War of the Twins Read online

  A gigantic blade, it was designed for use as a two-handed weapon. Indeed, Caramon thought, eyeing it expertly, there were few men he knew who could even have lifted it, much less wielded it. But, not only did Steeltoe heft it with ease, he used it with one hand! And he used it well, that much Caramon could tell from the half-ogre’s practiced, well-timed swings. The steel blade caught the fire’s light as he slashed the air. It hummed as it sliced through the darkness, leaving a blazing trail of light behind it.

  As his opponent limped into the ring, his steel pegleg gleaming, Caramon saw with despair that he faced not the brutish, stupid opponent he had expected, but a skilled swordsman, an intelligent man, who had overcome his handicap to fight with a mastery two-legged men might well envy.

  Not only had Steeltoe overcome his handicap, Caramon discovered after their first pass, but the half-ogre made use of it in a most deadly fashion.

  The two stalked each other, feinting, each watching for any weakness in the opponent’s defense. Then, suddenly, balancing himself easily on his good leg, Steeltoe used his steel leg as another weapon. Whirling around, he struck Caramon with the steel leg with such force that it sent the big man crashing to the ground. His sword flew from his hands.

  Quickly regaining his balance, Steeltoe advanced with his huge sword, obviously intending to end the battle and get on to other amusements. But, though caught off guard, Caramon had seen this type of move in the arena. Lying on the ground, gasping for breath, feigning having had the wind knocked out of him, Caramon waited until his enemy closed on him. Then, reaching out, he grabbed hold of Steeltoe’s good leg and jerked it out from beneath him.

  The men standing around cheered and applauded. As the sound brought back vivid memories of the arena at Istar, Caramon felt his blood race. Worries about black-robed brothers and white-robed clerics vanished. So did thoughts of home. His self-doubts disappeared. The thrill of fighting, the intoxicating drug of danger, coursed through his veins, filling him with an ecstasy much like his twin felt using his magic.

  Scrambling to his feet, seeing his enemy do the same, Caramon made a sudden, desperate lunge for his sword, which lay several feet from him. But Steeltoe was quicker. Reaching Caramon’s sword first, he kicked it, sending it flying.

  Even as he kept an eye on his opponent, Caramon glanced about for another weapon and saw the bonfire, blazing at the far end of the ring.

  But Steeltoe saw Caramon’s glance. Instantly guessing his objective, the half-ogre moved to block him.

  Caramon made a run for it. The half-ogre’s slashing blade sliced through the skin on his abdomen, leaving a glistening trail of blood behind. With a leaping dive, Caramon rolled near the logs, grabbed one by the end, and was on his feet as Steeltoe drove his blade into the ground where the big man’s head had been only seconds before.

  The sword arced through the air again. Caramon heard it humming and barely was able to parry the blow with the log in time. Chips and sparks flew as the sword bit into the wood, Caramon having grabbed a log that was burning at one end. The force of Steeltoe’s blow was tremendous, making Caramon’s hands ring and the sharp edges of the log dig painfully into his flesh. But he held fast, using his great strength to drive the half-ogre backward as Steeltoe fought to recover his balance.

  The half-ogre held firm, finally shoving his pegleg into the ground and pushing Caramon back. The two men slowly took up their positions again, circling each other. Then the air was filled with the flashing light of steel and flaming cinders.

  How long they fought, Caramon had no idea. Time drowned in a haze of stinging pain and fear and exhaustion. His breath came in ragged gasps. His lungs burned like the end of the log, his hands were raw and bleeding. But still he gained no advantage. He had never in his life faced such an opponent. Steeltoe, too, who had entered the fight with a sneer of confidence, now faced his enemy with grim determination. Around them, the men stood silently now, enthralled by the deadly contest.

  The only sounds at all, in fact, were the crackling of the fire, the heavy breathing of the opponents, or perhaps the splash of a body as one went down into the mud, or the grunt of pain when a blow told.

