Hammer and Axe dn-2

by Dan Parkinson

  Too late, Lord Alfred realized their danger. He bitterly regretted his own folly in supporting Derek, for he Could clearly see now that Derek Crownguard was going insane.

  The madness grew on him daily. Derek's lust for power ate away at him and deprived him of his reason. But Lord Alfred was powerless to act. So locked into their rigid structure were the knights that it would take-according to the Measure – months of Knights Councils to strip Derek of his rank. '

  News of Sturm's vindication struck this dry and crackling forest like a bolt of lightning. As Gunthar had foreseen, this completely shattered Derek's hopes. What Gunthar had not foreseen was that this would sever Derek's tenuous hold on sanity.

  On the morning following the storm, the eyes of the guards turned for a moment from their vigilance over the dragonamries to look down into the courtyard of the Tower of the High Clerist. The sun filled the gray sky with a chill, pale light that was reflected in tlhe coldly gleaming armor of the Knights of Solamnia as they assembled in the solemn ceremony awarding knighthood/

  Above them, the flags with the Knight's Crest seemed frozen upon the battlements, hanging lifeless in the still, cold air. Then a trumpet's pure notes split the air, stirring the blood. At that clarion call, the knights lifted their heads proudly and marched into the courtyard.

  Lord Alfred stood in the center of a circle of knights. Dressed in his battle armor, his red cape fluttering from his shoulders, he held an antique sword in an old, battered scabbard. The kingfisher, the rose, and the crown-ancient symbols of the Knighthood-were entwined upon the scabbard. The lord cast a swift, hopeful gaze around the assembly, but then lowered his eyes, shaking his head.

  Lord Alfred's worst fears were realized. He had hoped bleakly that this ceremony might reunite the knights. But it was having the opposite effect. There were great gaps in the Sacred Circle, gaps that the knights in attendance stared at uncomfortably. Derek and his entire command were absent.

  The trumpet call sounded twice more, then silence fell upon the assembled knights. Sturm Brightblade, dressed in long, white robes, stepped out of the Chapel of the High Clerist where he had spent the night in solemn prayer and meditation as prescribed by the Measure. Accompanying him was an unusual Guard of Honor.

  Beside Sturm walked an elven woman, her beauty shining in the bleakness of the day like the sun dawning in the spring. Behind her walked an old dwarf, the sunlight bright on his white hair and beard. Next to the dwarf came a kender dressed in bright blue leggings.

  The circle of knights opened to admit Sturm and his escorts,. They came to a halt before Lord Alfred. Laurana, holding his helm in her hands, stood on his right. Flint, carrying his shield, stood on his left, and -after a poke in the ribs from the dwarf -Tasslehoff hurried forward with the knight's spurs.

  Sturm bowed his head. His long hair, already streaked with gray though he was only in his early thirties, fell about his shoulders. He stood a moment in silent prayer, then, at a sign from. Lord Alfred, fell reverently to his knees,.

  'Sturm Brightblade,:' Lord Alfred declared solemnly., opening a sheet of paper. 'the Knights Council, an hearing testimony given by Lauralanthalasa of the royal family of Qualineti,and further testimony by Flint Fireforge, hill dwarf of Solace township, has granted you Vindication from the charges brought against you. In recognition of your deeds of bravery and courage as related by these witnesses, you are hereby declared a Knight of Solamnia." Lord Alfreds voice softened as he looked down upon the knight. Tears streamed unchecked down Sturm's gaunt cheeks. "You have spent the night in prayer, Sturm Brightblade;" Alfred said quietly. "Do you consider yourself worthy of this great honor? "

  "No, my lord;' Sturm answered, according to ancient ritual, "but I most humbly accept it and vow that I shall devote my life. to making myself worthy:" The knight lifted his eyes to the sky:. "'With Paladines help;' he said softly, "I shall do so."

  Lord AlEred had been through many such ceremonies, but could not recall such fervent dedication in a man's face.

  "I wish Tanis were here;' Flint muttered gruffly to Laurana who only nodded briefly.

