Delbin shrugged innocently. “Well, I mean, he probably headed for the mountains east of Qualinesti or for the southern part near Thorbardin. Don’t dwarves live down there? You wouldn’t go that way when I asked last time. Did you have trouble-”

The minotaur sat up. “Delbin, do you know where the elf is?”

“I do now. I was going to write about everything that happened and how big and powerful the knights looked when they arrived a few minutes ago, but when I reached for the book, I found this little crystal that I knew had to be Argaen’s, and when I thought about him real hard, all of a sudden I could see him landing someplace in the mountains just north of Qualinesti. I think they’re partly in Ergoth and partly in Solamnia, but I could be wrong.”

“Let me see what you found.”

Delbin pulled something out of his pouch. “I thought you might want to see it, but you looked pretty busy. I bet maybe Argaen put it into my pouch while he had me imagining I was helping you by opening the vaults.”

A look of wonder passed over Kaz’s bullish visage as he eyed Delbin’s prize. It was the same trinket that Ravenshadow had used to find the kender the first time he had disappeared, searching in the library. Kaz snatched the magical device from his companion’s diminutive hands.

“You saw where the elf was going just by thinking about him?” Ravenshadow’s image was burned into his own mind now.

The artifact in his hands began to glow a little, and something murky appeared within it.

“That’s how it did it last time,” Delbin offered helpfully.

“Quiet!” Kaz continued. A dragon, even a stone one, could cover astonishing distances in a short period of time. The mountains Delbin had described, however, were fairly near, several days’ ride at the very most. It amazed Kaz that the dark elf would position himself so close to the land of his people.

The murky image began to waver. Argaen Ravenshadow. His home. The emerald sphere of Galan Dracos.

With a flicker, he was suddenly flying high above a mountain range. Had he not flown on the backs of dragons in the past, the angle would have sent him reeling. As it was, he was able to study the range. He knew these mountains, had seen them from a distance several times. The northernmost tip of Qualinesti was only a day to the south. How could Argaen hope to keep out of sight of his kin?

Slowly the image focused on one mountain in particular. The peak began to grow larger and larger-or rather, Kaz, through the crystal, was descending. Within seconds, he was below the tip of the mountain and still descending.

The ruins sprang from nowhere.

One minute he was gazing at yet more mountainside, and the next he was hurtling toward the roof of some long-abandoned structure. Kaz allowed himself a smile. He not only knew his prey was in a particular set of mountains, but he also knew where in those mountains.

Who?

The voice echoed through his mind, and Kaz nearly fell back. Only barely did he succeed in keeping his grip on the crystal.

“Kaz?”

Who? the voice demanded. There was an ethereal quality to it.

The crystal began to grow hotter. Kaz no longer had any desire to hold on to it, but now it appeared to be holding on to him. The image in its center had faded, but the voice remained in the minotaur’s head, growing increasingly powerful and demanding.

Where? Who?

Gritting his teeth, Kaz called out. “Delbin! Knock… knock it from my hand. Hurry!”

The kender reached into his pouch and pulled out, of all things, his ever-absent book. Taking it in both hands, Delbin struck the minotaur’s hand with all his might. Smoke arose from the book as the tiny artifact burned the edge of it before being sent flying away.

Clutching his hand where it had been burned, Kaz watched the crystal strike the ground and crack into several pieces. In that same instant, it ceased to glow. The voice that had been demanding the minotaur’s identity vanished as well.

Both Kaz and Delbin stared at the shattered remnants for several seconds before the kender dared to ask, “Kaz, what happened?”

“Someone was trying to locate me while I was locating the elf.”

“Someone?”

Kaz nodded, eyeing his injured hand. He hoped Tesela had the strength left to heal it. He had a feeling he was going to need to be at his best. The voice had not been Argaen Ravenshadow’s-of that, at least, he was sure.

Then, who?

The group selected to hunt Argaen Ravenshadow would, by necessity, be a small one. Of the two hundred or so knights the Grand Master now had under his command, a good quarter of them would not be fit for very much activity for at least a few days. Still more were needed back at the keep to guard the walls of Vingaard and start clearing the debris left over from the stone dragon’s departure. All in all, the Grand Master was stretching his resources to the limits when he assigned fifty knights to his nephew.

Darius, Tesela, and Delbin, of course, all insisted on coming along as well. To the knight, it was a sense of duty, of honor. The cleric insisted that they were likely to need her healing skills where they were going. Kaz suspected her real reason was Darius himself. Adversity had thrown them together.

As for Delbin, he did not need a reason, and Lord Oswal was more than accommodating when it came to the kender. If he stayed behind, without Kaz to watch over him, the knights rightly feared that he would pilfer everything in sight, plus, no doubt, some things that were not.

Those riding with the party were personally chosen by the Grand Master, and the entire expedition was supplied with whatever could be spared in the way of food and materials.

Just before noon, they started out the front gates. There was no cheering, for those riding forth might be heading to their deaths, and nearly every knight remaining behind manned the walls against equally uncertain destiny. When Kaz looked back, just before Vingaard Keep became too distant, he saw that the men on the walls were still there, silently watching.

The shortened day passed without incident. There were signs of occasional goblin activity, but not one of the creatures was sighted. The column avoided villages and other settlements. Until people could be brought to understand what had happened, it was best to give civilization a wide berth.

The most promising sign of the day was the presence of the bright sun. It was encouraging. Certainly it raised spirits.

Just before nightfall, a scout reported signs that a relatively large band of men, some riding and some on foot, had been in the area earlier that morning. They, too, were headed in a southerly direction. No evidence indicated that they were heading toward the same destination as the column, but the thought nagged at Kaz. Who could they be?

When night came at last, there was some debate as to whether or not they should press on. Common sense won out. Everyone needed rest. A perimeter and watches were established. Kaz felt as if time had slipped back several years and he was once again in the great war. He wondered what they would do if Argaen’s unliving servant returned under cover of darkness.

He felt the twin edges of the blade, admiring the workmanship of the metal axe head. His face reflected back at him, crystal clear despite the dim light of the night sky. Kaz studied the image for a minute wonderingly, when something registered. The minotaur stared at the axe head, at the handle, and then at the sharp edges…

That was it! The area where the axe had been chipped after it had struck the rocky hide of Argaen’s monster was whole and unbroken once more! Sharp as ever again! He also recalled a moment in the vault, when the unliving beast had shied away from the minotaur’s seemingly futile attack with the battle-axe. Could the stone dragon actually fear the axe? Granted, the weapon was somehow magical, but why would a creature that size, magical itself, fear Sardal’s gift?