Chains of the Forest

by Darin Niemann

  We spread out as we traveled north though we always kept each other in our sights. If one of us spotted trouble we would need to inform the other as quickly as possible. For two days we traveled in such a way, Elana and I scouting ahead and returning when close to nightfall. It was still morning of the third day when Elana spotted something and signaled me over. She was laying low on a hill being careful not to show herself on the other side.

  Approaching her position, I crouched low as well, attempting to stay silent. “What is it?” I whispered.

  She gestured over the ridge and I peeked over into the plain beyond. A band of orcs prowled about below, my count showing ten in total. A raiding band then. I had learned that ten or more was a raiding party while less than ten was merely a hunting party. Which wasn’t to say that they wouldn’t take advantage of a bit of raiding if they happened upon it.

  I smiled at Elana who frowned at my expression. “It’s just orcs.”

  “We should tell the others.” She said. “There is no reason to risk the danger.”

  My smiled broadened even further. “There isn’t any danger.”

  I tried to move forward over the hill and reveal myself but Elana grabbed my arm and stopped me. She was stronger than she looked.

  “What are you doing?” She whispered angrily at me.

  I lost my smile, showing her my calmness and certainty. “Trust me.”

  Reluctantly, she let go and I stepped forward over the hilltop and revealed myself. I noticed Elana knocking an arrow and preparing to cover me. I began walking down the hill at a casual pace and waited for the orcs to notice me. It took longer than expected but after a few strides down the hill one of them noticed me and raised its voice. Now I had all ten orcs attention on me as they began jogging in my direction. They were still a good distance off so I stopped and waited patiently for them, still making no attempt to arm myself.

  When they were perhaps twenty yards away from me, I raised my arms out to the sides. Connecting to the magic and conjuring a pair of long, black windblades in my hands was simple. I then slowly lowered my arms back down and began stalking slowly towards the orcs. As soon as they had seen the black windblades suddenly appear, the charging force quickly lost its momentum. They stopped about fifteen yards away muttering at each other and pointing at me. I heard one of them as he spoke a little louder. “Zek-Ghor!” I had heard it before from other orcs.

  Slowly the distance between us became ten yards and the orcs began to get nervous. Finally, a pair of them broke ranks and fled, running away from me at full sprint. It took the others only three more steps from me before the entire band of orcs was sprinting away from me as fast as they could manage.

  Satisfied, I let the windblades dissolve and watched as the orcs disappeared over a distant hill. I turned and waved at Elana who started down the hill towards me, her bow now resting on her pack.

  Shaking her head at me, she half smiled. “You knew that would happen didn’t you?” she said.

  I shrugged, “There was a good chance. Apparently word has spread of me among the orcs. They call me Zek-Ghor.”

  Elana spoke softly under her breath but I could hear it just barely. “The Dark End...”

  My eyebrows rose in surprise. “You speak their language?”

  She shrugged, frowning. “I have learned a bit in my travels. It isn’t a language comparable to the one we speak. And nothing compared to elven. The orcs are simplistic creatures and their language reflects that.”

  My face lit up in a genuine smile, “I haven’t spoken elvish in years.” I said in unpracticed elven.

  Elana also smiled warmly as she replied in the same language. “And truly a shame that is.”

  As much as I wanted to stay and practice my rusty elven, we needed to keep scouting or the other members of the group would catch up. “Perhaps later we can speak more?” I asked her, this time switching back into the common tongue. She nodded and we continued on with our reconnaissance.

  No more trouble was found and we safely returned to the main group. That night I practiced my elvish and Elana corrected me where I needed it. Dendar merely rolled his eyes at the sight of us and muttered aloud, “Bloody elves.”

  Chapter 15

  Another three days passed before we reached the foot of the mountain range. Luckily, there had been little trouble in those few days. The entire party was split into pairs to search for the path indicated by the treasure map in Answald’s possession. The nobleman had purchased the map from an old hunter whose grandfather had supposedly made it and kept it within the family. Answald had fancied the thing and after purchasing it had taken it to Dendar who hadn’t denied the possibility of treasure. Thus, the expedition had formed.

  I was paired with Dendar as we looked for the correct pathway. There were a few streams and rivers coming from the mountains and most of them had some sort of animal trail or path to follow. The map indicated a stream where two trees crossed branches to form an X. Dendar and I had been searching for quite some time when we suddenly heard a shout of success on the other side of the stream. It seemed that someone had found it.

  As some of the party members had been spread out, it took a while for everyone to return. Answald, Sehas, and Vaughn had been the ones to find it. The nobleman was in a joyous state, gleefully announcing how he had found the entrance with his keen eyesight. I had no doubt that he would somehow embellish and reproduce the tale countless times once he returned home. If he returned home. I shook that dark though from my mind.

  The small path was little more than a faint animal trail that pursued the stream into the mountains. It grew fainter as we went deeper and higher into the mountains. The air also began to get much colder. Eventually the map lead us in a different direction and we had to traverse rougher terrain. We camped early that night as most of the party was more tired than usual after hiking upwards for a good portion of the day. Vaughn, whom I took for the real party leader, had Elana and I study the treasure map so that we could scout ahead. If either of us were unsure of which direction to take, then we would simply wait for the others to catch up. So far we hadn’t encountered any threats, but there were most definitely dangers residing within these mountains. They sort of acted as a natural guard for the treasure we sought.

