The Eastern Dwarfs: Part One - The Red Fields

by deSouza, Leo

“Nothing special… Just the same as always, people trading and meeting. So I warned them all about what happened, but no one heard, some said I was delirious! Delirious they said! Can you see? They thought I was a fool. But they changed their mind last night… When something came to them. And again I did not see what it was, but I heard people screaming one more time, and there was a big mess, they ran and things broke, wood was cracked and everything got messy! As if a big whirlwind had come and consumed everything!” Malmas spoke.

  “Why did ye not see what it was?” Thuor asked.

  “Well I… Just stood hiding inside the building, one could not blame me for saving myself.” The man replied.

  Rurur chewed and nodded his head. “I know what ye mean.”

  “What then?” Torag asked.

  “After all the destruction was over, everyone gathered on the yard and argued, I did not participate in this, I was still afraid to go out. Don’t take me wrong, you have seen me fighting, but how can a man fight a whirlwind? Some people were taken, they just disappeared! I heard some of them discussing about whether they should leave or not, some said it was too dangerous to go out into open fields, some said that staying was even worse, and some said that someone would send a garrison… Maybe some armed dwarf warriors. Then they left… And I don’t know where to. I first thought you were the garrison when I saw you entering the fort.” Malmas spoke.

  “What if we are?” Torag asked.

  The man chuckled. “No… You would not be enough, that thing was devastating, how could men or even dwarfs fight against something like this? I told you, it was a whirlwind.”

  “It is not a whirlwind.” Rurur said as he chewed.

  Malmas looked at the dwarfs faces as he noticed that they seemed to know about it. “What is it then?”

  “A big flying beast.” Thuor replied revealing his guesses to the man.

  “Did you see it before?” Malmas asked.

  “Hunf… We can talk about this later.” The captain replied.

  “Oh yes, later, just when it was getting interesting! I still know nothing about what we are really doing here.” Torag said motioning.

  The meal continued as they ate and drank, and after it finished everyone found a comfortable position to stay there resting for digestion. For some time nothing happened, except for mosquitos flying around and being slapped by Rurur as they tried to sting his arms, for some reason the insects did not bother the others. He was concerned about what would come next, specially for what he heard about the goblins finding a way in, but then he looked at the others and saw in them no fear, Thuor’s confidence was contagious, and Torag’s courage was somehow comforting. Olaf was quiet, looking into space, and none could guess his thoughts. The captain and Torag chatted sporadically, making comments about the goblins and the fort defenses, always talking quietly and not inviting the others to participate. Malmas was doing nothing but observing the others. Night came, the stars could be seen in the sky, crickets and owls made up the ambient noise, no wind was blowing and there was a strange heat in the air, as if a storm was about to fall, but the sky was clean and there were no clouds around. Everyone was already relaxed when Torag touched Thuor’s shoulder and pointed to something out there in the fields. As the group looked out they saw light points coming through the darkness.

  “Are they?” Olaf asked.

  “I can count lots of torches.” Torag said squinting and looking far on the darkness.

  Olaf also tried to see. “How many?”

  “How many goblins we killed?” Rurur asked.

  Malmas broke in coming close the others. “Did the ones who fell from the walls die?”

  “Shut up ye loudmouths!” Torag shouted. He squinted even more and looked at the torches coming. “Whatever… Let them come closer and then we will welcome them with a nasty surprise.”

  Everyone stood silent as the lights approached, they could hear screams and scolds, Torag smiled maliciously. “There they come… And there are more of them now, they brought reinforcements…” He said.

  It was the goblin group again, they came in frenzy, jumping, screaming and hitting their weapons on their armor and shields, and as Torag noticed, there was now more than the amount that left before.

  “I told ye, the more we hit them the more they get frenzied!” Thuor said. “To the torches!”

  Everyone took a position in a corner of the wall walk, they lit the torches and stood. Now the goblins had reached the fort and surrounded it.

