by Tom Liberman
Dol turned to her with a sharp look and his blackened hand went to the hammer at his side before his face relaxed into a smile, “Oh, it’s you, Milli. Have you met the girls?”
“No,” said Milli. “Dol. Don’t you want to get on with the quest. The Five Sisters. You know who?”
Dol shrugged his thick shoulders and grinned at the girls, “I don’t know that one more night will hurt. It’s just a couple of weeks travel anyway.”
“Yeah,” said the girls in tandem. “We like Dol.”
“You shut up,” said Milli and put her hands to her hips and flipped her long blonde hair. “Dol, I’m leaving right now and you can come with me or not.”
Dol looked at her for a moment and laughed aloud throwing back his head, “You, by yourself against Gazadum. Without the Hammer of Fire. What can you do?”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Milli. “Maybe I’ll go back to Craggen Steep,” and then she put her hand over her mouth.
“It doesn’t matter,” said Dol loudly. “Everyone will know my name soon enough. Dol Delius of Craggen Steep who slew Gazadum with the Hammer of Fire.”
Just outside the tavern Cleathelm, who happened to be walking past at that very moment, stopped dead in his tracks and turned his head. Halfway down the block, from where he was following the dwarf, Uldex saw Cleathelm walk over to the tavern and peer in the doors. A moment later he dashed down the street, a look of excitement on his face. After Uldex made sure Cleathelm was far enough away he too went to the tavern door and looked inside. “Milli,” he said in a soft whisper and then stood there for a long moment just looking into to the building. Then, with a quick motion, he turned and walked back out into the street, taking up position by a horse tied up across the way. He motioned with his hand to beckon his companion up from down the block and then made sure the axe at his side was sharp and slid easily out of his belt loop.
Chapter 23
Half an hour later Milli stood with her equipment in hand on the street outside the tavern tapping her foot impatiently on the dirt road. Not ten minutes before she sent some boys off to get their horses while Brogus and Petra had promised to gather their gear and meet her outside. Dol remained obstinate but she was sure he would come out and join them as soon as they made it clear their threat to leave was serious.
“Hello, Milli,” said Uldex standing at the corner of the building with his hand at the axe on his side, his leather jerkin pulled straight and tight, and his hair perfectly brushed.
Milli turned and her mouth opened wide as she stared at him, “Uldex?”
He bowed.
“What … how … did you?”
“I’m here for the Hammer of Fire,” he said in a quiet voice. “Cleathelm is here too and he’s got a thug with him. They just spotted you a little while ago. I imagine he’ll be along shortly to try and take the hammer himself.”
“But … how …,” said Milli looking up and down the street and waving her hands in aimless little circles. “I don’t understand?”
“We followed you to Das’von and then paid the mages to use the portals the same way you did.”
Milli looked at him with narrow eyes, “How did you survive the desert then?”
Uldex tilted his head to one side and closed one eye while he continued to look at her, “What desert?”
“Where we got teleported,” said Milli.
“We didn’t go to a desert. We came here right off,” said Uldex. “I mean not right here but maybe ten or fifteen miles outside town.”
“But why would they teleport us into that awful desert and you directly here?” said Milli, and her little hands went to her hips and her face reddened.
“You’re beautiful when you’re angry,” said Uldex and smiled.
“Yes, she is,” said Brogus stepping outside the door of the tavern with his axe already in hand.
“Brogus,” said Uldex his voice flat and toneless.
“Brogus!” said Milli.
“I know my name,” said Brogus and took several steps towards Uldex who pulled his own axe from his side and raised it.
A number of passersby in the street immediately stopped their own conversations and gawked at the two dwarves who stared at one another not more than ten feet apart. Just up the across the street Carus pulled out a little throwing axe and measured the distance to Brogus with his eyes.
“Move along,” said Brogus. “You’re not wanted here.”
“Brogus!” said Milli. “Uldex says Cleathelm is here too. They’ve come for Dol’s hammer.”
“It’s not Dol’s hammer,” said Uldex keeping his eye on Brogus. “It belongs to Craggen Steep.”
