"Pah! As I thought: this is trickery."
The man, the Elf, the one in black turned toward the captain. "Trickery, Captain Brud? I see no trickery here."
"Mage Alvaron, it must be trickery, for he came to the gate from the Swarm."
"I came through the Swarm," snapped Tip angrily, "and let me-" Of a sudden his words jerked to a halt and his jaw dropped open as he gaped at the one in black. Mage? Mage? This is a Mage, a Wizard? Tip stared at the man, the Elf… the Mage.
"Through the Swarm?" sneered Captain Brud. "Nothing could get past that-"
"He is a Warrow," interrupted Alvaron as if that explained all, the Wizard smiling down at Tip. "And your name, my lad?"
"I am Sir Tipperton Thistledown, a miller from the Wilderland."
Alvaron's brow furrowed. "From across the Grimwall?" At Tip's nod, Alvaron added, "Then you've come a long way, Sir Tipperton."
"Longer than ever I dreamed," replied Tip.
"Huah," grunted Brud. "A miller giving himself airs, if miller he even is, calling himself 'Sir,' is he now?"
"A title given me by the Elves of Arden Vale," retorted Tip as Alvaron glared at the captain, "though I lay little claim to it myself… except at need."
"Well," said Alvaron, smiling, "I see you need no defending by me." He turned to Brud. "We must take him to King Agron."
"But, sir," said one of the escort yet standing nigh, his face turning pale. "What of the Gargon? I mean, if you leave us unprotected here, then-"
"Imongar is on the south gate. Tell her I've gone to see the king; she will see to the Dread."
As that man sped away, Captain Brud scowled and said, "Very well, Mage Alvaron, we'll go to the king… if to do nought else but expose this spy. Yet he'll not go armed into my liege lord's presence."
Brud held out his hand, and Tipperton gave over his Elven bow and quiver of arrows, saying, "I'd like them back, if you please."
Brud paused momentarily and frowned down at the weapons, surprised to see such splendid crafting in the hands of an agent of Modru. But then he shook his head and said, "The flagpole, too."
"Oh," said Tip, handing over the standard of Kachar, seeing for the first time that the staff itself could be used as a weapon as well.
"Search him," said Brud to one of the nearby soldiers.
As the captain rolled the pole horizontally to furl the flag, the soldier ran his hands over Tipperton, confiscating a small dagger, and then-"Jo, vad ar det?" He reached into the buccan's jacket and pulled forth the other flag. Turning-"Kapten"-he displayed the ring of fire on black.
"Ha!" barked Captain Brud. "I knew it! A Wrgish spy."
"No, no," protested Tip. "That's how I got through the Horde! Bearing that flag. They thought I was a Ruck!"
"And Rutch you might be," shot back Brud.
"Nonsense, Captain," said Alvaron. "He is plainly a Warrow, and has a token for the king, a token of perhaps some importance. I say we go to Agron now!"
"But what if he is an assassin?"
Tip's mouth dropped open, yet ere he could say aught, Alvaron said, "Pah! He is without weapons. And with you along and me at your side and perhaps one of your men, what can he do?"
Reluctantly, Captain Brud stepped back and called to the ramparts above, "Lojtnant, fora over en stund."
In spite of the fact that Mage Alvaron and Captain Brud and a soldier waited outside the Dendorian war room with, of all things, one of the Litenfolk, still it was long moments ere the four were received by the king, a young castle page announcing them. And when they entered, they found in the chamber a tall, slender, dark-haired man, perhaps in his early fifties judging by the silver at his temples; he stood at a map-scattered table, frowning down at a chart. And as they entered, the king looked up, his pale blue gaze to widen. "Ah, so they told me true, it is one of the Wee Folk, or do my eyes deceive?"
Alvaron smiled and said, "I assure you, King Agron, Sir Tipperton is no apparition."
"My lord," said Captain Brud, one hand on Tipperton's shoulder, his grip firm, "no apparition, perhaps, but a phantom instead, for he claims to have come through the Swarm disguised with nought but this." Brud nodded to the soldier, who displayed the ring of fire on black.
The king smiled and looked at Tip. "Very clever, I must say. And why did you take such risk?"
"He claims to bear a message," said Brud.
"A token," corrected Tipperton.
"A token," amended Brud.
The king peered at Tip. "This token, Sir Tipperton, may I see?"
Tipperton reached down and pulled the coin and thong over his head. He started to step forward, but Brud held him fast.
The king looked up at the captain. "Release him."
Brud sighed. "Aye, my lord." And his hand fell away from Tip, yet went to the sword at his side.
Tip stepped to the king and of a sudden found himself reluctant to hand over the coin. After all, he had borne it a full year, and it seemed a part of him. Even so, with a trembling hand, he gave over the token to the king.
As Agron took the coin, just as suddenly Tip felt a sense of relief mingled with a sense of loss, as if he had laid down a weighty burden while at the same time had been cast adrift. The mission was done. The task accomplished. The coin passed on. His promise to a dying warrior kept. But now what? What would he do? Where would he go? Back to Twoforks? Back to his mill? With a war raging on? Agron sighed and softly said, "I hoped to never see this." The king stepped to a chair and seated himself, his face haggard. He looked at Tip, the Warrow yet waiting. " Tis from High King Blaine. A summons." "A summons?" asked Tip. "Aye, a summons; a call for aid." "But it is we who need aid," blurted Captain Brud. "Aye," agreed King Agron.
"I have brought aid," said Tipperton, and he gestured at the flagstaff in Brud's hand.
Brud looked at the furled standard he yet held and then stood the staff upright, the flag uncurling to loosely drape down, silver axes on black showing.
"Kachar," breathed King Agron, and with hope in his eyes he looked at Tip.
"Aye, Kachar. DelfLord Valk will be here with three thousand Dwarven warriors within the week, and well do I know his plan."
That night from each of Dendor's four gates, fire arrows sailed up in the air.
The beringing Swarm jeered and japed at this paltry show of arms.
But high on a ridge south of the city, four people shed glad tears, for at last they knew that Tipperton Thistledown, friend and companion, was not captured or dead, but had gone into Dendor instead.
Chapter 9
As they took a late private supper, Tipperton glanced at the coin lying on the table near the king's right hand and said, "Lord Agron, I have borne that penny for a full year trying to reach you, and now you tell me it is a summons. Yet surely there's more to the tale than that. 1 mean, because of the token my friends and I, well, our lives have been changed in ways none could have imagined a year back, and little of it for the better. Too, Kingsmen have died bearing that coin. Oh, not that the token is at the root of the ills besetting Mithgar-Modru and Gyphon bear the blame for that. Still, it is the penny and a promise which set me and my friend Beau Darby on our way to find you, and much has happened since then, and I would hear the full story behind the coin, if you please."
Agron nodded. "You deserve that and much more, Sir Tipperton."
"Tip," replied the buccan.
"Eh?"
"Please, lord, call me Tip, or Tipperton. 'Sir Tipperton' sounds so very formal."
The king smiled and said, "Would that I could do the same, Tip. -Simply to be called Agron, I mean."
Tipperton grinned and then suddenly and without volition yawned, then looked apologetically at Agron. "Your pardon, my lord, I assure you it's not the company, but the truth is I've not slept for nigh two days-lurking the night among Spawn and then crawling 'cross the land between as it were. Even so, I would hear of the coin."