by Niel Hancock
“Go away, we’ve no use here for spirits.”
His big teeth began to rattle so loudly he imagined dry bones clacking in an invisible wind.
Otter scampered into sight, chin stained bright purple, his paws full of the huge, ripe berries from the bushes across Calix Stay.
“I must say, you two gave me a fright,” he scolded. “I wanted to take just a few more of these wonderful berries with me, when all of a sudden I was in the middle of something I couldn’t make up from down of, and Dwarf was shouting, and there was so much noise, and then I remembered to say the words, and when it all went away, I was tangled all up in a thorn patch. I called and called, but no one answered, so I got out, but there was no one about. And what’s all this about ghosts and such?” Otter crept nearer to Bear, looking over his shoulder. “Are there those kinds of things on this side?”
“Grumplety garrumph,” roared Broco, and managed to free his head from beneath Bear’s great forepaw. “There’s going to be if this fur rug doesn’t let me down.”
Dwarf coughed loudly, then sighed as Bear remembered his prisoner and released him.
‘Tm sorry, Dwarf. It was so frightening, losing him, then hearing him again that way.”
“Losing who? chimed in Otter, unable to see the dark scowl on Broco’s face.
“You, you witless water dog. Picking berries,” bellowed Dwarf, “while we’re stuck in the middle of Calix Stay. You might just as well have brought along a flower or two, since we’re just out for a friendly walk.”
Bear reached down and patted Broco gently. “But he’s not lost after all, Dwarf. And now we’re all together again, and they do look like tasty berries.”
Dwarf started to bluster again, then thought better of it, feeling again the sharp pain he’d felt when he’d thought their little companion lost.
“Well, hurrumph, just be more careful about how you gather your supper in the future,” he said, only half huffed, and he gravely walked over to the little gray fellow and gave him a quick pat.
And Otter, always polite where it concerned someone’s feelings, pretended not to see the two small tears rolling down Dwarf’s cheek.
“But whatever do we do now?” asked Bear, looking about him at the dark, forbidding woods.,
Broco studied the gloomy clearing, then spoke.
“First we’ll have that supper Otter brought, then well sleep.”
Bear woefully eyed the few small berries in Otter’s paw. “Is this the usual fare this side of the River?”
“Better than nothing, my friend, and unless I’m far wrong, more than we’ll have until I can get my bearings and find help.”
Bear took one of the purple berries and sucked it ruefully.
“I suppose it’s meant to be, but I can’t help wondering what the rest of this dreary place is like if a fellow can’t get a decent supper or a bed for himself.”
He munched silently for a while, trying to make his meager supper last, then looked to his two companions, both fallen exhausted and sleeping by his aide.
Bear forgot his supper then, remembering how tired he was, and the weariness of crossing Galix Stay descended upon him, and he, too, fell finally asleep, on this, the first night again in the World Before Time.
At
Journey’s
Door
Arrival
From the south a damp wind blew, bringing with it many strange, old, disturbing scents, smells not quite so fresh as even a bright autumn morning could make things, but filled with unknown terrors and sudden danger. There was a strong odor of man, I which pulled Bear from his fretful sleep. He became alert, rising up on his haunches to test the direction and rumbling deep in his throat to warn his friends. Otter slept on, turning one ear back at the big animal’s note of caution, then twisting more closely into a ball of gray fur, falling back into the soft, running tug of clear water where he darted in his dream. Dwarf peeped out from beneath his hat, squinting to see the position of the sun, looking at Bear, back to the overcast sky, then to Otter, now diving deep into a school of trout and almost on the point of racing a large, dark-brown-colored tarnfin.
Dwarf kicked Otter hurriedly in rising, and stood close to Bear, who had tested all four directions and could make nothing out of the man scent except that they were surrounded, for the lingering wind told him the message from all sides. It was not immediately near them, but it was not so far away.
“What is it, Bear?”
“Man.”
“Are they near us?”
“I shouldn’t say too far. I can’t hear anything, though.”
