Huge Ajax's Arc

Chapter 173 of 619

Marco went out to the gate. Ajax found Chalam at the well, filling a skin. He told him about the map, the greedy man, the warded house south of the road. Chalam listened without moving. "I never set a ward on a house south of here," Chalam said. "Not one of mine." "Then whose." "I don't know. Magicians are rare but they’re still around." Ajax thought about it. A warded two-story house within a half day's ride, holding a map with coast marks. Not the Keeper's work. Not his. Someone else had built there before either of them arrived. "I want to see it," Ajax said. Chalam set the skin down. "Call the grove. They know every ward within a day of this shelf. If it is old, they know who cut it." Ajax went to Chalam's satchel and took out the flute. He walked past the gate and blew one long note down the coast road. He waited. The note thinned out over the water. He blew it again. The gnome came up through the scrub inside the hour, round glasses smudged, boots wet at the toes. He looked at the flute in Ajax's hand and then at Ajax. "You called," the gnome said. "A house," Ajax said. "Two stories. Half a day south. A ward on it strong enough that a man cannot walk inside. Not the wizard's work. Not mine." The gnome's ears twitched once. He adjusted the glasses on his nose. "There is one such house. We know the ward. We did not cut it." "Who did." "A woman. Not your Keeper. Older work. She has been quiet a long time." The gnome looked at Chalam, then back. "The house holds papers. Coast maps. Names. Possibly treasure.“ "Tell me where it stands," Ajax said. The gnome pulled a scrap of bark from his vest and scratched a mark on it with a thumbnail. He handed it to Chalam. "Follow the creek south from the split pine. Turn at the third fork. The house sits above a dry pond. Do not touch the door until I meet you there tomorrow at dusk." He walked back into the scrub. Ajax put the flute in his belt and went to find Grayson.