by Bill Albert
Then, after the trembling stopped, a terrible silence fell across the land. Birds nestled in their nests and bears and rabbits hid in their dens for safety. All of the creatures that were born and raised in nature stayed quiet and knew to wait it out until it was safer. Humans, dwarves, hobgoblins, and more found their mates and siblings and hid in their homes waiting for signs of safety. All but one.
Gallif moved slowly through the dark terrain. In one hand she held one of Jakobus’s amazing torches. It was incredibly bright, but even its power was quickly dampened by the dirt filled air. In the other hand were the reins that helped Snow, the new Snow, stay close behind her.
Her connections with the new companion were sound, she felt, but their personal relationship was not. This horse was a male and, like many males, he was being difficult and stubborn toward his female companion. He had slowed considerably when night started to fall and came to a complete stop when darkness engulfed them. After several attempts to coax him to keep moving she had finally dismounted and, torch in hand, started walking. Reluctantly the horse followed, but even then, they had moments of conflict.
They had come to a small clearing and managed to cross it quietly and easily. On the other side was a crop of trees leading off into the darkness. Gallif’s senses had told her to go to the right and followed that path, the smell was cleaner there, but Snow had tried to take her to the left. She had tried to pull on the reins several times but was met with resistance. Not wanting to waste time, she finally gave in and they followed Snow’s choice only a few yards until the trees banking the path came to an end. Gallif shot Snow a confident glance to remind him who had been right, but Snow ignored her and started munching on some of the tree leaves. The message, that he had just been hungry and may have known the path lead nowhere, didn’t help her mood.
Then they came to a river. Gallif immediately wanted to cross but Snow had again come to a halt. The water was slow moving and there were no sounds of rapids anywhere so Gallif reasoned that the water was shallow and could easily be crossed. Strangely Snow resisted even after Gallif had lit a small branch and thrown it across to prove the river was no more than twenty feet wide. Snow snorted and tried to pull her upstream several times. She went out into the water several feet and pleaded him to follow, but he refused. Again, she surrendered to his strength and they walked up stream until the river’s width was less than the horse’s length. Even then the Snow was reluctant to cross and, once they were over, Gallif started to suspect the he may be afraid of water.
The next several hours had gone slowly and finally the excitement of the past few days wore her down and took its toll on her. She finally found a soft knot of grass and curled up near a bush. She set the torch against some rocks near her and, after she had quickly fallen asleep, Snow moved the smoking torch out of the way so she wouldn’t hurt herself rolling against it.
She awoke coughing and rolled over on to her stomach. The air was thick with dust and she had inhaled some of it in her sleep. She coughed several times to clear her throat and stayed on her hands and knees until she could breathe without choking.
Without looking she reached in one of the pockets on her backpack and found a cloth banner. She wrapped it around her face to mask her mouth and finally got to her feet.
She looked upward and took several minutes trying to decipher what time of day it now was. There was no clear view of the sky and the dust had acted as a filter so there was no direct sunlight. There was a slight breeze high up and occasionally the clouds would part for a brief second and a ray of light could be seen. It was before noon, she was sure, and estimated by at least an hour. She knew the day would be short, so she walked to where Snow was standing.
He turned as she approached and stared at her. His pure white coat was dulled and shaded by the constant dust and he shook his head and body to try and remove as much as possible. She used her hand and brushed away some of the cover from his ears and eyes. She wiped his nose clean and noticed it was warm and dry. She decided to use the banner around her face to clean him but stopped in shock when she saw the red cloth between her fingers.
She had completely forgotten about the red cloth Tikke had been given her when they had begun their journey from Primor towards the glaciers. She had used it for protection, guidance and identification. Part of it she had torn and used as a weapon to defeat Zaslow during their battle in the mountain. It was the banner she had been reaching for when Anamita fell to her death.
Gallif’s hand went to her chest as she was reminded of that moment. She had spent time at the school with Anamita. They had learned together, eaten together, and fought together. She had even started to trust the woman who had, after all, turned out to be an elf. A heartless elf. Just like the elves that had caused so much death and tragedy.
“NO!” she screamed and took a few steps away from her new companion. “NO!” she screamed a second time and listened as the sound was quickly absorbed by the dense air. “No,” she said quietly after several breaths.
She reminded herself not to think that way. She reminded herself of what the dragon had told her. The elves did not have the ability to make a choice between good and evil anymore. That ability had been taken away from them a thousand years ago.
She started to wrap the red cloth around her face again, but it suddenly felt uncomfortable against her skin. She removed it and gently brushed her hand across her cheeks to clear anything that might be causing the sensation. She removed another layer of soot but found nothing that would cause her discomfort. She bundled it up intending to throw it away but, for some reason she didn’t understand, decided to store it in her backpack. She replaced it with an old shirt that she tore in half to share with Snow after he finally joined her.
She alternated riding and walking for several hours and before an early night fell they came across several brown, dust covered buildings. They had been walking on a well used dirt road and weren’t totally surprised to find something.
