Dragon's Teeth: An Alex Rogers Adventure (Ranger Book 2)

by Charles Lamb

  Without a word, one dwarf took the lead with Alex following. Behind him, Cassie, Abrianna, and Leander followed with the other dwarf trailing the group. Kinsey planted herself at Alex’s side, sniffing at both dwarves as if to ensure their identity.

  Entering the same cavern as before, Alex was surprised to see so many dwarves in the traveling party. He had expected a few to act as guides, however there was a good dozen of the King’s men and all were armed to the teeth.

  “Are we expecting trouble?” Leander whispered to Alex, who replied with a shrug.

  “Ah, here at last!” King Teivel declared as they entered the chamber. His statement had none of the sarcasm that the others had displayed. With nothing more to say, Teivel turned and started down the tunnel on the far side of the cavern.

  “Not one for small talk,” Alex commented as they followed behind the leaders. The four found themselves in the middle of the column of dwarves as they headed deeper into the mountains. Interspaced throughout the group were torches, lit for the benefit of the humans, Alex was sure.

  What surprised him was the lack of grumbling amongst the dwarves as they progressed along the winding tunnels deep in the Northern Mountains. Unlike their previous experiences with dwarves, this group included, these dwarves were not complaining about every insignificant inconvenience they encountered.

  Alex and Leander had heard King Brokkr’s men complain about the torches, carrying the torches, and why they even needed torches in their encounter in Two Thorns. If he did not know any better, Alex would suspect that they were headed into a fight.

  They had been traveling for several hours before Teivel called for a rest stop. Alex had been keeping tabs on both Cassie and Abrianna, insuring that the two were not overly taxed by the pace. He was happy to see that both were reasonably wearied, but still more than capable of continuing the trek.

  After a brief rest, they returned to follow the tunnel, taking the occasional branch as chosen by the lead dwarf. By Alex’s reckoning, it was well past midnight when the King called a halt. The tunnel they were following had widened slightly beyond the width of a single dwarf, allowing the group to spread out a little.

  It seemed to Alex that the dwarves built their tunnels to accommodate a width of little more than one dwarf. Fortunately for him, the height of the passage was tall enough for the shorter dwarves to swing a pickaxe overhead.

  By now, the dwarves had spread out along the length of the tunnel opening, providing for a length of tunnel specifically for the humans to stretch out to sleep. They had left two torches with Alex and Leander, and then extinguished the others as they settled in.

  “Alex, is it just me or are these dwarves hiding something?” Cassie whispered as the four closed in to talk privately. Kinsey had decided to curl up in the middle of the tunnel next to her human companions.

  “They are certainly being uncharacteristically cooperative,” Abrianna added.

  “Cooperative?” Alex replied with a tone of sarcasm.

  “Have you ever known dwarves to be so considerate as to carry our supplies for us?” Leander asked while pointing to the additional water and bedding for the women, dropped in place upon their arrival. It had been a surprise to all.

  “OK, so you have a point, but what could they be hiding?” Alex asked.

  “I don’t know and that’s what worries me,” Cassie replied.

  By this time, there was a solid snoring from both sides of the tunnel as the dwarves had apparently nodded off. With nothing more to discuss, the four took Kinsey’s example and settled down to sleep.

  ----*----

  Captain Yeagars set sail early the morning following the Lord Protector’s departure. All activities he performed the night before marked his last obligation here. While he was told the nearby vessels were now allies, he needed to see more proof before he believed it. The sunlight had barely touched the tops of the masts when he had the crew make sail north, intending to return to Nyland as instructed.

  With the main party accompanying the Lord Protector ashore, his only passengers were the mermaid twins, who remained aboard for the return trip north. Although they had proven themselves valuable over the last few days in particular, the superstitions of the crew remained strong. Yeagars was just happy the cruise to Nyland was a short trip.

  The Lord Protector had left Yeagars and the others with a specific set of instructions, to be followed once they had reached Nyland. The captain was used to the unusual behaviors of the man, him being of a wizardly sort, but these were the craziest yet. Thankfully it had all been written out for him to follow, should anyone question the accuracy of the requests.

  As the helmsman guided the ship out into deeper water, farther from shore, he scanned the horizon for signs of danger. He was less concerned about pirates these days and far more worried about the beasts that lay beneath the waves. Since taking command of Cassie’s Quest, he had experienced more encounters with Sea Dragons than in a lifetime of sailing.

  To compound his concerns, their previous survival had been achieved due to a resource that was no longer aboard. With the magic of the Lord Protector no longer available to them, his only hope was the few fire glass tipped spears the wizard had fashioned for them before leaving. Hardly an equal trade, but he had to be satisfied with the gesture.

  “Steady as she goes,” Yeagars said absently to the sailor at the helm, as he corrected from the northwesterly track to one due north.

  “Aye sir,” the man replied.

  Yeagars couldn’t help but note the nervousness in the man’s reply.

  ----*----

  It was at the end of the third day of their trek that Alex learned what the dwarves had been hiding. Well, hiding probably wasn’t the best description, more like withholding. The group had continued to travel for anywhere from fourteen to sixteen hours a day, with short breaks interjected. By his estimate, they had to have traveled a good one hundred twenty miles underground.

