Warrior

by Jana LaPelle

  The day has quickly fled, leaving darkness in its wake. This far north the days are much shorter, and the nights are longer. I’m weary of what is to come. I worry for the state of Cú Chulainn’s mind and what lengths he will go to in order to do his mistress’s bidding. I have no illusions as to what Lainn will do just to honor Morríganna’s will. I know that her sisters are not her equal, but only part of her plan. Sighing, I look about to see that Lugh and Dagda took care of tracing our mounts back to the Keep and are back within a matter of moments. All that is left for us to do now is enter dwarf territory. Jandar informed us that once we enter here, the dwarf’s wards will effectively keep us from tracing, so if any are having second thoughts on entering their domain this evening, then now is the time to make other plans, but Ashlinn is ready and so am I. The need to confront Cú Chulainn has intensified with every step we take toward this place. We are both in agreement, we must move forward.

  Taking Ashlinn’s hand in my own, I turn to our friends and speak to everyone as the howling wintery wind whips around us, “If there are any here who are having second thoughts about coming on this mission, now is the time to voice them. Once we enter here, there is no going back.” The snow continues to fall and has begun to beat mercilessly against us. Ashlinn’s dark green cloak is whipping around her as the light of day has been officially snuffed out. The snow fall has morphed into blizzardlike conditions.

  Tolin steps forward, head bent under the brute force of the wind and icy precipitation, before looking me directly in the eye, he shouts into the wind, “A, I think I speak for us all when I say that we are all in. So, stop stalling, and let’s get on with it before Little Bit and Jaz here turn into popsicles.”

  Chuckling, I agree, “Alright then, let’s do this.” That’s all the encouragement I needed to get a move on.

  Turning back to the rocky out cropping, I pull Ashlinn along behind me, her hand still firmly nestled within my own. We make our way behind the jagged rocks to enter a slender fissure in the face of the mountain side. The fissure is so cleverly hidden that no one would ever know that the opening to a cave was here. Ashlinn calls the fire element to her and directs a fiery glowing orb to hover above us, leading the way. She directs several more orbs of light behind her so that the others can see. We follow a narrow rocky passage into the mountain and soon we have left all matter of the snowy night behind us as we continue to move further into the tunnel like entrance to the cave. Ashlinn’s hand is clutching my own tightly as we navigate the tunnel which has begun to slope downward. The further we walk into the mountain, the more open the passageway becomes until we find ourselves in an expansive open stone room and are greeted by a sealed door that has no doorknob or handle of any kind. Torches have been lit on either side of the door spotlighting the large carved figures that appear to be stone sentries to dwarf territory. The figures have been carefully hewn from the granite appearing rock and stand at least ten feet tall on either side of the imposing metal door. The dwarf guardians are impressive in their stature and are equipped with battle gear ranging from helmets to swords and battle axes. I’m reminded of the tales of old that speak of the dwarfs as a fierce race.

  Behind me Jasmine quips, “Would you look at that… giant dwarfs.” She giggles, muffling her laughter behind her delicate hand.

  Camoryn snorts, “Don’t insult the dwarfs.” He laughs before leaning down to kiss his mate softly on the lips and mutters, “Jaz, you are hopeless. Ya see the humor in just about anything.”

  “And that’s why we love her so much.” Ash extinguishes her fiery orbs and the light of the torches cast long shadows on the rock walls behind us.

  Not sure how to proceed, I turn back to see that everyone is looking to Ash and me on what our next steps are going to be. Thank the gods that we are no longer in the driving snow because we could be here all night.

  Ashlinn looks up at me and shrugs, before saying, “I guess we knock? The brothers said that a dwarf would be waiting for us.”

  From behind us I hear, “Allow me.” Dagda’s voice bellows within the stone chamber as he muscles his way toward the front of our group. My uncle’s form is large and imposing and everyone steps aside making way for him. He approaches the large metal door and lifts his fist to knock. As his knuckles land upon the door it creates a loud booming sound that could, for all intent and purposes, wake the dead. He draws back again and is about to knock once more when the lock on the other side of the door begins to disengage. We hear a series of clunks and whirls as the mechanism continues to click and chick-a-chick-a, chick-a-chick-a, click, as it runs through its cycle before the heavy door swings open. I had no idea that the dwarfs were skilled in the way of such complex locking mechanisms. They really take keeping outsiders out of their territory seriously.

