Dragon Heartstone > Chapter 15–Journey to Wolfbern

Vig tapped his fingers on the table. Though the beer was still somewhat enjoyable, having to sample more of another day’s brew held no real appeal. The King’s guards chafed, but Alric remained convinced that Larah should rest and recuperate before attempting to leave for Wolfbern.

The tavern owner eyed him once again. Despite the desire otherwise, Vig had grown to dislike the codger heartily. It was not because of the lack of service or courtesy, for the old fool had that in abundance, but something dug into him every time the man glanced his way. Was it a lingering dwarven memory? Had they met before? The uncertainty gnawed at him. Perhaps it was because the barkeep seemed to hover around whenever they talked, acting as an innocent eavesdropper. Normally, such nosy behavior would be just an annoyance, but because of Alric’s presence, it might signify something more nefarious. Perhaps it was time to turn the tables.

Vig slid his chair away from the table and walked in a weave-like pattern toward the King’s room, singing a traditional Dwarvish tune:

Upon a blue night,
My love, she did swoon,
To see such a sight,
Of a dish chasing a spoon
In the reflection, so bright,
The cow did laugh and say,
Come jump with me over the moon

Vig slipped to the corner and observed the stoop-shouldered man stop at the door and press his ear against it. So, the old man was spying on them. He waited several minutes until the infiltrator turned and began retreating up the hallway. Stepping carefully and slipping in and out of the shadows, he followed, careful to time his steps with the old man’s. When they returned to the tavern area, the dwarf diverted into the kitchen area, which stood empty now that the hour was late, and emerged, slowly and silently, on the other side. Scratching sounds reached his ears, and he peeked around the corner to see the old man scribbling away in a leather-bound book. When finished, the man pulled up a floorboard. With a snicker, he slipped the volume beneath the floor, then blew out the candle on his lamp. The bar area fell into the darkness as footfalls followed the old man as he left.

Waiting for the sounds to dissipate, Vig slipped into the bar area and searched the floor. His dwarvish eyes quickly spotted the loose board, and he pulled it up. Reaching inside, his fingers swiftly discovered the book and grabbed it by the spine. Replacing the plank carefully, he slipped back out the way he came to the King’s room. As he opened the door, light spilled into the hallway.

“Up a bit late, aren’t we?” Alric chided him. Larah lay sleeping in bed while the King sat at a table, a burning candle flickering before him.

“Late for whom?” Vig replied. He dropped the book in front of Alric. “Our tavern keeper has been a busy boy.”

Alric looked at the volume curiously. “What is this?”

“I do not know, but our friend seems to take notes on what he sees and hears.”

Alric opened it and flipped through some pages, but seeing them all blank, he closed and pushed it back. “It’s empty.”

Vig scratched his head. “But I saw him write in it.” He picked up the tome and leafed through it. “Nothing? How very odd.”

An odd tingle ran through his fingertips. The tab with a hook symbol began to glow. “Ah, what do we have here?” He opened the book at the flap and scanned it. “Take a look at this, he said, turning the book around so that Alric could read it.

Let me know what time and when they leave.

The King’s eyes narrowed. “Interesting. What do you think it means?” he asked, his eyes reflecting the candle flame.

“Perhaps someone is preparing to welcome you home.”

Alric guffawed quietly. “I doubt it, but we will leave tomorrow morning for Wolfbern.”

“Do you think that is advisable, given what we see here?”

“Yes, even more so.” Alric paused. Then, a smile crept upon his features. “If they want to know when we will leave, then let’s tell them.”

Vig studied him for a moment and then smiled as well. “Ah, I see. When should that be?”

“Say, two days from now, that should upset their plans, whatever they are.”

Grabbing a quill from the nightstand, Vig dipped it into the ink and wrote in the book.

Change of plans. One is sick, so they will stay for two more days.

 As they studied the writing, it slowly disappeared from the page. “Well, there it goes.”

“Hurry and put it back where you got it. We don’t want them to discover that we know what they are saying to each other,” Alric said.

Vig nodded and headed back to the common room. In minutes, he had replaced it. The satisfaction of his discovery only partially disguised angst in not knowing what was going on behind the scenes.

* * *

Coronados studied the message carefully. Two days? Why did the previous note say in the morning? Maybe the old fool had misheard the information. He pursed his lips as the gears in his mind spun. Now, he had to get the word out about the change of plans.

Wait! Something did not seem right about this. Otus had never sent two messages so close together before. No, he would not alert the others. This would be a good drill for them. He would use this as a dry run even if no one showed up. He looked out the window into the starry night, thoughts running wild.

He hoped Otus was mistaken about the change of plans. Having to wait two more days only fed his impatience. He reached into his pocket, pulled out two small white stones, and clenched them in his fist. Larah’s illumination stones. The only prize he had to show for his embarrassment in the courtyard of the Black Tower. But even so, now they represented something more. A small taste of what he hoped to gain. What had he said to her when they first met? One should keep their valuables safe. Otherwise, someone might take them. He rolled the stones around in the palm of his hand. I intend to seize much more than a few precious baubles.