The Troll King (The Bowl of Souls Book 9) (5 page)

“No. You stay here. I think it’s best I talk to him alone,” Edge said. The dwarf scoffed and he added, “I like you, Jerry, but I know Willum better. I think this silent treatment is your idea.”

“This is ridiculous!” the dwarf protested. “We are allies. Why do you treat us like common enemies?”

Edge shook his head. “Stop your blustering. Enemies would be in chains. Besides, allies wouldn’t hide the truth.”

“It’s really not that big of a deal,” Willum said, but Edge was walking again. Willum shrugged at Djeri and followed after him. He knew that the dwarf was scowling at him under that helmet, but he didn’t care. He actually felt relieved that he wouldn’t have to hold the information back anymore.

The named warrior led him a short distance into the trees until they were out of view of the others, then turned around and looked at Willum expectantly. “Now. We’re alone. You can tell me what’s going on.”

“And no one is listening in?” Willum said.

“Gwyrtha says they’re not,” Edge replied.

“
No one’s nearby, Willy
,” the imp agreed.

“Alright,” said Willum. “I wasn’t lying when I said it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“Then why hold back?”

“Djeri wanted to make sure we got back to Tarah before telling the Roo-Tan everything about us,” Willum explained. “You know, just in case Jhonate’s father decided to hold us in the prison. It was the only leverage we had.”

“You were coming to warn him of a threat to his people,” Edge said in exasperation. “Don’t you think he would be grateful?”

“Look, we know how the Roo-Tan feel about outsiders in their country. And from what we hear, Jhonate’s father isn’t exactly nice to visitors.”

“Well . . . that’s true,” Edge replied, inclining his head in acknowledgement. “But you can’t just tell the Protector of the Grove that there’s an army coming, then hold back important information. He’s not a stupid man. He knew. Why do you think he sent twenty men with us? He might have done worse than throw you in a cell.”

“We were relying on your help,” Willum explained. “The only reason we came to the city was because we heard that you and Jhonate were there.”

Edge sighed and ran a weary hand through his hair. “That’s probably the only thing that saved you. Your timing was terrible, though. Yesterday was a very hard day. I’m surprised Xedrion didn’t simply send out an army to capture your friends.”

“Tarah wouldn’t let herself be captured,” Willum assured him. He also didn’t add that, if Jhonate’s father had kept them imprisoned, Tarah would have been able to sneak into Roo-Tan’lan and free them whenever she chose.

 “Just tell me what you’ve been holding back. What are you doing in Malaroo?”

“We weren’t lying when we told the protector that we were following that demon army,” Willum said. “But in truth, the real reason we’re here is the gnome that’s leading them.”

Edge’s brow rose. “A gnome leads them?”

“His name is Aloysius and he’s not just any gnome,” Willum said.

He told the named warrior about Tarah’s magical tracking ability and how she and Djeri had shown up at Coal’s Keep looking for help. Then he told him how they had put a party together to rescue the rogue horse and finally, how they had failed to save her.

“Gwyrtha remembers a rogue horse named Esmine that was one of Stardeon’s favorites,” said Sir Edge. “She could turn herself invisible.”

“Yes. That’s her,” Willum.

“Gwyrtha never saw her again after the rogue horses were scattered.” He shook his head sadly. “To think she survived on her own all these centuries just to be slaughtered like that.”

“Yeah,” Willum replied. “We killed most of the dwarf smugglers and disrupted the ceremony but in the end all we accomplished was keeping Aloysius from binding Esmine’s soul to his sword. Tarah was somehow able to battle him mentally and pull its soul into her staff instead.”

“Wait. Woodblade has the soul of that rogue horse bound to
her staff?” Sir Edge replied, his eyes wide. “Like the same way the imp is bound to your axe?”

“Pretty much,” Willum said with a nod.

“I can see why she would want to keep it a secret,” Edge said. “That staff must be a powerful weapon.”

Willum hesitated about what to say next. “About that. The staff can-.”

“
Don’t tell him everything
,” the imp warned.

I’m not going to lie to him
, Willum replied and said aloud, “Tarah is still learning the extent of what it can do. But being bound to that staff has given Esmine the ability to make people see what she wants them to see.”

“Illusions,” Edge said in understanding. “So that’s how you were able to come all this way into Malaroo without being caught.”

“Actually, that part wasn’t all that hard,” Willum said. “Aloysius’ imps distracted all the Roo-Tan patrols with magic. Tarah’s main focus was keeping us hidden from the army.”

The named warrior rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Do you know why the army is here?”

“I think Tarah does,” Willum replied. She had been scouring the enemy tracks for memories that would help them know Aloysius’ plans. “But she’s been pretty vague about it. Maybe she told Djeri. It’s hard to say. Ever since we left the others at the border, she’s been more and more secretive.”

“The others? Who did you leave behind?”

“Well, the academy wouldn’t condone sending any of its warriors into Malaroo uninvited. So Swen, Helmet Jan, and Dinnis left. They were ordered to travel to Reneul and report to the Academy Council,” Willum sighed. “There was a bit of a dust up over it, too. Tarah felt betrayed. To her, nothing is more important than taking Aloysius down.”

“So you and Jerry are here against orders?” Edge said in surprise.

Willum shook his head. “I’m not under academy orders. I’ve been on leave since the war ended. I still haven’t decided if I’m going back to the academy or not. As for Djeri, he resigned from his duties when the orders came. Tarah is his main concern right now. They’re uh . . . together.”