  The circle of men and the firelight began to blur in Caramon’s eyes. To his aching arms, the log felt heavier than a whole tree, now. Breathing was agony. His opponent was as exhausted as he, Caramon knew, from the fact that Steeltoe had neglected to follow up an advantageous blow, being forced to simply stand and catch his breath. The half-ogre had an ugly purple welt running along his side where Caramon’s log had caught him. Everyone in the circle had heard the snapping of his ribs and seen the yellowish face contort in pain.

  But he came back with a swipe of his sword that sent Caramon staggering backward, flailing away with the log in a frantic attempt to parry the stroke. Now the two stalked each other, neither hearing nor caring about anything else but the enemy across from him. Both knew that the next mistake would be fatal.

  And then Steeltoe slipped in the mud. It was just a small slip, sending him down on his good knee, balancing on his pegleg. At the beginning of the battle, he would have been up in seconds. But his strength was giving out and it took a moment longer to struggle up again.

  That second was what Caramon had been waiting for. Lurching forward, using the last bit of strength in his own body, Caramon lifted the log and drove it down as hard as he could on the knee to which the pegleg was attached. As a hammer strikes a nail, Caramon’s blow drove the pegleg deep into the sodden ground.

  Snarling in fury and pain, the half-ogre turned and twisted, trying desperately to drag his leg free, all the while attempting to keep Caramon back with slashing blows of his sword. Such was his tremendous strength that he almost succeeded. Even now, seeing his opponent trapped, Caramon had to fight the temptation to let his hurting body rest, to let his opponent go.

  But there could be only one end to this contest. Both men had known that from the beginning. Staggering forward, grimly swinging his log, Caramon caught the half-ogre’s blade and sent it flying from his hands. Seeing death in Caramon’s eyes, Steeltoe still fought defiantly to free himself. Even at the last moment, as the log in the big man’s hands whistled through the air, the half-ogre’s huge hands made a clutching grasp for Caramon’s arms—

  The log smashed into the half-ogre’s head with a wet, sodden thud and the crunch of bone, flinging the half-ogre backward. The body twitched, then was still. Steeltoe lay in the mud, his steel pegleg still pinning him to the ground, the rain washing away the blood and brains that oozed from the cracks in his skull.

  Stumbling in weariness and pain, Caramon sank to his knees, leaning on the blood- and rain-soaked log, trying to catch his breath. There was a roaring in his ears—the angry shouts of men surging forward to kill him. He didn’t care. It didn’t matter. Let them come.…

  But no one attacked.

  Confused by this, Caramon raised his blurred gaze to a black-robed figure kneeling down beside him. He felt his brother’s slender arm encircle him protectively, and he saw flickering darts of lightning flash warmingly from the mage’s fingers. Closing his eyes, Caramon leaned his head against his brother’s frail chest and drew a deep, shuddering breath.

  Then he felt cool hands touch his skin and he heard a soft voice murmur a prayer to Paladine. Caramon’s eyes flared open. He shoved the startled Crysania away, but it was too late. Her healing influence spread through his body. He could hear the men gathered around him gasp as the bleeding wounds vanished, the bruises disappeared, and the color returned to his deathly pale face. Even the archmage’s pyrotechnics had not created the outburst of alarm and shocked cries the healing did.

  “Witchcraft! She healed him! Burn the witch!”

  “Burn them both, witch and wizard!”

  “They hold the warrior in thrall. We’ll take them and free his soul!”

  Glancing at his brother, he saw—from the grim expression on Raistlin’s face—that the mage, too, was reliving old memories and und
erstood the danger.

  “Wait!” Caramon gasped, rising to his feet as the crowd of muttering men drew near. Only the fear of Raistlin’s magic kept the men from rushing them, he knew, and—hearing his brother’s sudden racking cough—Caramon feared Raistlin’s strength might soon give out.

  Catching hold of the confused Crysania, Caramon thrust her protectively behind him as he confronted the crowd of frightened, angry men.

  “Touch this woman, and you will die as your leader died,” he shouted, his voice loud and clear above the driving rain.

  “Why should we let a witch live?” snarled one, and there were mutters of agreement.

