The Ruins on Stone Hill

by F. P. Spirit

And I thought orcs smelled bad.

  A few more steps and it would trample him, invisible or not. Seth chanced another quick glance behind him. He had almost reached the tree. Just a few more steps was all he needed.

  Abruptly, the monster halted. It sniffed the air.

  It was now or never. Seth spun around and bolted for the tree. A loud roar sounded behind him and he felt the ground shake as the troll thudded after him. Not stopping, he ran with all the speed he could muster. The thudding grew closer and he could feel the whoosh of the monster’s great club as it swung through the air behind him.

  With a mighty leap, Seth launched himself at the trunk of the tree. He grabbed on and scrambled up the side. Just as he reached the lower limbs, something slammed into the trunk below him. He heard a loud crack and the entire tree shook.

  Seth almost lost his grip, but somehow he managed to hang on. He scrambled up into the tree limbs and did not stop until he was halfway up the tree. Another roar sounded from below. He looked down and saw the troll, its blood red eyes searching the branches for him. He was out of its reach for the moment, but he was far from safe. Trolls were extremely strong. If it couldn’t find him, it might just decide to uproot the entire tree.

  A sudden movement caught Seth’s eyes. A black bird sat a few limbs over, staring at him oddly.

  Is that Raven? If it was, then Glo would know he’s in trouble.

  At that moment, a faint sound reached his ears. It was hard to hear over the growling of the troll below, but it sounded like…clinking. The troll must have heard it too. Its red eyes suddenly disappeared from sight; its heavy footsteps receded from underneath the tree.

  Seth stood up and parted the branches, searching for the source of that sound. Five shadows moved up the slope from the forest below, the lead shadow a bit ahead of the others.

  That must be Lloyd! The clinking would be Titan right behind him. Seth felt a brief moment of relief, but it quickly passed. The others were coming to his rescue but had no idea what they were up against. Thankfully, the troll was most obliging in that area. It stood out in the open, lifted its arms and roared.

  As if in answer to its challenge, a bright red beam of light lanced across the night from down the slope. It pierced through the darkness and caught the troll straight in the chest. The beam illuminated the creature as it hit, making its features momentarily visible to the naked eye.

  The huge, ugly, flat face winced as its chest smoldered from the impact of the fiery beam. The troll’s mouth opened wide as it roared in pain, exposing a row of wicked pointed yellow teeth.

  Seth had to stifle a laugh. The monster had practically asked for that one. Luckily, Glo had a new fire spell with which to answer.

  With the troll’s attention firmly fixed on the others, Seth was now free to move. He leapt to the ground, tumbled gracefully, and rolled to a squatting position. He spun around just in time to see Lloyd engage the troll.

  The warrior’s blades burst into flames as he launched into the monster. He dodged under its huge club, then sliced into it with both swords, cutting deep into the monster’s hide. The troll yelped in pain, taking another wild swing at the warrior. Lloyd easily dodged out of the way.

  The clinking had grown loud now, the starlight shining dimly on Titan’s armor as she closed in on the fierce battle. She was mere moments away from entering the fray. Meanwhile, Seth circled around the troll, trying to get directly behind it. He had no weapon that could harm the big creature, but a wild idea came to mind.

  Lloyd was back to slicing at the troll. Two more cuts gashed the creature, sizzling and scorching its mottled green skin.

  The troll swung its huge club at the red-clad warrior. Lloyd twisted out of the way, but this time the edge of the club caught him in the back. It was a glancing blow, but the force of it knocked him onto his face.

  As the troll advanced on the downed warrior, Titan was suddenly there. She inserted herself between Lloyd and the monster, her shield ready for the impending blow.

  The troll raised its huge arm to swing, but flinched as two arrows embedded themselves in the side of its head. A moment later, another red beam of light lanced through the night and caught the monster in the chest. The troll roared in response, beating its torso and trying to put out the smoldering fires on its chest.

