War in Colgilor

by Colin Gibbons

  They flew along the side of the cliff towards the golden palace, and the noise slowly subsided as the flow of the falling water decreased, continuing on down to feed the sparkling streams which meandered through the hills and painted cottages. Before seeking a cave for the night, Shaun thought it best to have a quick look over the top of the cliff to check that it was in fact the border to the dwarfs’ area. The Dragon soared up to the summit and hovered for a few moments while Shaun scanned the other side; he couldn’t see a great deal in the darkness but could be sure that it was indeed the fourth and last area. They turned and flew back over to the mountainside and found a cave overlooking the palace, as Shaun was sure that would be the main area of activity.

  Fatigue was beginning to creep in and Shaun didn’t wake until late morning. The Dragon hadn’t disturbed him: he could see he needed the rest and besides, there was no activity below; no sign of the guards. He glanced over to the cave entrance to see sunlight filtering through. His eyes snapped wide open, and jumping to his feet he stormed over to the Dragon. ‘Why didn’t you wake me?’ he snapped, his voice sharp and brittle as he peered down towards the palace.

  ‘You were in a deep sleep, and as there was no sign of life down there I thought you might as well remain there. I would have woken you as soon as I saw any movement.’

  ‘Yes, but we have so much to do. I just hope I have enough time to investigate both sides of the area before dark.’ He must have been concerned as he didn’t even open his rucksack, let alone grab a meal, before he slipped inside the shroud and disappeared.

  He floated down to the palace and hovered in front of the beautiful, ornate entrance with its marble pillars either side of the golden, elaborate doors and leading up to them several marble steps with decorative, panelled balustrades on each side. As he floated through the doors his breath was taken away by the splendour of the huge, highly decorated hallway and the majestic, sweeping staircase leading to the floor above. He was somewhat puzzled at the thought of the Great Wizard’s basic living accommodation when he had created this for his warriors. How strange, but it showed that the Great Wizard had indeed found inner peace and satisfaction, a rare but wonderful thing and something that few, if any, achieve.

  Time was pressing so he flew up to the first floor to find several bedrooms along two corridors; each one had its own bathing area. Only two of the rooms were being used. One he could see was the guards’ with their uniforms and weapons beside their beds; the other had four beds with female elven clothes piled neatly on each. Back down the stairs as he floated along the hallway he could hear voices and found himself inside a large dining room with four guards sitting at a beautiful, round, golden table enjoying a meal, and waiting on them were two young female Elves. He could see there was a hatch at the far end of the room which looked through to a kitchen area, and there were two more Elves preparing food.

  Shaun entered the kitchen. He pondered a moment or two, deciding what to do, and if he approached them, what to say to make sure they did not alert the guards. He glanced back through the hatch, making sure the guards were still at the table before moving up beside the Elves. ‘Please just carry on working. Princess Evena has sent me to speak with you,’ he whispered in a soft, gentle voice. ‘I’m going to appear now, so stay calm.’ He moved to the back wall out of sight of the guards.

  The two Elves froze as he stepped out of the shroud. ‘Please just carry on while I explain. The Great Wizard has sent me to free all the warriors and their families. I have spoken with your Princess who is being held in the Fairies’ Castle along with the Fairy Princess Falu. Can you tell me where your warriors and families are being held? I need to speak with them so they are prepared when I return to free you all.’

  The two Elves looked at each other, unsure whether they could trust this stranger, but something about him made them feel at ease; after all, he was risking his life. Why would he lie? And of course their princess must have believed him. One of them crept over to the hatch, turned and nodded to her friend. ‘Very well, we will put our trust and our lives in your hands because we will be killed if the guards find out we have spoken to you.’

  ‘Yes, I know but rest assured they will not. Once I have visited the Dwarfs and organised them I will return to free you all.’

  ‘Our families are being held in one of the caves in the mountainside. We, like our princess, are being held as hostages, so if the warriors disobey we will be punished or killed. The warriors are being held at the other side of our area, but I am afraid I can’t tell you exactly where.’

  ‘That will do. It’s very similar to the other areas. The families are separated so they only need a few guards to watch over you, but that makes it a lot easier for me. I must leave now. It will take another day or two to speak with the Dwarfs and then I will return. Try and act normal around the guards so as not to give them any reason to be suspicious.’ He gave them a warm smile as he stepped into his shroud and disappeared.

  The guards were still seated at the table as Shaun floated past, and he made his way out of the palace and over to the mountainside. He came to a halt. As he scanned the range he could see there were so many caves from one end to the other with four guards standing chatting outside the caves opposite the palace. As he drew closer he could see a dozen or so of the caves with the metal grills and gates across their entrances. He floated past the guards and through the first gate into a dimly lit cavern. He paused a moment until his eyes adjusted before moving forward. It was one large prison cell with dozens of female Elves and their young, some sitting, others lying down on rough straw beds, their heads bowed in sorrow, and even the young ones just sat there motionless and silent. Shaun shuddered at the pitiful sight: they didn’t even have work to do. A living hell, bored out of their minds.

