The Ruins on Stone Hill

by F. P. Spirit

  Glo involuntarily shuddered at the thought of what they saw on first entering the cave, but the companions proved to be resilient. They dragged the remains outside and buried them there. Afterwards, they started a fire and cooked a stew. Between the light from the fire and the smell of dinner, the cave appeared much less forbidding. Any residual unpleasant odors were soon masked.

  The well in the back of the cave was the only place the orc could have gone. There was a wooden beam affixed to the top, but there was no rope. Further, the well was so dark that it was impossible to see the bottom. It was rather late when they finished dinner, so they decided to explore the well first thing in the morning. Brundon went to scout the surrounding area. According to Titan, he could go for days without sleep. The rest of the party set a watch and bedded down for the night. They only woke a short while ago, roused by the return of Brundon with the elven bard.

  Glo watched Elladan prepare the morning meal. He seemed quite at home, singing a merry little tune as he hovered over the cooking pots. Had Glo not heard his smooth voice, he would have still guessed he was a bard—the bright outfit was a dead giveaway. Dressed almost completely in white, Elladan wore a white tabard over a white coat with spangled trim open at the bottom, a white shirt, and white trousers. The only non-white parts of his outfit were the brown leather boots, brown fingerless gloves, and the green cloak that hung over his shoulders. The hilt of a short sword hung in a scabbard at his side.

  Elladan appeared to be quite the charmer. The decidedly handsome elf had thick black hair, dark soulful eyes, high cheekbones, and a prominent chin. From his youthful face, Glo guess him to be somewhere between 100 and 110 years old, just a bit younger than he. The bard also had a way with words. That little speech he had given was rather rousing. His curiosity getting the better of him, Glo went to join the young elf.

  “Elladan, what brings you out to these parts?”

  Elladan glanced up from his pots. “I was actually on my way to Lukescros. The fair there is next month. I took runner-up in last year’s bard competition. This year I intend to win.” Elladan winked, an impish grin spreading across his face.

  Glo found himself smiling back. This Elladan’s bubbly attitude was infectious. “So where is this Lukescros?”

  “It’s just north of Penwick,” said a familiar voice. Glo spun around and saw that Lloyd had joined them.

  Elladan looked at the young man. “So you’ve been there I take it?”

  “Once or twice,” Lloyd admitted. “The fair really is a big deal. People come from all over to see it.”

  Elladan stirred the contents of a pot. “I’m guessing from that red armor you’re from Penwick.”

  Lloyd grinned self-consciously. “Guilty as charged.”

  “Maybe when this is all over, you can join me at the fair?”

  “That might be fun,” Lloyd agreed.

  Elladan flashed them a brilliant smile. “Excellent, but first things first.” He brought up the spoon to his lips and tasted its contents. “Ahhh, perfect. Breakfast is ready. Let’s eat and then we’ll teach these bandits a lesson.”

  Breakfast turned out to be excellent. It was easily the best Glo had had since leaving home. Afterwards, Brundon set out searching for the second cave while Titan resumed her guard duty. The others gathered around the fire to discuss the next steps. Aksel began by recapping the goals of their current mission.

  “We’ve been sent to the Bendenwoods by the Baron of Ravenford to track down the orc bandits that have been attacking caravans. Until last week, no wagon train had made it through to Ravenford in months.”

  Elladan let out a low whistle. “I had no idea.”

  Aksel went on to describe their first encounter with the orc bandits and their subsequent disruption of the second ambush. Based on the attack on Elladan’s caravan, they realized that the orc bandits’ numbers were dwindling, but their exact numbers were still unknown. Aksel turned his eyes to each of the group. “So we need to figure out the extent of what we are dealing with here.”

  Seth unfolded his arms. “Finally. Now can I get down that well, or what?”

  Glo snorted. “Do you want to climb down, or should we just have Lloyd drop you on your head?”

  Seth glared at the wizard. “A rope will be just fine, thank you.”

