dwarves, ' she said.
'Well! I like that! We told you before we wouldn't take anything from them, ' Trap said, laughter making him breathless. 'All this time you've been watching us, Grod has been handling everything in sight. ' Trap was growing increasingly angry at the little wizard for her distrust, and he made the most of it.
'Wizard, lizard, chicken gizzard, can't tell who's the thief, ' he said. 'Dash about like a tiny lout, and brings herself to grief. '
'You stop that!' Halmarain shouted at him. She bounced on the balls of her feet, her tiny hands clenched in fists. 'Say another word and I'll turn you into a… a… ' Bereft of words she raised her right hand and pointed her finger at the kender.
'Halmarain, she can complain, and finds stuff in her sack, ' Trap sing-songed as he skipped away. She turned to glare at him. 'Fuss and shout and jump about, but she still won't give it back. '
Trap laughed until he was weak in the knees.
'A wizard's distrust, ' Trap said, giving Halmarain a knowing look as he wiped away the tears of his mirth. They both knew he was referring to his story in the inn.
'Very well, I owe you both an apology, ' the little wizard said as she also calmed down. 'But the next time we enter a town, the next time we get near anyone, keep an eye on that gully dwarf. '
'He must really be skilled with his hands, ' Trap said. 'I had no idea he was slipping steel pieces into that purse, and it was in my pouch. '
'And the overload into yours and Ripple's pouches and my bag, ' the little wizard said. 'Did he bring back anything this time? Oh Gilean, I hope not. ' She pulled her worn bag off her shoulder. 'Trap, check your pouches. I don't want anyone else chasing us. '
Trap searched all his pouches and pockets. He found nothing he could not remember having before they reached Thelgaard. Halmarain had taken care to keep his arms so full he had not been able to handle anything. She found a small jeweled cup, a mirror, a comb, and a carving of a bear with runes on its back.
'I wonder who will be chasing us for these things, ' she muttered as she showed them to the kender.
Chapter 25
While in Thelgaard, Trap had suggested they buy ground maize and everyone was looking forward to a kender pudding, which he could make almost as well as his sister. Making it would help him feel closer to her. He missed his sister, and was also becoming as worried as his kender nature would allow.
The first day after Beglug and Ripple had been captured by the kobolds, they had found tracks, but after leaving the mountains they had not been able to discover any sign at all. But they would find them the next day, Trap decided, and was cheered by the decision.
'I'll get out the maize and you can dig out the pots, ' he told the little wizard when they made camp after their trip to the city.
'Pots!' Halmarain exclaimed, slapping the side of her own head. 'I bought everything I could think of, but I forgot pots!'
'No pots? Big jiggers, I can't boil pudding in my hands. ' Trap complained.
'Obviously!' Halmarain snapped. 'I can't boil water for tea either. '
Luckily they had bought some dried meat and traveler's bread in Thelgaard. It sated their hunger, but they were disgruntled over their cold meal. After her trouble with the two boys, Halmarain refused to return to Thelgaard, saying they could pick up pots in Solanthus or perhaps they'd find a village on their way east.
The next afternoon Trap killed a couple of rabbits that they roasted over the campfire, but for the next two days they broke camp without a warming cup of tea. Halmarain was in a foul mood.
They began their third morning's journey at dawn and by early afternoon they were approaching Solanthus. Halmarain called a halt and they sat on a hilltop as they looked across the hills at the city. In the distance they could see the strong outer walls, rooftops blanketing the hills, and in the center a tall fortress.
'We can't all enter the city, ' she said. 'I don't want to take Grod in. There are too many people on our trail now. ' She looked over her shoulder giving Grod an accusing glare.
'Grod no go, no get more steel pieces, ' Umpth reminded her.
'That's exactly why he won't go, ' Halmarain announced. 'We don't need more trouble. '
'He didn't cause the stranger with the kobolds to follow us, ' Trap reminded the wizard.
'Whether he did or not, we've too many people on our trail, ' Halmarain said. 'I'll ride in to buy some pots. At least we can have a hot meal tonight. '
'I'll go for the pots, ' Trap volunteered.
'Oh no, ' Halmarain said. 'I'm not having any more trouble with… ' She paused as Trap's expression darkened with anger.
'Umpth and I will go, ' Trap announced. His voice turned hard and raspy, anger just under the surface.
For once, neither Halmarain's glare nor her sharp tongue moved the kender. His grandfather had traveled to Solanthus and had talked about the city. At that time the damage from the earthquakes that had come with the Cataclysm was still visible. Their grandfather had been fascinated by the raiding, the sporadic fighting, and the attempts to rebuild.
Within the hour the travelers found a dry gorge that would give them shelter and hide them from other travelers. Halmarain and Grod made camp, though she was impeded by his wandering off, looking for another dead animal to replace his squirrel.
Trap and Umpth left most of their gear behind and rode into Solanthus, using the south gate. Since it opened toward the mountains, they were in the quarter of the city where most of the dwarven population lived.
'Dwarves make good pots, ' Trap said softly as if he begrudged the admission. He wanted to see some of Solanthus. He knew he shouldn't spend much time in the city.
'We really should visit more than one shop and try to get the best price, ' he suggested. 'After all, we know Orander's purse doesn't make steel pieces, and we didn't bring Grod. '
'Look dumps? Find pots?' Umpth suggested.
Trap ignored the suggestion.
When they had seen the city from a distance, they had seen the towers of the central fortress. Solanthus had spread into the hills to the south and some of the streets climbed steeply to the hilltops while others wound around the lower regions. The tower was not visible from their location.
Like most cities on Krynn, several inns were located near the gates. Beyond them were the shops usually frequented by travelers who wanted supplies for their journeys. After having visited Lytburg and Thelgaard, Trap expected to find stabling for their mounts close to the gate. Dwarves seldom rode ponies unless they were traveling long distances so the stables that served that quarter of Solanthus were on a hill close by.
Trap and Umpth rode into the first stable. The dwarf hostler glared at the kender and the gully dwarf and demanded the price of a day's keep in advance.
'Him not like kender, ' Umpth said as they left the stable and wandered up the hill. Neither expected to find a tinker's shop on the heights; they wanted to look over the southern quarter of the city.
'Look for good dumps, ' Umpth said. 'Maybe find a good This Place. '
They turned a corner and had walked two blocks up a steep street when they heard a shout behind them.
'Thieves!' The shout rang up and down the street.
Trap and Umpth paused and turned to look behind them. They saw two dwarves running up the hill. Four others came around the corner of the street the kender had passed.
'Is mad dwarf?' Umpth asked.
'Big Jiggies! It certainly is, ' Trap recognized the dwarves from whom Grod had taken the necklace. 'Maybe we can explain… then, maybe not. They don't look like they want to talk. '
'They still mad. We go now, ' Umpth said hopefully. He turned his back on the dwarves who were fast approaching. 'Want to see city. Want to see dumps. Want to find new This Place. Not want to see dwarf. ' He suited action to words and sprinted up the hill.
