They both answered, “Agreed.”
“Kailid, after we are done eating, we will be traveling on. Can you get the supplies ready for the journey?”
“Where will you be heading to?”
“Home!” Donovan said with a little sigh.
Nodding in understanding, Kailid got up from the table. “The supplies will be ready when you are.”
They finished eating in silence. When they were done, all three stood to go. The door opened and Kailid entered.
Seeing them standing, he hurried over to them. “We have to leave quickly; there are about fifty solders looking for you and they don't seem too friendly. I have also spread the word that nobody has seen anyone matching your description, but it's only a matter of time before they check this building.”
Donovan looked at Lindon, seeing the look on his face. “Don't bother; too many innocents would get hurt.”
Lindon nodded. “Then we had better get out of here before they come.”
“Right. Did you manage to get the supplies we will need?”
“Yes, they will be waiting at the entrance, but I think it would be best if we all went.”
“What do you mean all?” Donovan cautiously asked.
“I mean all of our people; if they don't find any Dwarf here they may not look for any tunnels that could lead them. The Humans here don't know where it is but if they capture one of us; they may be able to force the location out of them.”
Somewhat surprised, it was Aina that agreed with Kailid. “He's got a point, Donovan; if they can't find the tunnel, it will be a lot harder to track us.”
“It seems I am outvoted. Fine, gather everyone together and let go before it’s too late.”
One of the Dwarfs opened up a trap door leading down into the earth. Lindon let out a small moan. “I really hope this doesn't lead to the sewer system. I've really had enough of traipsing through muck to last a lifetime.”
Kailid was kind enough to inform Lindon that it didn't go into a sewer; it was just a tunnel that would lead them out of the village and into the tree line. Once there, they would travel above aground for a little way until they reached the main tunnel entrance.
It took them half the day to reach the tunnel entrance. Lindon was amazed. The path was intricate and the doorway was cleverly hidden. It wasn't so much as a doorway as a large boulder. If Lindon looked at it from any angle, it appeared to be part of the rock face. On the one side, Lindon noticed, was an opening that was large enough for a Dwarf to easily fit through. Of course, Lindon was slightly larger, so he had to squeeze.
“Of course, this isn't where we bring our goods through, but we didn't want to take a risk on being followed. Besides, this will take a few hours off our journey; that is, as long as you’re not afraid of heights,” Kailid said with an evil sounding chuckle.
Turning to two of the Dwarfs, Kailid said, “You, and you—stay here had watch the tunnel for a couple of days. If anyone follows, bring it down.”
“Yes sir,” they answered together.
Turning to the rest of them, he said, “Let’s go.”
The further they walked from the entrance, the darker it got. Before long it was pitch black. Lindon couldn't even see his own nose. He wondered how on Earth the others knew where to go in the dark.
He was about to ask when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at Aina—at least he thought it was her—and was surprised to see her eyes were glowing not with magic but with a purplish color.
“I will guide your steps.”
“I appreciate it, but how is it that you and the Dwarfs can see where you're going? I can't see a thing.”
“We may not like each other, but Elves and Dwarfs have one thing in common: We both have something called night vision. It means that we can see in the dark; what you consider too dark to see isn't for us. Unfortunately, for you, Humans don't have the same ability.”
“You mean I am going to have to walk in the dark the entire time?”
This time it was Donovan who spoke. “No, you won't have to. When we get to a certain tunnel, we will all need light; it will be too dark even for us to see properly.”
“That's a huge relief. I really wasn't looking forward to be stumbling in the dark the entire time,” Lindon said with relief.
They traveled for another hour before someone called a halt. To Lindon's eyes, one of the Dwarfs started to glow and the telltale reddish glow of magic appeared around him. A small light appeared over the group. For a second the light dipped toward Lindon before it started moving down the tunnel, and they started walking again. The light wasn't very bright, but at least now he could see where he was going and no longer needed to be guided.
“Lindon, we will be stopping for the night soon. I suggest you try to stay away from the magic user and the light.”
Lindon jumped a little, hearing Donovan's voice in his mind. “Why?” he asked.
“He has been talking about how the light acted when he first created it, and he is very curious about you. I just don't think anyone needs to know yet about your ability.”
“Okay. I will try to keep my distance.”
They traveled for another hour before the group was halted. “We will camp here for the night and get an early start in the morning,” Kailid ordered. The Dwarfs went about setting up camp.
Lindon was glad for the break. Walking in near darkness was not his idea of a good time, and the tunnels seemed to weigh down on him. As they were setting up camp, he tried to stay away from the magic user. Lindon was busy laying his bedroll down when he felt the approach of the magus. Not wanting to seem rude to the man but also taking in to account Donovan's warning, before the Dwarf could start talking, he asked Aina if she needed any help.
In mindspeak he said, “Donovan suggested I stay away from the magus.”
“I understand.” Out loud she said, “Yes, can you go ask Kailid if there is someplace special that we have to go to the bathroom?”
