Delver Magic: Book 05 - Chain of Bargains (4 page)

He had only seen one dwarf city in
his lifetime, Dunop, and it remained one of the grandest spectacles he had ever
witnessed. The thought of exploring another dwarf city was almost intoxicating.
It took tremendous strength of will to douse his delver curiosity and keep from
racing down the tunnel path.

The dwarf warrior pulled to a halt
and turned to the elf.

"Is this acceptable?"

"Yes, thank you."

Ulet took a moment to review both
the elf and the delver before her. She smiled broadly again at Ryson.

"You wish to see our
city?"

"I would love it," but
then Ryson saw the stern expression on his companion's face.
"Unfortunately, this isn't the best time."

"It is a strange time, indeed,"
Ulet confirmed and then focused on the point of the meeting. "I assume you
were headed into the Great Valleys?"

Holli saw no danger in admitting
that fact.

"Yes,"

"May I ask why you are
heading into the valleys through this pass?"

"We thought it would be the
least conspicuous," Holli admitted without hesitation. "It seems we
attracted more interest than we expected. Cahltofs trailing us, inferns
watching the pass ahead, and a dwarf scouting party crossing our path."

"We were not on a scout. We
were there to intercept you." Ulet saw the questioning expressions on both
her guests faces and did not hesitate to explain. "We did not want you to
charge unwittingly into the inferns, but then again, we did not know that a
delver was among you. I had known you were an elf, but from a distance, I
guessed your partner was half-elf. A miscalculation that was corrected when we
saw the glowing sword he held as you retreated back down the path."

"If you weren't out
scouting," Ryson wondered aloud, "how did you know we were
there?"

"Listening posts below ground
across the Oachet range," Ulet revealed. "We have been monitoring the
pass for some time. We picked you up, as well as the cahltofs behind you, and
followed your progress. When it became clear you were heading into the valleys,
we hoped to persuade you to take a different path. That is why we used the
goblin scent. We believed two elves would take to the south in hopes of
avoiding a large group of the monsters. You surprised us when you turned back
on the cahltofs. A cunning move, if not somewhat foolhardy."

"I thought there was only
one," Holli replied. "I believed they were solitary creatures and did
not hunt in packs. I also did not think they spoke."

Holli watched Ulet closely at this
point and the dwarf could not hide her surprise.

"The cahltofs spoke to
you?"

"Only one. It told us to go
home. You have not experienced this before?"

"No, but then again as I
said, these are strange times."

"Care to explain what you
mean by that?" Ryson asked.

"What you have seen on this
day has been happening for some time. Inferns guarding a little used pass,
goblins entering the valleys from all directions but in small parties, cahltofs
traveling in packs and now talking—little of this makes sense. We know the
valleys are experiencing turbulent times, but it seems the turmoil is now
spreading into our range. This has our king and queen concerned."

"What is the status of Sterling?"
Holli inquired.

"We remain secure, even
thriving. The disorder has not reached our underground borders or those of our
neighboring dwarf cities. Whatever is creating the havoc in the Great
Valleys remains above ground. May I
now ask what brings Ryson Acumen and the elf guard of Enin out of the western
lands, across the central plains, and into these hills?"

Holli did not hesitate. She
believed Ulet had been open and forthright in describing the circumstances of
their region, and the elf felt honor bound to reciprocate.

"Many settlers have come to
Connel, far more than we ever expected. Most have come not from the outposts
throughout the plains, but further east, from the Great
Valleys. Stories have come with
them, stories as to why they have left these fertile lands. What we have heard
has been... confusing and disturbing."

"And so you have come here to
investigate for yourselves?"

"Enin made the request. He
would have come here himself, but with so many new humans entering Connel, he
could not risk leaving the city. Balancing the needs of all concerned is a
delicate matter and his guidance is needed."

The dwarf warrior considered the
new information as she rubbed her chin with the thick, powerful palm of her
right hand.

"I see. We, too, have
followed the migration of the humans to the west. For the most part, they are
utilizing Pride Gap, which serves as the gateway to the central plains from the
far eastern edge of the Great Valleys.
That point is quite a distance north by northwest of here. As to the reason for
the exodus, we cannot be sure. The dwarves keep watch over the borders between
the valleys and the foothills, but we have no reason to interact with the human
towns. They have completely inundated the valleys and we leave them to their
own business."

"So you have no idea of
what's going on within the human towns?"

"We try not to
speculate," Ulet replied without taking insult. "We know many humans
are leaving, but we also know the valleys are not emptying out completely. We
have seen no indication of wars or even signs of skirmishes. What we have seen
is the increased activity of dark creatures all around the borders of the Great
Valleys, but they do not appear to
be taking any hostile action. Most seem to be entering the valleys with an
almost casual attitude. Others have staked out positions at the borders. It's
almost as if they are simply keeping watch over who enters and who leaves the
area."

"So the inferns further down
the pass are simply monitoring activity?"

"It would seem so. They have
not acted in any hostile manner, but then again, we have done our best to make
sure they are left alone. A skirmish with inferns could lead to unnatural
forest fires, and that is something we hope to avoid."

"I see."

In her mind, Holli reviewed all
that had happened. Many mysteries remained, but the dwarf warrior did not
appear to be withholding any information. She had but one last question that
needed to be asked.

"Why did you remain in the
pass when we returned?"

"Because I was hoping you
both would return. Once we saw the sword and understood it was Ryson Acumen, I
believed it best to show absolutely no sign of hostility or distrust. I wished
to understand your purpose for being in these hills. We could not hope to catch
an elf—let alone a delver— racing through the hillsides, but a delver's
curiosity is renown. I believed you would come back with questions of your own,
as you obviously have."

"And I thank you for
answering all those questions," Holli noted.

