by Clark Graham
When the morning came and the sun was trying to force its way through the trees, Emily got up. She had only managed to doze off once or twice during the night, so she was very tired. She had decided to follow the sun. Her father had taught her where the sun came up and where the sun set. If she followed the morning sun and then had her back to the afternoon sun, she figured that she would be going in the right direction at least. She then set out to find the Dwarves.
After a few hours of walking through the dense woods, she came upon a trail through the forest. This could be good, as it might lead to the mountains, or it could be bad, depending on who, or what, she met in the woods along the trail. Emily hoped for the best and started following the trail. It was made of smooth dry dirt and was wide enough so the Emily would not b scratched by the branches on the way by. Her progress was much improved and she even found a small berry patch. She ate all that was there. It didn't stop her hunger but it eased it a little.
Sitting down from time to time to take small naps, off to the side of the trail, Emily was starting to feel better. Her water was running low, but she didn't trust the small streams that she found, every once in a while, running across her path. The water looked dirty, and she thought it might make her sick.
When the sun started going down, she decided to continue on. She knew she was not going to get much rest anyway. While walking, the insects seemed to leave her alone and the foot trail was wide enough to make her way, even in the darkness.
It wasn't long after the sun set that she rounded a corner and was met by a battle-axe- wielding Dwarf.
The Camp of the Dwarves
"Halt, who goes there?" a deep voice called out.
Emily almost giggled when she saw this man that was barely bigger than she was standing there. He had a helmet on, with a long, dark brown beard coming out the bottom of it. The only thing between the helmet and the beard were a pair of deep set eyes and a very large nose. Of course, it was not polite to laugh at funny looking people and she supposed the same applied for funny looking, short Dwarves, so she refrained from giggling and answered, "Emily."
"Emily who?" the Dwarf asked.
She was confused, but she thought for a minute and then responded, "Emily, just Emily."
"That was not a proper greeting," he said.
"Oh, sorry," Emily said, thinking that she had forgotten her manners, "hi'"
"Hi?" the Dwarf was indignant, "Groli son of Tharn, at your service," he said with a bow. Then he got up, with his battleaxe still at the ready. "Now that's a proper greeting."
"But I'm just Emily," she said.
He shook his head and then asked, "Why are you trying to enter the Realm of the Dwarves?"
"I'm hungry; can you feed me before you take me to the mines?"
He shook his head again, "Working in the mines is a privilege you have to earn. I hope to be worthy enough to work in the mines someday."
"But I don't want to work in the mines!" she protested.
"Then why did you ask me to take you to the mines?"
"Oh you," she said in frustration. Trying to make sense of this Dwarf wasn't getting her anywhere. "Can you find me some food to eat? And then I'll be on my way."
"On your way? You will not be on your way, you are now my prisoner," he said in a huff.
"Do your feed your prisoners?" she asked.
"Yes, of course we feed our prisoners. We are not barbaric," he said.
"Then please feed me," she pleaded.
Groli lowered his axe. "Very well, follow me," he said and then he turned and headed down the trail. Emily followed behind.
They walked for, what seemed to Emily, a long time. She could see a fire burning in the distance. As they went, Groli would stop to bow at every once in a while. Emily strained her eyes to see a Dwarf positioned behind a tree or a rock. Groli would then walk on. It was scary to realize that the Dwarves were out in force as they must know that the Shadow King's army was on the move. Maybe they too feared an attack. The thought made Emily shutter. Soon they turned the corner and were at the fire Emily had seen in the distance.
Groli walked up to a table. Another Dwarf was standing looking at a map when Groli reported. "I have captured a prisoner. She might be a spy; she wants access to our mines."
The Dwarf looked at Emily. He was a little lighter skinned than the first and had braided light brown hair coming out of the back from under his helmet. He frowned and said, "What have we here, a little girl?"
"Little?" complained Emily, "I'm almost as tall as you are."
The Dwarf smiled, and then gave a slight bow and said, "Tarnic, son of Sedris, at your service."
"Hi, I'm just Emily," she said.
"What brings you to the base of our mountain home?" asked Tarnic.
"Please, Sir, the Shadow King's warriors have burnt down our home and taken my family to his lair. All I want is something to eat and then I will be on my way. I have to rescue my mother and father!" she pleaded.
Tarnic turned to Groli. "She is not a spy; the Shadow King feeds his spies. Get her something to eat and then I want to hear more of her story." Then he turned back to his map.
Groli rushed off, but soon he was back with a roasted rabbit, and some bread and cheese. Emily loved rabbits; she watched them play in her yard. Mother would get mad at them when they ate things out of the garden, but enjoyed watching them with Emily as they ran around and played. She especially loved watching them in the springtime when the young bunnies would appear. She felt a little guilty eating one, but she was so hungry, that she soon got over it. The bread was the best she had ever tasted; it wasn't sweet like her mother’s. It had a hard crust that was buttered and very good. She ate every bit, except for the bones, and then they gave her some cool water to drink. She was very happy.
Tarnic came up to her, "Can you come over to the map and show me where you lived?" he asked. Emily followed him to the table.
