by Galen Wolf
I can’t afford to talk to Bernard now, but Melchior half turns to see who it is and whether he’s a threat. That half turn is all I need. I guide Spirit slightly left and then turn and cross the last ten yards at full pelt, driving my lance into Melchior’s flank for an auto-crit.
The wave of relief that washes over me is immense. And chances are it wouldn’t have happened without Bernard.
“Hey! You killed him!”
Melchior’s ghost shimmers and then disappears. If he’s bound in Camelot, now possible because it’s under evil control, then he’ll be back in minutes. We need to get out of here.
“Get off the wall, Bernard.”
The alchemist looks around him. “How?”
I’ve seen this done in movies. It might be possible in this game. I take Spirit over to the wall. “Jump down,” I say.
“Jump? Really?”
“Don’t worry, you’ll only die if it goes wrong.”
“Okay. Here goes nothing.” The alchemist holds his nose as if he was jumping into a swimming pool. I feel a thump and he’s behind me on Spirit’s back. The horse neighs in protest but then we’re off, galloping down the East Road.
We catch up with Blodeuwedd, Oliver and Asterix with the remaining soldiers after about a mile. Then with our eyes fixed on the hills ahead, we head up to Silver Drift.
28
A New Beginning
I stand overlooking my village. Bernard is with me and the NPCs. Jason has welcomed Oliver Stone and Asterix and they’re considering where to set up their offices.
“We could build new places within the village palisade.”
“Space is limited. We need a barracks too, so we can replenish the two units under your command,” Armand says.
I agree. “Also, can we convert the soldiers under Armand here into a regiment rather than just individual NPCs?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s call them the Silver Drift Militia. So we can get three units up to strength then maybe raise some more.”
Jason the business manager says, “We’ve lost our routes to Camelot. We won’t be making as much profit. We’re only selling to Alston.”
Armand says, “As long as Alston stands against the enemy.”
I scratch my neck. “If Alston falls, then we’ll be next. Even with three regiments. But we have a little time. From what I know, I think the enemy’s pushing south after the King.”
Bernard nods. “There’s fighting at the Bridge over the River Lune down south.”
“I hope Lancelot comes up with some strategy soon,” I say. “And until then we can be the light of hope in the north.”
Bernard gets excited. “A beacon to all who resist the Evil One.”
I say, “We need more farms, a barracks, a sawmill, an armoury...”
“Lots of buildings,” Oliver Stone says. “But don’t worry, we can get them all built.”
“I’ve got masons and builders I can hire out to you,” Asterix says.
“At a discount I hope?”
“Of course. Thanks again for saving me. I just need somewhere to set up shop.” Then he points. “Is that a mine?”
I nod.
“I always feel safer underground.”
He is a dwarf after all.
“I could set up in there.”
We’ve excavated enough tunnels in our search for ore. I guess we can build workshops and offices down there. Even an armoury maybe? I ask if that would be possible.
Oliver says, “Of course.”
I stare over to the entrance to the Silver Drift Mine, then back at our walled village. We’ll get the limestone walls up soon, but they won’t hold off a concerted attack by the enemy. Even so a thought is growing in my mind. I say, “Jason, have you surveyed the hills over to the north, that lead away from the mine?”
The NPC nods. “Of course. It’s wild country. Hard to travel around in.”
“I don’t suppose there are any valleys among the hills?”
“Yes, but you can’t really get to them easily. The ways there are all over high ground and bogs. Really difficult. You couldn’t really build a road if that’s what you’re thinking.”
It wasn’t.
I turn to the gathered company. “What if we went underground?”
Bernard says, “What do you mean?”
“I mean like we build a dungeon. All our shops and everything are underground. Then we disguise the entrance and no one even knows we’re here. Not until we’re ready to come out in force and raid around us before disappearing again.”
“Like guerrilla warfare?” Armand says.
“Like that game Dungeonmaster — with traps and all?” Bernard says.
I shrug. “Maybe. Who knows?”
“Yes, but I see a problem with that,” Jason says. “And that is — you can’t grow crops underground. If you want a stud farm for horses and mules, you can’t breed horses underground.”
“That’s what I meant when I was asking about the valleys you can’t easily get to overground. What if we tunnel under them and enter the valleys from below? We’d have hidden valleys surrounded by impassable terrain. We could grow crops and breed animals out of sight.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Bernard says.
“So everything’s underground? I set up my shop underground?” Oliver Stone asks.
I smile. “Sure. Why not?”
“But we maintain our farms here as long as we can?” Jason asks.
“Yes. But if they do come and destroy them. They’ll think we’ve gone and the ruins will prove it. It’s just another level of disguise.”
“Okay, sounds like a plan.”
Oliver Stone says, “I’ll go set up now. Are you coming, Asterix? You can set up next to me.”
I watch the dwarf and the lanky architect go over to the mine entrance. They’re going to have to explain what they’re doing to Thorvald.
Far over to the west, down in the lowlands, Camelot still burns. But up here at Silver Drift, we’ll soon have our new beginning.
29
From the Author
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