Finally they landed on a clifftop a short distance from the gorge. Shaun could hardly hear himself think as the cascading water crashed over the ridge of the gorge, creating a thunderous roar which engulfed the whole area.
‘I’ll use the Grey Elf’s magic shroud to go and investigate as the Great Wizard suggested!’ Shaun yelled at the top of his voice.
The Dragon raised its huge head. ‘If I remember, the terrain on the other side is mountainous. You would have to travel a long way to where the warriors set up their camps, and they have probably moved on from there, but it is such a huge place I fear you could search forever. Why don’t we wait until nightfall and then quietly enter? If we find a cave high up in the mountains we will be able to decide what to do next.’
Shaun smiled. ‘Yes, that sounds very good: we will be able to keep watch and then I could use the shroud once we have seen where they are living.’ He looked up. The sun was starting its journey down towards the horizon. He turned to the Dragon. ‘We won’t have to wait long. It will be dark soon. Maybe we just have time for a snack.’ As he slid down from its back, he quickly opened his rucksack, and grabbing a handful of treats, glanced up at the Dragon and shook his head. He was sure the Dragon had a smug grin on its face.
As soon as the sun disappeared and the evening shadows descended, they set off and were soon approaching the gorge. The Dragon must have felt Shaun’s body shaking uncontrollably, and it landed on a ledge. Perched dangerously on the brink, it looked so much more terrifying close up, sending icy-cold shivers down his spine, and without warning the Dragon took off, swooping off the ledge into the gorge. Shaun clung on with all his strength: he couldn’t resist glancing down and he shivered with fear as the deafening thunder of the plunging waters filled the gorge with plumes of dense mist, soaking him to the skin. He struggled to stop himself shouting out loud when they passed through the curtain and landed on the other side. The Dragon scanned the area, seemingly searching for its bearings before taking off, soaring up towards the towering mountain range which encircled the whole area, and finally landing on a ledge at the entrance to one of the countless caves. She stuck her head inside and let out a blast of fierce flames which hurtled through the cave before plodding forward, its huge eyes wide open, scrutinising every nook and cranny.
Once they had checked it out, Shaun quickly slipped out of his wet clothes and changed into dry ones he carried in his rucksack, and of course he couldn’t resist another quick snack. It was handy having a Dragon as a companion. The flames had heated up the cave, and as soon as it cooled down the Dragon obliged with another fiery outburst. It was so warm and cosy in there that Shaun struggled to keep his eyes open, and was soon fast asleep while the Dragon remained near the entrance, keeping watch. The following morning Shaun stirred. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he glanced around the cave a little confused as to his whereabouts, but he could just see the Dragon’s huge tail and he smiled to himself: even though he was in a strange place he felt safe with such a fearsome companion. He stretched his arms and yawned before grabbing his rucksack. He thought he may as well have breakfast: he fancied it was going to be a long day. But before he could open his rucksack the Dragon called out, ‘Shaun, quickly come and take a look.’
Shaun jumped up and raced over to join her. The first rays of the morning sun were washing across the mountain peaks, casting shadows on the landscape below, a large area of forest. He could just make out a large group of bodies emerging from one of the caves at the base further along the mountain range. They remained there in silence focused on the group as they slowly moved closer, and as the sun rose higher and its rays slowly crept down the mountainside. The shadows gradually faded. As the group came into view, Shaun gasped in horror: a herd of maybe 30 or so strong Centaurs trudged slowly forward, their heads bowed, all shackled together, and behind them marched four armed Dark Wizard guards.
Shaun was so infuriated he took out his hammer and glanced over to the Dragon. ‘Let us just fly down and free those prisoners. How low will the Dark Wizard go? Those poor souls look so sad and helpless.’
‘We had better wait to see where they are being taken. Let us not be hasty. I’m sure there will be more than four guards. First of all we must find out their strength before making our attack.’
Shaun nodded. ‘Of course you’re right. It makes my blood boil to see vulnerable souls being bullied or badly treated, but it makes sense to check things out first.’
They watched the group continue for a further half-mile or so before disappearing into one of the caves followed by the guards. Shaun jumped up and stepped back inside their cave and emerged a few minutes later, holding the Grey Elf’s shroud. ‘I’ll go down there and check both caves. You keep watch and see if there is any further activity. He quickly unrolled the shroud, stepped inside and wrapped it around himself before disappearing.
