The canyon, like the valley, was filled with trees, though there seemed to be some sort of road that cut down the middle. There were some open areas behind the wall that appeared to have been cleared. In one of the cleared spaces, he could just make out some tents and the edges of several small, roofless buildings made of dark stone. Those were clearly ruins, remnants of the people who had once called this valley home. Tovak supposed the defensive wall was another such remnant.
Around the tents and ruined buildings, the enemy had started a few campfires. These were brilliant spots of light in the growing darkness. Torches along the wall had been lit as well, where dark shapes moved between the pools of light. He could only assume they were enemy sentries. In the failing light, Tovak could barely make out the gate doors, which seemed to be large and barred shut for the night.
He wondered how far the canyon ran beyond the wall to the plateau. Could the enemy see the Grimbar from the top of the wall? Would they be able to see the warband coming? In the darkness, Tovak did not know. He knew that was not his concern, though. It was Karach’s, the warchief’s headache. And Struugar’s ….
Looking around, it was a wonder to Tovak that the enemy did not have patrols on the ridges themselves. He’d seen no tracks other than those of the detachment. That oversight would soon cost them dearly. Or so he hoped.
Then, something on the edge of his vision caught his eye over the valley. At first, he thought it was a bird, but that could not be right. Silhouetted against the sky to the west, where the suns had set, it did not look quite like any bird he’d ever seen. He could not ever remember birds having tails. He squinted, straining.
“Lieutenant.” Tovak pointed, not taking his eyes off the strange creature. “What is that?”
Brund followed Tovak’s finger and sucked in a startled breath. The creature was traveling northward and away from them. Its body was black or possibly even a dark blue, though it was hard to tell in the dimming light. He got the sense the creature was much farther away than it looked.
“Thulla’s bones,” Brund said after a moment. His voice was tinged with a healthy mixture of awe and horror. “It’s a wyrm. One of the enemy’s, no doubt.”
“I don’t think so, sir,” Iger said. “If I’m not mistaken, that is a full-blooded dragon.”
Tovak could not believe his ears. “A dragon?”
“I agree,” one of the other pioneers said.
Brund looked more closely. “I’ve never seen one before, but I believe you are correct.” He shook his head. “Amazing, just amazing.”
“Is it with the enemy?” Tovak asked.
Brund tore his gaze from the dragon and looked over. He stared at Tovak for a long moment.
“Do you feel anything from it?” Brund asked insistently. “Anything at all? Tell me.”
Tovak turned his gaze back to the dragon and studied the creature for a long moment. There was no sense of repugnance, darkness, or anything even remotely resembling a negative feeling. He just felt neutral, beyond the simple awe at seeing such a monster.
“No,” Tovak said, turning back and noticing the others were looking at him again. “Then again, it might be too far away for me to get any type of feeling.”
“What do you mean by that?” Iger asked. “Feeling what?”
Brund looked at the pioneers gathered around them. “We believe that Tovak is sensitive to evil, or at least the enemy creatures that are favored by their dark gods.”
Tovak closed his eyes for a moment. Now everyone would know his secret. In a matter of hours the news would spread throughout the detachment. And when they returned to the main encampment, the entire warband would know. This was a nightmare come to life. When he opened his eyes, he saw Iger turn his gaze slowly from Brund back to him and realization seemed to strike the pioneer. “You sensed the Koin’Duur, before the fight, didn’t you?”
There was no accusation in Iger’s tone. It was a simple statement of fact.
Tovak hesitated a moment. “Yes. And it could sense me.”
“Are you serious?” another pioneer asked. “The Pariah can sense evil. This sounds like magic to me or wishful thinking at best. I am not sure I believe it.”
“Believe, for I am very serious,” Brund said to the pioneer before Tovak could. “Bellar, this is no joke. We think it is something similar to Rock Sense.”
“Rock Sense,” Iger said and nodded his head several times, as if it all made sense now. “My brother had Rock Sense. He could just tell where the best veins of ore were by closing his eyes and thinking about it some. Made himself rich, he did, by sinking his own mine into the deep dark before he told anyone.”
