Albrek's Tomb

“Perhaps,” Thrang allowed. “And perhaps I’m a bit wiser than I was, thanks to you.”

“What are friends for?” said Alex.

Thrang finished off the seasickness potion, and then remained on deck with Alex. They talked about their first adventure together, remembering a time that seemed so long ago, but wasn’t really long ago at all.

“I suppose we should ride south and west when we get back to Du

“That sounds like a good plan,” said Alex.

“We might even be able to get some information about the Lost Mountains in Kazad-Syn,” Thrang went on. “I have family in the city, and it would be good to see them.”

“It is always good to see family,” said Alex, remembering Salinor’s comments.

“And you’ll be able to return the lost bag to its heir.”

“Yes, I need to do that, don’t I?”

The stood in silence for a moment, and then Thrang patted Alex’s shoulder. “Well then, I guess I’ll try to get some sleep. I only hope the weather stays calm; I don’t think I could take any more rolling than we’re doing now.”

Alex watched Thrang stagger across the deck, working his way back to the rest of the company. He was happy that Thrang had decided to continue with the adventure, and he hoped that his other friends would be happy about it too.

The days remained clear and calm as they sailed back to Du

“I hope I never sail again,” Thrang said, leaning on Alex. “Even your potion did little to calm the sickness.”

“Yes, well, I was reading up on that,” said Alex with a slight laugh. “It seems the potion works best if you stay in the fresh air, above deck.”

“Oh, that’s nice to know,” said Arco

Thrang did not find Alex’s information as amusing as Arco

It was late afternoon, and Thrang and the others wanted nothing more than to return to the Sea Mist and find a bed to lie down on and recover from their voyage. As it turned out, Ishly had expected them, and he had rooms ready for all of them. Alex and Arco

“Thrang’s mood has improved since we left the island,” Arco

“We had a talk,” said Alex. “He knows he made a mistake, but he’s learned from it. Now I think he’s prepared to move on.”

“I am glad to hear that,” said Arco

“I think he wanted to, but that would have been unacceptable,” said Alex.

“Unacceptable to you or to him?”

“Both of us, I think,” said Alex. “And I think you would agree with that as well.”

“I would,” said Arco

There wasn’t much to see in Du

The next morning all of Alex’s friends looked much happier and healthier than they had the day before. The long sleep in soft beds had done wonders for them, and they all ate their breakfast without wasting time to talk. As they were finishing their meal, Thrang stood up, looking around the table at each member of the company.

“I’ve decided that we will ride south to Kazad-Syn,” said Thrang. “We should be able to get some information about the Lost Mountains there, and Alex has the bag of a lost adventurer that needs returning. The heir lives in Kazad-Syn, so we should be there for a few days at least.”

“What do we know about the Lost Mountains?” Arco

“Well, we know they are not actually lost,” said Thrang with a soft laugh. “They are called the Lost Mountains because it is easy to get lost in them. I’ve never been there, but I’ve been told that there are hundreds of narrow canyons winding through the mountains.”

“Is anything dangerous supposed to live there?” Nellus asked.

“I don’t know of anything, but I’m sure we’ll find out more when we reach Kazad-Syn,” answered Thrang. “I believe some of the dwarfs who live there have been to the Lost Mountains, and their knowledge might be useful to us. After all, we don’t want to search all of the mountains looking for signs of Albrek.”

There was general agreement with Thrang’s comment, and they all got up together, ready to ride south. Alex and the others made their way to the stables, while Thrang stayed behind to find Ishly and pay for the company’s stay. Alex could see that Thrang’s renewed confidence had impressed the others, and they all looked a great deal happier than they had when they left the Isle of Bones.

“How far is it from here to Kazad-Syn?” Thrain asked as he worked to saddle his horse.

“Ten days—maybe two weeks’ ride,” said Alex, remembering the map of Thraxon he’d studied in Benorg. “Of course, the roads could be difficult, so it may take longer than that.”

“At least we’ll be riding,” said Kat with a laugh. “I’ve never been as sick as I was on that boat.”

“Nor have I,” Barnabus added. “It’ll be good to be on horseback again.”

“I rather enjoyed the voyage,” Arco

“As did I,” Alex agreed, rubbing Shahree’s neck as he spoke. “Though it is good to be back to a normal mode of travel.”

The others laughed as they made their way out of the stable. Arco

“Ishly suggests that we follow the coast road south,” said Thrang, climbing into his saddle. “He says there is a good road from Darvish to Kazad-Syn, and Darvish is only four or five days south of here.”

“Are you sure you want to stay so close to the sea?” Alex asked with a smile.

“As long as we’re not in it,” said Thrang with a grunting laugh.

They quickly fell into line behind Thrang and rode out of Du

***

The coast road was a good one, and it was still early on the fifth day away from Du

“A few weeks out of the saddle and I’m not fit for a long journey,” Thrang complained.

The rest of the company agreed. They were eager to explore the city of Darvish, but Thrang insisted they find an i

“A busy time of year,” one i

Eventually they found an i