by Tom Liberman
Uldex strode with his uncle along the ornate hallways that branched off from the council chambers. The great marble floors were twenty feet wide and golden statues stared at them from alcoves as they went silently past, the only sound was their heavy footsteps. “He’ll hire mercenaries,” said Uldex a few minutes later. “They’ll use some backdoor channel and pay for it out of their own funds. They’ll send someone out of Craggen Steep to track down the hammer and bring it back. They’ll deal with the consequences later after it’s done.”
Borrombus snapped his fingers and nodded his head, “Yes, of course that’s what they’ll do. But, if they send mercenaries who are not soldiers of Craggen Steep then we can do the same, yes?”
Uldex nodded his head. “I have friends who might like a job like that and I’m not averse to taking it on myself unless you need me here in Craggen Steep?” he said with a huge grin on his face. “I assume I’ll be able to execute whatever means necessary to achieve our goals?”
“Yes, of course, you’re right. It’s best that you go after the hammer and bring it back. We will want the masses on our side. We are Blackirons but we can still convince the lesser families that we have their best interests at heart. Now, where do you suppose they’ll head? Did that Halfling girl give you any clues? It’s pointless to have you wandering all over the continent, you’ll never find them.”
“Milli said something about Dol wanting a grand purpose before he was willing to steal the hammer. That’s why it caught me by surprise when they acted as they did. She must have convinced him to do something but she didn’t give me a hint as to what it might be. I should have asked when she came to me. But I was busy planning the escape. Phony messages through the tunnels, confusing the guard, it occupied my thoughts. Damn.”
“The little Halfling girl,” mused Borrombus as his hand came to his beard and stroked it gently. He stopped walking and his eyes narrowed. “Unless ….”
“Unless what?” asked Uldex also coming to a stop and gazing at his uncle.
“The First Edos. Old Fierfelm doesn’t completely trust me after our little shell game about trying to convince the High Council. He’s old and idealistic but he is not a fool. Is it possible he went to see Milli on his own and gave her some suggestion?”
“It’s possible,” said Uldex with a shrug of his shoulders and he raised his eyebrows. “She told me that Dol was unwilling to steal the hammer when I thought we had it all arranged. But, then the next day she was ready to go. There might have been some outside agency that convinced him. But why do you think it was the First Edos?”
“What else do we have to go on?” said Borrombus putting his finger to his temple and tapping gently. “I can go by the Great Library and see what tomes he investigated recently. The Chief Librarian is your cousin as I recall. But the details don’t concern you, Uldex. Gather your friends, pack for a long journey. Have you been long out of Craggen Steep before?”
“Just a few trade missions but nothing more than a month or so. I’m familiar enough with the outside world. I’ll get maps from the Cartographer’s Guild.”
“Don’t trust them,” said Borrombus and shook his head. “They’re run by the Firefists and they haven’t much of a clue about the outside world more than a thousand miles from the mountain in any direction. They’ll tell you the maps are accurate but who knows how many mistakes there are and that is if they don’t give you forgeries. Warrens, tunnels, goblin holes, they are masters, but the outside world, they are generally fools. Still, anything you can find will give you a place to start. Once you’re in the outside world you can ask for directions. Your gold will get you any information you need.”
“I’ll need a supply of gold then,” said Uldex looking up at Borrombus a little grin on his face. “My understanding is the surface dwellers value it highly.”
“Yes, yes, nephew. I can provide as much as you need and more. Get your gear together and I’ll find out what I can. Be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.”
“And when I find Delius and the hammer?”
Borrombus began to slowly move forward again and stroked his beard as he looked carefully at the young dwarf, “You’ve guessed my true intentions then?”
Uldex shrugged his shoulders and kept silent.
“It needs to be brought back to Craggen Steep, you understand. Most certainly not by the Firefists but not Delius and his friends either. You know that we are in negotiations with Corancil to provide economic aid in his plans of conquest, right?”
“I’d guessed as much,” said Uldex.
