The Best of the Realms, Book I

III

Orlando moved throughhis darkened house without so much as a flickering candle to light his way.Outside, Lelanda sat unmoving on the back of a horse even blacker than thenight sky. Orlando knew she was anxious to get under way, and so went from roomto room as quickly as possible. The walls of his home were decorated withswords, shields, and other reminders of his adventuring life. Like a thief inhis own house, he gathered up three of those heirlooms.

The first of them was Talon, the curved sword thathe'd recovered from a dark labyrinth beneath the sands men called the Battle of the Bones. The arcane blade proved almost unstoppable when turned against theliving dead. Removed from its traditional place above the hearth, the enchantedblade was returned to the scabbard on Orlando's black leather belt.

The second item removed from his collection was abronze breastplate. Countless attackers had learned that it had the uncannyability to turn aside even the most deadly missiles. Arrows, quarrels, and evenbullets had all proven impotent against the charms of the bronze armor. Orlando liberated it from the wooden mannequin that guarded an empty first floor hallway.As the yellow-orange armor once again embraced Orlando's muscular chest, henoticed that the passing of his youth made it more snug than he remembered..

With the sword and armor safely recovered, Orlando moved on to the last item he planned to bring with him: a good luck charm. Pausingbeside the small shrine adjacent to his bedroom, Orlando slipped a smallsilver amulet from the hook on which it hung and looped it around his neck.Unconsciously, his fingers ran across its surface, tracing the outlines of thecrossed battle-axes that were the icon of the dwarf god ClanggedinSilver-beard. There was no magic in the simple pendant, but it had been apresent from Shandt. Since it had been given to him not five hours before thenoble dwarf met his fate somewhere in the Underdark, Orlando couldn't look uponit without remembering the broad, crooked smile and gleaming eyes that had madehis best friend's countenance so pleasantly memorable. The memory brought Orlando both a smile and a tear.

Locking the door behind him, Orlando left the houseand moved to join Lelanda by the stable. She had already saddled Zephyr, hisdappled gray horse.

Without a word, the warrior placed his foot in thestirrup, swung himself onto his mount, and nudged the horse into atrot. Many miles passed before either of the old adventurers spoke a word tothe other.