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

by Jack D. Albrecht Jr.

  Thenar continued, “How can we be honoring our ancestors, who be carving these halls from the cold stone of the mountain, if we be fleeing from our walls to be saving the skin of a human who be too weak to be winning without dwarven warriors? If Osric be so ineffective in his battles, who be we to say he shall be the victor of his war? Who be we to say he should be leading the heroes of our southern neighbor realm? Who be we to say he be the man we be wanting to follow into battle? Machai be speaking of loyalty to a foreign ruler who be falling in every battle he be fighting. Machai be speaking of an organization in its infancy, forged in a war we be playing no part in, but unproven in times of true hardship. There be no reason to be believing the Aranthians willn’t be a mere memory in a few years’ time, no reason to be thinking that Osric willn’t be the catalyst of tragedy in the tale of humanity, no reason to be discussing marching to the lines of a war that be someone else’s battle. It be me responsibility, as yer leader, to be knowing when to be sending aid and when to be refusing. I willn’t be sending me men to slaughter, to be led into battle by a wailing child who be playing at war with a foreign warlord—one who be fully grown in his tactics and thirst for destruction. I willn’t be sacrificing me men, yer brothers, to be risking the blood of dwarves for the pride of a human.

  “Machai be right that ye be having the blood of fierce and strong warriors in ye, but he be daring to be calling yer ancestors—our first clan leaders—fools?! He be away from these mighty mountain halls for too long, and he be forgetting what it be meaning to be a dwarf. He be forgetting that the unforgiving stone and ice of these northern lands be demanding staunch loyalty and stern discipline or it be consuming ye and burying ye alive. He be forgetting that it be me duty first and foremost to be protecting the lives of me clan members.

  “It be true that we clan leaders can be wrong, I willn’t be denying it. Yet, it also be true that only clan leaders, and those that be closest to them”—he gestured with his sword to the nine gathering members—“can be understanding what it be taking to be leading a clan. Machai be a good fighter, and he be a good teacher, but he be naïve in the necessities of me responsibilities.

  “He also be running a track record of blatantly disregarding clan welfare when it be coming to his decisions about this war. He be sent to Braya to be making a delivery, and it be taking much longer than anticipated to be returning with the clan’s payment as he be getting himself tangled up with Osric and his rebellion. That money be needed to be feeding and providing for the clan families. He be belligerent upon returning, and he be leaving against me wishes when he be needed here to be training others to be defending our home. Ye may be tempted by his words of bravery, loyalty, and wisdom, but he be leaving his home to be intentionally sabotaging the largest shipment of weapons FireFalls ever be filling, and the clan be losing enough money to be providing for our people for an entire year, not to be mentioning the weapons. Machai be told to be returning home, and we could be working together to be forming a plan to be recovering from the loss, but again he be disregarding me authority. Machai be going off to war with the Aranthians and be leaving his clan to be suffering the losses of goods, coin, and his skills with no consideration for what his actions be doing to his people.

  “Aye, I be calling Machai a traitor. When he finally be returning, he be recruiting the men he be dragging into his rebellion and he be turning them against the clan. His only defense be that the magic he be using to be sneaking into the mountain be dangerous in the wrong hands. After all he be doing to be betraying the clan, I be saying it be his hands that be wrong, and I cannot be tolerating such traitorous behavior. He even be escaping from the dungeons to be using what he be calling dangerous magic to be bringing ye men here today. Does this be the dwarf ye want determining the fate of me men? Of yer men?” Thenar stood on the dais, one hand raised and pointing at Machai and the other gripping his sword. He let his arm drop slowly, turning and gazing out at the crowd beyond, then spinning slowly to squarely face each of the gathering members.

  “Be taking up yer swords, men, and be using yer wisdom and strength that be inherited from those mighty dwarves ye be descending from. Be embracing yer clan, and yer loyalty to the Dwarven Realm, and be asking what ye may. Be letting the gathering commence.”

  Thenar and Machai moved back to back as the nine armed and armored dwarves slowly tightened their circle around them. As the nine dwarves drew their weapons, Machai and Thenar raised their swords and prepared to meet the gathering members in ritualistic battle to defend their arguments and seek victory against the other. Neither of them had ever participated in a gathering, but the method of the sacred rite was well known from the stories they had all heard.

  As the nine dwarves slowly circled around them, they brought their swords up to meet the blades of the two combatants. The clear clang of steel echoed throughout the chamber, one after another, as Thenar and Machai returned the strokes with controlled movements. Legin of StoneStar was the first to engage in the interrogation phase of the gathering, swinging his sword in quickly toward Thenar’s left shoulder. The clan leader reacted swiftly, blocking the blow with his own blade, and Legin asked his question as the circle came to a stop in its revolution.

