Of Wolf And Witch

by S. A. McGarey

  Duncan sat down in a corner, and Ravenna sat across from him. “What’s the plan, Duncan?” She asked him.

  “To listen,” Duncan replied, closing his eyes.

  Duncan’s wolven hearing took over. He heard all conversations in the bar. He slowly focused his hearing on the word ‘Underking’. He thought it was a good word to listen for if he wanted information from the locals. Their conversations might shed some light on the Underking’s recent activities, his advisor, and perhaps even why the city was locked down to outsiders.

  Duncan’s enhanced hearing allowed him to overhear many conversations going on in the Anvil. No one spoke of the Underking or his strange advisor, but Duncan picked up quite a lot of chatter regarding the Blacksteel deposits that ran through Hammerforge. According to what he heard, the dwarven miners were mining more Blacksteel than ever, but it wasn’t being traded or used to craft weapons. The rumor was that it was all being sent to the depths of the city, never to be seen again. These conversations piqued Duncan’s interest and he listened in to them.

  From what he could gather, the Underking had ordered a mass mining of Blacksteel in the Hammerforge veins and that all of that Blacksteel would be sent to the depths of the city. From there, not a soul seemed to know the whereabouts or purpose of the Blacksteel deposits. They were simply disappearing into the depths, never to be seen again. This all started happening in the last week, just before the city stopped accepting visitors. Duncan was willing to believe that the Underking’s advisor had to do with this. He heard rumors of the scarlet-clad advisor being new to the Underking’s court, but no one seemed to know much beyond that. Duncan couldn’t shake the feeling that this was undoubtedly the witch he was after. If this was true, then the Underking was in danger.

  “Something is rotten in Hammerforge,” Duncan spoke in a near whisper

  “Let me guess. Blacksteel?” Ravenna asked.

  Duncan’s eyes widened. “How could you possibly know that?”

  “I have my ways, same as you,” she said, winking. Ravenna had used her magic to do the same basic thing that Duncan had done. She enhanced her hearing and heard much of the same chatter and rumors that Duncan had.

  “Hammerforge thrives on exports of Blacksteel and crafting weapons with the stuff. What could they possibly be doing, sending it away to the deepest parts of the city?” Duncan wondered aloud.

  “I don’t know,” Ravenna replied. “But there must be something going on if they’re shipping it all off to somewhere unknown.”

  “This only makes me more suspicious that the witch is concealing herself under that scarlet robe,” Duncan said with a form of murder in his eyes.

  “How can you be so certain?”

  “The advisor seems relatively new, and then the city goes into isolation from the outside world. Then the Blacksteel being carted away. It all seems like too much of a coincidence.”

  Ravenna wasn’t following entirely. “Explain what you mean.”

  “What does a witch fear most?” Duncan asked Ravenna.

  “I think that depends on the witch,” Ravenna replied. “What do you believe the answer is?”

  “Losing their power,” Duncan replied gravely. If the Underking’s advisor is the witch who cursed me, then it all makes sense. She puts the Underking under a spell and uses him like a puppet. Then she closes the city to all outsiders to solidify her power. As for the Blacksteel, witches fear it. It’s anti-magical, so it’s highly effective against them. It makes sense that she would order all the deposits of Blacksteel to be taken far away and likely destroyed. She’s trying to consolidate her power here in Hammerforge.

  “What do we do about that?” Ravenna asked.

  “We follow the Blacksteel.”

  Duncan walked over to a nearby merchant selling clothes of dwarven make. As he haggled with the merchant, Ravenna looked around at the city around her. She had never been to a dwarven city before. It was so vastly different from the outside world. These cities were built into the mountains themselves. They were underground. The dwarves who lived here did not feel the warm sunlight on their skin, nor did they feel the cool breeze of a western wind on their faces. They stayed buried, searching for their riches and thriving on trade. Ravenna guessed they would be the wealthiest race in Rivania, and she would be correct.

  Duncan returned from his dealings with the merchant. He approached Ravenna with two dwarven-made cloaks.