As they came around the buildings they found, as Gallif had expected, a farmhouse with an open porch. She looped Snow’s reins around a post and slowly walked up to the main door. The door was closed, and the windows were boarded shut. At first it looked as if the place was abandoned before she paused and took a deep breath. She exhaled slowly, having caught the distinct smell of fresh bread. She went to the door and placed the palm of her hand on the boards. It was slightly warmer than it should have been, but it was enough to make her positive that there was someone inside. She gently knocked on the door.
After a moment she knocked again and waited patiently. It was impossible to see in the shadows of the porch, but there was a slight scratching of wood against wood and she was sure that spy hole had been opened. She realized how much of a threat she must look with her face covered so she quickly pulled the filter away from her face. She waited, knowing she was being watched, yet nearly jumped in shock when she heard a voice that sounded as if it was right next to her.
“You have a name?” a calm and clear voice asked.
“Yes,” she replied looking around the porch for the source. “Gallif,” she said.
“Take a few steps back into the light.”
The sun had been settling steadily and, with the additional clutter in the air, it was getting dark quite fast. She waited at the foot of the porch until the door slowly opened and a dwarven male came out. He was carrying a torch and held it in front of him to see her face. He looked her up and down and then took a long hard look at her face. He glanced at Snow and then back at her.
“I was hoping you could provide some shelter for a few hours.”
He leaned forward and took an even closer look at her hair. Her body tensed and she fought the temptation to step back.
“It looks like it’ll be okay,” he said with a kind smile. “You look familiar,” he said. “Come on in.”
She took a step forward when she heard a loud and rude snort from behind her. They both looked to see Snow still standing i
n the open.
“Can you take care of my friend?” she asked.
In response the dwarf called back into the building. After a few seconds a halfling boy came charging out of the home and ran to Snow. She looked at her new companion and nodded as the boy took the reins and walked him towards the barn. He glanced back at her and snorted again but held his head high as they disappeared into the haze.
Gallif followed the dwarf inside and was introduced to his human wife. Her name was Reva and his name was Geier. Together they had four halfling children, two boys, Bayor and Nyk, and two girls, Talda and Aliala, and two large dogs living inside. There were several beds, tables and chairs along with a kitchen in a very small area, so the house was quite crowded. After giving her a bucket of fresh water and a brush Reva explained to Gallif that they weren’t normally this cramped.
“Throughout the night we had felt that there was something wrong,” she said. “That there was something terrible that was about to happen. Even before the mountain started to fall we had everyone and everything in here. We’ve only left to get water and feed and check on the chickens. It’s not a very big farm, but it’s enough to keep us busy.”
“I grew up on a farm,” Gallif said as she washed her face clear. She took the wet brush to her hair as she continued. “We had a big farm down south when I was growing up. It was lost in the fire,” she added.
“I had friends who also lost their farms in the fire. I’m very sorry.”
Gallif didn’t respond, she just kept brushing her hair.
“The air is clearing slowly,” Reva went on. “Another three days and it should be clearer. I suspect we’ll get some rain within a week.”
The oldest son, Bayor, returned and Geier closed the door and made sure the home was safe.
“You’ve been out there for the past two days?” he asked her.
“Yes,” she replied as she started to dry her hair with a towel.
“Is the mountain completely gone?”
“Yes,” she said without pulling the towel away from her face. “There are several ranges of smaller mountains now but the mountain itself is gone.”
The entire family was obviously shaken by the confirmation of their fears and sat down. Gallif was unsure of what to do so she quietly brushed her hair back and laid the damp towel down on the table.
“It’s her,” a young voice ended the silence. Everyone turned to face one of the beds in a corner. Aliala, a halfling girl who appeared to be only seven or eight years old, crawled out from under a blanket and came forward. She pointed a finger at Gallif as she said, “It’s really you.”
“Excuse me?” Gallif asked in confusion. As the little girl approached her Gallif bent down on one knee and faced her.
“You’re the one we talk about at school. You’re the one who saved the giant on Festival Day last fall.”
“Yeah,” Nyk, the youngest son, said as he also came forward to examine her.
Gallif took a deep breath and brushed her hair back before answering. Things had been happening so fast she hadn’t really been able to look back. The sudden remembrance of that day was too much for her to hide and everyone in the room knew the truth. She nodded and admitted that it had been her.
“Thank you,” Aliala said. She opened her arms wide and was about to give her a hug but Gallif rose quickly and stepped away. Disappointed, the little girl went back to her bed.
“Yes,” she said as she addressed the family. “I was one of the two people who were there that day but, I must say, I was not alone. There was another, a boy named Luvin, who fought with me.”
“A boy?” Nyk perked up in excitement.
“Yes, a very strong and brave boy.”
“It’s not just children who talk about that day,” Geier said as he came forward. “We have heard the story as well, but I must admit, that I had not heard that a boy was involved either.”
“Well, there was,” Gallif said more than a little frustrated. “Make sure you tell everyone the truth now. Luvin was a hero that day. Just as much as I was.”
