by A. Giannetti
“Would you like food or wine, my lord?” asked Hirrus of Ascilius.
Elerian immediately heard whispers from the Dwarves gathered behind them.
“We have little enough for ourselves! Ascilius is one of us, but why give sustenance to a stranger? He is not even of our race!”
Ascilius heard the complaints too, and his face hardened.
“Pay no attention to them,” said Hirrus angrily. “Hunger has deprived them of their manners.”
“They had best remember them in a hurry then,” said Ascilius angrily. “Elerian has been with me since my captivity in the Goblins’ mines. He helped me escape and has my trust. Any offense against him will be an offense against me.”
Ascilius made no attempt to keep his voice down, his anger silencing the Dwarves who had complained.
“Water will do for us, if it can be spared,” said Ascilius to Hirrus, glaring at the Dwarves around him as if to dare them to comment, but no one would meet his eyes. Hirrus left, but returned quickly with a crystal decanter full of clear water and three crystal goblets.
“This is not fitting,” said Hirrus uncomfortably. “It is a poor welcome for our king.”
Ascilius smiled for the first time and turned to Elerian who smiled back. Silently, Elerian cast a spell on the decanter. The clear water instantly turned a rich ruby red.
“You will see that I am no beggar in my own house,” said Ascilius to Hirrus as he filled the Dwarf’s goblet. Hirrus lost no time in sampling the crimson liquid in his glass. A look of delight spread over his face.
“Red Hesperian, from the north slopes of the Galerius,” he said happily, favoring Elerian with a curious look. “You are a mage then, Elerian?”
“Elerian has many talents,” interrupted Ascilius, “but this is not the time to discuss them, Hirrus. I need you to call together, at once, all who would be considered leaders of our people. I would speak with them.”
“That will take a little time,” said Hirrus. “I must first give some thought as to who will be invited. Let us meet in the great hall in an hour’s time.”
Finishing his wine, Hirrus rose stiffly from the table. After bowing deeply to Ascilius, he left the guardroom to begin his errand.
“Follow me,” said Ascilius to Elerian as he also stood up. Looking neither right nor left, he led the way out of the guardroom with Elerian and Tonare following along behind him. The other Dwarves gave way before him, some respectfully and some sullenly. Herias was nowhere to be seen, causing Elerian to wonder what where he had gone.
After the three companions left the room, the half empty decanter they left on the table was closely examined by the remaining Dwarves. After some of them tasted the excellent wine, they all agreed that Ascilius's companion must be a skilled mage even if he was a human. It did not occur to any of them to wonder how Elerian had accomplished the transformation of the water without the aid of the staff or wand carried by every human mage.
Elerian and Tonare followed Ascilius to the center of the fortress. Like Ennodius, the castella had a large central ramp which accessed its three levels. With Ascilius in the lead, they walked up the ramp until they reached the end. Here, in a blank wall of stone, they came to a small door that revealed a winding stair when Ascilius opened it.
Upon climbing the stairs, they arrived at another door, also unlocked. When Ascilius opened it, Elerian saw a small, circular chamber carved out of the living rock of the mountain. There were wide, deep windows in the walls all around the room, not very tall and open to the weather. The wind of the heights blew through them, tugging at the long beard of a sturdy Dwarf in knee length chain mail who stood near the center of the chamber with an ax in his hand. In the center of the chamber, hanging from chains attached to the roof, was a great ox horn bound in brass, its end buried in the stone floor of the airy room.
“Leave us until you are called for,” said Ascilius to the surprised guard and such was the air of command in his deep voice and flashing eyes that the Dwarf left without question. Tonare lay down across the doorway, guarding the empty stairway as Ascilius, followed by Elerian, walked over to a window which faced west.
“We are at the highest point of the fortress,” said Ascilius as he and Elerian looked out of the window.