Without turning to face the Dwarf he went in search of Kailid, thankful for the distraction that Aina had come up with. As he walked away, he decided to tell Donovan about the magic user’s attempt to talk to him and let him deal with him.
When he found Kailid, he was talking with some of the Dwarfs about the path they were to take in the morning.
“I don't think the Human will be able to get across; it will be better if we go the long way. Having one of Donovan's friends fall to his death would not look good,” one of the Dwarfs said to Kailid.
“I have already mentioned it to him, and he was adamant about getting home as fast as possible.”
As Lindon approached, Kailid quickly tried to cover the fact that they had been talking about him. “Hello Lindon, how do you like the tunnels of the Dwarfs?” he asked with a little too much enthusiasm. Lindon just let it go, not wanting to cause any kind of problem.
“It’s definitely a new experience for me. I have been in tunnels before but never ones like these. It is truly amazing that they are here. I had no idea that below my feet, a whole other world existed,” he said diplomatically. Lindon didn't consider telling them that if he never knew about it he wouldn't have missed it or that he couldn't wait to see the open sky again, but he knew that would probably be a long time from now, so he would have to make the best of it.
“Glad to hear it. Most Humans that come down here don't seem to like it much, they think it’s just rocks and rocks, but we will show you some of the places down here that will take your breath away, I promise.”
Lindon doubted it, but with as much enthusiasm as he could muster about the prospect, said, “That would be wonderful. I look forward to it.”
“Was there something I can do for you?”
“Um... yes, I was wondering where it is that we go to do...um...our private business? If you know what I mean.”
Kailid threw his head back and laughed. “Yes, I understand. There is a small tunnel that leads off over there.” He pointed toward the little o
pening that Lindon could just make out. “You go down that tunnel for about fifty yards, there is an outcropping where you can sit and take care of your business.”
Slightly embarrassed, Lindon thanked him and went back to Aina to tell her where to go. As he left he could hear one of the Dwarfs whisper to Kailid, “I don't see how that boy could have possible saved Donovan; he doesn't look like he even knows how to use those swords he carries.”
“I don't know either but if Donovan said he did, that's what I will believe. Now get back to work setting up camp; we will be leaving early, and we have a long day tomorrow.”
Smiling a little to himself, Lindon walked back to Aina. He saw that Donovan had taken the magus aside and was quietly talking to him.
Not having any way to tell the time underground, Lindon was awoken by the noise of the Dwarfs breaking camp. Lindon didn’t know whatever Donovan had said to the magus but the Dwarf no longer tried to get him alone to talk to him.
They had been walking in near darkness for about an hour when they were stopped. Donovan came back to where Lindon and Aina had been trailing behind. “We are about to come to a place that's a little difficult to cross, but it's either this or spend an extra day walking around it.”
“What do you mean by difficult to cross?” Aina asked.
“It's sort of a chasm, with a very narrow and winding path way along one side. It leads down and is not for the faint of heart. We will have more than enough light; when we get there the magus will cast a large spell that will light the whole area. Lindon you have to try and not draw any of it toward you. Do you think you can control it?”
“I don't know, I have never tried to not do something. Usually it just happens, but I will try.”
“That’s all I ask; we wouldn't normally go this way with other people, but it’s the fastest way.”
“Do you get many visitors?” Lindon asked.
“No, not many, but we do have some trading partners and the like. But only a select few.”
“Just do your best not to attract any attention to your ability.”
“I will try,” Lindon said as they came to the chasm that Donovan mentioned. Lindon was momentarily stunned. As the light increased, it took a little bit for his eyes to adjust, but when they did he almost turned around and refused to go down.
What Donovan said was a little path was an understatement; it was about half as wide as the one that they had used when they had first left Mentell and started this journey. Lindon couldn't see the other side, the light that was produced only lit up about fifty feet of the path then it trailed off into nothingness.
As the first Dwarf stepped onto the little ledge, Lindon watched as he made his way. He moved with ease like he had done this a hundred times. One by one, the Dwarfs stepped out on it, and all went with confidence. When it was Lindon's turn to go, he took one last look into the giant hole, wondering if he fell how long it would take to reach the unseen bottom.
With Aina and Donovan coming behind him, he felt the pressure to take his first step. When he placed his foot on to the ledge, he was trembling with fear. He was about to turn back and admit defeat when Aina stepped up behind him and gently guided him forward. Realizing that he had no choice, he started down the narrow path.
Lindon made his way slowly; he was so intent on his footsteps that he almost didn't realize that the people in front of him had stopped. He looked up from his feet and saw that the path in front ended. It looked like rocks had fallen from above and hit the path, leaving a gap of about twenty feet or so of empty space before it started again.
“How are we supposed to get past that?” Lindon asked, not looking forward to going back up the path. Going down was bad enough, but he doubted he would even be able to climb his way back up.
From behind, Donovan said, “Now you will see what makes a Dwarf love being underground so much.”
