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  “What—?” Bregnest asked without lowering his sword.

  “Is Shahree all right?” Alex interrupted. “Did she find you?”

  “She is fine,” said Arconn, moving to Alex’s side and examining the cut on his head. “She told us where to find you. She is helping the others find the rest of our horses.”

  “She told you?” Alex asked.

  “We elves can speak to many animals,” Arconn replied. “She knows what you did for her, and she will not forget the debt.”

  “I had to,” said Alex, feeling tired and shaky. “I mean . . .

  I . . . I couldn’t let that . . . that thing just kill her.”

  “Tell us exactly what happened,” said Bregnest, his eyes fixed on the troll. “We should know all before deciding on a punishment.”

  “Punishment?” Alex tried to stand up, but he couldn’t manage it.

  “You left your post and put yourself and the company in danger,” Arconn said, gently pushing him back to the ground. “This is a serious matter, even if all turns out well. Tell us everything—what you thought, what you felt—as you undertook this task.”

  Alex took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. He told them how Shahree’s terrified whinny had called to him, and how he felt that he must follow, even though he knew he shouldn’t leave the camp. He told them that Andy was against him leaving, and how he had gone anyway, following a feeling he couldn’t explain. He told them everything as calmly as he could, and when he finished, the others remained silent for several minutes.

  “It is not yet harmless,” Bregnest finally said, breaking the silence and pointing at the troll with his sword. “Though dawn’s light will finish the job you started.”

  “We should check its pockets before it turns to stone,” Thrang commented. “Might be worth the trouble.”

  “Turns to stone?” Alex questioned.

  “Trolls turn to stone in sunlight,” Thrang answered. “And what’s in its pockets will turn to stone as well.”

  “Check them,” Bregnest said to Thrang. “I’ll be ready if it moves again. Though I doubt it ever will.”

  Thrang cautiously approached the troll and reached up to pat the large pockets. He drew his short sword and cut the bottom out of each pocket, letting the contents fall to the ground. Moving quickly to retrieve everything that fell, he hurried away from the troll once more.

  “Have to wait for daylight to see what there is,” Thrang commented, squinting at the pile of items in his hands.

  “Dawn will be here soon,” replied Arconn. “And punishment should be decided before it arrives.”

  “Very well,” said Bregnest, looking grim. “As punishment for disobeying orders, Alex, you forfeit your extra share of any treasure found with the troll or in its lair. You will still receive an equal share, as agreed upon in the Adventurer’s Bargain, but even though you defeated the troll in single combat, you will not have the honor of dividing this treasure.”

  “All right,” said Alex, relieved. He had worried he’d be sent back to Telous and not allowed to go on. “I know it was wrong to leave the camp,” he added quickly to cover the sound of his relief. “I just felt I had to.”

  “This may seem a small punishment to you,” said Bregnest sternly. “However, it is a dishonor to lose your extra share. You do not know all the ways of adventurers yet, nor do you understand how much value we place on honor.”

  “I may not understand,” Alex answered, standing up, “but I feel that I did what I had to do.”

  “And it has turned out well,” Arconn added.

  “Yes, yes it has,” admitted Bregnest with a slight smile. “So there will be no punishment other than what I have said. After all, few adventurers would take on a three-legged troll alone. You have proven your courage and worth this night, my friend.”

  “Thank you,” said Alex, bowing to Bregnest.

  “Arconn, bring the others here when they have found the horses,” said Bregnest, his eyes turning to the troll once more. “We should search the troll’s cave as a company.”

  chapter six

  The Troll’s Cave

  Alex wiped the troll’s blood off his sword and sheathed it as he waited with Thrang and Bregnest. He felt tired and drained, but proud at having defeated

  the troll.

  The eastern sky was growing light when Arconn finally returned to the clearing, followed closely by the rest of the company. It seemed that Arconn had already told Alex’s story to the others, and they arrived, excited to see the frozen troll.