All of the pioneers’ gazes were now focused upon Tovak. Tovak felt a growing sense of personal discomfort.
“You all know now. It’s out in the open and it is all true, every word the lieutenant said. I sensed the Koin’Duur before I killed it.” Tovak suddenly felt miserable. Not only was he a Pariah, but now they’d see him as having occult powers. How much more of an outcast would he become? Well, it did not matter much now. He’d made his choice by telling the officers, and now he’d have to live with the long-term consequences, whatever they turned out to be.
“Aye,” Iger said. “We do.”
“So,” Tovak said, turning his gaze back to the dragon and wanting to change the subject, “is the dragon with the enemy?”
“Wyrms, yes,” Brund said, “dragons, no, at least generally not.”
“How can you tell the difference?” Tovak asked.
“Between a wyrm and a dragon?” Brund asked.
Tovak gave a nod.
“Dragons have four legs, wyrms have two,” Iger said simply. “And wyrms are generally much smaller and less intelligent. That”—Iger pointed—“out there is definitely a dragon. It’s not the first I’ve seen. And I pray to the gods it takes no interest in us or the warband.”
They were silent for several heartbeats. Since they had spotted it, the dragon had continued on, in an unerring course northward, flying into the night.
“Is that a rider on top of it?” Bellar asked. “I think I see one.”
As impossible as it seemed, Tovak thought he could make out someone on the back of the massive creature.
“You’re right,” Brund said, sounding deeply unhappy. “There’s a dragon rider. That is not good news.”
Tovak looked over in question. The lieutenant’s gaze was still focused on the dragon.
“Why?” Tovak asked.
“There’s only one race we know that rides dragons,” Iger answered, “and that is the Vass.”
“The Vass?” Tovak had heard of them. They were an ancient enemy of his people. Beyond that, he did not know much more.
“I didn’t think any were on this world,” Brund said, in more of a whisper to himself than anything else.
“At least we know they’re not working with the Horde,” Iger said. “The Vass hate them more than they hate us.”
“There is that,” Brund said, “a bright spot at least.”
“If that is a rider, what are the Vass doing here?” Bellar asked. “And at the same time the warband is about to storm this valley. It can’t be a coincidence. Can it?”
“I don’t know,” Brund admitted, sounding troubled. The lieutenant was silent for several heartbeats as he studied the beast. He ran an absent hand through his braided beard, then seemed to reach some inner decision. “Bellar, go inform the captain. Tell him there might have been a rider on the dragon. He’ll know what that means. Ask him if he wants us to proceed or hold off on scouting.”
“Yes, sir,” the pioneer said and dashed off the way they’d just come.
“Well, at least it’s headed away from us,” Tovak said.
“And if it wasn’t, the warband has weapons for such things,” one of the pioneers said. “Big bolt throwers.”
“Those are for wyrms,” Iger said emphatically, “not dragons. Those beasties are a different matter altogether and are much mo
re dangerous. I doubt the dragon killers would be very effective against a full-blooded dragon. Their younger cousins, wyrms, yes … but not against something like that.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come back,” Brund added, glancing around. “Well, now, we wait for orders.”
It turned out the wait wasn’t all that long. Red-faced and breathing heavily, Bellar returned.
“The captain says to hold off on the scouting mission,” Bellar said between breaths. “The entire detachment is being readied. The captain wants to get everyone down and into the valley as soon as possible. He said to tell you that, sir. They will be here shortly.”
“Really?” Brund was clearly surprised. “The detachment was to head down at three horns and not sooner.”
“I know, sir,” Bellar said. “Once they heard about the rider, both captains seemed pretty insistent and of one mind on the matter. They must have their reasons, sir.”
“No doubt,” Brund said. “Are we to return or wait here for the detachment to move up?”
“Wait for the detachment, sir,” Bellar said.
