I recalled several farmers, hunters, and carpenters among those he had introduced to me as well. Should we survive the impending assault by the orcs, those people would be invaluable to our long-term survival. But for now, everyone’s primary function revolved around defeating the green-skinned horde that was headed our way.
“We need to have a meeting and revise the plans for our defense now that all of you are here,” I declared. “Go find Venna and bring the bowyer and one of the carpenters with you. Wait for me here once you’ve gathered them. I’m going to find everyone else we need.”
Stel dipped his head in acknowledgement before setting off. I quickly trotted over to the forge and pulled Hilgreth from her work before grabbing Dellon as well. With the two crafters in tow, I tracked down Khorim and Broda, who fortunately had Tási with them when I arrived. We picked up Stel and his group, and I led all of them to the officer’s quarters we had previously used to make our initial preparations. Once the lamps had been lit and everyone found a place to sit, I began.
“I’m sorry your arrival comes during such a precarious time,” I said addressing the two elves whose names I couldn’t remember. “We are expecting an attack by a powerful force of orcs, and I’ve brought you here to help with our preparations.”
The new arrivals didn’t seem overly surprised by my revelation. Whether they had already been told what the situation was or simply expected the possibility considering our location in the wilds, I couldn’t be sure. Either way, their calm attitude in the face of such dire news was reassuring.
I outlined the basics of the strategy we had in place. Considering how little we knew about the precise numbers we would be facing, no one was able to offer any substantive changes. The bowyer offered to begin immediately crafting more powerful weapons and the many additional arrows that would be required for them.
While everyone needed to be ready to join the fight when the orcs arrived, it was decided that it would be best for us to allow the farmers to begin preparing the land in the valley for their crops. It would do us no good to survive the battle only to die of starvation later.
In addition, the hunters would be permitted to pursue game outside the walls until Bane saw the first sign of any orcs approaching. If needed, they could hunt within the valley later, but I wanted to preserve as much of the valley’s wildlife as possible—the resources there were far too valuable for us to squander them needlessly.
The carpenter offered to help Dellon with any projects he had, but asked to be allowed to begin constructing homes within the valley itself as soon as possible. The elves would be far more comfortable within its verdant confines, and most of them were farmers and herdsmen anyway. I agreed, so long as a respectable number of them still manned the defenses. It would not be fair, I reminded everyone, for the dwarves alone to shoulder the dangerous burden.
Ridge was nearly done constructing the passageway, so I pulled out the blueprints for the fortifications and we poured over them together, trying to decide where to direct his efforts next.
“We have enough people to man the towers now,” Khorim reminded me.
“Yes, but if we build the ones in the middle, it may ruin our plan,” I noted.
“Then we’ll just have him carve out the two on either side,” Stel offered. “Those may actually encourage the orcs to cooperate with your strategy.”
“You may be right about that, Stel,” I replied thoughtfully as I considered the impact the structures would have on our plan.
“What do these indicate?” Asked the carpenter, who I now knew was named Ilvain.
I told him what the bump-outs in the wall represented, and his eyes twinkled at the explanation.
“If time allows, My Lady, you may want to get those done as well,” he smiled at me.
“Aye,” Dellon echoed.
“I’ll pay both of you a full gold Talon for each one of those you can deliver before the orcs get here,” I promised them, noting what would be required if the additions they asked for were to be of any real value.
“Then we need to get right to work,” the elf smiled back at me.
I dismissed Dellon, Ilvain, and Nalen the bowyer so they could each get started on the tasks they had been assigned but held Hilgreth back for another moment.
“Hilgreth,” I addressed her. “There is also a smith among the elves that arrived today. Not inviting him to this meeting was an oversight on my part, and after we adjourn, I’m going to correct my mistake and bring him to your forge. I want you to work with him, and although it is your forge, you need to treat him as an equal.”
“I don’t need some limp-armed elf mucking about in my business,” she protested.
“Those words sound familiar, Hilgreth,” I said, reminding her of our first meeting. “How did things turn out for you the last time you spoke them?”
Her chagrin was obvious, and I chose that moment to make my point clear.
“You’re an incredibly talented smith, Hilgreth,” I began. “But you seem to be a little dense at times. I’ll remind you that the reason you’re here and not back in Dhel-Ar is because no one there would give you a fair chance, just because you’re a woman. I would have thought that might have taught you not to judge anyone by what’s on the outside. I’m disappointed that’s not the case.”
“My apologies, Lady Dreya,” Hilgreth replied sincerely. “You are right; I should know better by now. My own example should have been enough, and yet I still find myself clinging to old prejudices. I will do my best to make him feel welcome. You have my word.”
“Thank you, Hilgreth,” I said, softening my tone. “I expect that he may learn a great deal working with you, and you just may learn a few things from him as well.”
Hilgreth seemed about to object to the thought that she could learn anything from the elven smith before catching herself. Her cheeks reddened as she choked back her reflexive derision, but despite the obvious lingering issues, I counted her restraint as a positive step. She quickly got up and returned to her forge before her tongue could betray her yet again, leaving me alone with my companions, reunited together for the first time in weeks.