  As everyone was settling in for the night, King Teivel made an uncharacteristic appearance.

  “So Wizard, how are you faring? Not tired from schlepping all over the place?” the dwarf asked as he entered the glow of the torches the humans used.

  Alex indicated the dwarf should sit, and watched as the king dropped in place next to him.

  “Look, I don’t want to be a nudnik, but we have a bissel tsuris ahead. I don’t want to be treger fun shlekht nayes, but it seems the tunnel that takes us directly to Gundor Stronghold has been hijacked by a gonif,” the King replied casually.

  Alex stared at the dwarf for a moment, not sure how to reply. Finally, he turned to Abrianna, with a pleading look on his face.

  “He needs help, something is blocking the tunnel ahead, I think,” she replied

  “It’s a real shtunk of a Lindworm, actually might be more than one. It’s going to take more than a zetz to remove them,” the King added.

  Alex was beginning to smell a rat. It wasn’t likely that a Lindworm had just moved into the tunnels while they had been traveling. There must also be something there as he was sure the dwarves could have cut a new route to the stronghold, bypassing the Lindworm, long ago.

  “Why can’t we go around?” Cassie asked, apparently on the same thought as Alex.

  “Look bubbele, you can go around, but that will add days to the trip. You are in a hurry, and this is the fastest way, fershtay?”

  “Ok, so you need me to convince the Lindworms to leave. What else are you not telling me?” Alex asked directly, tired of dancing around the issue.

  “Well there might be a bissel of gold nearby,” the king replied softly.

  “Alex, a Lindworm is a type of dragon,” Cassie added, pointing to the significance of a dragon family blocking the only tunnel into Gundor.

  “How are dragons getting in and out without using these tunnels?” Leander asked, looking as if he suddenly realized they might be blocking the path to the sea.

  “There is an underground river that passes th
rough the tunnel there. We were working the find there a few weeks ago when they suddenly appeared and drove us out. I don’t want to sound like an alter kocker, but the mine is all fershlugginer since they arrived.”

  “So you have been planning this all along! You needed Alex to chase off the Lindworms for you!” Cassie snapped at the dwarf.

  “Listen sheyna punim, your promises of dragon gold were bupkis, but helping us reclaim the mine is a metsia!”

  Alex sighed as he listened to the exchange. He should have considered that Tantalus would be aware of the dwarf tunnels and post guards to protect his back. He did a quick mental inventory of dragon lethal weapons on hand; he was thankful they had brought the spear along, but knew they were woefully short.

  “Ok, let’s move on. Tell me everything you know about Lindworms,” Alex asked the assembled group. For the next few hours, the party discussed their next move, before finally settling in on a plan of attack. With that, everyone separated to try to get some rest.

  “Alex, do you think we can do this?” Cassie whispered as she lay next to him in the dark.

  “Oh, sure,” he replied, trying to sound more positive than he was.

  ----*----

  Kelby and Leena were working the main room of the Drowning Man, gathering as much information as they could from the patrons there. They had been there since Captain Yeagars had put them ashore shortly after anchoring in the harbor in Nyland. Kelby had found it humorous that they provided a boat to ferry the twins ashore rather than making them swim the short distance.

  Leena had expressed her gratitude at not having to enter the cold water, while Kelby had simply kissed the Captain’s cheek as a daughter might do to a loving father. The flustered man nodded shyly in reply as he escorted the two to the rope ladder draped over a railing.

  There had been several sailors sent ashore at the same time, each with a specific mission of their own. She had no idea as to what they were up to; they didn’t offer and she didn’t ask. Once they hit the docks, each went their own way.

  Since their return to Nyland, neither twin had seen any of the Gundor guards, as they had before. There were rumors aplenty however, all suggesting that the Vassal King and his guest were at odds over some arrangement they had struck. Merchant’s employees, who delivered supplies to the stronghold, reported a very tense atmosphere between the guards of Gundor and the armsmen of House Drakon.

  It would soon be time for the twins to head out, per the plan outlined before Alex’s departure with the dwarves, but they still needed a way in. The thought of the wizard gave her a sense of desire she had felt for no man before. Were it not for her growing respect for Cassie, she would consider taking a shot at stealing the man from her.

  Putting that thought aside, she began wandering the floor, looking for likely targets who could add to their knowledge of Gundor and provide access to the stronghold.

  ----*----

  Tantalus was coming to the end of his patience. He had been forced to flee the west, barely escaping before the minions of King Ben of Great Vale had cornered him in Tazmain. He had been fortunate enough to connect with the Red Dragon as she was fending off the rescue attempt.

  Now, holed up in the freezing north east, teasingly close to the lands promised him by the inept Prince Renfeld, he had another idiot to deal with. The Vassal King had taken him in as an ally in support of his own ambitions. Tantalus was discovering Renfeld had promised a great many things to a great many people in the north.

  He was now trading his dragon’s protection from dwarves and southerners for a safe haven from the magical upstart that was intent on rescuing Lady Amelia. The problem was the Vassal King seemed to have a neverending list of demands tied to that sanctuary.

