The Crystal Legacy (Book 2) (33 page)

“The rock-dwarves are the Dark Lord’s special work,” Tournak said. He studied the ironwork’s artisanship. “True dwarves are elemental. They’re much older, much more developed and sophisticated than the rock-dwarves. Like rock-dwarves, true dwarves are the smiths of the earth’s forges. They couldn’t have snatched the deer if it had been full daylight. Daylight turns them to stone. You see all the ironwork in here and the polished granite walls and tabletop? Only dwarves could’ve made such fine work.”

“What would they be doing in these rocky, arid hills?” Saxthor asked. “Don’t dwarves live and work in mountain rock?”

“If they’ll come out and speak with us, we may find out,” Tournak said vociferously. He looked around at some movement.

“Hey, the meat is delicious.” Bodrin said.

“We thank you,” said a deep voice.

All three men turned to see a very distinguished little man with white hair, long full beard, and puffy features standing in the side tunnel. He was well dressed in fine robes encrusted with jewels and topped with a heavy velvet hat, also encrusted with gems. An embroidered sash girdled his ample waist that held a finely wrought, if small, sword and scabbard with still more jewels. His importance was evident.

“Do help yourselves to your venison.”

They looked back at the deer delicacies still steaming hot. When they looked again at the little man, half a dozen dwarves in lesser, but still resplendent, costumes had entered the room with trays of silver goblets and pitchers of ale that they added to the table. More brought plates and utensils of finely wrought gold and silver. Large carving and serving pieces speckled the table.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Saxthor said to the obvious leader. “Why did your people ‘borrow’ the deer if you had no need of it?”

Saxthor interrupted himself to pick up few delicacies before Bodrin and Tournak ate the rest. The leader didn’t answer the question specific.

“We are King Bordabrundese of Hador’s Sand Hill Dwarves. We used to live in the Hador Mountains, but in our grandfather’s time, there was a fight between his brother and him. Our band left the mountains to live here in the hills.”

“You still mine beautiful granite, I see,” Tournak said. He looked at the king, bowed, then turned back to the table and popped a juicy piece of roast in his mouth.

“We still work granite from the mountains to line walls of our tunnels and chambers here underground. Since moving here in all this sand, we’ve learned to specialize in the creation of colored glass,” the king said with pride.

“Colored glass?” Bodrin asked.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Bodrin,” Tournak said.

“Colored glass, like this goblet?” Saxthor asked, examining the ruby colored vessel. “How beautiful it is.”

“Well, never mind that now,” the king said. “Just eat and enjoy the feast.”

Bodrin pulled up a heavy iron chair. He filled his plate with various venison dishes, wanting to eat while the food was hot. The king was willing to share his story so the three could eat and listen.

“We borrowed your deer as we wanted the horns and hooves for inlay work. We use powdered bone in other projects.”

“You should’ve waited, we’d have left the horns, hooves, and bones,” Bodrin said. He reached across the table for a chunk of roast. Tournak gave him a frown. He grinned and sat back in his chair.

“Yes, our younger dwarves should’ve waited until you took the meat. You must know of youthful impatience,” the king said.

“Well, we think this worked out to our mutual benefit, as you’ve prepared the venison far better and faster than we could’ve on the surface,” Saxthor said.

“We thank you for your understanding and appreciation. It’s our hope you’ll accept this feast as compensation for your trouble. Also, we’d like to ask a favor of you.”

“What would that favor be, King Bordabrundese?”

“We have here seven jewels that we’d like you to take to my cousin, King Ormadese of the Hador Mountain dwarves. It’s his granite we trade for, and our payment is due.”

“How shall I find King Ormadese?” Saxthor asked, tasting the venison stew.

“He’ll find you when you’re in the mountains on your way to Castilyernov Hadorhof.”

Saxthor nearly choked on the stew. He looked at Tournak, whose stern look reminded him he’d betrayed his surprise. Tournak wondered how their mission, supposedly a total secret, was well known to a stranger here underground.

