Knights: Legends of Ollanhar (15 page)

Jerret's point was valid. The idea of defeating Tenneth
Bard by muscle alone was absurd. "You're probably right," Lannon
grudgingly admitted. "I'll try to practice a bit more."

"Good!" said Jerret, slapping his knee. "We
can do some sparring."

"Is that what this lecture was about?" asked
Lannon. "You getting someone to practice with you?"

Jerret shrugged. "It would be good for both of
us."

"I'll agree to spar with you," said Lannon,
"if you agree not to leave the road anymore until we're beyond these
hills."

Jerret contemplated the offer. Before he could answer,
something thudded against the wall of the house.

"Come out, spies!" a gruff voice warned them.
This was followed by another thud.

"Wonderful," Lannon muttered. "The Hill
Dwarves have arrived. Now you've got us in a bind, Jerret."

"Sorry," said Jerret. "I didn't think they
would notice me in the forest. And maybe they didn't. Maybe it was
you
they noticed."

"It was both of us," said Lannon. "This is
what Jace warned us about. People who venture into the hills tend to disappear.
That means they probably end up murdered. Now we're going to have to fight for
our lives."

Jerret nodded. "I would almost welcome that if my
ankle didn't hurt so bad. Nothing wrong with a bit of combat now and
then."

Lannon glared at him. "You can't keep seeking out
trouble, Jerret. It's not what we need, and it's not fair to the rest of us.
We're trying to avoid violence. Remember our mission? The Green
Flamestone?"

"That's not my issue anymore," said Jerret.
"I'm no longer a Knight, remember? I'm just hired help."

"Nevertheless," said Lannon, "you're not
getting paid to lead us into trouble. And you're an
Acting
Knight, so
yes, you're still a Knight. You need to obey the rules, or Aldreya will
terminate your employment."

Jerret frowned. "She would do that?"

"Probably," said Lannon. "And it would be
justified."

"You're right," said Jerret. "She probably
would. I don't want to lose my job. I promise I won't leave camp again until
Aldreya gives me approval. And you have to spar with me at least once per
day."

"Fair enough," said Lannon.

More pounding noises arose.

"Last warning!" said the gruff voice. "Come
out, or die!"

Lannon led the way, with Jerret limping after him. They
stepped out onto the hillside, their hands raised to show they meant no harm.

A pair of stones--hurled from slings--flew past them and
smashed against the house. Another stone flew at Lannon, and he caught it. He
stuck it in his cloak pocket. "Stop shooting at us!" he called out.

Four Hill Dwarves stood on the slope above them, holding
slings. These were the first Malrogs Lannon and Jerret had ever seen. They
looked like typical Grey Dwarves as far as skin color and drooping eyebrows
went, but there were some odd differences. They were slightly taller than
Olrogs and their shoulders were actually wider. Their arms were long and
somewhat misshapen, obviously possessing enormous strength. They were built
like apes (creatures Lannon had seen in drawings in books), and almost as
hairy. Rust-colored hair clung to their arms and chests and even the backs of
their hands, and they possessed bushy beards of equal hue. They had huge, warty
noses. They wore dirty, torn clothing, their trousers held up by suspenders.
Two of them had ale jugs sticking out of their pockets. Even from that
distance, the smell of booze on them was strong.

"Greetings," said Lannon, nodding.

They didn't nod back.

"What are you doing in our house?" one of them
asked.

"This is your house?" said Lannon. "I
thought it was abandoned."

"It belonged to my grandfather," the Hill Dwarf
said. "He's dead, but the house is mine to look after.

"And I'm sure you've done a fine job," said
Lannon.

"Are you mocking me?" the Malrog asked. He put a
rock in his sling and twirled it a couple of times.

"Not at all," said Lannon. "We're just
headed back to the road, where we will resume our journey."

"Well, why were you here?" another Hill Dwarf
asked. "Nothing in that old house but moss and acorns. You must be spies
or thieves looking for treasure."

"We don't want your treasure," said Jerret.
"I was just wandering around, and then Lannon came looking for me. That's
the whole story."

"Says you," one of them muttered. "And why
should we believe it? I think we should take you deep into the hills and put
you to rest."

"Put us to rest?" said Lannon. "What does
that mean?"