  The next day, Elana and I had just began scouting ahead when shouts came from behind. We sprinted as fast as we dared in the unsteady terrain to hurry back to our companions. It seemed to take us an eternity until we finally raced into the clearing of last night’s campsite. I arrive just in time to witness Dendar roll aside and dodge a huge dire wolf as it lunged at him. He recovered quicker than I expected and brought his battle-axe to bear as he cleaved an entire back leg of the creature clean off. The wolf howled and stumbled, where Hafoki immediately landed a massive blow to its neck, the younger dwarf’s axe sinking deep. It died with a loud yelp.

  It seemed that was enough for the monstrous wolves as the remaining three beasts retreated back into the mountain's depths. Glancing around showed that, including the one just slain, four of the massive beasts lay dead or dying. It seemed the dwarves had taken the brunt of the attack as the wolves had marked them as easier prey. How wrong they had been and they had paid for it with half their pack. Vaughn and the Kinmorlun brothers breathed heavily, a bit beaten and weary from the attack but otherwise unharmed.

  Dendar spat on the body of one of the large creatures, “Dire wolves…” the dwarf muttered. “Nasty creatures. Not even worth eating.”

  Elana looked impressed but I had seen how adept dwarves could be in battle. Sadly, I had been forced to fight against a few of them when I wore a collar. Short yet stocky, they were voracious fighters who never backed down from an opportunity or opening given to them. It was a quick end for those who underestimated a dwarven warrior.

  Answald had landed a decent blow against a wolf it seemed as he and Vaughn had taken one down. The nobleman was even more ecstatic over the victory as he had played a part in it. I couldn’t
believe that he had done battle with such a creature and came out unharmed. I applauded Vaughn’s skill in no doubt forcing the creature’s focus onto himself. Sehas, on the other hand, appeared even more fidgety than before, his eyes casting fearful glances into the shadowed forestry of the mountains. I didn’t know how to ease the poor fellow’s worry so I said nothing. As none in the group had been injured outside of a few bruises, it was decided to continue on after a short rest. Elana and I took off as soon as things had calmed down in order to once again scout the way.

  For nearly another week we traversed the wild lands of the Azek mountain range. At night we heard the howl of wolves but no attacks were made against us. They had learned their lesson. The map continued to lead us further up into the mountains where the temperature steadily dropped. Cloaks with furred linings were brought out from packs to help ward of the cold. My own cloak worked splendidly in keeping out the cold. I wasn’t as warm as if sitting next to a campfire but neither was I cold. Dendar commented on seeing snow soon.

  One day as we were scouting ahead, Elana and I came across a narrow, natural path between two steep hills. We cautiously took the narrow course since the map indicated it as the correct way. Taking our time as we passed through the dirt and gravel path, we eventually reached the other side. The way forward widened, becoming more grassy with a gentle incline. Pressing on, it began to rain.

  Looking to the sky, stormclouds brewed above as the rain pelted us. We both raised our hoods and continued on in search of a cave or some other shelter for the company to take from the coming storm. The rain became heavier as we searched, yet we eventually found a suitable location for a campsite. A small opening in the nearby mountainside would barely allow the seven of us to fit inside and protect us from the rain, which was now coming down quite heavily. We left the cave and headed back to inform the party of our discovery.

  Making our way back towards the narrow pass, we arrived just in time to see the other half of the party looking towards us about to enter the pass. Without warning, a massive amount of rock and mud slid down from above and rushed into the slender passageway. Elana and I stepped back a ways as we watched tons of earth filling the path and block the way forward. We could no longer see the other party.

  When the miniature landslide stopped, I went as close as I dared and yelled over. “Can you hear me?”

  As it was still raining I wasn’t sure if my voice would carry but soon enough a response came back although it was faint. “We can hear you!” I thought the voice sounded like Vaughn.

  “There is another, longer path. Take that and it will lead you to us!” I shouted directions.

  “Will do! Stay safe!” I heard again what I thought was Vaughn.

  Elana and I retreated back to the small cave we had found which wonderfully blocked out the rain.

  “How did you know about the other path?” Elana asked, frowning in confusion.

  I smirked, “Well, from the map of course.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me, “I saw nothing to indicate that path.”

  I nodded, “True, it didn’t mention where the path was. Although it did say that the narrow pass was a shortcut.”

  “And a shortcut implies that another pass exists that leads to the same location.” Elana concluded.

  “Precisely.”

  We ate some of our rations as we waited out the storm. After, she helped me practice more of my elvish. She commented that I didn’t sound nearly as bad anymore. Still, we talked of nothing as we waited until we finally decided to sleep. I took first watch, though, for the most part, it was uneventful. At some point during my watch, I glanced at Elana’s sleeping face.