“What makes you think we’re traveling to the Hador?” Bodrin asked.

“There’s a jewel hidden there, and you’re in search of it.”

Saxthor put down his spoon and looked up at Bordabrundese. Bodrin and Tournak did the same.

“What makes you think we’re looking for a jewel?” Saxthor asked. “We travel to Hador as merchants.”

“Memlatec said you would be suspicious,” the king said, and he laughed. “Very well, merchants with no merchandise, would you take these jewels to our cousin on your way to the castilyernov to trade?”

“What do you know of Memlatec?” Tournak asked.

“The wizard said long ago a young man would come this way in search of the jewel.”

“We don’t know about a gemstone or your young man in search of it, but we’ll take your jewels to your cousin if we can find him,” Saxthor said.

Saxthor picked up his plate but didn’t eat more. King Bordabrundese smiled and placed the jewel pouch on the table beside Saxthor, along with his jeweled sword and scabbard.

“When you’re finished, we’ll pack the remaining meat for you to take to the young lady traveling with you.” The king turned, and with his retainers, disappeared into the tunnels. A dwarf, who remained to pack the meat, spoke to Saxthor.

“King Bordabrundese gives you, Prince Saxthor, his sword to use as a dagger, in appreciation for your delivering the jewels to King Ormadese. You must be careful in these hills. The orcs are creeping through here, more of late, sometimes there’re trolls, too. We hear there’s renewed activity in Dreaddrac.”

“Please thank his majesty for this exceptional gift,” Saxthor said, inspecting the sword’s workmanship.

“Only draw the dagger when you expect to draw blood with it. You won’t be able to sheath it again until it draws blood.”

“What do you think of that?” Bodrin asked after the attendant left the hall. “You think it’s a trick?”

“Eat your food. We’ll talk later, Bodrin,” Saxthor said.

When they were full, they rose and crawled back up the tunnel that seemed even tighter with full bellies. When they reached the tunnel exit, Saxthor was barely able to draw Sorblade, but when it touched the granite at the tunnel’s mouth, the facing disappeared, and they stepped back out onto the hillside. Behind them came four dwarves with sacks of venison. The dwarves handed the meat to the travelers and disappeared back down the tunnel, whose entrance resealed.

The three men climbed back up the hill and down the other side to face Tonelia. She was – understandably – as angry as any of them had ever seen her. Delia ran around her to Saxthor and, against her training, jumped up on him with her tail wagging. She licked him repeatedly to prevent his protest.

Twit first fluttered his feathers in relief, then settled back into his sleep rather than give them the satisfaction of letting them know he’d been worried.

“Where have you been?” Tonelia demanded to know. She stood, hands on her hips, facing them down.

“We went out for dinner,” Bodrin said. He wouldn’t look at her.

“Out for dinner?”

Bodrin held up two bags of venison, shielding himself from expected flailing arms. Tonelia took and looked inside one of the bags. Her face scrunched and jerked up, confronting Bodrin.

“This is cooked and ready to eat. In fact, you’ve already eaten a great deal of it.” She poked his full stomach and her face reddened. “You mean you three wandered off, cooked, and ate this deer while I worried myself sick waiting for you? Now you have the audacity to bring me the leftovers?”

This is deteriorating, Tournak thought. “It’s a long story, but it was something we couldn’t help, Tonelia.”

Glancing often at Bodrin, Tonelia emptied the bags and surveyed the feast. She sampled the banquet. Her moans reflected satisfaction with the various herbs and dishes. When finished, she wiped her mouth and looked at each man, pointing her upturned hand.

“The three of you can’t cook this well. Moreover, you didn’t wander around in the dark picking herbs either. You had no pots or utensils for cooking this feast, so someone else did this.”

The men looked at Saxthor, who shrugged his shoulders.

We’ll tell her about it when the time is right, Tournak thought. She’s learned anything is possible on this expedition.