“It is my hammer,” said Dol, stepping out of the door, the apples in his hair fiery red and a sneer on his face. “Anyone who tries to take it from me dies.”
At this the growing crowd moved back a couple of steps although no one left the area. In fact, word of the incident seemed to be spreading like gas from a volcanic eruption and within seconds the crowd size doubled.
“You’ve grown boastful since we last met,” said Uldex with a glance at Dol. “The influence of the hammer no doubt?”
“Come and find out,” said Dol and brought the hammer up into a fighting position.
Uldex narrowed his eyes and moved to his left in an attempt to position the morning sun at his back, “It doesn’t have to come down to this Dol. The hammer has to go back to Craggen Steep, you know that. I’m authorized to let you use it against Gazadum if we can agree to certain conditions.”
“Authorized by who?” said Milli with a sharp look at Uldex. “The Council of Elders?”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Uldex. “What has to happen is the hammer must return to Craggen Steep. Come with me, Dol. We’ll take it back together. My uncle will honor you and when we take over rule of the realm you will be given great power. The new regime doesn’t care about your blood taint, we just want good men to fight with us!”
“I already have great power,” said Dol with a smile and spun the great hammer over his head. Its massive steel head glinted in the morning sun and Uldex caught a glimpse of the dwarf’s blackened hand and upper arm, and the head of the hammer seemed to suddenly blaze to life.
“The hammer is corrupting you, Dol,” said Uldex. “Come back to Craggen Steep. Cleathhelm is here and he wants it for the Firefists. We Blackirons ….”
“Are traitors to the homeland,” said the voice of Cleathelm as strode down the street with Blaggard in tow. “Uldex the traitor. My father was right. Hand over the hammer, Dol. All will be forgiven and the Firefists will reward you greatly. Perhaps you might even be First Edos?”
“Come and take it, Cleathelm,” said Dol with a smile and the crowd grew ever bigger.
“This is crazy, Dol, Uldex,” said Milli trying to position herself between the two antagonists. “Just go back home, Uldex. Leave us be. Dol will never give up the hammer. You don’t want to do this!”
Uldex shrugged his shoulders, “What I want is not important. The hammer has to come back to Craggen Steep.”
“It’ll take years to walk all the way back up there,” said Milli as she ran over to Uldex and put her hands on his chest. “Can’t we just wait a week? We’ll take it south, kill Gazadum and then back to Craggen Steep. What’s the hurry?”
Uldex looked into her yellow eyes and his expression softened, “I’m not opposed to that, as I said earlier,” he said and lowered his axe. “Dol, after you slay the beast promise me you’ll return to Craggen Steep and I’ll molest you no further.”
“Don’t listen to him, Dol,” interjected Cleathelm taking a step forward and pulling out his own axe. “He’s a lying Blackiron. Only the Firefists can save you now.”
Dol shook his head, “The only promise I make is that whoever tries to take the hammer from me will die.”
“My wrists are bound,” said Uldex looking down into Milli’s plaintive eyes. “There is only one course of action.”
“No,” said
Milli, but Uldex brushed her aside with a sweeping blow of his left arm and she stumbled and fell onto the street with a little gasp, “No!”
“Milli,” said Brogus and rushed over to her.
“Help Dol,” said Milli and pointed to Dol now being approached on two sides with Uldex coming one way and Blaggard and Cleathelm on the other.
Brogus stood and walked over next to his friend, “I’m here with you, Dol. They’ll never get the hammer.”
“I can take care of this,” said Dol and with a quick motion shoved Brogus’s shoulder.
“Now,” said Cleathelm and Blaggard hurled a dagger at the duo but it went well wide of the target and embedded into a watering trough near Milli. The girl immediately pulled it out and turned back to the fight.
Cleathelm charged forward with his axe raised high and took a swipe at Dol who moved to the side with a swift motion and let the burly dwarf rush past. Brogus, slightly off balance from the shove, attempted to chop the head of the Firefist but his axe only succeeded in nicking the heavy plate shoulder armor. “Damn,” said Brogus, just as another dagger from Blaggard sailed past Dol’s head and embedded in the horse post behind him.