  He turned and passed through the stone side wall into another cavern to find the same horrendous situation, and as he passed through to each of the others his heart was filled with sadness at the plight of these poor souls having to endure this unbearable existence in such a stinking, gloomy hell-hole. As he left the last one he paused a moment outside to gather his thoughts and try to wipe those dreadful images from his mind. What evil creatures this Wizard and his guards had become, monsters, and, although he knew the guards would have no say in what was going on, he wondered how they could live with themselves. His blood was boiling as he glanced down to see the guards laughing, seemingly unmoved by the agony inside the cells. But those thoughts made him realise how critical it was for him to free them, and he set off towards the other mountainside to look for the warriors and prepare them for release.

  The sun was high in the sky with only a few fluffy, white clouds sailing across and with a pleasant, light breeze. It was indeed a perfect day which helped lift his spirits. The landscape had looked startling under the stars the night before, but now the whole area looked majestic with the sun’s rays flooding the lush green meadows, highlighting the abundance of beautiful, vibrant flowers swaying and gleaming in the sunlight; and the wooded areas had come to life, their canopies glinting and their leaves fluttering in the breeze; but even more magical were the lakes, nestled in the hollows between the wooded areas, sparkling, dancing and shimmering as shafts of golden rays swept across their surface.

  As he approached the last of the wooded areas near to the mountainside he could hear the sound of voices and the clash of swordplay flying over the leafy canopy. On the other side a large area of lush meadow unfolded between the trees and the mountainside; he hovered a while to scan the area. It was similar to the others with four guards standing watch as the Elf warriors fought a mock battle, some with swords, others standing with their bows firing at targets of dummy warriors. They were under the direct, intense heat of the pulsating sun, the sweat dripping off them as the guards stood in the shade of the mountainside, laughing and chatting merrily away.

  Again he could see that several of the caves had metal grills and gates, so without further ado he floated over and
through one of the gates into a prison set up identical to the one on the other side holding their families. Searching through the caves one by one, they were empty with rows of straw beds in each, obviously used by the warriors. He was just about to turn back after emerging from the last of the locked caves when he heard a noise coming from a cave further along. He was shocked to find a guard seated on a large chair inside the entrance snoring loudly, and behind him a locked gate. He passed the guard who was heavily armed and through the gate into a much smaller cave with one crumpled body lying over in the far corner. As Shaun moved up close he could see the Elf was dressed in grand attire: long, velvet robe and cloak with a gold-studded belt and a regal gold emblem on the cloak. He was wearing high, leather boots, and although they were filthy, tattered and torn, you could see he was not one of the warriors.

  Glancing over his shoulder he could see the guard still slumped in his chair. He moved right up close to the Elf. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ Shaun whispered, ‘the guard is half-asleep over at the entrance. I need to talk to you, just stay still. The Great Wizard has sent me to free you all. Do you talk to your warriors? Are you able to?’ There was no response. The Elf slowly turned towards him. ‘Where are you? Who are you?’ His voice was faint, his face taut and his eyes dead.

  ‘My name is Shaun. I’m invisible. I’m inside a magic shroud given to me by the Grey Elf. I know it must be difficult to trust me, but why else would I be here? I need to prepare you and the warriors for when I return to free you all.’

  ‘The Grey Elf! That is a name I do trust, but I’m afraid I can’t pass on your message to the warriors. I am kept away from them as a hostage. If they do not obey the guards’ orders, I am punished. I am their Prince Edola and have been in here by myself for months slowly going out of my mind.’ There was a short pause as Shaun struggled to think of a plan. He couldn’t speak with the warriors out on the meadows. ‘This will be difficult. I have been able to organise the Centaurs and the Fairies. I’m sure I will be able to think of something. Don’t worry, I have it in my mind we can do this. Just be ready when I return. It may be a day or two. First I must visit the Dwarfs. Stay positive: it won’t be long before you are united with your families. Oh by the way, I have spoken with your Princess Evena. She is being imprisoned in the Fairy castle but she is safe and in good spirits.’

  ‘Evena!’ the Elf exclaimed as he struggled to raise himself up into a sitting position. ‘You have seen my Evena?’

  ‘Yes, I have spoken to her. At least she is with a friend, Princess Falu, the Fairy Princess. They are both waiting for me to free them when I return.’

  ‘May the Gods be with you. For the first time since the guards arrived I have hope and a belief that we could at last be free once more.’

  ‘I must leave now. Stay strong. Goodbye.’ He left the cave and headed back over to the other side and up to join the Dragon who was still sitting at the entrance keeping watch. After raiding his rucksack for a well-overdue meal, he told the Dragon what he had discovered on both sides of the area before lying down and resting as they waited for dusk.

  They waited until the soft, dim light of the setting sun had disappeared over the horizon before setting off towards the boundary. It was a relatively short journey. They flew over the top and landed on a protruding plateau part way down the rugged rock face. Looking down the steep, craggy incline, they could see several caves dotted along the base; the mountain range on both sides of the area continued up and around the top, creating a formidable enclosure. It was different from the other three areas; there was no distinct difference between its two sides. The whole area was mountainous countryside with trees, wild flowers and shrubs filling the air with a sweet aroma. Well-trodden dirt tracks snaked up and around the many smaller mountains, with lush ravines carrying the mountain streams sparkling under the stars on their journey meandering through. They flew down to a nearby cave overlooking both sides, a perfect viewing point, before settling down for the night, and as usual Shaun could not resist a hearty supper before bedding down.