  “Not yet!” Thuor shouted. “Wait… Wait…”

  Torag was nervously holding his torch waiting for the captain to give the order, but then he put it again on the wall merlon and pointed his crossbow to a goblin down there who was also holding his own fire. The goblin leader came again riding his boar, he approached slowly looking up to the ones inside the fort, then suddenly looked down and sniffed. He stopped and motioned his weapon in the air, shouting something in an incomprehensible language, the goblins retreated.

  “They noticed it!” Thuor shouted. “Light the oil!”

  The dwarfs dropped their torches from the wall. They had anointed the grass around the fort with oil, as soon as the torches touched the ground a big fire started around, that suddenly lit the sky. Some goblins were set on fire and died there, but one died by an arrow fired from Torag’s crossbow.

  “He noticed it, we caught just a few!” Torag exclaimed.

  Now there was a big firewall between the ones inside the fort and the attackers. The goblins screamed even louder and their bodies could be seen reflecting the light from the fire amongst the darkness of the night, their shields shining and their blades glittering.

  “They will leave now! They cannot pass the fire, and this oil can burn for the entire night!” The man said.

  And in fact, after a while the goblins left, the dwarfs cried out as they rejoiced.

  “Ha!” Torag exclaimed. “The cowards fled! It was getting fun…”

  They gathered near a tower, everyone had a slight smile, or at least a satisfied mien.

  “Ye see captain. They were not that dogged at all.” Torag spoke.

  “No goblin would dare facing a handful of dwarfs like us.” Olaf said smiling. “Oh, not forgetting about ye, Malmas.”

  Rurur was looking out as if noticing something.

  “What now?” Olaf asked.

  Thuor also looked, the goblins were gathering again on the field ahead, and then started to circle the fort towards the gate. All the dwarfs and Malmas ran along the wall walk to the gatehouse and stood there watching the enemies.

  Malmas growled. “Arrrgh… There they come again.”

  “What is this? They seem to come in two rows…” Rurur spoke.

  “They are quicker…” Thuor Whispered still looking out. “They have a log! To the gate!” He shouted.

  Everyone ran downstairs but they could not reach it before the goblins hit the gate with a log in a strong blow that breached it throwing wood pieces everywhere.

  They entered, and it was an impressive sight for everyone to see the creatures breaking through fire and wooden pieces to inside the fort. There came the goblins through the gatehouse, and among then the big one, mounted on his wild boar.

  “To arms! They are over us!” Thuor shouted.

  Torag fired his crossbow, Olaf and Rurur came to the yard center and got surrounded, but from a side came the man Malmas and stuck a goblin from behind, killing him and making the other ones spread, Thuor jumped from the stairs onto the goblins and fell onto two of them. The attackers hissed and cursed as the dwarfs organized.

  “Form a circle! Back to back!” Thuor said swinging his warhammer.

  And so it was, the dwarfs and the man Malmas formed did as he ordered, facing the enemies around, surrounded. Olaf cried challenging the goblins, but they were not intimidated, for a moment no one did anything, the goblin leader just pointed his big club to Thuor and growled, a big red goblin with deep black eyes, many earrings and printed tribal
designs on the skin. The dwarfs growled back and that was the sign for the struggle to begin, the fire around the fort lit the surroundings, the goblins advanced towards the group like a closing circle and were repulsed by axe, mattock, shield, warhammer and sickle, there a ferocious battle took place. The big goblin leader was circling it as he shouted orders to his vassals. Goblin blood flew through the air and the newcomers had to fight stepping on the dead bodies of their partners. Torag sidled up retreating and went upstairs again hoping to get into a proper position to fire his crossbow, the big goblin leader came after him still mounted on his boar, they looked at each other for a moment with eyes like sharpened knives willing to cut, then the goblin dismounted and the dwarf took two small axes from his belt, they started fighting. Meanwhile the other ones were still fighting the invaders down there. Olaf got wounded with a large cut to his arm, but Rurur and Malmas stood ahead while he retreated. The aggressiveness of the goblins seemed to increase more and more, they threw themselves against the defenders so brutally that sometimes they hit their own allies. The sound of metal being hit, flesh being cut, screams, scolds and a big noise coming from the flames burning the surroundings made the scene. The fire heated the air around turning the place into a hellish ambience. Malmas was revealed to be a good fighter, killing the goblins who came to him, and even helping his partners against other ones. Olaf and Rurur stood together, never advancing against the foes, but they were wise enough to wait for them to come close and be vulnerable, Olaf’s shield was of great use there. Thuor swung his war hammer, crushing bones and pushing goblin bodies away. On the ground, the dwarfs were victorious, and when they finished with all the foes, there was only the leader remaining, still on the wall walk fighting Torag, and it was a fierce fight that gave both the dwarf and the goblin some wounds, one could see the two of them fighting up there with fire coming from outside the fort licking the walls. When the goblin leader saw that there were no more of his vassals around he jumped from the wall to the yard and slid to the gate trying to escape, he passed through the fire quickly, Thuor and Malmas ran after him but could not handle the heat and stepped back as their skin was not the same as the red goblin’s ones, but still he did not pass the fire without burning himself, then went through the field, running. From above the wall walk Torag was targeting him, and in no time he threw one of his small axes, the weapon flew through the air and hit the goblin’s back, he fell to the ground, dead.