To their left, they could see the back gates of Ennodius, which they knew were blocked on the inside. Before them, to the northwest, a great valley with a stone road running down its center was spread out before them. Like the valley that lay before Ennodius, the greater part of it was burned and devastated. Running along the eastern edge of the valley was a line of rugged foothills, still covered in dense forest.
“There is a road running through those hills,” said Ascilius quietly to Elerian, gesturing toward the foothills. “It lies hidden under the trees. My father and I disagreed on many things, but I would be the first to defend his wisdom and foresight. After Calenus fell, he often told me privately that we needed a safe way to retreat to Galenus. Since we were the closest Dwarf city to Calenus, it seemed likely to him that Torquatus would besiege Ennodius someday. I was in agreement with him, but when he told a group of the more important and rich Dwarves in Ennodius of his plans; they refused their help. We already had a fine, wide road of stone leading to Galenus was their thought. Why should we throw away labor and treasure on a second road that we might never use?”
Eventually, my father gave me charge of building his hidden road, bearing the cost out of his own personal fortune. A few others and I labored long over its construction. Fundanus's folly they called it, for it was never used and few today even remember that it was built. My plan was to take any survivors that I found in Ennodius over that road to Galenus, but now that the Goblins have besieged the city, I am no longer certain what to do.”
Ascilius fell silent for a moment. “If I hold to my original plan, Elerian, it will now be a dangerous undertaking with an uncertain ending, for I must retake the castella of Galenus from the Goblins before my people can enter the city. I am not likely to succeed, so it might be better if you left me now, traveling east over the mountains while the way is still open. If you wait at the border of Tarsius, I will send sufficient treasure for your needs if I succeed in entering Galenus.”
“Here you go again, trying to rid yourself of my company,” replied Elerian lightly. “Who would save you from danger if I was not there by your side?”
“This is no time for levity, Elerian,” said Ascilius with a frown. “You have done more than enough in helping me to get this far. Any attack on the castella of Galenus will be a desperate undertaking. I would not have you throw your life away in a hopeless endeavor.”
“No venture in which I am involved is ever hopeless,” replied Elerian cheerfully. “You, of all people, should know that by now.”
“I hope you can still exercise your droll humor when the Goblins are slitting our throats,” said Ascilius gloomily. “If you are determined to stand with me, then come with me to the council. Be warned, however. There may be a great deal of dissension, for not everyone is happy about my return and many will think my plan less than good to put it mildly. No matter what happens, hold on to your temper and remember that a cool head will prevail over a hot one.”
“I will hold my tongue no matter what happens,” Elerian assured Ascilius.
“I wonder if you will be able to do the same my friend,” he thought to himself wryly, remembering Ascilius’s mercurial temper.
With Ascilius leading, the two companions left the vigilarum with Tonare at their heels.
“It seems that with each twist and turn of this adventure my path takes me farther and farther from Anthea,” mused Elerian to himself as he followed Ascilius down the stairs. I am beginning to fear that it might be a long time before I set foot in Tarsius again.”
When they reached the bottom of the stair, Ascilius spoke to the guard waiting at its foot.
“You may resume your post,” he said shortly before leading Elerian and Tonare deep into th
e third and topmost level of the fortress. Each apartment they passed was full to overflowing with Dwarves of all ages. The overcrowding was so bad that many had set up beds on the sidewalks lining the streets. Elerian attracted many curious looks, but with Tonare walking between him and Ascilius, no one had the hardihood to approach or question them.
Ascilius finally stopped before the entrance to a large, roughly carved chamber almost sixty feet across and twenty feet high. Mage lights suspended from iron chains filled the room with golden light. Seated on long benches in the middle of the room were at least one hundred Dwarves.
“Wait here with Tonare,” said Ascilius to Elerian before walking through the open doorway.
A murmur of deep voices swept through the crowd when the Dwarves realized that Ascilius had entered the chamber. They all turned their heads to watch him as he walked along the left side of the room toward the front of the group.