“Help them,” shouted Milli to Uldex but the scarred dwarf was already circling behind Dol and Brogus to the opposite side of Blaggard and not far from where Cleathelm stopped his rush. The powerful dwarf turned to Uldex and gave him a quick grin, “Help me now and I can help you later.”
“Go burn yourself,” said Uldex. “I’ll kill you after I finish with Delius.”
“Uldex!” shrieked Milli and held up the dagger.
Cleathelm spun around and took two purposeful strides back towards Dol and swung his axe in a short arc in front of his short-haired foe while Blaggard threatened to throw more daggers and kept Brogus occupied. Dol casually flicked his hammer but Cleathelm pulled back with a quick motion and then launched an attack towards Dol’s left side. This time the axe came down towards Dol’s head. Instead of backing away from the blow, Dol moved forward and the axe handle came down on his shoulder. With no room to swing the huge hammer properly he simply shoved it into Cleathelm’s face and the burly dwarf screamed as the sound of burning meat crackled in the air followed by the terrible smell of burnt flesh.
Cleathhelm dropped his axe and fell to his knees clutching his face as Uldex used the moment to make a quick step forward and aim his axe at Dol’s exposed back. Brogus leapt between the two and tried to block the blow but overextended his arm, and Uldex’s axe bit deeply into the bone.
“Ahh,” screamed Brogus, but then an axe thrown by Carus plunged directly into the back of his head and silenced him forever.
“Damn,” said Uldex and tried to pull his axe from Brogus’s arm as the dwarf fell but he wasn’t fast enough as Dol bolted over with a single stride, raised the hammer high, and brought it down towards the scarred dwarf’s head. Uldex let go of his axe and tried to roll away but the hammer hit him with a solid blow behind the right shoulder and he spun into the ground with a loud thump.
Dol turned to Blaggard who was already on his knees cutting Cleathelm’s throat and taking his heavy purse of gold. The little goblin immediately dropped his dagger. “I only worked for Cleathelm. I have no feud with you, Delius. I threw my daggers wide on purpose. Take the hammer. Kill them all, I don’t care. Let me have Cleathelm’s purse and you’ll never see me again.”
Dol nodded his head, “I’ll kill you if I ever see you again,” and then turned to the writhing Uldex. Now this is finished.”
Across the street Carus moved back into the shadows and disappeared around the side of a building.
“No, Dol,” said Milli running forward and grabbing the fiery dwarf by the arm. “He’s hurt, he’s not a threat to you anymore.”
“Brogus is dead,” said Dol with a look at his friend on the ground, “and someone will pay.”
“It was the dwarf who did it,” said Milli pointing to where Carus stood a moment ago, but the creature was gone like a puff of wind on a hot summer day. “It wasn’t Uldex anyway.”
Dol threw off her arm and rolled Uldex onto his back but the crafty warrior slashed out with a dagger in his left hand and cut Dol across the shoulder. Dol winced, punched him hard in the face, and brought the hammer down on his opponent’s hand with a quick blow that was accompanied by the sizzling sound of burning flesh and the terrible smell that went with it.
Uldex grimaced and gritted his teeth but did not cry out. Dol raised the hammer again.
“No, Dol, don’t do it!” shouted Milli.
Down came the hammer on Uldex’s face.
Chapter 24
The seven members of the High Council sat in their thick, high-backed seats in the magnificent chamber looking down upon the petitioner, the First Edos, who looked small and out of place on the floor of the chamber rather than in his traditional seat on the right side of the chamber. At the center seat a heavily bearded dwarf banged his golden gavel down onto the stone podium. “The petition is denied, for the last time.”
“This is a violation of our laws,” said First Edos Fierfelm and stomped his foot against the stone floor. “According to our ancient laws it is perfectly acceptable for the First Edos to make a request of this nature.”
“The law to which you refer is nearly three thousand years old and hasn’t been invoked in over a thousand years,” said the High Councilor and raised his gavel again.
