Riven (The Arinthian Line Book 2) (36 page)

Amongst it all stood the frail old man with a long beard and gnarled wooden cane, dressed in a silk sapphire vest. The top of his head was bald, one eye milky white. Due to his extreme hunch, he was shorter than Augum.

“Ah, you must be the young man the young ladies were talking about.” The old man beckoned to him. “Well come forth and let ol’ One Eye have a look at you.”

Augum flashed Leera a wary look. She gave an encouraging nod and he approached, letting One Eye grab his sleeve with shaking fingers. He tried not to stare at the man’s milky eye, which reminded him of Magua.

“When is the day of your birth?”

Augum glanced at Leera, who only smiled. “Um, I was born on the second day of the second month, in the year 3326.”

“Fourteen …” One Eye let go of Augum and scratched his beard. “Interesting. You share the same birthday as Dordan the Great, Meridius the Fallen, and Atrius Arinthian. You have quite the familiar face, boy, you certainly do …” He turned toward a counter littered with scrolls and parchment, quills and spilled ink bottles, as well as a multitude of colored drying sands.

“After you pass this birthday, my boy, you will have only but a year until you will be a man—to the eyes of the world, that is. As to yourself, that is another matter altogether. Do you know what a Nodian boy has to do on his sixteenth birthday to become a man?”

Augum remembered Oba Sassone but could not recall ever discussing the subject with him. “No, I don’t, sir.”

“He has to hunt down and kill a red bear.” One Eye watched him as if expecting some kind of reaction.

Augum nodded trying to pretend that nugget of information was interesting. Behind him, bells tinkled as Bridget stepped inside.

“Ugh, so cold out there,” she mumbled.

“Hey, nice job leaving us behind by the way,” Leera said, face twisting in mock anger.

“Oh, I’m really,
really
sorry about that. I fell asleep—”

“—it’s all right, forget about it. Wouldn’t have come across this caravan otherwise. It was just odd waking up to the sound of mooing. Not exactly sure
why
Spirit came here though.”

“Now don’t be daft, young girl,” the old man said. “She came searching for a mate.”

Leera reddened.

Bridget cleared her throat politely. “So, um, what do you think, Augum?”

“I don’t know, what is this place?”

“One Eye’s Travelling Shop of Wonders. He’s a travelling famous merchant.”

“That’s just what
he
says,” Leera said under her breath as One Eye grabbed a battered ear trumpet.

“What’s that now? Speak up, young saplings!”

“We were talking about your shop!” Bridget said while Leera mollified him with a smile.

“Oh yes, is it not grand? A lifetime of collecting. I’m quite famous for my trinkets, I’ll have you know. I started back in the academy, when I stumbled upon—”

“—academy?” Bridget interrupted. “Sir, you went to the Academy of Arcane Arts?”

“I sure did, young lady, and I was good, quite good, actually. Did you go to the academy too?”

“Yes, for a very short while that is, until the Legion …” She forced a pained smile, not wanting to finish.

He gave a knowing nod. “Which element are you studying?”

“Earth.”

“Ah, how marvelous! That happens to be my element as well. Now come let us be proper and show our stripes in the old way.” He boldly faced Bridget and let his right arm explode in sixteen bracelets of green ivy.

Bridget showed hers, bidding Augum and Leera to do the same.

“Very good, very good indeed.” One Eye extinguished his arm. “Well met, and what is your name, young lady?”

“Bridget, sir, and this is Leera and Augum.”

“What’s that now?”

“Bridget, and that’s Leera and Augum!”

The old man’s eyes briefly flitted over Augum’s lightning ring.

Augum extinguished his arm. “Sir, did you happen to know a Mrs. Stone at the academy?”

“Mrs. Stone? You mean Anna Atticus Stone?”

“Yes, exactly—”

One Eye smiled fondly as a twinkle came into his eye. “Oh, I certainly knew Anna. We were friends, in fact. That was a very long time ago now.”

“Friends, sir?”

One Eye waved his cane, forcing Augum to take a step back. “Oh yes, we were very good friends. Got into all sorts of trouble. Constantly in the Headmaster’s office. We were quite the fearsome trio. There was Jordan Winters, the wickedest prankster you would ever have the displeasure of meeting; Anna, the most talented sorceress of our time; and I of course, the most brilliant plotter ever born in all of Solia, if I do say so myself. That’s right, back then I was known as William Smith the Plotter. I’m sure you’ve heard of me.”