  “Here, put this on,” He told her, handing her one of the cloaks.

  Ravenna did as she was told. The cloak was heavy and hooded. It would be good to fend off the weather if the dwarves ever had to deal with such things. It seemed bulky enough to even blunt the attack of a blade. The hood would do nicely to hide her face, which she had inferred was the reason for the cloak in the first place.

  Duncan donned his cloak as well, throwing the hood over his head. The bulky cloak hid not only his face but also the blade across his back. He looked like a simple traveler. While there were no travelers in Hammerforge due to the city’s closure, they stood out a tad bit less in the crowds, despite being a few feet taller than everyone else in the city. People hiding beneath hoods had a way of blending in. It never made sense to Duncan, but it was still true.

  “The Blacksteel deposits are going down to the depths of the city. That’s where we need to go,” Duncan said.

  “I thought the mines were the depths of the city,” Ravenna replied, sure that they must travel the mines of Hammerforge.

  “The mines do run deep,” Duncan began. “But they are not the deepest parts. The dwarves of Hammerforge have been digging deep into the mountains, trying to find a way past the mountain range surrounding Rivania. If we follow that path, we may yet find the deepest part of this place.”

  “If they were digging straight out from here, how would the deepest part be found on their digging route?” Ravenna questioned.

  “You’re right, it doesn’t make sense, at least under normal circumstances. These aren’t normal circumstances though. Fearsome beings live in the depths below these cities… things that would make hunters like me make a decent living. By digging into the mountains, they disturbed the things that live in the dark depths. I have heard reports that some dwarves have perished during the digging because of monster attacks. That path is what we must follow. We must go where the monsters come from. Surely that is where they take the Blacksteel. They know that no one would be fool enough to go after it.”

  “No one except you.”

  “You mean us,” Duncan corrected her, setting off towards the dig site, his hood allowing him to get lost in the crowds. Ravenna followed suit, hoping that this would not be as dangerous as it seemed to be.

  The dig site was away from the main part of the city and was guarded by heavily armed and armored dwarves. They knew the possibility of monsters emerging from the dig site. Duncan guessed that there were even more militant dwarves further in that were responsible for carting the Blacksteel down to the depths. If they wanted to get down there, they would need a way past the guards.

  “The path is guarded. What do you suggest we do now?” Ravenna asked Duncan.

  “Just wait for a moment,” Duncan replied. He began looking around for a solution.

  As he observed his surroundings he noticed what would become their way in. A massive cart full of Blacksteel ore, pulled by horses was making its way to the tunnel entrance. Once in the tunnel, it would proceed to where the monsters had dug up from the depths, and deposit the ore where no one would ever willingly venture. From there, Duncan had no clue what would happen to the ore, but he was determined to find out.

  “I have an idea,” Duncan told Ravenna. “See that cart?” He pointed.

  Ravenna followed where Duncan was pointing and saw the horse-drawn cart. “Blacksteel,” she said, “But how does that help us?”

  “I plan to reach the cart before it goes into the dig site. We need to convince them that the Underking sent us to assist with the Blacksteel.”r />
  “And just how did you plan on convincing them?”

  “That’s where you come in.”

  “And when did you plan on telling me this?” Ravenna asked, slightly offended.

  “Right now.”

  “Thanks for letting me know.”

  “What, can’t you do it? You’ve got the ability to do so.”

  “You just naturally assume that I can without even taking the time to ask. Typical. Still, yes, I can. I think you’ll find that I can be quite convincing.”

  “Good, then let’s get moving. The sooner we find where the Blacksteel is going, the sooner we can rid Rivania of this witch and we can go our separate ways.

  Ravenna stared idly at the cart. On the one hand, she was ready to go her separate ways from Duncan. While she didn’t fear Duncan, he could be insensitive to her, plus he dragged her along for this insane revenge mission. On the other hand, Duncan was smart, if a little insane, and hadn’t treated her so incredibly unkindly. Perhaps, given time, she could grow to tolerate or even like Duncan. Perhaps things would be better if they weren’t on this fool's errand together.