  Aksel shook his head then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Okay then. Seth, go ahead, check out the bottom of the well. And be careful. Pure reconnaisance, nothing more.”

  Seth’s mouth twisted into a lopsided smirk. “Aren’t I always?”

  “Orcs, golem, troll,” Glo ticked off in answer.

  Seth’s smirk widened. “And if I hadn’t gone ahead in all those cases, where would we be now?”

  Lloyd let out a short laugh. “Can’t argue with him there.”

  Seth nodded to the young man. “Thank you, Lloyd. And anyway, I now have this.” He grabbed the end of his cloak and brandished it around.

  Elladan watched the display with a curious expression. “What does it do?”

  Seth turned toward the bard, his smirk turning smug. “You’ll see…or then again, you won’t.”

  Glo shook his head. Seth was having way too much fun with this. “It’s a cloak of invisibility,” he explained to Elladan.

  The bard’s eyebrow shot up. “Really? Handy little thing to have there.”

  Seth glared at the wizard. “Thanks, Glo. Next time I want a secret kept, remind me not to tell you.”

  Aksel once again interrupted their banter. “Okay, you two. Back to the matter at hand.” He arched an eyebrow at Seth.

  The halfling folded his arms across his chest, but said nothing more.

  Aksel continued to stare at him. “So, once you and Brundon both get back, we’ll have a better idea what we are dealing with. Then we’ll decide what to do next.”

  Elladan cleared his throat. “May I join you? Aside from being an entertainer, I know a few songs that can be useful in a battle.”

  He was not exaggerating. Bard songs were laced with magic, having all kinds of effects on those around them. They could do anything from bolster comrades to distract or enchant enemies. Thus, a bard could be a valuable ally in battle. Aksel glanced around the group. Lloyd and Glo were fine with Elladan accompanying them.

  Seth merely shrugged. “Whatever.”

  Elladan appeared sincerely grateful. “Thank you. I promise, you will not regret it.”

  Seth glared suspiciously at the bard. “We better not.”

  The meeting broke up. Seth, Lloyd, and Aksel headed toward the well. Meanwhile, Elladan pulled Glo aside. “Testy little fellow there, isn’t he?”

  Glo chuckled. “You have to get to know Seth. He’s a bit gruff, but his heart is in the right place. He was not exaggerating earlier. On our last mission, he saved everyone’s life.”

  Surprise registered on Elladan’s face. “Really? That must have been quite some adventure. I’d love to hear the story sometime.”

  Glo regarded the bard curiously. It was true that bards were entertainers, but they also were responsible for recording a good portion of written history. It amused Glo to think that one day their adventures might end up in a book. “Perhaps when this is all over, but for now”—he held up his spellbook—“I have some brushing up to do.”

  “And I have a lute to tune,” Elladan replied with a smile. “As you say, we will talk more another time.” With that, the bard chose a nearby rock to sit on and began tuning his strings.

  What an interesting character, Glo thought. He could go from absolutely cheerful to deadly serious at the drop of a hat. A brief smile crossed his lips, then he turned his attention to his spellbook.

  There’s a light down here. Seth dangled upside down at the end of a rope. It was secured to the wooden beam across the top of the well. He was about
a hundred feet down, hanging from the ceiling in a small underground cavern. Seth expected it to be pitch black, but there was a large crack in the wall. Light streamed through the opening, dimly illuminating the small cavern.

  He dropped down, landing catlike on the rocky floor. He stayed motionless for a while, making certain that no one had heard the slight noise he made on landing. Once he was sure it was safe, Seth crept over to the fissure in the wall. The crack was vaguely triangle-shaped, maybe two feet wide at the base and roughly six feet in height. It was not exactly a roomy hole, but an orc, or human, could definitely fit through it if they turned sideways.

  Seth flattened himself against the wall and listened. Faint sounds drifted through the crack. He touched his cloak and whispered the word, “Invisibilitate.” Instantly, he disappeared from sight. Seth pushed off the wall and entered the fissure. He crept through about six feet of craggy rock before emerging into a wide tunnel beyond.

