by C Woodward
Talestria remarked, “I thought most of the dwarfs’ trade with humans in exchange for enchanting.”
Wotmire nodded, “Yes, we do most of the enchanting with the other races but, we have our own masters who are closely guarded and hidden to enchant our most valuable items.”
Talestria looked at him strangely, “Why bother with all that? Why the secrets?” Laughing, Wotmire replied, “Like I said, we are a proud people and we strongly protect the secrets of our trade.” He paused for a moment, “Besides, we don’t just enchant weapons and armor like most enchanters. We also imbue magic into our fine metals.”
Talestria smiled, “That is interesting. I have wondered about the process but I could never focus on the method of empowering.” Wotmire chuckled, “I don’t know how it is done, because this old dwarf only knows what he knows. Talestria, I hope you can spend some time with our enchanters.”
Talestria grinned, “That sounds great. I would love to see how you guys do things.” Wotmire beamed, “Great! I’ve heard that legends with your knowledge think even proud dwarves could learn a thing or two.” Before retiring to his sleeping quarters for the evening, Wotmire handed us a thick iron ring.
“What is this?” I asked. He muttered, “It is a trinket to display to show you are allies with the dwarves. If anyone here questions you, just show it to them and they will understand.” He let out a big yawn, “Oh, talk to the man behind the desk if he is still awake. He will show you where you can stay for the night. I will speak with you tomorrow, Blake.”
Smiling, I bid him goodnight. Talestria and I walked out of the chamber and met Kalus who was standing around looking bored as can be. “Oh, good! How did it go?” he asked.
I grinned, “Oh fine, fine. Supposed to meet up with the dwarf at the desk to find a room for the night. I am going to chat with Wotmire tomorrow.” Kalus and Talestria both seemed happy about the idea of sleeping in a real room. I myself would love to sleep in a real bed.
We trudged down the stairs and found the old dwarf still at his desk. Teltar and the general were no where in sight. The old dwarf smiled at us, “I take it things are going well?”
I showed him the ring and asked, “Do you know a good place to rest?” The old dwarf stared at the ring and smiled, “Oh yes. I know a great place. If you don’t mind waiting a little, I can show you the way.”
After a short wait while the dwarf to closed things up for the night, we followed him though a complex route to a fancy inn. He waved good bye. Talestria and I stood outside and excitedly waited for Kalus to arrive with the carriage. I felt a bit bad for him but, oh well. We found a nice place for Alpo to spend the night. We gathered up our things and found our way inside. The inn appeared stylish and quiet.
We saw some upper-class dwarves in quiet conversation sitting at a small table while smoking pipes. They stopped talking and stared at us. I flashed them a smile and walked up to the middle-aged dwarven woman behind the counter. She looked surprised. I am sure that will happen often. I showed her the ring and requested a room.
She stared at the ring then at Talestria. The woman shook her head, “Oh, I am so sorry, I’ve just never seen a dark elf before.”
Talestria just smiled, “Don’t worry, I know my kind are not that common around here.”
The woman laughed but Talestria asked a question mid-laughter, “Is it possible to get a second room?”
The women looked at her keys, “I guess so.”
Talestria flashed a big smile, “Oh, thank you so much!” The woman handed us two keys. Talestria grabbed them and handed one to Kalus. He understood and didn’t seem to object. One of the dwarves at the small table asked his companion, “Do you happen to know about that dark elf-witch?”
The other dwarf chimed in while spewing smoke from his mouth, “Don’t be silly. That witch is just a fable meant to scare children.”
The first dwarf turned to his friend and disagreed, “No, I heard she is real.” They continued arguing. I looked at Talestria who seemed to be enjoying the dispute. Normally, she would resent rumors about her but I guess this situation seemed to be building to a perfect punch line. She stepped up to the table. Giving them a friendly smile, she extended her hand in greeting, “Hello, I am Talestria.”
Kalus and I looked at each other try to hold our laughter. The two dwarves stared back in disbelief. Apparently, they began adding up reasons why a dark elf would be in a dwarven city. They decided to place some faith in the situation.