“If the Blackirons have their way, and by that I mean if I have my way, then we’ll provide more than money to the invasion. Corancil means to subjugate the entire world to his might and he is capable of doing it. I’ve not met the man as yet but from what I know he is a grave danger to Craggen Steep. If we resist helping him, as those foolish, live in the past Firefists and Drawhammers want, then it will end badly for us. It is time for Craggen Steep to join the world and with Blackirons leading the way. We’ll dismantle the council and take sole power for ourselves.”
“What about elevating the lesser families and all that high idealism?” asked Uldex.
“That’s not all pixie-dust,” said Borrombus with a nod of his massive head that caused his chins to wobble back and forth. “We’ll need the support of the lesser families to overthrow the Firefists and Drawhammers but then we can manipulate them as we choose.”
“And when I find Dol and the hammer?” repeated Uldex.
“See what they plan. Watch over them and stop any Firefist from taking it; but if it looks like they are going to lose it, then take it from them and bring it back to Craggen Steep. Make sure it’s you that brings it back. Am I clear?”
“What if Dol resists my efforts to take the hammer?” said Uldex.
“Do I have to spell it out?” said Borrombus.
“And Milli?”
Borrombus paused for a moment and gazed deeply into the eyes of his nephew, “You’re fond of the girl, yes?”
Uldex nodded his head.
“She not a dwarf, let alone of a good family” said Borrombus.
“No, I couldn’t marry her, that’s true,” said Uldex returning his uncle’s gaze steadily.
“She is a beauty and not just because she’s different,” said Borrombus his gray eyebrows rising. “I’ve been on many caravans to the outside world and I’ve dealt with the Darkling matriarchs more than once, I know beauty when I see it. Still, convince her if you can. She’d be a fine consort. But, if you have to take permanent action then do what is right for the family.”
Uldex’s eyes flickered for a moment away from the gaze of his Uncle and his hand twitched at his side, but eventually he nodded his head, “I’ll do what’s right for the family. I hope that it won’t come to that but you can count on me, uncle. I’m a Blackiron first and last.”
“Good,” said Borrombus. “Now, run along and gather your friends. I need to figure out exactly where Dol and his companions are heading. I’m certain the First Edos talked to that girl. Why didn’t I think about it before and have him watched? I’m getting sloppy in my dotage. Sloppy.”
Chapter 8
“Spawn of Beelzebub!” shrieked Milli as she yanked her foot back, swayed perilously in the saddle, and slapped at the mule with mittened hands. “It hates me!”
“Stop screaming at him,” said Brogus as he stroked the straggly mane of his own mule. “You’re just scaring him.”
“It’s not a him, it’s the devil!”
“Are we sure the devil isn’t a he?” said Dol and both of his companions looked at him with sudden twists of their heads.
“Did you just tell a joke?” asked Milli as she tried to stabilize on the back of the brown mule. Her mount had a narrow neck and a bulging belly that translated into a rolling sort of gait that made her both nauseous and sleepy at the same time.
“No,” said Dol.
“What’s got into you,” asked Br
ogus with a twitch of the reins that sent his mule over to Dol’s. His beast was gray in color and taller than Milli’s with a long tail that drooped almost to the ground. “You’ve been acting strange ever since we left Craggen Steep. Is the fresh air getting to you?”
Dol smiled, “I suppose it might be the air or the sunshine,” he said and gingerly touched the back of his neck. “How is it that something you cannot see can burn so much?”
“The back of my neck is as red as old drunken dwarf’s nose,” said Milli and suddenly screamed as the mule tried to bite her again. She tumbled off the beast, landed on her side with a thump, sprang up, and began batting at the thing, “I hate you! I hate you! I’ll walk all the way to Das’von!” She turned and starting marching down the road in the same direction ahead of her companions.
“Milli, Milli!” said Brogus jumping off his own mule and trying to chase after her. “Hold the mules, Dol.” He shouted over his shoulder. It took him a few seconds to catch up to the girl who was walking at a tremendous pace despite her short little legs. “C’mon, Milli,” he said and grabbed her by the arm. “It’s just a mule. It’ll be fine.”