  “Not a bad night’s work,” Skeld commented, looking at the troll and its missing leg. “Don’t see many like this one, do we?”

  “Three legs,” said Tayo as he stood beside Bregnest.

  “What do you mean? Isn’t that normal for trolls?” Alex asked.

  Skeld burst into laughter and the others smiled as well. When Skeld regained control of himself, he looked at Alex. “Do you know about the birds and the bees?” he asked in a tone that made him sound like a schoolteacher.

  “Yes,” Alex replied.

  “Well, trolls don’t,” said Skeld, laughing madly again.

  Alex looked to Thrang for an answer.

  “Trolls aren’t like other creatures,” Thrang explained with a smile. “Trolls molt.”

  “Molt?”

  “They shed their skins, but not like a snake. When trolls molt, they divide into two different trolls.”

  Alex looked at the other members of the company, thinking that this was a joke, but they all nodded in agreement with what Thrang had said.

  “It’s in the handbook,” said Andy. “You should take more time to read it.”

  “I suppose I should,” Alex admitted. He hadn’t even looked at the handbook since Arconn had given it to him.

  “Now watch,” said Thrang, looking to the east. “You’ll see something that not many have.”

  Alex and his companions watched as the sunlight moved to where they were standing in the clearing. Even Skeld became quiet as the light inched closer to the troll. When the first ray of sunlight touched the troll’s uplifted arm there was a sharp cracking sound, like ice splitting, and the troll’s skin and clothes changed from green and brown to light gray stone.

  “That’s what happens to trolls caught in sunlight,” said Thrang in a satisfied tone.

  “That’s incredible,” said Alex in amazement.

  “Most adventurers know that sunlight will turn trolls to stone,” said Skeld, chuckling to himself. “But getting them into the sunlight—that’s the hard part.”

  “Enough talk,” said Thrang. “Let’s see what it had in its pockets.”

  They all gathered around the objects Thrang had retrieved in the darkness: a fair-sized iron key, a suitcase-sized coin purse, and half a dozen leather bags.

  “The key will be to its cave,” said Thrang, handing it to Bregnest. “We’ll have to look for that.”

  “And well worth looking for,” Arconn added.

  “Let’s see now,” Thrang continued, opening the giant coin purse and pouring the contents onto the ground.

  Alex gasped as the gold and silver coins spilled out at Thrang’s feet. He had never seen any treasure in his life and this pile seemed huge to him.

  “Most trolls carry only a small part of their wealth with them,” said Tayo with a grim smile. “If this is a sign, the cave should hold a fair amount.”

  “Let’s see what these might be,” said Thrang, reaching for one of the leather bags and untying the knotted cord that held it closed.

  Thrang slipped his hand inside. Alex took a deep breath as Thrang pulled out a handful of large, dark red rubies. Out of the second bag, Thrang withdrew some incredibly green emeralds. The third bag contained more rubies, while the fourth and fifth bags were each full of shiny white diamonds. Alex couldn’t believe how much treasure the troll had been carrying.

  “It seems our adventure has already made a profit,” said Skeld, slapping Alex on the back and s
miling.

  Thrang’s hands trembled with excitement as he untied the cords on the last bag. Alex watched him closely, wondering what new treasure this last bag would hold. Thrang looked into the bag for a moment, a puzzled look on his face. Then he held out his left hand and dumped the bag’s contents into it: a single golden ring set with a large black stone.

  “Something special ’bout this,” said Thrang, looking at Bregnest. “No troll would carry a ring. Not unless it was something special.”

  “That’s true,” Bregnest agreed. “So hear now what I say about the division of this treasure. As a single victor, Alex would normally have the honor of dividing this treasure as well as an extra share. Because of Alex’s punishment for leaving his post, I will divide this first treasure evenly between us, with one exception. This ring is unknown, but may have magical powers. According to our agreement, it belongs to Alex.” He looked sternly at Alex. “I would advise leaving it in its bag, however, until you find an oracle who can tell you exactly what it is.”

