Maric Trailbreaker gently tugged on his long, red beard. “Are you two finished? We have much to do if we wish to stay alive. Don’t waste your time worrying over Garin. He’s been doing this longer than the two of you have been alive. He can take care of himself.”
The truth pounded through Sylin’s thick skull and opened a new door. He reconsidered his statements. Perhaps he was acting too much like a parent and not enough of a leader. The only way any of them was going to survive long enough to fight the Black, was by acting like a team.
“What do we need to do?” he finally asked.
The dwarf grinned.
The storm broke just before nightfall, announced by the sharp crack of thunder careening through the mountains. High speed winds shrieked like grim demons. Pelting rains followed not long after, driving the already huddled group deeper into their narrow shelter. The gods themselves seemed to have abandoned them to die.
The animals pranced with rabid fear, attempting to break free and bolt several times. It took all the dwarves to keep them still. Both Camden and Sylin did their best to hold down the supplies and saddlebags but nature was cruel. Winds drowned out any attempt at communication. Temperatures dropped in tune with the night. Hail began slamming into the front of the cave. The wrath of the Grimstones was beyond anything they had previously endured.
Lighting struck scant meters away, charging the air with electricity and singeing the hairs on their arms. A shower of sparks cascaded down the mountain slopes. The nightmare lasted hours, as if the mountains would stop at nothing to be rid of the intruders. The battle in the skies raged unchecked, as the small band struggled just to maintain.
Sylin pulled Camden close and shouted, “We’re not going to be able to take much more of this!”
“We don’t have a choice! It can’t last much longer. Just hold on!”
In all honesty, Sylin didn’t believe he could. Not even the horrors the Black threw at them during the river passage compared to this. A pony suddenly burst free and ran screaming out into the storm. Sylin could only watch in horror, knowing the animal had gone to certain death. He briefly considered using magic, all the while knowing it wouldn’t work or that he lacked the strength and depth of knowledge.
Camden dropped to a knee from exhaustion. His battle with the Eldrath had taken much out of him and he hadn’t fully recovered. Perhaps his struggling friend was correct. Perhaps they weren’t going to make it after all.
The thunder edged closer at a steady pace. Garin felt despair crawl forward, knowing he had no hope of outrunning the storm, though he might be able to find a shorter way out of the forsaken mountain. With a newfound sense of urgency, the dwarf pushed his pony harder. Being alone never bothered him. It was what he did best. Aside from his brother, Garin seldom spent time with others. He cared for his troops like a father would his children, but when the day ended, he often drifted off to be alone. It was the only way he maintained sanity. Garin cared little for his current position but held much compassion for his friends. It was for them he went forward. Too much was riding on the future to turn back.
His thoughts turned to what he had left behind. The war against the goblins was going badly, so bad they only managed to send a meager handful with Sylin. It was rumored that a fresh army was marching from Eleran in the south. If those rumors were true, the border city of Jerincon would be surrounded and cutoff. Dremmin Giles, general and leader of the city defense, was a cunning dwarf and had taken precautions to defeat any invading army but their numbers were few. The goblins would pay dearly, but it was unlikely to stop their war machine.
Warriors of every race flocked to the dwarven banners, but even they knew it was desperate at best. The siege would, however, give the main dwarf army time to regroup and figure out a different strategy. Add to that the sudden emergence of the Black and his demonic armies from Suroc Tol and Garin struggled with despair. The Free Lands were steadily slipping into chaos and he had no clue how to combat it.
The pony bucked against his grip, inadvertently jolting him back to reality. Garin gently pat him on the neck. “Easy friend. We’ve been through worse.”
The march continued, apprehensions growing stronger in tune with the storm. Daylight was nearly gone, washed away through ominous portent. Haste now in his step, Garin desperately sought out shelter. He rounded a sharp corner and froze in his tracks.