  Seth was now behind the troll. He unslung his backpack, knelt down and pulled out a torch. When he looked back up, Lloyd was on his feet. He and Titan split up, flanking the troll from opposite sides.

  They began a staggered set of attacks on the monster. First, Lloyd charged in, slashing with those burning blades. As the troll tried to retaliate, Titan rushed in from the other side, attacking with her gleaming sword.

  All the while, Seth continued preparing his wild scheme. He found some flint in his pack, then laid out some twigs. He used the flint and a small stone to start a fire.

  The battle with the troll continued on. The monster seemed confused, flailing its massive club around, back and forth, but not connecting with either foe. The two warriors kept up the dual-pronged attack, the troll’s hide now crisscrossed with scorched gashes.

  Meanwhile, Seth had been fanning the flames. He now had a decent fire going and stuck the end of his torch in the burning fire. A savage roar caused him to glance up again.

  The troll was enraged, flailing wildly about with its club. Lloyd somehow managed to get around it and slash the troll with his fiery swords, but as he backed away, the troll caught him with a quick backswing. Lloyd took the hit full in the chest and was sent flying backwards, his blades careening out of his hands.

  The troll roared in triumph and rushed in to finish the downed warrior. Titan chased after it, brutally slashing at the creature from behind, but to no avail. The monster was intent on murdering the foe who had burned it so badly.

  Two more arrows embedded themselves into the troll’s head, but the creature completely ignored them. It hulked over the stunned Lloyd, its massive club lifted, preparing for the killing blow.

  At the last moment, two purple projectiles arced through the air, catching the troll directly in the face. There were two mild concussion sounds, the monster’s head snapping back with each one. The troll shook its head, momentarily stunned by the unexpected onslaught.

  Titan took advantage of the momentary pause, running past the shaken monster and once again placing herself between it and Lloyd. The warrior held up her shield, bracing for the heavy blow that was sure to come. Lloyd was still on the ground. He had begun to stir, but there was no way he would recover in time.

  A sudden rage erupted inside Seth. No. Not again. Never again.

  The torch was now burning nicely. Without a second thought, Seth grabbed it and darted up behind the troll. The massive form towered over him, but Seth was too livid to care. He grasped the end of the torch with both hands and thrust upwards with all of his might. It wedged itself into the troll’s posterior, embers scattering in all directions.

  The troll let out a loud grunt, then screamed in pain. It dropped its club, reaching behind with both hands to grab at the torch. Seth tumbled out of the way, swiftly putting as much distance as he could between himself and the monster.

  His distraction worked. While the troll pulled the torch from its painful perch, Lloyd rose back to his feet. He recovered his blades, then joined Titan in a renewed assault.

  The monster had just plucked the torch from its rear end, when the two warriors drove into it. They hacked away with rhythmic precision; one, two swings from Lloyd, a third swing from Titan. They continued to slash away, driving the troll slowly backwards.

  The monster desperately tried to fight back, but no longer had its club. It flailed around wildly with its huge fists, but Lloyd dodged them and Titan blocked them with her shield.

  The fight went on for a few more minutes, then finally the troll we
nt down. The two warriors continued their onslaught until the troll lay in an unmoving heap.

  The companions regrouped a short distance away from the body. Aksel went straight to Lloyd’s side. “You took a heck of a beating. Let’s make sure you’re alright.”

  Lloyd must have been in great pain. He sat down without protest, not even bothering to sheath his swords. Aksel held his hands over him, running them up and down the length of Lloyd’s body. About a minute later he stopped. “This could take a while, Lloyd. Please sit still.”

  Lloyd merely nodded.

  Once again, the little cleric stretched his hands over the battered warrior. This time he chanted softly as he did so. Healing white light began to pulse from his hands and slowly engulf Lloyd’s body. The rest of them stood a short distance away, their faces bathed in Aksel’s healing light.

