In the morning, they all gathered in the front of their little mountain fortress, and Sha decided to start giving out the gifts she had been working on all winter. To Echal she gave a pendant. "It will only work once a fortnight but once activated, do not move or you will lose the power. The spot in which you are standing will increase in speed tenfold, for a full minute. Whereas you could shoot thirty arrows a minute before, you could now have ten times as long to place those shots or to shoot more arrows if you have them. It also means that attacks coming at you are slow until the last arm's breadth. Plenty of time to dodge, but don't leave the area, or you lose the benefit." Echal's eyes were wide as he looked at his new toy. This was a great gift. He felt bad that all he had for Sha was the improvement on her little bow that he had promised her almost five years ago now. She stopped in front of Catrin and held out a small ring. Just a little twist of wire holding a small emerald. "It works anytime you put it on your finger. Anything within arm's reach makes no sound. Not you, not your footsteps, not body slumping at your feet. Just be warned no one can hear you either, not calls for help, nor warnings."
Pavel chuckled. "You sure that isn't a second gift for Echal?"
"Quiet you!" Sha laughed as she hit the big bear. Each of the men found themselves intently studying something else, anything else. With a woman of Catrin's skills, you didn't want to risk having a joke not sit right with her. Sha moved down the line to Savon, "I didn't get anything for Ma'Li as I wasn't sure how that would affect Mah'El, but I made this for you." Handing him a small brass rod about the length of her little finger and as big around as a toothpick. On its tip was a small red gem. A small ring was on the opposite end so it could be threaded through a necklace or even a boot lace. "Hold it by the ring end, and will fire from it. Hold it only by the ring end or the fire will burn you. To put it out, just will it off." Savon was playing with it bringing the fire out and letting it go out, with a big grin on his face.
She called out as she walked back over to the clay portion of the wall that Echal was just sealing up. "I gave my parents' gift to Mom yesterday. I'll let them tell you if she has shared it with him yet, because I don't want to know." She smiled as Jayen started to choke. A few moments of concentration and expenditure of energy and the clay solidified into stone, matching nearly perfectly the weathered rock around it. After a couple of rains, no one who didn't know it was there would ever find it.
Pavel was busy giving out his gifts. Small fur-lined slippers for each member of the family. Not suitable for wearing on a long trip but a pure blessing when moving around a cold camp site. He approached Ma'Li. "I have an extra pair that I don't want to have to carry. Can you do me the favor of finding someone who needs these?"
Ma'Li broke into an enlivening smile, "Yes. I will consider it a duty."
So it was that gifts exchanged they managed to get moving before the sun was in the midday sky. Jan felt like they were a nomad tribe, never settling down, always moving on, but at least they were doing it together.
The Journey
Three days on the road and everyone was missing the evening soaks in the comfort of home. Echal was leading the pack train while Pavel and Jayen had ridden ahead to do some scouting. They decided to stick to the high mountain trails despite the remaining snow pack because there was smoke trails down in the valley indicating large camps that way. Bandits or armies, either way it was better to avoid them. So it was that they had started to descend the north side of the mountain, going deeper into the wilds and deeper into lands of wild creatures and Goblin kin. Savon bringing up the rear guard doing his best to cover up the passing of such a large party.
So they were pretty well all strung out when disaster struck. From down hill a flight of arrows raked into the side of the group. Echal felt the first arrow sink deep into his left thigh as the second glanced off of his mailed shoulder. Reacting on instinct he rolled out of the saddle taking his bow and quiver with him. He struck the ground hard, breaking off the arrow in his thigh. Rolling with the momentum he activated, the pendant Sha had given him and watched the world slow almost to a stop.
He readied his bow and took in the situation. Jan was slumped over, but he couldn't see an arrow in her. Catrin seemed to have reacted just in time and was also sliding to the side of her horse to use it as cover. Sha's horse had three arrows in it and Ma'Li appeared to have snatched an arrow out of the air as it was headed toward Savon. Turning his attention back to the threat down the slope, he could see a dozen goblins arranged for an ambush. His anger boiled over, and he began to methodically draw and shoot. At these speeds, it was more like target practice than combat. He put an arrow on target for each of them, and started his second arrows on their way, as the two closest to him loosed their next shots. He saw the arrows flying at him in slow motion, still he fired the last two arrows of his quiver at them. That left him with several heart beats to watch the two arrows coming directly for him. Dodging one would put him directly in the other's path. Wishing for a shield at this stage was useless but the extra time did let him develop one plan. He crouched. Balled up in the smallest space possible he could hear the whistle of the arrows as they passed over head.
The relief was short lived. As he looked to see where the arrows had impacted, he noticed the real and unseen threat. Up hill a large stone giant was hefting a log the diameter of Echal's waist over his head. The goblins had been a distraction, and he fell for it. Echal pulled his dagger and sent it sailing. Long before it reached the giant, Echal could see it would fall short. Even if it had worked, the log was in the air. Catrin had started her horse up the slope, Echal couldn't believe she was charging the giant, it must have just been instinct to avoid the arrows. Echal plotted her course and it should have her ride under the trajectory of the tree not into it. He sighed in relief for that much. Still, he felt helpless seeing it coming and knowing there was nothing he could do about it.
