The Weaving of Wells (Osric's Wand, Book Four)

by Jack D. Albrecht Jr.

  “It be that bad? What can we be doing?” Lynth asked, staring at the snow scattered across the toes of his boots.

  “Ye just be keeping yer head about ye, and we’ll be watching out for ye.” Machai attempted a reassuring tone, but he was worried that they hadn’t all considered just how angry Thenar was going to be. He turned his attention to Kablis, knowing that at least one of his companions understood what a mess they were walking into. “The first thing we must be doing is getting inside without drawing the attention of the guards. Kablis, ye know as well as I, since we be training most of ’em, that it willn’t be simple.”

  “What be yer plan?” Kablis asked.

  “We need to be getting inside without being seen. Me plan be to be avoiding the guards entirely.”

  “Can we be traveling in by spell?” Kablis didn’t sound confident in the suggestion, but it seemed like the simplest choice.

  “Nay,” Machai said. “Ye be knowing as well as I that there be too many protection spells on this mountain to be risking triggering one. I cannot be knowing if the protection spells be enough to keep us from traveling directly inside. I be willing to risk some of us getting caught, but I willn’t be risking any of us getting dead.”

  “Can we be coming down the shaft of the lift?” one of the others asked softly, and Machai didn’t look around to see who it was.

  “We be risking the same spells whether it be traveling through stone or through the shaft. That opening at the top of the mountain be as protected as any entrance or the walls themselves be. We be having no choice but to be opening the doors.” Kablis answered the next obvious suggestion without waiting for Machai to reply.

  “We locate ’em before they be locating us, and we be using the traveling spell to stay between ’em and out of sight. It’ll be best if we all be arriving undetected, but it be harder to travel as a pack. We be splitting up. The more that be getting in unseen, the better our argument’ll be. If ye be seen, be making it take a while to catch ye, but don’t be using the spell. It’ll be giving the rest time to be getting inside. Ready?” Machai glanced around at each of them, acknowledging the silent nods and looks of determination. He wasn’t sure just how cool the welcome would be when they arrived, but he intended to show Thenar that the new revelations in magic would prevent their stronghold from being as safe as it had once been. If they could get to the doors undetected by using the traveling spell, so could Dredek’s men or any other enemy with evil intentions. The FireFalls clan wouldn’t be secure unless they were willing to aid Osric in winning the war and restoring order to Archana. When he was sure they were all ready, he gave the signal to split up and take positions to locate any clan sentries.

  Machai and the dwarves with him knew the surrounding mountains at least as well as anyone stationed in the area. Between their skill and experience with the terrain, and the traveling spell, they moved rapidly toward the entrance in silence.

  This approach would be different than the last time he visited his home; he needed to be unseen by any patrols that may be on the mountainside. Last time, he had landed on dragonback and didn’t care who saw their approach. This time, he needed his kin to recognize the threat that new magic could present to their home or all hope of gaining support could die before it had a chance. He wasn’t showing up under the best of circumstances either.

  The dwarves who were with them had been charged with delivering weapons, and he had a hand in stopping the delivery. Though Dredek still gained the weapons, it was because of Machai’s allegiance to the Aranthians that the dwarves received no payment. Coupled with the fact that the ones charged with the delivery were now a part of the organization that was responsible for their lack of payment, he knew they would have to have a very good reason for asking more from FireFalls.

  Quickly, Machai surveyed the surroundings knowing that one of them would have to make their way to the door while taking advantage of the surroundings to stay concealed. One of them would have to place a palm on the door to open it for the others. He knew that others on the mountainside would be watching for intruders, and though a group of dwarves would not be frowned upon, or even stopped when approaching, they needed the element of surprise to lend credence to their argument. They had to be careful.

