Bane’s apologetic tone came through in his hurried explanation. I offered my consolation with a few gentle strokes along his scales as I relayed his reply to my companions.
“It was a good idea to focus in that direction, but perhaps you should cover all possible approaches from now on?” I suggested to Bane.
I will do as you say, Sintári.
He was clearly disappointed in himself as he took off to resume his scouting again. As so often happened, I couldn’t help but watch as he flew off into the sky. His green scales glistened in the sunlight, holding my gaze until I could no longer make out his tiny form in the distance.
Once Bane was gone, Broda walked Tási and I through the encampment, introducing us to the new arrivals. I tried to remember as many of their names as possible, but I was soon overwhelmed by the sheer number of new faces. One of the names that did stick in my mind during those hurried introductions was Hilgreth, the master blacksmith that had come with the group. While the other dwarves were busy setting up their temporary shelters, Hilgreth was running her two apprentices ragged laying out a location for her forge. When we approached, she was barking orders at them like a seasoned drill sergeant.
“Not over there, you dolt!” Hilgreth yelled at the obviously harried apprentice.
“Hilgreth, why don’t you give those two a break while I introduce you to our leader?” Broda offered calmly.
I had given up on trying to dissuade her from referring to me with that title after she repeatedly ignored my whispered pleas otherwise. I knew that I had to eventually accept the role, but didn’t feel quite ready to assume that mantle just yet. Broda’s knowing stare each time I voiced my objection let me know that it was far too late for me to deny my destiny.
Hilgreth turned towards us as she heard Broda’s voice. The blacksmith quickly looked me over, then practically dismissed me out of hand.
“This little thing is the powerful ruler you told me about? She doesn’t look like she could even lift my hammer,” Hilgreth practically spat at me.
My appearance had obviously misled the blacksmith, but with all the points I had funneled into my Strength stat and the bonus from the Amulet, I was about three times stronger than any typical individual. Hilgreth’s attitude was obviously in need of some adjustment, so I decided to oblige her.
I looked to where her eyes had wandered when she mentioned her hammer and saw the mighty tool leaning against her anvil. Without a word, I strolled over and hefted the heavy maul. The hammer was well-used, and its heft felt good and balanced in my hands. I admired the fine implement for a moment before taking a step away from the anvil.
With a smooth motion I lifted the hammer over my shoulder and swung it with all my might onto the face of the anvil. Sparks flew, and the thunderous peal from the impact rang throughout the canyon, drawing the attention of nearly everyone. Hilgreth stared in awe when I casually handed her hammer back to her.
“It could use a little more weight in the head,” I said offhandedly as she continued to gape.
“We’ll come back later Hilgreth; perhaps you’ll be more receptive then,” Broda said as she led us away.
“She’s really not a bad sort, Dreya,” Broda commented as we walked away. “And she’s a true master in the forge. But like many of my people, Hilgreth needs to respect you before she’ll truly follow you. I think that little display of yours just took care of that.”
With introductions made, Broda and Khorim set up their own tent next to ours. Once they were finished, we sat around the campfire and began planning our next steps.
“I agree with you that the orcs are certain to return, Dreya,” Broda said as we gathered around. “I think its best that we focus our efforts on thwarting their attack.”
“How many of them can fight?” I asked her as I glanced back towards the dwarves’ encampment. “How well-armed are they?”
“Only a few are truly trained as warriors, but none of them will shy away from a fight against the orcs,” Broda replied. “As for equipment, we are not so well-prepared. Most of what we have is suited for close quarters, not defending a high wall like we have here. Aside from a handful of crossbows, not much of what we brought with us will be useful.”
With so little to work with, I seemed to have very few options. Reluctantly, I announced my plan.
“When he finishes with the barracks, I will have Ridge resume his work clearing the forest outside. In the meantime, I want the best stonemasons working on the outside of the wall, making it as difficult as possible for the orcs to climb. Hilgreth will need to forge as many suitable weapons as possible in the short time we have. Perhaps she will be more amenable when I give her the orders.”
“Aye, she might be at that,” Khorim chuckled.
I smiled back at him as I stood up, then took one last breath as a free woman before reluctantly exhaling and accepting the leadership role I had been avoiding for so long.
“Broda, Khorim,” I said to my companions, “I cannot lead this effort alone. I’m counting on you to be my liaisons. Please see that my orders are carried out. If there are any issues, do not hesitate to bring them to me, but otherwise, I am giving you free rein to manage things as you see fit. If you need me, I will be consulting with Hilgreth about forging some appropriate weaponry.”
My abrupt shift in attitude apparently stunned the two of them, and they remained seated around the campfire as I walked off towards Hilgreth’s forge. I couldn’t fault them as the sudden change had been almost as unexpected for me as well. I’d known that events had been pushing me in this direction for quite some time and had been fighting it all along, but the reality of having over a hundred lives depending on me finally forced me to give in and accept the role that fate had given me. I was still musing over my new responsibilities as I approached the makeshift forge.