  “Ye should have thought twice before harassing these few dwarf wanderers! Goblin scum!” Torag exclaimed.

  The battle was finished, the goblins were defeated. On the yard, the defenders gathered, everyone sweating and snorting, Rurur was breathless. Torag came down and joined them. “That was a… Fierce one… for sure.” He said resting the crossbow on his shoulder.

  “Brutish savage goblins…” Thuor said still breathing loudly. “They saw the defenseless caravan and came to spoil and steal… The same happened when they saw the fort gate broken, Bandits!”

  Torag chuckled. “Guess they would all be regretful, if they could…”

  “I have paid.” Olaf said pointing to his wounded arm.

  Torag stared wide eyed. “Oh ye… This is something impairing!”

  “Ye take care of him, there is line and needle in the ram saddle. But clean it first, and give him some wine.” Thuor spoke to Rurur. “Torag and Malmas, come with me, let’s lift this gate.”

  As the captain said, Malmas and Torag came to work on the broken gate, gathering it’s pieces and raising it again, the others came to the building, and there they lit some torches and started the painful process of closing Olaf’s arm wound, not forgetting to give him some wine beforehand, as Thuor said. The gate came to its former place, not as well as before but good enough to close the passage, and as they finished fixing it they joined the others inside the building.

  “What about the dead goblins?” Malmas asked. “We need to burn the dirty carcasses.”

  “Ain't none of ye have energy left to do such a thing now, it is time to rest. We can take them out tomorrow and then burn them.” Thuor said as he observed Rurur suturing Olaf’s arm.

  When the job was finished, the captain went to the ram saddle and took from there some roots, then gave them to Rurur. “Smash it, mix with beverage, and put it on the wound.” He said reaching with the root.

  “That did not come from the larder. This comes from the road, I took it by myself.” Rurur spoke as he took it.

  “Yes.” Thuor replied. “Good to know that someone among us is prepared for such things. Thanks ye, Rurur.”

  Right when the procedure with the roots on Olaf’s arm ended, Torag shouted from outside the building: “Hey! Look at what I have found!”

  There he stood pointing at something in a dark corner, the wild boar. The others looked through the door.

  “More meat for us.” Rurur said.

  “I’m not going to eat something on which a goblin was sitting his butt just before.” Olaf spoke.

  “He is right! Who would eat such a thing?” Torag asked. “Let’s kill it, and then burn it with the goblins.”

  The boar stirred as if understanding what they said. Rurur looked at the animal, he came out of the building and approached it. “Look at him, he is frightened. He has no blame.”

  “I want it, it would make a good amount in trade.” Malmas broke coming out of the building.

  “No… I will free him tomorrow.” Rurur replied.