“Very well,” Brund said. “Alright, boys, take a load off. It will take them time to get organized and move up. Might as well get what rest you can before the fun begins.”
Tovak slipped out of his pack and set it down on the ground, then sat with his back to a tree. He tried not to let out a sigh of relief but failed. The dragon had gone from view and the sky had turned completely dark. To the left, a partial moon was just climbing over the horizon. He was still tired and felt generally run-down. He decided the only thing to do was catch up on some sleep while they waited, for he suspected it would be a very long night. He closed his eyes and drifted off into oblivion.
A gentle hand shook Tovak out of a deep, dreamless sleep that clung to his thoughts like thick cobwebs.
“They’re coming,” Brund said. “Time to get up and get ready.”
Tovak stretched. It felt like he’d just shut his eyes. He searched the sky for the moon. Based on its movement, not much time had passed, maybe half an hour at most. Brund moved on and shook awake the other pioneers who had taken the opportunity a grab some shuteye.
Through the trees, Tovak could hear the detachment coming as he pulled himself to his feet. From the sounds of it, they were making one heck of a racket. Moments later, the first of Dagon’s pioneers emerged from the darkness. There were six of them and they came at a jog, clearly in advance of the others. Each was carrying a large coil of rope that had been slung over a shoulder.
“Right here, boys,” Brund said to them and pointed towards the other rope. “Five feet of separation between each line. Find some good trees and drop the ropes over the side and then get down yourselves to make sure there is no problem on the way down, nothing in the way of the ropes.”
Without needing to be told twice, they immediately set to work, first locating a tree for each line and then tying the rope securely about it. Tovak watched, fascinated, as the pioneers worked. At the Academy, he had always enjoyed climbing training.
“You will be returning to your squad,” Brund said, coming up to him and drawing his attention.
“Yes, sir,” Tovak said. It was too bad there wouldn’t be a scouting mission.
Several of those with the ropes, having tossed the ends over the ledge, started down the side of the cliff face, rapidly disappearing into the darkness as the rest of the detachment began arriving, with Dagon’s pioneers at the front. Tovak stepped back and out of the way as sergeants and corporals moved forward. Dagon and Greng moved by without seeming to notice him. They began directing the climbers into lines. Brund left him to help bring order from the chaos.
Tovak watched for a moment, then hoisted his pack onto his shoulders. He began moving back against the tide coming forward, until he found Gorabor with the rest of the squad.
“Tovak,” Gorabor said, sounding both pleased and surprised. “Thought you might be off on some super secret adventure.”
“If only,” Tovak said. “We were going scouting, then saw a dragon. Things changed after that. I’m still not totally sure why.”
Tovak fell into line with them as they waited to move forward to the ropes. The skirmishers were behind Greng’s company, and Tovak suspected the wait would be a long one.
“Yeah,” Torimar said, “some of the sentries saw it also, and it caused quite the stir.”
“Wish I’d seen it,” Gorabor said, “a real dragon. I thought they were no more than tall tales told over drinks.”
“Surely you’ve gone and seen the dragon bones at the Thane’s palace,” Torimar said in surprise. “Everyone I know has seen them.”
Tovak had as well. He well remembered the reconstructed skeleton of the dragon. It had been unbelievably huge. The story was that it had tried to take his people’s home from them, forcing them out of the mountain.
“Big Beth?” Gorabor asked.
“Yeah. Thane Hoggarth killed her himself,” Torimar said. “I think I’ve gone a dozen times or more to see it. The size of the skeleton never ceases to amaze me. That thing must have been a real monster in her day. Honestly, I don’t know how the Thane did it, killed it I mean.”
Tovak agreed. Beth had been so large, he could not imagine just one person bringing such a dragon down. The story must have been embellished.
“Well,” Gorabor said, “as a child, my parents took me to visit it, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. I was rather small.”
Bettoth gave an amused grunt at that.