“It hates me,” said Milli yanking her arm free and turning to look at Brogus with eyes so fiercely blazing that he took a step backwards.
“It doesn’t hate you.”
“I hate it and it hates me. It has lice, it bites, and it walks cockeyed and makes me want to vomit. Who invented an animal like that? Were they sadists? Halflings weren’t meant to ride animals. I’m done with that lice ridden flea bag forever,” she said with her hands on her hips and spittle flying from her mouth. “Forever!”
“Milli, you have to understand, it’s still a hundred miles or more to Das’von and Corancil. You’ll never be able to walk all that way.”
“I can walk all that way and more,” said Milli and folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not getting back on that hell beast!”
“It’s not just about walking,” said Brogus. “Don’t you think they’ll be chasing us? Trying to get us back to Craggen Steep, to get the hammer from Dol. We need to keep moving. If we don’t, they’ll catch us. You don’t want to be dragged kicking and screaming back to there. After all that talk about how you are finally free.”
Milli stopped and stared at Brogus and scrunched her nose. “I know there’s something wrong in the world when you start to make sense. Fine, let’s switch mules at least. Yours seems nice enough. It doesn’t bite at least.”
“Yours is the smallest,” said Brogus with a gesture back towards Dol, where he stood patiently holding all three beasts. “That’s why we gave it to you. Your legs are even shorter than ours.”
“I don’t care, I want yours,” said Milli and immediately stomped off down the dirt trail away from Brogus.
Brogus looked over to Dol and shrugged his shoulders. The hard-packed dirt road was six feet wide with an occasional wagon rut to indicate the passage of traders. After they escaped Craggen Steep the three decided to take this less traveled road, rather than the thick stone avenue built for the heavy wagons filled with weapons that came from Craggen Steep at regular intervals. This way they hoped to avoid any possibility of an encounter with traders. Tall pine trees, some of which towered almost fifty feet in the air, lined both sides of the road, and the crisp chill in the morning air made for steamy breath as Brogus shook his head and sighed. “I suppose mine is the next smallest,” he said walking over to where Dol patiently awaited.
The tall dwarf busied himself applying a curry brush to the animals with singular care, occasionally reaching into a pocket to pull out a carrot slice and feed it to the beasts. They had come across a patch of wild pusillus carrots the day before and somehow Brogus remembered them from a previous expedition. Early in the trip it hadn’t taken them long to realize their inadequacies when it came to understanding local plants and animals. They had packed enough staple food items for several weeks, but the speed which they devoured these rations quickly brought them to the realization that they would need to hunt and gather for supplies. None of the three having spent much of any time outside of the mountain; they quickly found themselves worried about their supplies of food and drink. No one had thought to bring along books that might help them forage for food. The plants were all strange, although plenty of creeks with fresh flowing water supplied that need at least. None of them had even rudimentary skills at trapping live animals for meat.
“We’re going to starve to death if we let Milli walk,” said Brogus as he watched Dol feed the only food so far scavenged to the mules. He took the reins of both his and Milli’s animal and started to walk after the girl but didn’t get more than a dozen strides before he noticed Dol was not following him. “What’s going on?” he said looking back to the other dwarf with raised eyebrows. “Milli’s getting away”.
Dol pointed with a single finger down a little trail off to the side of the main thoroughfare. It was all but invisible, and if they hadn’t happened to stop almost on top of it Dol would have never seen it. ”Smoke”
A thin wispy trail of white smoke emerged from somewhere down the path and Brogus spotted it after a few seconds of searching glances. “Do you think we should see who it is?”
“We need food, water, a new mule,” said Dol in a steady voice.
“Milli!” shouted Brogus and started to dart after the Halfling girl, but Millli’s mule decided at that moment not to move which brought Brogus to a sudden and jarring halt. He looked at the mule and shook his head, “Maybe you are evil.” He then turned to face down the road where the form of the girl was still visible, “Milli! Wait! We found something.”