"I lived right here," she pointed out. Her father had taught her to use a map of the farm when she was young, so she wouldn't get lost. When she saw the shape of her father's farm on the Dwarf map, it was easy to make out the features.
"Why did you leave?"
"The warriors of the Shadow King took all the farmers that lived in and around these hills," she said while pointing, "They are being taken to his lair. I overheard two of his soldiers say so."
"You walked all the way here? That is a two day walk."
"Yes, I spent the night in the woods. They burned down our home; they were all over the place. The castle is surrounded. I couldn't go that way, and I didn't know what to do."
"Be calm," Tarnic assured her, "you are safe now, we will take you to our mountain in a few days. It is a fortress strong and mighty, and no army has ever made it past the gates."
"But I have to go save my family. I know he has taken them to his lair. I want my family back." Emily was adamant.
"I could not save your family with the entire army that I have on hand. I don't know how one little girl is going to manage that," Tarnic said. "Now go get some rest. I will get Groli to get you some blankets; there is a nice straw mat next to the tree by the fire. You will rest snug and warm tonight.”
Emily smiled and said, "Thank you, you have been very kind to me."
Tarnic smiled, "You are most welcome, Just Emily."
Soon, she was in a bedroll, against the tree, fast asleep.
War plans by the firelight
Emily awoke to the sound of voices. It was still dark and the fire had fresh wood on it. She looked over at the table, where Tarnic had his map spread out. There was a man, standing next to Tarnic. He had dark hair and was tall and strong. He made Tarnic look even shorter. Emily recognized the red lion, the emblem on the man's tunic; it was the King's emblem, the one that his knights wore. She strained to listen to what they were saying.
"How did you get past the Shadow King's warriors, Eric?" asked Tarnic.
Eric responded, "There is a secret tunnel, but we are
not to use it unless we are sure there is no one watching. Since my escape, the enemy has set up a camp right next to the hidden entrance, so I will not be able to return anytime soon."
"How long can you hold out?" Tarnic was looking at him intently.
"We laid up stores for a long siege. We expected the farmers to also flee to the castle. Most made it, but some were captured in the fields, so fast was the enemy’s advance. We know not what has become of those," Eric explained.
"I know what has become of them; they are being taken to the Shadow King's lair," Tarnic said.
"How do you know this?" Eric asked.
"A little girl walked into my camp earlier this evening. She said that her farm was burned and her parents were being taken to the lair."
"Where is this girl?"
Tarnic pointed to where Emily was sleeping. She quickly shut her eyes so they wouldn't know she was awake.
"That does make sense, that he would need more farmers. The farmers he had were turned into soldiers. He can't produce enough food without the farmers. He can't win his war if he does not have soldiers." Eric thought a minute and then said, "I will take the girl with me, when I try and get back into the castle."
"No," said Tarnic. "It will be too dangerous for you to do that. Besides," he paused and then went on, "besides, I have a feeling that she will be more useful here. I can't explain it, it is just a feeling."
Emily peeked over to the table, but the two of them were still looking her way so she clamped her eyes shut again.
"Can they breach the walls?” Tarnic asked.
"They do not have anything that can breach our walls, and it will take time for them to build siege weapons. They have to send their soldiers to the edge of the woods to get wood to build towers, ladders, and catapults, but my men ambush these wood gathering parties. If they send too many men, then they risk our army coming out of the castle to attack; too few and they are ambushed. How long until you have enough of your warriors gathered together to attack the enemy and lift the siege?" Eric asked.
"I will need a week or two," Tarnic replied. "I have sent messages to the other Dwarves, but it takes time to gather an army this spread out. Meanwhile, I must act as if I don't want war with the Shadow King, so our attack will be a great surprise."
"I understand," Eric said, "and now I must go back to my men. There might be another attempt to gather wood for the siege weapons in the morning."
Both of them bowed to the other, and with that Eric disappeared down the path.
Emily felt better, knowing that the Dwarves were going to help, but they were not going to attack the Shadow King's lair. She felt that it was going to be up to her to save her parents. Emily rolled over and went back to sleep.
The next morning, the Dwarves made a large breakfast of roasted pig, eggs and muffins. She was amazed at the variety of food. "Where do you get all this food?" she finally asked Groli.
"There are Dwarf farms all around here. They supply us with the food we need and the rest is sent up to the mountain," came Groli's reply.
She liked that answer. 'If I can just find some of these farms as I hike to the Shadow King's lair, then I will not go hungry,' she thought to herself. She then went over and packed her new blanket in her pack. There was just enough room for her clothes, so she sneaked off into the bushes and changed into her green dress. It would blend into the dense forest better when she sneaked away from the Dwarf camp. She was worried about being caught by one of the guards that they had along the trail, so she decided to walk through the woods instead of the trail, until she felt she was away from the guards and then try and find the trail after that.
She knew she would have to wait until after dark to sneak away. The Dwarves were planning to take her to their mountain fortress the next day, so it was tonight or never. Luck was on her side, as a wagon of fresh made bread arrived in camp that afternoon. The aroma seemed to fill the whole camp. It must have been baked nearby as some of the loaves were still warm. Emily sneaked behind the cart and grabbed two loaves and then stuffed them into her pack. She had everything all set for her departure.
