'From the Master Mage, I have learned that you possess the key to a portal that could transport us to Ogrebond at the edge of the Blood Sea. Our friends, including my brother, have been taken captive in that part of the world and are held in dire jeopardy. We do not have enough time to journey there by land or sea and are desperate for swifter means of travel. We come to you, trusting that you will appreciate the urgency of our quest.'
The ugly ogress made a reproachful face and wagged a finger at Raistlin. 'Morath shouldn't be telling folks that I have knowledge of a portal. He should know better.'
She lowered her voice conspiratorially and leaned closer to Raistlin, so that their faces were an arm's length apart. Her mouth twisted, as if she were attempting a rare smile. Her breath smelled worse than any horse's. The purple eye bulged in its socket. 'Portals exist through the benevolence of the Hulderfolk. They are not to be used for purposes of mere expediency. The Hulderfolk set certain conditions. The magic involved is of the highest potency.'
'But do the Hulderfolk truly exist?' interjected Tanis from behind Raistlin. 'Are they not simply legend?'
The purple eye swiveled to scrutinize Tanis, who had spoken without thinking. The half-elf braced for some type of abuse from the Oracle, but Chen'tal Pyrnee seemed amused rather than angry at his outburst. 'Oh, I should think the Hulderfolk do exist,' the ogress cackled. 'There's no real proof, of course, as there is no real proof of many things. People say the Hulderfolk are invisible during the day and shy at night. Yet I believe they are always with us, watching and waiting. You must live according to what you believe.' She shrugged. 'I, for one, believe in the Hulderfolk.'
Here she endeavored another rare smile. Two smiles in one day, probably a record, thought Flint to himself.
The ugly ogress turned back to Raistlin, hefting the money pouch once again. Her smile vanished. With a flick of her hand, she tossed the pouch back in his direction. It landed at his feet.
'A cartload of coins would not be enough for me to tempt the Hulderfolk,' she said flatly. 'I would be risking my very existence.'
She leaned toward Raistlin again, speaking softly with her stinking breath. 'Magic would raise the stakes. Now, I'm not saying I know the whereabouts of a portal, and I'm not saying I don't. If I did, it would take a magic artifact to grant your request. No amount of coinage would make the slightest difference. If you had a magic bauble to trade, we might have something to talk about. Being a noteworthy pupil of Morath's and all, you might happen to have such a bauble. If so, you'd be well advised to barter with it.'
With a smirk, the unpleasant hag resumed stirring the hot, bubbling caldron. She cackled and muttered to herself, her purple eye remaining fixed on Raistlin.
The young mage stood with a wan, defeated expression. He started to say something, then thought better of it. The silence in the room grew oppressive.
'Raistlin!' whispered Tanis, beckoning him to his side. The mage turned to confer with his friend. Flint, who was weary of the ogress, sidled up next to them, listening.
'What about the message bottle from Tasslehoff?' asked Tanis, 'That's a magical artifact, isn't it?'
'You've got it with you, don't you?' put in Flint.
'Yes,' said Raistlin tersely.
'We have no further use for it,' added Tanis. 'She might want it.'
'You don't understand,' said Raistlin stubbornly.
'I can hear practically every word you are saying!' crowed the ogress. Chen'tal Pyrnee cupped one hand to her ear, bent her head toward them, and cackled. 'Practically every word,' she muttered to herself grumpily, stirring the caldron.
The three companions moved away from her and huddled closer together. Raistlin lowered his voice. 'The bottle means nothing to me,' the young mage whispered, 'but to give it to Chen'tal Pyrnee goes against my teaching. This ogress traffics with whomever will pay her price. In the past, she has allied herself with evil. She may do so again. No magical artifact, however innocent, should fall into her hands.'
'But she already has at least one artifact-the magical key or whatever it is that unlocks the portal,' puzzled Flint. 'Therefore, wouldn't it be acceptable to give her ours in exchange? That way, she's not really gaining any power.'