The warrior before him was no more than three and a half feet tall, but as fierce looking as a battle troop of dagger trolls. He had a blade in each hand with a bow and full quiver strapped across his back. A gnome. Garin sucked in his breath. His confronter was dressed in the black-brown his people favored, with a tight skullcap and mean disposition. He was also surprised at finding a dwarf alone in the Grimstone Mountains.
The gnome hesitated, contemplating his next course of action. He was no match for a battle hardened dwarf. Distant thunder rumbled closer.
“All alone, little gnome?” Garin asked and hefted his axe. His eyes scanned the nearby crags for sign of more. “Step aside and I’ll not kill you.”
“I have no intention of dying. Move away and let me pass, dwarf.”
The challenge was issued.
Garin snarled. Differences between the races was old, prompting current animosity toward one another. There was no way he was going to pass up the opportunity to rid the world of a gnome. They were a scourge. Opportunists who served the highest bidder. Few among the races respected them for much else.
Thunder was much closer.
“Make your choice, pest. I don’t have time to waste on the likes of you,” Garin grumbled.
The gnome flexed his shoulders. “Are you willing to risk your life for the sake of a blood feud neither of us created? I admit to never killing a dwarf before.” Rain began falling. “Well? I have no desire to fight you. Killing you wouldn’t do anything for me. I’m willing to offer you a deal.”
If nothing else, Garin found the gnome amusing. “Go on.”
“Neither of us has much time before this storm hits. I have a cave not far from here. It is big enough for all of us. We stay until the storm passes and then go our separate ways.”
Garin Stonebreaker checked the skies. The gnome was right. They didn’t have much time. A cave would provide shelter but might also be filled with gnomes looking for trophies. The rage in the skies made up his mind for him. He’d follow the gnome and either live or die.
“Deal.”
TWENTY-ONE
Unsteady Alliances
The cave was deep enough to provide adequate shelter and allow a massive fire for cooking and warmth. Visibility outside was reduced to nothing, the firelight barely enough to offer any insight. It was the worst storm either of them had ever seen and both were more than willing to share the safety of the cave. Much to Garin’s relief, there were no others lurking in wait. He was safe, relatively.
They sat as far apart as possible, while staying within the protective heat of the fire. Each eyed the other as if waiting for the inevitable attack that never came. Both were tired and the bad weather didn’t help any. Seeing no point in staying quiet, Garin decided to liven up the mood.
“I am Garin Stonebreaker of Jerincon.”
“Isic.”
“What is it, Master Isic, that brings a lone gnome deep into the heart of these dread mountains? What purpose might you possibly have?”
“My business is my own,” Isic shifted angrily. “To satisfy curiosity, I have been alone but for two days.”
Intriguing. Why? “What of your peers?”
“Killed. All of them. Satisfied, dwarf?”
“Not especially. Gnomes are not my first concern. I’ve got my friends, goblins, and a dragon to worry about,” Garin said.
Isic cringed at the mention of the great lizards. A thousand nightmares rushed back to him.
Garin leaned forward, beard dangling perilously close to the fire. “Scared of the wyrms?”
“You would be, too, if you’d witnessed w
hat I went through.”
Garin felt himself being pulled in. “What did you see?”
His eyes clouded over as he silently relived those dire events. “Things no one living, good or bad, should ever have to. It… it came out of nowhere. Like it was part of the mountain.”
Garin’s eyes sparkled in the light. “T’was the dragon? Tragalon? Speak damn you. Was it?”
“Yes. It killed three of us before we knew what struck. I hear the screams of my friends when I close my eyes.”
Despite the severity of the situation, this new information was precisely what Garin needed. For the moment he forgot about his brother and companions and concentrated on the story. Every minute detail was potentially lifesaving. Isic was providing a thorough reconnaissance without knowing it.
“What part of the pass was it hiding in? This is important, Isic. I would not ask you to relive these moments if it wasn’t. I need to know.”
He tried to remember but certain events were hazy after the shock of the trauma set in. “Toward the beginning, if I recall.”