One of the Dwarves had left his shoulder pack next to a tree. Sticking out of it was a nice dagger in the sheath. Emily looked around to make sure no one was watching. When she was satisfied that no one was looking, she grabbed the dagger out of the pack. Her father had taught her not to be a thief, but she would need a dagger, and the Dwarf, most likely, had a battleaxe anyway. She still felt very guilty though.
A Watcher in the Woods
The Dwarves let the fire dim that night, as they were moving on the next day. Emily saw a lot of them settling in for the night, so she grabbed her pack and her newly filled flask and slipped out of the camp. At first it was the same result as the first time she entered the forest, unseen branches scratching her face, tripping over roots and bugs biting. Soon she was able to ignore the bugs, and she was finding larger gaps between the trees as the forest started to thin out.
Tarnic kicked Groli awake. Groli then scrambled to his feet. "She's gone," Tarnic told him, "You my best tracker, I want you to follow her."
"Do you want me to chase her down and catch her?” Groli asked.
"No," replied Tarnic, "I want you to follow at a distance and when she gets into trouble, then and only then, step in to save her. The Shadow King will not perceive a child as a threat; perhaps she can do a lot of good in ways that we cannot even imagine. I have put bread and cheese in your pack, but take your bow; you will need to forage for your meat. She left between those two trees a few moments ago; you can start your pursuit from there."
"Yes, sir," Groli said. He gathered up his gear, and soon was following Emily's trail.
Emily continued to make her way in the darkness. The moon had risen and gave the forest an eerie glow. It was just enough light for her to see. Every once in a while she would hear something crashing through the underbrush, as if some monstrous beast was running after her, but when she stopped to face it, with her dagger in her hand, the sound would also stop. Emily would strain to see in the darkness and try to make out some beast or monster. She would wait a few minutes, with her heart racing, just in case it started its approach again. When nothing moved, she would start walking again.
Soon dawn was upon her. Emily was tired, sore, and hungry. She down against a tree and got out some of the bread to eat. The Dwarf’s bread tasted wonderful to the tired girl. She hadn't realized just how tired she really was until she finished her bread. Emily pulled the blanket from her pack and put it over herself. She laid the dagger on her lap, just in case the thing in the forest started charging after her again, she would have her weapon nearby. Then she settled down for a nap.
Keeping one ear open, just in case, but all she heard was the birds, talking to each other as they flew from tree top to tree top. After her nap, Emily carefully rolled her blanket up and stuffed it in her pack, taking care not to squish the bread. She got up and started walking again. She starting veering toward where she thought the trail would be. 'Surely I am past the Dwarf sentries by now,' she thought to herself.
The sun was warm for this time of year, and it felt good on her sore muscles. Further and further into the woods she trudged, still trying to find the trail. When midday came, she stopped to eat some more bread and took a long drink of the water. The water that ran down from the mountain tasted different than the water at home. It has less of a taste of minerals and a more pure flavor. Emily liked it a lot better. It was more refreshing.
She looked around the forest; it was starting to get thick again. She didn't want to get all scratched up as she had been twice before, so she vowed to stop for the night this time. As afternoon came she sat down again to eat some more bread. To her dismay, she had already eaten through an entire loaf, and she had not found any of those farms that Groli said were all around. She could do only one more day at this rate. Emily decided that she could do no more walking on this day, so she lit a small fire, using the flint that h
er father had given her, and got out her blanket to sleep.
Emily woke in the middle of the night to this, grunting growling sound coming from the woods behind her. It seemed to be a cross between a wild boar's squeals and a bear's growl. She reached and grabbed the hilt of her dagger. As she listened, the sound would start, then stop, then start again, over and over. She was shaking when she took the blanket off. 'It is better that I face this beast standing up,' she thought. There were two trees close together, so she stood up between then, for a little added protection.
As she listened, she noticed that the beast was not getting any closer. It dawned on her it might be wounded and giving howls as its life oozed out of it. She listened more intently. It didn't seem to be growing any weaker. It was just growl and groan and then stop, and then growl and groan some more. Emily didn't move for the longest time, breathing shallow as to not give her position away.
Taken Prisoner
Groli awoke with a start. There was Emily standing over him with her dagger posed to strike. He looked around for his battleaxe but she had moved it to the tree behind her. His bow and knife were there also. He was about to ask how she had found him but she answered the question before he could form the words.
"You snore," she said.
He just shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to say, or what was to happen next. She had a determined look on her face and he wasn't sure what she was capable of. Especially since it obvious that she had not been sleeping well.
"You are now my prisoner," Emily declared.
"What are you going to do with a prisoner?" he asked.
"You will find food and guide me to the Shadow King's lair," was her answer.
He had his orders to protect her, he was not supposed to make her aware of his presence, but now that she had found him, his job would be easier. He didn't have to sneak through the woods following her trail. He was not good at sneaking, having tripped over tree roots and fallen with a loud crash on a few occasions. He would have to sit quietly for a few minutes, until she would start to move again. Besides, he thought, she was acting quite angry and that was a sharp looking dagger she was holding. He sighed and said, "As your wish, I am at your service."