Seizing the opportunity to catch up, Broda and Khorim quickly recounted their tale for Stel and Venna’s benefit before the elves told us their own story. Queen Líann of Íforn had recognized the seal for what it was, and followed the directives written on the scroll. Just as in the dwarven Kingdom of Dhel-Ar, most of the elves of Íforn rejected the opportunity to take part in forming a new Realm. But even in the face of overwhelming odds, an ambitious group had still answered the call, wagering everything for the chance to make a better life for themselves, and in many cases, for the children they brought along with them.
Once we’d finished catching up, we began to head our separate ways. While we all wanted to prolong our reunion, the threat of the impending attack made coordinating our defenses far too critical to ignore. As we parted, we promised to get back together at the end of the day when Venna and Stel would set up their tents alongside ours.
Stel knew the elven smith well and walked with me through the bustling encampment as we searched for him. Before we could locate the man, I remembered the gift I had been saving for Stel. I stopped abruptly and pulled the ring from my finger before handing it to him.
“You’ve served so long as our group’s mule that you practically smell like one now,” I joked as I passed him the Ring of Encumbrance. “This may help to lighten your load a little.”
“This is not an inexpensive thing,” Stel said as he looked over the silver band.
“Shut up and put it on already,” I told him bluntly. “You and I are well past the point of considering such minor things.”
“True,” he said wistfully. “Though I seem to have already received far more from you than I will ever be able to offer in return.”
“And what price do I put on your friendship?” I replied.
“You have me there, Dreya,” he said with a smirk. “Shall we call
it even then?”
I laughed as Stel slipped the band in place on his finger. He paused for a moment and his wry smirk returned as we started off again, this time veering off in a different direction than we had been headed in before. Stel led me straight to one of the tents which was surprisingly being protected by several guards, and held the flap open for me as I walked inside.
Once within, I could see that the large tent was unoccupied, although far from empty. In fact, it was nearly filled with backpacks piled together in a heap. They looked like the standard adventurer’s packs I knew so well, but the significance of so many of them heaped together in the canvas tent was lost on me and I turned to Stel in confusion.
“We made a slight detour on our way here,” he explained. “The hand carts we pulled through the forest contained not only our provisions and equipment, but all of the loot we left behind at the bandit camp as well.”
“I trust the people we brought here,” Stel continued. “And I imagine Broda and Khorim have faith in those that came with them as well, but temptation is powerful thing. We will need to find a secure place for this, and the rest of the treasure we left here before.”
“This is amazing, Stel,” I said looking over the mountain of packs in awe. The treasure would be an incredible boon to our fledgling community once the orc threat was over and we could begin trading and purchasing the goods we would need to truly prosper.
“I would like to take credit for this,” he replied honestly. “But in truth, it was Venna’s idea to retrieve all of this. She knew you would eventually go back for it at some point, and wanted to spare you the effort.”
I smiled at his confession, knowing that he was certainly downplaying his role in the affair. Stel’s penchant for logistical thinking was well-known and the use of backpacks and handcarts to haul them through the forest told me who had been responsible for bringing Venna’s idea to fruition. She may have been the one to think of it, but it had clearly been Stel who made retrieving the bandits’ loot possible.
“You did well,” I complimented him. “Both of you. I am in your debt.”
“I still consider the scales to be in balance,” Stel smirked. “Though I am certain they will swing one way or another quite soon.”
I smiled back at him as he led the way back outside again, and we resumed our search for the smith, this time without any further detours or distractions. Stel soon found the man rummaging through a pile of the armor we had recovered after our most recent battle with the orcs. He was evaluating the merit of several pieces of heavy plate when we approached him.
“Renn,” Stel called to him. “Lady Dreya has an opportunity she would like to offer you.”
I thought of it more like a job I was going to require him to do, but Stel’s phrasing seemed a bit more subtle. The elf turned to face us when he heard Stel’s voice, and when I saw his face, I remembered him from when Stel had introduced us earlier. He had seemed quite shy, and his introverted manner returned as he averted his eyes from my gaze when he spoke.
“How can I be of service?” Renn mumbled.
“Word has probably spread already, so I assume that you are aware of the impending attack?” I asked him.
“Yes, Lady Dreya, I have heard,” he replied meekly. “I was just looking over this equipment to see if there was anything I could do with it. I brought my tools, but without a forge to work in, there’s precious little I can do.”
“Well Renn, that’s about to change,” I said with a smile. My grin did little to encourage him however, since his eyes were firmly rooted to the ground at his feet.
“I want to introduce you to Hilgreth, our blacksmith,” I continued. “You’re going to work in her forge, helping to make whatever you can to aid in our defenses.”
“You have a forge?” Renn’s eyes lit up as he finally met my gaze. The opportunity to practice his craft had apparently overpowered his shyness and he stared back at me full of hope and optimism.