  “Because she’s my witch!” Caramon said sternly, casting a defiant gaze around. Behind him, he heard Crysania draw in a sharp breath, but Raistlin gave her a warning glance and, if she had been going to speak, she sensibly kept quiet. “She does not hold me in thrall but obeys my commands and those of the wizard. She will do you no harm, I swear.”

  There were murmurs among the men, but their eyes, as they looked at Caramon, were no longer threatening. Admiration there had been—now he could see grudging respect and a willingness to listen.

  “Let us be on our way,” Raistlin began in his soft voice, “and we—”

  “Wait!” rasped Caramon. Gripping his brother’s arm, he drew him near and whispered. “I’ve got an idea. Watch over Crysania!”

  Nodding, Raistlin moved to stand near Crysania, who stood quietly, her eyes on the now silent group of bandits. Caramon walked over to where the body of the half-ogre lay in the reddening mud. Leaning down, he wrested the great sword from Steeltoe’s deathgrip and raised it high over his head. The big warrior was a magnificent sight, the firelight reflecting off his bronze skin, the muscles rippling in his arms as he stood in triumph above the body of his slain enemy.

  “I have destroyed your leader. Now I claim the right to take his place!” Caramon shouted, his voice echoing among the trees. “I ask only one thing—that you leave this life of butchery and rape and robbery. We travel south—”

  That got an unexpected reaction. “South! They travel south!” several voices cried and there was scattered cheering. Caramon stared at them, taken aback, not understanding. Raistlin, coming forward, clutched at him.

  “What are you doing?” the mage demanded, his face pale.

  Caramon shrugged, looking about in puzzled amazement at the enthusiasm he had created. “It just seemed a good idea to have an armed escort, Raistlin,” he said. “The lands south of here are, by all accounts, wilder than those we have ridden through. I figured we could take a few of these men with us, that’s all. I don’t understand—”

  A young man of noble bearing, who more than any of the others, recalled Sturm to Caramon’s mind, stepped forward. Motioning the others to quiet down, he asked, “You’re going south? Do you, perchance, seek the fabled wealth of the dwarves in Thorbardin?”

  Raistlin scowled. “Now do you understand?” he snarled. Choking, he was shaken by a fit of coughing that left him weak and gasping. Had it not been for Crysania hurrying to support him, he might have fallen.

  “I understand you need rest,” Caramon replied grimly. “We all do. And unless we come up with some sort of armed escort, we’ll never have a peaceful night’s sleep. What do the dwarves in Thorbardin have to do with anything? What’s going on?”

  Raistlin stared at the ground, his face hidden by the shadows of his hood. Finally, sighing, he said coldly, “Tell them yes, we go south. We’re going to attack the dwarves.”

  Caramon’s eyes opened wide. “Attack Thorbardin?”

  “I’ll explain later,” Raistlin snarled softly. “Do as I tell you.”

  Caramon hesitated.

  Shrugging his thin shoulders, Raistlin smiled unpleasantly. “It is your only way home, my brother! And maybe our only way out of here alive.”

  Caramon glanced around. The men had begun to mutter again during this brief exchange, obviously suspicious of their intentions. Realizing he had to make a decision quickly or lose them for good—and maybe even face another attack—he turned back, vying for time to try to think things through further.

  “We go south,” he said, “it is true. But for our own reasons. What is this you say of wealth in Thorbardin?”

  “It is said that the dwarves have stored great wealth in the kingdom beneath the mountain,” the young man answered readily. Others around him nodded.

  “Wealth they stole from humans,” added one.

  “Aye! Not just money,” cried out a third, “but grain and cattle and sheep. They’ll eat like kings this winter, while our bellies go empty!”

  “We have talked before of going south to take our share,” the young man continued, “but Steeltoe said things were well enough here. There are some, though, who were having second thoughts.”

  Caramon pondered, wishing he knew more of history. He had heard of the Great Dwarfgate Wars, of course. His old dwarf friend, Flint, talked of little else. Flint was a hill dwarf. He had filled Caramon’s head with tales of the cruelty of the mountain dwarves of Thorbardin, saying much the same things these men said. But to hear Flint tell it, the wealth the mountain dwarves stole had been taken from their cousins, the hill dwarves.