With the help of her apprentices, Hilgreth had managed to erect a serviceable roof and finish arranging her equipment. Although the facility was clearly temporary, having her forge up and running was obviously a priority for the blacksmith.
“I have an assignment to discuss with you, Hilgreth,” I said to her as I entered the forge. “Can you spare a few moments?”
“Oh, of course my lady,” Hilgreth replied, obviously still chagrinned from our earlier encounter.
“I have no formal title, Hilgreth; please just call me Dreya,” I informed her.
“Very well, Dreya,” she replied somewhat hesitantly. “What can I do for you?”
“We are expecting an attack soon,” I informed her. “As you have seen, our main defense is the wall separating us from the outside. Broda has told me that we do not have the weapons for an appropriate defense, and I need to know if you are capable of forging what we require.”
“How long do we have?” Hilgreth asked as she pondered my challenge.
“I don’t know,” I answered her honestly. “They could come at any time.”
“Spears,” she replied definitively. “I can make a fair number of serviceable spearheads fairly quickly. I brought enough iron; I’ll just need wood for the shafts.”
“There will be plenty of wood. What about bows or crossbows?” I asked hopefully. “Anything that we can use to keep them from reaching our fortifications?”
“Not enough time,” Hilgreth replied shaking her head. “It’s a good idea in the long-run, but if the attack is coming as soon as you think, I won’t have time to make enough to matter.”
“Alright then,” I sighed, “Do your best. I need to get out there and make sure we’re as prepared as possible before the orcs get here.”
“Orcs?” She asked in an odd tone.
“Yes, Hilgreth, it’s orcs that we’re expecting.”
A fire lit in her eyes when I confirmed the identity of our enemy to her. Hilgreth’s former zeal returned and she instantly rose up and began issuing commands.
“Alright, get your asses in gear!” She bellowed. “Stoke the fires and get me some of those ingots! We’ve got orc
s coming and we need to prepare a proper greeting for those bloody bastards!”
I couldn’t help but smile as I left the forge. Despite her rough edges, I was confident that Hilgreth would deliver the weapons we needed. With at least one of my tasks taken care of, I headed back towards the canyon entrance to check on Ridge’s progress.
The elemental had carved an entranceway into the side of the cliffside and excavated a large section of rock beyond. It already had the look of a large chamber and his incredible rate of progress was astounding. I chose to not interrupt him, knowing that any delay would only prevent him from returning to his work on our defenses. Instead, I returned to our campsite to rest for a while. Something I was sure I would be doing less and less of in the coming days. Tási was sitting on one of our stone chairs staring into the ashes of our fire when I arrived.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, noticing her dejected expression.
“Just feeling a little useless,” she confessed.
“Hilgreth will be looking for wood for the spearheads she’s making,” I said, abandoning any hope for rest. “Why don’t you help me get a group together and see if we can get her what she needs?”
Tási reluctantly got up to join me, and we made our way over to the encampment. Broda and Khorim had already gotten a group of stonemasons together, and they were just heading off to begin improving the wall when we arrived.
“How did your talk with Hilgreth go?” Broda asked. Her amused tone let me know exactly how she thought that discussion might have gone.
“Actually, that’s exactly why we’re here,” I replied, not rising to her bait. “Hilgreth is going to need some shafts for the spearheads she is making. Tási and I are heading out to take care of that for her. We’ll need some people to help, and a few for security as well.”
“I know just who you need,” Broda replied. “Khorim, if you go round up some muscle, I’ll fetch Dellon and his boys.”
Khorim set off to do as Broda instructed without question. I suddenly realized that Broda had taken on a new air since she’d returned, giving commands and taking charge in a way that I had never seen from her before. The change was definitely a good one, and something I was hoping I could count on in the future.
Tási and I waited while Broda and Khorim left to search for the people they had in mind for our task. While we did, we watched as the dwarves busied themselves putting together the few remaining elements of their camp. Even though it would only be up for a couple of days, they seemed eager for the work, willing to put in the effort required to make the place feel more comfortable during their short stay.
Sooner than I would have thought possible, both Khorim and Broda returned. Khorim brought back several well-armed dwarves that I remembered were veterans of her uncle’s army, while Broda had with her a middle-aged dwarf accompanied by what appeared to be his two adult sons.
“Dreya,” Broda reminded me, “this is Dellon. He was the head woodworker in the King’s armory before he retired. These are his sons, Lharik and Elmor, who also happen to be his apprentices.”
“Pleased to have you all with us for this,” I said to the gathered crowd. “Time is of the essence, so if there aren’t any questions, I’d like to get going.”
There were none, so we immediately headed for the forest. As we crossed over the narrow log bridge, I saw the stonemasons beginning to work on the wall in earnest. With the trench in place, they had nowhere to stand or erect any scaffolding outside, so they’d rigged a series of slings and hung them over the side instead. Suspended in the air, they began chipping away at the rough stone exterior, smoothing out the surface while making it nearly impossible for anyone to climb.
I marveled at their expertise for a moment before returning to my own task. Dellon and his sons had begun inspecting the trees closest to the wall, instructing the rest of us to cut down any saplings or branches that met our needs. We quickly set up a system of harvesting and stockpiling the timber, ferrying the wood back to the base of the wall as each potential shaft was gathered.
