Clearing the Web

by Cary J Lenehan

  Basil

  Astrid stood, and Basil did as he was told and, for a good part of the rest of the evening the audience sat entranced as the tale unfolded. I think that the story has even more of an effect on the traders than finding Theodora had. They are a little more used to seeing the progeny of Hrothnog than to the places out of legend coming to life before them. I wonder, seeing that the story will soon be out, what the next move for us will be.

  Astrid

  That night, after the tale was told, Theodora went around and talked to Thord, and those who would go to back to Dwarvenholme. Thord was eager to carry the news, and agreed to take his time with the task to enable the treasure to be gathered and brought back down. After all, as he said: “I’ve t’ Crown. Everyt’ing else is replaceable ’n’ every Dwarf would eventual understand t’at t’ Finders need reward.” He grinned. “What is even more important about t’ Finders being rewarded, well, I’m one of t’ Finders.”

  After a while, as small groups had earnest conversations together and people ducked out of the room and came back, it became obvious that something was afoot. Especially once people started to make sure that they were ready to leave at first light, before they re-joined the party. Carausius asked nervously what was happening.

  Rani has insisted that I sit here and look after the traders. I could lie…but, if we are to keep seeing the traders, we should be mostly honest with them. “A group of us will be leaving again early in the morning to fetch some things that are needed.” That will do. Now to change the subject.

  “Tell me more about Darkreach. My husband has told me some, but I am sure you have seen more.” Basil has told me a lot, but I reckon that he must be biased. I know that he wants to take me to his old home for a visit. I want to find out more about where he will be taking me before I agree to it.

  Rani

  We need to have a smaller group going into the mountains this time, and it will not be able to fight as well as those on the first trip. We are taking a risk that no Masters have moved back in, but Princess and I will still make as many wands as we can during the trip. This time we will travel with horses and the cart. Basil will be coming, but not Astrid, although she is sending him with all of her magic.

  Christopher and Bianca will come with us, with Bianca having charge of all the horses. Hulagu and the Khitan girls will take over the scouting duties. Neither Stefan nor Bryony can fight from horseback, but both will be coming as they can at least ride acceptably. Ayesha would, of course, be going, and we are adding the former Havenite trader, Shilpa. She is experienced with pack-horses and can help Bianca.

  Our main problem is the cart. Naeve is the best at handling it, but she is far too pregnant. The only other person who can use it well enough is Goditha, and Parminder is not happy with that idea. For once, Astrid has been useful in pointing out that she is allowing her man to go without her, and offering to allow Parminder to stay with her while their husbands are away. We will equip them with swords and other things. Goditha has some tools that would be useful if the cart broke, and at the advice of Bianca, some axes and other tools for the road itself.

  Verily

  While she was in the gaol, where the weapons were stored and getting the others equipped, Verily had a long and hard look at the prisoners. I know that one well. He has taken me twice before…and not gently. The other I know by sight, but he has never taken me on his visits. “I look forward to watching you both die.”

  That night Aziz and Verily had their first argument. Aziz insists that he has to go. I know that he is the strongest and they could need him to help with the cart if it breaks, and to bring down the treasure quickly. He has already managed to convince Rani that his walking will be as quick as the cart. Convincing me he has not yet done. I do not want him to go. I really do not want to be apart from him for that long.

  Theodora sat her down. “From what I have heard in Darkreach about pregnancy between different races, the babies are often more…fragile. Seeing that you had Christopher bless your union, you are very likely to be pregnant, and so you will be best staying home.” I guess that she is right.

  Now I have Astrid here offering me a place in her bed with Parminder. It will make me less lonely…but does he have to go?

  Rani

  Bianca and Shilpa had slipped out on the night’s feast and have looked at the available beasts and equipment, and returned to say that as well as the cart they had equipment for ten pack horses, including my horse, Juggernaut, who has his own tack. It seems that they have already loaded feed for the trip up. They have figured that we will be able to cart, with the saddlebags on the horses, nearly four tonnes and surely there cannot be much more than that of value in the room. If there is, we can just take more and move slower.

  Lakshmi has been hard at work while we were away and the one thing we will be well supplied with is healing potions. Christopher had been concerned at going back without a supply of them. Astrid overheard that conversation on healing herbs and interrupted…again, and now it seems that we have to take her and Lakshmi to that first camp site as we leave.

  As they were finishing with these arrangements, Rani turned to Theodora: “You get to tell Fear that we leave in the morning.”

  Chapter XIV

  16th Undecim

  They left before dawn. Astrid, Naeve, Lakshmi and Ruth would be with them for the start, although they were likely to be left behind during the day as they were walking, even if they were walking as fast as they could. They would be headed for the camping meadow below the cliff to gather plants.

  They would take only a single horse with them, the second plough horse from the valley. It was going to have sacks slung over it with the jars that had been used to help with the hiding spell in them. Lãdi had said that no-one wanted to use them for anything else now, so Naeve and Lakshmi could have them for planting in. There were also some flat boxes, but due to there being no more pack frames they were going to have to improvise how to carry everything when they headed back.