The location made sense. From his limited knowledge, Garin figured the beginning of the pass was the widest point and the only area large enough to accommodate a dragon.
“The beast knew we were coming. It must have. There was no other way for it to gain such surprise. We didn’t stand a chance. Twenty of us were sent on our mission. Only I remain.”
“You alone walked away from a dragon assault?” Garin asked, with raised eyebrow. Mention of a mission peaked his curiosity.
There were reports of gnome units ranging this far south, especially ones moving north. Evil was abundant in the world and the defection of the Black from the High Council only heightened that movement. Sadith Oom was but a piece of the problem. The dwarves were threatened with being overrun, not only in Jerincon but in their mountain fastness in the Drear Hills. Somehow he needed to find out who the gnome was employed by.
A task easier said than done.
“I walked out because I’m no fool. My friends are dead because they thought they could contest a dragon. I’ve never been so foolish.” His irritation continued to rise.
Garin saw his plan working. He needed to provoke the gnome to get him to give away his mission, knowing it was important. “You didn’t stay to watch your friends perish? A dwarf would never run.”
Isic scowled. “As would only a fool. I’ve seen many men die. Some died brave, but most died from lack of skill. The end result is all the same. They’re dead and I’m alive. I could think of a lot of worse things. Why are you in the mountains, dwarf? This is far from your war.”
“I, too, am on a mission,” he said, leaning back against the rocks.
“Alone?”
“Don’t be absurd. Do I look like a scout?”
Isic’s eyes narrowed. “Where is the rest of your company? Not dead like mine or you would have already said.
“No. They are alive and well.” Garin hoped. The intensity of the storm created doubt. “If you’re planning to keep on after the storm, you won’t make it out. Worse than a dragon awaits you.”
“No doubt.”
They both fell silent, each having said just enough for the time being. The crisp cackling of the fire and hollow screams from the wind were more than enough to occupy their time. Garin drifted off to sleep not long after. There remained the possibility of being stabbed in his sleep but he wasn’t especially concerned. He’d been through worse over the years.
Isic contemplated killing the dwarf and being done with it, but was this the right one? He didn’t know. The assassins he’d come into the mountains with were dead, along with the compliment of guards sent to protect them. All dead but him, and he was never told who the intended target was. He only knew it was a dwarf. Comfortable with the lies he’d told, Isic chewed thoughtfully on a piece of jerky and stared out into the horrible night.
Dawn broke through the remnants of the storm and the world seemed to return to normal. Isic awoke with a kick to his side. He rolled away from the attack and snapped up with dagger in hand and a snarl on his face.
“Relax, gnome. I’m not going to kill you,” Garin said.
He was already leading his pony out of the cave.
“How can I be so sure?” has asked and rubbed the sore area.
“Because you’re still alive. I move on and I advise you to do the same. You should turn back. My friends won’t be as trusting as I.”
“Go back! Into the waiting maw of that beast? You’re mad.”
“And you’re dead either way. Even should my friends decide to spare your wretched little life, you’d still have the Eldrath to deal with, and goblins after. Consider death a mercy.” Garin slung his saddlebags over the pony and walked away.
Isic’s eyes widened at the mention of unknown creatures lurking ahead. “What did you say? The el…”
“Eldrath. Ghosts who steal souls and possess bodies. One of the more dangerous races I’ve ever seen. Luck to you, gnome. You’ll need it.”
Isic ran out of the cave after him. Gnomes were superstitious by nature and he suddenly lacked the courage to continue. “Wait! Perhaps we can cut a deal.”
Garin smiled without letting the gnome see it. Matters were developing the way he wanted. Turning with feigned disinterest, he asked, “Another deal, gnome? I think you should cut your losses and consider yourself fortunate. Good day to you.”
“You’ll need my help to get past the dragon.”
At last, he was thinking. “I’m listening.”
“The dragon is very crafty. The way he hides in the rock and uses the shadows to lurk. I know a secret way, a path the dragon cannot enter. It will take you through the mountains and out of the pass. I only learned of it in my escape.”
