“Do you know a great deal about the dark elves?” Alex asked.
“I do,” Sindar answered. “Their ways of magic have always been of great interest to me. My own swords are also of their making, though not as old nor as powerful as yours.”
“Can you tell me about Moon Slayer and how it was made? I mean, about its power? And how it chooses its master?”
“I can tell you some things, but not all. There are none now alive who know everything about the great swords and how they were made.”
“The knowledge was lost with the dark elves then,” said Alex sadly.
“I believe that most of the information was lost, though there are some who say it is not lost, but only forgotten.”
“Do you know how the great swords choose their masters?” Alex pressed.
“I do not,” said Sindar in a thoughtful tone. “I do not think even the makers of the swords knew how the masters would be chosen.”
“They were foolish to make such swords then,” Val commented, looking over Sindar’s shoulder at Alex’s sword. “To make a sword that you cannot use—that is foolish.”
“Perhaps,” Sindar agreed. “But when the dark elves made these weapons, they were made for a specific person or a specific reason. The first masters were known, so making the swords was not foolish. It was when these first masters died or passed on their weapons that the swords began choosing their own masters.”
“And what would happen if someone the sword had not chosen tried to use it?” Val questioned.
“If the master were still alive, I believe it would be dangerous for anyone else to use the sword. I think the magic of the sword would turn it against anyone who tried to use it,” Sindar answered. “If the sword had no master, it might work as a normal sword, without giving its magical powers to the user. I’m not sure.”
“Did the dark elves make other weapons as well?” asked Alex.
“Yes, they made all kinds,” Sindar answered. “Many have been lost or destroyed. I believe that most of the weapons that remain are swords.”
Halfdan called out that their meal was ready, so Alex put Moon Slayer back into its scabbard and accepted a plate of food. He wanted to learn more about his magic sword, and the other magical weapons the dark elves had made, but he pushed his thoughts aside, thinking that he would have time to ask his questions as they traveled.
“Will your family be in Oslansk for the weddings?” Alex asked Andy as they ate.
“Yes. And they are excited to meet you all. My little brother, Michael, seems almost ready to burst with excitement.”
“How old is he?” Alex asked.
“He’ll turn thirteen the day after the weddings,” Andy answered. “He keeps hoping I’ll buy him his own horse for his birthday.”
“And will you?” Halfdan questioned.
“I’d like to, but Father isn’t happy with the idea,” Andy said.
“And why would your father be unhappy with such a gift?” questioned Sindar.
“Oh, well,” Andy began slowly, as if considering his answer. “The horse Michael wants is not as tame as the horses we already have. Father thinks it might be too much for Michael to handle.”
“And what do you think?” Alex asked.
“I think Michael will get his wish,” said Andy with a sly grin.
“Perhaps we should consider getting him a saddle to go with his horse,” said Halfdan.
“Oh, no,” said Andy, suddenly looking nervous. “You don’t need to get him a present, that would be too much.”
Halfdan winked at Alex, and Alex understood that he and Halfdan would be buying a saddle when the company reached Oslansk.
They finished their meal with a great deal of talk, and they stayed sitting around the fire for a long time. The night was growing colder, but the fire was warm and comfortable. Alex wondered if they should set a watch, but Bregnest said nothing about it.
“So tell us about Norsland weddings,” said Halfdan as the fire burned down. “What customs should we know about? What kind of gifts should we give?”
Andy paused to think. “I suppose the most important thing for you to know is that friends of the groom give gifts to the bride, while friends of the bride give gifts to the groom.”
“Nobody gives gifts to them both?” Alex asked.
Andy shook his head. “It’s an old custom all over Norsland. Though to be honest, I’ve never asked why nobody gives gifts to both the bride and the groom.”
“So now we have to find presents for brides we’ve never met,” Halfdan grumbled.
“You don’t have to give anything expensive or extravagant,” said Andy defensively. “It’s more of a thank-you for the invitation to the wedding sort of gift.”
“What type of gifts do strangers give?” Sindar questioned.
“Oh, well, I don’t know. I mean, I don’t think there is any need for you to give anything,” Andy stuttered.
“It is a poor wedding guest who gives nothing,” said Sindar. “Perhaps, when we reach Oslansk, I can learn more about your customs and discover what sort of gift to give.”
Alex knew that, while Sindar and Val had not been formally invited to the weddings, they would both be included as part of the company in all the feasts and parties that went along with the celebrations.
“We had best put blankets on the horses,” said Bregnest as the fire turned to glowing embers. “It may be spring in Norsland, but the nights are still cold.”
They all tended to their horses and then went to their tents for the night. Alex was still a little concerned about not setting a watch, but he decided that Bregnest knew what he was doing. Letting his worries drift away in the darkness, he soon fell into a restful sleep.
* * *
The next morning Alex was grateful that Halfdan had brought along his dwarf remedy for soreness. All his muscles and bones ached when he woke up. Halfdan’s remedy quickly cured his pains, though it didn’t work quite as fast as it had the last time he had used it.
Turning, Alex saw Andy tumble over with a surprised yell. Andy had taken the remedy just before Alex, but it appeared that the potion had not worked for him.
“I can’t feel my left leg,” Andy shouted.
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Halfdan exclaimed as he rushed to Andy’s side. “No feeling at all?”
“What do you mean?” Andy yelled. “My leg won’t move at all.”
“It’ll wear off in a few minutes,” Halfdan answered with an unconcerned wave of his hand. “Try wiggling your toes, and pay attention to which toe you feel moving first.”
“What?”
“This is important, Andy,” Halfdan said in excitement. “After drinking from a new batch of potion, if a person loses feeling in part of their body, their fortune can be told by which parts start feeling things first.”
“You didn’t mention anything about losing the use of our body parts before giving us the potion,” Val commented with a sour look.
“It doesn’t happen that often,” Halfdan replied, blushing slightly. “To be honest, I didn’t think it would happen, but now that it has . . . Andy, are you wiggling your toes like I said?”
“How should I know?” Andy snapped. “I can’t feel anything.”
“Well, keep trying. It should only take a minute or two.”
Halfdan’s prediction was correct. After a few minutes Andy’s leg started to move, and before long, he was back on his feet. Halfdan continued to ask questions about which toe Andy could wiggle first, but Andy was in no mood to answer.
“I’m trying to be helpful,” Halfdan finally said. “If you’ll tell me which of your toes moved first, I could tell you a lot about your future.”
“The little one,” Andy replied as his anger cooled. “My little toe was the first one I felt. So what can you tell me about my future?”
“Oh, that’s good, that’s very good,” said Halfdan. “If the little toe moves first, you’ll have a long and happy life, filled with good fortune.”
“What if his big toe had moved first?” Bregnest questioned.