Red Magic - Jean Rabe [121]
"You're weak. You need to rest," she admonished.
The druid nodded, too exhausted to argue.
They carried their find upstairs, noticing that the candles they had lit had all burned out. The trio had been below ground more than an hour, and the first rays of the dawning sun were spilling in through the windows and reflecting off the marble floor.
Galvin padded through the main hallway until he reached the doors through which they had entered the tower. He still moved unsteadily in his weakened state, and he tottered when he threw open the doors. Wynter trotted after him, the clip-clop of the centaur's hooves reverberating off the polished marble floor.
Brenna remained inside, studying the map and wondering what Galvin was doing. The clink of bones and swish of old, tattered cloth told her. He was ushering all of the undead inside to keep them from worrying Amruthar's citizens and from wandering away. The sorceress went several feet up the staircase and sat down to avoid rubbing up against the ambling corpses that flooded the hallway. The druid directed the skeletons and zombies down to the chambers below and called out to the wraiths to take charge of the other undead.
"I'll summon you when we're ready to leave," Galvin called, his tone halting, as if he were out of breath.
"Heal thyself, human," came the haunting reply. "We will leave at sunset."
It took a long time for the hundreds of sluggish corpses to file into the chambers below. When the last was gone, Wynter pushed the hidden door closed behind them.
Brenna spread the crude map out on some nearby steps, then hunched over to scrutinize it again. Galvin sat beside her.
"The map might not mean anything," he said, leaning back on his elbows and fighting to keep his eyes open.
"Maybe," she replied quickly, "But then again, maybe it's important."
The clip-clopping of Wynter's hooves caused the enchantress to glance up from the parchment. The centaur stood at the bottom of the short staircase and held out his hand. Brenna shrugged and passed him the map.
The centaur's dark eyes puzzled over the rough lines, then grew wide. "There are some hills marked here," Wynter said thoughtfully. "They've got to be Thay's gold mines, its lifeblood. People here will tell you the citrus and other crops support the country. But it's really the gold. If you have enough gold you don't need crops. You can buy anything you want. I'm starting to remember things, Brenna."
The enchantress grabbed the banister and pulled herself up. Galvin stayed rooted to the stairs.
"Show me," Brenna encouraged, and she hurried to Wynter's side.
The centaur pointed to various features on the map. Then he scratched his head. "I don't know what Maligor wants with the gold mines. There's a tharchion who supervises the mines. He's appointed by all the zulkirs jointly. The tharchion isn't going to throw in with Maligor, or with Szass Tam, for that matter," Wynter added. "Besides, the mines are north of here. Galvin said Maligor's army moved east."
"Could a large bird fly to the mines in an evening?" Galvin asked. "Are the mines close enough?"
The centaur knit his brows, puzzled at the question. "I suppose it could," he answered, "if the bird could fly fast. It really isn't all that far, but it would take a man several days, perhaps, to walk there."
Galvin sighed, then grinned at his Harper friend. Wynter certainly seemed to be recovering. The druid wanted the centaur fit and at his side when the confrontation with Maligor came.
"I don't know for sure what Maligor is up to, but I'll wager he's going after the mines," the druid suggested.
"Are we going to the mines?" Brenna asked. "After we rest?" she added hopefully.
"I need to rest." Galvin stood shakily. "There are beds in the apprentices' chambers, where we put the slaves. I'd like to sleep there. I'd feel more comfortable-for