Kaz snorted angrily and began to struggle with his bonds. Huma started to rise, but Buoron pushed him back down. Taggin continued.
“There is, however, another possibility. Paladine is the god of justice and wisdom. To execute the minotaur would be as great a travesty as we could commit. Therefore, I am placing him in the capable custody of Knight Huma, whom I believe we can trust to keep him under control.”
A cheer arose. Opinions of Huma had swayed so much again that he was now nearly as great a hero to his fellows as he had been to the Ergothians.
“Remove the minotaur’s bonds.”
Knight Caleb reluctantly obeyed. Kaz gave him a toothy grin as the knight removed the last of the bonds; an instant later, the minotaur was bursting through the crowd. Kaz took hold of his former companion and lifted him high with a cry of pleasure.
“I thought never to see you again, friend Huma! You should know that out of respect to you I held my temper while I searched! Glad I am that I chose to turn south immediately. It did occur to me that you might have gone north in search of me.”
Huma flushed. “I could only hope you were safe. My path led me southward even when I did not wish it to. Magius—”
Kaz misunderstood. “Yes, I saw that dragon-spawned mage friend of yours peering at me. He seemed quite willing to sacrifice me for the sake of expediency. I was so enraged by his satisfied expression that I began contemplating a suicidal escape attempt.” The minotaur bellowed in laughter, although Huma could not see why.
Taggin cleared his throat. Huma quickly steered the minotaur over to him. “Lord Taggin, Knight of the Rose. I present to you Kaz, minotaur.”
“Of a lineage that has produced more than a dozen champions of my race.” Blood did not count as much in the land of the minotaurs as it did among the aristocratically minded Knights of Solamnia, but a lineage that produced champions was highly admired by other minotaurs. To the knights, it was as if Kaz called himself a noble of his people.
Taggin greeted the minotaur and then turned serious. “When the others are gone, we will speak. I’ve summoned the mage, too.”
It did not take long for the room to empty. One look from the commander sent Buoron out the doorway. Kaz looked puzzled, but Lord Taggin refused to talk until Magius had arrived.
With obvious reluctance, the mage entered. Kaz stiffened, and his eyes reddened in anger. Huma feared an attack, but Kaz stood his ground. Magius pretended the massive figure was not even there.
“I have decided to come as you requested. Lord Taggin.”
“How very decent of you.” The elder knight was no more willing to hide his animosity toward the mage than Buoron had been. “I’ve decided to allow you to continue your journey and will even provide an escort.”
Magius sniffed. “How very decent of you, Lord Taggin, but we do not need an escort. Huma and I can make it on our own.”
“But you won’t be alone, wolf-spawn,” Kaz hissed. “I will be going with you whether an escort does or not.”
Taggin held up a hand for silence. “You have no choice. I will send an escort, anyway. It is not a politeness; it is a requirement if you intend going on with this—quest.”
Magius glared openly at Huma. “Would that you had taken an oath of silence. Your tongue flaps well, it seems.”
Huma bristled but would not satisfy his companion with a childish retort.
The outpost commander stepped up to Magius until less than a hand’s span separated their faces. “You will be leaving tomorrow morning at dawn. No sooner, no later. If you think to sneak away, do not bother. We will find you, and then I will lock you up. We can hold a magic-user. Trust me on that.”
It was quite satisfying to Huma when Magius was the first to back down. “Very well. Since we apparently have no choice.”
“You do not.”
Turning to Huma, Magius pointed to the minotaur and asked, “That must go with us as well?”
“Absolutely.” Kaz added to Huma’s answer with a menacing snarl that revealed his teeth.
“The morning, then.” Magius turned back to Lord Taggin. “Is that all?”
“No. Do I understand that this is all based on a dream?”
The mage smiled, sadly it seemed. “The Test was no dream. A nightmare is appropriate. A nightmare I hope to change.”
Taggin stared into his eyes. “You have not told him everything, have you, Magius?”
Huma’s eyes widened, then grew wider still, as the magic-user continued to delay his response.
Magius glanced at the others, then abruptly turned toward the door. “No. When the time is right, I will.”
They watched him depart.
“Watch him, Huma,” Taggin finally whispered. “Not just for your sakes, but for his.”
The younger knight could only nod. Again, he wondered how he could ever still believe in Magius.
A knight stood waiting on the top of the tallest peak. His visor was down, so it was impossible to identify him. He wore the sign of the Knights of the Rose, and in his left hand he held a magnificent sword. He appeared to offer the weapon to Huma.
Huma crawled over crag and ravine. He lost his grip more than a dozen times, but each time he regained it before he had a chance to fall. Although Huma was near the top, the other knight did not help him. Instead, the strange figure continued to hold out the sword.
Huma stumbled over and accepted the proffered weapon. It was a beautiful sword—an antique. Huma sliced the air three times. The other knight looked on.
The young knight thanked him for the weapon and asked him his name. The visored knight did not speak. Suddenly growing angry, Huma reached forward and lifted the visor.
He was never sure what he saw, for something howled and Huma bolted upright in his cot, the dream shattered.
Taggin was there to see that nothing went awry. He paid particular attention to the activities of Magius, but the spell-caster was behaving himself this morning.
The escort arrived. Ten men had volunteered. Huma was relieved that Buoron was one of them.
When the entire troop was ready and mounted, Buoron signaled for the gates to be opened. As they rode out, each man, with the exception of Magius and Kaz, saluted the outpost commander. Lord Taggin had said nothing to Huma that morning, but he returned the salute with a slight wave of assurance.
Their route was to take them through open field for the entire journey, giving them an ever-expanding view of the chain of mountains. They were at least several days’ journey from their goal. Huma wondered which peak Magius was seeking and what he expected to find. The mage was being very quiet. As a matter of fact, his eyes had been fixed on the mountain peaks from the moment they had left the outpost. Magius stared at the great rocky leviathans as if his life depended on them—which it quite possibly did.
Had Huma looked back at that moment, he might have noticed the swift form that darted into and out of whatever shelter it could find. It did not care for the day, which was harmful to its kind—not that it really thought of itself as other than an extension of its master. Nevertheless, it had made the long journey to act as the eyes and ears of the one who held its existence in his hands. For him, it would suffer the burning pain of daylight, daylight that seared it even through the ever-present cloud cover.
Wherever the knight and the mage traveled, the dreadwolf would follow.
Chapter 15
The great giants loomed over them, oblivious to the tiny, uneasy creatures at the outermost edge. The mountains had been magnificent from a distance; they were overwhelming up close. Not even Magius spoke. As one, they could only stare.
The mountains here were old, much older than many of their counterparts to the east and even to the north. More than one peak vanished into the cloud cover, testimony to unbelievable heights. Time had weathered all the mountains, some so much that they resembled the shells of gigantic sea creatures. The wind, ever-present and ten times wilder than on the plains, filled the air with almost human shrieks as it danced through the chain.