  “Are you coming or not?” Duncan asked.

  She broke her idle stare and followed him down to where the cart was. It would still be a few minutes before it reached the dig site.

  The cart had two armed guards, each carrying dwarven made battle-axes, which were some of the finest dwarven crafted weapons you could get your hand on in Rivania. Ravenna reached the cart moments before Duncan. Her voice flowed out with a hint of magic in it as she spoke to the two guards.

  “The Underking bids us assist you.”

  The eyes of the two dwarves looked glassed over. The magic was working. Ravenna’s eyes changed to an indigo color as she pushed her magic onto the dwarves.

  “The Underking bids you assist us,” One of the dwarves spoke in a daze. “Come with us.”

  It had worked. The dwarves led the way, with the cart behind them, and Duncan and Ravenna behind the cart.

  “I was afraid that wouldn’t work,” Ravenna said. “Being this near to Blacksteel, I thought it might make my magic less effective.”

  “Blacksteel doesn’t quite work that way. It is anti-magical, but it’s the touch that causes the problem for magical beings and monsters. Simply being near it doesn’t harm magical beings. The trouble starts if you get slashed or stabbed by it,” Duncan explained. “If being near it was enough, I think my blade might have affected you by now.”

  Ravenna thought about this and decided that it did make sense. That made her feel a little better about going down to where the Blacksteel was being carted off to. As long as she didn’t touch it, everything should be ok.

  The dwarven guards spoke to the heavily armed dwarves by the tunnel entrance. They explained Duncan and Ravenna’s presence, and they took it at face value. Ravenna kept her concentration up, ensuring that the dwarven guards would not break from her spell until it was safe to lift the enchantment.

  The tunnel was dark, and by listening carefully, Ravenna could hear the sounds of monsters in the deep. Duncan heard these sounds too, albeit much easier, as the wolf spirit within him sharpened his senses, whether he wished it or not. The wolf wasn’t easy to control. It was more like the second part of him, rather than a grafted-on extension of himself. As they marched on into the dig site, he could feel the spirit on edge. It sensed danger. It sensed the things dwelling in the darkness, and it didn’t like it. Duncan’s sharpened sensed could hear them, smell them, and almost taste them in the stiff air of the dig site.

  Ravenna broke his concentration on these things. “So, they’re digging through the mountains?”

  “Yes,” he spoke “They’re trying to find what lies outside Rivania. The legends have always said that terrible monsters dwell outside and that God or whoever created us put us here in Rivania to keep us safe from the horrors of the outside world.”

  “Keep us safe?” Ravenna scoffed. “But there are monsters here too! What would be the purpose of locking us inside impassable mountain ranges with horrifying monsters?”

  “I don’t know, Ravenna,” Duncan replied. “Perhaps it was the lesser evil. Perhaps the monsters outside are far worse than those inside Rivania. Perhaps it is to see if we were worth creating in the first place. Or perhaps the legends aren’t true at all, and we were just unlucky enough to be trapped in this place with monsters bent on having us all for lunch.”

  “Is that what you think?” She asked as they continued through the tunnel.

  “It doesn’t matter what I think.”

  “Humor me.”

  Duncan sighed, not understanding why he chose to grant her request but choosing to do so anyway. “I think there is a God or a creator out there somewhere. I think that she put us in here for a reason, but I don’t know what. I don’t know why the monsters are here, but I do believe that they are the reason I am here.”

  “So you can destroy them?”

  “So I can protect the rest of Rivania.”

  “You don’t seem the valiant protector type. In fact, I’d guess quite the opposite. The way you carry yourself just makes it seem like the monsters you slay are simply coin in your pocket.”

  “That’s a fair assumption,” Duncan agreed. “I don’t look like I care much about anything, but on some level, I do. I don’t want people to lose things like I did. I don’t want people to lose the ones they love to hideous monsters. That’s why I hunt them. The coin is merely to make a living for myself, but slaying monsters… that’s who I am.”

