Darius wanted to avoid the village entirely. He reminded Kaz that they were well within the range of Vingaard’s patrols, and that there was still a bounty on the minotaur. “One sword stroke and you will never live to tell your side.”

“I don’t think I have to remind you, Darius of the Crown, that you are badly injured. We can feel fortunate that you haven’t collapsed by now.”

“I will do no such thing.”

Kaz snorted wryly. “Even noble Solamnic knights have their physical limits. There may be a healer in the village, and I have yet to see a sign of a Solamnic patrol.”

That bothered Kaz. When he had been in the general area last, the knighthood had patrolled the land with consistency. They ranged for miles around, far beyond the location where Darius and his fellows from the south had been mauled by the supposed dragon. Yet not only had that massacre gone unnoticed, but also goblins seemed to be wandering freely about in fair-sized bands.

What was happening at the keep? What was happening to Grand Master Oswal and his ambitious nephew, Bennett?

Darius was talking. “The decision is yours, minotaur. I do not claim a clear mind at the moment.”

Studying the young knight’s sickly visage, Kaz knew that Darius was understating his condition. That settled the situation as far as he was concerned.

“A few minutes of rest and then we move on. If there’s a healer in that village, Darius, or even someone with more skill than I at cleaning and rebinding wounds, you will be taken care of immediately, or they’ll learn how angry a minotaur can become.” At the knight’s anxious expression, Kaz smiled widely, displaying all of his teeth. “Rest easy, Darius. I’ll only frighten them.”

Though not entirely reassured, the human let himself be led along. The village proved to be nearer than they first thought. It was only a little after dark before they reached it. Most of the buildings were in sore need of repair, and refuse lay rotting in the streets. The place stank of unwashed bodies, yet mysteriously there seemed to be no one about. Kaz would have been of the opinion that the village was abandoned had he not noticed a dim light down the path. Their route, which ran through the center of the settlement, led directly to it.

“I see an inn,” Kaz whispered. Darius nodded wearily.

As they followed the path, the minotaur became aware of the fact that, though the village seemed deserted, unseen eyes watched from virtually every building. With his free hand, he began to softly stroke the handle of his battle-axe. Next to him, he felt the knight tense. As injured and beaten as he was, Darius, too, felt the presence of watchers.

Whatever name the inn once bore, it had faded away so badly that the sign was unreadable in the torchlight. Kaz hesitated only long enough to assure himself of his grip on his companion, then pushed the door open. Without waiting for any reaction from those who might be inside, he stepped through, Darius practically dragged along by his momentum.

“I come in peace,” he announced in a stentorian voice-and immediately thereafter blinked, noticing that there were only three figures in the room, and one of them was lying on a nearby table in a position indicative of death. The other two figures were known to him, which provoked a surprised expression on his face.

“Kaz!” A nimble little figure rushed forward and hugged the minotaur.

“I’m very much alive, Delbin, but you won’t be for very long if you don’t let go!”

The kender leaped back, that omnipresent grin aimed at the huge figure he had thought was dead and gone. “It’s good to see you, Kaz! How did you survive? The minotaurs abandoned us when they saw you get washed down the river, and I guess they went to claim your body, but Tesela thought that they would never find it because the river becomes really deep and wild a little farther south. In fact, if we ever get down that way I wouldn’t mind-”

‘Take a breath, Delbin,” the little one’s companion said in amusement. Tesela, a beatific smile across her face, moved away from the prone figure and greeted the minotaur. “We searched for you ourselves for a few days, then the kender said that he had to journey to Vingaard to speak for you, since if you were dead, then you would never be able to complete your quest.”

Kaz, brow creased in puzzlement, glanced at Delbin. The kender, suddenly shy and speechless, mumbled, “You’re my friend, Kaz.”

Despite himself, the minotaur gave his small companion a short, encouraging smile. Delbin beamed.

“I was traveling in this direction anyway, so I stayed with him.” Tesela eyed the kender. “Aside from a few occasions where people’s belongings somehow ended up in his pouch, things went without incident, praise to Mishakal.” For the first time, her glance fell directly on Darius, who tried in vain to bow. Tesela’s expression turned to one of great concern.

“Get him over there,” she said, pointing at another table. “Forgive me, knight, for being so preoccupied that I did not notice the extent of your wounds.”

“I take… n-no offense, cleric, but what about… that other?” Darius gasped as they helped him onto the table. “Milady, continue with him, please. I can wait.”

Tesela looked sadly at the other man, a haggard old beggar. His hands were clasped across his chest. “He is beyond my powers, Knight of Solamnia. He was beyond my powers when he came to me, the poor, frightened man.”

“Frightened?” Kaz asked, his eyes on the corpse.

“Frightened.” Tesela began removing the battered remnants of Darius’s armor. “You actually walked around in this pile of scrap?”

The knight looked both embarrassed and insulted. “This suit is almost all I have in the world and the only remembrance of my family. Our estate is now as barren as these lands, and I am the only one to survive the war.” He swallowed hard. “Until my companions and I were attacked, it served me quite well.”

The cleric inspected some of the wounds. She touched her patient near the lower left ribs, and Darius cried out. “By the Three, woman! Do you intend that I join the old beggar in the beyond?”

“I have to know a bit about what is hurting you before I pray to Mishakal,” she snapped. “Mishakal trusts her clerics to know what they are doing, so you had better let me continue. Depending on your injuries, I may have to pray over you for as much as a full day, although I doubt you are that badly off. And Mishakal also does not give something for nothing. She is not to be taken for granted, knight.”

“I apologize, milady.”

Kaz leaned over and looked at Tesela. “Is there anything that I can do?”

She glanced up at him. “You might get something to drink for yourself, and then take a rest. I don’t doubt you’ve taken most of the burden today.”

The minotaur looked around. “Where is the innkeeper?”

“Gone. At least a week. I doubt he’ll ever come back. People do that here, I’m told. Just walk off and leave everything. I guess even these souls have a breaking point.”

“What do you mean?”

She took her medallion in her hands. “I’ll tell you later. If both you and Delbin wouldn’t mind stepping into another room, it should make my task easier.”

Kaz grunted assent and walked over to the counter, Delbin trailing behind. The kender had remained silent for too long. Now he was brimming over with questions.

“What happened to the knight, Kaz? Did you meet any other people? It seems that everyone fears strangers, especially knights. No one’s gone near the keep for weeks, they say. Why d’ya suppose that is?”

The kender quieted momentarily as Kaz handed him a mug of something drawn from a barrel under the counter. They both drank a deep draft, then grimaced at the sour taste.

“Bad,” Kaz muttered and put the mug down. He pulled out his water pouch and drank from it. The water, which came from a stream he and Darius had passed earlier in the day, was brackish, but it still tasted better than the unidentifiable liquid from the barrel.