  A red headed dwarf steps between the crack of the door to assess us all, he looks to be all whiskers and beard, which is nearly as long as he is tall. Blue calculating eyes can be made out under the bushiest, flyaway eyebrows I have ever seen. He can’t be more than four feet tall. His head comes to just about Ashlinn’s shoulder and he has a curved pipe hanging from the corner of his mouth, puffing smoke in plumes about his head, polluting the air in the small chamber that we occupy. He peers up at Dagda, craning his head back and says in a gruff voice, “Took the lot of ye long enough. What are ye waitin’ for? Well? Come along now! The demigod ye seek to thwart entered our domain not long ago. Ye be wastin’ time just standing around with yer mouths agape. What? Ye never seen a dwarf before? Hurry along now.”

  “What is your name, dwarf?” Dagda asks, his tone assertive.

  “Me name be Thendar, and we be wastin’ time, me Lord,” the dwarf’s surly voice announces.

  Ashlinn and Jasmine step forward to flank the little male and both exclaim, “Isn’t he the cutest thing you have ever seen?”

  Uh…

  No.

  I have no idea as to their state of mind as they gush over the dwarf before us. I look at Ash in wonder as Thendar practically melts into a puddle of goo right before my eyes. Thendar plucks the crooked leather hat right off the top of his head, his sprig-like hair juts out in all directions before he takes a deep plunging bow, nearly scraping his large bulbus nose on the stone floor in the process. Taking his pipe and tucking it away, he says with a flourish, “Me ladies, forgive me gruff tone. Thendar be at your service.” He smiles a timid smile back at the two females, a rosy blush on his ruddy cheeks as he ducks his head and smiles up at the two.

  Ashlinn gushes, “Thendar, I have never seen anyone like you before. You are so utterly adorable. Are you to be our guide?”

  Before Thendar can utter a word, another dwarf steps forward from the darken opening of the door and bows deeply, “Me ladies, Thendar and I will be yer guides. Me name be Gibbon, and I be at yer service as well.” He winks with a cheeky smile directed at my kindred and Jasmine.

  Gibbon is actually a very handsome young male dwarf. His dark hair is long and straight with several intricate braids keeping his hair out of his face. For the most part he is clean shaven with a bit of a five o’clock shadow. He’s young, possibly my age, and pouring on the charm. Camoryn and I both step forward to intervene when Ashlinn says, “Gibbon, Thendar, I’m so pleased to make your acquaintance. Please, we need to know… Thendar announced that the demigod Cú Chulainn has entered dwarf territory. What is the fastest way to Gorias?”

  Gibbon frowns and reaches up to stroke his whisker covered chin in contemplation before answering, “Well, me ladies, most have to traverse the maze, but I know of a secret passage to Gorias. Only us dwarfs know of this passage. It will be much faster than the maze.”

  Thendar intervenes, “Gibbon! Those passages be hidden for a reason. To traverse those passages with outsiders is forbidden. Ye seek to break the dwarven code!”

  I watch in trepidation as the two begin their debate.

  “Thendar, the goddess before ye seeks safe passage to Gorias for her and her companions. Surely, t
he dwarven code can overlook this one minor transgression. She seeks to protect us all from The Morrígan. Ye were there. Ye saw what she be about. She may be a goddess, but she be a deranged goddess, one that cares not for the likes of any of us. She may have paid our clan well for the commissioning of her castle, but she be not right in da head. Ye know it, as do I. This is why ye be here. She be building an army. Drendenyarl is only trying to protect us by cooperating with the likes of her, but that will only go so far. Drendenyarl, he… he be a wise and good king to our clan, Thendar, but this war… it be bigger than us all. This,” he gestures to us, “this be how we help our clan. This be how we gain the proper allies. What do ye say, brother?”