He steered the shroud down from the mountain, coming to a halt outside the cave. He hovered a moment or two, took a deep breath before slipping inside. He was taken aback by what he was seeing: the huge cavern was a workshop with large machines, some grinding, some rolling and processing an assortment of products. The Centaurs were harnessed to the various machines, walking in circles around driving the mechanism to produce the power to propel the machines. And to Shaun’s disgust he could see these were the female Centaurs. They looked so sad as they struggled to move forward, the sweat running from their brows. Shaun reluctantly turned and left the cave. He wanted to free them but he must bide his time. First he must go and check out the other cave, the one they had originally emerged from. He floated along the mountain base to the entrance and continued straight through, coming to a stop outside an iron grill with a locked gate in the centre which stretched the full width of the cave. Inside he could see it was the living quarters for the guards with a seating area, an eating area, and a sleeping area with a row of beds. Along the back wall was a prison area with another grilled screen and gate; inside he could see several female Centaurs standing, peering out. As he moved forward he could see several Fairies and Elves working in the living quarters, making the beds and tidying up, and others preparing food. But there was no sign of a guard as the place was secure, yet the workers carried on diligently and in silence. Shaun watched and waited. One of the workers, a Fairy, was left alone in the sleeping area and he quickly floated over beside her. He checked the others were all busy and out of earshot and he whispered, ‘Don’t be afraid. The Great Wizard has sent me to free you all, but carry on working. Don’t attract the others’ attention. I need some information. I need to know where your families are being held so I can talk with them.’ ‘Who are you?’ she stuttered. ‘How can I trust you?’
‘My name is Shaun. I know you were sent here by the Great Wizard, elite warriors and their families, Centaurs, Fairies, Elves and Dwarfs, and he created four separate areas, one for each of you. I have a plan but I need to speak with the group so I can make sure that, once I start to free you, it must happen in one operation and your warriors will need to work with me.’
‘Please just leave. It is impossible to do this: as soon as the guards discover you are here, we will all be killed. They are so organised: they have separated all the families from our warriors in the four areas, so if just one section rebels they have said they will slaughter everyone in each area.’
‘Trust me, the Great Wizard has given me great powers so that I can carry out his wishes. He needs all your warriors to join him in order to destroy the Dark Wizard and his followers, but I need to talk with them and I promise you we will succeed. I will not put you or your warriors in any danger.’
‘Very well. The warriors would never forgive me if I refused, and this was their only hope of freedom because our lives here are unbearable. The Centaur warriors are on the other side of the deep valley that divides this area, and then if you follow the mountain range straight up from here, the other three areas are located one after the other: the Fairies, the Elves and at the very top
the Dwarfs. We know our area and the Elves are divided the same as this with the families held at one side and the warriors at the other, but we know nothing of the Dwarfs, as we have not seen any of them since the guards arrived.’
‘Thank you so much, you have been a great help. Please don’t discuss this with the others, as it might cause unrest, and the guards maybe sense something is going on. So I will be back as soon as I have spoken to the others. It might take some time, but when I return I will free you and your warriors: this I promise.’
‘Be careful,’ whispered the Fairy. ‘The guards are so cruel, and will you do me a favour? My name is Feru. When you speak with the fairy warriors, tell Fadere, their leader, that I am alive and well.’
‘I will do that. Now I must be off. Just try and carry on as normal. Goodbye.’
He left the cave and pondered a moment or two, wondering whether to return to the Dragon or continue to the other side of the valley. But, although the shroud moved quite quickly, it would take some time to go there and back again; he couldn’t chance the Dragon becoming concerned and coming to search for him, so he headed back up the mountain. The Dragon was waiting at the cave entrance when Shaun slipped out of the shroud. ‘I was just starting to wonder if you had been captured. Who did you find?’
‘Wait till I’ve had something to eat. All this excitement has given me an appetite.’ He opened his rucksack and rummaged about inside while telling the Dragon what he had discovered.
‘I remember the valley,’ said the Dragon. ‘It is quite a journey from here, and then maybe the Centaurs are being held at the far side, which would be another long travel.’
‘Yes, maybe so, but we dare not chance you flying me over there, certainly not until dusk. That will mean another day wasted. At least if I leave now I should be back before nightfall and then we can fly to the next area.’
‘Very well, but if you haven’t returned by dark I will come and find you.’ Shaun smiled and nodded as he slipped back into the shroud and set off, heading towards the valley which he could just about see in the distance. The huge sun was shining down out of an open blue sky with only a few fluffy, white clouds rolling gently by, so he floated merrily onward. Below, the forest canopy gleamed brightly in the sun’s golden shafts of sunlight, creating a serene, magical atmosphere. The time passed by swiftly as his mind wandered aimlessly on this pleasant journey, and he was soon approaching the valley. It stretched across the full length of the area with wooded cliffs either side, and at the top an inclined dirt track leading down to the bottom of the valley on each side.
He hovered a moment above the valley. He could see this had been the perfect home to the Centaurs, with caves set in the wooded cliffs and tracks giving them access to both sides. Continuing on, the landscape on this side was very different with open meadows awash with beautiful, brightly coloured flowers and areas of lush green pastures with meandering rivers and streams; along the outer fringe was a steep, rugged mountain range cloaked in thick vegetation and an abundance of large cave entrances running along the base.
As he floated up towards the top he could see dozens of armed Centaurs in combat, their swords flashing in the bright sunlight, and others with bows and arrows firing at rows of targets standing up against the mountainside. As he drew closer he could see several Dark Wizard guards watching over them; one of the caves had an iron gate across the entrance with two guards standing chatting outside. So he floated down and through the iron gate to find a large cavern which had been converted into a prison, split up into twenty or more cells. As his eyes acclimatised to the dim light he could see that all the cells were empty, apart from one which contained a lone Centaur. There was no sign of any guards, but the cell door was secured with a heavy chain and lock. Looking through the bars he could see the pain and despair on the Centaur’s face: he was squatted down, his shoulders drooping and his head slightly bowed, a truly pitiful sight for such a strong, fearsome warrior.