In a forlorn hope maneuver born of pure desperation, Echal pulled his throwing axe and aimed it for the far end of the tumbling log. The axe flew true and struck the far end of the log just moments before it hit the ground and was enough drag before the handle snapped to twist the log, stealing its momentum and stopping it just shy of the now rearing and skittering horses of the pack train. Catrin appeared to have realized her danger and to her credit was back up in the saddle and off at a dead run for Pavel and Jayen. Echal didn't think she could make it in time to save them, but was glad she would be safe. Arrows flew at the giant. Savon must have managed to get into the fight by this point. Unfortunately, it wasn't likely to be enough. With him wounded, he and Savon alone probably couldn't hold until Pavel and Jayen arrived. The arrows hit, including a tiny one shot from Sha's bow. Echal grinned, at least she got to use it.
He stood there effectively useless until the giant got closer. He was saving his strength for the up close melee combat to come. He drew his blade and prepared himself for what was to come. Then with shocked amazement he watched as the giant clutched his gut and doubled over, lost his balance and fell. All in slow motion from Echal's perspective. He watched in both amazement and horror as the giant coughed a giant gout of blood from his mouth clutched at his chest with both arms and finally had something erupt from its neck ripping through veins and arteries like so much wet paper. Savon rode up and put a spear through its eye just for good measure.
Somehow the fight was over. He stepped out of the area affected by spell and time righted itself. Though not without its own price, for a moment the whole universe spun and he almost emptied breakfast on the ground. Savon was riding back along the pack line, calming panicked horses and checking on Jan. Jan had an arrow through her right forearm. It wasn't life threatening with proper care but in the middle of nowhere, much like Echal's thigh wound it was serious enough.
He started to panic as he saw a small golden snake covered in blood slither out of the grass and head straight toward Sha. He started to yell a warning but then watched as it stopped and let her pick it up a
nd she just started to wipe it clean. "What is that thing?" he croaked.
She smiled. "My gift to myself." Echal watched as once clean, it coiled itself back up neatly around Sha's upper arm looking for all the world like a piece of jewelry. "Once I got it in the giant, it opens its blades and begins crawling through looking for vital organs. I really should thank you, it was your sawing chain that gave me the idea."
Echal just shook his head. "After you check on mamma, one of them managed to get me in the leg. It's not serious but I'm going to need some help with it."
"Mamma's hurt!?" Sha's face became panicked.
"Yeah, they got her in the arm. Don't feel bad I had an eternity to watch this debacle in slow motion. It is part of what saved our asses. So thank you." and with that he just collapsed there on the road, happy to have the weight off of his throbbing leg.
Traveling In Goblin Kin Lands
They spent two weeks camped there. As much to heal up as Pavel insisted they skin and dry the giant hide as well as the two horses they lost. It wasn't the most comfortable camp but better to be properly healed before the next encounter. Echal had insisted not only that they gather up his spent arrows but any of the goblin arrows that were still usable. Yeah, they may be lousy arrows but he wasn't about to get stuck with an empty quiver and not even able to find rocks to throw. They teased him about it sure, but they weren't the ones who had to sit there helpless while watching it all happen in slow motion. Jayen even managed to make him a respectable replacement handle for his throwing axe.
They learned to travel different in Goblin Kin lands. No long scouts ahead while on the move. They would put up a semi-fortified camp each night, and travel in force a reasonable distance and then go back retrieve those left to guard the camp and move up and fortify the next location. It made for slow going but they added three more giant pelts and two ogre pelts to their collection and no one else was seriously injured.
Sha also showed off her little trinket. "It's a golem. A creation that traditionally are big clay or iron giants. They tend to attract a lot of attention, so while I learned about them, I didn't think they were practical for me. Besides, they are damn hard to build. It wasn't until Echal built his sawing chain that I thought of something smaller." the golden serpent slithered off of her arm and into her hands. She pulled it taunt, and it formed a functional if not horribly aerodynamic arrow. "Once inside or thrown onto an opponent." she pulled the head and the tail and it separated into many linked segments each segment releasing a blade on either side. "It then coils and crawls around, seeking out vital organs until the target is very much dead."
Echal shuddered again thinking about the quick work it made of the giant. Catrin was impressed, "How do I get one?"
Sha shrugged, "I don't know if you can. I mean they only obey their creator, and while I could create one and tell it to obey you, it would still always in effect be mine. I can't really give you complete control. I don't know how, or even if it could be done."
Catrin pouted a bit but looked satisfied. Echal just sighed, "I don't know. I'm happy if there is only ever one of those things and my sister has it so I know it is always on my side." Jayen just chucked and nodded his agreement.
It was nearing the height of summer when Ma'Li told them that they were almost there. Now came the hard part of finding something hidden by Tzadi that hadn't been found in over a thousand years.
