The Kingless Land - Ed Greenwood [38]
"Word has spread up and down Coiling Vale as swift as a sunrise, it seems," the baron began, "and yet I've heard wild embellishments growing about the tale even within my own halls. Have patience, then, as Urdras-a scribe out of Sirlptar-recounts what little is known, for certain."
A slight, nervously restless man with gray, receding hair, who wore plain, worn robes and a worried expression, arose from a chair near to the baron, sketched a bow, and hugged himself, keeping his hands within his crossed sleeves. "I-ah-yes," he began uneasily.
Within a few words, he was pacing, his nervousness lending urgency to his steps. "A matter of days ago, a wizard died: the mage Yezund of Elmerna. He claimed to have deduced the present location of one of the Dwaerindim: Candalath, the Stone of Life. He did this, he reported, both through his own far-seeking spells and examination of old texts, and by the reports of hireswords whom he sent exploring. He places it somewhere in the library of the dead wizard Ehrluth, in the ruined city of Indraevyn."
Urdras paused to look around the room. The silence was as heavy as the dark tapestries on all sides, and with a nervous cough the scribe continued: "Yezund reported all this triumphantly to wizards gathered at the House of the Raised Hand in Sirlptar, where followed both derision and excited discussion. This house is a private club for mages, where Yezund was a member of no particular rank or regard."
The scribe paused again for dramatic emphasis, felt the cold eyes of the baron on his back, and hurriedly added, "Yezund swept out of the house immediately after making his pronouncements and walked home. He reached the Street of Lamps-and there was torn apart by unseen magics-perhaps wielded by the same sinister mage or mages who pillaged and then burned Yezund's house, within an hour of his death. The slayer remains unknown, but something or someone ruthless and magically powerful is obviously after the Dwaer."
The scribe bowed again and sat down without delay. Before anyone else could speak, the baron said, "Have my thanks, Urdras. You appreciate the importance of this news, gentles: if this Dwaer is found, it can be used to devastating effect. If it falls into the hands of Silvertree, none of us in all Aglirta is safe. Wherefore we are here, to speak freely. Sing out, if you will."
There was a general stir, and at least three voices started to speak at once. The baron lifted a hand to cry order, but a deep, thunderous voice cut through them all to say, "I-and many who swing swords, I daresay-know the Dwaerindim from mothers' tales. Let our scribe stand again, and tell us plainly what power these Stones have, without all the grand mystery that mages like to wield like swords against us lesser wits!" The speaker was a large and scarred warrior, seated near the back and wrapped in a dark green cloak that could have smothered three scrawny scribes out of Sirlptar.
"Claws of the Dark One!" one of the cowled mages snarled. "Must we sit through endless explanations for idiots?"
"Yes," a warrior sitting near snapped, and then added in words slow, clear, and cold: "We idiots appreciate it."
There were chuckles and "ayes" of agreement from around the chamber, and at a nod from the baron the scribe arose once more, almost stammering in his nervousness now.
"This Stone is said to be able to raise the dead to life once more and to have many other powers besides. The Dwaerindim each have magics, and when used together, by one who knows how to place and command them, can unleash yet more spells."
"So what, beyond the death to life, makes them any better than a dozen hired wizards?" the deep-voiced warrior demanded.
Urdras smiled weakly, and said, "Forgive me, all here who know already, but it must be plainly said: magical control, creativity, and ability to shape and work forces comes from within a wizard, but the raw power that brings any spell into being is always called forth from enchanted items. Most items-pebbles that give forth light, for instance, or yonder