“Uh …”

“Of course you have. Now, how about some bellcandy?” The old man hobbled to a bowl of sweets, drew out three pink and blue candies in the shapes of bells, and handed them out.

They popped them in their mouths.

“Good, isn’t it?”

The trio nodded, Leera’s eyes already back on the bowl.

“Know where it comes from? City of the Iron Feather. There’s a sweetshop there that’ll make your teeth jump out of your skull.”

“I have a new goal in life,” Leera mumbled.

“Not to mention the city has the best Canterran food. That’s where my caravan’s headed.”

Augum found himself intrigued by this strange man, a man from the time of his great-grandmother. “Sir, did you also know a Thomas Stone?”

One Eye’s face suddenly went cold. He waved his cane dismissively. “Thomas? No, I don’t think I recall a Thomas … never heard of him.” Suddenly his good eye narrowed in suspicion. “Why are you asking all these questions anyway? Are you a Legion spy?”

“Oh, no, sir—far from it. Anna Stone is … she’s my great-grandmother, actually.”

The old man sputtered, nearly dropping his cane. “Dear me, I knew there was something familiar about you.” He drew close to Augum to inspect him anew. “Yes, yes, I can certainly see the resemblance now.” He shook his head. “You would have been my great-grandson if that no-good fool hadn’t gotten in the way … I would have named you Brett, after my late brother.”

“You mean my great-grandfather, Thomas? But I thought you said—”

“Never mind what I said—!” One Eye turned his back and shuffled off, leaning against the counter and expelling a long breath. “You wouldn’t understand. It was … it was a very, very long time ago, Brett.”

“My name is—”

“What? What’s that?” One Eye fumbled for his ear trumpet.

“Sir, we’re actually trying to get to Mrs. Stone right now,” Bridget said. “The Legion is racing ahead. They want to lay a trap for her. If she’s—”

One Eye snorted. “Someone’s always been after her, or rather, after that darn globe of hers.”

“You mean the scion?” Leera asked, chewing on a second piece of candy she had somehow acquired.

“Quite right, my dear Stephanie, quite right indeed.”

Leera stopped her chewing. “It’s Leer—”

“—Jordan and I were the only ones she told,” One Eye continued, idly fingering something hidden around his neck. “We were best friends, you see, but people still found out. After all, the Arinthian line goes back a very long way. That is how we got into so much trouble most of the time—we were simply defending the scion. Jordan and I were just beginning to understand the arcane way, but Anna … Anna excelled even the teachers. Her knowledge and acumen was vast. She was brilliant, just brilliant. We called her the ‘Arcane Artist’. Should have seen what she could do with the Chameleon spell—certainly gave Jordan plenty of ideas.”

“Sir, please, will you help us find her?” Augum asked. “The Legion is following us, and we’ve still got a long way to go.”

“A very long way,” Bridget added. “We’re going to the Northern Peaks, to—”

“—to seek the mountain monks of the north, or more likely, the Seers.” One Eye looked to the trinket-infested ceiling and tugged on his beard.

“How … how did you know?” Bridget asked.

“You are conversing with an old adventurer, young lady. There would be no other reason for Anna to travel there. She seeks wisdom, wisdom only the Seers could provide. That can only mean she has a big question on her mind. Everyone is allowed to ask the Seers one question—one precious question per lifetime, and no more.”

“Did you ask a question of the Seers?” Augum asked.

“I did. Darn wasted it though. I asked them if I was allowed to get comfortable before asking my question.”

Leera snorted, spattering bits of candy, before pretending to cough.

One Eye frowned at her then turned to Bridget. “So you say the Legion is following you, is that it?”

“Yes. Can you help us?”

“We’re very tired as are our horses,” Augum said. “We’ve left a trail anyone could follow, and if we don’t find some other way to reach Nana before my … before the Lord of the Legion does—”

But One Eye was already shaking his head. “I cannot teleport you to the Northern Peaks, not even individually. I am too old, too weak, and it is too far. I am also one degree short of attaining the Group Teleport spell. To be perfectly honest, I am surprised I had not hit my ceiling earlier. Though I suppose you could use a scroll.”

“Scroll, sir?”

“Yes, if you could get your hands on a Group Teleport scroll, you can get yourselves there, Brett. I’m afraid that’s the only way I know of.”