Otter, sullenly rubbing his eyes and trying his whiskers, grumped, “I knew I should have listened to my own better judgment. Not only am I dragged bodily away from my river by an overpuffed knot of a lumpheaded dwarf, carted across all sorts of boundaries that should better be left uncrossed, plumped down square in the middle of a nest of men, but I get kicked for my breakfast.” Otter toppled back ward, covering his eyes with his paws.
“Shhhh,” hissed Bear, rising up to his full height, ears back, nose searching, great brown hackles bristling upon his neck.
Seeing Bear upright and aroused, Otter forgot all else and darted beneath the huge animal’s shadow, crouched and whistling low in his throat. Dwarf brandished his rune-covered walking stick, but also moved closer to Bear.
“The scent is growing stronger. There are many of them.”
Otter caught the strong man scent now, powerful and disgusting, and every time the wind caught its breath it grew stronger, as if a great horde of Mankind was approaching.
Dwarf carefully studied the countryside in the growing gray light, and exclaimed, “This is a piece of luck I hadn’t counted on. Quickly, you two. We’re not far from friends and food, and a place where we may make what plans we must.”
Broco moved quickly out of the alder thicket where they had passed the night, out and down the riverbed for a few minutes, until they came to a broad meadow that seemed to make a wide roadway toward the rising sun.
“We’ll follow along the edge of the trees there to avoid anyone who might be about until we reach the Galant Road. That was built in my time here. We’ve landed only a few leagues from where some of my kin dwell. Hurry along now. I have no desire at the moment to explain to anyone the presence of a dwarf and his traveling companions.”
The three friends moved silently off and were quickly swallowed by the shadows of the trees, passing quietly, almost no more than the wind rustling across the sun.
A
Discovery
“It’s long since I’ve dwelt here, and long since I’ve had news, but Tubal, great Dwarf Elder, settled here many ages before the World Before Time was peopled with all those kind that move in it now. My cousin, Bani, had a great hall here in the years before I left, and it’s to Bani we go to seek counsel now. Another hour’s walk should see us safely with him.”
“I don’t like the feel of this place, Dwarf. There’s something that doesn’t sit right. I can’t begin to tell you why, but I feel afraid now.”
Bear walked warily along, massive head raised, complete halt.
“I think we’d better scout ahead first, Dwarf, before we go any farther. Otter is small and clever, he can creep ahead and see if this is all my nose playing me tricks, or whether there is real danger.”
Otter agreed, and almost before their eyes, he was gone, slipped into shadow of tree and grass, so swiftly they were startled, and indeed wondered if he had vanished into thin air. Before they had settled themselves comfortably down to wait beneath a great weatherworn old oak, Otter had returned, eyes wide, small paws motioning them to follow him deeper into the woods. At last, after walking quite a long way into the thickening trees, and turning every few steps with a stern concerned look every time a twig cracked or a branch snapped, he stopped, and in the lowest of whispers, he spoke.
“A bit farther up the road there’s what’s left of a man camp of some sort. Still fresh enough to worr
y you, Bear. I guess that’s the man scent. There were two men there, beside a fire, making a meal, I guess, and talking pretty loudly to each other. I’m surprised you both didn’t hear it, they were carrying on so.”
“We heard nothing,” said Dwarf, feeling his ears.
“I heard something, but it didn’t sound like man. More a rumble like trees at night, or rock secrets.”
Bear shifted his great weight from hind paws to forequarters as he eased himself down to a sitting position, looking away in the direction they had come, and secretly straining to pick up man voices.
“The strange thing, Dwarf, is that I could understand them perfectly well.”
“That’s nothing to fret your whiskers over, dear Otter. You’ve lived long on the other side of the River, but there was a time before, I think, when you went about here, long ago. Who knows how many times, or in what forms? Crossing Calix Stay again simply awakened those times, so it’s natural you should understand their tongue. I fancy it hasn’t changed so much in all these years.”
