The Greystone Chronicles Book Two: The Dire Lands

by Dave Willmarth

  “NO!” Mrs. O’Malley grabbed the girl’s head and looked her in the face. “I mean, yes, of course I’d vouch for her. There are none better than Mattie. She’s like one of my own. Good cook, too. I taught her myself. But you’ll not be taking one of my girls to that place! What’re you thinking, girl?”

  “Best way I can think of to rid myself of Bart. That coward wouldn’t come near Dire Keep. Or maybe I’ll get lucky and he’ll come looking for me. Get himself ate by a wolf on the way.”

  Alexander spoke again. “Mattie, you say your husband hasn’t been around in three months?”

  She nodded “Aye, he took what little money we had, said a woman what couldn’t provide him with a son wasn’t worth keeping, and left. He’s done it before, but always came back after a week or two. When he wanted to… use me. Or needed money.”

  “Father… Alric.” Alexander looked to the priest. “I admit to not being an expert on marital law. But where I’m from, that would be grounds for divorce. Is it the same here?”

  The priest, who seemed a bit angry, nodded his head. “The grounds seem sound. But our church would only grant a divorce if it were approved by the king.”

  “I see. What about the Knight-Advisor to The King? Or better yet, the ruler of a keep granted by the king?”

  Alric thought about it. “As knight-advisor, I’m afraid not. But as rightful baron of a land, if she were one of your citizens, then that would be acceptable.”

  Alexander looked at Mattie. “Alright. Mattie, I invite you to become a citizen of Dire Keep. But ONLY if you can get Mrs. O’Malley to approve. If so, then I will ask Father Alric here to grant you a divorce. If not, then I will still petition the king on your behalf. He may be here this evening. How does that sound?”

  The woman began to cry, nodding her head. Mrs. O’Malley bustled her into the kitchen, tossing Alexander a smile over her shoulder.

  Alexander looked to the last of the four crashers. He was half-elven, tall and lean, but muscular. He wore leather armor of forest green. Alexander assumed that Jenkins had confiscated the bow that went with the armor. “And you?” Alexander asked.

  “I am Dothloriandal, though you may call me Lorian. I am a Ranger and a scout. I too, arrived too late to meet you at the Ogre. I’ve just returned from hunting dire wolves in the forest near Dire Keep. I observed your party moving through the woods yesterday morning, though only the dragon saw me. I admired the way you so carefully killed the beasts, to preserve their hides.”

  “One moment, please.” Alexander held up a hand.

  “Kai, are you there?”

  “I’m at the keep, Alexander. How can I be of service?”

  “Did you notice a ranger watching us yesterday as we moved through the forest?”

  “Yes, he followed us for nearly an hour, watching as we killed the beasts. He was half-elven, and I believe of a noble line. He recognized me. Since he chose not to make himself known, I honored his wish. My apologies.”

  “No need to apologize. He is here with me, now. He wishes to become a citizen of the Keep.”

  “I see no reason why he should not. And elven ranger could be a useful addition,” Kai mused.

  “Thank you, Kai. You okay there? Can I bring you anything?”

  “I am quite well, Alexander, thank you. A rather large bear came sniffing around the gate this morning. He made an excellent breakfast.” Alexander could hear the dragon grinning.

  “Okay, well, I’m going to bring Fitz and Brick in the morning, ahead of the others. I’m thinking we should put up a portal near the gate, rather than try to use the upper portal and try to teleport wagons and horses down. Would you like to pick a good spot?”

  “I will do that. See you in the morning.” Kai said.

  Alexander looked at Lorian. “The dragon confirms your account, and send his greetings.” The elf bowed his head.

