“Do you sense something?” Kat questioned after the third time Alex looked around.

“No,” answered Alex. “I just thought there might be some tracks about. It seems a fair land to be so empty.”

“It is not empty,” said Kat. “There are many birds and beasts living in this land.”

“But no people,” said Alex. “Not that people always make a land better, but it seems a little odd.”

“It wouldn’t seem odd if you saw a winter here,” said Thrang. “We may not be that far north, but winters in this open land are hard. It would be difficult to farm here during the cold months.”

“How many months of the year are cold?” Alex questioned, remembering that the Thraxon calendar had fifteen months instead of twelve.

“Normally only six,” said Thrang. “Of course, there are two months of spring and two of fall when the weather is unpredictable.”

“Five months of summer, then,” said Arconn.

“Yes, in a normal year we can expect five months of fair and warm weather,” said Thrang. “Though some years it is less and some more. Luckily, it is still early summer. We passed the last days of spring on our way to Benorg.”

“That means we will have at least four months to reach the Isle of Bones and search it before the weather starts to change,” said Kat.

“Yes, that sounds about right,” agreed Thrang. “Though it shouldn’t take us more than a month to reach the island.”

Alex wondered how long it would take to search the Isle of Bones once they got there. He assumed it must be a fairly large island or it wouldn’t be worth trying to mine there. He worried that it might take a long time just to find any sign of Albrek’s party.

As the days passed and they continued riding just north of due east, they discussed the size of the island and several other things, but there were no real answers to many of their questions.

One of the most important questions, however, was how they would get to the island once they had reached the Eastern Sea. Luckily, Thrang had an answer for that one.

“There are cities and villages along the coast,” he said. “We can hire a boat to take us there and bring us back when our search is done.”

“How did Albrek get to the island?” Alex questioned.

“I don’t know,” said Thrang in a thoughtful tone. “The records didn’t say anything about him taking boats of his own, so I have to assume that he hired boats to carry him and his people to the island just as we will.”

“Perhaps the dwarfs built boats when they reached the sea,” Arconn offered.

“Perhaps,” said Thrang, considering the idea. “Though I don’t know of any dwarf who’s ever built a boat big enough for that. We’re land folk and not much for riding water and waves.”

“I’ll remember that when we make our own crossing,” Alex teased.

***

One evening, as they were looking for a campsite, the unmistakable smell of smoke filled the air. Arconn rode up a small hill to the south of the company in order to take a look around. Alex wondered where the smoke was coming from and if there might be trouble close at hand.

Arconn soon returned with a smile on his face. “A town. A mile or so ahead of us.”

“How large a town?” questioned Thrang.

“Perhaps thirty houses,” answered Arconn. “If we turn south here, we will come to the main road.”

“I don’t remember there being a town so near the mountains,” Thrang said. “Though it has been a long time since I or any of my people have come this way.”

“Did it look like there was a tavern in the town?” Nellus questioned.

“I believe there was,” Arconn answered.

“It would be good to sleep indoors if we can,” Thrang said. “Let’s stop at this town and see if the tavern will put us up.”

“An excellent idea,” said Barnabus.

“And remember,” said Thrang, turning in his saddle to look at them all, “our honors are bound together. Small towns are not always friendly to outsiders, so try not to cause any unwanted trouble.”

They all agreed and followed Thrang as he and Arconn led them to the main road. The town was not impressive to look at as they rode into it. A handful of small wooden houses were clustered together along a single dirt road. Alex noticed a few fields that looked well cared for, but nothing that could be called a proper farm.

“The Lost Fiddler,” read Nellus, nodding to the sign outside the tavern.

“He must have been lost to find himself here,” said Barnabus.

Thrang dismounted and entered the tavern, returning with a thin, balding man and a red-faced boy.

“Seven of you?” the thin man said, a look of surprise on his face. “Not many travelers in these parts.”

“Can you put us up for the night?” Thrang questioned.

“Yes, we have room,” said the thin man. “If you don’t mind doubling up.”

“That will be fine,” said Thrang. “Though we will require one single room for one of our company.”

The man nodded. “Three doubles and a single. That won’t be a problem. Ned here will take care of your horses.”

Ned seemed more cheerful than the tavern owner and bowed politely to them. Alex whispered softly to Shahree and then followed Thrang and Arconn into the tavern. The smell of cooking meat and smoke met him as he entered the building, and he realized how hungry he was.

“If you’d like something to eat or drink, Rose can get you what you need,” said the thin man, pointing toward the bar area. “I’ll see to your rooms.”

With these final words, the man hurried off, and Alex and his friends walked into the bar. A few locals were sitting at tables around the room, and a group of three rough-looking men was standing together at one end of the bar. Another man stood alone at the far end of the bar, and something about him caught Alex’s attention.

Rose, a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair, welcomed them and asked what she could get for them. They all ordered drinks and whatever she had to eat, not wanting to make things difficult for her.

“I can fix most anything,” said Rose, smiling at the group. “How about some steaks and eggs and perhaps a few potatoes?”

“That would be nice,” said Thrang.

Rose nodded and hurried off to get their drinks. Alex and his friends sat down at two small wooden tables, speaking softly to each other while they waited. Alex’s attention returned to the man standing alone at the bar. He sensed something about the stranger, but he couldn’t make up his mind exactly what it was. He didn’t think there was any danger, but still, there was something vaguely magical about the man.

Rose returned with their drinks and a basket with fresh bread, butter, and jam. Alex helped himself to the bread and let his eyes wander around the room. The locals glanced at them from time to time, as did the three men standing together at the bar. Only the man standing alone seemed to pay no attention at all to the company, which Alex thought was a bit odd.

“Walsh, the landlord, says the town’s only been here for about thirty years,” Thrang said.

“It looks a hundred years old,” said Arconn. “The weather has been hard on the wood—and the people.”

Thrang nodded. “They would have done better to build from stone.”

Alex was only half-listening to his friends. Kat had gotten up from the other table and was approaching the solitary man at the bar. He wondered what Kat was doing, and without thinking about it, he nervously shifted his staff in his left hand, ready to use it if necessary.

“Alex,” said Thrang, a bit louder than normal.

“Sorry, what?” Alex looked away from Kat and back to Thrang.

“I was just asking if you thought the weather would hold,” Thrang said, looking unhappy about having to repeat himself.

“It should,” answered Alex absently. “The weather should be good for the next few months.”

“Away, witch!” the man at the bar shouted in a commanding tone.

All eyes turned to the bar. Kat backed away from the man, turning and hurrying to the back of the bar. She sat at a separate table, obviously shaken.