“I rather like to think there would be more civil tongues to discourse in,” mumbled Bear, raising a paw to tug at his chin. “I find keeping my own hasn’t led me wrong all these years. Nothing ever came of meddling about in tongues.” Bear looked up to see Dwarf’s eyes resting on his own, deep and thoughtful, and slightly amused.
“No offense, Dwarf. Besides, you’re different. Everyone has his tasks and chores, and I guess that must be yours and your kind’s.” Bear trailed off. “Of course, I haven’t known many dwarfs before, but I imagine that’s what they’re like.”
“You’re not far amiss there, dear fellow,” laughed Dwarf. ‘Tor the most part we’re builders and delvers, but certain of the clans keep lore masters and such, and it was from a family of those that I sprang. Where others learned the older skills of metal and stone, I was taught songs and stories, and as a gatherer and keeper I traveled far and long to take up the other tongues of the world. All that was ages ago, when I was a spanner* as dwarf young are known, but I’ve long been under a mountain, away across the River, and have forgotten much I have known, or misplaced it somewhere under my hat.”
Dwarf took off the bright yellow head cover with the green brim and twirled it on his right hand. The late morning sun caught and held its spiraling motion, and for a moment it seemed to take flight, the fine gold and silver stitchwork catching fire with light. It began to sing in a low, croaking voice, and as Bear and Otter watched it began to fashion a series of images, pale and misty, as though they were watching a sunrise through silver-gray mists from a hole in the earth. There were trees in this vision, and a blue sky, sunless, but lighted by some brilliance that seemed to have no center. Then fair, sparkling towers in the form of cloverleaf and rose bloom, dazzling to look upon, and tall. A sound arose from somewhere, everywhere, and it grew until it was music, pure and joyful. Otter rose up to his full height and began to sway from side to side in an old form of dance of his sires, and Bear hummed along, patting a big hind paw and smiling. The hat spun slowly down into Dwarf’s hand, and he replaced it quickly on his head, pulling it firmly down until it touched his ears and his eyes were fairly hidden behind the rich green brim. With that, the vision and music vanished, and Bear , and Otter slowly returned from where they had taken them, awed and saddened at once.
“There’s more to a good hat than to keep the son off your skull, or a hard rain from slipping down the back of your collar. But continue, Otter, I’m afraid I’ve misguided your story.”
“I’ve forgotten where I was,” he said, blinking and stammering, “I mean, if...”
“You were wondering how it is you understood; the tongue of man, and I told you, although we haven’t heard yet what it was they were saying.”
Otter knitted his whiskers into a scowl, twitched; an ear, and blushed. “I was so struck with understanding them I’ve dear forgotten what they said.”
“Then perhaps the three of us should take a peep, and see and hear what we can. Not all men even in my last time here were to be trusted, although I’ll dare say more were then than now.”
“Shouldn’t we be getting on to your kin’s house instead of dallying about in business that’s not our own?”
“My dear shambling old hearthrug, all business’ here may concern us, and it’s always wise to pick up a bit of news when traveling in unfamiliar times. Best armed, best warned, or so it goes in some tongues.”
“I hope they’re not discussing hides,” said Otter.
“I doubt if they’re hunters, Otter. What you said of a large camp speaks against that.”
“All the more reason to worry, so many mouths to feed,” grumped Bear.
“Being thick-skinned, I don’t worry as much about that as most might, although bear stew might appeal to some.”
Otter giggled into his whiskers.
“There would be a bit left over for supper, too.”
Bear’s huge paw reached out to swipe his flanks, but Otter had scampered ahead, suddenly alert.
“Shush, they’ll hear us,” he warned, but too late, for the two men in the clearing of the camp had heard, and both now stood upright, staring straight into the thickets that concealed the companions.
Two
Magicians
“Stand ye, who trespass the two Voices of the Circle. Be ye fair or foul, stand forth for your judgment.”
