“He’s telling me about his big desert,” Feril said, briefly glancing at Blister. She reached out and scratched the top of the lizard’s head and resumed hissing and clicking.
“It is an awfully big desert,” Blister admitted as she glanced at the sea of sand spreading away from them in all directions. She had to strain her eyes to see the Anvil’s masts edging into the northern horizon. So thin and far away, the kender thought they looked like sewing needles sticking out of the white fabric of the landscape. “I know it’s a very big desert because I saw a map of it. Dhamon bought the map in Palanthas several weeks ago—before we went into the desert way south of here. Shaon was with us.” She paused when she saw Rig’s lips tighten at the mention of Shaon. “Of course,” the kender quickly continued, “Dhamon didn’t have the map for very long. Spawn attacked us and frightened away our horses, and the map was on Dhamon’s horse, which is who knows where now. Do you think the horse is alive? Do you think we’ll need another map? Or maybe the lizard could sort of, you know, draw a map in the sand with its tail. Or maybe we—”
“Shh!” Palin and Rig admonished practically in unison.
The kender thrust out her bottom lip, ground her heel into the sand, and stared at the curly-tailed lizard, which was staring attentively at Feril.
“You’re very smart,” the Kagonesti hissed.
” Very, very smart,” the lizard added. It sat back on its small haunches and looked up at her smooth, tanned face and sparkling eyes. “Smartest one in this wonderful desert.”
“I’ll bet you know a lot of what goes on here.”
“Know everything,” the lizard replied, puffing out its small chest
“What do you know about a blue dragon?”
“Blue?” Its curly tail straightened for an instant, and it bunked at her quizzically. “Brown like mud?”
“Blue like the sky,” she corrected.
Its mind whirled in deliberation. “The very, very big lizard?”
Feril nodded.
“Wings? Like a bird?”
“Yes, die dragon can fly.”
“Stay with me away from the very, very big lizard,” the curly-tailed one lectured. “It will eat you very, very quickly.”
Blister tugged on Rig’s pant leg. “I wonder if Feril’s telling the lizard this was really all your idea. We all preferred to go to Southern Ergoth after the White. You’ve got Dhamon’s lance, and you might be able to kill it.”
“It’s my lance.”
‘Now” Blister agreed. “But originally it belonged to Sturm Brightblade, and he used it In the War of the Lance a long time ago. And then it belonged to people who took it apart and kept the pieces as souvenirs. And then Dhamon and Palin put it all back together, and then the lance belonged to Dhamon until he died. Maybe you should have brought it along in case we run into a dragon. Maybe you shouldn’t have left it on the ship with Groller and Jasper. Maybe we should be heading to Southern Ergoth instead.”
“We will go to Southern Ergoth,” Rig said emphatically.
“Good, but I still think you should have brought the lance.”
Rig sighed and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Listen, Blister. I don’t know how to use the lance. Satisfied?”
“I thought you could use any weapon. Feril says you’re a walking arsenal.”
“Swords, daggers, garrotes—those I know how to use. A bola in a pinch, and a couple of others. But a lance is something different entirely. You need both hands for it, and it’s heavy. I want to practice a little bit with it first, become familiar with it Using a weapon I’m unfamiliar with could do me more harm than good.”
“So, you’re basically saying that you don’t want Palin to see that you can’t use the lance. That’s why you’re whispering so he won’t hear.”
Rig groaned. “Blister…”
“Anyway, why should you drag around a big lance in the desert? It’ll only make you sweatier and hotter and grumpier. You know, you could give it to someone who does know how to use it Maybe Groller could use it or even—”
“It’s my lance,” the mariner repeated. “I’ll have plenty of tune—weeks, months—to practice on our way to Southern Ergoth.”
“We should just go to Southern Ergoth right now.”
“I said we would, but only after we find the blue dragons lair. That dragon killed Shaon, killed Dhamon as it was dying. Dragons have lots of treasure—so they say. And I aim to get as much of it as I can carry.”
“Well, I’ve never been on a treasure hunt before,” Blister said cheerfully. “It all seems so exciting—even though it’s so hot. I’m surprised Palin’s going along with it, though. He really wanted to go to Southern Ergoth.”
Rig sighed. “Palm agreed because I’m the captain of the ship, and he needs me to get to Southern Ergoth.”
“I agreed because I think we can learn more about dragons by studying a dead dragon’s lair” corrected Palin. “We might gain dues that will help us defeat a living one.”
“That’s provided we can even find the lair,” Blister said. “The couple of birds Feril talked to this morning didn’t seem too helpful. And now this lizard… well, who knows what it’s saying?”
“Shh!” Feril interjected. “I can barely hear my little friend here.”
“The very, very big lizard eats everything,” the curly-tailed lizard continued. “Eats camels and—”
“It won’t eat anything again” Feril hissed. “It’s dead. A friend of mine killed it”
The lizard closed its eyes and its dark red tongue flicked in what Feril sensed was a sign of relief. “Very, very glad it is dead.”
“We want to see where it lived.”
“Lizard hole is dark and very, very stinky. Smells like death.”
“You were there?”
“Once. Went inside chasing beetles, then went outside. Stinky. Did not want beetles that bad.”
“Will you take us there?”
“No.” It wrinkled its scaly nose, uncurled its tail, and turned toward the southeast. “The very, very big lizard lived that way. Near rocks that touch the sky. Far walk from here, three days, four, two. But not so far for you. Only one for you, maybe.” It looked at her long legs. “Very glad it is dead. Come run with me across the sand. Search with me for juicy hoppers.”
Feril shook her head. “I haven’t time today.” She rose and brushed the sand off her knees and watched the lizard scamper away.
“Did it know anything about the dragon’s lair?” Rig asked. The mariner wiped the sweat from his face and took a long draw from one of his waterskins.
“This way,” Feril answered, pointing in the direction the lizard had indicated. “Follow me.”
Shortly before sunset the foursome stopped to rest. They could find no cover and simply sat down on the sand, near a small dune. Palin’s legs ached from all the walking, and his feet burned from the grains of sand that were constantly getting between the soles of his feet and the leather of the sandals. The thin garments he wore, once pale green, now were dark with sweat and clung to his skin. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something cool.
“You’re sure the lair is around here?” Rig slumped a few feet away from Palin and kept his eyes on the Kagonesti.
“In this direction, yes,” Feril replied.
“How much farther?” The mariner tugged off his shirt. His dark skin gleamed, and he futilely tried to blot himself dry with the sweat-soaked shirt. Then he put it back on. “We’ve been at this all day. Maybe talking to animals wasn’t the best way to find the dragon’s lair.”
“And you have a better suggestion? This whole trip was your idea, Rig Mer-Krel” she reminded him. “If you hadn’t been so set on finding the dead dragon’s lair and getting rich, we’d be… .” She let the words trail off. Home, she thought, we’d be well on our way to Southern Ergoth—my home until the white dragon moved in.