• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

A mug hit the dwarf in the head, knocking him cold.

“Oops,” said Tas.

Tanis throttled the northerner and left him unconscious under a table. He grabbed Tas off the bar, set the kender on the floor, and knelt down beside Flint who was groaning and trying to sit up.

“Tanis, that elf—” Flint blinked groggily, then asked “What hit me?”

“That big guy, under the table!” Tas said pointing.

Tanis stood up and looked at the elf Flint indicated. “Gilthanas?”

The elf stared at him. “Tanthalas,” he said coldly. “I would never have recognized you. That beard—”

Horns blew again, this time closer.

“Great Reorx!” The dwarf groaned, staggering to his feet. “We’ve got to get out of here! Come on! Out the back!”

“There is no back!” Tika cried wildly, still hanging onto the skillet.

“No,” said a voice at the door. “There is no back. You are my prisoners.”

A blaze of torchlight flared into the room. The companions shielded their eyes, making out the forms of hobgoblins behind a squat figure in the doorway. The companions could hear the sounds of flapping feet outside, then what seemed like a hundred goblins stared into the windows and peered in through the door. The hobgoblins inside the bar that were still alive or conscious picked themselves up and drew their weapons, regarding the companions hungrily.

“Sturm, don’t be a fool!” Tanis cried, catching hold of the knight as he prepared to charge into the seething mass of goblins slowly forming a ring of steel around them. “We surrender,” the half-elf called out.

Sturm glared at the half-elf in anger, and for a moment Tanis thought he might disobey.

“Please, Sturm,” Tanis said quietly. “Trust me. This is not our time to die.”

Sturm hesitated, glanced around at the goblins crowding inside the Inn. They stood back, fearful of his sword and his skill, but he knew they would charge in a rush if he made the slightest move. “It is not our time to die.” What odd words. Why had Tanis said them? Did a man ever have a “time to die”? If so, Sturm realized, this wasn’t it—not if he could help it. There was no glory dying in an inn, trampled by stinking, flapping goblin feet.

Seeing the knight put his weapon away, the figure at the door decided it was safe to enter, surrounded as he was by a hundred or so loyal troops. The companions saw the gray, mottled skin and red, squinting pig eyes of Fewmaster Toede.

Tasslehoff gulped and moved quickly to stand beside Tanis. “Surely he won’t recognize us,” Tas whispered. “It was dusk when they stopped us, asking about the staff.”

Apparently Toede did not recognize them. A lot had happened in a week’s time and the Fewmaster had important things stuffed in a mind already overloaded. His red eyes focused on the knight’s emblems beneath Sturm’s cloak. “More refugee scum from Solamnia,” Toede remarked.

“Yes,” Tanis lied quickly. He doubted if Toede knew of the destruction of Xak Tsaroth. He thought it highly unlikely that this fewmaster would know anything about the Disks of Mishakal. But Lord Verminaard knew of the Disks and he would soon learn of the dragon’s death. Even a gully dwarf could add that one up. No one must know they came out of the east. “We have journeyed long days from the north. We did not intend to cause trouble. These draconians started it—”

“Yes, yes,” Toede said impatiently. “I’ve heard this before.” His squinty eyes suddenly narrowed. “Hey, you!” he shouted, pointing at Raistlin. “What are you doing, skulking back there? Fetch him, lads!” The Fewmaster took a nervous step behind the door, watching Raistlin warily. Several goblins charged back, overturning benches and tables to reach the frail young man. Caramon rumbled deep in his chest. Tanis gestured to the warrior, warning him to remain calm.

“On yer feet!” one of the goblins snarled, prodding at Raistlin with a spear.

Raistlin stood slowly and carefully gathered his pouches. As he reached for his staff, the goblin grabbed hold of the mage’s thin shoulder.

“Touch me not!” Raistlin hissed, drawing back. “I am magi!”

The goblin hesitated and glanced back at Toede.