“Yes, we do,” I answered him warmly, trying to feed his enthusiasm. “Hilgreth knows what needs to be done, so she can fill you in on the details. Follow her instructions, but do not be afraid to offer any thoughts or suggestions of your own. I want the two of you to work together on this as equals. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Lady Dreya,” he replied enthusiastically. “Can we go there now? I’d like to get started right way!”
Stel wasted no time and led us straight to Hilgreth’s forge. Renn was like a child in a toy shop, eagerly looking over the forge in anticipation while we waited for Hilgreth to finish what she was working on. After just a moment, the piece was in a state where she could let it rest for a while and she put aside her work so that we could make our introductions.
“Hilgreth, I don’t know if you’ve met Stel yet,” I started. “He is one of my companions. He may come to you with directions or changes in our plans, please follow his orders as you would my own.”
The two shook hands, and I could see Hilgreth testing his grip as she squeezed tightly. Stel was more than up to the challenge, and as they let go of each other, I saw her nod her head slightly in respect of his strength.
“This is Renn,” I then informed her. “He is the smith I told you about. Please fill him in on everything we’re working on. I trust that the two of you can divide the tasks among yourselves appropriately.”
My words were laced with double meaning aimed at Hilgreth. She knew I wanted her to treat the elf fairly, and I was reminding her of her promise to do so. I cringed when she extended her hand towards the slightly-built elf, dreading the effect her crushing grip would have on the shy man’s hand.
Renn reached out and took her hand in his without hesitation. Unlike with me, he looked Hilgreth in the eye as she tried to squeeze the life out of his fingers. Hilgreth’s confident smirk vanished as Renn gripped her in return. The thin elf was clearly far stronger than his narrow frame indicated, and the two smiths engaged in a brief test of strength, neither one willing to be the first to concede.
“I’ll be damned,” Hilgreth conceded as the two finally released each other’s hands simultaneously.
“You might be if you two don’t get all your work done,” I remined them.
“Right,” Hilgreth replied. “Give me a few moments to get Renn caught up, and we’ll get right back to work. It’ll be good to have a second pair of competent hands around here.”
She said the last bit a little louder, letting her apprentices overhear her good-natured jab.
Before Stel and I left the smiths to their work, I apologized to Renn for my oversight in leaving him out of the earlier discussions. His previous shyness returned as I spoke to him, and he only muttered back vaguely as he stared at his feet.
“Don’t think too poorly of him Dreya,’ Stel offered as we walked away. “He’s somewhat shy around women as it is, and even I would have trouble looking into your eyes if I wasn’t so used to them. Am I mistaken or have they gotten even greener while we were away?”
“I’m not exactly sure how I should take that Stel,” I replied, considering what he had said. “As far as the color of my eyes, I have no idea. But with the way things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re correct about that.”
I contemplated Stel’s words while we traveled the rest of the way back to the fortifications in silence. The color of my eyes had always marked me as unique in this world, setting me apart from everyone else here. It was entirely possible that as I grew in power, they might become even more distinct. I had no idea what, if any, significance changes like that might indicate, so I filed it away with all the other unresolved mysteries that had plagued me since my arrival here.
When Stel and I reached the wall, we could see the tremendous progress Ridge had made. The elemental was placing the last few stone blocks just as we arrived. Dwarven stonemasons worked feverously behind him, smoothing out the rough surfaces and adding the defensive ports to the massive stone passageway. I hailed Ridge as he fused the final block in
place, and he lumbered over to us. Stel took a reflexive step back as the stone elemental came to stand beside me.
“Don’t mind my friend, Ridge,” I teased. “He can be a bit skittish at times.”
“How can I be of service, Mistress?” Ridge replied flatly.
“We have discussed the coming attack and have decided that the outer towers will be our next priority,” I told him. “After that, are the four bump-outs along the inside of the wall. If you finish those before the orcs arrive, we’ll come up with something else then.”
“What about completing the trench, Mistress?”
“I thought that was done?” I replied somewhat confused.
“The trough has been dug out, but not properly finished yet,” Ridge explained. “I still need to line it with stone.”
“I see,” realizing what he intended. “Add that to the list I gave you, but I think that will have to wait for last. While it will help to reinforce the trench, the other elements are much more important right now.”
“As you wish, Mistress,” Ridge said before setting off on his newest assignment.
Stel had remained uncharacteristically speechless during the entire exchange. As Ridge lumbered away, he finally spoke.
“Khorim told us about your Earth spirit, but I had no idea just how impressive he truly was,” Stel uttered in awe.
“And much less sarcastic than my other rock-headed friend,” I replied, staring at him pointedly.
As Stel fumbled for a witty retort, I turned to Bane who had remained on my shoulder throughout the morning.
‘Time for you to scout,’ I sent him. ‘Stay safe and return before dark.’
I will, Sintári, he replied as he jumped off my shoulder and shot off into the sky.
Bane’s scouting continued to come up empty for another week. Although he sighted many dangerous creatures in the forest, keeping our hunting parties safe from any truly dangerous threats in the process, his forays revealed no hint of the orcs’ impending assault.
Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3) Page 15