  Thrang placed the ring back into the leather bag and handed it to Alex. He accepted the bag with a bow, but made no move to put it into his magic bag with his other belongings. Part of him wanted to look at the ring again, but he decided to follow Bregnest’s advice and kept the bag closed.

  “I would say that these gems are an uncommon treasure, as trolls seldom carry gems with them. Though Alex has lost his extra share in this treasure, these should go to him for his victory over the troll,” said Bregnest with a smile. “He may choose to share them or to keep them for himself.”

  “Share them, please,” said Alex as Thrang held out two of the bags to him. “It is only right that we share these.”

  “You are most generous,” said Bregnest. “We will do as you ask. So then, eight equal shares and all odd numbers to the

  victor.”

  “To the victor,” six voices agreed.

  Alex wasn’t sure what Bregnest meant by “to the victor” but he soon learned it meant that any items that couldn’t be divided into eight equal shares belonged to him. In the end, Alex received seven rubies, six emeralds, three diamonds, five gold coins, and two silver coins more than anyone else.

  Once the treasure had been divided, Skeld said, “Let’s find the home of our stone friend. If he carried this much treasure with him, a fair hoard awaits us in his cave.”

  Arconn took the lead, and they followed him across the clearing and up the hill beyond. The deep imprints of the troll’s leather boots had left a clear trail that was not difficult to follow.

  “You’ve done a good night’s work,” said Thrang, walking next to Alex. “Even if the cave is empty, we’ve more than paid for our adventure with this treasure.”

  Alex wondered if he should offer to pay Thrang back for the items he’d bought in Telous, but then he remembered Andy’s comments about dwarfs and their money and he decided to remain silent, at least until he understood a little more about dwarfs.

  “An impressive first victory,” said Andy, coming up on Alex’s other side.

  “I was lucky,” Alex replied.

  “Lucky or not, it’s still remarkable,” Thrang commented.

  Alex shook his head. “I was too angry and foolish to see the danger.”

  “You may have been many things, but not foolish,” said Thrang in a serious tone. “You followed your instincts and did what your heart told you. And you used magic to defeat your enemy.”

  “It was luck,” Alex insisted. “I really didn’t have time to think about it.”

  “Luck is a good thing to have,” said Andy, as they climbed the hillside. “Maybe better than magic, in some ways.”

  Alex considered what Thrang and Andy had said. He still had mixed feelings about magic, but he was glad that he had some luck.

  The sun was well up when they came at last to a flat, open space on the side of the hill. Alex looked back down the path they had climbed, and he could see their tents far off in the morning light. He hoped Shahree was all right and had been able to shake off her fear from the night before.

  “Going to take a bit of looking,” said Halfdan as they moved into the clearing. “Looks like this troll was careful.”

  “What do you mean?” Alex questioned.

  “Look at the ground,” said Tayo. “The troll’s tracks have vanished.”

  Alex looked around the clearing and Tayo was right, the boot tracks they had followed up the hillside were nowhere to be seen.

  “Its lair must be close,” said Skeld.

  “Spread out,” said Bregnest. “Look for anything that seems out of place.”

  Alex walked a few paces, but he didn’t have any idea what to look for. There were no boot prints leading to the troll’s lair, and as far as Alex could tell, this was just an open space on the hillside.

  “A bit higher on the hillside would give the troll a better view of the land below,” said Halfdan.

  They climbed up the hill, looking for any sign of the troll. Alex watched the ground, but there was nothing to see. He glanced around at his companions and saw that Thrang had stopped and was looking up at the branches of a tree.

  “Here’s the door,” called Thrang, pointing at a moss-covered boulder that stood between two trees. “Better hidden than most troll’s lairs.”

  “I don’t see a door,” said Alex as he looked at the boulder.

  “That’s because you don’t know what you’re lookin’ for,” replied Thrang. “Look up at the branches. See how some of them have been broken off?”

  “Yes,” replied Alex.

