Dragons of Winter Night - Margaret Weis [136]
“Well, you’re wrong,” protested the other voice in wounded tones. “It’s mine! See, there’s my name engraved—”
“ ‘To Gunthar, my beloved husband on the Day of Life-Gift,’ ” said the first voice.
There was a moment’s silence in the room. Wills turned pale. Then the shrill voice spoke, more subdued this time.
“I guess it must have fallen into my pack, Fizban. That’s it! See, my pack was sitting under that table. Wasn’t that lucky? It would have broken if it had hit the floor—”
His face grim, Lord Gunthar flung open the door.
“Merry Yuletide to you, sirs,” he said. Wills popped in after him, his eyes darting quickly around the room.
The two strangers whirled around, the old man holding a crockery mug in his hand. Wills made a leap for the mug, whisking it away. With an indignant glance at the kender, he placed it upon the mantlepiece, high above the kender’s reach.
“Will there be anything else, my lord?” Wills asked, glaring meaningfully at the kender. “Shall I stay and keep an eye on things?”
Gunthar opened his mouth to reply, but the old man waved a negligent hand.
“Yes, thank you, my good man. Bring up some more ale. And don’t bring any of that rotgut stuff from the servants’ barrels, either!” The old man looked at Wills sternly. “Tap the barrel that’s in the dark corner by the cellar stairs. You know—the one that’s all cobwebby.”
Wills stared at him, open-mouthed.
“Well, go on. Don’t stand there gaping like a landed fish! A bit dim-witted, is he?” the old man asked Gunthar.
“N-no,” Gunthar stammered. “That’s all right, Wills. I—I believe I’ll have a mug, too—of—of the ale from the cask by the—uh—stairs. How did you know?” He demanded of the old man suspiciously.
“Oh, he’s a magic-user,” the kender said, shrugging and sitting down without being invited.
“A magic-user?” The old man peered around. “Where?”
Tas whispered something, poking the old man.
“Really? Me?” he said. “You don’t say! How remarkable. Now you know, come to think of it, I do seem to remember a spell … Fireball. How did it go?”
The old mage began to speak the strange words. Alarmed, the kender leaped out of his seat and grabbed the old man.
“No, Old One!” he said, tugging him back into a chair. “Not now!”
“I suppose not,” the old man said wistfully. “Wonderful spell, though …”
“I’m certain,” murmured Gunthar, absolutely mystified. Then he shook his head, regaining his sternness. “Now, explain yourselves. Who are you? Why are you here? Wills said something about a dragon orb—”
“I’m—” The mage stopped, blinking.
“Fizban,” said the kender with a sigh. Standing, he extended his small hand politely to Gunthar. “And I am Tasslehoff Burrfoot.” He started to sit down. “Oh,” he said, popping up again. “A Merry Yuletide to you, too, sir knight.”
“Yes, yes,” Gunthar shook hands, nodding absently. “Now about the dragon orb?”
“Ah, yes, the dragon orb!” The befuddled look left Fizban’s face. He stared at Gunthar with shrewd, cunning eyes. “Where is it? We’ve come a long way in search of it.”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you,” Gunthar said coolly. “If, indeed, such a thing were ever here—”
“Oh, it was here,” Fizban replied. “Brought to you by a Knight of the Rose, one Derek Crownguard. And Sturm Brightblade was with him.”
“They’re friends of mine,” explained Tasslehoff, seeing Gunthar’s jaw go slack. “I helped get the orb, in fact,” the kender added modestly. “We took it away from an evil wizard in a palace made of ice. It’s the most wonderful story—” He sat forward eagerly. “Do you want to hear it?”
“No,” said Gunthar, staring at them both in amazement. “And if I believed this swimming bird tale—wait—” He sank back in his chair. “Sturm did say something about a kender. Who were the others in your party?”
“Flint the dwarf, Theros the blacksmith, Gilthanas and Laurana—”
“It must be!” Gunthar exclaimed, then he frowned. “But he never mentioned a magic-user.…”
“Oh, that’s because I’m dead,” Fizban stated, propping his feet upon the table.
Gunthar’s eyes opened wide, but before he could reply, Wills came in. Glaring at Tasslehoff, the retainer