  “Even at the risk of becoming a monster yourself?” Ravenna asked with concern in her eyes.

  “To kill monsters, sometimes you have to become one yourself. It isn’t pretty, and it isn’t preferred, but it is necessary in the end. I don’t mind being a monster, so long as others don’t have to become one.”

  “You’re no monster. Just a little rough around the edges.” Ravenna said.

  “I disagree. People simply see that which they wish to see. What I am is on display for all to see, but people’s perspectives and pre-judgments get in the way of all that. Still, thank you for saying that. I never thought a witch would see me as any more than a witch-hating hunter with a penchant to swing a sword first and ask questions after the fact.”

  Ravenna smiled. “I’m glad I was given an opportunity to see you. I mean, really see you.”

  “For the record,” Duncan began again. “I think there’s more to you than previously thought as well,” He continued down the dark tunnel.

  Ravenna smiled slightly and followed Duncan’s lead.

  Chapter 15

  The only light in the tunnel came from the torches carried by the dwarves. In the distance, the sound of metal clanging signaled that the dwarves were digging through the mountains, bent on finding the land that undoubtedly lay on the other side. Closer still, was the sound of some hideous creature in the deep. There was no telling what manner of creature it was, but Duncan was sure of one thing; he must end its life.

  The cart carrying the Blacksteel began to slow before the horses turned. In the wall of the tunnel was a massive hole. Duncan thought it a miracle that the tunnel did not collapse by losing support, but the tunnel was still intact, even as dirt and rock dust fell from the ceiling with each stab of the miner’s pick into the end of the tunnel. Turning into the offshoot from the digging tunnel, Duncan whispered to Ravenna.

  “We must be getting close.”

  “What made that big hole? A monster?”

  “Must have been, although I am unsure of what kind. It must have been quite large to make an opening that big.”

  “Think they might know?” Ravenna motioned towards the guards.

  “Unlikely,” Duncan murmured. “You can ask if you like, though.”

  “I will.”

  Ravenna hurried ahead to the front of the cart. “What made that hole in the wall?” she asked the dwarves, still bewitched by her. She knew they would tell her anything they knew
.

  “I don’t know the proper name for it, but it was big… long too,” Said the first dwarf.

  “I heard it could breathe fire and its gut looked to be full of flame!” the second one said excitedly.

  Duncan listened in. Big, long, and firebreathing. All these things in an underground creature. Duncan knew exactly what it was, and that had him worried.

  “Anything else?” Ravenna asked.

  “Nothing else, miss.”

  Ravenna nodded and returned to Duncan’s side behind the cart.

  “That look on your face,” she said. “You know what it is don’t you?”

  “Aye, I do. And I certainly don’t like it.”

  “Someone afraid of the big bad monster in the dark?”

  “Afraid? No. I just know what I’m up against and would rather not fight it.”

  “And here I thought you were a big fearless monster hunter.”

  “No one is fearless. The absence of fear is inhuman. Fear is natural. It is courage that sets people apart. Courage is what makes my job possible.” Duncan declared.

  Ravenna was astounded by his wisdom. Duncan was no simple monster hunter. He had a depth to him that made you want to listen to what he had to say if indeed he had something worth saying. He may not always shine through in such a way, but when he did, you walked away feeling like you’d been changed in some small yet important way.

  “It’s a Fire Drake,” Duncan continued.

  “A Fire Drake?”

  “Big lizard creature. Breathes fire like you and I blow air. They make their homes underground in warm places. This place is the perfect nest for such a creature. Based on how they described it, I don’t know of anything else it could be.”

  “And you’re going to kill it?” Ravenna questioned.

  “We, Ravenna. We are going to kill it.”

  “I’m sorry… we?” Ravenna looked shocked.

  “Your magic will be invaluable against a creature like a Fire Drake. Correct me if I’m wrong, but couldn’t you freeze his insides or do some kind of cold magic on him?”