“It’s Augum, sir. Maybe we can find a scroll for you—”

“—’find a scroll’, the boy says.” One Eye turned his milky eye on him. “You can’t just ‘find’ a Group Teleport scroll, young man. Do you know how much trouble it is to make one of those, how much time is involved? Do you even have the slightest idea just how much it would cost? Hmm? Or how you would get into town in the first place, with those Legion crooks prowling the streets?” He waved a dismissive hand. “You might as well forget it, Brett.”

“Sir, which town do you mean?” Augum said, giving up on correcting the old man about his name.

“Candledale, but like I said, you need a lot of gold to buy something that expensive.”

The trio exchanged determined looks. They were definitely going to give it a shot. Gold or no gold, they were going to get their hands on that scroll.

“I see that look. Foolish kids, you have no idea what you are doing, do you? Are you aware that all unsanctioned spell scrolls have been declared forbidden? Even being caught with a lesser scroll could mean death, let alone a Spell of Legend … No, I can’t let you go on this errand. If anything …” One Eye shook his head in a manner suggesting he couldn’t believe what he was going to do next. He wandered back behind his counter to retrieve a piece of parchment, dipped a large peacock feather into a tiny ink bottle, and began scribbling as the trio exchanged curious looks.

When he finished, he banged the wagon wall with his cane. Soon the bells jingled and in came the man with the woolen winter coat. He had scruffy black hair and a round face with the beginnings of a beard. His breath stank of strong spirits.

“M’lord?”

“Bartholomew here is my most trusted, able servant.” He turned to the pudgy man. “You are going on a merchant run.”

Augum wondered if Bartholomew was his real name, or if he too had given up on correcting the old man.

“But m’lord, we’re still leagues from Iron Feather—”

“Yes yes, I know, this is a special case, however.” One Eye handed Bartholomew the piece of parchment, giving him a moment to read it.

“M’lord! This is sheer lunacy, should I get caught—”

“I am quite aware of the consequences on this trade, Bartholomew. It will be your choice.”

Bartholomew took a good long look at the note and sighed. “What will m’lord be giving up in trade?”

One Eye turned to the trio. “Oh, I won’t be giving up a thing.”

Taking the hint, the trio dug out everything they owned in search of something worth trading for a forbidden Group Teleport scroll. The contents of their rucksack lay strewn about on the well-worn wooden floor.

“Dramask blankets—very nice, very nice indeed,” One Eye said, pawing at the fine wool. “But not nearly adequate enough. Oh, what do we have here? Is that—? Surely it cannot be …” He gently picked up the orb, face lighting up.

“That’s just a seeing orb,” Leera said. “It comes with a pearl that allows—”

“—‘just a seeing orb’? My dear child, this is not ‘just a seeing orb’. This is, why I cannot believe you do not know your history, what are they teaching kids these days up at the academy—?”

When One Eye spotted the vacant looks the trio gave him, he scoffed.

“Unnameable gods be good, they do not know. This is
the
Orb of Orion, gifted to the Academy of Arcane Arts a thousand years ago upon its grand opening. But how could you possibly have come to possess this artifact?”

“Actually it’s a bit of a long story,” Augum mumbled.

One Eye raised his trumpet to his ear.

“We rescued it from an evil sorceress!” Leera said.

“Well, you cannot trade this, not for anything. This has to be returned to the academy, but not until the Legion have been well cleared out of there. If they got a hold of this it would just be a tremendous disgrace on the institution of honorable arcanery.”

“Sir, why is it so special?” Bridget asked. “We have already discovered its powers, you can look through it and listen—”

“—oh, no, no, no! It’s about the story!” He shook his head. “It’s just tragic how little you know. Yes yes, it is an orb of seeing, sure, but legend has it that the Orb of Orion can summon
dragons
.”

Leera snickered, composing herself after noticing the looks she was getting. “Sir, dragons are tales for children,” she said more politely.

One Eye nodded with a knowing smile. He retrieved an amulet that hung around his neck, obscured by his sapphire vest. “See this?” He dangled what appeared to be a giant black tooth before them. “I retrieved this myself—with a bit of help from Anna and Jordan that is—from an ancient abandoned mine called Shaftspur. Dragons once lived, my dear child, they once lived …”

One Eye removed the amulet to let the trio inspect the tooth. It was large, sure, but Augum thought it looked exactly like a bear tooth. Leera also seemed skeptical, rolling her eyes and passing it on. Bridget studied it carefully before returning it to One Eye with reverence.