Tonelia and Delia ate until they were full and sleepy. They rewrapped the remaining meat to finish it in the morning before it spoiled. The travelers slept well.

*

When they were asleep, Twit flew to the bags and found the smell of cooked meat repulsive. It was useful for drawing dinner though. He had his fill of insects and went to sleep as well.

*

“Let’s go,” Saxthor said after the morning feast. “Digesting so much meat is going to make us drowsy. We need to get started.”

Bodrin rubbed his round, drum-tight tummy. “Would you consider a short nap? We’d move much faster after a nap.”

Delia wagged her tail. Tonelia chuckled. Saxthor rolled his eyes.

“Let’s get packed for the day’s journey.” Saxthor found the king’s jeweled sword when he rolled up his blanket. He examined it in the daylight, then tucked it in his satchel and finished packing.

“Where’d you get
that
?” Tonelia asked. “You didn’t have that yesterday. This story gets more and more curious.”

Saxthor smiled at her and continued packing. “Well, you see, the king gave it to me for running an errand for him.”

“The king, you say?” Tonelia stared at Saxthor, whose activities continued unabated. “And I suppose it’s the same king that cooked this feast in the middle of this barren rock pile?”

“Probably his subjects cooked it.”

Tonelia finished her own packing, gazing occasionally at Saxthor. She shook her head and Tournak chuckled.

The further north they traveled, the less habitable the land became. By the time they reached the foothills of the Hador Mountains, the terrain was desolate. The sharp- edged mountains jutted into the clouds as though the jagged peaks impaled the sky itself. The shale on the peaks shattered in freeze-thaw cycles, depositing a gritty layer over the granite below. The shale dust acted as a lubricant, sending those that would climb the mountains to their deaths.

Saxthor led his band off to the northeast, searching for the road that went through the mountains to Hador and the massive fortress guarding the pass into Dreaddrac. They traveled for days before coming upon the entrance to the mountains. The travelers were up in the rocky hills when they saw the road out on the plain below. Bodrin was about to rush down to it, but Saxthor held him back.

“This is a hostile country, Bodrin. We’ll camp up here among the rocks tonight to avoid detection by the Dark Lord’s watchers. We need to give thought as to how to approach the city.”

Back behind a rock cliff wall, they found a spot with a small cave facing toward the mountains and away from the plain.

“Any signs of cave bear in there, Tournak?” Saxthor asked, laughing.

“Nothing recent,” Tournak replied. “It should be safe for tonight and out of sight from the plain.”

The troupe moved in, and Tonelia made her own check. “The hollow goes back into the hill far enough that we can have a fire and cook a meal without being seen from the plain.”

The tired hikers ate their evening meal in silence, wondering what the next day in the mountains would bring. The fire died by the time they finished eating, and the weary travelers fell asleep.

A sudden bark from Delia woke them. A fire sprang from where the fire had died the flame blue not orange. In the strange light, the figure of a little man stood over the resting group. Dressed in brightly colored clothes and a pointed red felt hat, he bowed.

Saxthor jumped up with his hand on Sorblade.

“Who are you? What do you want?” He’s a dwarf
,
thought Saxthor. He relaxed his hold on Sorblade but didn’t take his hand off it in case the dwarf was a thieves’ decoy.

“I meant only to extend greetings; I’m sorry for alarming you.” The dwarf waited for the others to wake up. “We hoped you’ll join us for a late meal.”

“Meal,” Bodrin said yawning.

“King Ormadese requests you join him in the great hall.” The dwarf waited for them to follow him. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Tonelia looked at Saxthor, “You seem prepared to accept an invitation coming in the middle of the night from a complete stranger. There’s something about all this I don’t know, isn’t there?”

Without response, they rose to go with the stranger.

“It’s okay, Tonelia,” Saxthor said.

“I should’ve stayed in the Hoyahof’s dungeon where my life would’ve at least been sane. Nothing has made any sense since I joined this band of crazies.” Resigned, she rose to go.