The man seemed to relax. “It’s been almost a week, now since my friend Lane and I were out hunting. We were in the foothills east of here, when at night we heard flutes and drums.
“We went to see what it was, and in a canyon not too far from here we came upon a band of goblins. They had a little boy, and then they . . . oh, gods . . . they cut the child in two. Sacrificed him! I cried out. . . I couldn’t help myself, and they came after us. We managed to escape, but then the day before yesterday they fell upon us back at my farm. Lane and I tried to hold them back, but there were just too many. They got into the house . . . and they took my daughter! Lane’s a tracker and went after them, and I sent my wife Becky to Krondor for help and then followed after Lane. Now you’ve shown up.”
James asked, “Which way did Lane go?”
“Back to the canyon, I’m almost certain. He left small sign for me to follow. I was going to wait for the soldiers . . . but I couldn’t bear the thought of them sacrificing my little girl.”
“She’s safe until the dark of the next moon,” said Solon.
“It was the dark of the Middle Moon the night we saw the boy killed,” agreed Toth. Then he became concerned. “Tomorrow night is the dark of the Small Moon!”
“We must act quickly,” said Jazhara.
“It’s all that witch’s doing,” said Toth.
“Witch?” asked Jazhara.
“There are rumors of witchcraft up at Haldon Head -that accursed witch must have had my daughter stolen for her foul spells!”
Jazhara’s eyes narrowed. “Did you see the ‘witch’ when the goblins killed the little boy?”
“Well, no, but. . .”
“It is of no matter now,” injected Solon. “If we are to help, we must move quickly.”
“I beg you do!” said Toth. “Please help me find my daughter.”
Solon glanced around. “Camp here, good farmer. We shall have to strike this night, else the bonny child is lost.”
James nodded. “Let’s get moving.”
They led their horses along the road while the farmer looked around for a place to wait. James glanced back and saw the man’s face. Clearly all his hopes rode with them.
“Looks like Toth’s friend Lane ran into some trouble,” said James. A short way down the trail they had followed for the last hour lay a small mound of corpses. Beyond that another pair of goblins lay across a still, human form.
“He made the bastards pay,” growled Solon.
Kendaric said, “But at what price? The man is dead!”
“Calm yourself,” said Jazhara.
“Calm, she says,” Kendaric muttered, shaking his head.
“I think that body just moved,” said James, jumping from his horse and hurrying over. He pulled the two goblins off the pile and examined the man. “Bring water!” he instructed.
Jazhara hurried over with a waterskin while James cradled the man’s head, watching as the magician poured a little water onto the man’s face, reviving him.
Blinking, Lane said, “Goblins . . . they took my friend’s daughter. I found their camp, but. . . there were too many . . .”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find them,” said Jazhara.
“They’re close. The box canyon, north of here. Please. Don’t let them kill that little girl.”
James started to ask a question, but Lane’s eyes rolled up into his head. James put his ear near the man’s mouth and after a minute, said, “He’s gone.”
Solon said, “He’ll not die in vain. We’ll see justice done.”
James gently rested the man’s head on the rocks, and stood. Glancing upward, he said, “It’s going to be dark in less than two hours. Let’s see if we can find that box canyon.” He motioned for Solon and Kendaric to dismount. “We’ll walk the horses and leave them at the mouth of the canyon. When we return, we’ll give Lane a proper burial.”
It took them less than an hour to reach the entrance to the canyon. A small stream emptied out of the rocks there, cutting across the trail, before splashing down the hillside. Turning to Kendaric, James said, “Water the horses and keep them from wandering off. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“You’re leaving me here alone?” he asked, alarmed.
“Well, if you’d rather go to the goblin camp . . . ?”
“No! It’s just, well, alone . . .”
James said, “As much as it pains me to say this, right now you are more important than either Jazhara or myself.” He thought about it, then added, “Solon, you stay here as well. If we don’t come back, go to Miller’s Rest and pick up the patrol. Then go to Haldon Head, raise the ship and get the Tear.”
Solon seemed to be on the verge of objecting, then saw the wisdom of the plan. “Aye, I’ll wait.”