The Horn of Moran - Forman Mark L. Страница 54

After breakfast, Bregnest led the company to the back room where the treasure waited.

“There are seven piles of treasure, as our agreement called for,” said Bregnest. “One for each of the company who signed the agreement, and one for the finder of the Horn. Since Alex was the one who found the Horn, these two piles are for him.” Bregnest pointed to the two stacks closest to Alex.

They all cheered until Bregnest held up his hands for quiet.

“The pile for Val must be decided on,” said Bregnest, his tone changing. “As Alex and Sindar have twice saved us on this adventure, I say the pile should be divided between them. Do any disagree with this decision?”

The company remained silent and Bregnest nodded after a moment.

“Then the treasure is divided,” said Bregnest, smiling for the first time in several days. “We should store our treasures and then prepare to ride to Alusia.”

They cheered once more and started storing their treasure as fast as they could.

They were on the road to the great arch less than an hour later, leaving Telous a day earlier than planned. They rode at a gallop, hoping to make the journey to Athanor in as short a time as possible. Things may have changed in Alusia, but they were ready to do whatever they had to do in order to make their adventure a success.

Alex hoped that Whalen would reply to his last message soon, and maybe offer some advice about how to deal with the situation in Alusia. Whalen’s home was in Alusia after all, and Alex thought he might know a great deal about both Bregnest’s cousin and the family that was causing problems in Athanor.

When they reached the great arch, the company paused for a hurried meal. They said little, though Andy and Halfdan did try to cheer up Bregnest from time to time. He accepted their attempts in a good-natured way, but Alex could tell that his friend’s thoughts were already miles ahead of them, worrying about what they might find at the end of the journey.

As they rode through the great arch, Alex found that he instantly liked Alusia. The land was made up of gently rolling hills and the air smelled fresh and clean. Tall grass waved in the gentle breeze, looking like a vast green sea. Clusters of tall oak trees dotted the grasslands and the hilltops, adding a darker shade of green to the view. The temperature was warm, but not too warm; it felt like a pleasant spring day.

“Is the weather always like this?” Alex asked.

“For the most part,” answered Bregnest. “In high summer it is not so green and in the winter it rains most days.”

“And the temperature remains so agreeable?” Andy questioned.

“It is a little colder in winter,” answered Bregnest. “Though it is never as cold as Norsland in spring. It seldom snows here, except in the far north and south.”

They continued until it was too dark to see more than a few yards in any direction. They set up their camp quietly, and Bregnest asked Alex to conjure a cooking fire for them. There were no stories or jokes that night. A harsh but determined mood settled over them.

The next day, as they moved forward once again, Alex’s worries began to grow. Whalen had not written back to him since his last letter, which was odd. Surely Whalen would be as worried as Alex was and want to do anything to prevent a war in Athanor.

“We still have almost three weeks before we reach Athanor,” Alex whispered to himself. “Whalen will write back soon, I’m sure of it.”

The days seemed to pass slowly despite their attempts to move as fast as possible. They were all becoming as tense and nervous as Bregnest was. Alex tried to calm his worries by imagining Whalen turning up in Athanor and setting things right in the nick of time. These thoughts were of some comfort, but the need to hurry still pressed in on him.

Early on the morning of their tenth day in Alusia, Alex and his friends crested the top of a large hill and saw trouble.

“Bandits,” Bregnest said angrily. “They have surrounded a company on that small hill.”

“The company are adventurers,” said Sindar, shading his eyes from the sun. “I count seven standing. One down.”

“The bandits have taken their horses,” said Bregnest without replying to Sindar’s comment. “See there—away from the group—some of the bandits are waiting with the horses.”

“We must assist the adventurers,” said Halfdan, pulling his ax from his belt. “We are honor bound to give them aid, as you well know.”

“But how best to do that?” Bregnest questioned. “If we attempt to save them, we may lose their horses. Or do we try to recapture the horses and then save the party?”

“I have an idea,” said Sindar.

“Explain,” said Bregnest.

“Bregnest, you go with Halfdan and Andy to recover the horses,” said Sindar, still looking toward the encircled company. “Alex and I will attack the bandits around the hill. The magic of our swords will scare them, and I think they will try to flee. If they do, they will most likely flee in your direction.”

“Where we will be waiting for them,” said Halfdan in a grim tone.

“And Alex and I will be behind them, pressing them forward to their doom,” Sindar added.

“Very well,” said Bregnest. “We have no time to make other plans. Come, Halfdan, Andy, we will ride behind this hill and take the bandits holding the horses from behind.”

“Alex and I will ride the opposite way in order to reach the hill unobserved,” said Sindar.

The group split up without another word, and Alex and Sindar made their way along the back side of the hill, moving closer to the bandits. They had more than a mile to go before they could launch their attack, so they moved as fast as they could. It wasn’t long before they entered a cluster of large oak trees only a few hundred feet from the attacking bandits.

“They are not goblins, but they are just as evil,” said Sindar, looking at Alex and drawing his scimitars.

“Then they will fear us as goblins do, or they will never fear anything again,” said Alex, pulling Moon Slayer from his side.

Alex and Sindar charged out of the trees, yelling like wild men.

The bandits spotted them before they had covered half the distance between the trees and the hill, and they let out several loud yells of their own.

The power of Moon Slayer filled Alex as he charged forward, riding Shahree into battle. Shahree moved so fast that the bandits nearest the trees had no time to run or fight before Alex had cut them down.

The bandits, as Sindar predicted, wheeled their horses away, breaking into a run as they tried to escape. Alex and Sindar pursued the bandits without slowing, hacking them down from behind as they went.

When Alex had fought the goblins, he had been filled with rage and the desire to destroy, but now there was only the heat from the magic sword, and his desire to do what had to be done.

The fleeing bandits came to a sudden stop, turning and screaming madly at each other. Bregnest, Halfdan, and Andy blocked their path; there was no easy escape. Several of the bandits charged forward toward Bregnest and the others, preferring to take their chances there rather than face Sindar and Alex. The fight was short and bloody, and few of the bandits made it out alive.

The last three bandits, having been knocked off their horses, dropped their weapons and fell to the ground. Alex jumped from his saddle, his sword at the ready. There was no sorrow or pity in his mind as he advanced on the three evil creatures before him, only a need to finish this work.

“Alex, no!” yelled Sindar sharply, rushing forward to block Alex’s path.

Alex paused and looked at Sindar in confusion. Sindar had put away his swords, and Alex could see that their magic was already fading.

“They have surrendered, Alex,” said Sindar. “They have given up and are begging for mercy.”

“And would they have shown mercy if we had not arrived?” Alex asked, the power of his magic sword flowing through his veins like fire.