  “Albert. I’m afraid I cannot allow any paintings or renderings of the keep or its residents at this time. We are expecting attack any day now, from a ruthless enemy. Any enemy who has repeatedly infiltrated this city. Giving them any information on our defenses could get all my people killed. I’m sorry. However, Foster here will take you in the kitchen, and ask Mrs. O’Malley to give you some food to take with you. But you must give me your word that you’ll draw no images and tell no tales of this compound, either. Keep in mind that you are speaking to the Knight-Advisor to The King. If even so much as a rumor gets back to me that could have been started by you, I’ll have you locked in a dungeon and put to hard labor. Are we clear?”

  Albert rose, fear in his eyes. “I swear on my life that I’ll not divulge in any way what I’ve seen or heard here today. I do hope you’ll consider my request in the future?”

  Alexander handed him some coins. “I will consider it, when times are better. In the meantime, here is twenty-five gold, to keep you fed until your next commission. And remember your oath to me.”

  Foster led the man to the kitchen.

  Alexander looked to the other guard. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”

  “Jacobs, Sir.” The guard came to attention.

  “Jacobs, nice to meet you. When I’m done talking to Claude, here, please take him and put him between the bailey wards. Let him grab a chair on your way past the garden, so that he may sit in comfort while he waits.” Jacobs saluted in response.

  “Claude. All my other volunteers were vetted by men I trust. I have no reason to distrust you, or your motivations. But I cannot accept you until someone else has vouched for you. There are two men who assisted me this afternoon. Caleb, a former guard, and Collin, his cousin. Do you know either of them?”

  “Aye, lord. I know ‘em both. Collin were likely wearing armor I crafted for him,” Claude said.

  “Good, then. When you see one of them come through the gate, ask them to bring you back to me. If they approve of you, then I will welcome you as a volunteer. You are aware of the oaths you must take?”

  “Aye, I have no problem with that. I’ll swear the oaths ‘n’ serve you well.”

  “Thank you. Can I get you anything? Do you need food or drink while you wait?”

  “I’ll be fine, lord. I ate at the Ogre before I left. And it smells like there’ll be good food to be had tonight.” He grinned.

  Foster led the man outside. When they were alone, Alexander turned to Lorian. “Should I be calling you Prince Dothloriandal? Or Lord?” he asked.

  The elf chuckled. “So, the dragon exposed me. No matter. Though my father is noble, I am a half-breed bastard son, and therefore not eligible for a title. Just Lorian will do. And I appreciate you waiting until we were alone.”

  “I come from something like a noble house myself. And I much prefer anonymity to formality. Your secret is safe with me. But I must ask. Will taking you in cause me or my people any trouble with the elves?”

  “While my father cannot recognize me, there is no strife between us. And there are legitimate heirs in place to assure the family’s stability. If anything, I may be a help to you. From what I have seen, and heard, you are a ruler who cares about his people. You have honor. If you wish it, I would introduce you to my father and suggest a trade alliance. Anything further, you will have to accomplish on your own.”

  “Thank you, for that. And, you have no oaths in place that prevent you from swearing loyalty in front of the dragon?”

  “None. We elves do not take oaths lightly. Though I am not pure blood, I expect to live several thousand years. Still, I will swear my loyalty to both Greystone and the keep.”

  “Then you are most welcome, Lorian. We depart for the keep a few hours after sunrise. You are welcome to stay here for the feast, and overnight if you like. We have several hotel rooms reserved at the Ogre, and at the Stallion. In the meantime, feel free to roam about the compound and meet your fellow citizens.”

  A sudden thought occurred to Alexander. “Uhhh… I just remembered. There has been some… harsh feeling between the dwarves and elv
es in the past. Are you, or your people, going to have a problem with my dwarves?”

  “That unpleasantness was resolved long ago, as far as I know. I’ve never heard a hint of animosity from my father. And I count dwarves among my own friends,” Lorian replied.

  “Great! I’ll see you at the feast tonight.” Alexander shook the elf’s hand and showed him to the door.

  Alexander peeked into the kitchen, seeing Mattie making a pouty face at Mrs. O’Malley. Clearly, their discussion had not concluded. Finding himself with some time, he sat at the table to craft a pendant for Father Ignatius.