From his vantage point by the doorway, Elerian examined the gathering with his keen eyed gaze. Many were older Dwarves with long white or gray beards, but there were also a fair number of younger Dwarves with full beards of a rich brown or black hue. All of them had the same bushy brows and flashing dark eyes, and they were all dressed alike, wearing the hooded tunics which all Dwarves seemed to favor. Not one face displayed what Elerian would have called a friendly look.
“This ought to be an interesting meeting,” he thought dryly to himself as Ascilius reached the front of the room and turned to face the assembled Dwarves.
THE COUNCIL
Without preamble, Ascilius called for silence in a commanding voice. When all was quiet, he began to speak.
“If you have not been told already, I am Ascilius, the younger son of Fundanus returned, from a long captivity among the Goblins.”
“Would that your brother had returned instead,” shouted a surly voice from the middle of the gathering. Elerian thought it might be the voice of Herias. When he looked more closely, he saw that the Dwarf was sitting in the middle of the assembly, but it was hard to tell if he had spoken, for all the Dwarves were facing away from him, looking to the front of the room where Ascilius stood before them.
“In these dark times, you must make do with the leader you have and not the leader you wish you had,” continued Ascilius, controlling his anger. “I have called you together to tell all of you at once that I do not mean to remain bottled up here in this fortress until I starve to death. I intend to leave here, taking any who wish to follow me.”
“You will lead us only to a quicker death,” shouted a derisive voice from the middle of the crowd of Dwarves. Again, Elerian was unable to see who it was, but he thought the voice sounded different this time.
Ascilius’s face darkened as his quick temper slipped from his control. Holding his hammer by the head in his right hand, he struck the floor at his feet with the end of the handle. There was a flash of white light from the threads of argentum inlaid in the steel when the handle touched the floor. A sharp, deafening crack echoed through the room, causing many of the seated Dwarves to clap their hands over their ears. As the floor beneath the hammer handle splintered into a spider web of cracks, Elerian felt the stone beneath his feet tremble. Overhead, the mage lights swayed on their supporting chains.
“I ask only for a yes or no,” roared Ascilius. “Any who wish to bandy words or weapons may come forward and face me now!”
A shocked silence fell over the room. No one dared move except a white haired Dwarf wearing a white tunic edged with gold thread. He slowly rose from his bench near the front of the assemblage and walked toward Ascilius. Elerian could only see his broad back from where he stood.
“Where got you that hammer?” he asked Ascilius. “I have not seen its like in this age of the world.”
“It was forged in my own workroom under the mountain with the help of my companion, Elerian,” replied Ascilius, his voice still thick with anger. “Great ruin will it bring to the Goblins.”
The white haired Dwarf bent his head down to look at Fulmen, but he did not try to touch the hammer.
“It takes a strong hand and spirit to wield a weapon of that sort,” he said raising his head to look Ascilius in the eye. “I have not always been in agreement with you in the past, Ascilius, but I see that you have dared the red mage fire and the great spells. Those are not the actions of a coward or a fool. I, for one, will follow when you leave this place.”
As if his words were a signal, other Dwarves, young and old, crowded forward to look at Fulmen. Elerian heard many of them pledge their support to Ascilius, following the lead of the white haired Dwarf.
“I wonder who the old fellow might be to command such respect?” wondered Elerian to himself.
A short time later, the white haired Dwarf and Ascilius walked to the exit where Elerian and Tonare waited, unnoticed by most of the Dwarves in the room. Elerian saw that the old Dwarf’s face was seamed with scars, and his long white beard flowed down over a belt made of gold links. He glanced curiously at Elerian and then started when he looked down at Tonare.
“Where is Corbulo, Tonare?” he asked the dentire in a faltering voice. “Is he here with you?”
“Your son fell before the black dragon,” replied Tonare sadly. “I am ashamed that I did not die with him.”
The old Dwarf’s broad shoulders sagged at the news, but he patted Durio lightly on the head with his right hand. “I am sure you did your best, Tonare. The black dragon was an enemy beyond your power to defeat.”
