Once again Zollin woke up shortly after sunrise. He was nearly out of rations. He finished the keg of ale and left the small barrel behind as he set out for the day. He was almost out of the forest when he saw a familiar sight. He almost didn’t believe his eyes. He had been alone for several days now, and he thought at first he was just seeing what he wanted to see, but soon he heard a voice hailing him and arms waving for him. Lilly seemed excited, too, and she sped her trot into a fast canter.
“I don’t believe it,” Zollin said, as tears stung his eyes.
“We found you!” Kelvich said.
“It’s good to see you,” Zollin replied.
“Where’s Brianna?” Mansel asked.
“That’s a long story,” Zollin answered. “Where’s my dad?”
Kelvich looked down, waiting for an answer of some type, but nothing came.
“I’ll tell you about it on the way. We need to go to Lodenhime,” Mansel said.
“I can’t, at least not yet. The dragon has Brianna.”
Kelvich’s mouth fell open, but Mansel didn’t seem to hear.
“Well see about that when we get back. I really need you to come with me. Your dad’s in trouble.”
“What?” Kelvich and Zollin said at the same time.
“He’s a prisoner in Lodenhime. You’ve got to come and see if the lady of the Castle on the Sea will release him to you.”
Zollin looked at Kelvich.
“Did you know about this?” he asked his old mentor.
“No, he wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“You have to come,” Mansel said. “We need to get going. I’ve been gone too long as it is.”
“I can’t,” Zollin said. “I have to track down the dragon.”
The three men sat on their horses staring at each other, no one speaking. Finally, Zollin broke the silence.
“I love my father,” he said. “But I love Brianna, too. I’ve asked her to marry me. I have to find her first.”
Mansel looked frustrated, but Kelvich kept silent.
“I could use your help,” Zollin said to both men.
“After you find Brianna, will you come south with me?” Mansel asked.
“Of course,” Zollin said.
“All right, let’s get going.”
They turned their horses and set off, heading south. Kelvich was full of questions, but he kept silent. There was something wrong with Mansel, but he wasn’t sure what it was. The young warrior had been short with him on the trip to find Zollin, but Kelvich had chalked it up to remorse over what must have happened to Quinn. Now, finding out that Zollin’s father was being held in Lodenhime, by someone Mansel called the lady of the Castle on the Sea, he felt that there was more to the story than Mansel was telling them. But Kelvich also remembered the way Mansel had reacted when the sorcerer had pushed him for more information. He knew that Mansel was dangerous-not just a skilled warrior, but a dangerous man for reasons he couldn’t quiet explain yet. He decided to wait and speak to Zollin when he could tell the young wizard how he really felt.
Chapter 21
Mansel knew that he was taking a risk, but it was a calculated risk. There was virtually no way for Zollin to discover what Mansel had done to Quinn before reaching the Castle on the Sea. Once there, Gwendolyn would have her prize, and nothing else mattered. The only thing Mansel had to worry about was the ship captain. If the ship captain spoke up too soon, everything would be ruined. He would have to ensure that the roguish sailor couldn’t spoil his plans.
“Tell me what happened to Quinn,” Zollin said as they rode along.
They were nearly out of the forest and could cut cross-country in hopes of finding a village or homestead that was still occupied. He needed to discover where the dragon had gone and find Brianna. It was hard not to feel as if he were being drawn and quartered. Brianna’s need took precedence, but he could not deny that he was worried about his father as well.
“We went south and got the Prince,” Mansel said, deciding to leave out his problems with Quinn and how he’d been left behind at Cape Sumbar. “But we were warned about trying to sneak him out of the country by sea, so we traveled overland into Felxis and made for the nearest harbor, but there were soldiers there as well.”
“Wait,” Kelvich said. “Why did you need to be concerned about soldiers? I thought you were sent to save him from the Mezzlyn assassins.”
“We were, but apparently the Council of Kings sent troops to stop him from returning to Yelsia.”
“Why would they do that?” Kelvich asked.
“How the hell do I know?” Mansel said angrily. “I’m not privy to the whims of kings.”
“Calm down,” Zollin said. “We’re all a bit frazzled. There’s a lot going on, and biting each other’s heads off won’t help.”
“I only ask because there are troops massing at Fort Jellar,” Kelvich said. “The Duke there is worried about war. He sent me to find you in hopes that you would come and bolster his position.”
“War? Why would there be war?” Zollin asked.
But even as he asked the question he remembered what King Felix had said to him before Zollin had left on his quest. Felix had hinted that a time might come when Zollin’s help would be needed against the other kingdoms. At the time, the King’s hints had made Zollin nervous, but now he could see that he had some major decisions to make.
“It’s against the treaty for wizards to side with one kingdom over another,” Zollin said.
“That’s true,” Kelvich agreed, “but it seems as if perhaps the treaty has already been cast aside. What use would the Council of Kings have had for detaining a crown prince serving as an ambassador? And if troops were mobilized to stop Mansel and your father from bringing Prince Wilam home, it seems probable that plans for war were already under way.”
“So what do you think it all means?” Zollin said.
“It means that the world is changing,” Kelvich said. “But we knew that already, didn’t we? You said yourself that you’ve seen things you would never have believed were real.”
“Like those creatures in the forest,” Mansel said nervously, looking around to see if they were being followed.
“Forest dryads,” Kelvich said. “Nasty creatures, but they are the guardians of the forests. They wouldn’t have bothered you alone, Mansel.”
“They tried to kill us,” he insisted.
“They wanted Zollin,” Kelvich said. “In times gone by, some wizards devoted their entire lives to the study of forest lore. They made their homes with dryads, even fought wars with them. But that was long, long ago, in wilder times.”
“Is that where we are headed?” Zollin asked his mentor. “I mean, I keep running into creatures, some of which are absolutely deadly. It’s as if they’re attracted to me.”
“Not to you, but to your magic,” Kelvich said. “For hundreds of years the Torr have controlled all magic in the Five Kingdoms. And they have consolidated their power and knowledge in the tower of the Torr. I’m sure you saw the tower in the Grand City of Osla,” Kelvich said to Mansel.
For a moment the warrior felt a wave of panic. If Kelvich questioned him about the Grand City he would not be able to answer the sorcerer’s questions. He realized he should have dealt with the nosy old man before finding Zollin.
“Yes,” Mansel said.
“It’s quite a sight, isn’t it?”
“The tower or the Grand City?” Mansel asked.
“Both,” Kelvich said merrily, but his eyes were studying Mansel intently.
“Yes, they are.”
“The tower is a marvel, especially the three-pronged, upper tier. It looks like a giant trident, as if some ancient sea god were thrusting his weapon up toward the sky. Tell us what you thought of it, Mansel.”