The woman leaned over the counter and whispered to me, “Is she really Talestria?”
I leaned toward her to humor the woman, “Yes, she is.”
She leaned back and put her hand on her chest, “Oh, dear.” Kalus and I started to snicker. Kalus suggested, “Guess we should go find our rooms.” He and I walked down the hall to our rooms. From the space between the doors, it looked like the rooms were quite large. Kalus unlocked his room. Talestria had my key and was still humoring the dwarves in the lobby, so I joined him. The door swung open and we peeked in. We saw a big fancy bed that could entice anyone into a coma. There was a nice wooden desk and a small table with cushioned chairs. There were two other doors within the room.
As soon as he walked in, Kalus smiled and dropped his pack. The room was well decorated. I kidded, “You think you be alright on your own in here, Kalus?”
Kalus laughed, “This will do just fine!” He waltzed in and peeked inside the doors. At the first door he said, “Fine closet space but sadly, I don’t have spare clothes.” “Well, Talestria will be happy if your room is anything like this one.”
He hopped over and opened the other door. We walked in and saw a toilet and a tub. The tub appeared to be made of copper and was well-kept. The toilet looked better than ours at home. We have just a nice copper bowl with a pipe used to pump the water. This had a chain with a small storage container of water.
“Nice, they have water pressure here” I stated. Kalus looked at me.
I explained, “Oh, back in my world, you see, technology is far more advanced than here.” Kalus looked impressed, “I have to ask you about that world another day.” He walked over to look at the lantern on the desk. Smiling, he said, “This is just perfect to work on my songs and stories.” I laughed, and then heard Talestria calling for me out in the hall.
Talestria was excited to see our room. It was just like Kalus’ room. She dove into the bed, “This is like home!” I laughed as she checked out the two other doors. “This closet is a sort of small but I guess it would be good for travelers. “ I just laughed, and she headed for the bathroom. “Yay! A tub! Where is the heat stone?” she asked while poking at a small heater device.
I nearly forgot that nearly everything at home was powered by some form of magic. I looked down at the stove sitting against the wall with tubes coming out. “Sweetie, I think you put logs here in the stove, and the heat from the burning logs will travel over to heat the water,” I said as I put a log in the stove.
Inside was a small fire kit where the spark is created. It squeezed the metal where it rubbed against the other end to create a spark. There was also a small bucket with woven bits inside that catch on fire. These dwarves thought of everything! I began to play with the little stove and got the fire started. I tried to figure out all the workings of the weird thing. A piece of clothing flew over my head. I knew its source and I won’t mention anymore.
After our bath we retired to bed. It felt good to be clean, in a big, soft bed after all our traveling. I stared at the ceiling, “So what do you think we should do tomorrow? I figured I would go and speak with Wotmire tomorrow. We could discuss who would hire an assassin to get me.”
I heard Talestria snoring so I smiled, kissed her forehead, turned off the lantern and joined her in sleep. I hope I can figure a way to stop The Blood Witch and cure Talestria. Looking at her, I think it might be safer for her to stay here while I go and find the answers. No sense worrying about that tonight, because tomorrow is another day.
>
We slept in most of the morning. Kalus eventually knocked on the door. I took my time answering the door. “Your breakfast is getting cold,” he held up to a tray of food as he stepped inside
From the bed, Talestria let out a big yawn, “Who is at the door?”
I thanked Kalus and grabbed the tray, put it on the table. Kalus called out in a cheery voice, “Good morning! You had a good night?”
Talestria sunk her head back on the pillow, “Uh huh.” Kalus carried a glass of juice and a half eaten roll from his breakfast. He sat at the table and put down his notebook. “I had a relaxing night and got a lot of work done,” he cheerfully said as he placed his glass of juice by his notes. I sat down and looked at the food. I smelled bacon and eggs. I saw two sweet rolls and a pitcher of juice which all looked very good on the platter.
