War in Colgilor

by Colin Gibbons

  A wry smile spread across Shaun’s face. ‘Yes, I know that but have I got a surprise for you and your families. See this amulet: it was given to me by Thor himself. It possesses great power. It is a long story but the Dwarfs who carried the legendary weapons to the Gods were released from that infliction so that they and all their families and future offspring could enjoy the warmth of the sun. I said I wished my Dwarf friends back on the other side of Colgilor could enjoy the same pleasure, and he granted my wish and went further, saying all the Dwarfs who join the Great Wizard in his fight against evil have the same blessing.’

  The two Dwarfs looked at each other and both gasped out. ‘But how could that happen? It would be the greatest gift we could wish for, but how?’

  Shaun stepped up close, laid out his arm and closed his eyes. The Dwarfs looked in bewilderment and awe as the amulet started to light up, and a golden spray floated out and circled around and around the amulet. ‘One at a time,’ Shaun said, ‘place your hand on the amulet.’ Again the Dwarfs glanced at each before one of them tentatively put his hand through the spray and gripped the amulet. He sighed out loud as a deep, warm sensation passed through his body. His eyes misted over as he let go and was filled with a strange yet wonderful inner cleansing. He couldn’t speak: he was overcome with euphoria but he managed to smile and nod to the other Dwarf, and he went through the same magical procedure. ‘Right,’ said Shaun, ‘could you speak with the others?’

  They moved away out of earshot of Shaun and spoke quietly for several minutes before returning. ‘We don’t want to sound ungrateful or risk the wrath of Thor, but would it be possible for one of us to venture outside so we can tell them we have experienced this miracle. It is fine for us to do this, but what would happen if all the warriors went outside only to be turned into stone? Our families would be left on their own.’ Shaun studied a while. ‘Very well, I can take one of you inside my shroud and take you out of sight of the guards so you can step into the sunlight. Then I will bring you back and you can tell the others.’

  The smallest of the Dwarfs stepped forward. ‘Take me. I can see the shroud is quite small. My friend here’s stomach would be sticking out.’ Shaun chuckled out loud: it was good to see even after all they had been through that they still had a sense of humour. He rolled out the shroud and slipped it over the Dwarf before joining him inside. The other Dwarf looked on, shaking his head in disbelief as they disappeared.

  They didn’t have to travel very far to the side of one of the smaller mountains and they landed in the shade out of sight of the guards. Shaun stepped out first to make sure before the Dwarf joined him. Above their heads the first rays of early morning sunlight were beginning to brush the mountain tops. They waited a while, with Shaun trying to encourage the Dwarf. He stepped out of the shadows and a huge, contented smile crossed his face as he looked up, taking a deep breath as a gentle breeze wafted the warm air over his body. He glanced over to the Dwarf, waving him forward. Understandably the Dwarf didn’t respond: he was filled with fear, a feeling Dwarfs never experience in a lifetime, but this was so different to any battle he had encountered mentally and physically.

  After several minutes he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and moved tentatively away from the shadows, and as soon as the warmth engulfed his body his eyes shot open, with his head spinning from side to side and his body bursting with a combination of excitement, elation and disbelief. He grabbed Shaun up in his arms and spun him around and around, trying desperately to contain his urge to scream out loud. Finally, after several body-crushing minutes he put Shaun down and stood in silence, staring up at the huge, golden ball above while Shaun rubbed his aching limbs, checking nothing was broken.

  The Dwarf looked at Shaun. ‘Never have I experienced such happiness. We had ceased wishing for this day: we just thought we would continue in the darkness for the rest of our lives. I can’t wait to tell the others, and you can rest assured we will happily give our lives in this battle against the evil ones if it means our future offspring can live in peace in the warmth of the sun.’ He lunged forward again, arms outstretched, but Shaun jumped back. ‘Please, I can feel your joy and I am so glad I can pass this on to all the Dwarfs in Colgilor, but I’d prefer it if you restrained from showing your gratitude. You Dwarfs don’t realise how strong you are.’ The Dwarf was struggling to contain his euphoria as he stepped back into the shroud and they headed back to the cave.

