“It is one of the three guardian objects of Alusia,” said Alex. “It makes sense that it would be something as special as a Durnlow horn. I wonder what it sounds like. You know, when the true king blows it.”

“I would not try to sound the Horn if I were you,” said Sindar. “If it makes no sound, we will think it a great joke, but if it plays a note, then what?”

“It won’t play a note,” said Alex.

“You do not know that for sure. Would you risk adding king to your already long list of titles?”

In the end, Alex took Sindar’s advice and returned the Horn to his bag. He really didn’t think the Horn would sound for him, but he didn’t want to risk being called a king as well as a warrior, a wizard, and a dragon slayer.

Winter held an icy grip on the land, but as time went on, there was little new snow. Alex knew that they would soon be able to leave the enchanted woods and continue their adventure, even if the temperature remained cold. Alex would be sad to leave the brownies, but he was also looking forward to meeting Whalen in Telous.

One night, after another long feast, Tip came to their cottage. He was smiling, but even with his cheery face, he seemed sadder than Alex had ever seen him before.

“It is time,” said Tip. “Winter is not over, but I think you will be able to travel south without too much trouble. Tomorrow I will lead you to your friends, and you can continue your adventure.”

“We will be sorry to leave your village,” said Sindar. “You have been most kind to us and to our sleeping friends.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Tip laughed. “We seldom have guests, and such excellent guests at that.”

“Can we do anything to repay your kindness?” Alex asked.

“You can keep your promise, which I’m sure you will,” Tip answered. “And if you get the chance, you might come and visit us again.”

“Then we will hope for such a chance,” said Alex. “Though you will forgive us if we don’t bring such sleepy friends next time.”

“Oh, of course,” said Tip. “Now I’ll let you get some sleep, and tomorrow we will be on our way.”

Tip left Alex and Sindar alone, but they didn’t feel like talking. They had agreed on the story they would tell their friends and the answers they would give to any questions. They had asked each other about the story so many times that they both knew every detail by heart. They both hoped that the story would satisfy their three sleeping friends.

Alex went to bed, and as he was falling asleep, he heard Sindar humming softly to himself in the darkness.

Chapter Fourteen

Awakening

The next morning was full of mixed feelings for Alex and Sindar. The brownies made a great fuss over saying good-bye and wishing them good luck. None of the brownies would accept any kind of gift, laughing whenever Alex or Sindar offered. Alex thought it strange that the brownies would be so helpful and yet so unwilling to receive anything in return. He thought there was a good lesson in their ways, but he knew that few people would see it.

Tip led Alex and Sindar through the woods for most of the day, but there was little talk as they went along. Dozens of brownies accompanied them, and when the group stopped for the night, the brownies took care of setting up camp, and before long they were all sitting around the fire, eating.

After they had eaten, Sindar told a story about an adventure he had been on, but Alex wasn’t listening. His mind was already racing ahead, thinking of the dangers they might still have to face as they returned to Alusia. He had thought that finding the Horn would be the hardest part of the adventure, but now he worried that returning it to the rightful king might be harder still.

They continued walking all the next day, and as night was falling, they came to a large meadow. Alex and Sindar spotted their three friends lying in the soft grass at the edge of the meadow. They looked as if they were sound asleep, but otherwise quite normal.

“In the morning I will tell you how to wake them,” said Tip. “Then we will leave you, and you can wake your friends and go on your way.”

“Where is the road back across the frozen waste?” asked Sindar.

“If you leave this meadow at the far end, you will come across the road very soon,” Tip answered, pointing. “You might have trouble traveling through the frozen waste, but if you continue south, you will be safe enough.”

“You have been so kind to us, is there nothing we can do to repay you?” Alex asked once more.

“Oh, no,” said Tip in a serious tone. “You have already repaid us by letting us help you.”

“As you wish then,” said Alex with a bow.

“Now, come my friends,” said Tip. “One last feast before we part.”

Alex and Sindar followed Tip back to the campfire and the feast, leaving their friends to sleep. When they had finished feasting, Alex put on a bit of a show for his friends. He conjured several large weir lights and sent them rocketing into the night sky like fireworks. When the lights began to look like stars, he would have them burst into dozens of smaller lights that fell slowly, fading just before they touched the ground. The brownies were all delighted by Alex’s show and cheered and clapped well into the night.

“We will be tired in the morning if you don’t stop soon. Our friends have rested for months,” said Sindar. “If we do not rest, they may leave us behind on the frozen waste.”

Alex nodded, and sent one last light into the sky, which burst into a rain of gold and silver sparks as big as coins.

The next morning the brownies said their last good-byes to Alex and Sindar, still cheerful and as full of joy as always. When the last of the brownies disappeared into the woods, Tip turned to look at Alex and Sindar.

“Now, to wake your friends,” said Tip. “All that you need to do is sprinkle a little water on their faces, like a soft rain. They will wake up and remember everything up to the time they went to sleep on the mountain.”

“You have our thanks,” said Sindar, as he and Alex bowed to Tip.

Tip simply waved his hand at them, and then followed the other brownies into the woods, vanishing from sight.

Alex and Sindar took out some water and woke their friends from their long sleep.

“How did we get here?” Andy questioned, sitting up and looking around in confusion. “And where is Val?”

“What happened on the mountain?” Halfdan demanded, wiping his face.

“Did you find the Horn?” Bregnest asked in concern.

“We will explain everything,” said Sindar. “And yes, Alex has recovered the Horn of Moran.”

The story of how Alex and Sindar had gotten the company to the enchanted woods was a good one, but Halfdan continued to ask what they had been doing while stuck there. Bregnest was worried about how much time they had spent in the woods and kept asking how soon they would be able to move. It took some time for everything to be explained, and it was nearly midday before the entire story was told.

“So the evil was with Val?” Bregnest asked sadly.

“He carried it with him for a long time,” said Alex, choosing his words carefully. “He said something about having met the evil on his last adventure.”

“The fault is mine,” said Bregnest. “I asked him to join the company. It is my honor alone that will be touched by this.”

“Not so,” Sindar said. “You could not have known. The evil was well-hidden. Even I was fooled and blinded by it, and that is much harder to do than you may think.”

“Still, the choice was mine,” said Bregnest. “I have lost at least part of my honor.”

“Sindar is correct,” said Alex. “The evil fooled us all. It is darker and more clever than you can believe. Even I, a wizard, did not see it until it was almost too late.”

Bregnest nodded, but said nothing.

“It has all turned out well,” said Halfdan. “The evil was defeated, the treasure recovered, and our goal accomplished.”