  Reaching into his bag, he found he’d used up the obsidian he had. So, he headed out to the forge to see if he could quickly snag a piece.

  Reaching the forge, he found Brick surrounded by master smiths, all crowded around two anvils and the forge itself. The dwarves were bumping arms, shoulders, and occasionally threatening each other with hammers. Waving, he motioned Brick over, not wanting to insert himself in that mess.

  “Looks like a game of twister in there,” he said as Brick stepped out.

  “Aye. There be not enough room for so many. I dunno what Master Ironhammer be thinkin!” his friend complained.

  “Well, maybe it’s second Christmas for you, my friend!” Alexander smiled at him. “I came out here to steal some obsidian. But I’m not getting near all that.” He waved at the chaos inside the smithy. “How bout I pull up another block, and you add on some workspace?”

  Brick’s eyes went wide. “That be perfect!”

  Looking around, Alexander grabbed the first young dwarf he saw. “Please run next door to the Alchemy shop. Ask Lady Lydia for two stamina, and two mana potions.”

  As the dwarf took off, he closed his eyes and sent his earth sense down into the stone below. He reached down until he found the space where he’d cut out the obsidian for the smithy. Grabbing a second block the same size, he began to pull it up. The work was much easier now. He was close to double the level he’d been when he raised the first block. And he’d pulled most of a village out of the ground as practice. His mana pool was much higher now, too. Though his stamina was still low. He should probably invest a few points there.

  Still, he managed to raise the giant block of obsidian nearly the whole way before he needed to stop for a rest. Taking the opportunity, he put 4 of his free attribute points into Stamina. Instantly, he felt better. And his health bar increased by something like 20%. Still, he waited for the dwarf to return with the potions. He drank down a stamina potion, not needing the mana yet.

  With a deep breath, and his newly improved stamina, he reached down and pulled at the block of stone. Hearing the masters all babbling away at once, he decided to add a little drama. When the stone neared the surface, he waggled it back and forth a bit, causing the ground to rumble.

  This instantly quieted the dwarves in the smithy. And in the rest of the compound. All eyes turned to Alexander just as the giant block of obsidian broke the surface and came to rest next to the smithy.

  Grinning at Brick, who was standing amid the masters laughing as quietly as he could, Alexander took a theatrical bow. “Your turn!” he called out.

  Master Ironhammer came stomping out of the smithy. “And just what’re ye doin?” he asked. The masters were all right behind him. “Well, you see, Brick and I decided that Prince Kai needed a bigger perch while he’s here in Stormforge…” Alexander began.

  “Bah! Yer pullin’ me leg!” Ironhammer cut him off. But the old dwarf was smiling. He knew he’d made a mistake bringing so many masters to the forge at once.

  Alexander decided to help him out. “We saw that things were a bit crowded inside, so we’re going to give you and the masters some room to spread out. You’ll still have to share the forge itself, but there will be much more workspace for benches and anvils.

  Taking advantage of the distraction, Brick had already stepped inside the block, moving it in sections with his hands. Seeing the direction of Alexander’s gaze, Ironhammer and the others all turned to watch Brick work. After a few seconds, there was a rush, as each master moved to give direction or make suggestions as to the new layout. Poor Brick. Alexander made his escape after snagging a 10lb chunk of the stone from Brick.

  Heading out to the gate, he checked in with Jenkins. He was introduced to the other squad members, and told things were going smoothly. There had been no more crashers. The captain had been seen heading into his home, so Alexander decided to go pay him a visit to ask about the men with the spoiled meat.

  Walking into the shop, he was surprised to find Lydia, Sasha, Lainey, and Jules.

  “Well! Hello, ladies!” He grinned and waved. “Fancy meeting you here!”

  All four women looked at him like he was insane.

