Chapter 26
When they had ridden beyond sight of the city, Volo brought the group to a stop.
'In the interests of time, I'm afraid that we are going to have to take the fastest route, which unfortunately also happens to be the most dangerous,' the master traveler announced.
'We are with you, my captain,' Curtis intoned.
'This is no time for theatrics,' Volo instructed.
'First, we will have to pass the legendary Fields of the Dead, and then the site of the infamous Battle of the Bones.'
'Yeah, yeah, the possibility of encounters with undead, orcs, and worse,' Passepout replied, anxious to bring their quest to an end. 'Go on.'
'We will then have to pass through Zhent-infested mountains.'
'Fine,' the thespian answered for the group. 'Let's just get moving.'
'Don't you even want to stop for lunch?' Shurleen asked.
'There will be plenty of time for eating at the Dragon's Jaws Inn,' he replied. 'Now, are we going or staying?'
Volo was heartened by the change in the thespian, it was as if he had discovered a secret bravery and courage from within that heretofore he was unaware of.
'Let's go!' Volo replied, leading the group at a full gallop toward the Fields of the Dead.
The Fields of the Dead made up a barren wasteland that had withered away all that had tried to grow in it. This, however, was a veritable garden compared to the next leg of their journey.
They entered the site of the legendary Battle of the Bones.
The soil had a dusty white pallor that mirrored the bones of long-dead warriors that jutted out from the landscape surface.
'Watch where your horse is stepping,' Volo called back to the others. 'Many a horse has broken a leg by getting its hoof caught in some long-abandoned rib cage.'
The steeds kicked up clouds of white and gray as they passed through the bleached battleground of carnage, where humans and orcs had engaged in mortal combat for almost a full week of nonstop fighting. Skulls were trampled under their fiery hooves, and shards and splinters that had been once part of human limbs were blown to the side by galloping cascades.
Shurleen had narrowly missed being thrown from her horse, when it stumbled before leaping over an ossified orc carcass, but she quickly recovered, reining her horse to the side for a moment before rejoining the others in midgallop.
Several members of the undead watched from their graves, never deigning to give their presence away. There are some sights that hold even zombies and specters in awe.
The travelers passed out of the fields of former carnage without a single incident.
Sometimes leading their steeds on foot so as not to be seen, the four travelers carefully navigated the Zhent-infested mountains.
A single robber brigand who had mistakenly assumed that Shurleen was traveling alone was the only obstacle encountered, and before Curtis had a chance to double back and subdue the pugnacious thief, Shurleen had already disarmed him with a quick kick to the tender parts and was back on her way.
After many miles of short rations, and hours of riding that were happily shorter than expected due to an unexpected enchantment of speed that the steeds had been blessed with, the foursome soon entered Cormyr.
Even sooner, the city of Suzail loomed in front of them.
Chapter 27
Kirk had retired a matter of days ago and Duke was already missing his old friend. Stewart, Kirk's replacement, was a nice enough fellow, but a bit too much of a talker, which was a real problem since he also had a tendency to stutter. Duke had seen it take him close to a half hour to tell a passing traveler that it was necessary for him to register at the gate before entering the city due to another one of Vangerdahast's meetings of the War Wizards. Kirk might have been a bit pugnacious at times, but at least he got the job done quickly and efficiently.
'St-t-t-t-t-t-t-top! St-t-t-t-t-t-top!'
'What is he up to now'? Duke thought, getting up from his seniority-has-its-privileges chair in the watch station in just enough time to see four riders race through the gate.
'Whoa!' the leader stopped the steeds.
Duke recognized him as the legendary Volo, whom he had first met back when Kirk was assigned to the gate.
'Khelben,' Volo puffed. 'Where is he?'
'Probably at the Dragon's Jaws Inn,' Duke replied, 'raising a tankard or two with Vangerdahast. The Council of Mages doesn't meet again until tomorrow, and old Vangerdahast likes to take the occasional visiting dignitary out to the local hot spots.'
'Thanks,' Volo replied. 'We'll register later.'
'No problem,' Duke answered, thinking, Fame has its privileges.
Stewart had just caught up to the horsemen, as Duke signaled for them to go.
'B-b-b-b-b-u-u-u-t, Duke,' the junior geriatric Purple Dragon stuttered. 'They didn't sign in.'
'Don't worry about it,' Duke replied, and resumed his place of seniority in the watch station while Stewart turned his attentions to an new group of arrivals.
Khelben was feeling very uncomfortable as he and Vangerdahast arrived at the doorstep of the Dragon's Jaws Inn.
'Honestly,' the ramrod-straight mage with the distinctive streak of gray in his beard said to the older mage, 'do we really have to make an appearance here?'
'Yes,' Vangerdahast replied. 'The citizens of Suzail enjoy it. It is but a small sacrifice of our time in the larger scheme of things.'
'Speaking of time,' Khelben remarked, 'I really feel that we are spending too much time in meetings. I've lost count of the amount of times in the past year that you've called a gathering of the War Wizards. Sometimes I feel like I'm spending more time in Suzail than I am in Waterdeep.'
'Well,' Vangerdahast replied, 'having spent so much time in our fair city, it is only proper that you take advantage of this opportunity to dine at the Dragon's Jaws Inn, the one tavern that any visitor to Cormyr shouldn't miss.'
The two mages opened the door and stepped inside and were immediately greeted by the always-on-the- spot Milo Dudley.
'Mister Vangerdahast, you honor our establishment, and Mister Arunsun, I'm glad you decided to pay us another visit. As I said to you before, though, had you given me a little notice I could have arranged something special for you, but I guess we will have to make due with our typically exceptional service.'
'I beg your pardon,' Khelben interrupted, somewhat confused. 'What did you just say?'
'Our typically exceptional service?' Milo repeated with a touch of uncertainty in his voice.
'No, before that.'
