“I don’t understand,” said Alex.
“No wonder, with all that cider in you.” Skeld knocked his mug against Alex’s. “This is not the time to speak of death, but only of success.”
“Success,” Tayo repeated, lifting his mug as the others followed in the toast.
Bregnest stood and lifted his mug. “A final toast to friendships, new and old.”
“Friendships, new and old,” the rest of them repeated and drank.
As they left the dining room, Alex felt a little lightheaded and wondered if he’d drunk too much of the cider after all.
“Don’t worry,” said Andy, coming up beside him. “The cider here at the Golden Swan is charmed, and you won’t have to pay for it in the morning like Tayo said. I hope you don’t mind my telling Bregnest, you know, about what Blackburn told you. I knew he would want to know, and like he said, we have no secrets.”
“That’s all right,” Alex replied as they walked down the hallway. “I should have told him myself, but I still think Mr. Blackburn made a mistake.”
“This is our room,” said Andy, opening a door. “You should probably practice with your bag for a bit before you go to sleep.”
Alex did want to practice using his new magic bag and he asked Andy to explain again how they worked, listening closely to the instructions. For about thirty minutes, Alex practiced going in and out of his bag several times before he changed the passwords to something he knew he would remember. He wanted to tell Andy what the new passwords were, but Andy wouldn’t hear of it.
“Passwords should be secret,” said Andy in a firm tone.
“What about no secrets in the company?”
“That’s for things that might affect the whole company and the adventure.”
Alex didn’t press the matter, deciding that Andy knew what he was talking about. He took out a set of his new traveling clothes from his bag. Laying the clothes on a chair, he put the magic bag down carefully beside them. He was pleased with his magic bag, and his doubts about that, at least, had faded completely.
“Tomorrow’s a big day,” said Andy, climbing into a large bed on one side of the room. “A new adventure to begin, and who knows how it will end.”
“Do you think we’ll succeed?” Alex questioned, climbing into his own bed.
“Only fate knows our end,” Andy replied. “Like Skeld, I’ll not run from my destiny.”
“Are you and Skeld from the same country?” Alex asked, thinking how alike the two men seemed to be.
“The same land,” Andy answered, turning down his bedside lamp. “Skeld, Tayo, and I all come from Norsland.”
“Will you tell me about your homeland sometime?” Alex asked, turning down his own lamp. “I mean, if you don’t mind.”
“Happily,” Andy replied. “But for now, sleep is more important for both of us.”
“Good night then,” said Alex, pulling his covers up.
Andy didn’t answer and he already seemed to be asleep. Alex felt tired, but his excitement and wonder kept him awake for some time. His fears about returning to the Happy Dragon and Mr. Roberts had completely vanished from his mind. Now his thoughts were on this adventure he’d somehow stumbled into, and he wondered what new things he would learn tomorrow.
Without noticing, Alex fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of the adventure to come. It was a restful dream, full of fun and good friends. He saw great mounds of treasure, and magical items that made him laugh. As he slept, his dreams shifted from treasure and fun to something darker, something he thought he knew but could not name.
Alex woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed and staring into the darkness around him. His heart raced and cold sweat covered his face. He had seen something in his dream, something terrifying. Whatever it was, it had tried to reach out to him, tried to get hold of him. The dream had been so real. Even as he considered what he might have seen, the fear was fading from his mind and the cold inside of him was slipping away. Slowly Alex’s heart stopped pounding in his ears and he lay back on his bed. It wasn’t long before he was asleep once more, and all his fears and thoughts of darkness were lost in a dreamless sleep.
chapter four
The Great Arch
The next morning Alex awoke with his bed shaking under him. At first he thought it was his stepbrother, Todd, trying to shake him awake. He rolled over. He had been having a wonderful dream about adventures and magic and he didn’t want the dream to end.
“You’ll be late for breakfast,” said Andy, pulling on his boots and stamping his feet on the floor. “If you don’t hurry, you won’t get anything at all.”
Alex jumped out of bed, remembering that this wasn’t a dream. He wason an adventure, and there just might be magic. With a rush of happiness, he pulled on his new clothes. He knew Andy was joking about not getting any breakfast, but the adventure started today and he didn’t want to miss any of it.
Alex walked to the basin and washed his face and hands. The cold water washed away any desire he had for more sleep. His dreams had faded from his memory, and the thoughts that had troubled him the day before had vanished as well.
“Bring your bag with you,” said Andy, standing at the door. “We’ll be leaving as soon as we’re done eating.”
Alex put his old clothes into his magic bag as fast as he could and pulled the bag’s strap over his shoulder and head. He looked around the room to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, and then followed Andy into the hallway. They made their way back to the dining room where they had eaten the night before, and found Arconn waiting for them.
“Where is everybody?” Alex asked in concern. “We’re not too late are we?”
“Not late at all,” replied Arconn, ringing the golden bell. “Though you’re not as early as you might have been.”
Servants once again appeared at the sound of the bell, bringing breakfast for Alex and Andy.
“The others have gone to collect the horses,” Arconn said, taking a piece of toast. “You’ll have time to eat before they return.”
Alex and Andy didn’t waste any time, but started piling eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes on their plates, and eating at full speed. After several minutes with only the noise of their utensils, Andy broke the silence.
“The others were up early,” he said, spitting bits of toast on the table. “I thought we’d all eat together.”
“The others have many concerns,” said Arconn. “They are less in need of sleep and more in need of doing.”
“Did they sleep at all?” Andy asked, pushing his chair back from the table and looking at the dark window. “It’s not even daybreak yet.”
“We’ve all slept,” Arconn replied, smiling. “And daybreak isn’t far off.”
“How far away is the great arch?” Alex questioned, pushing his own chair back.
“Two hours’ hard ride,” answered Arconn. “But we should get there in about four hours. Perhaps a little more. I doubt we’ll pass through the arch until after our midday meal.”
“And Bregnest still needs to give us final instructions,” Andy added, looking at Alex.
“Final instructions?”
“What to do if you get separated from the group, or lost, or something,” Andy answered. “You know, just in case.”
“Or in case you run into trouble that the company needs to know about,” Arconn added.
“Aren’t we all traveling together?” Alex asked in alarm.
“Yes, we are,” said Arconn with a slight laugh. “But you never know what might happen on an adventure. It’s best to be prepared.”
“If you’re finished, Alex,” Andy said, “we should probably head to the stables.”
Alex swallowed the last bite of his breakfast. “I’ve never ridden a horse,” he said, sounding more nervous than he would have liked.
“Don’t worry,” said Andy, patting Alex on the shoulder. “Bregnest picked good horses. I don’t imagine you could fall off unless you really tried. Maybe not even then.”