Reva came from the kitchen area with a plate of fresh bread, butter and jellies on it. She offered the plate to Gallif first and she helped herself to a warm slice. She ate it as she began to slowly pace back and forth. It was a small area to cover so her steps were limited but she kept moving. She took each step carefully and avoided going close to any member of the family.
“You were gone for some time,” Geier said after finishing off a piece of bread. “No one has heard anything of you after you left Primor”
“You knew about that?” she said and turned on them quickly.
“We heard that you fought an assassin there,” Talde said excitedly.
“An invisible assassin,” Aliala added.
Gallif took a deep breath and brushed her hair back. Her mind was reeling from the fact that they knew so much about what had happened. She had known that she was getting some attention but had never imagined it was that much.
“Yes, that’s true,” she said than quickly added, “but there were other assassins that were fought that day. They were also invisible.”
“Well,” Reva said as she patted her daughters on their heads. “We had only heard of you. You’ve become quite a hero to a lot of people.”
“Now, now, now,” Geier said as he finished off the last piece of bread. “Let’s not embarrass her. Besides it’s time for bed.”
The children all groaned but were well behaved enough not to complain. They started to climb into their beds and as they were tucked in Bayor whispered something to Geier. He looked at Gallif and then nodded back to the child. After the children were curled up both of the parents joined Gallif in the kitchen area.
“Gallif,” Geier said quietly,” my son tells me you have no saddle for your mount. Please, take an extra saddle with you.”
Gallif wanted to decline but knew getting a saddle was important. It was difficult enough riding through the forest with the mist in the air and no saddle was making things worse. She tried to give them some coins, but they refused to allow her to pay for it.
“People have been noticing you, Gallif,” Reva said. “Frankly, having you show up just after the most terrible day in the history of Starpoint will bring relief to people.”
Gallif had not considered herself to be much of a hero. She didn’t want it to distract her from her mission to visit the Third Minister.
They offered her a blanket and pillow and pointed out the most comfortable spots in the room were betweens the children’s beds. She chose instead the kitchen area and slept tightly curled up in a corner.
She woke not feeling much better and left the home as quietly as possible. Her muscles were sore, and exhaustion was showing on her face. There was a saddle sitting on a bale of hay next to the stall where Snow had been housed. He was feeling well and ready to go and, after safely strapping the excellent saddle on his back, she tossed a few coins into the loose hay and left.
***
The air had cleared some and light sifted through the dust earlier than it had the day before. It was the third day since the fall of the mountain and things were slowly going back to normal. She was relieved to find she could see nearly two hundred feet and they began travelling much quicker.
After an hour they came across a well-worn path running from the northeast to the southwest. They spent several minutes debating which way to go and she finally convinced Snow to continue west through the forest. Heading southwest would have been easier and soon taken them to Dakteria, but Gallif was determined to go straight to the capital.
They travelled a few hundred yards before Gallif brought them to a stop. She patted Snow on the neck, and he shuffled briefly and shook his head. She quickly reached forward and put a hand on each side of his neck and gently rubbed backwards. Snow nodded and stood silently.
She could hear something moving far in the forest. There had been so much silence since the fall that even at this distance she could hear it comin
g. It was too heavy to be a small animal and the irregular thumping and beating indicated it was a group of some kind. As it got closer, she heard the distinct grunts and growls of an aquilus hunting party and felt tightness in her chest. Out of instinct she drew both her swords and looked for a place to attack. Then she remembered the truth that the dragon had told her, and her anger was overcome by sadness. A sadness and a guilt that she desperately pushed away from her thoughts.
She looked at the swords and thought how automatic the move had been. In her left hand the frost sword was dripping the ice crystals. In her right there was a reflection on the metal blade. It had once been a flame sword, but the casting had been extinguished in the confrontation with Zaslow. She pushed anger about that encounter away as well. There was no time now for any of those emotions.
She put the swords back in their sheaths and waved a hand at Snow to stay back. With no protest he took a few steps towards some thick bushes and tried to blend in. Gallif looked around and quickly climbed up into the fork of a large tree. She still had her forest skills and every hold move had taken was good and strong. She nestled herself in the branches and was sure she was high enough and sufficiently disguised that the aquilus would not detect her.
She was correct in her planning. After a few minutes a band of seven aquilus came in to view and were heading past her hiding place. They were brutal and chaotic using swords and hammers to beat on anything in their way. A rabbit darted from under a nearby bush and accidently crossed their path. Two of the seven saw their victim and jumped at it with hammers pounding at the air. The rabbit, with them in pursuit, dodged towards the tree she was hiding in. Her right hand went to the hilt of her sword. She feared that the rabbit may lead them to Snow and then she would be forced to fight them. Luckily the rabbit changed its course and disappeared into a crop of rocks. The two aquilus grunted and pounded against the rocks for several seconds before they heard the rest of the party howling at them. They finally gave up on the rabbit and rejoined their gang.
