The Iron Bound

by J. M. Briggs

  Alex turned her head and her eyes dropped to the Iron Chalice with an odd look on her face. Under other circumstances, Jenny would have just thought she was staring off into space, but this was something else. Something more. Lance covered her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Breathing out a little, Jenny looked between the Brownie, Timothy, and Alex, and wondered just what changes this new development was going to bring. Based on the look on Alex’s face, she was very confident that she wasn’t going to like it.

  24

  Dark Tidings

  115 C.E. Sør-Trøndelag, Norway

  “I don’t like this Merlin,” Morgana said as she ducked under a low hanging branch in the forest. “Being summoned by those damned ravens cawing all night.” Her cloak caught on a trunk for a moment before she tugged it off. “We have to be cautious.”

  “I am aware Morgana,” Merlin replied. “I was aware the first twenty times that you made this argument, but Odin and Frea have been honest with us thus far.”

  “This is not their world,” Morgana countered. Thor sent Merlin a pitying look from his place at the back of their small group as they hiked through the forest. “We cannot trust that they truly wish to protect it,” Morgana argued.

  “Frea and her community have nothing to go back to,” Merlin reminded her calmly, giving Thor the impression that this argument truly was just a repeat. “They would never be welcomed in the Sídhe worlds even if they could safely pass through the barrier of the Iron Gates.”

  “We don’t know for certain that they can’t! All it would take is one spy amongst her people traveling into the tunnels and reporting our actions to them in exchange for a lordly position.”

  “I suppose that is possible,” Merlin conceded. “Though after generations of living in the Iron Realm I highly doubt that the Sídhe would trust them anymore than you do.”

  Morgana bristled at the remark comparing her and the Sídhe. Merlin kept moving up the small path as Morgana glared fiercely at his back. They were both tense, and the faint cawing of crows in the distance alerted Thor that they were getting close to the meeting point.

  “There is still the Old Ones to worry about,” Morgana reminded Merlin after only a few moments of silence. “The locals think them deities.”

  “And others back home see Cyrridven as a Goddess,” Merlin said. “That does not mean that they mean harm to the Iron Realm. In fact, it would be to their benefit to take an active role in keeping this world safe.”

  “I just don’t trust them, Merlin; we cannot be sure of their motives.”

  “Do you two always have the same arguments over and over again?” Thor asked. They both turned quickly to stare at him. “Do you two even like each other at all?”

  “Thor!” Morgana scolded with a flash of hurt on her face.

  “Morgana and I care about and are usually friendly with one another, but we have different perspectives on the world.” Merlin laid a hand on Morgana’s shoulder. “As such, we do have disagreements on how to proceed.”

  Thor gave them a doubtful look, though he couldn’t help but notice how physically comfortable the pair seemed to be next to each other. Frowning, he remembered how he and the villagers had originally assumed them to be married. Morgana’s green eyes were boring into him and Thor felt a flood of discomfort.

  “But that makes no sense; you’ve known each other for so long and yet you keep arguing over this.”

  “Time has nothing to do with it,” Merlin said, apparently picking up that Thor was a little sorry. “We grew up under very different circumstances. What unites us is our dedication to the Iron Realm and to the Iron Soul.” Merlin sent a stern look his way, but Thor refused to shrink into himself.

  “I believe that we can trust them. Frea has too much to lose to not help end this threat, and my people do see Odin and Sif as gods already,” Thor offered quickly as he looked to Morgana. “I don’t believe they would risk what they could lose against what there may be to gain.”

  “As I said it only takes one traitor,” Morgana growled. “That is all it takes Thor; one traitor.”

  The tone of her words gave Thor pause, and he actually stopped walking to stare at her back for a moment. Something twisted in his gut at the note of regret, sorrow, and anger that her words had carried. Shaking his head, he started walking once more but stayed silent this time. Morgana shook her head and muttered something to Merlin in a voice too low for him to hear. He had a feeling she was complaining about him once again. Oddly it didn’t inspire the anger that it had before, but Thor pushed the odd thought away. He wasn’t interested in analyzing his feelings on the matter just before they met with their allies.

  Thor was almost feeling back to normal when they reached their destination and was able to shake off the lingering uncertainty. The clearing was small with towering trees swaying in the wind all around them, but it was in the shadow of the mountain and far enough from the village that Thor didn’t need to feel concerned. He clenched and unclenched his fists for a moment, wondering if his hair was still neat after the hike. Merlin sent an inquiring look his way and Thor forced himself to relax just before the sounds of someone coming through the trees across the clearing could be heard.

  Odin stepped out of the trees a moment later with Sif and another unknown figure, one dressed in light armor and armed with a sword and axe. He towered over Sif and shared her brilliant blonde hair. Merlin shifted and stepped in front of him before Thor had a good chance to get a look at the unknown man. He was quickly distracted from his annoyance at the protective gesture by Frea stepping out of the trees and into the clearing, though she stayed in the shadows of the trees with her face turned down and a hand raised to guard her eyes.

