“What manner of mud is this, it reeks of dung,” said Dodie.
“Not all of it is mud,” said Elhan with a grin.
“Lovely, I’m covered in prowler filth. Where is the nearest stream? And by the way, what brought those devils out anyway,” Dodie asked.
“The same thing that brings you out at night,” said Agabus. “Food.”
“Well, I can appreciate a good snack. Unless, the snack is me that is.” Dodie replied.
“Where’s Nathan?” Isha said. “I found his star-cloth near the fire. He must have dropped it during the struggle.”
“He ran into the woods in that direction,” said Dodie pointing.
“I can track him,” she replied.
“That won’t help. There is miles of bog and tracking in this environment still takes time in the dark, even for someone of your skill,” said Elhan.
“I’ll not leave him,” she said.
“I understand your concern but we cannot stop to look for him,” Elhan said. “Our mission has changed. Without Nathan to read it, we are without a guide. So, our next priority is to safely escort the eldar to Pelan without delay.”
Isha walked to the edge of the forest as Dodie packed up what he could.
“He’s a strong young man,” said Agabus thoughtfully. “I sense The Eternal is watching over him.”
“What has Elyon ever done for anyone?” she said.
“More than you may suspect,” Agabus answered.
“And what of our arrangement? You hired me to keep an eye on him,” she said.
“I would ask you to postpone the arrangement for the moment if you are willing. Your skills are needed on this trip, now more than ever,” said Agabus. “What say you?”
“So, Nathan’s not important anymore. Is that how you treat your partners when they’re in trouble? Abandon them?” she asked.
“No. We trust Elyon to watch them for us and guide them down their own path,” said Agabus. “That is the way of it.”
After a short search, she found where Nathan had gone through the forest and fallen. She also found evidence of someone following him as well as a dribble of blood on a tree. At that point, the trail drew cold. Isha shot expectant glances at the forest as though she expected Nathan to spring from its undergrowth at any moment, but only the shrill sounds of the woods returned to her. Elhan approached her with a questioning look on his face.
“It looks as though he was taken, by something,” she said in a forlorn tone.
Elhan examined the area carefully and came to the same conclusion, but he dared not lie to her.
“I agree,” he said. “But you can tell as well, they took him alive.”
“For how long?” she asked.
“I understand your concern but we all knew the risk. He’s tougher than he looks, but now I must know. Are you going with us? We need your help in this trek. There is more than just Nathan at risk. You know that,” Elhan said. She held the star-cloth in her hands for a moment, and then tucked it in her belt.
“Why not,” she snarled, trying not to let her anguish show.
“Thank you,” said Agabus as he mounted his horse.
“Elhan, how much farther to Jeru Bridge?” Dodie asked.
“We should be there by sunrise if we ride hard and have no more setbacks. There was an ancient cavern that houses the opening to the bridge. There is a community that has dedicated itself to guarding the bridge since the last Giant War,” Elhan said. “This cavern has a tunnel that leads to the bridge itself.”
They rode quickly as they passed by the rest of the forest and when they finally left it behind, Isha took a quick look back into the darkness.
Morning found them tired and saddle sore as foam began flecking off of the horses as they tried to keep up the pace.
“Killing the horses will not help our journey,” Elhan said. “Slow down and give them a breather.”
“Agreed,” said Dodie. “We give them a rest.”
The band stopped at an outcropping of rocks next to a stream and let the horses drink. The rocky terrain signaled that they were very close to the mighty Arnon River flowing miles below. Elhan approached Isha who appeared lost in thought.
“After we top the next hill, we’ll see the rocks of Erets Cavern, it will only be a short ride at that point,” he said.
She nodded but didn’t otherwise acknowledge his presence. He put his hand on her shoulder in assurance but she gave no response.
“I fear for her and this mission,” Dodie whispered to the eldar.
“She will be fine, Formorians are very tough I hear,” said Agabus.
After a short rest, they mounted again and rode for several more hours before they reached the entrance to the cavern Erets village. When they entered the cavern they noticed the gates were open and there was no one there to greet them.
“This is strange,” Dodie said. “Normally, there are always guards or someone at the gate.”
The company rode through the town, but it appeared deserted. At the corner of his eye, Elhan caught a glimpse of a small boy running. He bolted his horse in their direction.
“Wait,” he called. “Don’t be afraid boy, tell me what’s the matter.”
The boy’s eyes rolled from exhaustion and terror. He ran as hard as he could until he stumbled and fell in the dirt of the cavern. Dodie quickly dismounted and picked the youngster from the ground. Sores all over his body and appeared to be in a fevered state. He shivered and cried uncontrollably with wide-eyed panic in his face and bleeding from multiple marks all over his body. His eyes darted around the cavern searching for something as of yet unseen.
“Be easy,” she said. “Tell me what has happened.”
“Help...mamma...was,” he whispered as though someone were listening. “Can’t...pain...”
“I don’t understand,” he asked. “What do you mean...”
“Please...please...no,” the boy began to weep, putting his face into Dodie’s chest. Elhan, who had come to the boy’s side, turned to Dodie.