  The walls and floor here were rocky, though lighter in color than at the bottom of the well. It was most definitely a natural structure, leading into the interior of the mountain beyond. However, someone was living down here. There was a lit torch, fastened to the wall, a few yards down the tunnel where the passage wound out of sight. Seth could hear voices drifting around that corner. It was definitely Orcish. He had not told the others, but he knew the language somewhat. It was not something he was proud of—a side product of his questionable upbringing.

  Seth continued down the passageway till he reached the bend and then peered around the corner. This passage was also lit by torchlight. Maybe thirty yards down, two orcs leaned lazily against opposite sides of the tunnel wall. Beyond where they stood, the tunnel opened up into a wide cavern. He could not see much from here other than it was also well lit. The two orcs carried those wickedly curved swords sheathed at their sides. They grunted at each other in their guttural tongue, not paying much attention to their surroundings. Seth snuck quietly down the tunnel until he could hear some of their conversation.

  “Can’t believe…stuck guard duty…back exit…”

  “Narthos scared…humans…elves…”

  “Ha ha…Narthos almost…troll food…”

  “Ugh…Narthos lucky…nothing get past troll…”

  “Ha ha…humans…elves…now troll food…”

  “Now I hungry…can’t wait…get back to camp…”

  That clinched it; they had definitely found the orcs’ lair. This Narthos was most likely the orc priest that got away. Sounds like they had made him nervous. He had placed these sentries here, but the orcs didn’t expect anyone to get past the troll. The cave that Elladan found was probably the main entrance. If that was true, it would probably be watched more closely than this one. This just might be their best way in, but first he needed a better look at the cavern beyond the sentries.

  Seth crept closer. Behind the two orcs, the tunnel opened out onto a wide ledge. The cavern beyond was quite large, but his view of the floor was blocked by that ledge. He could hear noises drifting up from the cavern, but they were faint. Seth had seen enough. He had no doubt they could get in this way. They would just need to handle the sentries quietly.

  He left the two orcs, silently making his way back toward the well. As he went, his mind drifted back to this new elf, Elladan. Seth did not trust him. Everyone had some kind of angle—he had seen far too much dishonesty and greed in his short life. More often than not, it led to someone getting hurt, or worse.

  When he first met Glo, Seth was certain he had some kind of hidden agenda. They had crossed paths on the road to Caprizon. Seth had been on foot, and Glo in a caravan. For some reason, the elf invited him aboard and even paid his passage. Seth’s curiosity got the better of him; he decided to go along and figure out the elf’s game.

  It turned out Glo’s only agenda was getting to know the halfling. He had never seen one before. It seemed Glo’s people were secluded behind some sort of magical barriers, hidden away from the rest of the world. Seth was taken aback by the elf’s desire to help people. He had never met someone so idealistic. He initially thought Glo a fool, but the elf was so genuine and kind that Seth found that he actually liked him. Still, he thought the elf one of a kind until he met Aksel and Lloyd. These two turned out to be just as idealistic.

  Still, Aksel was no fool. And Lloyd, just like Glo, was sincere in his desire to help others. Despite everything, Seth found himself caring about these three. He decided to stick with the trio despite their naïve viewpoints; after all, somebody had to watch out for them.

  Seth reached the fissure and reentered the dim cavern beyond. He would keep a close eye on this Elladan. If the bard was who he claimed to be, then he might indeed be an asset to them with this job. However, if there was the slightest hint that he was deceiving them, then Seth would deal with the fraud swiftly.

  Seth now stood beneath the well opening. He leapt upward and caught the bottom of the rope hanging from the ceiling. Seth then shimmied back up the rope to report to his companions who waited for him in the cave above.

  Aksel appeared anxious. “You found them? Are you certain?”

  Seth folded his arms, fixing the cleric with a hardened glare. “No. I’ve never seen an orc before.”