  “Put your hood on,” Morgana said. “We can see it is you.”

  Frea did not wait another moment before pulling the hood of her cloak over her head and letting the top of it settle over her face, shielding her eyes from the sun. Her shoulders relaxed and Thor found himself wondering how painful direct sunlight was for the Sídhe descendants. Frea moved around the tree line to come a bit closer to them but stayed to the shadows.

  “Thor, Merlin, Morgana,” Frea greeted with a small bow. “I trust you are well.”

  “We have suffered no injuries as of late,” Morgana replied dismissively.

  “That is good to hear,” Frea said, and an awkward silence ensued. “Greetings, Odin. Greetings, Sif.” She nodded to the Old Ones respectfully. “I trust you and yours are well?”

  “We are. This is one of my sons.” Odin gestured to the blond male. “Baldr. He has been tracking the movement of some of the dark elves to the north of here.”

  Thor eyed Baldr critically, taking in the being’s height and bright blond hair. His own bleached hair was dark in comparison to the shining locks. Baldr was looking at him with equal curiosity, and Thor smirked in amusement. He’d heard of Baldr in the past, though his name wasn’t as well-known as Odin. Thor wasn’t completely sure what Baldr was supposed to be the god of. He’d heard healing and light, or maybe it was peace and justice. Hopefully, it was something useful to them.

  “It is a pleasure to meet the Mages of the Iron Realm,” Baldr greeted with a deep nod. Then he turned his attention to Frea. “And I welcome you, peaceful daughter of the Sídhe.”

  Frea seemed at a loss for how to respond to Baldr’s greeting. Thor couldn’t tell if she was flattered by it or if she took offense at her connection to the Sídhe being recognized. Whatever she felt, she pushed it away quickly and turned her violet eyes to Thor for a moment before she looked towards Merlin.

  “I am afraid that there is a concentration of these dark elves to the north of here, as my father said,” Baldr said. “I have been attempting to track them, but they vanish into the shadows too easily during the night and do not show themselves during the day. We do know their rough area though where they spend most of their time.”

  “I fear that I can explain that,” Frea said. She shifted in the shadows,
clutching at her cloak nervously. “Our scouts have discovered a new settlement being built by the tainted Sídhe to the north, most likely in the same area that you have been noticing them.”

  “A settlement?” Merlin repeated with widening eyes. “How sophisticated?”

  “It is underground in a series of caverns that they have already begun to alter. They are carving out their buildings and expanding the caverns themselves. No houses as of yet: they seem to be using barrack style quarters. They also have some sort of weapon production, but we are uncertain of what metal they are using or where they are getting it from.”

  “It couldn’t be iron,” Morgana muttered uneasily, looking to Merlin. “But how would they secure the materials for bronze?”

  “Some of our people have developed a resistance to iron,” Frea pointed out carefully. “Exposure to this world has gradually lessened our weakness to it. Perhaps passing through the Iron Gate barrier granted them the same?”

  “Let us not jump to conclusions,” Odin said. “Frea, do you know what sort of social structure they have in place? Do they seem to be loyal to the Sídhe or are they forming a military of their own?”

  “We don’t know that yet,” Frea admitted. A frustrated sigh that sounded all too human to Thor escaped her. In the corner of his eye, he watched an odd expression flicker over Morgana’s face as well. “We’ve only been able to observe from the outer edges of the settlement thus far, and they are adding new patrols and guards every day. We don’t know if they are forming a military force beyond that, and I hesitate to send our scouts too far in. These creatures are developing differences compared to us. I fear it would be impossible for any of mine to pass as one of them. Those lines of magic on their bodies are dispersing across the rest of their flesh and making their skin darker than ours, and the way they move…” Frea shook her head and a small shudder went through her.

  “It sounds as though we cannot wait for them to gain more power,” Morgana said darkly. “These Dark Elves are not remaining the feral creatures we hoped they would. If they are regaining their minds, then loyal to the Sídhe or not, they are a significant threat.”

  “Agreed,” Frea said. “They haven’t sought us out, so they aren’t seeking help surviving in this world. My concern isn’t just the danger the Dark Elves already here pose. If the Sídhe establish another tunnel like you think they will, then their numbers will just keep growing.”

  “Yes.” Merlin rubbed his beard thoughtfully. “It would benefit them to grab new arrivals immediately and hold them until they adjusted.”

  “Anything on how long it takes them to adjust?” Odin asked Frea. “Is there a timeline for when they begin to regain more of their minds?”

  “I’m not sure of that either.” Frea twisted her pale hands together. “To be honest at this point we aren’t even sure how much of their minds they are recovering. We just don’t know if they are forming a primitive group or if they have truly retained their more advanced knowledge.”

