out.'
Derek snorted. ''Interesting' isn't a word I would use to describe whatever's guarding a powerful artifact such as this orb!'
Laurana's brow creased with concern. 'I hadn't even considered that!' she said, looking chagrined. 'I assumed that since it was stuck out here on the glacier, Icewall Castle would be deserted. But Derek's probably right. Raggart, you know this area better than any of us. What do you think? Is there likely to be someone or something inside the castle?'
I hesitated for a moment to determine what I did think. I did not wish to alarm her unnecessarily, but she had to know the truth.
'There have been reports of a white dragon coming and going from the castle,' I told her reluctantly. 'Any number of other creatures may have taken up residence-you have already met the minotaurs.'
'I don't know why I did not think of that before!' She sighed, then squinted up at the icy cliff. 'What route should we take?'
I followed her gaze. 'I believe the kender is right- that is a cave opening which may lead into the castle. Though we don't know what awaits us inside, we chance the same thing climbing to the top, with half the risk of being spotted from above. Whatever you decide, the climb would be safer if we rope ourselves together.'
'The old barbarian doesn't know what he's saying,' Derek scoffed, 'though his idea about the rope seems reasonable enough. Let's waste no more time-an orb awaits us above!' He tied a length of rope to his waist and held the end to Sturm. 'Come, Brightblade, link yourself to me and we'll find the base of that stairway!'
Sturm's brows lifted in question. 'Laurana?'
'Raggart is our guide,' she said confidently. 'We'll climb to the opening.'
Suddenly her expression changed to fear. Like a curtain falling, we were engulfed in shadows. Startled, I followed her gaze. There, high above Icewall, I saw the massive underbelly of a white dragon as it soared from the castle's balustrade.
'Get down!' I hissed. Thankfully, everyone dropped to his stomach without question, even the kender. They knew, as did I, what would happen if the dragon spotted us. Ishuddered at the thought and prayed that with our light colored furs, we blended in with the snow.
Without a backward glance, the dragon sped away in the direction we'd just come, pulling its massive shadow along. A sudden fear knotted my stomach. When the dragon was a mere dot in the distant horizon, I stood up and, turning, started heading back.
'Wait, Raggart! Where are you going?' Laurana shouted, stumbling after me to catch hold of my arm.
'Now we know that the reports about a dragon are true. Given its general direction, I'm afraid it's headed for my village. I have to go back immediately!'
Laurana looked sympathetic, but she shook her head. 'We cannot abandon our search for the orb, especially when we're this close to it,' she said.
'What is this dragon orb? How can it be more important than the lives of my kinsman?' I demanded.
'I understand your concern,' Laurana said, 'but a lone dragon would scarcely attack an entire village. And IF it wanted to, it would have long before this. Think, Raggart,' she commanded, grasping my shoulder. 'Even if we left immediately, we would reach your village days behind the creature, too late to help anyone. Then we would neither save your village nor retrieve the orb.'
'Then what about our lives? Are they worth nothing?' I shouted. 'The presence of the dragon convinces me that Icewall Castle is far more dangerous than any of us imagined.' Even to my own ears, I sounded like a frightened old man. That only made me angrier. 'I am not an old coward, but neither am I a young fool!'
'Of course you're not!' Laurana's eyes glittered brilliantly. 'The orb we seek has the power to control dragons. Though you may not understand or believe me, Raggart, more people will suffer if we do not find it before someone who would use it for evil gains.'
Laurana grasped my hand. 'I know Harald instructed you to watch-I mean guide us, but I would not blame you if you chose to return without us.' Her voice picked up momentum. 'But, Raggart, time is of the essence if we are to save our friends-save Krynn. We-/need your help. Will you continue on with us?'
Derek snorted with disgust and began looking for footholds in the icy cliff face.
I was momentarily torn with indecision. Though her words had convinced me my fears were largely unfounded, I still hesitated. In the end, I decided to continue with them for three reasons: for good or bad, I needed to know the truth about Elistan; Laurana wanted me to go; and Derek did not.
I did not like the thought that my life in any way de pended on Derek, but lashed to him as I was, it did. After me came Laurana, then Elistan, then Tas; Sturm pulled up our rear. Though Derek had complained heartily on the glacier, he took too much pride in his physical strength to give in to the exhaustion that plagued us all on the back- breaking climb up Icewall. His tenacity may well have saved our lives more than once. Whenever I faltered or lost my footing, Derek's hand was there to pull me to safer ground.
The cliff face provided even less protection from the elements than the open glacier. Forced to look up to find our way, our faces were exposed to icy, blistering winds that blasted flesh till it was raw. Fingers permanently bent, my arms ached from the strain, my toes throbbed from struggling to find new footholds. Even my jaws hurt from being clenched too long.
But as much as I suffered, at least I was used to the cold. I knew the rest must feel it tenfold. Behind me, Laurana struggled to swallow involuntary whimpers of pain. Below her, Elistan wheezed until I thought his lungs would burst.
'I don't mean to complain,' I heard the kender say wearily, 'but is anyone else tired? I'm all for adventures, and I know we have to find the orb, but I haven't been this exhausted since that time with the woolly mammoth. I have told you about that, haven't I?'
'Yes, Tas, we've all heard it,' was Sturm's patient reply. 'Save your energy for climbing now.'
'I'm quite sure Raggart hasn't heard it,' Tas said a bit petulantly, 'but perhaps you're right,' he added, gasping for breath.
Hours, seeming more like days, passed as we slowly made our way up the glassy crags of Icewall. Behind me, the cleric, Elistan, sighed loudly. Though I was still suspicious of him, he seemed a kind enough man, not at all inclined to jokes or tricks. What had I-what had Knugs for generations-expected? Since I seldom left the village anymore, let alone the glacier, just where was I expecting to find this messenger from the gods if not on the glacier?
'Aren't we nearly there?' Tas spoke the words everyone else longed to ask. 'I feel as though we've climbed to the top and back down again!'
'It 7's getting near sunset,' Laurana pointed out. 'Perhaps we should stop.'
I, too, had noticed our lengthening shadows upon the cliff face. Soon the moons would rise.
'If we're not likely to reach that opening soon,' Sturm called up to us, 'I say we find a ledge on which to spend the night and rest.'
'For once I agree with Brightblade,' Derek said, finally giving in to the strain. Wiping his brow with his fur- covered arm, he stopped climbing, prompting everyone else to do the same.
We'd used up all the peat crossing the glacier. The thought of a night spent clinging to this frigid mountain, the wind whistling louder than Harald's snoring, did nothing to raise my spirits. I squinted up Icewall past Derek. Though twilight turned every icy crag dark, one not very far off was larger and blacker than all the rest.
I cleared my throat, for I had not spoken since we started our climb that morning. 'I think we're almost there. Look,' I said, pointing to what I believed to be the cave opening.
'You're just saying that because I suggested we stop!' Derek barked without looking up, exhaustion making him even more churlish.
'You know, Derek,' Tasslehoff said shrilly, 'people would be more inclined to listen to you if you were pleasant, like Laurana or Sturm-'
'Not now,' Sturm warned the kender in a low tone.
'I'm sure Derek appreciates being told this,' Tasslehoff continued, unperturbed. 'Flint once called me a thief. It was all a terrible misunderstanding, of course, something about a bracelet. Anyway, he explained to me that people might mistake my motives, you know, think I'm a thief when I'm really just protecting their interests. Now I know not to take it personally. Derek understands what I mean,' the kender finished confidently.
'Not now, Tasi' Sturm hissed, eyeing Derek's purple face, noting his clenched fists.