“I know this boy. He is the son of the village chief. Where is your father?” Elhan said. The boy pointed to a nearby house with a shaking finger.
Isha and Elhan investigated with weapons drawn as they approached the house. The dirt on the village streets was oddly smooth and polished as though wiped clean by some unknown force. They opened the door of the eldar’s house to find the lamps and torches still burning. They each checked a room until Isha sounded out.
“Found them,” she called.
Elhan went into the back bedroom where Isha stood staring at two heaps huddled in the corner next to the bed. There were two fully clothed skeletons. One wore a dress and the other an eldar’s robe but the clothing displayed small holes in the fabric the size of a man’s little finger. The bones were completely bare and dry as though their flesh had evaporated into the air.
“What demon-craft could cause such a death?” Elhan said.
“None that I can remember,” Isha replied. They continued a search of the village and found the same result in each home.
“It appears that all the villagers are here. But they’re dead, even the guards,” Elhan said. Isha held up her hand for a moment motioning for him to be quiet.
“Can you hear that?” Isha said.
“I don’t hear anything,” said Agabus.
“Exactly,” she replied.
“The birds have stopped singing,” replied Elhan.
“That’s not all,” she said. “There are no natural sounds, no insects, animals – nothing but the wind.”
“I’m afraid that whatever answers we might have gotten from the boy died with him. I tried all I could but he was just too weak,” Dodie said.
They buried the boy next to his parents but could not spare the time to do the same for the entire village. The horses grew increasingly restless with each passing moment.
“We must leave, at once,” Agabus urged.
“There is a large tunnel at the back o
f the cavern that leads to the side of the Great Chasm. It is dark there even at full day so we should gather any torches we can find and take them with us. The village won’t need them anymore,” Elhan said.
As they rode to the tunnel Isha thought for a moment that she saw the eldar’s son standing in the center of the road behind them. Suddenly, he vanished like a puff of smoke in the wind. Dodie rode next to her and he anticipated her question.
“Aye, I saw him too,” he said.
“Is his spirit restless in death,” Dodie asked.
“No, it’s a Malakim imitating him,” Isha said. “They like to imitate the dead especially when they had a hand in their demise. It is a bad sign though.”
The party road through the tunnel only to be met by the sight of several clothed skeletons littering the path on either side. It appeared that some villagers had attempted a hasty escape but fell along the way only to be overtaken by the death that followed. They struggled with this thought for a moment, but it soon gave way to the urgent need of keeping the horses in check. Halfway down the tunnel, the horses began to toss and prance uncontrollably.
“The animals sense something,” Isha said.
Gradually, the torches in the tunnel began to spit and pop like a hot fire with fresh green twigs. One by one, the tunnel torches began to go out. Elhan rode toward a torch and attempted to relight it but snapping and popping was the only result. Suddenly, a horrendous sound could be heard behind them in the tunnel. It was like the sound of pebbles dropping on stone floor and all around them began to grow. Elhan, whose steed was warhorse stock and not easily frightened, rode to the rear of the party and held up his torch to see what he may. The ground began shaking as the vibrations moved toward the party covering every inch of the tunnel behind them. Elhan rode back to the group with great speed.
“Follow me, quickly,” he yelled.
They all rode hard after Elhan who lit their way with his torch and luckily it wasn’t long before they could see light ahead of them. The horses quickened their pace as they saw it and when they emerged into the light, they immediately made for the bridge. Having been built by giants in an age long ago, the bridge dwarfed the company in its expanse. The bridge was forged of solid rock, and wide enough for twenty men to march side-by-side with arms outstretched. It arched to the other side of the chasm a quarter-mile ahead with a slight sloping decline. The olden columns lining each side of the bridge were fashioned by ancient giants many centuries ago. As the party rode hard toward the center of the bridge, the horses stopped short and turned. On the far side of the bridge, vibrations shook the very stones on the ground causing trees to fall across the trail ahead.
“We are cut off,” Isha called.
“Perhaps there is another way,” Agabus said.
The party turned and retraced their path to the tunnel but the sound grew louder. Then they saw a blackness seething toward the mouth of the tunnel. One guard panicked, galloping toward the cavern only to be thrown to the ground by his mount. He tried running back to the party but was quickly overcome by a swarming darkness coming from the very ground itself. He gave one final cry before his bones and armor clanged to the ground, empty of the flesh they had held just moments before.
“Eldritch Worms,” Elhan said, trying desperately to keep his horse from bolting. In spite of the horse’s superior breeding, its eyes rolled in fear at the approaching danger.
“What now?” said Agabus.
“The bridge is solid stone so we should be safe there, at least for the moment. Let the horses go. They are useless to us now but perhaps they may draw this trap away,” Agabus said.
The group tried this but with little success as the horses did not get far before they were overtaken. They quickly took what they could from the packs of the food and tomes. Dodie threw his satchel over his shoulder and marched to the edge of the bridge. Swiftly taking several small tracks, he threw them in a semi-circular pattern about them. Bowing his head, he uttered a quick prayer and the small tomes burst into flame creating a barrier of fire around them. Clouds of mist billowed from the raging River Arnon far below at it coursed on its way to the great City of Pelan.
