Several times during the journey I caught Miralissa’s thoughtful gaze on me, but she didn’t ask me anything, evidently waiting until we would be alone together. So I took pains to avoid her company.
Without knowing why, I didn’t want to tell anyone about Valder and the help he had given me.
We lengthened our journey by traveling parallel to the highway and taking our time before riding out onto it. Day followed day, and I was already thinking I would never lay eyes on the main road that we had all been longing to see. However, on the eighth day of the journey, already well into the second half of July, Kli-Kli gave a howl of joy and pointed to a light strip that had appeared between the trees.
We had finally emerged from Hargan’s Wasteland onto the highway.
And it was only then that I noticed what the goblin was holding in his hand.
“Where did you get that from, Kli-Kli?” I asked when I recovered the power of speech.
“What do you mean?” the jester asked, and then he followed my glance, understood, and said: “Ah, you mean this trinket? You’ll never believe it! While you were lying there out cold, we started looking for a spot for Tomcat’s grave, may he dwell in the eternal light. I walked away from the others a bit and I noticed this thing.”
“You just noticed it?
“This was lying on a stone that was covered with moss. There were even words written on the stone, but I couldn’t make anything out.”
“So you took it?” I asked.
“And why not?” the goblin said with a shrug. “You can see what a beautiful thing it is. Why should something that good go to waste? I’ll be able to sell it.”
“Don’t sell it, Kli-Kli,” I said in a soft, insinuating voice.
“You don’t think I should?” The jester cast another curious glance at his find, then fastened the chain round his neck and hid the silvery, drop-shaped amulet under his cloak. “Miralissa told me the same thing. Are you two in cahoots, then?”
“No, just trust me. Perhaps someday it will save our lives.”
Kli-Kli looked at me seriously. “You’re full of riddles, Dancer in the Shadows.”
“We’re all full of riddles and mysteries, Kli-Kli. I am, and Miralissa is, and you are. It’s true, isn’t it?”
“Uh-huh,” he agreed, then suddenly smiled and said, “So you don’t object to my calling you Dancer?”
“What good do all my objections do? They don’t stop you anyway. Call me whatever you like. In any case now I’m going to do everything I can to retrieve the Horn.”
“And that’s another of the prophecies of the shaman Tre-Tre that has come true,” the goblin said triumphantly. “The Dancer in the Shadows has accepted his new name and decided to go through with things to the end.”
“There you go again, you and your stupid book!” I flared up immediately. “What if somebody else takes the same name?”
“First you find me the idiot who would agree to do it,” Kli-Kli said.
What a pity that the little wretch managed to dodge my hands and avoid a good solid smack!
Early on the twenty-eighth of July, the walls of a city emerged from the morning mist in front of us.
Our group had reached Ranneng.
Annals of the Crown - the most ancient and detailed of the historical chronicles, maintained by the elves since they first appeared in the world of Siala.
Avendoom - the capital of the northern kingdom of Valiostr. The largest and richest city of the Northern Lands.
battery sword - a variety of sword with a midsized blade that can be wielded with either one hand or both.
Beaver Caps or beavers - soldiers of Valiostr, armed with heavy two-handed swords. Each soldier bears the title of “Master of the Long Sword” and wears a beaver-fur cap as an emblem to distinguish him from the soldiers of other units. These forces are used as a reserve striking force, to recover all kinds of difficult situations in battle. During military action the beavers are also accorded the honor of guarding the banner and the king, taking the place of the royal guard.
bidenhander - a two-handed sword with a blade that can be a yard and a half long. They usually are designed with a massive handle, a heavy counterweight that is usually round, and a broad crosspiece. Sometimes the armorers would add massive metal spurs to prevent the blade running right through the