  Traveling with her, especially since we began speaking elvish back and forth, had me feeling more at ease than I had in a long while. Even during my time at Riken’s in the capital, as comfortable as it had been, it hadn’t felt like home. With Elana, her elven features and language constantly reminded me of home. Of the small elven village I had grown up in. Being around her felt natural. As I turned my gaze back towards the night, I wondered if she felt the same.

  When I judged the night to be half over, I approached Elana and gently shook her by the shoulder. Her green eyes opened slowly, blinking away the sleep. My hand still on her shoulder, we looked at each other for a few moments before I stepped back and began getting my bedroll ready. I was tired and would need the rest. It would only be the two of us for a few days and we had to be vigilant. Sleep claimed me within minutes.

  ~

  In the morning, Elana and I had a light breakfast then left the cave behind. We would likely reach our destination before nightfall while the other party had at least another day or two after that, perhaps more. The map hadn’t outlined the other path nor how long it would take. As we traveled, we occasionally spoke of the others or commented on past events. Usually in elvish. Other times we simply walked alongside each other in companionable silence, searching for signs of danger or markers previously memorized from the map.

  We reached our destination around mid afternoon with little trouble. Aside from the cold, the weather was quite nice after the rain showers. A natural, refreshing scent emanated in the small valley where we waited. Looking up at the mountain tops that I could see, there was an abundance of snow. I didn’t doubt that soon we would be trudging through it. With Vaughn leading the way it wouldn’t be so rough as the tall, large man would make a sizable path to follow.

  As we didn’t know how long it would take, Elana suggested we attempt to hunt something to help preserve our rations. I readily agreed and we spent some time attempting to find wildlife. Eventually Elana found the trail of a mountain elk. I hadn’t seen an elk before but she assured me they were edible. The trail led us to a small pool in a neighboring valley and Elana took the deer-like creature down in a single, clean shot through its heart. We cleaned the elk and cooked what we could eat, leaving the rest for nature. Returning to the initial valley with full stomachs felt highly satisfying. It was a shame we had to leave behind as much as we did but we had no way to store or preserve it.

  It took two days for the other half of the party to finally catch up Upon seeing us, Hafoki let out a shout of joy and Answald had a grand smile on his face. Vaughn gave us both a nod and said he was glad to see us safe. The poor attendant, though, did not seem to have improved at all. He only briefly acknowledged our presence before once again scanning the surroundings nervously.

  As it was fairly late in the evening, we decided to camp in the small valley before moving on in the morning. We traded stories of the last couple days, though it had been mostly uneventful for both sides. The only real danger the other group had run across was when Hafoki had nearly wandered into a bear’s den. Luckily, Dendar had spotted the creatures large tracks and pulled him back before anything happened. They had opted to find another form of shelter for the night.

  Later that night, I was assigned first watch. I stoked the fire a bit with a long stick while staring into the darkness. Only Vaughn and I sat around the campfire while the others slept. Vaughn had a concerned look on his face as he watched the dancing flames.

  “Something wrong?” I asked him, keeping my voice low to not wake any of the others.

  The big man didn’t turn and look at me but instead I noticed his eyes shift to the sleeping form of Sehas. “He shouldn’t be here.”

  I agreed, though the decision hadn’t been mine. “There is little we can do now.”

  He nodded slowly, “You’re right but it still worries me.”

  I paused for a moment before replying, “You think he will get killed?”

  Vaughn shook his head, finally tearing his sight away from the fire to look me in the eye. “No. I worry he will get us killed.”

  Sighing heavily, the man quietly left to his bedroll and retired. I hadn’t thought of that but Vaughn was right. If things went wrong, Sehas not being able to stay calm or keep composure could bring risk upon the rest of us. I only hoped that he would last
until we left the mountains. According to the map, we had roughly a week until we reached the large, central valley indicated on the map. Then there was the entire return trip. As worrying further would do me no good, I focused on keeping watch and then handed my post over to Hafoki before retreating to my own bedroll for the night.

  ~

  The next day we encountered snow. It wasn’t much but occasionally we had to trudge through a foot or two of snow. Luckily that was only in the small valleys. Moods were dour as everyone was cold and tired. Even Answald became silent during travel, only making conversation during our breaks. After three more days of weary travel, we left a valley behind to find a sizable, flat expanse before us. There were a few scattered trees and large rocks about with a thin layer of snow along the ground. Sighs of relief were heard all around as the party stopped to rest and take in the new surroundings.

  Elana and I went about gathering some wood for burning while the dwarves gathered what loose stones they could find to contain the fire. Vaughn and Answald were looking over the map attempting to discern our next marker. The nobleman never let the map out of his sight, even when Elana and I studied it for scouting purposes. Sehas went a ways off behind some trees, no doubt heeding a call of nature.

  We were just about to start the fire after gathering everything when a scream pierced the relative silence. Everyone stopped and looked toward the direction in which Sehas had left.

  Vaughn drew his longsword, wasting no time as he began barking orders. “Let’s move!”

  Elana quickly strung her bow with practiced movement and was ready in moments. The dwarves and I also didn’t take long to ready ourselves though Answald hurried to store his map and equip himself. As such, Answald took up the rear with Elana while the dwarves and I followed Vaughn.