Shaun glanced around, making sure they were alone, and slipped out of the shroud. ‘Are you okay?’ he said in a soft, friendly tone. ‘I have come to help you and your families. The Great Wizard has sent me.’ Slowly the Centaur raised his head. He looked bewildered as he blinked his eyes, thinking maybe he was imagining this strange, tiny being peering through the bars. ‘You have come to help us? The Great Wizard has sent you to overpower the guards?’ He shook his head. ‘Is this some sort of trick, some sort of test? Well, you can go and tell The Great Wizard he is too late.’
‘This is no trick. I have come to help. I have already spoken to one of the Fairy workers on the other side of the valley and I have seen all your families working in the sweltering forge over there: the sooner we free them, the better.’ That seemed to register a glimmer of hope. He staggered to his feet and approached the bars. ‘How could you possibly free us? The guards are all heavily armed and our warriors are too afraid to turn against them, so they have threatened they will slaughter us and all our families. We could never chance that happening.’
‘I have a plan. I am armed with strong, magical powers bestowed on me by the Great Wizard and I have the God Thor’s magic hammer which can destroy anything that stands in my way, but first of all I need to visit the other three areas so that they are all prepared, so that I can free each of you in a single operation. But I must ask what happened to the Great Wizard’s portal: he could not make contact with you.’ ‘We do not know. It was originally sighted in the Dwarfs’ area but I have no idea what happened to it. We have not seen them since the guards arrived, but tell me how can you possibly even visit the other three areas, let alone free them all without the guards carrying out their threat?’
‘You do not need to worry about that. I am not alone. I have flown here with a Dragon and he will carry me to each area once the operation is underway. We will start at the Dwarfs’ area and work our way down. You will be the last but you must prepare the others and be ready to overpower the guards. I will free your families and imprison the guards over there; at the same time the Dragon will fly over this area. Once you see him, attack the guards. You must spring into action and overpower them and put them in these cells. But tell me, why are your warriors fighting each other with swords and others shooting arrows at the targets?’
The Centaur shook his head sadly. ‘The guards have told us they intend to hold our families hostage so that we must travel with them to fight against the Great Wizard and his army. We would never want to do that, but with our families’ lives at risk we would have no choice.’
‘Yes, I can see that but don’t worry, it will not be long before you are reunited. Just make sure you are all prepared. I must leave you now. I am going to speak with the Fairy warriors. What is your name? I will need to know so I can tell your families I have spoken to you and gain their trust.’ The Centaur hesitated for a moment, still not quite sure whether to believe him. ‘I suppose I have no choice but to trust you. My name is Cabura, I am their leader and that is why I’m in this cell alone separated from my warriors. The guards have told them if they don’t fully cooperate, they will kill me.’
‘Yes, I believe you. The Dark Wizard is all evil. He will stoop to the most disgusting depths to assert his power to control others. That is why we must band together to defeat him.’ He threw a reassuring smile before stepping back inside the shroud and disappearing.
Back at the cave, the Dragon was pleased to see him, as the sun was low in the sky and she knew it wouldn’t be long before it disappeared and darkness closed in. Shaun explained what he had discovered while he grabbed a quick snack, and then they set off just as the sun faded and the area was flooded with the evening shadows and a strong wind. Luckily it was blowing up the mountain range, helping them on their way as they disappeared into the eerie half-light.
The Dragon stayed as close as she could in the shadows of the mountainside as the emerging stars lit up the evening sky, creating a dazzling, starry canopy which would have surely exposed them to any watching guar
d. Shaun was just enjoying the ride, although the gentle breeze was cool as it caressed his face. Just the serenity of his surroundings seemed to calm his inner feelings.
They were soon crossing over the border and the Dragon come to rest on one of the many projecting ledges on the mountainside. Although the moon had now appeared overhead, the breeze increased, sending dark clouds across, giving them periods of cover. As there were still several hours until dawn, they decided to investigate the whole area. They waited until a large bank of clouds blocked out the light and then they set off. The landscape below was perfect Fairy country: undulating clusters of green hillocks and mounds with gentle valleys and pathways entwined. The area was separated by a beautiful, sparkling silver stream meandering down through the tranquil landscape, and on the other side of the stream a majestic castle with four turrets stood proudly perched on a raised embankment overlooking the whole area. Nearby was a large Fairy ring with wooden tables and chairs around the inner perimeter, and in the centre an elevated platform obviously created for the Fairies’ entertainment. Shaun knew they loved to dance and make merry. The remainder of the area at the bottom was covered in a carpet of a lush green meadow, and as the moon broke through the clouds they could see clusters of coloured flowers which glittered in the moonbeam, another magical area which the Great Wizard had created for the Fairies and their families. They found a large cave on the mountainside overlooking the castle and settled down for the remainder of the night: a superb vantage point.
War in Colgilor Page 3