"I have told you all I know,
but we welcome you to Sterling. I
am certain the king and queen would be happy to host you at the palace if you
wish to stay here for the night."

"Thank you, but I would
prefer to reach the valleys before nightfall."

Ulet frowned slightly. She seemed
ready to argue the point, almost insist, but in the end, she deferred to the
elf's wishes.

"Then I will not delay you
any further, I only ask that you avoid any confrontation with the inferns.
Their magical fire remains our concern. The trees of this forest are not as
resistant to it as dwarves."

"A conflict would be in no
one's interest. We still aim to enter the Great
Valleys, but I understand your
concerns and I will honor your request. We shall move to the southeast and
remain in the trees. Ryson will ensure that we enter the valleys without
incident."

The dwarf warrior offered a simple
salute, acknowledging both the delver and the elf. She then offered her own
warning.

"Take care entering the Great
Valleys. There might not be signs
of battle, but something is not right. I realize that's why you are here, but
know that most dwarves are blessed with a certain gift for seeing their way
through the dark. We have a sense for danger and a nose for trouble." She
chuckled for a moment and then continued with brazen honesty. "We
ourselves often dismiss such warnings and go headlong into battle with the
unknown, but we are a stubborn race. To say an ill shadow covers the valleys
would be much too melodramatic for my taste. Still, almost every dwarf in Sterling
realizes that something is amiss with the humans. The valleys are
changing."

Pushing through the last heavily
forested section of the Oachet Mountains,
Ryson led Holli to the edge of the Great
Valleys. He guided them down one of
the steeper slopes where he made a path away from the eyes of the inferns. He
also avoided contact with other dark creatures he detected guarding several
smaller trails out of the hills.

The Great
Valleys encompassed many large and
small vales that spread far to the north and east. Numerous rivers, fed by
abundant streams and tributaries, formed a series of byways for human travel
and trade. While the valleys remained lush and green, vast stretches of land
had been cleared for farming, and the entire area hosted hundreds of human
towns and cities. It was not as densely populated as the eastern coastal
regions, but it served as the true cradle for human expansion throughout the land
of Uton.

Humans had long dominated the Great
Valleys, and they employed the land
for their growth and gain. They spread themselves across the region and filled
the lowlands all the way to Pride Gap—the end point of the last western valley
where the land opened up to the central plains. Protected by the rolling hills
to the southwest and another majestic range of mountains to the east, the
fertile lands provided everything the humans needed.

With farmlands, several towns, and
even the Aranka River
within sight, Ryson and Holli remained in the trees. They crouched in a sturdy
ash that grew from the rich soil at the edge of the Oachet
Mountains. Their path had brought
them to the border of one of the southern valleys, and they both looked upon
the amazing expanse with a mix of curiosity and awe.

The sun was setting to the west.
The hills behind Ryson and Holli began to cast long shadows across the valley.
Still, a deep orange glow lit up many of the taller tree tops in the distance,
as the sun had not yet dropped fully below the horizon. The amber light
 
filling the space above the shadowed ground
offered a haze of warmth, as if the trees had been blessed with divine glory.
Leaves reflected the orange and red aura of the sunset, and it almost appeared
as if the harvest season had come early to the valley. Both the delver and elf
watched the display with immense appreciation.

"This is my first entrance
into any part of the Great Valleys,"
Holli noted, as she found a great sense of contentment in watching the natural
display of beauty.

"Mine, too." Ryson
announced.

The revelation surprised the elf.

"Truly? A full-bred delver
never exploring this area?"

"I could never get out of the
hills," Ryson admitted. "The valleys are farms, towns and people, not
a great deal I ever wanted to see. There wasn't much here that ever really
called to me, but the hills..."

Ryson looked backed upon the
rolling slopes to the west. The hills themselves were covered in shadows, but
the sky above them was painted with the glorious sunset. Even with the
expansive valley ahead waiting to be explored, he could still feel the tug of
each rounded peak behind him. His delver spirit ached to uncover mysteries in
the crevices of limestone rock, to explore the forest at its floor and
throughout its intertwined branches, and to examine the trails, dens, nests,
and markings of every creature that inhabited the rolling high grounds.

"Before the magic
returned," Ryson explained, "I would come as far east as the Oachets,
but I never even got close to the valleys. Once I got in those hills, I could
explore for entire seasons. I love the hills."

Ryson turned his attention back to
the valley, and as the light began to fade, his eyes adjusted to the growing
darkness. His delver vision enabled him to see as if it were still
midday
, but the coming night allowed him to
view the valley from a different perspective.

Lanterns in the distance revealed
the nearest farmhouses and towns. The land before them was not quite as
expansive as the central plains they crossed before they reached the Oachets,
but there was so much more activity in the valleys, so many more people.

"How should we approach
this?" Ryson asked, deferring the decision of strategy to his companion.

Holli responded as if reciting
from an elf guard handbook.

"Scouting and surveillance
first. We need to become familiar with the landscape, and we should remain out
of sight in order to limit our risk. Care to our safety and thoroughness to our
investigation remain paramount. There is no sense in being careless. We are not
constrained by time. There is no pressing concern, no immediate crisis which
must be addressed. Let us use the first few days to explore the surrounding
areas and witness for ourselves the true extent of the predicament."

The thought of a long exploration
should have thrilled the delver, and in many ways, it did. There was, however,
another part of him that was now anchored to his home in Burbon. He thought of
his wife, Linda. She understood the need for him to be gone, but she would miss
him, and he would miss her.

He wondered how long it would take
them to gather enough information to suit Holli, and to quell his own
curiosity. The Great Valleys
stretched over an expansive distance, and it could take several cycles of the
seasons to explore the entire region. From the information they already
obtained, he knew it would not be necessary to visit each valley, but there was
no guarantee that the turmoil was spread evenly throughout the area.