  The other Dwarf cried out with glee as Shaun and his friend reappeared. He didn’t have to ask the question: he could see the beaming smile on his face. ‘How was it?’ he spluttered excitedly. ‘Was it as magical as we all hoped and assumed it could be?’

  He shook his head. ‘So much better: words just can’t describe the feeling. You will have to experience it for yourself, but let us go and break this miracle to the others.’

  ‘Oh, before we do that,’ Shaun said, ‘I must ask a favour. It was my intention once the operation started as I freed each area that I would send the warriors and their families through a portal I have brought with me back to the Great Wizard’s cave. But having thought more deeply, I realise I might struggle on my own, as some of the areas hold hostages in a separate location so there are three sets of guards to take care of. So if four of you travel with me and the Dragon it would make things a lot easier.’

  ‘That will be an honour as well as a small repayment for your bravery in risking your life for strangers. I see now why the Great Wizard has put his trust in you.’

  Shaun smiled awkwardly. He was a modest person deep down and struggled to handle praise, but he was quietly relieved at his answer. ‘I will now go over to speak with your families and return before dusk so we can start taking over the area. It will give you time to talk to the other warriors and select the other two who will travel with us back over to free your families.’ He stepped into the shroud but paused for a moment.

  ‘I’ve just had a thought: would one of you be missed if you came with me now?’

  The two Dwarfs looked at each other. ‘No, I doubt very much the guards will ever enter the cells, but if they do, they certainly wouldn’t miss one of us.’

  ‘Good,’ replied Shaun. ‘You can remain over there with your families just as a precaution until we travel over with the Dragon.’

  ‘It will have to be me again. There was just enough room for me and your rucksack in our last trip.’ He grabbed his sword and gave his friend a hug before climbing in alongside Shaun. He smiled and nodded as Shaun pulled the shroud up and they were gone.

  The sun was high in the sky as they set off, and the rays pierced the thinning clouds, brushing the mountainous landscape and illuminating the wild flowers and shrubs. The Dwarf gasped in wonderment: this was an experience he or any of his families had never witnessed. The beauty of the area lit up in a truly magical aura: how he longed for the others to see this. Finally they approached the mountain range on the other side and could see four guards outside one of the caves. They were laughing and chatting merrily away as Shaun steered the shroud past them and through the metal gates. The Dwarf was seething with anger and fury at the sight of the families in such squalor; they looked so forlorn and unrecognisable from the happy, chirpy community before the guards arrived. He scanned the cave and pointed over to family at the far side and Shaun floated over to them; the female was comforting two youngsters.

  ‘Demar,’ he whispered, ‘don’t call out: it is me, Duball. I am invisible; I will explain later. I shall show myself but first you must go round all the other families and tell them not to make a noise when I do, as the guards are standing outside.’ Shaun smiled to himself just to see how her face lit up as though someone had flicked a switch; her eyes changed from narrow and lifeless to bright and twinkling. She jumped up and with her two youngsters proceeded to wander slowly around the cave, chatting to each of the families. ‘Once she returns you step out of the shroud. I’ll head back to the other side: just be ready for my return.’ As soon as they arrived back
he stepped out, and in unison all the families sat up and sighed quietly. Shaun waited to enjoy the response from his family as they wrapped their arms around him, tears streaming down all their faces, and Shaun wiped away a tear as he floated out of the cave.

  He travelled back over to join the Dragon, and after a quick snack they stood close to the cave entrance, looking down on the mountainside below. There were no guards outside the prison, just the two stationed outside the cave housing the portal. But as the sun darkened on its journey towards the horizon, heralding the onset of twilight, four guards emerged from a cave further up from the prison. Two of them walked down to the prison gates, and the other two walked up to the two guards outside the portal cave and swapped over. Shaun realised the four must have been resting and were now taking up their positions for the night. He watched as the two, relieved of their post, stood several minutes chatting before turning and walking down to the cave and disappearing inside. That made Shaun have a rethink. Now there were three caves to tackle and he decided he had better check out that third cave to see how many guards were in there before freeing the warriors. After telling the Dragon to wait until she saw Shaun and the three warriors overpower the guards outside before swooping down to join them, he slipped inside the shroud and floated down towards the third cave.