  Halfway up the slope, two guards leaned up against a tree smoking pipes and eating cheese. Machai heard them before he saw them. The sun stood high in the sky, which did not help them find cover. Luckily there were more than enough large rocks and trees to block their approach until one of them could see the door and travel to it. He ducked behind a tall bush, shielding him from view of the two visible guards, and surveyed his surroundings.

  He noticed a location that could easily hide someone from view, but he didn’t see anyone from his current position. Machai looked around for a spot that would give him a better view without putting him out in the open. Off to his left he spotted a tree that provided a perfect view behind the obstructing rock. So he spoke under his breath, imagining himself at that location. Machai appeared behind the tree, though a small broken branch was piercing the muscle at the back of his arm. He held his breath to avoid making a sound and pulled the offending object out, grimacing as it tore at his flesh. He knew the risks of the spell, but even the most experienced could make mistakes. Bending the branch out of his way, he flattened himself up against the tree and peered slowly from behind to see the concealed guard signaling to another man, and he was pointing in Machai’s direction. His heart raced at the thought of being the one caught in their group.

  He sat, silently waiting for someone to find him, not wanting to give away anyone else’s location. If he were to be found, he would have to make a run for it so as to not give away the knowledge of the spoken spell. He would still be able to make an argument for troops, but it would be less convincing than walking in without being seen. He could hear footsteps from the other side of the tree, and a voice rang out.

  “Ye there, halt or we’ll be cutting ye down!”

  He tensed, preparing to make a run for it, but one from his group burst out from behind a bush and began to run back in the direction they had started from. Two more of his men panicked and joined in the flight for safety, drawing two hidden guards into the chase. Machai couldn’t be sure, but he thought one of the dwarves fleeing across the snow was Lynth.

  Machai breathed a sigh of relief that his location had not been discovered, glanced back at his wound with annoyance, and then looked into the distance for his next cover. Luckily, the hidden scout location was now empty, which meant that four fewer eyes were now surveying the mountainside for intruders. He wished his three men luck in their retreat, hoping they would make it a long distance before being caught, but how many would end up joining in the retreat was unclear from his hidden location. He couldn’t risk making an accurate count, as it would compromise his location.

  He had come nearly half the distance with one use of the spell, but he still couldn’t see the door. The crevice leading to the door would provide a great deal of cover while the door was opened, but by his estimate it would take two more uses of the spell before he could safely arrive at the entrance to their mountain home.

  Appearing behind the furthest tree that he could clearly see behind, Machai was happy to find that no hidden obstacles had pierced his body. Making sure he was concealed from view, he peered through the snow-covered landscape one more time, searching for hidden eyes. He made out three guards at heightened alert, standing ready with wands out, scouting the path he had already passed. He smiled as the long, dark crevice leading to their home was now visible, and he thought he could see one of his men walking inside. Luckily, from their current vantage point, the alerted guards wouldn’t be able to make out anything near the opening, and one spell would have him inside.

  Appearing just inside, Machai quickly stepped into the shadows, turning around to make sure he hadn’t been spotted. There was no sound to indicate he had been seen, so he quickly started down the dark corrido
r, feeling his way through rather than lighting his wand. He could smell the familiar scents of home in the stone beside him, and at least two of them had made it as far as this.

  A few moments later, he could see the familiar glow of a hand on the door, indicating it was being opened. A burst of warm air breezed by him, smelling of metal and oil. They had made it. Machai grunted in appreciation as he greeted three of his companions inside the door.

  “Ye be slow as always, Machai. I be surprised ye be making it at all.”

  “Aye, Kablis. Ye be quick, but ye flushed out the guards that be chasing the tails of three of yer men.” Laughter fled from Kablis’s face at Machai’s words, and he stared down at the smooth stone passage rather than meeting the eyes of the disappointed dwarf. Machai softened his tone as he said, “They be making an honorable sacrifice. It be true that we needn’t all make it unseen, and yer boys led them away to be clearing the path for the rest.”

  As Machai finished, two more crept silently up behind them. Their faces showed both the success of their arrival as well as defeat. The first broke the silence.