  Seth glanced around the group. “Thanks for the assist, guys.”

  Titan let out a short laugh. “I think we should be thanking you.”

  Glo appeared rather amused. “Yes, that was a very interesting technique that you used on that troll. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that before.”

  Brundon’s face twisted into a half smirk. “Yeah, Seth, what do you call that move?”

  “Oh, it’s just something I made up on the spot.” He really had not given it much thought. It had been funny though, and it worked to boot. Perhaps he should name it.

  Glo, his expression completely deadpan, had a suggestion. “How about calling it Fire in the Hole?”

  Seth and the others snorted, breaking out into short fits of laughter. Fire in the Hole? That was actually funny. Even more so that it had come from Glo.

  Glo met Seth’s surprised stare with a thin smile. Then, much to his surprise, Glo winked at him!

  Wow. Would wonders never cease? Glo was developing a sense of humor. Now that was unexpected. Seth grinned wryly at his elven friend. Perhaps there was hope for him yet.

  The Elven Bard

  Strange night for a stroll in the woods

  Elladan had not seen the first volley of arrows. He might have heard them if he had not been gaily strumming his lute. Without warning, the driver next to him slumped down in his seat. The young elven bard dropped his lute and reached for the man.

  “Are you alri…” As Elladan touched him, the driver toppled over off the wagon.

  “What the…” Elladan immediately slid over and grabbed the reins, pulling the wagon to a halt. As he jumped down, he heard a whizzing noise.

  Thunk.

  Elladan glanced up. An arrow protruded from the side of the wagon, right where he had been sitting moments ago. He immediately hit the dirt.

  That was way too close. Elladan tried to see where the arrow had come from, but it was nighttime and the surrounding woods were way too dark. He suddenly remembered the driver. Elladan got up on his hands and knees and spun around. The driver still lay in the road a few yards back, an arrow protruding from his chest.

  As he crawled over to the man, screams erupted from down the road. A group of figures burst from the forest and charged the wagon behind his. They growled and snarled as they bore down on the caravan.

  Orcs!

  Crack! The sound of a whip rang out behind him, followed by the sounds of horses’ hooves. He spun around and saw the lead wagon take off down the road. Elladan turned back and crawled like mad over to the driver. When he reached him, he found that the man was dead.

  More cries came from the wagon behind him. The attackers had stopped their charge and were exchanging arrows with its occupants.

  Aw heck, what do I do now? I’m no fighter.

  As if to answer his question, one of the orcs turned in his direction. Elladan had no choice. He spun around and ran for his own wagon. If he got it moving, maybe the others could still get away.

  He heard whizzing once more as he leapt up onto the wagon. A sharp pain lanced up his left arm as he landed on the wagon seat. He glanced down to see his shirt torn and a stripe of red welled up through the hole, but luckily no arrow.

  Ha. Missed me!

  He’d take care of the arm later. The young elf grabbed the reins and gave them a hard tug. It didn’t take much. The horses were already nervous and bolted down the road. Elladan checked behind him and saw the besieged wagon also jerk forward.

  It’s working! We’re going to get away.

  He flew down the road at break neck speed, the wagon jolting all over the place threatening to shake apart. Elladan pulled back hard on the reins, but the horses fought him and kept running at top speed.

  “Hold on there!” he cried.

  He leaned back and tugged as hard as he could.

  Snap!

  The reins suddenly came loose in his hands—he almost fell backwards into the wagon. Elladan somehow managed to right himself and then held on for dear life. The horses ran wild now, completely out of control.

  The dark forest flew by on either side, everything a blur. They hit something in the road and the wagon jolted up in the air. It came down hard, jarring his teeth. If that happened again, the whole wagon would come to pieces!

  I’ve got to do something.

  The other half of the broken reins lay just out of reach, resting on the long wooden tongue that separated the two animals.

  If I can just reach them.

