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The peak is called Nigntglow," Cadderly continued, undaunted "In decades past, it was said to burn with inner fires in the dark of night, a glow that could be seen fro Plains,"
"A volcano," Vander reasoned, re peaks
"A dragon," Danica corrected "An old red, according to the legend"
"Older still since the tales date back two centuries or end," she assured the of Shilon, reht to Carradoon and to the forest"
The daon?" Ivan bellowed, storue, no one had noticed that the rhyth had ceased
"Uh-uhhh," Pikel said to Cadderly, waggling one finger back and forth in front of his face
"Do you wish the Ghearufu destroyed?" Cadderly asked siht at Vander, whoainst the rising tide of protest
The firbolg seemed truly torn
"At what cost?" Danica deon has slept for centuries-centuries of peace How ?"
"Let a sleeping wyrm lie, me Pappy always said," Ivan piped in
"Yup," added Pikel, nodding eagerly
Cadderly gave a resigned sigh, scooped the Ghearufu into his pack, and hoisted it over one shoulder "I have been directed to destroy the Ghearufit," he said, his voice full of resignation "There is only one way"
Then it ion"
"Is a teer in a temporary society," Cadderly finished philosophically The Ghearufu is not temporary It has pained the world since its creation in the lower planes o
"Ill not force this upon you," Cadderly went on calod that you do not worship Go and speak aether or individually This quest is ht," he said to Shayleigh, see this to you all when first we left the library The situation was difficult" He looked at Danica as he ended, knowing that she alone understood what he had gone through to "convince" Dean Thobicus
The othersback at Cadderly many times
The boy’s daft," Ivan insisted, loudly enough so that Cadderly could hear
"He follows his heart," Danica replied quietly
"I, too, do not doubt Cadderly’s sincerity," Shayleigh added "It is his wisdom that I question"
Pikel continued to nod his eager agreeri his head
"A red," Danica pointedly added, for red dragons were the wickedest and ons "Perhaps an ancient red by now"
Still Pikel nodded, and Ivan slapped hireen-bearded dwarf said, glaring at his brother
"Ye don’t go waking wyrh for Cadderly to hear
There is so correctly guided by his god, or is the Ghearufit wrongly leading hiht find a powerful ally?"
The thought hs froh and Vander and a drawn-out "Ooooooo" fro that he was ard his brother suspiciously
"What do we do?" Shayleigh asked
They stood quietly for many moments before Danica dared a decision "The threat now is Castle Trinity," she declared
"But the Ghearufu does not coiant voice quiet "We can bury it here, in the mountains, and return for it when the other business is coh reasoned, looking at the resolute young priest
"Then on’t ask him," Ivan replied with a sly wink He looked Danica’s way and nodded, and Danica, after a plaintive look at the man she loved, returned the nod Alone, shein a low," Cadderiy stated, not asked, as Danica approached
Danica said nothing Unconsciously, she clenched and unclenched a fist at her side - a movement that Cadderiy did notpriest said
Danica still did not reply Cadderiy read her thoughts, though, saw that she was struggling with her decided course and understood that course to be one hinting at treachery He began to sing under his breath as Danica ent she tried to grab hi insubstantial
"Help me!" Danica called to her friends, and they rushed over, Ivan and Pikel diving for Cadderly’s legs The dwarves knocked their heads together, locked in a wrestling tumble, and it took therabbed on to nothing more than each other
For Cadderly’s corporeal for to the wind
On the Path
Druzil sat on a broken stus The imp knew the way to the Edificant Library fronant spirit had veered off in the wrong direction and was now headed into the open and wild mountains
Druzil was not overly disappointed - he really didn’t want to go near the awful library again, and doubted that even this powerful spirit would last very long against the co there The iuided by any real purpose, as Druzil had initially believed, as Aballis-ter had led hi wander ai whatever creatures it accidentally happened upon?
The thought did not sit ith the iically, Druzil realized that there must be some important connection with thisCadderly If not, then ould Aballister have dispatched hi?
Too many questions assaulted the imp, too many possibilities for Druzil to consider He looked at thea northern trail, frightening aniery Then Druzil looked inward, brought his focus into that ical area co across thea telepathic link with his wizard ency of his call, he was nevertheless surprised when Aballister eagerly responded to his mental intrusions
Where is Cadderly? the wizard’s thoughts caht up to him?
Many of Druzil’s questions had just been answered Aballister’s ation rolled on; the wizard prodded Druzil’s thoughts with a series of questions so quickly that Druzil didn’t even have ti imp understood immediately that he held the upper hand in this communication, that Aballister was desperate for answers