  Aksel let out a sigh. “You know what I meant.”

  Seth smirked at his gnomish friend. “As I was saying…there are two sentries, although they were doing more talking than guarding.” Seth went on to tell them about the discussion he had overheard.

  Lloyd jumped to his feet. “Then we’ve found them!”

  “We also now know that Seth speaks Orcish,” Glo pointed out.

  Seth fixed the tall elf with a withering look.

  Aksel ignored them both, waving Lloyd to sit back down. “Yes, yes, but we still have no idea of how many are down there.”

  Lloyd remained standing. His expression grew thoughtful. “True, but we do have the element of surprise. From what Seth just told us, they are not expecting us to come down through the troll cave. So all we need to do is quietly take out the guards.” He folded his hands across his chest, an expectant look on his face.

  Seth was impressed. Up till now he had thought Lloyd the charge first, ask questions later type, but it seemed the warrior had some understanding of strategy after all.

  “That is an excellent point,” Aksel conceded. “However, before we make our move, I’d like to see what Brundon finds at the main entrance. After that, we can formulate a plan of attack.”

  Everyone agreed. They all went back to preparing for the upcoming assault.

  “I found the cave.” Brundon had just returned from his scouting mission. “There was a trail from the forest to the hillside, just as Elladan said. It was covered with wagon tracks.”

  Elladan nodded to the group. “Just like I told you.”

  “The cave opening itself is fairly large, easily big enough for wagons. It looks like it goes fairly deep back into the mountain, but it was also quite dark. If there are any sentries in there, they’d see us way before we’d see them.”

  Seth coughed loudly.

  Brundon glanced at the halfling, and smirked. “Correction, they’d see most of us.”

  Aksel nodded to the tracker. “Thank you, Brundon. It appears that they are not trying to hide the main entrance. Either they are extremely stupid, or…”

  “…they expect to be followed that way,” Seth finished for him. “Sounds like a great place to set a trap.”

  Aksel’s hand went to his chin. “That makes a lot of sense. I guess you were right, Seth. The well is our best bet.”

  Aksel turned to Brundon. “Can you wait up here and keep watch?”

  Brundon appeared strangely relieved. “Will do.”

  Seth went down the rope first. He landed in the small cavern and stood watch by the crack in the wall. A so
ft crunching sound made him glance back over his shoulder. Lloyd crouched down in the center of the cave just below the well. The spiritblade waited a few moments, then crept over to where Seth stood. A few seconds later, Titan dropped down into the cavern. The warrior made surprising little noise as she landed, no more than Lloyd in fact.

  Seth had been against her coming at first, but when she showed him the specially-made chainmail she would wear, instead of her standard plate armor, he relented. It was actually quite ingenious; every link was sewn into a cloth outfit. Titan had come up with the idea herself and had Kailay’s mother, the tailor, purposely sew it for her. What resulted was a form-fitting chainmail outfit which made no noise when moving at a normal pace.

  Titan crept over to join them. Glo dropped down next. The elf made virtually no noise as he landed. The four of them listened carefully, but no sounds came through the fissure. Seth motioned for them all to follow, then crept through the crack in the wall. He slowly led the way down the tunnel, calling a halt just before the bend.

  Seth turned invisible then peered around the corner. The two orcs were right where he left them, lazily leaning against opposite walls. They were still grunting and growling at each other, paying little attention to the passage they were guarding. Seth swung back around and tugged on Glo’s robe twice. That was the signal to go ahead with their plan. He then snuck back out and down the passageway toward the two orcs.

  All Seth needed to do was get passed them. Glo would do all the heavy lifting. Seth was merely there to finish the job. Lloyd and Titan were there for insurance, but if the two warriors had to get involved, they could kiss their plan of a quiet entrance goodbye. Step by step, Seth inched closer to the two orcs.

  “Getting hungry…”

  “You…always hungry…”

  He was only a few yards from them now.

  “…brought back…meat last night…”

  “Narthos keep all…himself…”