  Thendar grunts, “I be no brother of yers, Gibbon, more like yer uncle… a half a dozen times removed.” His voice is gruff and surly, and then he sighs, before scrubbing his whisker covered face. Looking back up at the slightly taller and younger dwarf he says, “Gibbon, what we be about to do be treasonous, so don’t be surprised if ye and I both be ousted from our mountain home. Come on now, the lot of ye. We be wastin’ time.” He turns to eyeball us all critically. His eyes narrow to mere slits before pulling the curved pipe from the corner of his mouth and pointing through the half open door, “Go on now. I need to be locking up. Gibbon take the lead. Don’t make me regret me decision.” He says with a heavy sigh motioning for us to enter dwarven territory.

  “Thendar, thank you, you will always have an ally in those of us here. We are indebted to you.” I say, before passing through the door with Ashlinn tucked closely to my side. I turn back to the surly dwarf, “Just call on either Ashlinn or myself and we will hear you and come to your aide.”

  Thendar bows deeply and says, “Thank ye both.”

  Gibbon takes the lead as our rag tag group continues further into the depths of the mountain, and we follow him down a darkened passageway. He stops to wait for Thendar to lock the door behind us. He closes the massive door with a loud echoing boom and engages a complicated locking system that explains all the sounds we heard as the lock was disengaging. On this side, we are able to witness the clock-like mechanism as the lock reengages. I’m astounded by how utterly complex the mechanism is as the final piece locks into place with a resounding thunk, that echoes down the passageway. Thendar quickly ambles toward the front of our group pushing anyone in his way aside by his girth alone. Honestly, he is about as round as he is tall, and we watch him amble down the passageway before us.

  Ashlinn is quick to get down to business as she acknowledges Thendar’s grudging acquiescence. She smiles down at the grumpy old dwarf and says, “Thank you Thendar. You have my utmost gratitude. You will always be welcome in our home. Always. Now…” turning to Gibbon she asks, “Gibbon, do you know if Cú Chulainn has been ushered into these same secret passages? Or do you think that he was ushered into the maze?” Ashlinn inquires.

  “More than likely he will be taken to the passages, me Lady. Ye see, as we have already discussed, we be a divided lot. There be some of us that side with The Morrígan and others like ourselves that side with ye and the rest of the light fae. It’s… complicated and political at best, but the deranged goddess has made threats as well as promises to our king. He… well, he be a good leader. Strong. Courageous. We are but a simple clan and we be at the mercy of the gods and goddesses of the realm. The Morrígan, she uses and twists circumstances for those in Faerie that are weak in numbers to bend them to her will. Those that be unsure of where to cast their allegiance. She be wicked foul, and I see right through her beautiful façade.” He continues as we traverse the darken tunnels. “This way everyone,” Gibbon directs us down a tunnel that I would not have seen if not for him. Looking back, I can see the confusion on everyone’s faces. I can only assume that we have entered the secret tunnels and traveled through a glamour at the entrance.

  “Gibbon, thank you for providing us safe passage.”

  “Ye be welcome, me lady. Now, everyone, hurry. We need to get to Gorias before mornin’ light. Or else we all be doomed.”

  With that, he races away down a dark passage and we are quick to follow. Our crew doesn’t complain as the hours tick by. We are all tired and refuse to allow exhaustion to kick in. We follow the dwarfs down one passage after another. All the darkened carved passages look the same and I have no idea as to what time it is or when we will stumble upon the ruins. The passages are mostly quiet but every so often we hear clanking sounds that seem to echo through the interior of the mountain. There are times where we are led down open and winding staircases. Across stone bridges in the darken tunnels that cross underground rushing rivers and back up staircases again. If this isn’t the maze, I would hate to see what their maze really looks like. Our group is quiet as we continue to follow our guides, the lot of us hopelessly lost in the innards of the Oighreata Mountains.

  Ashlinn has been working through a perplexing issue and I smile at her curiosity when she finally decides to speak up, “Thendar… Gibbon? What do you do here within this mountain? I mean? What is the draw for you? Why live here when you can live above ground?”

