Somewhere a bird let out a hesitant cheep. Insects resumed their buzzing and small furry things peeked out of tiny holes. The grass that had been crushed flat beneath the Fortress's immense bulk began to straighten, responding to the return of light and air. In a few days none would be able to tell what had so recently afflicted the peaceful valley.
"Let's hope we never see it's like again." Colwyn mumrmured.
"The Beast was its power and you destroyed the Beast," Torquil pointed out. "It's gone forever."
Both men turned around as a sharp cough sounded.
"Ergo!" Titch shouted delightedly as the injured man opened his eyes.
"He'll be all right," Lyssa told the boy.
Ergo let his gaze focus on the woman seated nearby. "I must be in paradise," he mumbled. He saw the others standing nearby, eyeing him solicitously. "You are the princess? The one we sought to free from the Beast?"
She smiled. "Yes."
"He was right. You are worth dying for." He let his head lie back on the cushioning grass. "And there is blue sky overhead, and clouds, and I smell wild pepper and other growing things. We've won."
"Yes," she told him, "you've won,"
Titch leaned close. "I owe you my life, magnificence."
"Think nothing of it," Ergo replied, his spirits rapidly returning. "As you know, I specialize in trifles." Titch couldn't repress a grin.
"Ah, boy, I should have stuck to puppies."
"Oh no," Titch said, speaking to the others. "You should have seen him! He turned himself into a giant of a tiger and took on a whole army of Slayers." His words were filled with admiration and amazement.
"He cut them all down, all by himself."
"Go on, boy," Ergo urged him. "Now tell them how I nearly bested the Beast myself, though I fought with one broken leg and my left arm numb at my side." Titch tried to respond, but dissolved in boyish laughter, unable to lie and giggle simultaneously.
"We'll have to see about getting you that puppy, boy. One that doesn't disappear every time you doze off."
"Really? You think so?"
Ergo nodded. "I am quite positive."
Colwyn smiled at the exchange, suddenly remembered something almost forgotten. He reached for the chain still hanging about his neck, removed the gold key hanging from it and handed it out to Torquil.
"I think it's time now you unlocked those manacles, don't you agree?"
Torquil hesitated, studying the metal bands encircling his wrists. "You know, 1 think I'd like to keep them, as a memento of our little journey. Have them gilded someday, if I can afford it." He moved to hand the key back to Colwyn, who refused it.
"No, the key is yours."
Torquil scratched at his beard. "Only the king and his lord marshal have the right to carry this key."
Colwyn's grin widened. "That's right," he said briskly, and turned away to resume his conversation with Lyssa. Torquil frowned in confusion, eyed the key. As realization took him, his frown turned to a grin, then a wide smile. He chuckled, then roared with delight at the irony of it all.
His laughter echoed across the open field, bounced gently off grass and flowers as the little troupe started northward through the valley.
Northward, toward home.