Part 9 (1/2)
Flint had reluctantly, and only after much persuasion, revealed the presence of the village. He refused to say how he knew about it, but Tanis suspected that this was where the old dwarf had been captured by gully dwarves a few years before and imprisoned, the details of which harrowing ordeal Flint never discussed.
Riverwind indicated a rolled-up map tucked in his belt. He had drawn the map last night in consultation with Flint and one of Ta.s.slehoff's maps.
”I know where the village is located,” said Riverwind. ”It is on the other side of the mountains, and as of now, we have no way of crossing those mountains.”
”There's a pa.s.s,” Flint said stolidly.
”You keep saying that, but my people have scouted the area and they can't find any sign of one.”
”Are your people dwarves? When they are, come talk to me,” Flint grunted. He carried both a battle-axe and a pick-axe in a harness on his back. He adjusted these more comfortably then glowered at Tanis. ”If we're going, we should be going, not standing around here palavering.”
”We'll be off, then. We'll blaze a trail for you to follow if you have to. I hope you-”
He halted in mid sentence, a s.h.i.+ver of fear clenching his gut. His flesh crawled, and the hair on the back of his neck p.r.i.c.kled. The old wives would have said someone was walking across his grave. Goldmoon had gone pale and Riverwind's breath came fast, his hands clenched. Flint whipped out his axe, searching for the foe, but the feeling pa.s.sed, and no enemy appeared.
”Dragons,” said Flint grimly.
”They are up there,” Goldmoon said, s.h.i.+vering and hugging her cloak close around her, ”watching us.”
Riverwind stood with his head tilted back, searching the skies. Tanis joined him, but neither could see anything in the pale blue dawn. Both looked at each other and acknowledged the truth.
”Whether we see them or not, they're up there. Make the people ready, Riverwind. If trouble does come, you won't have much time to escape.”
Tanis stood a moment more, searching for some word of hope or comfort. He couldn't find any to give. Hefting his pack, he and the dwarf started off down the path.
Flint paused to shout back over his shoulder. ”Bring pick-axes!”
”Pick-axes!” Riverwind repeated, frowning. ”Does he mean for us to hack our way through the mountains? I don't like this. I begin to think I made the wrong decision. Our people should have gone off on their own.”
”Your reasons for making this decision were sound, my husband. Not even the Que-Kiri warriors challenged you when you told them your decision. They are sensible enough to realize that there is safety in numbers. Do not start second guessing yourself. The chieftain who looks behind while he walks forward will stumble and fall. That is what my father always said.”
”d.a.m.n your father!” Riverwind said angrily. ”His decisions were not always right! He was the one who ordered the people to stone me, or have you forgotten that, Chieftain's Daughter?”
He stalked off, leaving Goldmoon to stare after him in astonishment.
”He didn't mean it,” said Laurana, coming up the hillside to stand beside her. ”Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing. He is worried, that is all. He bears a great responsibility.”
”1 know.” Goldmoon sighed bleakly. ”I am no help, I fear. He is right. I should not keep comparing him to my father. I meant to offer advice; that is all. My father was a wise man and a good chief. He made a mistake, but it was because he did not understand.” know.” Goldmoon sighed bleakly. ”I am no help, I fear. He is right. I should not keep comparing him to my father. I meant to offer advice; that is all. My father was a wise man and a good chief. He made a mistake, but it was because he did not understand.”
She looked after her husband and sighed again. ”I love him so much, yet it seems I hurt him more than I would hurt my worst enemy.”
”Love gives us a power to hurt that hate cannot match,” Laurana said softly.
She looked after Flint and Tanis, who were shapeless forms in the gray dawn, descending into the valley.
”Did you come to say good-bye to Tanis?” Goldmoon asked, seeing the young woman watching them.
”I thought he might want to say good-bye to me,” Laurana replied. ”I waited, but he didn't come.” She shrugged. ”Apparently he doesn't care.”
”He does, Laurana,” said Goldmoon. ”I've seen the way he looks at you. It's just...” She hesitated.
”I can't compete with a memory of a rival,” Laurana bitterly. ”Kitiara will always be perfect to him. Her kisses will always taste sweeter. She is not here to say or do the wrong thing. I cannot win.”
Goldmoon was struck by what Laurana had said. Competing with a memory. That was what she was forcing Riverwind to do. Small wonder he resented it. She went to find him to make her apology, which, since they were newlyweds, she knew her tender ”I am sorry” would be well received.
Laurana stood looking after Tanis.
”Hullo, Tika!” Tas shoved open the screen to the cave and bounded inside, remembering at the last moment to knock. ”Did you go s.h.i.+very all over just a few moments ago? I did. It was a dragon! I thought I'd better hurry over to protect you! Ouch!” he said loudly, tumbling over a lump in the darkness.
”Tika?” Tas reached out his hand. ”Is that lump you?”
”Yes, it's me.” She didn't sound pleased about it.
”What are you doing sitting in the dark?”
”Thinking.”
”Thinking about what?”
”That Caramon Majere is the biggest numbskull in the whole wide world.” There was a pause, then she said, ”He went to Skullcap with his brother, didn't he?”
”I guess so. Tanis said he did.”
Tika glared at him. ”I sent Sturm to Tanis to stop him from going! Why didn't he?”
”Tanis thinks there might be something important in Skullcap. I don't know about Sturm,” Tas said, settling himself in the darkness beside Tika. He sighed longingly. ”Skullcap. Doesn't that sound like a perfectly wonderful place to you?”
”It sounds horrid. It's a trap,” said Tika.
”A trap? Now I wish I'd gone! I love traps!” Tas was disconsolate.
”Not those kind of traps,” Tika said scornfully. ”I mean Raistlin's leading Caramon into a trap. I've been up all night thinking through it. Raistlin's going because of that awful old dead wizard, that Fistandoodle or whatever his name is. Caramon told me all about him and about that wicked book of his-the book Raistlin sneaked out of Xak Tsaroth. That wizard was an evil man, and that place is an evil place. Raistlin knows that and he doesn't care. He's going to get Caramon killed.”
”An evil place that belonged to an evil wizard, and it's filled with traps!” Tas sighed longingly. ”If I hadn't given Tanis my solemn promise that I'd stay here to protect you, Tika, I'd go there in a minute.”
”Protect me!” Tika was indignant. ”You don't need to protect me. No one does. Caramon's the one who needs protecting. He's got about as much sense as a goatsucker bird. He has to be warned about that brother of his. Tanis won't do it, so I guess it's up to me.”
Tika threw off the blanket she'd had draped over her shoulders. The cave was growing lighter by the minute, and Tas could now see that she was dressed for travel in men's trousers and a man's s.h.i.+rt and a leather vest that Tas thought looked rather like one that Flint had once owned. Tas remembered the dwarf complaining about it being missing. He'd actually accused the kender of walking off with it!
Tika's sword that she didn't know how to use very well lay on the table, next to her s.h.i.+eld, which she did did know how to use, though not in quite the way the s.h.i.+eld's maker had intended. The s.h.i.+eld had a dent in it from where she'd bashed a draconian over the head. know how to use, though not in quite the way the s.h.i.+eld's maker had intended. The s.h.i.+eld had a dent in it from where she'd bashed a draconian over the head.
Tas leapt up in excitement. ”Tanis made me promise solemnly that I'd protect you, so if you go to Skullcap, then I have to go with you!”
”I'm not going to Skullcap. I'm going to find Caramon and keep him from going. I plan to talk some sense into him.”
Tas offered his opinion. ”I think it might be easier to fight an evil wizard in Skullcap than talk sense into Caramon.”