  She stood tall and straight, wearing armor specially made for her in Palanthas at Lard Gunthar's command. Her honey colored hair streamed from beneath a silver helm. Intricate gold designs glinted on her breastplate, her soft black leather skirt-slit up the side to allow freedom of movement, bruhed the tips of her boots. Her face was pale and grim, for the situation in Palanthas and in the Tower itself was dark and seemingly without hope.

  She could have returned to Sancrist. She had been ordered to, in Fact. Lord Gunthar had received a secret communique from Lord Alfred relating the desperate straits the knights in and he had sent Laurana orders to cut short her stay.

  But she had chosen to remain, at least for a while, The people of Palanthas had received her politely-she was, after all, royal blood and they were charmed with her beauty. They were also quite interested in the dlragonlance and asked for one to exhibit in their museum. But when Laurana mentioned the dragonarmies, they only shrugged and smiled.

  Then Laurana found out from a messenger what was happening in the High Clerist's Tawer. The knights were under siege

  The dragonnarmy numbering in the thousands waited upon the field. The knights needed the dragonlances, she decided. and there was no one but her to take the lances to the knights and teach them their use. She ignored Lord Gunthar's command to return to Sancrist.

  The journey from Palanthas to the Tower was nightmarish. Laurana started out accompanying two wagons filled with meager supplies and the precious dragonlances. The first wagon bogged down in snow only a few miles outside of the city. Its contents were redistributed between the few knights riding escort, Laurana and her party, and the second wagon. It, too, foundered. Time and again they dug it out of the snow drifts until, finally, it was mired fast. Loading the food and the lances onto their horses, the knights and Laurana, Flint, and Tas walked the rest of the way. Theirs was the last group to make it through. After the storm of last night, Laurana knewas did everyone in the Tower-no more supplies would be coming. The road to Palanthas was now impassable.

  Even by strictest rationing, the knights and their footmen had food enough for only a few days. The dragonarmies seemed prepared to wait for the rest of the winter.

  The dragonlances were taken from the weary horses who had barns them and, by Derek's orders, were stacked in the courtyard. A few of the knights looked at them curiously, then ignored them. The lances seemed clumsy, unwieldy weapons.

  When Laurana timidly offered to instruct the knights in the use of the lances, Derek snorted in derision. Lord Alfred stared out the window at the campfires burning on the horizon. Laurana turned to Sturm to see her fears confirmed.

  '"Laurana;' he said gently, taking her cold hand in his, "I don't think the Highlord will even bother to send dragons. If we cannot reopen the supply lines, the Tower will fall because there will be only the dead left to defend it:"

  So the dragarulances lay in the courtyard, unused, forgotten, their bright silver buried beneath the snow.

  A Keenders Curiousity. The Knights ride forth.

  Sturm and Flint walked the battlements the night of Sturm"s knighting, reminiscing-

  'A well of pure silver-shining like a jewel-within the heart of the Dragon Mountain;' Flint said, awe his voice. "And it was from that silver Theros forged the dragonlances:'

  "I should have liked-above all things-to have seen Huma's Tomb' Sturm said quietly. Staring out at the campfires on the horizon, he stopped, resting his hand on the ancient stone wall. Torchlight from a nearby window shone on his thin face.

  "You will", said the dwarf `When this is finished, we'll go back. Tas drew a map-not that it's likely to be any good-'

  As he grumbled on about Tas, Flint studied his other old friend with concern. The knight's face was grave and melancholy-not unusual for Sturm. But there was something new, a calmness about him that came not from serenity, but from despair.


  – We'll go there together;" he continued, trying to forget about his hunger. "You and Tanis and I. And the kender, too, I suppose, plus Caramon and Raistlin. I never thought I'd miss that skinny mage, but a magic-user might be handy now, it's just as well Caraman's not here. Can you imagine the belly-aching we'd hear about missing a couple of meals?"

  Sturm smiled absently, his thoughts far away. When he spoke it was obvious he hadn't heard a word the dwarf said.