'That's true,' admitted Raistlin hesitantly.
'After all,' added Tanis, 'it may be a question of Caramon's life.'
'Sturm's, too,' chimed in Flint, 'not to mention Tasslehoff.'
Raistlin frowned. 'I suppose you're right,' he said. The mage turned back to Chen'tal Pyrnee, who had been observing the huddle and trying to eavesdrop. Her purplish orb gleamed with interest.
Fumbling in his pack, Raistlin pulled out the message bottle. Immediately Chen'tal Pyrnee grabbed it and held it up in two hands, her hideous face alight with pleasure.
'A message bottle!' she exclaimed. 'It's so pretty! I haven't seen one for eons! They're not very practical, however. Each owner can use it only once. But they do come in handy.' Suddenly her brow furrowed. 'I hope there's a good message inside, so I don't get bored with it in the meantime.'
'If you like kender, you'll love-' Flint began before Tanis clapped his hand over the dwarf's mouth.
Chen'tal Pyrnee turned to stare suspiciously at the dwarf, but Raistlin cut in, waving his hand reassuringly. 'It’s from a kender on an ocean voyage, and-'
Listening to Raistlin, she nodded excitedly. 'Oooh! A kender!' Chen'tal Pyrnee squealed with delight. 'I couldn't be more pleased. They are such diverting creatures. I hired one to clean and sweep for me over seven years ago, but it didn't work out, because one day… Oh, never mind. It’s a long story-kender stories always are-and as I recall, you're in a bit of hurry.'
Moving with surprising speed, the ogress bustled over to the large trunk and opened it, with her copious backside carefully screening the interior from her visitors' view. She rummaged among the contents, noisily shoving things aside, until at last she straightened up and turned around, triumphantly clutching a shimmering black gem dangling from a silver chain.
'Here it is!' the Oracle proclaimed, handing it over to Raistlin. 'It is very powerful, so use it wisely.'
'The Amulet of Darkness,' said Raistlin wonderingly, holding it up for the others to see. The gem spun slowly on its chain, catching the pale light in the room.
Flint thought it looked like a lot of other black gemstones he had seen in his life. Tanis could tell that Raistlin recognized it as unique.
'Of course,' Chen'tal Pyrnee added wistfully, 'I have never had an opportunity to use it myself, so I can only suggest how best to make use of it.'
'I thought the Amulet of Darkness had been lost forever,' mused Raistlin.
'Lost, perhaps,' said the ogress, 'but not forever. Besides, I didn't say it was the one and only Amulet of Darkness. You did. All I guarantee is that it will take you through the portal to Ogrebond. It will do that, I know. You can call it the Amulet of Mustard Pie, for all I care.'
'How do we release the magic?' asked Raistlin.
Looking around warily, the ugly ogress leaned over and whispered into Raistlin's ear. The mage nodded, giving a sign to the others that he was satisfied. He pocketed the amulet.
'Where do we find the portal?' asked Tanis.
'Easy enough,' said Chen'tal Pyrnee. She launched into a shrill recital of directions that were so elaborate they left Tanis dizzy. Something about due east, sharp left at dog rock, follow the tree line up to a high precipice, a gusty overhang, and then…
'I know the spot,' said Flint.
The ogress stopped talking and turned her suspicious stare to the dwarf. The other two companions also looked at the dwarf in surprise. 'I've hiked around these parts for thirty years,' he said proudly. 'You can't name a peak I haven't climbed or at least seen.'
Tanis looked at Raistlin. 'Then let's go,' the half-elf said eagerly.
'Yes,' Raistlin agreed. He made another slight bow to the Oracle. 'Thank you for your help.'
All three of them backed out of the cave, keeping their eyes on the one-eyed hag who was stirring her misty caldron with one hand and, with the other, happily holding the message bottle aloft.
'Thank you for the kender message bottle!' Chen'tal Pyrnee called to them as they retreated from sight.
