by Tom Liberman
“We can take them,” said the young dwarf. “It’s only the elders who want to remain hidden. All the younger dwarves with energy want to join Corancil and strike out into the world. Now is our time. Your plan, the return the hammer, to gain power peacefully, it’s over. We cannot wait any longer.”
“It is more than the elders,” said Borrombus with a shake of his head. “You count as allies the weak-willed, the youth, the down-trodden. They may be the popular majority but they are not the most energetic of people. The soldiers that guard the council, their children, the wealthy with guards, and their allies make up a powerful force. They are armed and organized unlike most of your rabble. We must find a way to arm them, to energize them before we strike.”
“You’re wrong, old man,” said the youth with a shake of his head. “You’re just like the Council Elders on which you sit, out of touch, out of place. It’s not your time anymore, it’s ours.”
“It’s a mistake to attack now,” repeated Borrombus with a shake of his massive head. “That’s just what the Firefists and Drawhammers want. If we strike prematurely they will have all the proof they need of our treachery. The soldiers await a move like this and then they will affect a counter blow and it will be swift and sure. Their plans are in place and we cannot play into them.”
“You’re wrong, old man,” said the youth and again shook his head vigorously. “We’ll do what it takes, and when it comes time to pass out rewards you can get in line and hope we don’t forget.” With that he and all but two of the other young dwarves turned and walked away speaking animatedly to one another as they went.
“Uncle Borrombus,” said one of the two remaining young dwarves as he came close and put his hand on the shoulder of the older dwarf. “There is nothing that can be done to stop them. They’ve been speaking with Corancil. You’ve met the man. You know how persuasive he is. His talk of the best and brightest and how empires are born is impossible to resist.”
Borrombus nodded his head and scratched his beard covered cheek, “You are right enough about Corancil, he’s not much to look at, that one,” he finally said after a pause. “But there is power in his words. He means not to conquer the world but to unite it. He’s naïve though, he thinks rewarding those of merit is the solution to all the world’s ills but he has never lived in a tradition soaked place like Craggen Steep. The elders, even in their lazy stupidity, command respect. We have to take things more slowly.”
“It’s too late for that,” said the young dwarf with the large black eyes as he stared directly at Borrombus. “It’s too late. Maybe if Uldex was here ….”
“Your brother is a fierce one,” said Borrombus with a smile. “He might have kept the other youngsters in line but, on the other side of the axe blade, he might have been the one to lead them to insurrection. That’s why I sent him away. You’re more level-headed than he.”
“So that is why you sent him to retrieve the hammer?”
Borrombus nodded his head, “One reason at least. Do you think you could take the thing from Delius?”
The young dwarf snorted, “He’d break me in half and never change his expression, uncle. He’s always been an odd one but good with his fists and the axe. Do you think it possible he can slay Gazadum?”
Borrombus laughed and his expression suddenly became one of mirth, “Of course not. Hopefully Uldex will take the hammer from his dead fingers and that way we’re rid of multiple problems at the same time. If only Uldex would get back here with the hammer we’d take control of the mountain and lead the dwarves out under the banner of Craggen Steep as Corancil unites the world. With our money, the discipline of our soldiers, and his leadership, nothing could stand against us.”
“But Uldex isn’t here,” said the young dwarf and clenched his fist under Borrombus’s nose. “I’m here and we have to do something. If we let the others take on the Firefists and Drawhammers by themselves they will be destroyed.”
“That’s true,” said Borrombus. “And we’ll lose most of our allies in the battle.”
“Exactly,” said the lad. “So, what do we do?”
Borrombus sighed, which caused his heavy belly to jiggle a bit and then he shook his head, “I don’t see a winnable solution. I don’t see a way to win. Those damn pompous Firefists. They have the Golden Pikemen and the elite guard and all we have is the dregs.”
“There are a lot of dregs,” said the young dwarf although even he looked to the ground when he said it.
“It’s not about numbers,” said Borrombus. “Numbers don’t hurt but it’s about will, desire, and passion. If we can’t inspire that in the lesser families then we can’t win this fight.”
“So, how do we go about inspiring them?”
Borrombus took his finger to his many bands and tapped one gently, “Corancil is an inspired speaker. If we could somehow get him to speak to the masses ….”
“The High Council will never allow it,” said the young dwarf with a rueful smile and a shake of his head.
“It’s not a matter of allow or disallow, it’s a matter of twisting the rules to our advantage. Those old windbags live and die by the letter of the law, and if we somehow find a way to get Corancil inside Craggen Steep to give a speech he might even sway some of those old codgers. He is convincing in his own way. You’ve met him.”
The young dwarf nodded his head, “I saw him speak once and I’ve seen the effect he has on people. Even you must admit that his ideas have merit. Everyone advancing on their own merits instead of whose family they belong to or how much they pay.”
“You say that despite having every advantage of a Blackiron here in Craggen Steep?” said Borrombus turning his eye towards the young dwarf.