  Thendar stops and looks at Ash incredulously before saying, “Why, me Lady, it’s the ore we are drawn to. The gemstones that we uncover, it’s all very intoxicating. Quite like an addiction. We can’t help ourselves.” He pauses, his bushy eyebrows draw together before continuing, “We were in awe of what The Morrígan commissioned us to do. It gave us access to a very rare obsidian rock that we mined while carving out her fortress, but in the end the gain did not outweigh the sacrifice that we made for that commissioned work. Now she holds us all hostage to bend us to her will. Gibbon is right. She be wicked, and she must be stopped. We must sway our king to the right side of things. Drendenyarl must stand with ye, he must be made to understand that even the great and mighty Dagda aligns with ye, as well as Lugh.” The dwarf swallows thickly before continuing, “She must be stopped at all cost.” He nods in grim determination before turning back to the task at hand.

  Holding Ashlinn’s hand in my own we continue to follow our dwarven guides, our hands swing as she ponders what Thendar has imparted before asking, “Thendar, we welcome any and all that choose to stand with us, you know that, but back to the ore, just what do you do with the ore that you mine down here in the bowels of the earth?”

  The spry little dwarf puffs out his chest and announces, “We are master craftsmen and craftswomen… But mostly men. We fashion swords, blades of any kind, shields, chainmail and the like,” he then grins back up at Ash, his eyes twinkling, before imparting, “with majic…” He grins broadly at her, waiting for her reaction.

  Ashlinn doesn’t disappoint, her face fills with wonder as her eyes grow wide. I have to stifle my grin at her utterly adorable reaction. She leans down and asks in a hushed tone, “What kind of majic? Is it protective majic? Elemental majic? Are the dwarf’s blades and what not highly sought after?”

  Thendar grins back at Ash and Gibbon just rolls his eyes as the two continue. Thendar’s reply is simple, “But of course, me Lady. It would be me greatest honor to have me brethren outfit ye and yer kindred with battle gear, but me thinks that we may be too late in that endeavor.” He frowns as we follow Gibbon down a passage that continues to expand in size.

  Gibbon stops as we step out into a mountainous cavern and gestures to the ancient ruins in front of us, “Me Lady and Lord, here be what ye be lookin’ for. Me think it best if ye continue on without us.”

  “Wait! How will we get out of here?” Ashlinn asks in alarm.

  “If either party be successful in obtaining the Spear of Lugh from Cailleach’s grasp, legend has it that Gorias will be bathed in the light of the sun once more. You will be able to trace out of here if that happens. The wards above will no longer be effective.” Thendar announces, then turns to leave with Gibbon.

  Reaching out, I clamp my hand down on Thendar’s shoulder to keep him from leaving us here. He glares up at me and I pull my hand back and say, “Please forgive me, Th
endar. I mean no disrespect. We are grateful for your safe passage to this sacred place. Would you and Gibbon consider waiting for us here? We shouldn’t be long. Just in case the legend does not ring true. If what you said comes to pass, please be on your way, but if it does not, we will be needing a way out of this mountain. We are hopelessly lost and completely turned around. We’re tired, we’ve been walking all night. Please consider, if not for me then for our females.”

  Thendar looks to Ashlinn and Jasmine, who has released her wings, and he bows deeply, looking a bit chagrined, “Me apologies, me ladies. We would never…” He trails off, looking about the mountainous cavern that houses the ruins of Gorias, before continuing, “Gibbon, we be accompanying the wee lasses, to see to their safety. Evidently, their male companions have need of dwarven warriors at their sides.” He puffs out his chest and ambles forward with purpose.

  Gibbon just looks at me and rolls his eyes, “Now, ye’ve done it me friend. Ye’ve put notions of grandeur in his wee little noggin. I’ll not be responsible for his actions now.” He moves forward to follow Thendar, and Ashlinn and Jasmine just smirk.

  “What’s with the smirk?”

  “They are utterly adorable, don’t you think?” Ashlinn asks.

  “Uh, no.” I can’t help but laugh, before continuing, “Come on everyone, let’s keep up. They may be short, but their fast.” I pull Ash to me and deliver a quick kiss and whisper, “They are not adorable, they are dwarfs.”

  “Jealous?” She asks incredulously, before laughing a deep throated laugh, “You, my handsome Elf-Man, are my forever, and don’t you forget it. They are seriously cute though.”