Page 175 of Keeper of the Word

“I hope not,” Barrett’s voice came.

“All right,” another man’s voice entered the shoppe. “You can put your sword down. Fact o’matter is we’s with the Order of Siria.”

The Order of Siria?

“That seems unlikely,” Barrett said.

“Why? Whatelsehas happened?” the first voice asked.

Barrett hesitated.

“This place ain’t so bad inside. I actually cannot believe we found it. Took us a century to get here. Anyways, where’s Tolvar?”

Elanna stood, startling the two men in front of Barrett.

“Goddesses of the moon, lady. What you want to pop out like that for?”

The two men’s appearance was vastly different. The first was the size and build of Tolvar but had sandy, blond hair. The second was short and lanky with a pointed chin. His right leg had been replaced with a wooden peg.

“Finally!” Hux’s voice came from outside. He entered the shoppe. “About time you made it, Ghlee.” Hux clapped the first man on the back.

“We came with as much haste as we could,” Ghlee said.

“And we brought reinforcements,” said the other, who Elanna surmised was Alvie.

Elanna joined them, and Ghlee immediately bowed. “Lady StarSeer. I am Ghlee Roderick, and I am the Head of the Deogolian Order of Siria. We are at your service.”

“And I’m Alvie.”

“No bow?” Hux’s eyes twinkled.

“Oh yeah. Sorry.” Alvie gave an exaggerated bow.

Ghlee scanned the room. Straight away, Elanna could see the many similarities between Tolvar and the man who he’d called his “brother.” “Where is the Wolf anyway?”

Hux recanted the tale, and Alvie threw out some colorful curse words.

“Oh, sorry. I s’pose I ought not curse in front of you.”

“Siria’s skirt.” Ghlee scratched his beard. “Tolvar has done it this time. I suppose ’tis good I am always prepared for his antics. Now, for what exactly do we need Alvie’s club?”

Alvie frowned but withdrew the club from a belt where a sword would normally hang. “The Cibil said its journey wasn’t over, but stars, I didn’t know he meant for it to come here. I sure hate parting with it.”

Elanna didn’t ask who the Cibil was, but instead, she gasped at the gash on the club that otherwise appeared as wood. The metal underneath glistened white.Pure white.

“Starstone,” Elanna said.

“Yeah. Pretty impressive.” Alvie’s jaw tightened. “This really gonna save the world?”

“’Tis.”

Elanna still feltgreen in the world, but one thing that was becoming exceptionally clear was that when men became a band without a clear leader, arguing generally occurred.

“What if we split up?”

“We shall need all our forces to rescue Tolvar.”

“How shall we make a key? We’ve no blacksmith.”