After a couple of hours, it was time to quit—we had long ago gathered more than enough wood for our purposes, but Dellon wanted to collect more for his own needs. Even though they would probably not be ready in time, he had decided to begin working on some additional crossbows and a few other projects for our defenses.
With our final load of wood gathered, we hauled all of the timbers across the bridge. The process was tedious, as the narrow span was somewhat precarious, but we managed to finally get it all across. With our work complete and no one left outside, we withdrew the span, sealing us off from the forest for the night. Dellon and his sons promised to begin working the wood into proper spear shafts in the morning, and we all went our separate ways for the night.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of arranging the watch for the night,” Broda informed me as we walked back to our campsite.
“Thank you Broda,” I smiled at her. I’d gotten so used to relying on my traps for security that I hadn’t even thought of it.
As we settled in around the campfire, Khorim broke into the fresh provisions they had brought with them. The aroma of real food filled the air and my mouth began to water at the thought of having something better than stale rations to chew on. Just as Khorim began dishing out our dinner, Bane made his appearance, settling in on my shoulder and winding his tail around my arm.
“How did things go?” I asked him before shoveling an entirely too large amount of food in my mouth.
I searched in all directions this time, Sintári. While the number of beasts and creatures roaming the lands nearby increases, I found no sign of any orcs.
“You did well, Bane,” I complimented him while stroking the scales along his neck. After how bad he felt about his earlier failure in missing the dwarves’ approach, I wanted to boost his confidence again.
Bane seemed distracted and uncharacteristically interested in the food Khorim had prepared. Normally, Bane secured his own meals, hunting down small creatures while he scouted during the day. I had a feeling that he hadn’t stopped to feed himself in order to focus on his scouting instead.
“Bane,” I asked him reproachfully. “Have you eaten today?”
No, I have not, Sintári. I tended to my duties first.
I silently picked out a chunk of meat from my plate and held it up for him. Bane hesitated to take it from me for a moment, but his hunger eventually won out and he wolfed it down greedily. I repeated the process, feeding Bane from my own plate until he finally refused my offering.
Thank you, Sintári, but that is enough.
“Don’t you ever neglect yourself again, Bane,” I whispered to him softly so that no one else could hear as I chastised him. “Your first duty to me is to see to your own safety and well-being. Do you understand?”
Yes, Sintári.
His reply was sincere, and I was tempted to leave it at that, but decided to take things just one step further. I gathered a tiny ball of emotion, focusing on the incredible sense of guilt and concern I had felt when I realized Bane had suffered while trying to please me. I then wound the warm threads of my love for him around the tiny orb, creating a little package that would let my beloved Rhastoren know exactly how I felt about him. Once I had peeled off its outer layers, leaving only the pure, soft emotions behind, I channeled it into my fingertips.
With a few strokes of my hand, I slowly passed the little ball of light into Bane as I caressed scales. I felt his surprise as the energy passed over him, and although I had trickled my emotions into him once before, he had never felt the power or clarity that one of my orbs was able to convey. Bane remained perfectly still, and our connection through the orb allowed me to experience his emotions for the first time.
The Rhastoren’s feelings were both powerful and alien. In an almost primal way, I was everything to him, his sole purpose for existing. He truly needed me beyond any measure that I could imagine. The depth and purity of his bond humbled me in
a way that I simply could not express.
But at the same time, Bane also felt me in a way he never had before. The love and concern I had for him shone brightly within him through the orb I had created. I experienced his realization that the loyalty he had given me unquestioningly had not been misplaced. His own measure of himself grew tremendously with the reassurance that the bond he had with me was no one-way bargain. Staring back at him, I almost swore that I could see tears begin to well up in his little golden eyes.
I pressed his head against my chest, letting him feel my heartbeat as I allowed the orb to finally dissipate, and he lay there quietly for a moment, basking in my warmth as I continued caressing his scales. When his voice finally entered my mind, his words shocked me.
You have shown me something I never thought possible. My kind live to serve, it is how we define our existence. Loyalty, honor, and devotion—these are the things we know. I told you that I loved you Sintári, but I never truly knew what that meant before. You have shown me love and now I understand just how empty all those other things are without it. I am yours Sintári, as I always have been. You have made me into something more than I ever hoped to be. I love you.
I felt the profound depth of his emotion as his words echoed in my head. Something had clearly changed for him, because his thoughts had never before carried such weight with them. I felt my own tears beginning to form and before I was forced to explain the awkward situation, I hurriedly excused myself and rushed back to my tent.
“Bane,” I said, still clutching him to my chest. “I don’t know what to say.”
You do not need to say anything, Sintári. There are no words that can match what you have already made me feel.
His words brought a smile to my lips and we sat together in silence for a while until Tási came to check on me.
“You left in a hurry. Is everything alright?” She asked as she poked her head inside the tent.
“I’m fine, Tási. It’s been a busy day. I just needed a few moments alone.”
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