“This won’t hold for long,” Dodie said.
“We must descend," said Elhan.
Vibrations beneath their feet surrounded them and the smell of burning worms coupled with the sound of popping bodies filled the air. The creatures tried to breach the fire by smothering it in places with their bodies but for the moment the flame proved too intense.
“I can’t swim and I don’t like heights,” said Dodie.
“You will be fine. My father and I climbed down this chasm many years ago. It can be done,” said Elhan.
He took all the rope the company carried and secured it together in one long strand and then lowered it over the side.
“I don’t know if it will be long enough but it will have to do,” he said.
“Eldar, grab hold of my back and grip tight,” Isha said.
Reluctantly, Agabus slid his arms around Isha’s neck and held on for dear life. The company went over the side as the flames from the tracts began to dwindle. The worms quickly spread around the tracts and advanced toward the group. The party advanced down the rope but couldn’t see the bottom due to the cloud of mist that bellowed from the ravine. Creaking and complaining came from the rope as strands of fiber snapped under the weight of the group.
“Hang on, it’s going to get a lot quicker in just a minute,” Dodie said shutting his eyes.
“My hands aren’t free to use a strengthening tome,” Agabus called.
“Too late,” said Dodie as the rope snapped, dropping the company into the cloudbank below.
Fourteen
“The Knocking Down Block…”
Nathan opened his eyes to the sight of glittering amazement. Sitting upright, he lay in a bed of silk and satin interlaced with gold and silver fibers. The room had no windows and one very large wooden door with iron hinges. Immediately, he ran to the door and pulled but it did not give way. The room glittered with the flicker of torches that threw shadows on the ceiling far above his head giving away the disproportionate size of the room. The floor was covered with animal fur of all varieties and each piece of furniture glimmered with embedded opals and rubies. In the corner of the room sat a small table holding a goblet and pitcher of wine. Nathan beat on the door for a moment and called, but there was no response. He thought about forcing the door but before his attempt he heard footsteps on the other side of the door. Quickly, he stood ready for an escape attempt when suddenly the door burst open and knocked him to the floor. A grizzled old guard wearing studded brown leather entered unceremoniously followed by a young woman carrying a tray filled with bread, fruits and cheeses.
“Hurry up, tramp,” the brute roared as he put his boot in her back, giving her a bone-jolting shove.
She jerked forward, fumbling as she fell, spilling the contents of the tray across the floor. Nathan rushed to help but was halted by a slap across the face that brushed him aside like a gnat. The guard gave a hollow chuckle as he left with the sound of the clinking lock echoing down the hall behind him. The slap he received damaged his pride more than anything, but Nathan shook his head to make his ears stop ringing and then moved to her side to check the girl’s injuries. She wore the course fabric of a slave with iron bands circling her ankles and wrists.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
Putting a hand on her shoulder. She pulled away with the pain of his touch causing him to immediately take back his hand. She sat up and tried to straighten her jet-black hair.
“I am sorry,” she said as she began picking up food from the floor.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. He stopped her for a moment. “Why don’t you rest for a moment?”
“No!” She cried with a frightened look of horror on her face. “You don’t understand. I am here to see to your comfort and if I am caught resting they will beat me.”
Rage be
gan to well up in his throat but Nathan could see by the old bloodstains on the back of her dress that what she said must be true.
“Okay then. At least let me help pick this up,” he said as he began picking up the fruit.
“You are very kind,” she said with a smile.
“Tell me. Who holds us here and what is this place?” He asked.
“This is an early giant dwelling from the old days. They wouldn’t be holding you here unless they want something from you. You should feel fortunate. His usual guests start in the dungeon,” she said.
“Fortunate?” Nathan said. He picked up an apple and started to bite when he realized that the food could be dangerous. He stopped for a moment to examine the fruit.
“The food isn’t poisoned,” she said. Taking the fruit from his hand, she took a bite and returned the apple to him, which he quickly devoured.
“Please join me, you look like you could use something to eat as well,” he said, sitting on the nearest rug.
Sitting down next to him, she took an orange from the tray and began to eat. Nathan thought her very pretty in spite of her ragged cloths. From time-to-time, she twitched in pain, which Nathan guessed was due to the course clothing she wore rubbing against her wounds.
“If it’s okay I would like to take a look at those wounds,” he asked.
“I’ll be fine,” she said in an unconvincing tone.
“What is your name?” he asked.
“That’s really not important,” she said. Nathan detected a fresh bloodstain on the back of her dress.
“You’re bleeding,” he said. “We have got to take care of that or it will get infected.”
He moved behind her as she modestly pulled the top of the dress where he could see the injuries. Her back showed several angry red stripes stretching in odd patterns across her back.
“How did this happen?” He said.
“I tried to free some of my people from the dungeon and was caught. For attempted escape, the first time is the whip and the second is death.” Her back was red and swollen where the whip had done its work.
The Last Refuge Page 14