  He was somewhat relieved when he saw there were only the two guards inside. They were sitting at a table having refreshments, and there were a dozen or so beds lined up against the back wall. He turned and left the cave and flew along to the prison and through the gates. He smiled as he could see the change in the warriors. Their faces were so much brighter: they were chatting quietly and the whole atmosphere had changed from morbid and despondent to jovial. They had gathered at the far end of the cave away from the entrance, out of earshot of the guards outside awaiting his return. And when he stepped out of the shroud they all moved towards him, their arms outstretched, wanting to embrace this brave soul that had come to rescue them. Luckily the Dwarf he had spoken to earlier calmed them down. ‘Just be patient and let him speak.’ He turned to Shaun. ‘Is Duball with our families?’

  ‘Yes, he is over there reunited with Demar and all the other families. Have you explained to the warriors what is happening?’

  He nodded his head as he turned to the others. ‘They are all ready to do whatever you command. They have all volunteered to travel with you, but I have chosen the other two you asked for, but would it not be better if more of our warriors helped free the other areas?’

  Shaun shook his head. ‘Of course that would be ideal but this is a delicate operation. If we just attacked each area in numbers it is possible that the guards could be alerted and carry out their orders from the Dark Wizard to slaughter your families. My plan is to enter each area one by one and arrange for both sides of the area to be freed at the same time, making it impossible for the alarm to be raised.’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ said the Dwarf. ‘You have everything planned, just tell us what to do now.’ He turned to the others and waved his hand, and two of them stepped forward. ‘These are the two I’ve chosen: what happens to the rest?’

  Shaun rolled up his sleeve, revealing the amulet, and took the portal out of his rucksack. ‘This is a portal which will take you through to the Great Wizard’s cave. Once you have held the amulet and felt the warm sensation pass through your bodies, walk through and wait for the arrival of your families.’ He waited until they formed an orderly queue before closing his eyes and stretching out his arm. There was a gasp amongst the warriors as the amulet lit up and the golden spray floated out, circling around and around the amulet.

  The two volunteers headed the queue, and as they grasped the amulet they sighed out loud and a huge smile crossed their faces as they felt the inner pleasure. They stood to one side, ushering the others forward. The queue took it in turns to experience this magical transformation before stepping through the portal. After the last one had disappeared through, Shaun spent several minutes going over his plan while enjoying a snack from his rucksack. He unfolded the shroud, and he and the smallest Dwarf stepped inside and they disappeared.

  As instructed, the two remaining Dwarfs waited for several minutes before creeping over to the gate at the entrance which had been unlocked by Shaun as he passed through. Slowly and quietly they opened the gate and cautiously peered outside to see the two guards sitting down, their backs propped up against the wall, chattering away. They hardly moved a muscle as the two Dwarfs appeared, brandishing their swords, and were quickly overpowered and dragged back inside. Meanwhile, Shaun was waiting outside the portal cave. As soon as he saw the Dwarfs overpower the guards he and the other Dwarf stepped out of the shroud. The guards were slumped in their chair dozing, both their swords propped up against the wall. Shaun moved their swords out of reach before shaking them awake. The Dwarf moved up close, his sword raised above their heads. ‘One sound and it will be your last.’ The guards froze as they looked on in disbelief as Shaun closed his eyes and pointed his ring finger towards them, and suddenly their hands were behind their backs, securely shackled.

  Even the Dwarf shook his head in wonderment as he smiled at Shaun before escorting the two guards down to the entrance of the third cave, their sleeping quarters, where they were joined by the other two Dwarfs. They stood outside for a moment before drawing their swords, opening the gate and pushing their two prisoners in front of them into the cave. The two guards inside leapt to their feet and grabbed their swords. They glanced at each other, as the three muscular warriors moved menacingly forward; realising they would be no match in a fight, they threw down their weapons and were quickly tied up. The four prisoners were marched off down to the prison cave to be locked up with the other two guards.

