The Dwarf Kingdoms (Book 5)

by A. Giannetti

  “Why does your ring pulse in such a curious manner and why have you never shown it to me before this,” asked Ascilius with a frown. “I thought there were no secrets between us.”

  “I thought it best to keep the rings hidden, lest Torquatus learn of them,” explained Elerian blandly.

  “I will never hear the end of it if I tell him that the stones inset in the rings match the rhythm of mine and Anthea’s hearts,” he thought ruefully to himself.

  “A wise precaution,” said Ascilius, accepting Elerian’s explanation without question, for he had other, more important matters on his mind. “Remain here out of sight,” he cautioned, “whilst I make arrangements for our departure.”

  “Do what you must,” replied Elerian. “I will remain here in this room until you return.” Pacing restlessly back and forth with a light, silent step after Ascilius left, Elerian waited impatiently until Ascilius returned several hours later.

  “It is time to leave,” said the Dwarf quietly.

  Looking affectionately at his companion of many years and adventures, Elerian said with uncharacteristic seriousness, “It saddens me to part from you Ascilius, for you have been a true friend to me.”

  “I never said that I was going to remain in Iulius,” said Ascilius with a smile.

  All at once Elerian comprehended the reason for Ascilius’s meandering journey through the Caldaria. “Our carriage trip to Iulius was your goodbye to your uncle’s kingdom,” said Elerian quietly.

  “If for some reason I do not return, I will still have the memory of my last journey through Dwarf lands to comfort me,” said Ascilius contentedly.

  “I think that you should remain here, Ascilius,” said Elerian gravely. “Your people will have need of you.”

  “You are speaking nonsense,” replied Ascilius gruffly. “Dardanus is an excellent sovereign. He will pass the rule of the kingdom to Eonis who will in turn pass it on to his sons. Through all of their reigns, Falco will command the defenses of the kingdom. If I remain here, I will rattle around, drinking too much and wishing that I was elsewhere. I am determined to have one last adventure, after which I may settle down.”

  A distant look, hard to fathom, briefly entered the Dwarf’s dark eyes, as if he were considering some matter of grave import about which he still had serious doubts.

  “Are you perhaps thinking of wedding a certain serving maid,” asked Elerian slyly.

  “Never mind what I am thinking,” replied Ascilius, tuning a bright shade of red, a unique sight, for Elerian had never seen Ascilius blush before. “Take this,” he said gruffly as he handed Elerian a heavy cloak woven from dark wool.

  After they had donned their mail shirts and had taken up their weapons and shields, Elerian found that the long cloaks he and Ascilius wore did a fair job of concealing their warlike appearance. The treasure bags gave him a rather humped appearance, however, so while Ascilius looked on approvingly, he changed the illusion which disguised him, reappearing as a long bearded Dwarf with no suspicious bulge on his back. It was the same disguise that Elerian had used to lure Ascilius into following the serving maid.

  “You look familiar,” said Ascilius with a frown.

  “I am sure you are mistaken,” replied Elerian, averting his face so that Ascilius would not see the laughter in his eyes.

  “I am sure that I have seen that face before,” muttered Ascilius to himself as they left the apartment given them by Dardanus. After leaving his uncle’s home, Ascilius led the way down to the stables through remote, almost deserted passageways. There, in an isolated corner, a small, light carriage with a covered top and the curtains drawn awaited them. Two sturdy black ponies in leather harness stood patiently before it. Elerian was not surprised to see Falco sitting on the exposed driver’s seat, wearing a dark cloak like his own.

  “I wish that I was going with you,” he said wistfully to Elerian who had now resumed his usual illusion, presenting himself to the world as a tall, dark haired man. “Life is likely to be peaceful but extremely boring after the two of you are gone.”

  “I hardly think it will be boring with Torquatus’s armies camped before your gate,” replied Elerian with a smile.

  Falco shrugged. “It is a standoff now,” he said dismissively. “The Goblins cannot enter the Caldaria, but neither can our forces push them away for good from the entrance to the valley.”

  “Let us be on our way, for we have far to go,” said Ascilius, brusquely interrupting Falco as he climbed into the carriage.

  With a wink to Falco, Elerian also climbed into the vehicle, sitting across from Ascilius. He set the leather bags given to him by Dardanus next to him on his seat along with his shield. Beneath him, the carriage jerked into motion as Falco drove it to the central ramp. He attracted little attention when his vehicle joined a stream of other carriages and wagons heading the same way.

  “What about supplies?” Elerian asked Ascilius inside the carriage.

  “Everything we need is packed into the luggage compartment,” replied Ascilius as he made himself comfortable. “Let me rest for a bit now, for I shall have to spell Falco on the reins in a few hours.”

  Drawing his cloak around him, Ascilius immediately went to sleep, leaving Elerian alone with his thoughts. There was nothing to see with the curtains drawn, but sometime later, when the carriage picked up speed, Elerian knew that they had left Iulius behind and were finally traveling south through the Caldaria.

  Listening to the low rumble of the carriage’s wheels and the steady clop of the ponies iron shod hooves, his left hand resting comfortingly on the treasure which would allow him to wed Anthea, Elerian soon lost himself in his memories, which took him to the east where his future and his heart’s desire both awaited him.