Talestria’s head perked up, “Hon, can you fetch that for me?” She pointed to her dress that had been dropped on the bathroom floor. Kalus looked away, trying not to laugh. I picked up the dress and then handed it to her. She snatched it from my hand. I walked away while she dressed herself under the blankets.
Kalus looked away, “Um, maybe I should let you two be.” After breakfast, we walked to the palace to meet with Wotmire. Kalus decided to spend his day in his room to write and work on his songs. I thought he didn’t feel comfortable enough to wander the dwarven city. We left everything back in our rooms and started to walk.
We saw a good-sized crowd traveling through that city and it could been a pain to navigate with the carriage, so decided not to bug Alpo today. The walk was a little longer than we planned. We saw plenty of folks staring. There were very few humans. Those we did see appeared to be traders or businessmen looking to set-up trade. I didn’t see other races apart from two ogres who were laborer working for a human enterprise. Talestria stood out like a sore thumb, but she was used to it and it didn’t seem to bother her.
Once inside the palace, we had to wait. The old dwarf was busy dealing with a group who were trying to get a permit passed. Talestria and I waited on a bench. We saw a few dwarves walk past us, giving us a friendly nod. I could tell they wanted to get a closer look at us. We heard a few whispers which made us think that they guessed our identities.
After a while, the old dwarf walked over to us, “You two might be able to see the king now.” Rising from the bench, I thanked the dwarf with a friendly bow. Talestria had her finger in her nose and was humming a song to herself. I laughed and helped her off the bench. The old dwarf saw what she had been doing, shrugged and went back to his desk.
There was a small group, deep in discussion with Wotmire, but we were allowed inside anyway. We saw a few guards with two older dwarves who were speaking about keeping the choguls away by increasing patrols further east in the farmlands.
The discussion seemed fairly causal when Wotmire saw us and greeted us. He motioned for us to come closer. He brought in another dwarf who appeared a bit standoffish, “Hey! Come over. This is Talestria! She has offered to help your group.” The quiet dwarf walked up and extended his hand to Talestria, She smiled and shook his hand which made me want to chuckle since I remembered what she had been using that hand before we came in. I really need talk to her about that sometime.
The first two dwarves left the room. Talestria and the remaining dwarf, who was an enchanter, were talking about their trade for a bit. The enchanter seemed very excited to be talking with her. Wotmire slapped me on the back, “So, did you two have a good stay?”
I laughed, “Yeah, it was a top notch place.”
He smiled, “We will let those two talk of their things while you and I discuss other things.” I nodded and we walked to one of the side rooms. We sat in what appeared to be just a cozy room for relaxing. There were two couches facing each other with a big low table between. He down on a couch and rested his short legs on the table. “I talked with a few sources this morning and I might have a lead about who might want you taken care of.”
I leaned closer to hear the rest. My heart was racing. Wotmire spoke again, “I believe his name is Forren Grubska. He is a big shot from the human lands over in Lyonus. There are rumors that he is visiting Vunash for business. It seems that he traveled there as soon as the rumors about you and your victory reached Lyonus
“Forren Grubska?” I asked. “What a weird name and why does he want me dead?” Wotmire went on, “I never met the man but he sounds like the sort who always wants everything his way. He’s not the hard working sort either. I’ve heard he brought with him a few hired goons. He appears to have a high interest in you.”
I stared at Wotmire, “Do you think he wants me dead?”
Wotmire sighed, “I really see no reason why anyone would want you gone; you’re a likeable fellow. He is a shady character and fits that role perfectly.” I peeked out the doorway and saw Talestria and the dwarf still chatting and making hand gestures. In a sad tone I asked, “I have a favor to ask, Wotmire.” Wotmire raise his brows as I continued, “I think it might be best if I go investigate this Forren guy and that Talestria would be safer staying here.”
Wotmire nodded, “I agree. If she has lost her magical abilities, she might get harmed along the way. She is a tough woman, I know. I heard about the incident at the gate.” I laughed. Wotmire smiled, “She will be safe here. She will have all the protection I can offer. She might be safe within our enchanter guild. Who knows, she might discover a way to get free of her problem.”