The Red Spire
Finding the Unfindable
Echal was stumped. He had drug them all out here through orcs, giants, and goblins, right up to the very point where Mah'El says the spire is supposed to be, but he has no idea, how to take it the last mile and find the immense spire. He's probably standing in the very shadow of the damn thing right now, but the magics are strong enough to keep him from noticing.
Pavel had spent the day riding with Jayen and Savon. They had been discussing this very problem, and while they weren't sure what to do, Pavel had developed a plan. He smiled inwardly as he let them all sweat it out for a bit. Sha needed more time to work, anyway. By early afternoon she should be ready and he would show his over confident little brother how it was done. Oh he loved Echal, and would never wish him harm, but this chance to help him, while still pulling him down a peg or two was just too much to pass up.
They ambushed an orc raiding party early on in the morning as they made their first sweep of the open plains where the spire is purported to stand. It was only the first pass, and they assumed that they would end up crisscrossing this area many times before they could find what they sought so might as well jump up any problems while their forces were more or less concentrated. They also stumbled on to the remains of a hobgoblin wagon train that was obviously the target of the orc raid. Still by the time they arrived, nothing was left. Considering the limited loot they secured from the orcs, it seems this area was far more populated than it seemed.
They made it back to camp just as Ma'Li was serving up the midday meal. Jan was down wind of camp skinning a pair of jackals that had decided the camp might make an easy meal and paid for their error with their hides. Everyone looked tired. It had been a long few weeks getting here, and no one had really had a day off since healing up after that initial disastrous ambush. They still had a long search ahead of them, and a long walk home again no matter what they find.
As food vanished into hungry bodies, the talk eventually turned to the need to fortify a camp for the evening. Pavel just leaned back and rubbed contentedly at his stomach. "Or we can sleep in the Spire" he said as casually as if suggesting what boots to wear.
Jayen shook his head. "Oh just like that, eh? Found it have you, boy? Why haven't you told the rest of us?" He grinned at his son to take some of the sting out of the words.
"No, not yet, but Sha and I have figured out how we will. She's been working on it for a couple of days now. I've just been waiting for her to have us enough light stones to work with to make it work."
Jan looked at her son and then over to little Sha, who was still picking at the last of her porridge. "I knew she'd been busy with something, but I never asked. After all," she grins, "One doesn't question the ways of the Tzadi, for they are subtle and quick to anger." Sha stuck her tongue out at the only mother she had ever known and stifled a small giggle.
Pavel just felt tired, this was a lot of fun, but he really wouldn't mind a quick nap while the food settled. "So here's my plan; it takes us about three hours to ride completely across the area and back again. With all of us riding, say a farm field apart, we'll all be able to see each other, and shouldn't be in too much danger. At least not after we just finished a patrol this morning. So we drop a light stone every three hundred feet or so." He shrugs, "We make one trip out, whirl at the end move far enough to cut a second line back, and do the same thing. That leaves us about two hours before sunset to see where we deviated from a straight line to go around the Spire. Just like tracking animals, we don't look for the animal, they are too good at hiding, we follow their trail."
Echal felt all the wind go out of his sails for a moment, but only for a moment. This was how they were going to get in! "You knew this all day and you let me worry about it?"
Pavel smirked under the great busy beard, "It was good exercise for you."
Savon and Jayen both broke into gales of laughter, and Echal knew he wouldn't be living this one down anytime soon. He ruefully shook his head and then followed his brother's lead and settled in for a nap. Catrin figured might as well join him, standards of privacy on this trip didn't allow for much quality time alone together but a nice cuddle in the afternoon wasn't to be missed if the opportunity presented itself.
Discovery
Sure enough, the sun had just barely begun to go down, and the pattern was striking. No one could see the spire, but a blind man could see the massive hole in the pattern where it sat. Even so, it was two hours of diligent searching before the gate was found and they made their way across the grand bridge into the main entryway. The ropes that held
the great portcullis in place had all rotted away with time, and it took Echal an extra hour to rig up something that a team of horses could raise it with. Still once on the other side, closing it in an emergency would be easy. They would sleep well secured tonight, even giants wouldn't be lifting that quick enough to matter.
Savon spoke up, "Do we rest here? Attempt the Spire proper in the morning? Or press on into the unknown, without any good sleep?"
Pavel shrugged, and Sha just smiled. Echal rubbed his face, "It would be the smart thing to do, but do you really think any of us will be sleeping until we've seen what is beyond those doors?" He asked honestly, pointing at their goal less than a tourney field's distance.
Jayen grinned. "Ah, the impatience of youth." Jan nudged him. "Oh all right, I want to see it too. What say we, make it past those doors and explore just enough to be certain we're secure and we rest whether we can sleep or not. If we don't sleep some tonight, we'll really pay for it as the time wears on." Nods around the group were all it took before Savon took point heading to the great gates of the Red Spire.
Heir's Legacy Page 10