  Fear had not been happy when she was told what was happening. She had her mummies back for only one night, and now they were going away again and they could not say for how long. She had insisted on sleeping with them that night. Rani and Theodora just looked at each other. “I am too tired anyway,” said Theodora.

  Carausius

  They feed us well here, but where is everyone? I asked, and was told that many had left already. Where to? No-one is stopping us poking around. The whole place seems like a normal village, but with not enough people in it. I knew that some were going, but I thought that Astrid was one of those staying. Now she is missing as well.

  Thord is one of the few that I have talked with and he is already waiting alongside our animals near the Hall. I have never even seen inside their stables. I don’t have any idea how many horses they have. Well played, those women. I surreptitiously counted people last night, and I think that I have the right number, but I cannot be sure.

  People kept coming and going…and that was made worse by at least two of the women, the storyteller and Astrid, disappearing and even handing things around to some of the others to try. It is time to be off and on the road. We will find out what we find out, and with at least one Antikataskopeía here, it is perhaps best not to be too openly curious.

  They set out through the gate. There is a pregnant woman, clad in armour and with a kite shield and spear, up in the watch position. I thought that might be where Astrid was. I have never seen such a shortage of people to do the work needed. The pregnant woman, Eleanor, that is her name, is still standing guard in armour at a stage where most people would not be getting ready to fight if needed.

  Thord will not be pressed too far on anything, but he does admit that a lot of their women are pregnant, but they needed to keep working as there is no other choice for them yet. Her Highness did say that they needed more people last night, as w
ell.

  Carausius

  16th Undecim

  It was not until the next morning that Carausius found out where Astrid was. They had just left the campsite, with Thord taking the lead on Hillstrider, when she was seen approaching him with three other women, at least one of them very pregnant as well. They are all fully armed and they have a horse with them. It is dragging two poles behind it over the stones of the road.

  Obviously, they didn’t have time to make a cart, just to knock this frame together. The poles have a platform connecting them, and there is a large heap on the platform, but whatever the pile is made of is completely covered in bags. I very much wish that I knew what is there. I feel that I will be trading for it in the future.

  Astrid ran up to Thord and gave him a kiss, “Have fun being the Hero Who Returns,” she said. “You may as well go. Christopher won’t let me get drunk with you until the baby is born.” She patted her stomach. “Just make sure that you are back for then. We are going to get stinking drunk in celebration and tease the Princesses.” She is pregnant as well.

  The two groups took their leave and parted. They had only gone a hand of hands apart when Astrid turned and called loudly behind her in an afterthought to those who were headed north: “I look forward to seeing you all in a few months,” she said. The others acknowledged her with waves and, from Thord, a broad grin.

  Astrid

  I will probably get sick of it soon, but it is nice to have some peace and quiet, and a normal life. Naeve and Lakshmi have started digging a new bed on some of the last flat ground near the river, near where the path began to ascend, for the new crop. They have encouraged as many of us as can spare the time to come and help them. I am pretty useless at it.

  While they plant the herbs, I can at least wander around with others and pick up rocks from the meadow and start outlining where the stone walls will go for this new herb field when Goditha returns.

  We have already got some new clothes sewn for the littlest girls, and I will be doing that for a while. The children can run around in their kilts most of the time, but Ruth has put her foot down, however, and insisted on dresses or tunics and trews being worn in class.

  We may have more cloth than has been in the store since we arrived, but the hemp cloth, a good grade, is quickly being used up. Some cloth we are not touching. There is a lot reserved for the new mages. According to Rani, when she was giving instructions before she left, having them wear the right cloth helps them to cast. Who knew?

  Apparently khmel, hemp, gotar, sh-hone and walla are all cloths of special significance to some mages—one of the reasons the traders had selected them to bring so far. With the rough woollen cloth that Fãtima and Umm are already starting to produce, we have half of the astral signs covered.

  Chapter XV

  Thord

  22nd Undecim

  “I noticed, t’at you seem to ha’ very little on your pack horses, but you seem to be happy. I take it you got a good price t’en.”

  “I probably should have gotten a better one, but your Princess is…off-putting when she is the translator and your two merchant women know their business. You may have a strange village in Mousehole…I take that back, you do have a strange village in Mousehole, but I can see us making quite a few trips there.”

  “I had exactly one thousand, two hundred and seventy-five ells of cloth on these five horses. They were well laden. I am going back with nothing in the way of bulk goods, just a few draughts of potions, along with a few small bags of rubies, sapphires and other lesser gems and even some tasty food and drink for the way.” His voice shows his satisfaction. “This is going to work out very well.” Unconsciously he is rubbing his hands together at the thought.

