“It is also the birthplace of the Knights of Takhisis,” Palin said calmly.
“Yes,” the Shadow Sorcerer continued. “There is historical precedent here. Takhisis came to the Rest before appearing to Ariakan. Why should not this be the place again?”
“Your words have merit,” Palin agreed softly. “And there is a strong concentration of Knights of Takhisis in Neraka.”
“Ready worshipers. It is their land,” the Shadow Sorcerer added. “And they could support Takhisis here. They could guard—”
“But my divinations,” the Master interrupted. His voice had grown hoarse.
“My divinations point to Ariakan’s Rest!”
“Please stop arguing.” Usha glided to Palin’s side. “I thought you were supposed to be working together.”
“We were,” the Shadow Sorcerer snapped. “Until you intruded.” The gray-cloaked figure looked at Palin, pointedly avoiding Usha’s stare. “We will discuss this later, when we are alone.” The sorcerer whirled on slippered feet and stalked from the chamber. The kender had to leap out of the way to avoid being knocked down.
“I’m sorry,” Usha offered. “I really didn’t mean to intrude.”
“Ahem,” Blister cleared her throat.
“But Blister wanted to talk to you, and—”
“No intrusion.” Palin took Usha’s hands in his and kissed her cheek. “A welcome break. This discussion was going nowhere. Time will soothe tempers, and we’ll attack the problem again in an hour or so.”
Usha smiled, her golden eyes twinkling. “Blister?”
Palin turned toward the kender and motioned her farther into the room. Blister looked about tentatively for a moment, then hurried to join them.
“The Shadow Sorcerer said I’m not needed anymore to find Dhamon.”
“You gave the Master and the Shadow Sorcerer enough information earlier. They will use that information again. We’ll eventually find him—mostly thanks to you. And it should not take too long.”
“Then you really don’t need me here anymore.”
Palin looked at the kender, smiled, and arched an eyebrow. “You’re very helpful Blister. There are plenty of things you can—”
“I’d like to be with Rig and Feril, Jasper, too. And I kinda miss Groller and Fury, even though I can’t really talk to either of them. Well, I can. But Groller can’t hear me and Fury can hear me, but he can’t understand—or talk back. Anyway, they’re all going to Brukt. At least the Master says they are.” She waved her hands in the air. “Gilthanas is gonna help get the glaive for you. He’ll probably keep Dhamon from killing Rig, if Rig hasn’t already caught up to Dhamon and killed him. I would’ve gone with Silvara, too, but I didn’t know that you didn’t really need me anymore. If I would’ve known that, I would’ve gone. So I was wondering...” She fidgeted with the cord that tied her tunic.
“Yes?”
“I was wondering if you could, you know... magically send me to Brukt. Sort of like how you brought Usha and me here from Schallsea. I could go on to the coast with Rig and them and then to Dimernesti. I’ve never seen a sea elf.”
Palin rubbed his chin. Stubble dotted his face; he’d been so busy lately that he hadn’t taken time to shave or to eat properly. He was falling into bad habits again. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
Blister nodded. “I’ve never been to Brukt before, or to any ogre ruin, for that matter. I would’ve asked Ulin if he and Sunrise would take me there, but Ulin was kinda grumpy and just said he was going somewhere. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to go ‘somewhere.’”
“I understand.”
“So it’s okay?”
“Yes.”
“And you can do it? Just send me to them?” Blister smiled wide.
“Well, I’d like to be sure exactly where they are first.”
“You can do that?”
“Yes.”
The Master cleared his throat, interrupting their conversation. “Tonight I will contact Rig.”
Palin mouthed his thanks, then returned his attention to the kender. “And then I’ll—”
“You’ll send me with Blister.” Usha’s golden eyes had lost their sparkle, her expression instantly serious.
“What?” Palin’s eyes were wide.
“Hmm. I better go pack.” Blister hurried from the room, giving the Majeres a chance to be almost alone.
“Perhaps we should continue our discussion of Takhisis and the dragons later.” The Master padded up behind Palin, attempting to slip past him and leave.
“No.” Usha put her hand out and stopped the mysterious sorcerer. “It is Palin and I who can talk later.” She leaned forward, kissed Palin, and left.
Palin watched her go, then rubbed at the stubble on his face again. “I don’t think she’s serious,” he told the Master. “She won’t really leave with Blister.”
The Master said nothing.
The two returned to their maps. The Master studied his friend’s weathered face and began to roll up the parchments. “I still believe the Window to the Stars is the answer.”
“Perhaps. But Ariakan’s Rest is indeed a possibility and has precedent, as the Shadow Sorcerer says. And... perhaps... neither is correct.” Palin eased himself into a high-backed chair, steepled his fingers, and stared at his reflection in the dark marble. “I, too, will devote my time to divining the location of Takhisis’s arrival,” he said finally.
“And together we will discover how to use the artifacts to stop Takhisis’ return.” The Master tugged the ring free from his hand. “Dalamar’s ring,” he said softly. “Your ring now.” He placed it in Palin’s palm. “I’ve no need of such baubles anyway. So now you have two artifacts.”
“The Fist of E’li and Dalamar’s ring. Thank you, my friend.”
“And soon, if Rig and his companions are fortunate, you’ll have the glaive and the crown.” The Master walked to a slender bookcase filled with leather-bound volumes. He tugged a thick black book free and brought it to the table. Pale fingers turned the pages. “It took me quite a while to find this. Here. See? I believe this is the weapon Dhamon carries.”
Palin leaned over the tome. The words were scratchy, as if they’d been penned in a hurry or by someone with a shaky hand. “Gryendel,” he pronounced. “You’re right. This could be it.” He placed Dalamar’s ring in his pocket and traced his finger down the page. “This says it was forged by Reorx centuries upon centuries ago, that it was lost in the All Saints War, before the coming of the last gods and before the Age of Dreams. Indeed it is ancient.”
“Reorx’s Grin,” the Master said. “Crafted to part whatever its wielder desires—wood, armor, stone... perhaps even dragonflesh. In any event, it can’t be allowed to fall into the clutches of the dragons. Khellendros has Huma’s Lance and Goldmoon’s medallions already. This cannot be lost too.”
“Reorx’s Grin,” Palin whispered.
In a laboratory upstairs, one with lots of windows, Usha sat at a makeshift easel, putting the last touches on a painting of Blister. The kender was surrounded by flowers that Usha had painstakingly depicted. All that remained were to add a few highlights to Blister’s graying blonde hair and a bit of rose to her lips. Perhaps a half-hour’s work at best, she thought.
Usha moved the picture and put another piece of smoothed wood on the easel. She cleaned her brush, drying it on a rag. Then she thrust the tip in dark green paint and began dabbing at the fresh surface. An hour later, she had painted the beginnings of a forest, with trees stretching from the bottom to the top of the canvas. The outline of a dwarf was in the center of the painting.
“Jasper, you’re carrying the Fist. I know it,” she said to herself. “But you don’t know what you carry—and neither, it seems, do I.”