  “Now, look at the boulder. What do you see?” Thrang questioned.

  “It’s just a moss-covered boulder,” said Alex.

  “Ah, but what side is the moss growing on?” Thrang asked.

  “Um, the south side?” Alex guessed.

  “Moss grows on the north side of boulders and trees,” said Thrang. “Or at least it does here in the north of Vargland.”

  “So why is there moss on this boulder?” Alex questioned.

  “Because the troll uses it to hide his door,” Thrang answered with a grunting laugh. “I’d guess the keyhole is hidden in the moss.”

  “Stand ready,” Bregnest ordered, the key in his hand. “There may be another troll inside.”

  The rest of the company all moved back a little, spreading out in a half circle around the doorway. Alex was a little nervous, believing his victory was more luck and anger than anything else and he didn’t want to meet a second troll so soon.

  Bregnest pushed the key into a small crack that Alex had not seen and turned it once. There was a loud click, and with some hard pulling, Bregnest managed to open the door to the troll’s cave.

  A terrible smell filled the air as the door swung open—rotten fish and old socks mixed with dirty dishes that had been left to soak for too long. Alex thought for a moment he was going to be sick. He pulled his shirt up over his nose, but it did little to block the smell.

  Thrang ignited a large dead branch that was lying nearby and carefully stepped into the doorway.

  “It’s all right,” he said in a tone that sounded both relieved and happy. “The cave isn’t deep, and there aren’t any trolls.”

  The rest of the company followed Thrang into the cave, wary and alert. The foul smell was stronger inside the cave, and Alex began to feel a little dizzy.

  “Step outside,” said Arconn, seeing the look on Alex’s face. “You’ve had a long night, and the smell might be too much for you.”

  “I should stay with the company,” Alex replied in a determined tone.

  Arconn nodded in response and said nothing more.

  Once they were all inside the cave, Thrang lit the several lamps that were scattered around the single large room.

  Alex’s feelings of sickness were forgotten once the lamps were lit. He was stunned and amazed by what he saw in the troll’s cave. He’d never imagined so much gold and silver could be in one place at one time.

 
; Along the back wall of the cave were two huge black cauldrons, big enough for a man to sit in, and both of them were overflowing with coins. Next to the cauldrons were several piles of leather bags, all neatly tied at the top, just like the bags the troll had been carrying in its pockets. Alex looked at everything, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

  “You’ve done well, master wizard,” Skeld laughed loudly, but he suddenly stopped.

  Alex followed Skeld’s gaze to the opposite wall. Hanging there on wooden pegs were what looked like seven magic bags. Broken weapons were scattered on the floor beneath them. The bags looked almost exactly like Alex’s own bag, though a bit more worn. Alex’s mouth snapped shut as he realized what this discovery meant. The others looked at the bags as well and their happiness with the treasure changed to sorrow for the lost adventurers who had once owned these bags.

  “Take them outside, Skeld,” Bregnest commanded. “We will not leave them in this evil place another moment.”

  Skeld carefully took the bags from their pegs and carried them out into the sunlight. His cheerful face was grim and slightly pale with sorrow.

  “Alex,” Bregnest continued. “Gather wood and start a fire. We will eat in the clearing while we remove the treasure.”

  Alex nodded. As he left the cave, the others began hauling the treasure into the sunlight. By the time Alex had gathered a large stack of wood and had a fire burning, his friends were covered with sweat from their heavy work. In the sunlight there seemed to be even more treasure than Alex had thought and he was surprised when he reentered the cave and saw the mounds of treasure that remained.

  “Let’s eat before we continue,” said Bregnest, nodding to Thrang. “It’s been a long night for us all and the food and drink will do us good.”

  Alex and his friends gathered around the fire, sitting in silence as Thrang cooked their meal. Skeld began looking at the recovered magic bags while they waited. He put his mouth to the top of one bag and spoke softly into it, but nothing happened.

  “What are you doing?” Alex asked.