Song of the Saurials - Kate Novak [130]
Then we could just walk in and get Dragonbait. We could find the seed, too, and destroy it. It would be centuries before Moander could get back the energy to return to the Realms "
"Alias, I'm sorry about Dragonbait," Finder replied softly, "but it's not my fault he was captured. You've got to keep away from Moander so the god can't enslave you again."
Alias looked at Finder with astonishment. "What are you saying?" she asked suspiciously.
"I'm not going to destroy the finder's stone," Finder answered calmly. "Maybe the reinforcements Breck brings can manage to rescue Dragonbait."
"If we wait too long and give the minions a chance to resurrect Moander," Alias protested, "the god will suck Dragonbait into his body and we'll never be able to rescue him. We have to use that ice, Finder."
"No," Finder said determinedly.
"Finder, we're talking about Dragonbait!" Alias shouted. "How can you turn your back on him after all he's done for you?"
"Alias, try to understand. There's nothing like this stone anywhere in the Realms. I made it. If you destroy it, I can't make another."
"Give me that stone!" Alias demanded, lunging for Finder, The bard just barely managed to sidestep the swordswoman, and Alias fell into the ferns on the cave floor.
Akabar reached out to grab the bard, but Finder had drawn his dagger and thrust it out in front of him. The mage retreated hastily. "I curse your stone!" the Turmishman said hotly. "May it bring you no joy. May it be your death."
Olive shuddered. A curse was bad luck.
"Olive, over here!" the bard barked, pulling out the stone.
Olive shook her head. "I'm staying here. Finder," she said.
For a brief moment, the bard looked shocked and hurt. Then he snapped, "Fine.
Have it your way" He sang out an E-flat and vanished in a yellow light.
*****
Alias stood in the mouth of the cave watching the sun sink into the desert beyond the vale. Although there was no sign of movement from Moander's new body, she kept imagining Dragonbait being swallowed by it, lying trapped inside the god's body. In her mind, she pictured the cage Moander had used to imprison her last year, when the god had tortured her with its lies and tried to seduce her into its service with the promise of freedom. She didn't regret trying to take Finder's stone from the bard, and she was still furious with him for his selfishness, but she wished he'd come back. They could use him, with or without the stone.
Olive sat beside the swordswoman, idly throwing rocks at trees. She was regretting staying behind. It was a grand gesture, but if she'd gone along with the bard, she might have been able to talk some sense into him. Now he was no doubt feeling self-righteous and getting himself into some other trouble. She missed him already, and she was afraid she'd never see him again.
Akabar and Grypht were in the back of the cave. Grypht was rehearsing Akabar in the use of the saurial command word that triggered the wand of frost he'd given the mage.
The four of them had worked out a strategy to sneak into the vale, free Dragonbait, and hit as many saurials as possible with the cold magic they had at their disposal. Grypht would hide their forms and scents with magic. In order to disguise the warmth of their bodies from those saurials who could detect heat, Akabar had suggested that they go at sunset when the day's heat rising from the ground would mask their own warmth. They could have left ten minutes ago, but Alias had wanted to wait a few more minutes in case Finder changed his mind.
Finder had been gone for an hour. If he didn't return in the next few minutes, they'd have to leave without him.
"He's not coming back, Olive," Alias said.
Olive sighed and tossed another rock at a tree twenty feet off, hitting it dead center. "Not in time, anyway," the halfling said.
"I can't believe he wouldn't help us," Alias said. "Why won't he give up that stupid stone?"
Olive shrugged. She'd been trying to understand that herself. "Before you came along," she said, "the stone was Finder's crowning achievement. He can't really