Sir Edge blinked at that for a moment, then shrugged. “Well uh, good for them, I guess. So it’s just you and Djeri and Tarah and Benjo here now? Four people tracking down an army?”

Willum couldn’t tell if the named warrior was impressed with their bravery or if he thought they were idiots. “Actually, I sent Benjo back to Coal’s Keep. He’s great with a spear, but of all of us he had the least amount of training and I couldn’t face Becca if something happened to him. Cletus is still with us, though. And as eccentric as he may be, when it comes to battle, he’s worth a small army on his own.”

“Then what’s your plan now?” Edge asked. “You bring us to meet Tarah Woodblade, then what?”

“We’re hoping that the Roo-Tan will help us stop Aloysius. No one else has been willing to. Not even the Alberri Mage School or the Alberri government.”

Despite the danger, Scholar Tobias had bravely gone back to the capital to plead their case. He and the rest of his “resistance” hoped to build up support in case Tarah failed and Aloysius came back from Malaroo to conquer his own people. Willum doubted it would do much good. Tobias didn’t exactly come off as a credible witness.

“Well if you want Xedrion’s help, the secretiveness has to stop,” said Sir Edge. “He’s not going to put up with a foreign army in his country, but if he doesn’t feel he can trust you, you’re likely to find yourselves locked away again or expelled from the country.”

“I’ll talk to Tarah and Djeri about it,” Willum promised him.

“You do that. I’ll be sure to let them know my feelings on it as well,” Edge said. His eye twitched as if he had heard something unexpected. “I looks like it’s time we head back to the others. Jhonate says that both Qurl and Jerry are getting more and more agitated about the wait.”

“She says?” Willum replied. “You can hear her?”

Edge raised his hand, showing Willum the thin Jharro ring on his forefinger. His look was apologetic. “Evidently, she’s been listening in the whole time.”

“
Sorry, Willy
,” Theodore said. “
I should have seen it sooner. He has so many bonds coming out of him that I didn’t notice it before
.”

The named warrior smiled at the consternation on Willum’s face. He placed a hand on Willum’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m on your side in this. And so is Jhonate. We just need to make sure that everyone is on the same page.”

Sir Edge turned to rejoin the others, but Willum reached out to stop him. “Wait, there’s one more thing.”

“
Not a good idea, Willy
,” the imp warned.

“Yes?” said Edge.

“I want to tell you, but-.” Willum grimaced. “You need to make sure that Jhonate doesn’t hear.”

Edge frowned. “Didn’t I just finish telling you that keeping secrets was a bad idea?”

“I know,” Willum said, raising his hands. “And maybe it’s not all that important. Just wait until I’ve told you. After that, you can decide whether to tell her or not. You understand their culture better than I do.”

“You realize she just heard you say that,” said Sir Edge wryly. He sighed. “Alright, I’ve cut her off. Now tell me quick before she storms over here and hits me.”

“It’s about Tarah’s staff,” Willum said. “It’s made of Jharro wood.”

“It’s what?” Edge said, his eyes concerned. “How did she get it?”

“It’s really old Jharro wood. Dead wood, Theodore calls it,” Willum explained. “He says that it’s imp handiwork, carved by his people for the specific purpose of binding a soul. Tarah didn’t know about that until recently. Her grandfather gave her the staff when she was twelve.”

Edge winced. “Dead wood. That means that it was either taken from the hand of a dead Roo-Tan warrior or from a Jharro tree that was destroyed during one of the ancient attacks on the grove.”

“See why I didn’t say anything at first? We know that the Roo-Tan are very sensitive when it comes to the use of Jharro wood. Scholar Tobias warned us that it might be a problem. This is the main reason Tarah didn’t come with us into town to meet with the protector. We didn’t know how he would react.”

“Yeah, I don’t know either.” Edge’s brow furrowed in thought. “Can Tarah’s magic disguise her staff?”

“We think so, but-.”

“
She’s coming this way, Willy
,” said the imp.

“Jhonate’s coming,” Willum warned just before the woman appeared.

Jhonate rounded a nearby tree, knocking a branch aside with her staff. Her piercing green eyes were tightened by the scowl she wore on her face.

She advanced on Sir Edge, her knuckles white on the haft of her staff. “What are you hiding, Justan?”

The named warrior was a head taller than her and probably close to twice her weight, but he took a step back, “Tarah Woodblade’s staff is made of dead Jharro wood. They’re worried how your father will react to her having it in her possession.”

She turned her gaze to Willum. “Where did she get such a thing?”

He swallowed. “It’s ancient. It was given to her as a gift when she was a child. No one even knew that it was Jharro wood until after the rogue horse was bound to it.”

“
Actually I told Tarah about it before that, Willy
,” the imp put in.

Not helpful, Theodore
, Willum replied.

Jhonate’s scowl faded to a look of concern. “Can she use her magic to disguise this staff?”

Willum let out a nervous chuckle. “Yes. She can make it look like whatever she wants. The only issue is that the staff’s magic is less effective on some people. Scholar Tobias warned us that people trained in spirit magic may be able to see through her illusions, especially if they know what to look for.”

Sir Edge nodded in understanding, “And since the Roo-Tan are familiar with spirit magic, they might discover the truth.”

“How . . . bad would that be?” Willum asked.

“It is hard to say,” Jhonate replied. “To some among us, it would seem an affront akin to carrying around the bones of our dead ancestors.” She shrugged. “Most of us are not so traditional, but it depends on how my father sees it. The fact that the wood’s source is unknown helps her case.”