“Fair enough. I accept. But know this, if you try anything that will endanger my people, I will slit your throat from ear to ear and wear your skull like a trophy. Understand?”
Isic nodded.
“Good. We wait here until the others arrive.”
The reluctant allies returned to the cave and waited.
Camden Hern was the first to spot the tendrils of smoke coming from the cave. The company approached with great caution, careful of another trap. It was much to their delight that they found Garin waiting for them. The dwarves stirred and went for weapons upon seeing the gnome at his side.
Talrn dismounted and the brothers embraced, both glad to have survived the storm. Hasty introductions were made before the party continued on through the pass. They kept Isic at the front with Garin and Camden. Doing so would alleviate potential treachery and give advantage should they encounter the dragon.
“What do you think of this development?” Sylin asked Maric. He knew little of gnomes or the obvious animosity between the races.
Maric yawned. “Hard to say. His kind don’t normally travel this far south. But you can never put anything past a gnome. He’ll use us until we no longer suit his purpose and slip off into the night. I doubt he’ll prove much hassle.”
Sylin wasn’t as positive. “This doesn’t feel right. Why would he offer his services so easily, if there is hostility between you?”
“Could be he’s just a coward trying to make himself look big in the eyes of strangers. Especially ones armed to the teeth and jumpy after being hounded for so long. If he is plotting, it will come out in the open soon.” Maric smiled, until a new thought occurred to him. “Could be a spy for your dark wizard. We’ve ducked the wylin and his goblins by now.”
“Or so we believe,” Sylin added. “Perhaps he has employed other tactics to track our whereabouts. I do wish this was not the case.”
“But it is. For good or bad, the world will never be the same again. We are on a path leading to total war. I only hope we will be able to combat this evil before it is too late.”
Maric said no more for a good while. His thoughts turned to the silence of Gul Killingstone. It was as if a poison lurked within his body, driving him closer to deat
h. He hoped this white wizard was capable of fixing the problem. As it was, the pain was almost too much for a stout dwarven heart to bear.
He hated seeing his people suffer. Few knew the truth that he was the nephew to King Hesinar of the Drear Hills and the sole surviving heir to the throne after the king’s son was killed on the plains near Lilhaven. Maric was proud of his uncle, but let no one know it. The unnecessary spread of such information would instantly make him a target. The dwarf nation could ill afford to be without an heir.
The other dwarves rode with stern faces, always watching for the next attack. Some couldn’t wait for the next opportunity to lock steel with the goblins and exact revenge. The spirits of their dead brethren demanded a high price and though the dwarves had thus far been able to contain the goblin threat, it was here in the midst of the Goblin Lands they stood their best chance for revenge.
“So, gnome, what special purpose brings you deep into goblin territory and through such peril?” Camden asked suddenly. He, like Sylin, knew little of gnomes but knew a sneak when he saw one. “I didn’t think your people had the courage for hardships. You haven’t even fielded an army since the Wars of Separation.”
Isic had almost grown accustomed to the perpetual hounding over the short time they’d been together. No matter how hard the humans and dwarves tried, nothing was going to break his spirit. One of these dwarves was his target, or so he hoped.
“Why should we? Wars seldom solve anything other than population reduction. While your people die, mine pick up the profits. Let us speak of you, always preying on the weak. How many men and women have you robbed, highwayman?”
Garin arched an eyebrow. “You talk too much for a man so small. Perhaps you seek the same fate as your previous companions?”
He hissed, “Perhaps you do as well.”
“Enough. As soon as we are clear of this dragon, you will be free to go. I rarely use partners and I have no use for you,” Camden snapped back.
“I might surprise you,” Isic said, in an effort to calm tensions and shift the course of the conversation. “I am a man of many skills and talents. If you only knew what I have accomplished, you would find yourself impressed.”
The Bitter War of Always: Immortality Shattered: Book 2 Page 20