  “We be the last. Ye saw the three be running back, leading the guards away.” He directed his words to Machai. “We be near ye, but well concealed. Not long after, we be seeing three more caught in an avalanche spell. They be snared by the guards before they could be getting their feet under ’em and running away. The guards willn’t be too far behind.”

  “Aye. Be we confronting Thenar now?” Kablis asked.

  “No, let us be making our way to yer chambers first,” Machai said.

  Kablis nodded and the six dwarves moved quietly but swiftly along the corridor as the door closed behind them. They stopped at the chasm in the floor only long enough for Machai to place his hand against a well-worn space on the wall and use his wand to summon the stone lift that would take them to another floor and hopefully to safety from the approaching guards. They needed to seek out some friends, and he only hoped that they would find those who would help them before anyone else found them first.

  Machai stood on the lift with his five successful companions, dreading the inevitable confrontation with Thenar. He hoped to put off the encounter for a while—not because he feared the result, but because he wanted to feel out the clan and determine how much support and resistance they had for Osric and the Aranthians. The platform’s descent halted several levels down into the mountain, but not as far as he had taken Thamas when they had arrived at FireFalls the last time.

  Machai and his companions stepped off of the lift in silence, heading down the smooth stone passageway that led to the private quarters of many of the strongest warriors in the clan. Each wore a solemn expression as they considered whether they would be welcomed home with open arms or with raised weapons. Any of the dwarves they were striding toward would have the power to raise an alarm and have them all imprisoned before they could speak to anyone about their mission. It was a risk they would have to take.

  They passed several arched doorways carved in the stone and continued on until the passageway opened up onto a large common room. Only three people were in the room at that time of day, as most others would be engaged in various training, work, or the mid’day meal. Machai almost sighed with relief when he saw who was present, but the tension did not entirely leave the group.

  Two women sat at a table near the center of the room playing a game of bones, and they didn’t notice the arrival of the six men. The young dwarf in the corner of the room did notice, and he came running immediately when he saw them enter.

  “Papa!” The boy rushed up to Kablis with an excited grin. The grizzled old dwarf smiled from ear to ear as he embraced his son.

  “Ye be taking care of yer mother like I be ordering?”

  “Aye. Ye be gone so long, though. She be growing grumpier by the day.” The young boy was still beardless but beginning to fill out in the shoulders, and Kablis roared with laughter at the angry face his son donned doing an impression of his mother. The noise of the reunion drew the attention of the two dwarven women, who approached with warm smiles. Machai was familiar with them both.

  “Aye, it be nice to be welcomed home with smiles from ye lovelies. Can we be hoping we be not as hated as we be fearing?” Machai draped an arm across each of their shoulders as he greeted them.

  “Nay, ye be not hated. But ye do be drawing down the wrath of Thenar more with each passing sun.” The women were well past working age, and their skin was greying and cracked like weathered stone. They still giggled like girls at Machai’s flattery, but their eyes shone with the wisdom of their years and the words held a clear warning for the long-absent group. Machai nodded silently in acceptance and sent the women back to their leisurely game of strategy and chance with a grateful smile.

  Kablis knelt down and spoke softly to his son.

  “We need to be speaking with some of the men, Dandren. Do ye be knowing who be angry and who be loyal to yer papa?”

  “Aye. I be listening just as ye be teaching me. Krind and Morgo be worried and missing ye most. Threed be grumbling much about yer being gone. Krind be thumping ’im twice already for calling ye a betrayer.”

  “Ye be doing well, son. Can ye be going to fetch Krind and Morgo? But ye cannot be letting anyone know we be here.” Urgency and import were heavy in Kablis’s tone.

  “Aye, papa, easy.” Dandren grinned up at his father’s companions with confidence.

  “Good. Be bringing ’em to our chambers quickly.” Kablis sighed and smiled as he watched his boy run off to the lift.