Borrombus chimed in from his seat at the left edge of the podium, “This violation of our laws sets an unseemly precedent, High Councilor. If we can simply choose to ignore whichever law doesn’t suit our tastes then what is the point of having laws at all?”
“When revolutionaries sit in the dungeons and councilors are nigh on accused of treason, then the laws must be adjusted,” said the High Councilor. “The Council has spoken about this, Councilor Five. More than once. If you continue to push this matter then arrests will be made at the highest levels of government!” With this he banged his golden gavel down again. “At … the … highest … levels,” he said glaring directly at Borrombus.
“The arrest of a Council Member requires the unanimous consent …,” started Borrombus but again the High Councilor banged his gavel.
“Do not dare to quote rules to me,” he said and glared again.
“Can we not be civil in our discourse,” said the First Edos from the floor. “Has it come down to threats of imprisonment?”
“Treason!” shouted another of the councilors from his seat. “We’ve already uncovered a plot to allow invaders into Craggen Steep. Corancil has assembled a massive army not more than a month’s march from our citadel. Hundreds of young dwarves are sympathetic to his cause, particularly among the lower classes who do not have the advantage of a proper education. Those of the lesser families have always been jealous of our power, but they do not understand that we provide their security and their wealth.”
“How is it treason to simply invite a man to visit Craggen Steep?” said the First Edos wringing his hands together. “This has happened many times in the history of Craggen Steep.”
“The council has spoken,” said the High Councilor and again banged his gavel on the stone counter. “One more word and I’ll arrest not only Councilor Five, but you as well First Edos. Do I make myself clear?”
“You have already sent the arrest orders,” said one of the pikemen with golden armor at the side of the great table.
“What is this!?” shrieked the High Councilor. “Treason among the pikemen? How deeply does this disease run? To the roots of the mountain? Into the Darkling land? Arrest that man!” he shouted and pointed to the pikeman.
Two of his fellows immediately pointed their weapons at him but another quickly jumped to his defense, and Borrombus stood up and pulled out a long knife, “When the council abandons the laws of Craggen Steep we must strike for the freedom of all!”
An absolute cacophony of sound erupted as two councilors kicked back from the table and attacked Borro
mbus, but the first went down in a spray of blood as the dagger went into his throat.
“Stop this violence,” shouted First Edos Fierfelm from the floor, but he was quickly overwhelmed in the general shouting and screaming. “This is madness! Madness!”
Golden-armed pikemen intermingled with one another and a door burst open to reveal a mass of seething dwarves who ran into the room tripping and trampling one another as they came. “Freedom! Freedom!”
From another corner came a group of well-armed dwarf soldiers and while they did not shout for freedom, they moved with precision and their shields came up as a group. A shouted order and they pulled short axes out and marched into the melee in single-step unison.
Chapter 25
Petra sat at a small round table with her arm over the shoulder of Milli who was sobbing into her own hands. “It’s a hard world, Milli. That’s the truth of it. I’m not going to tell you everything is going to be all right.”
“When I left Craggen Steep I left a prison behind,” said Milli raising her tear-stained face up towards Petra. “But it was a safe prison.”
“That’s true. A lot of people live in prisons their entire lives. They live in fear of the world and what can happen to those who go out into it.”
Milli sniffled, “It’s a real fear though, isn’t it? People get killed. Your friends die, people change, and you get hurt.”
“That’s all true,” said Petra again, gently patting Milli on the hand. “All very true.”
“Brogus is dead,” said Milli and sniffled again and blew into a rag with a heavy snort. “He’s not coming back and neither is Dol.”
Petra continued to pat the girl on the hand and rub her back gently, “Maybe it’s better that Dol went off on his own. He’s on a suicide mission.”
Milli looked up at Petra and frowned, “He needs me and I’ve abandoned him,” she said with her mouth turned down in a frown and she sniffled again. “If he just waited a day while we buried Brogus and Uldex then I would have gone with him.”
“You can still catch him if you want,” said Petra. “Your horse is in the stables and he only has a day head start on you.”