Milli walked a few more strides and then slowed to a stop although she didn’t turn around.
“Please, Milli,” said Brogus as he tried to pull the stubborn mule forward. “Come back.”
She glanced over her shoulder with narrowed eyes and shook her head.
“Hold the mule, will you Dol?” said Brogus and held out the reins to the young dwarf. “I’ve got to go convince her. She’s just mad because of the sunburn,” he continued as his hand went to the back of his own neck. His ruddy complexion seemed less vulnerable to the damaging rays of the sun although he also wore a wide brimmed hat thanks to previous experiences with trading caravans. “I should have told her about sunburn. We were in such a hurry!”
After Dol took the mule, Brogus scurried over to Milli and started to put his arm around her shoulder although a fiery glance turned the movement into more of a wave. “Milli, there’s someone back in the woods there. They might be able to help us. We didn’t think about food or drink.”
She glared harder.
“I’m not saying it’s your fault, I’m just saying we didn’t think about it, Milli,” said Brogus holding up his hands in a defensive manner. “It’s nobody’s fault, we made a mistake, but there might be somebody there that can help us. Maybe they have an extra mule?”
Milli’s expression softened, she tilted her head to the side, and nodded her head. “Fine.”
Ten minutes later the trio approached a ramshackle old wagon, once painted bright red but faded to a dull orange after years in the sun, parked near a fallen tree. A large black kettle sat in the middle of an open fire with wood piled around it. A woebegone horse picked desultorily at the scrabbly weeds that sprouted just on the edges of the little clearing. There was no sign of anyone else in the clearing.
“Hello,” said Brogus in a loud voice. “We are travelers hoping to share a meal and perhaps trade.”
Silence greeted this proclamation and the three waited for a long moment. “This is stupid,” said Milli stamping her foot and scowling at the ground. “You’re stupid. The mule is stupid and my neck burns!”
“What’s that,” an elderly woman’s voice suddenly sounded from somewhere around them. A moment later she emerged from the woods and stared at them with a guarded expression. She wore a thick woolen coat many times patched at the elbows, her long black and gray hair was b
oth frizzy and unbound giving the impression of a wild woman. “What is it that is stupid, young lady?”
Milli took a step forward toward the old woman and put on her best smile, “I didn’t think there was anyone here. I’m so sorry. It’s a lovely little camp you have. I’m Milli and these are my friends Dol and Brogus. We happened on your wagon and thought you might like visitors.”
“When did she get so nice?” whispered Brogus to Dol and held his hands at about waist height with the palms facing up.
“Visitors are always welcome,” said the old woman with a cackle as she came over to Milli and put her arm around the Halfling girl. “Do you need a love potion perhaps?”
“No, no,” said Milli and her cheeks instantly went red. “Nothing like that. We’re just travelers. We do have some gold.”
“Gold,” said the old woman as her eyes opened a little wider for a moment but then a rather bored expression seemed to come over her face. “Dwarves with gold. I’ve encountered a few of those over the years up here in the north realms. But you don’t have the look of traders, more like runaway apprentices … excepting you, dearie,” this last with a pat to Milli’s arm. “But, of course I’m being terribly rude, my name is Petra Galabradala but everyone just calls me Old Petra. My camp is your camp,” she finished with a flourish of her hands towards the little clearing, although her eyes carefully looked over the clothes and general bearing of the visitors.
“This is Dol,” said Milli as the tall dwarf with the short hair came over and gave a little bow, “and this is Brogus.”
The old woman looked at Dol carefully for a few moments and then turned her intense gaze onto Brogus, “Tree Shepherd blood in your veins then,” she said turning back to Dol.
“That’s right,” said Dol.
“And you’re from the Horncall clan,” she said to Brogus.
“How did you know that?” said Brogus with his eyes wide and his jaw dropped. “Are you a witchy woman?”
Dol, on the other hand, said nothing and kept an impassive expression.
