“If it gets us ahead of the dragon it would be worth it. And we wouldn’t have to waste time hunting or making camp. We wouldn’t even have to worry about keeping watch.”
“Or getting cold,” he added.
“So you’ll do it?” Bahbaz asked.
“You’ll lead us south?” Zollin said. “You’ll provide food and drink? How long will it take to get to the Great Valley?”
“Yes, of course, that can all be arranged. If the bridges were all intact we could easily make the journey in a few days,” Bahbaz said.
“All right, we’ll do it,” Zollin said.
Then he scratched his head and wondered just what he’d gotten himself into.
Chapter 9
Kelvich could barely contain himself. The scholars had finally found a section of scrolls that were the work of ancient wizards. Everyone was now busy translating the scrolls. Kelvich had been hoping for documents exactly like this when he found the hidden library at the Ruins of Ornak. The ruins had been the site to which Zollin and the soldiers from Felson had lured the dragon in hopes of killing the beast. As they fortified the site, refashioning a working city from ruins, they uncovered a hidden library with hundreds of clay pots that were sealed with wax to preserve the scrolls inside.
Kelvich had moved as many as he could and, with the help of Jax, a young orphan from Felson, they had transported the scrolls to Ebbson Keep. Kelvich had convinced the scholars who worked in the large library at the Keep to help him translate and preserve the scrolls. The scholars had readily agreed and had begun cataloging the many scrolls. Others had been sent back to Ornak to transport the rest of the scrolls. Kelvich had worked tirelessly to keep the scholars focused on the goal of finding something that would help Zollin battle the dragon. Weeks had passed with no luck. Many of the ancient manuscripts were histories, philosophical treatises, or books dealing with common themes.
When the scholars returned with the second load of scrolls, Kelvich had once again been hopeful of finding something that would aid Zollin in his quest. Unfortunately, most of the scrolls in the second lot dealt with the disciples of the religious community that first formed the city at Ornak. It was fascinating material, and in most circumstances Kelvich would have lost himself in the ancient scrolls. He had spent the better part of three lifetimes learning all he could about the magical and natural world. Before Zollin and his friends had arrived in Brighton’s Gate, Kelvich was content to live out his days in quiet solitude. But being a sorcerer, he had felt Zollin approach. He had been drawn to the young wizard and had taken Zollin under his wing, teaching him as much as he could about magic and the Torr.
When the third wagon arrived at Ebbson Keep, Kelvich was worried that his work had been in vain. The third wagon carried all that was left of the scrolls from the hidden library, but it was far less material than the first two wagons contained. Still, the scholars had continued their work with Kelvich, poring over them until finally they discovered several manuscripts that were written by sorcerers and wizards. The finds had been almost simultaneous, and Kelvich now waited impatiently for the translators to finish their tedious work. Kelvich was unfamiliar with languages and couldn’t help. The scholars were fastidious, examining every tiny mark on the ancient scrolls and often consulting one another. Kelvich tried to stay busy, but the only distraction that could hold his attention was Jax.
The young orphan had adapted to his new surroundings so quickly that Kelvich thought of him as a local. Jax knew everyone. While Kelvich struggled to keep up with the scholars, Jax knew everyone in the Keep, from his classmates in the essentials school to the servants in the kitchens and even the soldiers who stood guard throughout the large castle. He not only knew names, but he remembered details about their families and interests that people would share with him. Taking a walk though the castle with Jax was almost amusing. Everyone liked the young boy, calling out to him and stopping to talk. He would ask questions and bring up small points of concern with everyone, including the Duke himself.
Kelvich had asked his young ward how he kept up with so much information, but it all came naturally to Jax. His memory was as sharp as a knight’s sword. He treated everyone equally, and he had a knack for helping people get what they wanted or needed, even if they hadn’t told him they needed it. He suggested that the children run messages through the Keep, which was a large, complex structure. The children were finally able to run through the long castle corridors, which helped burn off some of the restless energy that made sitting and studying so difficult. It also helped the Keep run more efficiently.
Kelvich was pacing outside the translation rooms when Jax came hurrying up to him.
“The Duke wants to see you,” Jax said in an excited voice.
“Why?” Kelvich asked. “Is something wrong?”
“I don’t know. Come on,” he urged.
Kelvich didn’t like leaving the translation team. He was anxious to read what they had translated, but of course the scholars rarely came out of the rooms once they started on a project. They stopped only to eat and sleep, often taking their meals in their work rooms and sometimes sleeping in there, too. The scrolls were long manuscripts, and they had been working hard for over a week. Although Kelvich had nothing to do but pace and worry, he still didn’t like leaving his post.
Jax led them through the long, stone corridors. Many places in the Keep had high windows that allowed fresh air and light into the rooms and hallways. There were ladders built into the walls that allowed defenders to shoot arrows out of the windows in case of an attack. There were multiple levels to the Keep, but the staircases only rose one floor. They were spread around in the Keep almost randomly, but the method to the madness forced attackers to fight their way to the top, floor by floor. A traditional stairwell would simply give an invading force access to every floor all at once.
Ebbson Keep had become an important city for scholarly research and cultural advancement, but it was essentially a fort on the border with Baskla. In days gone by, the Keep had played the important role of securing the border. Invaders could bypass the fortress, but in doing so they left their lines of supply vulnerable to the garrison, who could sally forth and harass the supply trains or flank the invaders.
Almost directly across the border was Fort Jellar, a sprawling complex of smaller fortresses that had become a center for trade. Goods moved north up the Great Sea and then took the Weaver’s Road, which ran west from Black Bay to Fort Jellar. Merchants who traveled up the western coast of the Five Kingdoms had many options for trade, but goods that were moved north by way of the Great Sea had only two. Fort Jellar had become the biggest city in Western Baskla by virtue of its important location. Ebbson Keep did not prosper as much as Fort Jellar had, largely because the Duke whose job was to maintain the Keep was military-minded and forced all commerce to take place outside of his complex of thick, stone walls.
Kelvich was almost out of breath by the time he reached the Duke’s quarters, which were located in one of three massive towers that served as lookout posts allowing soldiers to see for miles across the border in every direction. Kelvich waited in a small vestibule outside the Duke’s reception room. There was, of course, a feasting on the lower level, but the Duke did all his business in a large room just below his family’s personal quarters. The reception room had large windows with panoramic views. Jax left Kelvich and hurried in to let the Duke know that Kelvich was waiting. Although there were usually no fewer than half a dozen people in the room at any one time, the old sorcerer noticed that the room looked especially frantic today. There were easily two dozen people in the reception room, most gathered around the large conference table or standing near the east-facing windows.