  But he tossed and turned as he struggled to sleep. Everything that had gone before and what was to come was flooding his mind as he tried desperately to devise a plan that could bring it all together, overcoming the many obstacles in each area in one smooth operation. Just one slight miscalculation could result in carnage for one or more of the areas. He had no way of knowing whether the guards had some way of communication with each other: had the Dark Wizard made it possible? If one area was under attack they could warn the others. He had thought of starting the operation that day once he had organised the Dwarfs; once they had control he and the Dragon could continue down through each of the other areas. But after a few hours of racking his brains he decided it best that he sort out the Dwarfs and then start at first light the following day to implement his plan. His first priority was to find and destroy the Dark Wizard’s portal to prevent him or his army of guards flooding through. Yes, that was the way forward. This was the final area but the one with the biggest threat. He sighed out loud, content with his plan and rolled over, slipping into a deep sleep.

  The following morning Shaun stood beside the Dragon scanning both sides and waiting for the first signs of activity. He could see several guards on each side, but there was no mock battle or indeed any movement; the guards just seemed to be released and enjoying the warm morning sun. All of a sudden Shaun gasped in despair. ‘Of course there won’t be any signs of the Dwarfs: they never go out in the sunlight, but surely they are not locked up day and night. I need to go and investigate,’ he said as he opened his rucksack and took out the shroud. ‘The sooner I get started, the sooner we will have the answer to the final piece of our plan.’ He stepped into the shroud and was gone.

  He floated over to the nearby caves, passing the guards and through the locked gates into one gigantic cavern stretching virtually the full length of that part of the mountain range. The dividing walls of the individual caves had been removed. On further inspection he could see half the area was sleeping quarters with dozens and dozens of straw beds, and at the far end the remaining area was a training arena with racks and racks of weapons. There were no guards inside, but the Dwarfs were lazing about, some lying on their beds and the others standing or sitting in groups just idling away the hours. It was so sad to see such proud, fearsome warriors locked in each: a soul-destroying situation. As he passed through he could see the despair and frustration on their gaunt faces, their head and muscular bodies drooping. There was no movement or conversation: a pitiful sight.

  Finally, at the far end of the cavern he saw signs of life. Two Dwarfs walked over to the racks of weapons and each selected a sword before engaging in a duel. Shaun watched and waited till they had finished and were having a drink of water before moving right up close. ‘Don’t be alarmed: the Great Wizard has sent me to free you and your families.’ The two Dwarfs raised their swords, glancing all around. ‘Who are you? Show yourself: is this some sort of trick? Are you the Dark Wizard trying to test us? If not, show yourself.’ Shaun stepped out of the shroud and the Dwarfs didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ‘What? You, a young boy, are going to free us. It’s no trick, more like a sick joke. Tell the Dark Wizard he will have to do better if he is to fool us.’

  Shaun moved closer. ‘I know it might seem strange but it is the truth. I have already organised the Centaurs, Fairies and the Elves: they are ready and waiting for me to return before overpowering their guards. I need to prepare you and your families before putting my plan into operation. Once you are all safe in this area I will continue down through the other three areas, freeing each one in turn.’

  The two Dwarfs looked at each other, then turned to this strange, friendly being, but they were both thinking the same thing: he was no mighty warrior, that was for sure. ‘And how are you going to achieve that on your own, or do you have a large army standing by?’

  ‘No army, I’m afraid, just me and my friendly Dragon who will carry me to each area,
but what I do have is much more powerful than any army.’ He slipped his hammer from its sheath. ‘This is the magic hammer of the God Thor: it can destroy mountains and its power is far greater than the Dark Wizard’s. All I need from you is to prepare the other Dwarfs to be ready to take over the area. I will make sure your families are safe. I assume they are being held at the other side of the area. I will visit them once I have convinced you.’ He pondered for a moment. ‘Oh yes, the most important thing, the Dark Wizard’s portal: do you know where it is being kept?’

  One of the Dwarfs shook his head. ‘That, my little friend, is a big problem. We have seen it, the Dark Wizard showed it to us when he arrived with his army and held our families hostage, forcing us to surrender. It is kept in the end cave, the one with the two huge, wide, ornate, solid metal doors: two guards stand permanently on guard day and night. The portal is housed at the far end of the cave with a special, magical, reinforced glass screen over it. We were shown the cave and the Dark Wizard explained only he could remove the screen when he sent in more of his guards. The cave is big enough to allow a whole army to flood through. He even allowed several of our warriors to smash their mighty axes against the screen, but each time their axes shattered into small fragments.’

  Shaun smiled. ‘Don’t worry about that. Thor’s hammer will destroy both the screen and the portal with a single blow. I will do that before we start the operation first thing in the morning.’

  The Dwarf once again shook his head. ‘There lies another big problem: we can’t go into the sunlight, and if we do we will turn to stone. That is why there are only a few guards. We can’t go out during the day and we are locked up at night.’