  In an effort to bring the insanity to an end, Tantalus had sent word to the King of the Dark Elves, requesting assistance in ending his pursuers and permitting him to release his dragons. If they supported his claim, he could regain the fame and power his family lost in the last war.

  Until he received a reply, he was tied to the Vassal King and his stupidity.

  ----*----

  Alex and Leander led the small group into the area where the tunnel widened. As King Teivel had described, the area was broad and flat with pillars intermingled in an uneven spacing where the dwarves chose to leave supports for the ceiling. The ceiling was not much higher than the tunnel they had entered from, making it impossible for Alex to perform an overhead swing of his sword should the need arise.

  He could just make out the river that sprouted from the wall to his right and crossed the room, to disappear on his left. The openings on either side of the chamber where the water passed through were as tall as a man, and twice as wide. Alex hoped that didn’t indicate the size of the Lindworms that used the river as their personal road to the sea. He could see markings in the dirt on this side of the river where the serpents had disturbed the soil as they moved.

  Alex had been gently summoning the free energy around them to power the glowing sphere hanging above their heads that illuminated their path. Its glow was bright enough to cut through the darkness and give the humans a good view of the area around them in all directions. On his left, Cassie had Alex’s elf bow with a fire glass tipped arrow at the ready, while Leander had the fire glass spear. Alex had his sword out as well, the black leather grip warm in his hand.

  King Teivel and his two dwarves, on Alex’s right, all carried double-bitted battle axes, and without the need of Alex’s light, had wandered wide to the outer edge of the chamber. It had been decided earlier that flooding this chamber with bodies would do little to aid their cause. As such, the remainder of their party held back in the tunnel, waiting. Kinsey was not at all pleased at being left behind, but Abrianna was able to coax her to stay.

  The dwarf king had explained earlier that the weapons they carried had not been completely ineffective on the Lindworms in previous encounters, inflicting some damage. However, they had been unable to deliver a lethal blow, while the Lindworms had eaten several of his subjects. In addition, the poison they produced was toxic on contact. Fortunately, they didn’t spit poison, you had to come in contact with the mouth of the creature, something Alex hoped to avoid.

  In that regard, Alex was unsure if his elf sword would do much better than the dwarf axe. The only successfully tested weapon they had among them were the fire glass tipped arrows and spear. He was also prepared to create shields and fire lances, the latter successful against the Sea Dragon, but with limited amounts of free energy, he would need to draw on his inner reserves.

  Motioning for the others to halt, Alex moved out into the center of the cavern, using his senses as much as his eyes, trying to discern the slightest movement. His effort was unnecessary, as two sets of red glowing eyes appeared across the river, reflecting the light from above. Emerging from the darkness were two huge Lindworms, with heads as tall as Alex.

  As they came forward into the light, he could see a large numbers of coils behind the heads, indicating a substantial body. It was only the low cavern ceiling that prevented the serpents from raising high overhead. Both dragons halted at the edge of the stream that split the room.

  “Well, we found them,” Alex said absently as he took a step back, glancing at the others. From the look on Cassie’s face, he confirmed his suspicion that he wasn’t the only one surprised at their size.

  He jumped at the sudden outburst from his right.

  “ATTACK!” screamed King Teivel, as he charged the pair of serpents with axe overhead, his two men close behind.

  “Oh dear god,” Alex said absently as he watched the dwarves charge forward.

  Chapter 23

  Captain Yeagars had received word from the two mermaids that they had located a willing merchant to take them to Gundor. He asked no questions on how they had convinced the man; he just delivered the supplies they would be taking with them. Besides the two flying horses, there was a third packhorse that would be required.

  It
had taken him some time and effort to acquire all the materials on the Lord Protector’s list, and in the necessary quantities. For certain items, they had to travel inland to visit farms now well past harvest with the coming winter. They had been only too happy to sell whatever they had available, the necessary items unneeded until next spring.

  Yeagars had been forced to go to the local Alchemist for the final item on his list. That worked out well as he was able to contract with the man to complete the Lord Protector’s instructions. While appearing to question Yeagars’ sanity, as the Alchemist had never received such a request, he nonetheless followed the written instructions precisely and packaged the items as required.

  The Captain had no idea what the Lord Protector intended to do with the things the Alchemist delivered, but he was relieved to hear the mermaids were ready to leave. Once all was put ashore, there was nothing for Yeagars and his crew to do but wait.

  ----*----

  Kelby and Leena were each astride one of the flying horses, following the merchant’s last wagon as it headed up the road to Gundor Stronghold. There were three wagons total, all containing supplies intended for the castle kitchens. Kelby had attached their packhorse to the last wagon, letting it act as guide while the inexperienced riders followed.

  Her riding experience with Leander and Abrianna had given her a small idea of what to expect, but both she and her sister just allowed the horses to go where they pleased. Fortunately, that seemed just fine with the mounts, as they never wandered from the trail.

  The wagon train had left at first light with the expectation of reaching Gundor before nightfall. It was tradition that they would spend the night inside the castle, and return to Nyland the following morning. That worked just fine for the twins’ needs.

  ----*----