weapons.”
A suspicion began to grow in Maddoc’s mind. “Where exactly did this cave-in take place?”
“On the grounds to the west side of the keep, where that large boulder rests. I mean,
used
to rest. It was swallowed by the collapse.”
Maddoc’s lips curled into a slow smile, and despite himself, he couldn’t keep a touch of pride out of his voice as he said, “Clever boy.” He looked at Oddvar. “I believe Nearra’s friends have come to the fair maid’s rescue and plan to steal into the keep using the tunnels beneath it. Though it seems as if things didn’t quite go as planned when they attempted to find their way into the tunnels.”
“If you’re talking about the cave-in, then they’re all dead,” Oddvar said. “Nothing standing on the surface could’ve survived such an extensive collapse.”
“Perhaps,” Maddoc said. “But over the last year I’ve learned not to underestimate Davyn and his companions. Take several guards and investigate the area of destruction more closely. If you find their bodies, do your best to recover them. Despite our differences, I would give Davyn a proper burial. As for the others, I can always use more raw material for my work. But if you discover no bodies, try to find a way into the tunnels and search for the young ones. If you find them alive, make certain you don’t leave them that way.”
“What about Nearra?”
“I’ll tend to her myself. Now go.”
Oddvar bowed. “As you wish.” The Theiwar straightened then turned to leave. But before the dark dwarf could reach the door, Maddoc called after him.
“And Oddvar, if you find Davyn alive, bring him to me. I would have words with my son.”
The dark dwarf bowed one last time and then left the room.Neither the Theiwar nor his master noticed a small blue-eyed mosquito that accompanied Oddvar out.
Davyn opened his eyes, but all he saw were strange swirls of softly glowing multicolored light. I must be asleep and dreaming, he thought, and closed his eyes again.
Funny, it didn’t feel like he was dreaming. The air was cool and damp and the ground beneath was hard and rocky. There was a dull pain in his lower back, and when he felt around to see what was causing it, he discovered he was lying on top of his bow.
Feels awfully real for a dream.
He opened his eyes and once again saw only undulating colors. He’d seen something like this before, but he couldn’t recall where.
Then he remembered: the hounds attacking, fighting the beasts alongside Elidor, risking a quick glance to see how Sindri was doing, seeing the boulder floating in the air, wrapped in colorful tendrils of magic power that extended from Sindri’s fingers … but then something happened and the tendrils vanished and the giant rock fell to the earth. Davyn recalled the loud booming sound of its impact, the feel of the ground trembling beneath his feet, beginning to give way. And then he was falling … no,
floating
, swaddled in a cool mist of roiling colors. Colors like those that surrounded him now.
He knew then that this was no dream.
He sat up. The colored mist was so thick that he couldn’t see anything else. “Is anyone here?” he called out. His voice sounded strange, as if the mist swallowed up his words before he finished speaking them.
“I’m here,” Catriona said. Her voice was muffled as well.
“Me, too,” Ayanti said.
“I wish I weren’t here,” Elidor said.
Davyn waited for Sindri to answer, but the kender didn’t respond. Davyn pictured the little wizard crushed beneath tons of earth, but he pushed the image from his mind. This mist, whatever it was, had to have been caused by Sindri. If the mist was still here, then there was a good chance that Sindri was too.
“I can’t see any of you,” Ayanti said. She sounded frightened, and Davyn didn’t blame her. He was more than a little frightened.
“It’s this confounded mist,” Elidor said. “It’s so thick you can’t see a
A suspicion began to grow in Maddoc’s mind. “Where exactly did this cave-in take place?”
“On the grounds to the west side of the keep, where that large boulder rests. I mean,
used
to rest. It was swallowed by the collapse.”
Maddoc’s lips curled into a slow smile, and despite himself, he couldn’t keep a touch of pride out of his voice as he said, “Clever boy.” He looked at Oddvar. “I believe Nearra’s friends have come to the fair maid’s rescue and plan to steal into the keep using the tunnels beneath it. Though it seems as if things didn’t quite go as planned when they attempted to find their way into the tunnels.”
“If you’re talking about the cave-in, then they’re all dead,” Oddvar said. “Nothing standing on the surface could’ve survived such an extensive collapse.”
“Perhaps,” Maddoc said. “But over the last year I’ve learned not to underestimate Davyn and his companions. Take several guards and investigate the area of destruction more closely. If you find their bodies, do your best to recover them. Despite our differences, I would give Davyn a proper burial. As for the others, I can always use more raw material for my work. But if you discover no bodies, try to find a way into the tunnels and search for the young ones. If you find them alive, make certain you don’t leave them that way.”
“What about Nearra?”
“I’ll tend to her myself. Now go.”
Oddvar bowed. “As you wish.” The Theiwar straightened then turned to leave. But before the dark dwarf could reach the door, Maddoc called after him.
“And Oddvar, if you find Davyn alive, bring him to me. I would have words with my son.”
The dark dwarf bowed one last time and then left the room.Neither the Theiwar nor his master noticed a small blue-eyed mosquito that accompanied Oddvar out.
Davyn opened his eyes, but all he saw were strange swirls of softly glowing multicolored light. I must be asleep and dreaming, he thought, and closed his eyes again.
Funny, it didn’t feel like he was dreaming. The air was cool and damp and the ground beneath was hard and rocky. There was a dull pain in his lower back, and when he felt around to see what was causing it, he discovered he was lying on top of his bow.
Feels awfully real for a dream.
He opened his eyes and once again saw only undulating colors. He’d seen something like this before, but he couldn’t recall where.
Then he remembered: the hounds attacking, fighting the beasts alongside Elidor, risking a quick glance to see how Sindri was doing, seeing the boulder floating in the air, wrapped in colorful tendrils of magic power that extended from Sindri’s fingers … but then something happened and the tendrils vanished and the giant rock fell to the earth. Davyn recalled the loud booming sound of its impact, the feel of the ground trembling beneath his feet, beginning to give way. And then he was falling … no,
floating
, swaddled in a cool mist of roiling colors. Colors like those that surrounded him now.
He knew then that this was no dream.
He sat up. The colored mist was so thick that he couldn’t see anything else. “Is anyone here?” he called out. His voice sounded strange, as if the mist swallowed up his words before he finished speaking them.
“I’m here,” Catriona said. Her voice was muffled as well.
“Me, too,” Ayanti said.
“I wish I weren’t here,” Elidor said.
Davyn waited for Sindri to answer, but the kender didn’t respond. Davyn pictured the little wizard crushed beneath tons of earth, but he pushed the image from his mind. This mist, whatever it was, had to have been caused by Sindri. If the mist was still here, then there was a good chance that Sindri was too.
“I can’t see any of you,” Ayanti said. She sounded frightened, and Davyn didn’t blame her. He was more than a little frightened.
“It’s this confounded mist,” Elidor said. “It’s so thick you can’t see a
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