26

Spindlechest

THERE WAS A BRIEF SILENCE, filled only with the muddled noises of lark milling about the buildings beyond the alleyway.

“Thee Spindlechest?” Lance stared at her. “The one forged during the enlightenment period, in the tip of the Dark Agrestal?”

Wynn looked at him, surprised. “Yes.”

Beryl shared her surprise. “You know about this?”

Lance nodded. “I learned about it during a lesson in the academy.”

Wynn’s mouth dropped open. “You go to caster school?”

“Never mind that,” Lance said. He quickly flipped open his pack and began to dig. “If he really does have that chest then we may actually be in luck. Do you remember where the chest was forged?”

Wynn sheepishly nodded. “Kind of.” She’d slept through many of her lessons about the chest—which had seemed like endless ramblings from various relatives. Many of the memories she had of such talks were of being shaken awake, with a bit of drool down her snout. All she was certain of were two things: one was that there were four items; and two, in the wrong hands they could wreak havoc. Neither helped her.

He pulled out a tattered blue book and began flipping through its loose pages.

“It was forged in Hembeard’s village,” he said. “Well, at least the chest was. The enchanted contents, not so sure. It was created before the village crumbled all those centuries ago.”

Wynn scratched her head. She didn’t recall hearing such a thing. In fact her kin made it sound like it had only been in their care for decades, safe within the Tall Stalks. But when Lance showed her a detailed illustration of the Spindlechest within the book, it matched.

Below the chest were rough sketches of its contents, with a notes.

The Spiteful Needle – A long needle, haggard and crooked in appearance, forged with rough cobalt and rage, it destroys and protects.

The Pensive Wheel – A small bronze wheel, no bigger than a thumb. Can move forces beyond what the eye can see…it is tricky and unwieldly, with rumor it has a mind of its own.

The Talking-Glass – A small, gilded mirror that warns of danger, but demands sight in exchange. Heed it at your own risk.

The Specular Spindle – A small silver rod with a rounded disk on one end. It only reveals its capabilities when you do. Mirrors the mind.

Further down it read:

All objects of this mysterious silver chest are believed to be lost, if ever in existence at all…

Beryl said, puzzled, “Why exactly is it a good thing that Brume has the chest?”

“It’s not,” Lance emphasized. “In fact if he gets that chest opened, we’ll be at a severe disadvantage—but he hasn’t yet. There’s only one way for a lark to open that chest. I mean, if you’re not a Spindleseer. You need to take it to the very place it was originally created. The very place Brume has probably been searching for.”

“Hembeard’s village,” Wynn said.

Lance nodded. He continued, now energized. “All this time we’ve been looking for where Brume has gone or reacting when he strikes. But now we know what he’s up to for once.”

Beryl’s wings buzzed. “So you’re saying we can strike first this time?”

Lance nodded. He shut the book and tossed it into his pack.

“The only drawback is finding the village.” He frowned. I know it’s in the Dark Agrestal, but I have no idea where. I mean, Brume doesn’t even know. Since it’s from the Enlightenment period, it’s off modern maps.”

A light went off in Wynn’s head. “Not mine!”

She hastily took out her old, disheveled map and handed it to him. As he inspected it Beryl hovered over his shoulder.

“Well?” Wynn asked.

Lance squinted at the map. “Maybe. I can’t recognize some of these towns and landmarks. That’s probably a good sign.”

“There!” Beryl said, pointing at the map.

Wynn leaned over it. Sure enough, within the ‘weeping ravine,’ just outside the safety of the Awlt, was the Village of Hembeard lll.

“This may be our only chance to stop him,” Lance said. “Once he opens that chest…”

Wynn spoke in a whisper. “But what if we fail again?”

Lance looked up at her. “Wynn, we need you. And I’m not just saying that because you have knowledge about this chest. You saw how badly things went when we faced off against Brume.”

Beryl agreed. “So far that’s two—no, wait—3 for 0,” he said, holding up his fingers.

“You have one advantage that we don’t have,” Lance said, “and it’s gotten us out of trouble twice.”

Wynn cocked her head. “What’s that?”

Lance answered.

“You’re Wynn.”