The lad nodded his head, “It’s worse now than when you were an apprentice,” he said with a firm mouth and steely eyes. “You should see the morons who get the best promotions and it doesn’t matter if they have any skill or not. Nothing burns more than seeing some incompetent promoted over you because of his last name or his father’s gold. Even we Blackirons get the short of it now. Besides, if things keep going the way they’re going it will be nothing except driveling incompetents on the Council and then we’re doomed anyway. If we don’t join Corancil then Craggen Steep will eventually fall to him anyway.”
Borrombus nodded his great head and tapped at the bands that held his beard in check. “All you say is true and if Corancil could speak to the masses that might be enough to convince even the Elite Guard to change sides. They have to want to set out into the world and test their blades. But how to make it happen, how to make it happen? Go, nephew, go to the library and find council procedural books, the dustier the better. I’ll talk with that stubborn First Edos again and see if he can’t try and trump the council in some manner or another.”
“No one listens to him since the Council banned him from chambers, he’s finished. As soon as Cleathelm gets back they’ll make him First Edos.”
“Cleathelm,” snorted Borrombus, “not even the Firefists would be stupid enough to put such incompetence in the First Edos’s chair.”
“They can and they will, Uncle,” said the dwarf lad with a sad little shake of his head. “It’s gotten very bad down in the apprentice chambers. You don’t know what it’s like. Cleathelm isn’t even the worst of the bunch.”
Borrombus shook his head, “You’re probably right, nephew. I’ve been circling with the exalted ones for so long I’ve lost touch. Your brother helped me in that regard but I was probably fooling myself in thinking I knew what was happening in the upper chambers with the common folk. I’m as bad as the other members of the High Council. But in the end it doesn’t matter. Find those books and let’s see if we can bring some ancient rule to light that will let us bring Corancil into Craggen Steep. Then perhaps we can lead an army out of the Gates of Faferdum and onto the field of battle.” With this he looked up at the towering gates above them and their magnificent arches and carvings. “The Elementals built these,” he said in
a quiet voice, “long before we came to this world.”
“What was that, Uncle?” said the lad as he turned around.
“Nothing,” said Borrombus with a shake of his head. “Just the musings of a tired, fat old dwarf.”
The boy stood for a moment and looked at Borrombus with wide eyes.
“Go on, go on,” said the fat dwarf with a wave of his hand. After the young dwarf scurried off, Borrombus turned and looked up at the towering gateway one last time. There were four of them in total, the main entrances to Craggen Steep. The Gates of Gazadum, The Gates of Korakdum, The Gates of Glangaldum, and this one, the Gates of Fafardum. Fire, Earth, Water, and Air. The four ancient creators of the world and now young Dol Delius was going to try and kill Gazadum who had ruled here for who knows how many years. “Maybe it would be best if Uldex took the hammer before Delius attacks,” he mused to himself. “The elementals have been long quiescent but their power, their ancient power, does it hide or does it wait?”
Chapter 22
Milli sat on a heavy wooden chair with her face barely above the edge of the oak table and stared across the room to where Dol busily chatted with a pair of young women. One of them wore a loose fitting top that showed a great deal of her breasts and the other giggled at everything Dol said. “It’s disgusting and where is that girl with my booster seat,” said Milli and rolled her eyes at Petra who sat next to her.
Petra shook her head, smiled, and said, “He’s a man like any other.”
“He never acted like this before,” replied Milli glaring at the trio. “And where is stupid Brogus? He said he would have dinner with us but he’s been doing nothing but sleeping and drinking and chasing girls since we got here.”
“I haven’t known him as long as you,” said Petra with a shrug of her shoulders. “But the only men I know whose heads aren’t turned by pretty girls have different tastes.”
“You’ve known him since we left Crag … our home,” said Milli, carefully looking around at the other patrons of the tavern. “You’ve been with us long enough to know he’s changed, don’t pretend.”
Petra shrugged her shoulders again, “I suppose you are right. He’s changed even since you three first came into my camp. It seems like years ago but it’s only been about a month. It has to be the influence of the hammer don’t you think? But then there are the physical changes, the apples in his hair and beard turning red. That’s not something the hammer could change, is it? And there are so many of them now. Even a month ago they weren’t so plentiful and they weren’t red like that.”
Milli nodded her head just as an attractive young girl, likely still in her teens with her brown hair tied into a single braid that reached half way down her back, came over to the table. She carried a little seat and smiled at Milli as she came over, “Here you go, little girl!” and started to put it under Milli.
“What?” shrieked Milli and snatched the seat from the teenager’s hand. “Little girl?”
The teen smiled and patted her on the head, “I can see you’re all grown up with little boobies and everything.”
Milli’s eyes almost popped out of her head, but Petra reached over and put her hand against the halflings’s wrist, “It’s okay, Milli. We don’t want to make too much of a scene now, do we?”
A sort of strangled little snort shot out of Milli’s nose but then her eyes turned cool, “No, of course not, Petra. Thank you for the seat,” she said to the teenaged server and placed it on the chair and sat down. After the girl wandered off Milli turned to Petra and snarled, “I’ll tear her eyes out!”
Petra laughed, “It was an honest mistake, Milli,” said the older woman and continued to pat her on the wrist. “They just haven’t seen many halflings around here I’d guess. Maybe they don’t have halflings this far south. We haven’t seen any, have we?”