  “If ye be denying Osric the reinforcements, will the Dwarven Realm be earning a formidable enemy?” Legin’s strikes were slow and controlled, easy enough for Thenar to parry while he responded.

  “There be no reason for Osric to be declaring the dwarves as his enemy. He be young and inexperienced, but I be not thinking he be stupid. Besides, he be leading a small rebellion. New magic or no, he be no threat to the Dwarven Realm.” Thenar expended only enough energy to block Legin’s half-hearted attack, knowing that he would need his strength and stamina to last through the ordeal. Legin only grunted and stepped to his left, initiating the rotation of the ring to resume around Thenar and Machai. Festil of IronForge, whom Machai had recruited through his brother the clan leader, engaged next.

  “Machai, ye be demonstrating unfamiliar and impressive magic in me brother’s chambers. Who else be having the skills ye be showing off to be manipulating me clan into compliance?” Festil thrust his sword toward Machai’s armored shoulder, but Machai blocked the stroke easily, sweeping Festil’s blade down toward the floor. His only response to the open animosity in Festil’s tone was a grim smile.

  “Most of me allies in the Aranthians be using the same techniques I be demonstrating for yer brother, among many other more impressive feats, and we be learning the skill from Osric. It be hard to say what magic Dredek be knowing, but it be safe to say it be at least as terrifying as mine. Soon, the men who be aiding me in strengthening the ranks of the Aranthians and resisting the terror of Dredek’s magic be knowing it too.” Machai’s words caused a spark of desire to flash in Festil’s eyes as the IronForge dwarf weighed the truth in Machai’s promise to teach the traveling spell to anyone who joined him. Though Machai was confident that Gorin would send the three hundred men as promised in order to gain the benefit of new magic, Machai still needed Festil’s vote in the gathering to secure the win. He disliked the idea that Festil may join with him only out of greed for the knowledge Machai could provide of magic, but he would accept that over Festil siding with Thenar out of anger for Machai manipulating his brother into sending Festil to the gathering. Festil delivered a final sweeping strike at Machai as he shifted his weight and the circle resumed its rotation. Machai blocked the blow, following through with the movement and catching the sword of the next man in line and blocking that as well.

  Rhemt of SnowStand, one of the eldest of the gathering members and the one Machai had chased down on the ship, asked his first question of Thenar. His sword strokes were reserved, as though he didn’t want to distract Thenar from his answer with the ritual combat of the gathering.

  “Thenar, if it be SnowStand that be under attack by this Dredek feller, would ye be refusing Machai his army then?”

  Thenar’s brow wrinkled fiercely and his
eyes narrowed, the dwarf’s question clearly causing a feeling of disgust in the clan leader.

  “Of course I willn’t be withholding me men from aiding a dwarven clan. That be not the same thing at all,” Thenar said. Rhemt nodded slightly, but rather than moving on in the circle, he quickly reversed his grip and brought his sword down quickly toward Thenar’s right hip. Surprised, Thenar stepped to his left and just managed to block the blade as Rhemt asked another question.

  “And if it be FireFalls that be under attack, will ye be expecting the aid of others if ye be seeking it?”

  “Aye, but I be not seeking aid from within the dusty tunnels of the Irua Realm. If trouble be coming to the Dwarven Realm, the dwarves be made of sharp enough steel to be handling it.” Thenar swung his sword at the older dwarf, but Furtl stepped in from Rhemt’s right and blocked Thenar’s blade with his own. Furtl attacked with a quick flurry of strokes as he continued with Rhemt’s line of questioning, keeping Thenar on the defensive in more ways than one.

  “If the irua be thinking yer peril be genuine and unjust, and they be marshaling a force to be aiding ye, would ye be turning their army away when ye be in need?”

  “Nay, but I willn’t be trusting ’em either.” Thenar kept his feet rooted to the wood of the floor as he blocked each blow. “If they be wanting to be dying, I be thanking ’em. But if they be marching an army into me realm, it be hard to be saying if they be ally or enemy.”

  On the other side of the circle, the sword and the questions of Hern from BillowBluff engaged Machai.

  “How can ye be putting the welfare of the irua and yer pal Osric over the safety and unity of yer clan? Ye be willing to be sending dwarves to the death, but ye willn’t be allowing Osric and the irua to be fighting what be their own war?” Hern asked.

