“What good?” Alex questioned. “I mean, I’m glad the troll was destroyed and that Shahree is all right. I’m happy we were able to find the other horses and claim the troll’s treasure, but what other good can come from that?”
“You forget the seven lost bags,” said Bregnest. “You’ve done a great thing, recovering those bags. You have the chance to help many people when you return the bags to the heirs and families of the lost adventurers.”
“I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to do that,” said Alex. “I don’t even know how I’ll find out who owned the bags to start with.”
“The bag maker in Telous will be able to tell you who the bags belonged to,” Bregnest replied, resting his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “He should also be able to tell you who the heirs are and where they might be found.”
“Oh, I never thought of that.”
“You are learning quickly,” Bregnest said, “and I’m glad Thrang and Arconn asked you to join our adventure.”
“Thank you,” said Alex, humbled and pleased at the same time.
“Come now, let’s join the others,” said Bregnest. “Though I don’t think there will be much talk around the campfire tonight.”
“I am rather tired,” said Alex as they walked back to the campfire. “I don’t remember ever feeling as tired as I do right now.”
It had been a long day, and Alex was happy with how things had worked out. He smiled as he closed his eyes, hoping that Bregnest was right and that a great deal of good would come from returning the lost magic bags.
That night they all slept soundly with only the sound of the stream to break the silence. If any wild creature passed the camp, it went unnoticed. They slept late into the following morning, and then slowly ate the breakfast Thrang prepared. With a final cheer for their good fortunes and Alex’s victory over the troll, they rode away from what the company had dubbed the Troll’s Stream.
chapter seven
The White Tower
The Troll’s Stream was soon left far behind as Alex and his companions followed the road to the east. The weather grew warmer as the days passed, and the fields and forests became greener. They didn’t meet anyone as they traveled, and to Alex’s relief, they had no more encounters with trolls or anything worse. Bregnest insisted they keep a watch at night, however, and he had them draw marked stones from a bag to decide which watch each of them would take. Alex was happy when he drew the first watch, as it seemed to be the best to him.
Early one day, they came to a fork in the road, and Bregnest had them stop and gather around him. One road turned sharply to the south, while the other continued mostly east, bending slightly to the north.
“Which road shall we take?” Bregnest questioned.
Alex knew Bregnest wasn’t really looking for an answer; he just wanted to hear what each member of the company had to say.
“The south road will be better,” said Halfdan, without commitment. “But there are many people that way, and the road to our final goal will be longer.”
“East and north lies the White Tower,” Arconn commented, looking into the distance. “It might be wise to seek the Oracle.”
“The wait at the tower may be a long one,” said Thrang thoughtfully.
“But worth the time spent,” Tayo answered him.
“And when has waiting ever been troublesome to a dwarf?” asked Skeld with a laugh. “It will give you time to grow back your beard, though our young wizard burnt off but little of it.”
“It would be pleasant to see the White Tower,” Andy commented softly as the others laughed at Skeld’s jest. “The Oracle may help us in our quest.”
“Only if she can use a sword,” Skeld laughed.
“What do you think, Alex?” questioned Bregnest.
Alex’s companions had become extremely interested in his opinions since his victory over the troll. It didn’t seem to matter how many times Alex told them he’d just been lucky. They simply saw his luck as part of his magical powers, and laughed whenever he expressed his own doubts.
Alex knew from reading the Adventurer’s Handbookthat the south road was considered the safer road. There were many cities to the south as well, and he thought it might be nice to see how the people of this land lived. In his heart, though, he wanted to see the White Tower of the Oracle.
“I think the south road would be safest, but the east road would be wisest,” Alex answered. “And I would like to try to speak to the Oracle if I can.”
“Even if you have a chance to speak with her, the Oracle may not tell you what you wish to hear,” said Arconn in a thoughtful tone.
“Just the same, I’d like to try,” Alex replied more boldly.
“As would I,” Bregnest added. “So east we will go, and hope the Oracle will agree to speak with us.”
Alex fell back into line beside Andy as they started forward again.
“How far is the White Tower from here?” Alex questioned.
“It depends,” Andy replied. “Some say the tower moves. Others say it is hidden, so only those who the Oracle wishes to speak with can find it.”
“What do you believe?”
“I believe we will find it,” Andy said.
“I hope so,” said Alex.
“Why is that?” Skeld asked, looking over his shoulder at Alex.
“It would be good to see some people,” Alex said. “Even if we don’t get to talk to the Oracle, it would be good to see a city or town as we travel.”
“Adventures aren’t about seeing cities or people,” said Tayo.
“No, I suppose not,” replied Alex. “I just thought . . .”
“Thought what?” asked Skeld as a smile spread across his face.
“I thought there would be more than just riding and camping,” answered Alex.
“Ready to fight another troll, are you?” Skeld asked with a laugh.
“No, nothing like that,” said Alex, laughing as well. “It’s just that seeing new places and meeting new people would make things more . . .”
“Adventurous?” offered Andy.
“Yes,” said Alex.
“Adventures aren’t all about excitement and finding treasure,” said Tayo with a slight smile.
“Most adventures can be very common, even boring,” laughed Skeld.
“What’s so funny?” Halfdan questioned, slowing his horse to ride beside Skeld.
“Alex doesn’t think our adventure is very exciting,” Skeld answered happily.
“Excitement? Bah!” said Halfdan. “We don’t need more excitement. We’ll have enough of that when we face Slathbog.”
“Too much perhaps,” Tayo added in a grim tone.
“That’s not what I meant,” Alex protested, but then he saw Halfdan wink.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “There will likely be plenty of excitement before we’re all safe at home once more.”
Alex let the subject drop, trying to understand his own feelings about excitement and adventure. All this travel did seem very—as Skeld had said—boring. Still, he was in a new land, learning new things, and not cleaning up or washing dishes at his stepfather’s tavern.
They rode east for two more days, stopping only at midday for a meal and then riding until it was almost dark. The warm weather meant they could simply sleep on their blankets under the stars. Alex enjoyed sleeping in the open, because each night one of his friends would tell a story about a previous adventure.
On the first night after the crossroad, Thrang told of how he’d joined an adventure to capture a dangerous sea monster. With great excitement and some vigorous demonstrations, Thrang explained how the monster had almost gotten away, but was captured in the end. His descriptions of how the monster acted amused them all, and when he finished his story, Alex and the rest of the company cheered.