“I guess not,” said Milli pursing her lips tightly and pulling her hand back and away from Petra. “Still, it’s not right. I don’t like this place. I don’t like what it’s doing to Dol,” and she glanced at the tall dwarf who had his arm around the waist of one of the girls while she toyed with the apples in his hair. “I don’t like Brogus sleeping all the time just because the beds are comfortable.”
“They are quite nice though,” said Petra while raising her arms over her head and yawning luxuriously.
“Let me finish!” said Milli and stomped her boot on the hardwood floor of the tavern. “I’m not a little girl.”
“Go on then, Milli,” said Petra leaning back in her chair and looking around the inn. It was the second place they tried after Dol’s temper tantrum and apparently the highest class around although the payment was a pittance compared the gems and gold they carried. Even that first overpayment of gold coins they gave her could have seen her stay at this place for a year or longer.
“I just want to get to the Five Sisters and get this over with,” finished Milli with a humph.
“What then?” asked Petra and leaned forward in her chair. “We’ve still not made any decisions on what happens … after.”
Milli paused for a moment and then smiled, “Dol’s right, we’ll be famous I suppose. People will want Dol, Brogus, and me, and you too Petra. They’ll pay for us to come and solve their problems.”
Petra didn’t reply for a time as she sat and watched the plates of food and drink that came and went to customers of the tavern. “I think I might not go all the way with you,” said finally said..
“What?” said Milli, her voice raising an octave or two. “Of course you’re coming with us. We’re in this together, to the end.”
“Maybe you should think about letting Dol do this on his own,” went on Petra as she stared deeply into Milli’s eyes. The old woman lowered her voice, “The ancient elementals, Gazadum. There’s a good chance everyone will die. I’d say more than a good chance.”
“First off,” said Milli. “I would never abandon my friends and secondly it probably isn’t Gazadum anyway. Just some old fire elemental that no one remembers. Besides, Dol has the Hammer of Fire and that was made from the essence of Gazadum as I understand it. Who can stop that?”
“Gazadum,” said Petra with the same level eyes and clear tone of voice.
“What can I do to convince you?” said Milli and held her hands out towards the woman. “We need you. None of us knows how to find food or make shelter or anything like that.”
“You’re not far away from the Five Sisters and then it will be done one way or the other,” said Petra with a shrug of her shoulders. “You can buy plenty of supplies to get you there safely enough, and if you kill the beast it will be as you say, you’ll be famous and you won’t need me anymore. If you all die … well, you won’t need me then either.”
“But,” said Milli and reached across the table to take the woman by the hands, “we still will need you no matter what. I mean, not if we’re dead, of course,” this with a little laugh, “but I mean other than that. And if we’re going to be rich and famous don’t you want to be that with us? Besides, Corancil will be down here with his army in a few years and you remember that messenger of his. How boldly he spoke and how handsome he was?”
“I’m an old lady,” said Petra. “Boldness of speech and the handsomeness of face are not of great importance to me anymore. Riches and comfort do sound nice but with the gold you’ve already paid me I can survive quite some time here in the southlands. I’ll never get back north again, that much is certain.”
“But,” said Milli with a little choke in her voice.
“No,” said Petra. “I’ll go with you as far as the Five Sisters and no more. Dol is possessed by that hammer, Milli. There is evil in its power somehow.”
“What can we do?” said Milli just as Brogus sat down at the table with a thump.
“Hello, ladies,” he said.
“Petra is leaving us,” said Milli, turning to the broad shouldered dwarf with a tear in her eyes.
Brogus yawned deeply, “I’m exhausted. What was tha
t?”
“You just slept for ten hours,” said Milli. “What’s wrong with you these days? We need to get ready for the trip to the Five Sisters to complete the quest and all you do is sleep.”
“The beds are comfortable,” said Brogus and stretched his arms out with a long, languorous yawn. “Besides, Dol’s in there all night making … uh … noise … with some girl so I have get my sleep during the day.”
Milli said nothing.
“It’s true,” said Brogus.
“I know it’s true,” said Milli and folded her arms across her chest. “But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“If you’re jealous then just tell him,” said Brogus with a small smile. “He’s a lot more passionate nowadays. Maybe there could be something between you two?”
“I’m not jealous,” said Milli pursing her lips and looking to the ceiling. “I’m just worried about him hanging out with all those … women.”
“I don’t know where he finds the energy,” said Brogus. “He doesn’t sleep at night. He just ….”
“Ok, we get it,” said Milli with a glare.
“Sorry. It’s just that he didn’t want to come here in the first place and now he’s having more fun than the rest of us altogether,” said Brogus with a shrug of his shoulders, and when he couldn’t keep the grin off his face had to look down at the table.
“I see you grinning like a rock leopard,” said Milli.
Brogus let out a little chuckle but continued to stare down at the table.
“We have to get out of here today,” said Milli. “I’m sick of this town and I’m sick of these people.” With this she stood up and strode purposefully over to where Dol spoke with the two girls. A few seconds later she stood with her hands on her hips staring up at the tall girls and the dwarf, “Come on, Dol. It’s time to leave.”