“I pray we never meet a dragon.” Torimar looked up into the dark sky, searching. Tovak knew that if the dragon he’d seen earlier was up there, in the darkness, it would be almost impossible to see. The thought of it made him nervous.
“Like you’d know anything about dragons,” Dagmar scoffed. “You ever seen a live one?”
“No,” Torimar admitted grudgingly, “I’ve not.”
“I didn’t think so,” Dagmar said.
Tovak glanced at Dagmar. He seemed more surly than normal. In sudden insight, he realized that Dagmar was nervous about what was to come. He looked around at his comrades and, despite the lighthearted conversation, they all seemed tense.
“But my grandpa did,” Torimar said. “He talked about it all the time when I was a wee lad. Said they were nasty stuff and I believed him … still do.”
“Uh huh,” Dagmar said. “He probably made it up, got into the drink and decided to boast some or had bad spirits or something like that, maybe ate the wrong mushrooms, hallucinated it all. Have you thought of that?”
Torimar bristled at that and shot a hard look at his fellow skirmisher. “Dagmar, one day your mouth is gonna buy you more trouble than you’ll be able to pay.”
“Are you saying dragons don’t exist?” Bettoth asked Dagmar. “Because I am pretty sure the sentries think they do.”
“He’s just doing his best to be disagreeable,” Gorabor said. “That gnome bite did nothing to improve his disposition. I think it made it worse.”
“I saw it,” Tovak said, drawing their attention, “the dragon, and it looked like someone was riding on its back.”
“Really?” Gorabor asked.
“A dragon rider,” Torimar said in awe. “It’s said the Vass ride dragons.”
“That’s what the lieutenant said too,” Tovak said. “I don’t know much about them.”
“Like dragons,” Torimar said, “they’re nasty business too.”
“Imagine what it would be like,” Gorabor said, “soaring like a bird and all. I bet it would be marvelous.”
Tovak looked over at his friend. “I thought you didn’t like heights.”
“I don’t,” Gorabor said. “Maybe you are right, it’s not for me.”
“It’d likely be bloody cold,” Dagmar said, grumpily, “especially on a night like this one. Bah, we have no business flying like birds.” Dagmar shivered as a cool breeze blew through the trees. He rubbed his hands together for warmth. “Gods, what
I wouldn’t give for a fire.” He stomped his feet and raised his voice a tad. “I’m bloody chilled to the bone. Maybe they could hurry things up, get us down below and out of this wind.”
“Quit your whining and talking so loud.” Thegdol’s voice came from the darkness. He was somewhere ahead. A moment later, the sergeant came into view, walking back along the column. He paused next to Dagmar and eyed him for a long moment. “You’ll warm up once you start climbing. And if you keep jawing, and the enemy hears, they will give you an even warmer welcome when you get down.”
“Yes, Sergeant,” Dagmar said and clamped his mouth shut.
The sergeant eyed them all and then moved on.
Thoughts of what they were about to do caused Tovak to look back out onto the valley. His eyes searched the darkness for any sign of the enemy. The canyon and defensive wall were not in sight from his current position in line. It was concealed not only by the trees, but also by those out in front of him, waiting to go down the ropes. In the valley, he’d expected to see at least several campfires signifying a larger enemy camp, certainly not an entire army, but more beyond what he’d seen by the wall. Tovak didn’t see anything, no lights, nothing. It was as if the entire valley was empty. Only it couldn’t be, could it?
He considered that the trees in the valley might be concealing an isolated camp or two. It seemed odd to him the enemy would take possession of the wall and not have more forces in the valley, for surely they must. What were they guarding? Had they already found Grata’Dagoth? He hoped not, for much was riding on the warband getting to it first, wherever it was ….
It took nearly an hour of waiting to reach the spot with the ropes where he’d been with Brund and the pioneers earlier. In the near darkness, as they moved forward, he watched as those ahead were directed to a line and took hold of the rope. They made their way down into the darkness, disappearing from view as if they’d never existed. The partial moon had risen higher in the sky, but it did not provide much light.
Forging Destiny Page 19