"It means
kill
us," said Jerret,
obviously. He drew his broadsword.

The Dwarves' grim faces didn't change expression. One of
them said, "Outsiders don't fare well in these hills. But we like to give
everyone a fair chance. So hand over everything, even your clothes. We want it
all. Then we'll let you go back to the road. That's the toll we demand for
sneaking around on our property."

"You're dreaming," said Jerret, "if you
think we're going to give up our goods. You'll have to take them by
force."

"Not a problem," a Dwarf said. "But if we
have to do that, the price will be steeper. You'll have to be put to
rest."

Lannon hesitated, wondering how to avoid a fight.

"Um, Lannon?" Jerret mumbled. "You're not
seriously thinking of complying just to avoid violence?"

Lannon drew his sword. "Of course not, Jerret. Don't
be silly. No one is taking my sword. Or my clothes, for that matter."

"Never doubted you at all," said Jerret, looking
sheepish.

"Think carefully, boys," a Dwarf said.

"We could make a deal," said Lannon. "I am
willing to offer ten silver pieces in compensation for trespassing. That's a
lot of silver for such a minor crime. I would prefer that we part ways
peacefully."

"We'll get your silver anyway," a Dwarf said.
"All of it."

"You don't want this," another Dwarf said. He
spat in the leaves. "Go naked to the road. Your goods don't matter."

"Not going to happen," said Lannon.

The Hill Dwarves glanced at each other, then twirled their
slings. Their stones flew at Lannon and Jerret.

Lannon deflected two of the stones and Jerret took out the
other two with his burning broadsword. Lannon pulled the stone from his pocket
and hurled it at one of the Dwarves, using his power to guide it to its target.
It struck the Dwarf in the forehead and he toppled over, unconscious.

Enraged, the other Dwarves drew thick, curved short swords
and charged.

Lannon seized the first Dwarf to reach him and hurled him
against the crooked house, causing the ancient structure to collapse.

"Wonderful," Lannon muttered, as he glanced at
the pile of boards that had once been a house.

The other Dwarves paused, their eyes wide.

"Another ten silver for the loss of the house?"
Lannon asked, still hoping to make a deal.

Then the Dwarves did something unexpected. They seized
their injured companions and hurried off down the hill.

"That was strange," said Jerret, as the Malrogs
vanished from view amongst the tree trunks.

"I think they're regrouping," said Lannon.
"They'll probably come back in greater numbers. We need to leave here
quickly."

Jerret nodded. "They'll definitely return."

"I think you started a war," said Lannon, glaring
at him.

"Sorry," said Jerret, shrugging. "I didn't
mean to. And it was you who knocked down the house."

"I refuse to take the blame for this," said
Lannon. "You should never have come here. We're deep in these hills,
surrounded by probably thousands of Dwarves, and you had to find a way to
provoke them."

"You sound angry, Lannon," said Jerret.

"I
am
angry," said Lannon. "This was
irresponsible. Divine Knights do not go looking for fights. We treat people
with respect."

"Even these warty savages?" asked Jerret.

"Yes,
all
people," said Lannon. He sighed.
"All we had to do was stay on the road and they would leave us alone. I
think you did this because you want a war--even if it costs people their
lives."

"I love a good fight," said Jerret, "but I
don't want anyone to die. Why shouldn't I be able to take a walk in the hills?
Should I live in fear of offending people? If those drunken savages want a
fight, we'll give them one. And I'm not a Divine Knight, so stop lecturing me
on what Divine Knights do or don't do."

Lannon sighed. "Why do I bother?"

"Bother with what?" asked Jerret.

"Bother trying to reason with you," Lannon
replied.

"We better hurry," said Jerret. "These hills
are soon to be crawling with angry Malrogs. And with my sore ankle, I'm not at
full strength. If they come for us, Lannon, you'll have to do most of the
fighting."

Again, Lannon glared at him.

***

But the Malrogs didn't return that day, and after Jerret
received a stern lecture from Aldreya and a temporary pay cut, the ride through
the hills was peaceful. The light rain faded out, and patches of blue sky
appeared through the clouds here and there. The wind picked up, rustling the
colorful treetops.

