by Clark Graham
As they rounded the mountains and started their way east they were overtaken by a troop of valkyries. It was Fawn and her army.
“Sarchise, so we meet again.” Fawn said, “I never got a chance to thank you for saving my dwarf allies.”
“I never got a chance to thank you for saving my life, so thank you.” Sarchise said, “Where are you headed?”
“I have been sent to reclaim the lost city that you found for us. Since there is peace in the land, we feel that we can reclaim what was once ours.”
“How did you come to the hidden city?” Sarchise said, and how did you keep it secret so long?”
“Old stories have it that there was a secret tunnel that led out of the city. When the elves surrounded it we fled to the north. The war between elf and dwarf was still raging, but the dwarves of the Lonely Mountains promised us sanctuary. They built us a city hidden by a mountain where only one of their watchtowers could see it. When the war ended we decided to keep our world secret and the dwarves agreed that it would be a good idea. Finally the wars between dwarf and elf ended and they both destroyed the records of it. But both cheated. The elves kept their oral history of it and we kept a written history for the dwarves and us.
“When Tabor the First came to power and was destroying the world of men, the dwarves of the Lonely Mountains stayed in their halls to shield us from any attack by the gremlins. There brothers in the Mountains of Iron had been destroyed and they feared that the same would happen to the Lonely Mountains if they sent too much of their strength to the armies of men. They were hated for it, but they felt they had no other choice.”
“Why is Amlius so afraid of you?” asked Sarchise.
Fawn laughed. “The elves used to say that we rode so fast that it was as if our horses had wings. We often send our men into the world. When we heard a rumor that the lost city had been found we sent out Elsie to check it out. She had just come around a corner and didn’t see the old elf when she jumped her horse over a tree stump. Nearly came down on his head.
“We have told him that we will not attack him and will let him live out the remainder of his days in the Westwood, guarding his precious ornamac tree.”
“That is very kind of you. I hope to see you again someday.” Sarchise said.
“We will settle some of our people in the lost city. You will by chance see us again; we may even come into the halls of the dwarves and feast. We have, and always will be, allies of the dwarves.”
At that they bid farewell. Sarchise and his army resumed their journey. The Mountains loomed larger and larger as they took an easterly course.
Home and Family
Sarchise and his army did not hesitate but marched directly into the main entrance of the halls of the Mountain of Iron. Instead of surprising the inhabitants, they were themselves surprised. Cazz had found all of the old watchtowers and had posted guards. They had seen the dwarf army coming for miles away. So when they entered the halls unannounced there were a thousand dwarves lining the walls waiting for them. Not just random dwarves, but Cazz had sent for the families of the warriors so they would be there when the army arrived. Ammlee was there. She had recovered from her wounds and ran up to Sarchise and threw her arms around his neck. He laughed with delight. The ranks of the army soon degenerated to groups of hugging families. It had been a hard fight but it was worth coming back.
The halls and rooms had been transformed from a place of death to a place of life in the army’s absence. All of the torches were lit. All the debris had been swept away. The tapestries were re-sewn and the statues had the dirt and grime of the previous occupants cleaned off. Music once again echoed through the Great Hall where a bonfire was roaring and a small feast was prepared. It was not as grand as the feast they had had in the Kingdom of Ril, but with loved ones around and the journey over, it was a more enjoyed feast.
It was then that Sarchise saw Hemlot. He had mostly recovered from his wounds and made his way to the Mountains of Iron. The old friends embraced.
“You look a lot better than the last time I saw you.” Sarchise said.
“Thank you.” Hemlot said, “I had a hard time of it. The impact had broken several of my ribs so I had a hard time getting a breath. They took me in a cart back to the ornamac tree fort. There I stayed until my wounds started to heal. At that point the King of High Mountain was afraid that the gremlins would return so all available forces were brought back there. When the danger was past and we heard that the Mountains of Iron were free, King Cazz sent for the families of the warriors who were in the Mountains of Iron and the ones chasing the enemy toward the Lonely Mountains. The King picked me to lead the expedition.”
“I am so glad that you are here.” Sarchise said. He could see Ferdin and Fordin across the hall. They both raised their cups of ale when he made eye contact with them. “Are they old enough to drink?” He asked.
“All warriors are old enough to drink,” Hemlot answered.
Each of the families had been given rooms and places to live. They didn’t even fill one twentieth of the vast halls but the King had decreed that each family’s duty was to try and increase the population of the Kingdom.
The King of High Mountain had given King Cazz ample food for the upcoming winter and enough to plant in the spring.
A few days later Ermort and his army were welcomed into the hall. Sarchise was told of their arrival and went down to meet them.
“I was told that you had left on the King’s errand,” Sarchise said.
“Yes, indeed, but not that King. King Cazz wanted us here to greet you when you arrived. We took the short route over the mountains, but an early blizzard trapped us for a week. You must have gone around because the snow was too deep your dwarves would have had to tunnel through it. Luckily I was able to save every member of my army, but they will never want to go over a mountain again.” Ermort said.
“Yes, we did go around. I am so glad to see you. What are your plans now?” Sarchise asked.
“Well, I do have to take my prisoner back to South Fort.” Ermort said with a bit of a smile.
“Prisoner, what prisoner do you have?” Sarchise asked.
“I still have an arrest warrant for you!” laughed Ermort.
Other Books by Clark Graham
Fiction
Jack Warden Detective Novel #1
Winning Numbers Deadly Numbers
Jack Warden's first major case. A twisted tale of murder in a small town, when a couple wins a lottery jackpot and others are trying to get their hands on the winning numbers. Who will die next?
Jack Warden Detective Novel #2
In a Sea of Troubles
A serial killer is on the loose in Manila, a bomb maker is found dead, a girl is on the run from hit men, and Jack Warden is on a cruise, heading into a sea of troubles.
Strange Kin
Something for everyone, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suspense and Fantasy.
Strange Kin
A boy grows up knowing he's different, but does not know why. One day he gets a visit by someone claiming to be his father, His father is not the loving kind one that a boy hopes to have, but someone who might be out to kill him to hide an ancient secret.
Guardian of the Portal
A man guards a portal into another dimension, not knowing that it is a place where there is a better life. But why is no one ever returning?
The Long Drought
After a long drought, in a small town, animals are acting funny and people are starting to disappear.
Child of the Visitor
A visitor holds secrets that only his nurse is beginning to understand.
Spanish Gold
A pact that a group of soldiers took when they discover a bag of gold while hiding in a barn in Germany during the war. But is the gold cursed?
Nick Spool Private eye
an investigator tries to solve a murder, but is shocked when the truth isn't a simple who done it. There could be intergalactic consequences.
> Non Fiction
Unexpected Tales and Feel Good Stories
Life does not come with an instruction manual. When I found skunks in my crawl space, I could not refer to page 98 to see what to do about it. I couldn't find a chapter about how to tell your neighbor that you accidentally burned up his yard. There was also no instruction on not climbing on a firetruck in the dark, because you might fall and break your finger off. You may not be able to laugh at the time, but life's unexpected events make the best stories, at least looking back.
