued down the street. “I bet you could have gotten both rings for five gold pieces,” Farin commented as he quickly dodged Kaz swinging at him with the fire ring. “Next time let me do the talking.”

Kaz noticed as he tested the rings that not only were they much more powerful than before Dune had 'charged' them, but they also fit much better. He continued to play with the rings for the rest of the afternoon and evening on their way back to the caravan. The most interesting discovery was that when he was wearing both rings on one hand, it gave the person being punched, usually Farin, quite a jolt as the cold and hot ran into him at the same time. After accidentally numbing Farin's arm for half an hour with an exceptionally hard punch, Kaz let him put on the rings to return the favor.

What Kaz did not expect was for Farin to put on both rings and punch him square in the face. Kaz was in a daze for several minutes. After getting over the initial shock of what had happened, he laughed with Farin about how funny it must have been to see. Angela wasn't overly impressed with their boyish games, but she also took a turn to warm herself as the evening breeze began to blow. Before they reached the wagons, when she thought nobody was watching, Kaz saw her experimentally punch herself in the arm.