  Now approached the boar, he looked at the animal as he rubbed his palms. “Don’t take me wrong, my friends, but this was a fierce fight, and I see no other spoil than this boar here. I say, let us divide it in parts, and each one gets a fair amount of this bounty.”

  Torag spoke: “Yes, yes… I think the tall one is right. At least we could get something after the effort we made.”

  Rurur insisted: “Who can decide this? I would say…”

  “Enough.” Thuor interrupted. “This is not for us to argue about now.”

  Everyone muted, then Torag spoke again: “Right!” He exclaimed going upstairs to the wall walk and leaning against the merlon. “The captain is all for resting, and who could disagree? After all we already got too much blood and butchery for a day. The first turn is mine! Then I will sleep until the morning sunshine, and don’t ye dare waking me up. I’ll keep watch on these fields, nothing will pass unnoticed, not under old Torag’s eyes!”

  “Fine then. I’m not going to stand not even for a moment anymore. I need to lay down.” Olaf spoke.

  Everyone found a good place to rest, there they arranged their mats and prepared to sleep. The group rested while the fire was still burning outside, the air was warm, and everyone was too tired to spend time on preparing ideal accommodations. Rurur was now lying by Olaf’s side.

  “I don’t think that was what the King anticipated when he sent us on this. As he knew we are not warriors.” Olaf said looking at his own wounded arm.

  But it was Thuor who heard what he said from a distance, and he replied: “Why do ye think ye know what the King has in mind. He sent you, ye should feel honored. Besides, everyone is a warrior, it’s just the situation that reveals it, like what just happened. Ye got your first war scars, this is something to celebrate.”

  “Well… If ye say so, captain.” Olaf replied.

  Rurur whispered to Olaf: “Think about what could happen if he had not given ye the shield.”

  All soon fell asleep, except for Torag, who was still awake, there on the wall, looking out, he had a satisfied smile as the flames reflected in his eyes.

  Bad omen.

  The first rays of sun could already be seen from behind the big Red Mountains Range, Torag was still lying on the wall walk when he heard a march and the sound of metal, he rose and rubbed his eyes as he leaned on a wall merlon, still hiding. From far away he could see a group of what he instantly identified as armored dwarfs, a marching company coming from the south road. As the dwarfs approached the bugler sounded
his cornet and announced their arrival, an officer went ahead and spoke loudly: “May the gates of this settlement be open, for a company from the Red Star City has come!”

  For a moment there was no answer, Torag was still there looking down, watching the newcomers. The officer motioned his arm to the bugler and he sounded the cornet again.

  “Is there anyone in this estimable post to greet a friendly company?” The officer asked.

  Again there was no answer, Torag stood there watching hidden like a sly fox.

  “Sir, it seems that the gate was fixed after being breached. Considering that the terrain around is burned, I would say a battle happened here.” The bugler said.

  The officer turned to his warriors, some of them came ahead bringing a small hand battering ram and prepared to hit the gate, at this moment Torag rose showing himself from behind the wall merlon. “Beware! For inside this fort there are daring dwellers ready to give a proper answer to a ram hitting on our gate.”

  The officer looked around trying to see where the voice was coming from, then finally saw Torag up on the wall. “The reception of this place used to be better. Who are ye?” He asked.

  “Things have changed, master Thick Beard!” Torag said as he recognized the clan symbol of the standard-bearer. “We are the lords of this place now. And we reclaim it after a worthy struggle against invaders!”

  “Invaders? What invaders?” Asked the officer as he furrowed.

  “Red ones! Dirty and stinking, like the ones ye can see around. Did ye not see the dead goblin beside the road?” Torag asked as he motioned his arms.

  The officer turned and looked out, spotting the dead body of the goblin leader with Torag’s axe on it. “Oh I did not notice this one.”

  “I dealt with this one by myself, just for ye to know, noble visitor.” Torag replied.

  The officer looked around. “What about all this burned grass around the fort?”

  “This is the fate of all who challenge us, to be cut, or to be burnt.” Torag replied with a perky tone.

  “And by who do ye speak? Master of axe and fire.” The officer down there asked.