  Meanwhile, Shaun pondered outside, quickly going over his plan to destroy the portal. He knew any delay inside could give the Dark Wizard time to counteract, so he had to move quickly and decisively. He took a deep breath, his stomach churning with anticipation as he closed his eyes and pointed his ring finger towards the huge, ornate doors, but there was no sound. He waited a moment or two before opening his eyes and sighed with despair as the doors remained firmly closed. He tried again, and to his surprise the beam from the ring suddenly widened, covering the whole of the doors, and the Great Wizard’s face appeared. ‘Don’t be alarmed, Shaun, you are doing so well. I have followed your progress but be very careful. You will need to use your hammer to break down the doors and break the Dark Wizard’s spell, and once inside you need to move fast as the Dark Wizard will be alerted once the security of the cave is breached. You will only have a short time to destroy the portal before the Dark Wizard and his guards flood through. Once you have achieved that, he and his army will set off to regain this land so you will have two, maybe three, days before they arrive.’

  ‘Thank you,’ replied Shaun. ‘I know now what I must do, but there is one thing I have been thinking about. Once the last of the warriors and their families have gone through the portal, shall I destroy it before I fly back with the Dragon, or should I hide the portal somewhere in case we need to return later?’

  ‘No, we will not wish to return there, but there is no need for you to fly back. Both of you just come through the portal. I will be able to destroy it once you have returned. Now continue with your plan and remember you have power of Thor with you, which is so much greater than anything the Dark Wizard can conjure up. I will see you when you return.’ His face crinkled into a warm smile before he disappeared.

  Although those words filled him with confidence, he moved forward cautiously, taking the hammer from its pouch. He hesitated for a moment before striking the door with one mighty blow: there was a strange, eerie, grinding sound, and as if in slow motion both doors collapsed inwardly. And in a split second Shaun was scrambling over them into the cave. He sprinted forward with the portal and its protective glass screen in his sights, and as he smashed his hammer against the screen it shattered into tiny pieces. But to his horror
the mist swirling over the surface the portal slowly cleared to reveal the figure of the Dark Wizard, his evil dark eyes locked onto Shaun’s. For a moment it threw Shaun off track; he could feel himself sinking into deep relaxation, unable to tear his eyes away from the Dark Wizard, but as the Dark Wizard raised his hand, about to cast some kind of spell, Shaun snapped out of it, shook his head and smashed the hammer down against the portal. There was a loud growl of rage from the Dark Wizard as his face slowly fragmented and the portal fell to the floor in splinters. Whether it was the Great Wizard’s intervention or Shaun’s strong willpower he wasn’t sure, but he was just so relieved. He turned and raced out of the cave and down to join the Dwarfs.

  They were waiting patiently, hoping he would be successful, but in their hearts they had serious doubts, and when he entered the cave they couldn’t contain their delight. All three of them grabbed Shaun, nearly suffocating him. ‘Please,’ he gasped, ‘put me down before you squeeze the life out of me. I think I am in more danger here than I was up there with the Dark Wizard!’ ‘What happened?’ said one of the Dwarfs. ‘Have you destroyed the portal? Did you see him?’ Shaun was trying to get his breath back before turning to leave. ‘Come, we must hurry. I will tell you later. First we must go and rescue your families.’ They followed him out of the cave.

  Above their heads the moon was high, and the air thick and heavy with only a stiffening breeze nudging the odd dark cloud across the open sky. They didn’t have to wait long for the Dragon to fly down from its cave and land close by. The three Dwarfs looked on in a combination of wonderment and trepidation. Their relationship with Dragons was strained to say the least; their ancestors had a major dispute, and it had been passed down through the generations not to trust them. But as it lay down to allow Shaun to climb on-board they looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. They may not have trusted the Dragon, but had every faith in Shaun, so one by one they clambered up behind him. And as they set off, soaring up through the clouds, they all had huge smiles on their faces; it was so exhilarating and it filled them with confidence to tackle the guards and free their families, and of course the other three areas.