been in a terrible mood ever since.
“I did not say that you were inferior,” Jax said. “But you did pass out during the battle, did you not?”
Davyn got to his feet, wincing and touching his hand to his head. “So?”
Jax stood as well. “So either you were overcome by the dragon’s gaseous breath, or you succumbed to the fear she projected. Which was it?”
Davyn hesitated. “I don’t know,” he said. “Perhaps a little of both.”
Jax sniffed. “A true warrior does not know fear.”
Now it was Catriona’s turn to rise. “We
all
felt the dragonfear.” She shuddered at the mention of it. “But we fought on regardless.”
“I can’t believe I was lucky enough to see a dragon,” Sindri said.
“I can’t believe we were lucky enough to survive,” Catriona said. “I should have run faster. Perhaps I could have reached Slean in time to strike a blow before she released her gas. As it was, we all would have died if it hadn’t been for your magic, Sindri.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Catriona,” Sindri said. “After all, it was your sword which blew the gas away.”
Catriona was not cheered by the kender’s comment.
“We were fortunate to escape with our lives,” Elidor said, “and we wouldn’t have been able to if it hadn’t been for Sindri’s magic.”
The kender grinned.
Jax snarled. “The same magic he used to steal my money pouch, I’ll wager!”
“I don’t have to steal!” Sindri protested. “I can conjure whatever I need!”
“Stop it, all of you!” Nearra said. “If we’re all going to travel together, we can’t keep arguing like this! That is, if Jax intends to continue traveling with us.”
Everyone looked at the minotaur and waited for him to answer.
Jax grunted.
“Obviously you want something, or you wouldn’t have accompanied us after the fight with Slean,” Nearra said. “So what do you want from us?”
“It’s not what I want from you,” Jax said in his deep, rumbling voice. “It’s what I want from him.” He pointed at Sindri.
Nearra looked at the kender. Sindri didn’t appear frightened, of course, but he did look confused. “I gave you your money,” he said to Jax. “What else do you want?”
“My money disappeared once more, after the … incident at the tavern.”
Sindri sighed. “I suppose you want me to conjure some more for you.”
The minotaur shook his head. “I believe my purse was stolen by someone who took advantage of the confusion when I was in the tavern.”
“Then what else do you want?” Catriona said.
“My honor restored,” Jax said. “Twice now you have humiliated me. Honor means everything to my people, and I cannot allow such insults as what the kender did to me to go unanswered.”
“Oh,” Sindri said. “Well, I’m not sure what I’ve done, but I don’t want to insult anyone. So if I’ve done so, I most sincerely apologize.”
The minotaur looked at Sindri for a long moment before finally nodding. “I accept your apology.”
The companions waited to see if Jax would say anything more, but he remained silent.
“That’s it?” Davyn said. “All you wanted was for Sindri to tell you he was sorry?”
“Yes,” Jax said.
“No offense, but it seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through just for an apology,” Davyn said.
“That’s because you are not a minotaur and do not fully understand the importance of honor,” Jax said.
Nearra feared that Davyn would take that as an insult, but before he could respond, Catriona stepped in.
“The Knights of Solamnia have an oath they live by,” the warrior said.
“Est Sularus oth Mithas
. It means ‘My honor is my life.’”
Jax looked at Catriona and inclined his head in acknowledgement of her words.
Davyn opened his mouth as if he intended to reply, but he said nothing. Instead he looked thoughtful, considering what both Jax and Catriona had said.
“So what will you do now that you have what you came for?” Elidor
“I did not say that you were inferior,” Jax said. “But you did pass out during the battle, did you not?”
Davyn got to his feet, wincing and touching his hand to his head. “So?”
Jax stood as well. “So either you were overcome by the dragon’s gaseous breath, or you succumbed to the fear she projected. Which was it?”
Davyn hesitated. “I don’t know,” he said. “Perhaps a little of both.”
Jax sniffed. “A true warrior does not know fear.”
Now it was Catriona’s turn to rise. “We
all
felt the dragonfear.” She shuddered at the mention of it. “But we fought on regardless.”
“I can’t believe I was lucky enough to see a dragon,” Sindri said.
“I can’t believe we were lucky enough to survive,” Catriona said. “I should have run faster. Perhaps I could have reached Slean in time to strike a blow before she released her gas. As it was, we all would have died if it hadn’t been for your magic, Sindri.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Catriona,” Sindri said. “After all, it was your sword which blew the gas away.”
Catriona was not cheered by the kender’s comment.
“We were fortunate to escape with our lives,” Elidor said, “and we wouldn’t have been able to if it hadn’t been for Sindri’s magic.”
The kender grinned.
Jax snarled. “The same magic he used to steal my money pouch, I’ll wager!”
“I don’t have to steal!” Sindri protested. “I can conjure whatever I need!”
“Stop it, all of you!” Nearra said. “If we’re all going to travel together, we can’t keep arguing like this! That is, if Jax intends to continue traveling with us.”
Everyone looked at the minotaur and waited for him to answer.
Jax grunted.
“Obviously you want something, or you wouldn’t have accompanied us after the fight with Slean,” Nearra said. “So what do you want from us?”
“It’s not what I want from you,” Jax said in his deep, rumbling voice. “It’s what I want from him.” He pointed at Sindri.
Nearra looked at the kender. Sindri didn’t appear frightened, of course, but he did look confused. “I gave you your money,” he said to Jax. “What else do you want?”
“My money disappeared once more, after the … incident at the tavern.”
Sindri sighed. “I suppose you want me to conjure some more for you.”
The minotaur shook his head. “I believe my purse was stolen by someone who took advantage of the confusion when I was in the tavern.”
“Then what else do you want?” Catriona said.
“My honor restored,” Jax said. “Twice now you have humiliated me. Honor means everything to my people, and I cannot allow such insults as what the kender did to me to go unanswered.”
“Oh,” Sindri said. “Well, I’m not sure what I’ve done, but I don’t want to insult anyone. So if I’ve done so, I most sincerely apologize.”
The minotaur looked at Sindri for a long moment before finally nodding. “I accept your apology.”
The companions waited to see if Jax would say anything more, but he remained silent.
“That’s it?” Davyn said. “All you wanted was for Sindri to tell you he was sorry?”
“Yes,” Jax said.
“No offense, but it seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through just for an apology,” Davyn said.
“That’s because you are not a minotaur and do not fully understand the importance of honor,” Jax said.
Nearra feared that Davyn would take that as an insult, but before he could respond, Catriona stepped in.
“The Knights of Solamnia have an oath they live by,” the warrior said.
“Est Sularus oth Mithas
. It means ‘My honor is my life.’”
Jax looked at Catriona and inclined his head in acknowledgement of her words.
Davyn opened his mouth as if he intended to reply, but he said nothing. Instead he looked thoughtful, considering what both Jax and Catriona had said.
“So what will you do now that you have what you came for?” Elidor
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