Isle of the Ape

by Jason Halstead

  * * * *

  "Mordrim! Garrick! It's good to see you. Tell me, has an agreement been reached at last?" Jarl Teorfyr asked two days later.

  Both men jumped up from the table they'd been sitting at and stood stiffly. Garrick chewed down the meat in his mouth and swallowed it noisily, and then glanced at his cup on the table. Mordrim glanced up at Garrick and then back to the jarl.

  "Not exactly, Jarl," Mordrim said. "Negotiations continue. At this rate they'll be ready to build inside of five years."

  Teorfyr scowled. "When we discussed bringing your people back to the mines, this was part of the deal."

  "I know that!" Mordrim sputtered. "It's what I told King Grimdar when I sent my letter. You saw it!"

  Teorfyr blew out a frustrated sigh and sat at the other side of the table. He waited and then motioned to both of them. "Sit, eat! You have the looks of men who have been too long without rest or a proper meal."

  "Too right," Mordrim muttered.

  "So what is the holdup now? When Alto left, he felt progress was being made. Halfdir has done next to nothing since."

  Mordrim nodded. "He's not committing to much. I think he fears making too many concessions."

  "What did Alto do?"

  "Alto's a stronger negotiator," Mordrim conceded. "And my kin feel indebted to him for discovering the mines and helping to clear them. Then there's that bit with the dragon."

  "Aren't you betraying your people, telling us this?" Garrick turned to Mordrim and asked.

  "Bah, just the greedy fools at the top. The rest of us would rather have things working proper."

  "Maybe you should be in charge," Garrick suggested.

  Mordrim scowled at him. "I told them I wanted no part of it and I meant it. Besides, I spent too much time walking among humans; I don't see things the same way as much anymore."

  Garrick chuckled. "Got a long walk to go and stumpy legs to do it."

  Mordrim shook his head and looked to Teorfyr for assistance. The jarl chuckled and turned to Garrick. "What brings you down from the north, Garrick?"

  "Ran out of snow bears to cuddle up to," Mordrim suggested. The dwarf gasped and turned to Garrick. "Wait a minute, that's why I never seen no northern women! They must be the polar bears!"

  "Ogres," Garrick said, ignoring Mordrim. "I witnessed a war band of over forty destroy the home of a family north of the mountains."

  "Forty? That's a large group for a raid," Teorfyr said.

  Garrick nodded. "More than three times. And this is the first I've heard of since the dragon was killed."

  Teorfyr nodded. "You fear there's more than just ogres working together?"

  Garrick nodded. "No one I trust knows the mountains as well as Alto, but he's gone."

  "To the south. I expect him back soon enough. Patrina and Namitus are with him; they went south for Caitlyn's wedding."

  Garrick stiffened and nodded.

  Teorfyr caught the movement. "I preferred you to Lord Sulim," the jarl offered.

  Garrick took a drink and pushed his plate back. "Will you tell Alto of what I have seen?"

  Teorfyr's brows furrowed. "You're leaving? Why not wait for him to return?"

  "The ogres didn't wait before butchering my people."

  "I understand," Teorfyr sighed. "Where will you go?"

  "Highpeak," Garrick said. "Tristam still rules?"

  Teorfyr nodded.

  "Then yes, I will go to Highpeak."

  "Drat, there'll be no agreement this year then," Mordrim grumbled.

  "Rockwood? Why not?" Teorfyr asked.

  "I'm the only one talking to the dwarves to get them to reason. Without me, there'll be no hope."

  Garrick smiled. "Think you can keep up?"

  "Think you can keep from trying to romance any animals we happen across?"

  "Jarl!"

  Garrick and Mordrim turned to see a guard rushing across the hall towards them. Teorfyr frowned and rose. "What news?"

  "Jarl, the Kraken's returned," the guard said in a rush.

  "Kraken?" Garrick asked.

  "Sea monster," Mordrim explained.

  "No, it's the name of the ship Alto and Patrina sailed south on," Teorfyr said. "It seems you need not go alone after all."

  The guard glanced back and forth between the three men. He forced his breathing even and then shook his head. "My lord, they're not on the ship."

  "They're not? What nonsense is this, a ghost ship?"

  "No, Jarl, the crew is there but Lady Patrina and her companions are not on it," he explained.

  Teorfyr's eyes narrowed. "What is the meaning of this?"

  The door to the hall opened before the guard could attempt an answer. A pair of men walked in, their legs and bodies stiff and awkward. "This man says my daughter and her betrothed are missing. Is this true?"

  "Aye, Jarl, it is," one of the men said.

  "Well, damn your eyes, Taldar, why?" the jarl demanded.

  Taldar, the captain of the Kraken, turned to the other man. "This is Dorgin. He was one of the men who took them ashore in a longboat. We waited but they never returned!"

  "Ashore where?"

  "The isle of Britanly," he said. "Alto and the lady insisted upon it even though we told them it was haunted."

  "We heard the ghosts of the Britanly that first night," Dorgin nodded his head and said. "Them ghosts knew they came ashore!"

  "How far is the island?" Mordrim asked.

  "Two days if the wind favors you," Taldar said.

  Mordrim turned to Garrick. "I'm sorry, my friend, but I can't go with you to Highpeak."

  "We'll still go," Garrick said, "but we'll take the longer route by way of this island they speak of."

  "We'll all be going," Teorfyr said. "I'll raise the fleet and—"

  "No," Mordrim turned back to him and said. "If Garrick's right, there might be trouble in the mountains coming."

  Teorfyr swore and looked at Taldar. "Did they say why they wanted to stop?"

  "Not in plain words but I think they were looking for some fun before they returned."

  "Fun?" Teorfyr spat out. "What fun is it now, to have them missing? Perhaps even dead."

  Before Teorfyr could say more, Mordrim caught sight of Lady Kenna, his wife, entering the hall. Mordrim coughed and muttered under his breath, "Lady Kenna comes!"

  He looked at Garrick and then at Mordrim. "Not a word of this to her. You will go?"

  Both men looked at each other and then to the jarl. Without a word, they nodded.

  Teorfyr looked at Taldar and said, "You will take them. Resupply immediately and set sail. Same crew, leave no man behind. No one is to know of this!"

  Taldar nodded.

  "I'll send a rider to the kingdom," he continued. "Stop at Amderfell. I'll see to it that your other friends, the priest and wizard, meet you there. Wait for them if you must. I'll have the messengers kill their horses if they must to speed their journey. Now go and may the saint's breath fill your sail."