  If this were true, then Caramon might well be justified in making this decision. He could, of course, do as his brother commanded. But something inside Caramon had snapped in Istar. Even though he was beginning to think he had misjudged his brother, he knew him well enough to continue to distrust him. Never again would he obey Raistlin blindly.

  But then he sensed Raistlin’s glittering eyes upon him, and he heard his brother’s voice echo in his mind.

  Your only way back home!

  Caramon clenched his fist in swift anger, but Raistlin had him, he knew. “We go south to Thorbardin,” he said harshly, his troubled gaze on the sword in his hand. Then he raised his head to look at the men around him. “Will you come with us?”

  There was a moment’s hesitation. Several of the men came forward to talk to the young nobleman, who was now apparently their spokesman. He listened, nodded, then faced Caramon once more.

  “We would follow you without hesitation, great warrior,” said the young man, “but what have you to do with this black-robed wizard? Who is he, that we should follow him?”

  “My name is Raistlin,” the mage replied. “This man is my bodyguard.”

  There was no response, only dubious frowns and doubtful looks.

  “I am his bodyguard, that is true,” Caramon said quietly, “but the mage’s real name is Fistandantilus.”

  At this, there were sharp intakes of breath among the men. The frowns changed to looks of respect, even fear and awe.

  “My name is Garic,” the young man said, bowing to the archmage with the old-fashioned courtesy of the Knights of Solamnia. “We have heard of you, Great One. And though your deeds are dark as your robes, we live in a time of dark deeds, it seems. We will follow you and the great warrior you bring with you.”

  Stepping forward, Garic laid his sword at Caramon’s feet. Others followed suit, some eagerly, others more warily. A few slunk off into the shadows. Knowing them for the cowardly ruffians they were, Caramon let them go.

  He was left with about thirty men; a few of the same noble bearing as Garic, but most of them were ragged, dirty thieves and scoundrels.

  “My army,” Caramon said to himself with a grim smile that night as he spread his blanket in Steeltoe’s hut the half-ogre had built for his own personal use. Outside the door, he could hear Garic talking to the other man Caramon had decided looked trustworthy enough to stand watch.

  Bone-weary, Caramon had assumed he’d fall asleep quickly. But he found himself lying awake in the darkness, thinking, making plans.

  Like most young soldiers, Caramon had often dreamed of becoming an officer. Now, unexpectedly, here was his chance. It wasn’t much of a command, maybe, but it was a start. For the first time since they’d arrived in this god-for
saken time, he felt a glimmer of pleasure.

  Plans tumbled over and over in his mind. Training, the best routes south, provisioning, supplies … These were new and different problems for the former mercenary soldier. Even in the War of the Lance, he had generally followed Tanis’s lead. His brother knew nothing of these matters; Raistlin had informed Caramon coldly that he was on his own in this. Caramon found this challenging and—oddly—refreshing. These were flesh-and-blood problems, driving the dark and shadowy problems with his brother from his mind.

  Thinking of his twin, Caramon glanced over to where Raistlin lay huddled near a fire that blazed in a huge stone fireplace. Despite the heat, he was wrapped in his cloak and as many blankets as Crysania had been able to find. Caramon could hear his brother’s breath rattle in his lungs, occasionally he coughed in his sleep.

  Crysania slept on the other side of the fire. Although exhausted, her sleep was troubled and broken. More than once she cried out and sat up suddenly, pale and trembling. Caramon sighed. He would have liked to comfort her—to take her in his arms and soothe her to sleep. For the first time, in fact, he realized how much he would like to do this. Perhaps it had been telling the men she was his. Perhaps it was seeing the half-ogre’s hands on her, feeling the same sense of outrage he had seen reflected on his brother’s face.

  Whatever the reason, Caramon caught himself watching her that night in a much different way than he had watched her before, thinking thoughts that, even now, made his skin burn and his pulse quicken.

  Closing his eyes, he willed images of Tika, his wife, to come to his mind. But he had banished these memories for so long that they were unsatisfying. Tika was a hazy, misty picture and she was far away. Crysania was flesh and blood and she was here! He was very much aware of her soft, even breathing.…