Lannon was confident the Hill Dwarves had decided to let
them pass. After all, the old house had been ready to collapse anyway, and it
had been an accident. Surely they wouldn't go to war over something so petty.
And there were others in the hills right now who needed to be watched--Ethella
and her warriors, and possibly the Blue Vultures if they were still following.
The Dwarves would have their hands full guarding their homes against those
servants of evil.

When Lannon revealed his thoughts to Jace, the sorcerer
disagreed with him emphatically.

"You assume the Malrogs are reasonable," said
Jace. "Don't assume that. They don't think like you. They will want some
heavy toll as compensation, and if they don't get it, they will try to claim
vengeance. Before we leave these hills, we will have to confront them."

"But what about the other distractions?" said
Lannon.

"If Bellis and the Blue Vultures are following,"
said Jace, "then all they have to do is stay on the road to avoid
trouble." He sighed. "That's all we would have needed to do. But we
didn't. Now we must pay the price."

"Surely they can't defeat us," said Lannon.

Jace shrugged. "If they band together into an army,
they could overpower us with their numbers. I suppose it would depend on Prince
Vannas and the White Flamestone. But it would be a brutal fight regardless,
with many dead and wounded. A terrible thing, especially since it could have
easily been avoided. But there is a good chance they will try something sneaky
instead. These aren't dumb savages we're dealing with. They know we're not
ordinary travelers, and they will proceed with caution. They've already
witnessed your strength, Lannon."

"That was a mistake," Lannon said sheepishly.
"I wasn't trying to knock down the house."

"But you did," said Jace. "And we will pay
for it."

***

The next day, Jace's words turned out to be true. As the
travelers approached a stone bridge covered in vines that spanned a river, they
encountered an army of Hill Dwarves with hammers, spears, and crossbows who
were guarding the bridge. If that wasn't enough, they also had three small,
loaded catapults ready to launch steel balls in an instant. The Malrogs seemed
ready to explode into battle--barely able to contain themselves. They craved
bloodshed. Their faces showed murderous rage, and they pointed the crossbows at
the Knights.

Lannon and Aldreya rode forward to talk to them.

A Dwarven Elder rode forth to meet them. He was so ancient
that his long hair and beard were white as snow--which for a Dwarf meant he was
hundreds of years old. He wore a plain brown cloak and carried a twisted oak
staff. He looked like a wizard, though sorcery was not practiced by the
Malrogs.

"I am Henati," said the Dwarven Elder. His eyes
smoldered with pride. "The Wisdom of the Hills and the Oldest of the
Highland Clan. You outsiders have violated our scared laws and destroyed one of
our precious dwellings. You must compensate us fairly by handing over all your
money and goods. However, in our great generosity we will allow you to keep
your horses and wagons, and your clothing. We will also spare your food and
drink--except for your ale."

"Your demands are unfair," said Aldreya.
"All of our goods and treasure for a shoddy old house? It's
ridiculous."

"It had value to us beyond money," Henati
replied, his face passive. "Something outsiders like you wouldn't
understand. Our dwellings are sacred and must be allowed to return to the earth
naturally. If you won't give up your goods, then you must hand him over to
us." His hand trembling, the ancient Dwarf pointed at Lannon. Though his
body was a bit unsteady with age, his face was hard and his eyes determined.
"We will punish this lawbreaker as we see fit."

"You would murder me," said Lannon. "Tell
the truth."

"The punishment would be fair," said Henati,
shrugging.

"We reject your demands," said Aldreya. "Do
as you will, but bear in mind that we're Divine Knights from Dremlock Kingdom.
You cannot defeat us in battle. Are you prepared to see so many of your people
die over a rotting house? Think carefully."

Henati gazed at her piercingly. "You harbor a secret.
You possibly bear a mighty weapon--something hidden. I see it in your
eyes."

"Yes," said Aldreya. "A weapon that can burn
your people to ash. Since you know I speak the truth, why not accept lesser
compensation for the dwelling? We are willing to pay you thirty silver
pieces."

"Thirty silver is not enough," said Henati.
"I do not fear your weapon, if in fact it actually exists. We are ready to
die, if need be. And I've seen such weapons before, and it will not be
effective at close range--just as our catapults are rendered useless once
friend and foe are mixed on the battlefield."