When the last animal was free, he made a noise like a frightened whinny and slapped the animals on the rump. They went charging along the foot of the cliff, passing close to the sleeping dwarves.
The first dwarf to hear them gave a shout, bringing the rest to their feet. All six went chasing after their mounts. As soon as they were away from the fire, Trap ran over to stand in its light, took off the ring, and signaled the others to hurry. Within minutes they were all within the dry shelter of the stone curtain wall. Trap pulled Halmarain over to the outline of the door while Ripple watched for the return of the dwarves.
"It's here." He stood in front of the smooth section and sketched a door with his out-flung arms, showing Halmarain the outline. "It's strange they would hide the antechamber so well and make the area of the door so obvious," he said.
"I'll try an opening spell," the little wizard said, pushing back her sleeves as if getting ready for a difficult chore.
"And don't forget your other spells," Ripple spoke from the shadowy entrance to the outer chamber. "Two of the dwarves have caught their ponies. They'll soon be coming back."
"Quiet, don't break my concentration," Halmarain said. She muttered an incantation that sounded like gibberish.
"Well? Nothing happened," Trap said, pointing out the obvious.
Halmarain frowned. "I didn't think my spell would be strong enough to open the door, but there should have been a glimmer-the seams around the door should have glowed for a moment-something should have happened. I'll try a finding spell."
They watched the wall, but the little wizard's spell brought no result.
"Wheel try door?" Umpth asked. He stood stroking the rusty and now muddy metal rim expectantly.
"Fine, you try," Halmarain sounded exasperated. She put her small hands on her hips and glared at the gully dwarf. "Go ahead, see what you can do."
"The dwarves are coming back," Ripple warned.
"If I had enough light to see, maybe I could find a lock," Trap suggested.
"You'll have to wait until daylight. The dwarves will see a light through the curtain wall," Halmarain said. "If we're very quiet no one will know we're here."
She was wrong.
Chapter 34
In his great history, Astinus recorded…
Draaddis Vulter's foot slipped as he whirled around. He had been walking south, along the wet clay bank above the rushing stream. He had been expecting to find the drowned bodies of the kender and the merchesti when he sensed the message that reached him from the northeast.
He was surprised, surprised because he had for some hours entirely forgotten his messenger, the winged rat. Because he had forgotten it, forgotten to reinforce his commands to it, the little creature had allowed the wind to blow it into the mountains. It had taken shelter from the storm on the leeward side of an outcrop.
He had felt but ignored its dim mind as it watched Draaddis's goblins farther away. The humanoids were, like the rat, trying to shelter from the storm. The winged rat, its thoughts of the chilly storm air and hunger, passed along its recognition of the goblins. Though most of its thoughts centered on its discomfort.
Its panic squealed in Draaddis's mind as it flashed him an image of two kender who passed along a trail and came within two feet of the rat's dark shelter. The kender were rapidly followed by the gully dwarves, the merchesti, and bringing up the rear was the smallest of the dwarves. Until the rat sent Draaddis the clear image of Halmarain's face, he had not realized that the tiny wizard was with the party-probably leading it.
His mind backed up, reconsidering his conclusion. He had to be wrong, he decided. He had seen the little apprentice in Orander's laboratory. He had seen the kender on the trail, along with the merchesti, two gully dwarves, and another smaller dwarf, a youngster who had no beard…
The apprentice had been traveling in disguise. He had seen the dwarf clothing and dismissed her without a second look. He had made a serious error in not recognizing her; the dragon queen would not be pleased, though she had not seen through the disguise either.
The apprentice had led them to the western arm of the Khalkist Mountains, close to the dwarf mines. They had traveled east for a reason, and their destination had to be… Chalmis Rosterig!
He was opening his mouth to use a teleport spell when he realized he had no memory of it. Relearning his spell and teleporting would be faster than physically walking the distance in the storm.
He pulled out his book, found a rock which, though wet, was not covered with mud. Draaddis sat, pulling up a fold of his cloak to protect the spellbook and his little magic light from the weather.
He mouthed the words, driving them into his memory. He had to reach Digondamaar before the apprentice and the kender reached the white wizard.
As much as I like telling this tale, it's been a long one, and my throat is so very, very dry… thank you, innkeeper, that's much better, and you do serve excellent ale.
Now, where was I? They were just leaving Solanthus … I told that part? Did I tell you about the wari stampede? I liked that. You wouldn't like to hear it again, would you?
Now I remember.… they had chased off the dwarves' ponies and had reached the secret entrance to Digondamaar…
"Two dwarves are coming back," warned Ripple, who had been watching the dwarves as they tried to recapture their mounts. "Three have caught their ponies and are chasing the others-"
A terrific flash of lightning threw the mountainside into high relief, and for a split second the light penetrated the thinnest sections of the stone curtain wall.
"What's this?" Trap had been searching along the cliff wall, trying to find a way to open the secret door. In the high relief of the lightning flash, he thought he saw a rock he had not noticed before. When the light died he tried to find it but was unsuccessful.
"Wow! That lightning startled the dwarf ponies and one threw his rider," Ripple said. "It scared the rest and they're all galloping down the mountain."
"Are any of the dwarves looking this way?" Halmarain asked.
"No, they're too busy slipping and sliding."
The little wizard raised her staff, spoke a word of command, flipped her staff, and from the top came a little ball of light that sailed over to Trap and settled itself over his head.
"You brag about being able to find traps and locks, find this one," she said, her expression a challenge.
"Gee, that's not fair! No one can see in the dark- though, Ripple, didn't Makeway Northgo once have some sort of magic glass that…" Trap turned from the wall, his question about a distant relative uppermost in his mind.
"Are you going to look for that rock?" Halmarain demanded.
"Oh. Sure! I forgot." Trap resumed his search. He had just begun to look about him when Ripple came running over.
"They've caught the ponies and are starting back up the slope," she warned.
Halmarain spoke another command word and the little ball of light zipped back to disappear into the top of her staff.
"We'll have to wait until the sun rises," she said. "Everyone be as quiet as possible. She laid a calming spell on Beglug, who wrapped himself in his blanket and lay down to sleep. The two gully dwarves sat. They leaned against the curtain wall with every evidence of comfort.