  "Flint;` he began, his voice soft and subdued, "we need only one day of warm weather to open the road. When that day comes, take Laurana and Tas and leave. Promise me:'

  "We should all leave if you ask me!" the dwarf snapped. "Pull ',he knights back to Palanthas. We could hold that town against e, en dragons, I'll wager. Its buildings are good solid stone. Not like this place!" The dwarf glanced around the human-built rower with scorn. "Palanthas could be defended:"

  Sturm shook his head. "The people won't allow it. They cart only for their beautiful city. As fang as they think it can be saved, they won't fight. No, we must make our stand here."

  "`you Nan't have a chance;" Flint argued.

  "Yes, me dar' Sturm replied, "if we car just hold out until the apply lanes can be firmly established, lrVe've got enough manpower. 7" hat's why flee dragonarmies haven't attacked-'

  "Tlrere~a another wax;" came .a vocre.

  'Sturm, and Flint turned. The torchlight fell an a gaunt face, and Sturm's expression hardened.

  "What way is that, L=ard Derek?" Sturm .asked with deliberate aolitenes.

  '-You axed Gunthar ;believe 4•au have defeated me:' Derek said, ignc_ring the question. His voice eras soft and shaking with hatred as he shared at Sturm. "But you haven't! By one heroic act,. I twill leave the knights in my palrru'-Derek iield out 'hi's mailer" hand, the arr,or (Dashing in the firelight-"and you and C,anthar will be finished!.' Slowly, he clenched his fist.

  "I was under the impression our war was out there, with the dragonarmies," Sturm said.

  "Don't give me that self-righteous twaddle!" Derek snarled. "Enjoy your knighthood, Brightblade. You paid enough for it. What did you promise the elf woman in return for her lies? Marriage? 'Make a respectable woman of her?"

  "I cannot fight you-according to the Measure-but I do not have to listen to you insult a woman who is as good as she is courageous;' Sturm said, turning upon his heel to leave.

  "Don't you ever walk away From me!" Derek cried. Leaping forward, he grabbed Sturm's shoulder. Sturm whirled in anger, his hand on his sword. Derek reached for his weapon as well, and it seemed for a moment that the Measure might be forgotten. But Flint laid a restraining hand oar his friend. Sturm drew a deep breath arid lifted this hand away from the hilt.

  "Say what you have to say, Derek!" Sturm's voice quivered,

  "You're finished, Brightblade. Tomorrow I'm leading knights onto the field. No more skulking in this miserable r prison. By tomorrow night, my name will be legend!'

  Flint looked up at Sturm in alarm. The knight's face drained of blood. "Derek;' Sturm said softly; "you're There are thousands of them! They'll cut you to ribbonst"

  "Yes, that's what you'd like to see, isn't it?" Deaek snee 'Be ready at dawn, Brightblade:'

  That eight, TasslehofE-cold, hungry, ands boreal-deci that the beak way to take his mind off his stomach was explore his surroundings. There are plenty of places to things here, thought Tas. This is one of the strangest bull I've ever sees.

  The Torwer of the High Clerist sat =o:idly .against the west I• of the tNestgate Pass, the Dnly canyon pass, that crossed; Habbakuk Flange of mountains separating eastern Sole , from Pa]anthas. As the Dragon Hig~alord knew, anyone to reach Pal anthaa other than by this route would have vet hundreds of miles around the mountains, or Ehro deser:, ar by sea. And ships entering the Gates of Pal.adiare' easy targets for the gnomes' fire-throwing catapults.

  The High. Clerist's Tavrea had beer. built during the ?Wok. Flint knew a lot .about the archi.=ecture of this

  35'~

  the dwarves having been instrumental in designing and building most of it. But they had not built ar designed this Tower. In fact, Flint wondered who had--figuring the person must have beenreither drunk or insane.

  An outer curtain wall of stale formed an octagon as the Tower's base. Each point of the octagonal wall was surmounted by a turret. Battlements ran along the top of the curtain wall between turrets. A inner octagonal wall formed the base of a series of towers and buttresses tha t swept gracefully upward to the central Tower itself.

  This was fairly standard design, but what puzzled the dwarf was the lack of internal defense points.. Three great steel doers breached the outer wall, instead of one door-as would seem most reasonable, since three doors took an incredible number of men to defend. Each door opened into a narrow courtyard at the far end of which stood a partcullia leading directly into a huge hallway. Each of these three h.a]]way^s met in the heart of the Tower itself!