  “Yer lad’s grown a deal since we be leaving home.”

  “Aye.” Kablis watched until Dandren was out of sight, and then the men hurried to his chambers to await the arrival of potential allies.

  Although the wait was not terribly long, it was filled with tense silence, and the room was shadowed with the men’s dread. They were confident that they still had friends there, and they knew some would support them in attempting to recruit a force to aid Osric. Yet, they were also aware of the potential backlash for even asking, nevermind the rumors that may have been spread about the reason they were gone so long after losing the largest and most valuable shipment ever sent out from the stone walls of FireFalls. A failure like that, without the swift return and an explanation from the offenders, would likely be seen as dishonorable at best, treasonous at worst. Dwarves crafted and used weapons; they weren’t defeated by them.

  They heard Dandren approaching, an ungainly skipping down the stone halls, before they saw anyone turn in through the archway that led to Kablis’s rooms. Machai realized he was holding his breath when he sighed with relief at the sight of the two dwarves Kablis had sent for. They were smiling at the youthful excitement of their guide, and they rushed forward to embrace Kablis and several of the others as soon as they saw them. Machai had never been close to the two men, but he knew of their reputation for honor and loyalty. If they still supported Kablis, in light of what they may have heard about him, then there was still hope for their mission.

  “It be good to be seeing ye. We knew ye’d be back, and ye’d be telling yer side of the tale.” Krind slapped Kablis on the shoulder as he spoke.

  “It be quite a tale at that. We be needing some help first, lads, before we be sitting around and yapping.”

  “Ye be naming it, we be providing the aid,” Morgo assured him before turning with a grin. “Machai, ye lil devil. Ye be stirring up a hornet’s nest with yer last argument with Thenar. What be yer aim this time?”

  “We be needing a force to be marching to war.” His words raised the eyebrows of both men. “But first, let’s be sitting down and telling ye what be stirring outside our little hive. Archana be a mess, men.”

  10 — Alliances

  Morgo and Krind sat in quiet conversation with each other while Kablis and Machai told the whole story over again. When the two friends of Kablis had heard everything the men had been through—first in Rowain when the shipment of weapons was lost to
Aron and his men, then in Stanton when the Turgent’s men had attacked the city, and again in the Irua Realm when Dredek had stormed the tunnels and then severely injured Osric—Morgo and Krind had readily agreed to do anything they could to aid Machai and Kablis in recruiting a force. It was clear that there was more going on in the world, particularly with the discovery of new magic, than the dwarven stronghold was prepared to withstand. It was only a matter of time before someone or something took an interest in the Dwarven Realm as well. The two had rapidly gathered a few of their closest friends they were sure they could count on to support them as well. Even if they weren’t as willing to march off to war as Morgo and Krind were, these dwarves would surely stand against an enemy that dared to steal a massive shipment of enchanted dwarven swords for an army.

  When Kablis and Machai finished telling the newcomers their story, the men sat back in thought with varying expressions of anger, disbelief, determination, and conviction on their faces. Phel sat on Machai’s right, tugging on his red beard as he considered the situation. He was one of the dwarves who had crafted the weapons sent to Rowain, and he took the loss of the swords and axes personally. Gerbim was next to Phel, a smaller dwarf than most and also quicker to anger. He had the sight of Wand-Makers, but the dwarves used the ability to enchant their finely crafted weapons. He hated the idea that his skills had put such deadly weapons into the hands of a madman. Pavyn, the last of the new allies, worked with Machai training young dwarves in combat. His Hunter ability was the keenest Machai had seen until he had fought alongside Kenneth and Osric.

  “I be fighting beside ye most of our lives, Machai. I be fighting beside ye always. Ye have me aid in yer mission.” Pavyn spoke up first. “But I cannot be knowing if ye can sway Thenar, and I be far from his good graces these days. Ye willn’t be winning any arguments with ’im by raising me name.”