Lindon watched the Dwarf in front remove his pack and take out a hand-sized pick and hammer. Handing his pack to the person behind him, he went to work. As Lindon watched, the Dwarf started to dig and chip in to the side of the cavern wall. He could see a very faint reddish glow coming from the pick and hammer. With the magic of his tools and the skill of one that has done this before, rock chips began to shower down. Before long, he had a path the same width as the one they were standing on, carved out and joined with the other side.
From behind him, he heard Aina say, “Amazing. How can he move so much rock so quickly?”
“That is what it is to be Dwarf; we love the stone. We shape it, we mold it the same as you would clay. It is part of us.” Lindon looked at the Dwarf as he spoke, he could see the love of it in his eyes. Lindon vowed that he would try to see Donovan's world through his eyes and look for the beauty that he saw.
It took another couple of hours to reach the bottom. Standing at the bottom looking up, Lindon was truly is awe of the cavern, and the Dwarfs’ means of traversing it.
When they started to move to one of the tunnels, their bright light dimmed to just enough to see a short distance. He had been trying to put the magic light out of his thoughts the entire trip down, and as he looked at the dim light once again, he could feel the slight pull from it but did not reach for it with his thoughts. Lindon believed he could now be around it and not affect it, as long as he didn't try to pull it to him—more like he wished it to stay away from him.
As they were walking, Kailid slowed to walk beside Lindon. “You were the first Human in a very long time to have made that trip down Calig’s Trail. Usually the thought of all that empty space and only a narrow ledge to walk on turns most humans away, but you faced it head on. It’s hard to impress Dwarfs, but your courage today has won over everyone here.”
“Thank you Kailid, but I don't know if I would call it bravery. To tell the truth, at the beginning I had thoughts about turning back, but realized that we had to move forward so I didn't really have much choice.”
“See, that is the kind of thing I am talking about: You could have just said it was no problem and everyone would think you meant it and most men would have. You, on the other hand, admit your fear and are not ashamed of it. The important part is you were able to overcome it and not let it rule you. Well done, Lindon. I am starting to see why Donovan respects you.”
Lindon was not prepared for the sight of the Dwarven home. When they came around the last turn in the tunnel, he had noticed it was getting brighter, and as they came out on a ledge with the city below, he was amazed at what lay before him.
Hovering above the city was a miniature sun, its glow lighting the entire cavern. Starting at one end of an enormous cavern was a great waterfall. It cascaded down into a large lake with a permanent rainbow hovering over it. There were trees and flowers lining both sides and large grassy areas scattered in between them. He could see small figures moving throughout the area.
The lake emptied into a river that wound its way through the city. There were bridges made of stone crossing the river at equal intervals the entire length of it. The buildings were neatly placed along the streets in straight lines, all of them made of stone. Close to where the lake went into the river, there was a castle; its battlements could clearly be seen from where Lindon stood. The sight of it was almost too much for Lindon to comprehend; his experience in large cities was limited but what was spread out below him was one of the most beautiful and clean cities he had ever seen or heard of. There didn't seem to be the same disorder that the Human towns and cities seemed to thrive on.
Aina, standing beside him, was equally impressed with the Dwarven homeland. She had thought that living underground, there wouldn't be any natural beauty, but here spread out was both natural and manufactured beauty. She was truly grateful that she had the opportunity to see such a sight. She turned to Donovan and saw the pride in him at being able to show this to them. She did something no other Elf would ever dare to do: She hugged him and with a teary voice said, “Thank you.”
Donovan, also with tears in his ey
es, hugged her back and simply said, “You are welcome, and thank you for allowing me to show it to you.”
Lindon was watching the faces of the Dwarfs who were gathered around and was surprised to find not a dry eye among them. Every one of them was wiping their eyes at the sight of Aina, an Elf, hugging and thanking a Dwarf for allowing her to see their home. Every one of the Dwarfs would have more likely thought the sun would never rise again than to see the day when Elf and Dwarf could show affection toward each other without caring what others would think.
Donovan broke the hug and turned to his fellow Dwarfs. “What are you all staring at? Let's get moving. I would sleep in my own bed tonight.”
The Dwarfs turned and started down the stairs that were carved into the side of the rock face. Once again, Lindon was amazed at the level at which the Dwarfs could manipulate the stone. It was not just a simple set of stairs; they were carefully carved with precision, and along the wall, there were murals of Dwarfs in various settings the entire length of the stairway.
As Lindon descended, looking out at what the Dwarfs had accomplished, he couldn't help but hope that one day humans may also achieve the same level of harmony with their environment instead of fighting against it, trying to force it to their will. If only they could learn to live with it and gently shape and guide it. He thought that if they could learn to do that, war and strife would disappear into the past, and the people could all live free and happy.
Reaching the bottom, Lindon was struck at how clean everything was—no garbage lying around, no waste. He wondered how they were able to keep it clean as he followed the others making their way through the city.
As they walked through the city the Dwarfs whom they had traveled with began to leave, each wishing them well as they left. The only ones that carried on with them were Kailid and the magus. They passed all the houses and were now heading for the castle that Lindon had seen from the tunnel.
Shaping Magic (Mistakes Return) Page 10