  Elladan stood up, precariously balancing himself on the jerking wagon. He slowly bent forward, stretching for the reins.

  Just a little more.

  The forest continued to flash by in a blur.

  Almost there.

  Crack!

  The wagon jolted underneath him, then swayed to the left. Elladan teetered precariously as the horses raced on. Abruptly, the wagon overturned and he was sent flying through the air, the forest floor whooshing by underneath him. Something large and dark loomed up before him. Elladan covered his head, sure he was going to die. By the grace of the gods, he missed whatever it was. He let out a sigh but tensed up immediately as he hit the bushes. His clothes tore and something sharp raked against his skin as he flew through the brush. Moments later he slammed into something and everything went black.

  Elladan’s eyes snapped open. All he could see was darkness.

  Where am I?

  He tried to move but found he was tangled up in a thick bramble. He thrashed around, trying to free himself, then suddenly remembered how he had gotten there. Elladan froze, not daring to breath. He listened carefully to his surroundings but heard nothing. The forest was quiet. He counted out a full minute before moving again, slowly this time. He found that he ached all over. Elladan carefully extracted himself from the wooden thicket. When he finally got free, he gave himself the once over. He was bruised and scratched up, but luckily nothing was broken. That bramble he had got stuck in had saved his life.

  My lute!

  It was nowhere on him. Elladan turned around and crawled back into the brush. He found the instrument right next to where he had landed. By some miracle it was still intact.

  Elladan carefully rose to his feet and got his bearings. He could just make out the road through the trees. It was probably a good ten yards away. He silently crept to the edge of the forest and looked out from behind the bushes. A broken wheel lay in the middle of the road. Off to his left he spied the remains of the wagon, completely turned over on its side.

  Beyond that he saw the lead wagon stopped in the middle of the road. Figures scurried around it, some carrying torches. In the dim light he could see their faces: monkey-like, with two short tusks protruding from the lower jaw, and greenish-hued skin.

  Orcs!

  The lead wagon hadn’t gotten away after all. That’s when he noticed the bodies strewn all over the ground. Elladan stifled a reflex gag.

  This is no time for quea
siness.

  He spun around and glanced down the road the other way. Three more wagons were lined up there. There were more bodies and more orc bandits looting the remains of the caravan.

  The thieving scoundrels! They killed everyone.

  It took all of his restraint to keep from dashing out and attacking the murderous fiends. Reason took over as his anger cooled.

  It will do no good. I’ll just get myself killed. He was no warrior. He was just a bard.

  The best thing he could do now would be to make it back to civilization. Folks needed to be warned that there were orc bandits in these woods. They could send an army out here to rout the fiends, and he would come back with them. He would play magical tunes on his lute and encourage the warriors to roust the bandits and send them to their graves for what they had done. But first he needed to make it out of these woods alive.

  With orcs to the east and west, he could not take the road. No, it would be better to head north and find his way out of the woods that way. Elladan was a student of geography. He knew this area, or at least on paper. There were hills north of here—the Vogels. He would make it to those hills and then follow them east to Ravenford. There he could report what had happened. His mind made up, the bard took one last look at the hapless caravan.

  Those poor souls. I will write a song to honor them someday. With that thought, he turned and backtracked into the forest.

  After wandering around the forest for a couple of hours, Elladan was no closer to finding his way out. Sure he was an elf. His home of Kai-Arborus was a city in the trees in the great forest of Ruanaiaith—for all the good it did him. He was a city dweller with no tracking or survival skills. Thus Elladan was totally lost out here in the forest. He continued plodding his way through the never-ending brush, when suddenly he found himself on a wide dirt path.

  Finally! The first signs of civilization he had seen in hours.

  Elladan followed the path, a spring back in his step. It was far easier going now that he was out of the underbrush. Another hour passed and his resolve began to waver, when he caught sight of the trees parting ahead. With renewed vigor, Elladan sprinted forward until he reached the edge of the forest.