“He did not fare so well before my companions,” replied Tonare in a fierce, rough voice. “I had the satisfaction of choking the life out of him after my two companions wounded the murderous creature.”
The old Dwarf looked up at Elerian and Ascilius, his dark eyes full of grief. “A noble deed my friends, but revenge is small comfort to the old. I wish that I had my son back instead.”
“We have all suffered losses,” said Ascilius sympathetically, “and are likely to suffer more before this business is ended, Durio.”
“So, this is the Dwarf that Hirrus spoke of,” thought Elerian to himself. “He seems a mighty warrior despite his age. No wonder the others followed his lead.”
Without another word, Durio walked away with bowed shoulders, Tonare following at his heels.
“We are to follow him,” said Ascilius softly to Elerian. “He is leading us to a place where we may rest and plan our next move.”
Side by side, Ascilius and Elerian followed Durio to a small room not far from the meeting hall. It contained two beds, a wooden washstand, a small table, and four chairs.
“I am sorry that we have nothing better,” said Durio to Ascilius. “Every room in the castella is full to overflowing. It was never meant to hold so many Dwarves at once.”
“This will do,” replied Ascilius. “It is better than most of the places I have slept in over the last twenty years.”
Ascilius and Durio seated themselves at the table. Elerian did the same, sitting uncomfortably in a chair made for someone at least a foot shorter than himself.
Turning to Durio, Ascilius said, “This is my companion that I spoke of. His name is Elerian.”
Durio looked Elerian over carefully with shrewd eyes that were neither welcoming nor unfriendly.
Ascilius broke the silence first. “How many of our people remain alive?”
“There are close to three thousand,” replied Durio. “Of that number, there are perhaps a thousand warriors who can still carry a weapon and another six hundred who are too wounded or too old to fight. The rest are all women and children.”
“Not as bad as I feared,” said Ascilius, not trying to hide the relief in his voice. “Corbulo and my father did well to get so many out alive.”
“Perhaps,” said Durio in a bleak voice, “although I do not know to what end. We are trapped here, slowly starving to death, our city and treasure lost to us forever. Eboria will never give up either one as long as she lives.”
“I can do nothi
ng about Eboria,” replied Ascilius, “but I may have a remedy for our situation here. I mean to lead our people to Galenus over the hidden road that was built so many years ago at my father’s command.”
“Did Hirrus forget to mention that the Goblins have laid siege to Galenus?” asked Durio sardonically. “If we are to take the road, then our only hope is to travel a little way down it and then turn north into the mountains, keeping out sight in the forest while we skirt Galenus and travel to Iulius.”
“No forest can hide three thousand Dwarves from a dragon,” replied Ascilius acerbically. “Eboria would discover us and hunt us down one by one. If any escaped her eagle eyed gaze, they would face a journey of many days with no food through the most difficult terrain imaginable. Few would escape the Trolls and other creatures that haunt those dark forests. Our only hope is to retake the castella of Galenus so that we may enter the city through the stable gate.”
“That is madness,” objected Durio. “You said yourself that the forest cannot conceal three thousand Dwarves. If we try to follow the hidden road as far as Galenus, we will be discovered by either the dragons or the Goblins before we come anywhere near the city. Even if, for the sake of argument, we could somehow reach the castella and fight our way inside, we would accomplish nothing, for the stable entrance to Galenus has certainly been sealed by now to prevent the Goblins from entering the city. Our forces would be trapped inside the castella, which the Goblins would retake sooner or later. Any Dwarf who survived the fighting would be condemned to a life of terrible slavery.”
“You need not lecture me on the horrors of being captured by the Goblins,” grated Ascilius. “I have spent the last twenty years of my life in their mines.”
The two Dwarves stared angrily at each other for a moment; their beards quivering with anger, for the argument had awakened all the old animosity that lay between them. Elerian prepared to freeze them both into immobility if they came to blows, but Durio finally relented and sat back in his chair.