  “It is distressing that we know so little.” Odin shook his head sadly before offering Frea a smile. “But it is a start, and we have a location. I will have Huginn and Muninn keep an eye on the area if you provide me with exact details. We may learn something by observing their patterns of movement outside of the caverns.”

  “And scrying magic may be of some use,” Morgana added thoughtfully. “If nothing else it will help me get a sense of how much magic they have access to.”

  “There haven’t been any signs of magic thus far,” Frea said. “And my people usually don’t have any magic at all.”

  “Usually?” Baldr questioned with a tilt of his head.

  “Occasionally one of us has some magic, but it degrades our bodies. We aren’t certain why it manifests, as the Iron Realm does not grant us power.”

  “You are not mages of the Iron Realm,” Odin said. “It is the same for our kind in this world. But the question of their magic could give us a clue as to what exactly is happening to them. If they do have magic, then there is still a link between them and their home world. If not, then perhaps the transition from their world to ours through the barrier of the Iron Gate cuts off their connection to their home world.”

  “Speculation at this point,” Morgana interrupted. “It is unlikely that they have magic, but we have to be ready for anything. Let’s focus on this settlement, not debate the likelihood of these creatures retaining a connection to Sídhean.”

  “Do we know anything more about this settlement,” Thor asked, both out of curiosity and hoping to keep a dispute from breaking out. Sif caught his eye and smiled at him. “An estimate of their numbers, the ratio of warriors to non-warriors?” He paused and shrugged. “What are they eating? Are they hunting animals or doing something else?”

  Merlin turned and looked at him with surprise shining in his eyes. Odin was giving him an approving look and that little smile was still on Sif’s face. Stilling his body, Thor fought back his smirk and met Merlin’s gaze as calmly as he could. A soft chuckle escaped Morgana.

  “They seem to be gathering roots for the most part during the nights,” Frea said. “There is no sign of them trying to consume any of the animals of your world.” She paused and considered him for a moment before adding, “We rarely consume the flesh of creatures of your world, and when we do it requires extra preparation.”

  “To avoid the iron of the blood,” Morgana told him softly. “They dare not consume it.”

  “Exactly,” Frea agreed. “It is a challenge to avoid iron in your world, but if they are like us then they will be able to consume small amounts. They seem to be aware of that as well. As to your other questions, we do not have a good estimate on how many there are. The sentry groups are five each and we know of at least four such groups.”

  “There are more questions than answers,” Odin said. He frowned and glanced up at his ravens. “We don’t know enough to take any action against the creatures. Have they attacked the human settlements lately?”

  “No,” Thor answered. “Since we caused the tunnel to collapse there haven’t been any attacks.”

  “Let us hope it stays that way, though now I wonder if that is because they are focusing on their settlement,” Odin announced with a shake of his head. “Shall we meet in three days’ time?” Odin questioned as he surveyed their odd group. “And report our findings?”

  “Huginn and Muninn will be limited in what they can see.” Frea looked up at the ravens and shook her head in resignation. “I’ll see about volunteers to go deeper into the new settlement. With any luck, they’ll be able to find out some real details.”

  “Be careful,” Sif said softly, which surprised Frea and drew a small smile from her.

  “Morgana and I will do what we can with our magic,” Merlin added. “In three days we will meet here.”

  “Then we are agreed,” Odin concluded with a smile. “Very well, go in peace Mages of the Iron Realm and Frea.”

  Morgana and Merlin did not move as Frea dashed into the cover of the mountainside. Her dark cloak hid her well and she quickly disappeared from sight. The three Old Ones left together at a much slower pace with Odin leading the way. Thor’s eyes lingered on Sif until Morgana glanced his way and he had to fight back a flush.

  “Maybe we should go and take a look at this settlement,” Thor suggested as they began to head back towards the village. “There are so many unknowns, and it isn’t right to keep putting Frea and her people in danger.”

  “We can’t put you in danger either,” Merlin replied. “It is out of the question Thor. Too much could go wrong.”

  “So what, we just let them keep building up their forces, becoming more organized until they sweep over my people?”

  “Patience is valuable Thor,” Morgana reminded him. “They have to be eating something: we can arrange observation points around this settlement and pick them off, study them from safety and build a plan. With any luck, I will be able to scry into the settlement and learn more about wha
tever leadership is in place.”

  “That’s it?” Thor all but growled in agitation. “But the three of us are mages, we could go and attack them and destroy them.”

  “War is not won by fools,” Merlin scolded. A dark look suddenly took over the man’s face and made his brown eyes appear black. “And it would seem that a war is what we will be dealing with. We do not know enough to risk a full frontal attack. For all we know right now they could still be working with the Sídhe, or they may now be their enemies. There may be twenty or there may be two hundred.”

  “So we just let them grow stronger?”

  “Not exactly.” Merlin gripped his shoulder tightly. “We keep an eye on them, destroy the ones who stray away from this settlement, keep the Sídhe from banishing more into this world and we help you grow stronger.”