The Horn of Moran - Forman Mark L - Страница 36
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“Do you have any idea how long it will take us to climb the mountains to the tower?” Bregnest asked, looking troubled.
“No,” Usel answered. “Much will depend on how rapidly you pass the first and second gates. If you begin your return across the waste within five weeks, you should be safe enough. If you can’t start back until the sixth week from now, it would be best to spend the winter in the enchanted woods. You don’t want to be in the frozen waste when the heavy snows come.”
“You give wise counsel,” said Bregnest. “I hope that we shall return before the snows come.”
“If you wish to travel south before spring, you must return here before six weeks have passed,” Usel replied. “We will keep watch on the waste while you are gone. If you are near our woods when the snows come, we will do what we can to help you.”
“You have shown us great kindness,” said Bregnest, looking into the frozen waste. “We will not soon forget you, or your assistance.”
“I will leave you then,” said Usel, looking at each of the company in turn. “I wish you luck in your journey, and a speedy return.”
Without waiting for a reply, Usel turned and walked back into the woods. Alex and his companions watched him go, and then looked out into the frozen waste.
“We’ll eat here and gather wood for our bags,” said Bregnest. “We have little time before winter comes again, so we should use it wisely.”
Halfdan began cooking at once, while the rest of them gathered dry wood to add to their magic bags. As they prepared for their long walk, Alex wondered about Usel’s warning. The frozen waste looked unpleasant enough, but surely they could cross it even after the first snows of winter fell. Though he knew little of Norsland winters, he didn’t think the first snowfall would be any problem for the company.
Halfdan called them all to eat, and Alex’s thoughts about Usel’s warning were soon lost.
Chapter Eleven
The First Gate
It didn’t take long for Alex and the others to learn why it was called the frozen waste. The ground was rock hard, but some spots were slick with a thin layer of moss, which often hid glass-smooth ice that was slightly melted by the sun. The path they followed was a poor one, hardly more than an animal trail, but it led directly toward the Mountains of the Moon. Alex thought he could see a spot of green far off in the distance that might be the enchanted woods, but when he blinked, it was gone.
“Two weeks of slipping and sliding across this,” Halfdan grumbled. “We’ll all be lucky not to fall and break our heads.”
Halfdan’s prediction was all too correct. The first day of walking everyone except for Sindar fell several times. There was no talking as they traveled because all of their attention was focused on the next few steps they would take.
Sindar was light on his feet and would seldom slip, even on the smoothest ice, so he often moved ahead of the company and then stood looking across the waste until they caught up with him.
The frozen ground was uncomfortable enough to walk on, and almost impossible to find a level spot to lie down on to sleep.
Five days into the frozen waste, Alex received another message from Whalen, which cheered him up considerably and took his mind off his sore feet and body.
Dear Alex,
As you are now approaching your goal, I need to tell you a few things. First of all, be prepared for a sphinx and at least one griffin to be guarding the road to the tower.
The sphinx will ask a riddle before letting you pass, and it might help to know that the riddle will often have something to do with the person being asked. Also, don’t try to make the riddle harder than it is. Sphinx riddles are often simple—so simple that people can miss an obvious answer—and thinking about the riddle too much will only confuse your mind.
It is most important to remember that griffins are proud creatures. Do not give them any reason to think that you are insulting them. Griffins seem to have a soft spot for wizards, however, so that might be a great help to you and your friends. Griffins can also see what kind of person you are, so if any of your friends have any evil intentions, the griffins will likely bar your path. That shouldn’t really be a problem, but you never know.
Once you reach the tower, if you have to go that far, there are two libraries you should know about. The upper library contains a great deal of knowledge and would be a wonderful addition for your future learning and worth far more than any treasure you might find. If possible, you should try to store the upper library in your magic bag.
The lower library is dangerous and full of dark, evil magic. You should avoid the lower library if you can. If you cannot, you must try to destroy it. In fact, it would be best all around if you are able to destroy it.
Now, some final words of advice. Control your emotions. I know you’ve been working hard on this, but what is coming may test your ability to the breaking point. Knowing that you will be tested will give you a chance to prepare yourself.
Finally, remember, do not try to find difficult solutions to your problems. Simple solutions are usually best and most often correct.
Take care, and let me know how things go.
Yours in fellowship, Whalen
Alex read the letter twice, wondering why Whalen was only now telling him about the libraries. Obviously Whalen had known about them all along, but for some reason he hadn’t said a word. Alex’s thoughts turned to the lower library and how he might destroy it.
“I suppose fire would work,” Alex said to Sindar, as they waited for their companions to wake up.
“Have you ever tried to burn a magic book?” Sindar questioned.
“Of course not.”
“I don’t think fire would have much effect. Magic books resist fire.”
“Perhaps I could change the books into something else. That way nobody could read them,” Alex suggested.
“That might work,” said Sindar, getting up and stamping his feet on the cold ground. “But couldn’t another wizard change them back again?”
“Yes, if he knew what they were to begin with. But what if I changed them into mice or something?”
“That could be a lot of mice.”
“I don’t know what else to do,” said Alex. “But there must be a way, or Whalen wouldn’t have told me to try.”
“Perhaps. Or perhaps there is no way, and that is why Whalen did not tell you exactly what to do.”
Alex frowned. “Why would Whalen ask me to do something that can’t be done?”
“Perhaps Whalen doesn’t know the answer,” Sindar answered slowly. “Or perhaps he simply wishes to see what you will do.”
As he marched across the frozen land that day, Alex’s thoughts were filled with the puzzle of the lower library. Nothing he thought of seemed to solve the problem of the library, or the question of why Whalen hadn’t told him what to do. The more he thought about it, the more doubts came into his mind. Could he even destroy the library? Did he know enough? Did he have enough power to work the magic?
“Try not to think about it so much,” Sindar told him a few days later. “Whalen said simple solutions were best. If you think about it too much, you might miss something obvious. And besides, you may not have to do anything. We may find the Horn before reaching the tower.”
Alex agreed and tried to think of something else as they continued to go north. This was easy to do, as the enchanted woods rose up ahead of them. The woods looked pleasant and incredibly green compared to the frozen lands around them.
“I’ll be glad when we reach the woods,” said Andy, stretching the kinks out of his back. “This cold, hard ground makes sleeping painful.”
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