  “You know that Lydia… lives here, right? Have you lost what little sense you were born with?” Sasha frowned at him. Lydia looked as if she wanted to check his vitals.

  “No. I mean, yes. I just thought you’d be…” He gave up. “Never mind. I was looking for your husband, Lydia. Would he be around? And thank you, by the way. For saving my life earlier.”

  “He’s hiding upstairs, Alexander.” She smiled at him. At least one of them didn’t hate him…

  “I don’t think I blame him.” Alexander tried again to be charming. And failed. With a sigh, he edged carefully past the four women and headed up the stairs, calling out, “Captain? Are you there? I need protection from the fierce creatures downstairs…” He heard giggles behind him.

  Turning to face the ladies again, he saw nothing but poker faces. “If you’d like some amusement other than me, you should head next door. I pulled up another block of obsidian for Brick to expand the forge, and he’s just been mobbed by the masters. It’s like watching feeding time at the zoo.”

  Not a flicker of interest on any of the faces below. With another sigh, Alexander turned and resumed his climb, to the sound of more giggles.

  When he reached the top, the captain was waiting for him, a large glass of scotch in each hand. “Sometimes retreat is the only option,” he said, handing Alexander a drink. They moved to a sitting area. “They’ve got plans for you, son. Whatever they are, you don’t stand a chance. Best to just do what they want and hope it’s not too painful.”

  Sitting back to enjoy his scotch, Alexander agreed. He was used to Lainey and Sasha ganging up on him. But adding in Lydia and Jules… he was smart enough to flee with whatever dignity they allowed.

  “I came to ask about the wagonload of spoiled meat,” he said.

  “Yes. Strange that. The butcher swears the meat was good when it left the slaughterhouse. He’s a reputable vendor. Those were his lads driving the wagon. Our only theory at the moment is that somebody spelled the meat to rot. We sent for someone from the mages guild to see what they could find out.” The captain was rubbing his head.

  “That puts us in a bind, with potentially a hundred and fifty mouths to feed. Losing that much meat could hurt us if we’re under siege. With a little time, we could hunt that much in bear, boar, and wolf meat, but I was already counting on that as a supplement,” Alexander said.

  “The butcher promised to send another wagon in the morning. Free of charge,” the captain assured him.

  “He shouldn’t have to absorb that loss if his cargo was spelled. If the mages find this to be the case, I’ll pay him for another shipment. But I’m thinking we teleport it straight from the slaughterhouse, so whoever spelled it can’t repeat the process.” Alexander was thinking aloud. Once we get settled and expand the walls, we can skip the butcher and just buy some cattle and sheep. But that’s some ways away.”

  The two men drifted into silence. When they heard the front door open and close, they figured it was safe to descend.

  “I’ll head back to the palace and see if there’s news,” the captain said.

  “I need to go meet all the dwarven recruits. You’ll be at the feast?” Alexander asked.

  “Wouldn’t miss it!” The c
aptain smiled.

  Alexander returned to the compound to find Caleb talking to Claude in the bailey. “Ah, Caleb. Welcome. I see you found Claude,” he said.

  “Aye, Alexander. He’ll do. Can’t let him near his shop when he’s been drinking, though. Nearly cut his own hand off last time,” Caleb said with a straight enough face that Alexander truly had no idea whether he was joking.

  “In that case, welcome both of you. You’ll be able to pass through the wards now. Introduce yourselves around, and I’ll see you at the feast.” Alexander led them inside.

  Brick had already finished expanding the new block of obsidian. Surprisingly, he had extended the new section in an L shape that formed around the corner where the forge was. This effectively placed the forge nearer the center of the new smithy. Then he’d opened up the back side of the forge, where the corner of the old structure had been. This, quite ingeniously, allowed smiths to work from both sides of the forge at once. It didn’t increase the size of the forge itself, but Brick had already made it large enough to sit inside. So, the dimension of the entire structure went from roughly 20x20 to 35x30.