  “They even gave me orders for the next trip. Your man Basil…the one with the letter. Karas, he used to be in the army…he tells me that the man that it is sent to is the head of the Antikataskopeía.” He is looking for a reaction. I will try not to give one. “I suppose that fits with your Princess. He wants me to bring in a bolt of spilk for his wife, and I will have to get that from Southpoint. I will either have to order that specially, or get it somewhere else at a higher price.”

  “I also have to bring silk and velvet and all sorts of things. They even want candles and iron. I was going to sell in the Swamp, and buy some of their potions and a few other things that I would have sold at Nameless Keep. Then I would have made up another load and returned.”

  “This is a much better trip. I will go on to Ardlark to sell these, and so make up my load there. I will only get two trips in instead of three, but I should make so much more on each run. I think that I will get at least one more horse and a handler for the next trip. My wife will be very pleased when I get home. I told her that trading outside among the barbarians…not that your little village would really count as being barbarian when it has a Darkreach Princess…” he hurriedly added, “was worth the gamble.”

  Thord had been keeping his eye out, and four days after saying farewell to Astrid and the other girls, he noticed something to the right. He dismounted and looped Hillstrider’s reins to a bush, knelt down and looked. I was right. He stood up and walked a little way into the scrub, jumping up and down and kicking away some dirt to reveal stone beneath.

  The only reason that everyone has missed this road to Dwarvenholme is that they were looking for something much younger. Now that I know its true age it is fairly easy to spot, and it looks like our Mousehole road is actually turning off the main road and we are now re-joining that. I suppose that I should explain…

  “I wouldn’t bother going t’ere. No-one will live t’ere for a long time yet and t’ entrance is hard to find anyway. If you want I might take you up t’ere next season, if t’ere is anyone living t’ere yet.”

  Thord

  29th Undecim

  It was another seven days before they came down into the Darkreach Gap, and passed behind one of the border forts standing out on a small isolated mountain in the forests to the west of the mountains. “Unfortunately, we have to go away from home to get home,” said Carausius. “Everyone leaving or entering Darkreach has to enter through Mouthguard, and get their permits stamped. Otherwise we are treated as smugglers. So, we have to go down river to there, get our permits stamped, and then come back up river to Nameless Keep.”

  “T’en how’d you find t’is road?”

  Carausius looked a mixture of embarrassed and proud. “More or less by accident,” he said. “I thought that there had to be a way to get down to the Swamp without going through every town along the way and paying tolls. I was just expecting to travel along the hillsides, and we started out looking for a good place to head south off the main road and do this, and then one stop, when he was out getting firewood, Festus found this road. It seemed to be going the right way, so after we had registered as going out, we came back and followed it.”

  “I think that was when your Astrid saw us. So, we have a secret way to get to you. I don’t think that you are large enough to attract too many traders, so I might be your only way into Darkreach for trade for a while yet. I think we will all be very happy,” He sounds smug at that.

  They turned left and joined the road going down to Mouthguard.

  At Mouthguard they got to stay in an inn, The Roving Isci-Kharl. There was a painting of some sort of Kharl on the sign. I am not impressed. I am spoilt by Lãdi’s cooking…even Karas says the same thing. “When you get travellers, not us of course, you will be able to charge them a lot for that cooking” he said fondly.

  Explaining why I came down the road, but have not been into Darkreach, took some doing. Fancy having to get hold of the letter from Basil to his general off the trader, and wave it at the officer who was stamping passes, and who controlled access across the bridge, before I had any chance of being heard. Carausius’ dream of being the only traveller on the road is just that—a dre
am.

  I had better warn the officer of what lies ahead for him. This is the only road that I know of to get the Dwarves to Dwarvenholme. Without mentioning my destination, I need to tell this pompous officer, an Insakharl called Mellitus, that I will be back in a few weeks, probably with a large number of Dwarves, and that we will be crossing the river, but not going on to Darkreach. All I am telling him is that we will be “goin’ into t’ mountains.”

  Next morning, Thord and the traders parted. Without the three on foot to slow him down, Thord was soon heading off to Kharlsbane, and could now travel much quicker, with Hillstrider happy to oblige, while the other three were headed back up the valley and into Darkreach.

  Chapter XVI

  Rani

  32nd Undecim

  At least the old road along the base of the mountains was easy to travel on with the cart. Under the top layer of soil that had drifted across it over the years there is still a hard and solid stone surface. There are few trees forcing their way through it, but those are easy to clear. It has lasted for a long time and had been well maintained until fairly recently—probably until the Burning.

  I think it is smoother than that I rode on in that cursed chariot to Garthang. The road up to the mountains is a very different proposition. I have to have Aziz off the cart as often as he is on it, helping the cart over obstacles and even clearing branches. The riders in front even have to drag away some smaller trees that have fallen over the track. We had to take the cart right around one particularly large tree that lay fallen directly over the path. Will we get around it on the way back?

  Rani made sure that someone was always watching, first the sky, and then the mountain itself, for any sign of the dragon. They didn’t stand a chance of defending the animals if it appeared. They would just have to scatter and run.