  "Might as well invite the enemy inside for tea!'` the dwarf had

  grumbled. "Stupidest way to build a fortress I ever says;.^•

  No one entered the Tower. To. the knights, it was i~a.G-i.olate.

  The only one who could enter the Tower was the High Clerist t

  himself, and since there was no High Clerist, the knig)4t.s would

  defend the Tower walls with their lives, but not one of them could set foot in its sacred halls.

  Originally the Tower had merely guarded the pass, not

  blocked it. But the Palanthians had later built an addition to

  the main structure that sealed off tl~:e pass, It was in this addition that the knights and the footmen were living- No one even thought of entering the Tower itself.

  No one except Tasslehoff.

  Driven by his insatiable curiosit~r and his gnawing hunger, the kender made his way along the to

  knights on guard duty eyed him p of the outer wall. The

  one hand, their wari .IX 'gripping their swards

  purses in the atiher„ Hut they relaxed' ass soon theas he passed, and Tas was able to. slip down the steps into the central courtyard. only shadows walked down here. The torches burned, no guard was posted. Broad steps le.d up to 6e steel portcullis Tas padded up the stairs toward the great yawning archway and peered eagerly through the bars. Nothing. He sighed. The darkness beyond was so intense he might have been staring into the Abyss itself.

  Frustrated, he pushed up on the portcullis-more out of habit than hope, for only Caramon or ten knights would have the strength necessary to raise it.

  To the kender's astonishment, the portcullis began to rise, making the most god-awful screeching! Grabbing for it, Tas dragged it slowly to a halt. The kender looked fearfully up at the battlements, expecting to see the entire garrison thundering .,' down to capture him. But apparently the knights were listening only to the growlings of their empty stomachs.

  Tas turned back to the portcullis. There was a small space open between the sharp iron spikes and the stone workspace just big enough for a kender. Tas didn't waste any time or stop to consider the consequences. Flattening himself, he wriggled beneath the spikes.

  He found himself in a large, wide hall-nearly fifty feet across. He could see just a short distance. There were of torches on the wall, however. After a few jumps, Tas reach one and lit it from Flint's tinder box he found in his pouch.

  Now Tas could see the gigantic hall clearly. It ran strai ahead, right into the heart of the Tower. Strange c0Iru ' ranged along either side, like jagged teeth. Peering behind o he sale nothing but an alcove.

  The hall itself was empty. Disappointed, Tas continued w ing down it, hoping to find something interesting. He came second portcullis, already raised, much to his chagrin. " thing easy is more trouble than it's worth;' was am old ke saying. Tas walked beneat:n that portcullis into a second way, narrower than the first-only about ten feet widewith the same strange-, toothlike columns on either side.

  Why build a tower s,o easy to enter
? Tas wondered.

  outer wall was formidable, but once past that, five dwarves could take this place. Tas peered up. And w h''I hugO The main hall was thirty feet high!

  Perhaps the knights back in. those days had been giants,kendEr speculated with irteTest as he crept down the hall, , ing into open doors and pakiing into corners.

  At the -end of the se:orrd hallway, he found a third port ,

  This one was different from the other two, and as strange as the rest of the Tower. This portcullis had two halves, which slid together to join in the center. Oddest of all, there was a large hole cut right through the middle of the doors!

  Crawling through this hole, Tas found himself in a smaller

  room. Across from him stood two huge steel doors. Pushing on them casually, he was startled to find them locked. None of the

  portcullises had been locked. There was nothing to protect.

  Well, at least here was something to keep him occupied and

  make him forget about his empty stomach. Climbing onto a stone bench, Tas stuck his torch into a wall sconce, then began to fumble through his pouches. He Finally discovered the set of lock-picking devices that are a kenders birthright-I% insult the door's purpose by locking it?" is a favorite kender expression.

  Quickly Tas selected the proper tool and set to work. The lock was simple. There was a slight click, and Tas pocketed his

  tools with satisfaction as the door swung inward. The kender stood a moment, listening carefully. He could hear nothing. Peering inside, he could see nothing. Climbing up on the bench again, he retrieved his torch and crept carefully through the steel doors.