I smiled, “Yeah, I think helping you guys could keep her occupied and content while I am away.” Wotmire smiled, “The hard part will be getting her to let you go alone. I know you do have that bard. Personally, I think that scrawny fellow doesn’t feel comfortable here and I can understand why.”
I looked through the doorway toward Talestria, “So, how are things with you guys and the elves?” Wotmire shrugged, “Eh! We never had a strong friendship with them, even though the conflicts seem to have been staged. Even though it was false, it still opened up some old trust issues between us. I highly doubt it will evolve into anything more than that. We do our own thing and they go sit in their trees and do their thing.”
I laughed, “I don’t have a good reputation with them either.” Wotmire laughed, “I heard of all that drama, I would have done the same if I were in your boots! If some of them tried to attack me like they did you, I would run them through with my axe!”
Wotmire and I started to exchange jokes along with stories of combat and adventure when he realized the time and remembered he had a meeting. “I would love to shoot the breeze with you but, I need to make an appearance with some miners from up north.”
He stood up, “I think you might try to make your way to Vunash and bring some reality to Forren. Keep that ring. It should help you in case you meet up any of my people there.”
I looked at the ring, “I have been banned in Vunash, though.” Wotmire laughed, “Ah, you’re a human! You can easily blend in. Just avoid the elves!” He walked over to the entry way, “Whenever you leave, go bug your friend Teltar. I am sure he will be willing to help you out. He is a strange one but a good fighter.”
Wotmire walked out and greeted Talestria and the enchanter. They stopped talking to speak with him. Wotmire continued out another door and they went back to their big discussion.
“I don’t think we have need for golems but the concept of enchanting something to do a dedicated task would greatly boost industry” the enchanter commented.
Talestria spoke back, “It’s not a concept. It works! It also works if you imbue things with an element as well!” I came up to them while they were still chatting away. I understood about half of what they were saying, mostly because Talestria loved to tell me about it when we were back at home.
Talestria smiled, jumped up and gave me hug, “So how did it go?” I looked at her and felt reluctant to tell her, “Talestria, we need to talk.”
“No! I want to go with you!” Talestria protested. She folded her arms and stared
at me.
I explained, “I know you do but, you would be much safer here.”
She shook her head as I tried to comfort her, “I still want to be with you!”
I let out a big sigh, “I will feel much better if I knew you were safe here and…” She interrupted me, “I know, but I just hate not having you around me.” She shed a tear when I tried again, “I know I would just hold you back and I’m useless without my powers.”
I touched her head and lifted her chin gently, “Oh, you are far from useless. Even without magic, you do more for me than anyone else.” She stared at me and we kissed for a long time. It wasn’t until the enchanter dwarf let out an awkward moan that we stopped. I looked at him and back at Talestria. She laughed a little.
“Oh, I am sorry” I told the dwarf.
He just shook his head and mumbled, “Too mushy for my blood.”
Talestria stared at me, “So, when are you leaving?” Our walk from the palace was a pretty quiet. She accepted the fact that she needed to stay behind but didn’t like it. It was now late afternoon and Talestria’s stomach was growling. “Since you are going to leave me here, we are going to make the best of today” she said cheerfully.
I debated on having Kalus join us for lunch but Talestria would much rather have some alone time. So, we found a restaurant that held the most appealing smell which turned out to be some grilled meat. Talestria dragged me in there and it seemed to be a hole in the wall type of place. She sat at a table and looked around. We saw dwarves with puzzled looks staring at us. A dwarf in an apron with sauce spilled all over it asked what we wanted. Talestria looked over to see the meat cooking slowly, “I’ll have one of those!”
Our meal was some kind of boar. We had plenty left over which we took back for Kalus. The walk back was a bit confusing since we got a little lost. Talestria let out a big, healthy burp, “So, are you and Kalus going to get more supplies?”