It was more than a voice, and the clear sky filled with frightful figures of riders, cloaked in terrible white robes and gilded helms that did not sparkle but burned deep within themselves, as if the flaming light was far away beneath their smooth, terrible surface. The horses were mighty beasts that straddled mountains, and nearer, rising tall, a shimmering pale-ivory-colored tower that rose upward and into the farthest visions, and near its top, it curled into the shape of a flaming turtle with a pointed shell of brilliant silver.
Bear and Otter were lying flat on the ground, dumb terror so heavy upon them they helplessly awaited their doom without even being able to so much as whimper. Dwarf’s hat had been blown off his head by the mighty rush of the voice wind, and he now clutched it, trying to straighten it on his head with shaking hands.
“By the great dwarfs beard,” he exclaimed breathlessly, more shaken than really afraid, “I think we’ve two wizards here to deal with, and of the right sort, if I can go by their words.” Dwarf advanced out of the thicket, into plain sight of the two wizards.
“Hail, O wisest and fairest of the Circle. My service and my friends’ service are yours, to your bidding.”
The first man, who seemed to be the older, made a circle in the air with his staff, and the spell he had woven turned scarlet upon the trees and began to How back to the earth, and the skies cleared, and once more the peaceful warmth of the sun shone clearly and a cool breeze sprang up from the west, as if it, too, had held its breath before this power.
“And what makes you think we need the services of a dwarf and his land, good spanner? And be so kind as to ask your companions to step out into the open so that we may see them. I have not much liking for those who would lurk about before the powers of the Circle, for it speaks of a cowardly heart or an evil purpose.” So saying, the gray-clad figure moved his left hand in the direction of the sweet briar bushes, and a brilliant blue-green light darted hissing toward the two friends, who quaked and trembled, almost fainting with fright as they saw the ghostly huge hand groping toward them.
Otter leapt up, his dignity overcoming his fear, for the two men were obviously not of a mind to stew them, and he could not imagine a wizard doing any evil to animals of any sort, or at least not any wizards of the nature he had heard of in any song or river story.
“There’s neither coward’s heart nor evil here,” he cried, then added, “Beg pardon, sir, but as you can see, we’ve only just crossed the River, and are trying to set our course for the house of the kin of Dwarf. We mean no harm to any business of yours, and I ask you leave ours in peace and let us depart.”
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br /> The taller and younger of the two men stepped forward, looking long and carefully at Otter.
“Step nearer, Olther, Merry Waterfolk of Old. You need fear no harm, nor you, Bruinlth.”
The man spoke in an old, familiar tongue, common to all wild things. His voice was clear and reassuring, and Otter knew there was nothing to fear.
“It seems you keep strange companions, Dwarf. Or else you must be one of the lore masters of old. I’ve not seen friendships between Animalkind and dwarfs, nor any other kind in many passings, except across the River,” he added, nodding away in the direction from where they had come. “Still, it is strange and warrants the telling of it, and if you’ll forgive my hasty temper, come now and join us in a bite, and perhaps we can exchange news. I am called Greyfax, elder of Grimwald, and my companion here is the eldest son of the ancient Fairingays, in the speech of Windameir, Faragon, in common tongue, Froghorn, heir and lord now of ancient lore, and Third Keeper of the Light.”
Greyfax spoke more softly, and the sound of his voice was as pleasant to hear now as it had been terrible before. A great peace descended about the company, and a fresh wind rose up, full of flowers and perfumed with the promise of rain, although the sky stood still bright blue and empty of shadow or cloud.
“I am called Broco, the Younger, of a clan who have all gone beyond the River or into the darkness under the earth. My friends are Otter and Bear, nobles of Animalkind, and lords of the Realm of the Sun.”
“Ill fortune awaits those who have dealings with the River. I have crossed it many times in days long I past, but have not journeyed beyond its fastness in these later years. There must be a great need for you to venture here now in these times. Atlanton Earth is perilous and troubled, and .I regret to say, not as hospitable as of old. A great crisis is, I’m afraid, closer to hand than one would like to say.”