on a bed of pine needles she had gathered to keep out the damp.
Tas yawned. She was certainly getting on better than he’d
expected. She had chosen a good, sensible location to make
camp – near the trail, a stream of clear running water close by.
Just as well not to have to wander too far in these dark and
spooky woods –
Spooky wood… what did that remind him of, Tas caught
himself as he was slipping over the edge of sleep. Something
important. Spooky wood. Spooks… talk to spooks…
“Darken Wood!” he said in alarm, sitting bolt upright.
“What?” asked Lady Crysania, wrapping her cloak around
her and preparing to lie down.
“Darken Wood!” Tas repeated in alarm. He was now thor-
oughly awake. “We’re close to Darken Wood. We came to warn
you! It’s a horrible place. You might have blundered into it.
Maybe we’re in it already -”
“Darken Wood?” Caramon’s eyes flared open. He stared
around him vaguely.
“Nonsense,” Lady Crysania said comfortably, adjusting
beneath her head a small traveling pillow she had brought with
her. “We are not in Darken Wood, not yet. It is about five miles
distant. Tomorrow we will come to a path that will take us
there.”
“You – you want to go there!” Tas gasped.
“Of course,” Lady Crysania said coldly. “I go there to seek the
Forestmaster’s help. It would take me many long months to tra-
vel from here to the Forest of Wayreth, even on horseback. Sil-
ver dragons dwell in Darken Wood with the Forestmaster.
They will fly me to my destination.”
“But the spectres, the ancient dead king and his followers -”
“- were released from their terrible bondage when they
answered the call to fight the Dragon Highlords,” Lady Crysa-
nia said, somewhat sharply. “You really should study the his-
tory of the war, Tasslehoff. Especially since you were involved
in it. When the human and elven forces combined to recapture
Qualinesti, the spectres of Darken Wood fought with them and
thus broke the dark enchantment that held them bound to
dreadful life. They left this world and have been seen no more.”
“Oh,” said Tas stupidly. After glancing about for a moment,
he sat back down on his bedroll. “I talked to them,” he contin-
ued wistfully. “They were very polite – sort of abrupt in their
comings and goings, but very polite. It’s kind of sad to think -”
“I am quite tired,” interrupted Lady Crysania. “And I have a
long journey ahead of me tomorrow. I will take the gully dwarf
and continue on to Darken Wood. You can take your besotted
friend back home where he will – hopefully – find the help he
needs. Now go to sleep.”
“Shouldn’t one of us… stay on watch?” Tas asked hesi-
tantly. “Those rangers said -” He stopped suddenly. Those
“rangers” had been in the inn that wasn’t.
“Nonsense. Paladine will guard our rest,” said Lady Crysania
sharply. Closing her eyes, she began to recite soft words of
prayer.
Tas gulped. “I wonder if we know the same Paladine?” he
asked, thinking of Fizban and feeling very lonesome. But he
said it under his breath, not wanting to be accused of blas-
phemy again. Lying down, he squirmed in his blankets but
could not get comfortable. Finally, still wide awake, he sat back
up and leaned against a tree trunk. The spring night was cool
but not unpleasantly chill. The sky was clear, and there was no
wind. The trees rustled with their own conversations, feeling
new life running through their limbs, waking after their long
winter’s sleep. Running his hand over the ground, Tas fingered
the new grass poking up beneath the decaying leaves.
The kender sighed. It was a nice night. Why did he feel
uneasy? Was that a sound? A twig breaking? Tas started and
looked around, holding his breath to hear better. Nothing.
Silence. Glancing up into the heavens, he saw the constellation
of Paladine, the Platinum Dragon, revolving around the con-
stellation of Gilean, the Scales of Balance. Across from
Paladine – each keeping careful watch upon the other – was the
constellation of the Queen of Darkness – Takhisis, the Five-