  “I be claiming no hierarchy of what anyone’s life be worth. The lives of me kin and me clan be close to me heart, and I willn’t ever be seeking to be causing them ill, but me desire for me kin to be safe cannot be causing me to be leaving the irua and the Aranthians to be dying a needless death. Me kin and me clan, and all yer clans too, be the most efficient and effective force at wielding a weapon I ever be seeing, and if there be dwarves fighting alongside the Aranthians and irua then far fewer of all three be dying. The Aranthians be far too few to be matching Dredek, as his men be having the advantage of superior numbers and superior weapons. It be our fault they be armed so well, I willn’t have it be our fault that they be so much greater in numbers too.”

  Hern’s fierce glare was little changed by Machai’s response, but he halted his bladework and stepped to his left. However, the circle was breaking down as each member of the gathering began drawing his allegiance and focusing his questioning on either Machai or Thenar. Fertl and Jom were hurling alternating questions at Thenar as he deftly defended against both of their swords, so Hern was stalled for the moment near Machai.

  Irto stepped around Fertl, coming up on Machai’s left side and further desynchronizing the circle. Irto, the member from FireFalls, struck a half-hearted blow at Machai’s blade and picked up the questioning where Hern left off.

  “Do ye be pledging yer sword to Osric because ye be losing love for yer clan and our leader? Or maybe ye just be hungry for the power these new magics be promising?” Irto spoke louder than he needed to, as if the accusation were actually meant for another’s ears. Machai noted that Irto’s next sword stroke was slow in coming, although he was only aware of the hesitation because he knew what Irto was capable of; Machai had had a hand in training him, after all.

  “Nay. Me loyalty to me clan and to Thenar be no less solid than yers be. I be seeking to be aiding Osric only because it be the right thing to be doing. I be always true to me clan and me realm in me heart, but I also be a citizen of Archana. It be wrong to be turning a blind eye and a cold heart to the world that be around us, even if it be a distant land from our borders that be in peril. Me loyalty to Osric be forged in me observing his virtue and his commitment to be righting the wrongs that be perpetrated against our world, and it be tempered in me fighting alongside him and seeing his strength and humility when all odds be against him.” Machai watched Irto closely as he spoke, and subtly embedded in the FireFalls dwarf’s grimace was an approving smile. Irto continued aiming sword thrusts, which Machai easily blocked, while speaking loudly over the noise of the fighting.

  “I be not hearing ye be denying that ye be seeking the power of new magic. Be that a confession of yer true intentions?”

  “I willn’t be denying these new magics be powerful, but ye be a fool if ye be believing that that be me motivation for fighting in this war. No spell be worth dying or killing for, though Dredek be likely to be disagreeing with me. Still, it be beneficial to me clan and me realm to be learning as much as we can be of magic. Magic be powerful because it be born of Archana, and it be no less wondrous when it be used for destruction as when it be used for protection. We who be seeking to be protecting Archana be in need of magic as powerful as those who be seeking to destroy her. The work that Osric and the Aranthians be doing in the study of magic be of great import to this war, but it be of even greater import to the future of our world.”

  Irto nodded slightly and lowered his sword, stepping off to his left far enough to disengage from Machai but not so far as to be seen as confronting Thenar. The gathering members were tiring, breathing heavily and raising their swords a little slower. The questions came out between grunts and gritted teeth, and sweat rolled down their faces and onto the gleaming links of chainmail at their throats. Thenar bled from a gash on his cheek, and his movements were losing their gracefulness. Torchlight glinted off his armor and the sheen of his skin alike, and he bared his teeth in a snarl as he blocked the attacks from multiple directions. Machai fared better, as his battle had been less intense and his stamina had been improving over the past months, but he too bled from small wounds and felt the fatigue in his arms and shoulders from the weight of his armor and sword. The day was passing swiftly, and the crowd was growing louder as they reacted to skillful blows or seemingly insufficient responses.

  As Prex from IronAnvil and Jom from BlackAxe hurled accusations at Thenar about his diminishing the honor of dwarves and being a coward for hiding within his vast stone mountain, Kant of IceIsle focused on Machai with his sword and his tongue, each equally sharp.

  “Ye be entitled to be traipsing off to Stanton or the Irua Realm at yer will, but ye be in no position to be disregarding and disrespecting yer clan leader. Yer no coward, but ye be arrogant and naïve. The Dwarven Realm be the solid place it be for generation after generation because we be not tolerating a dwarf who be insubordinate and ineffective at executing orders. No matter yer passionate and persuasive words, ye belong in the dungeon for yer sabotage of the Rowain delivery. Ye may be convincing these others ye be innocent of the charge of treason, but ye never be convincing me ye be not a criminal against the realm and yer clan.” Kant’s bladework was skilled, and Machai channeled his anger, inspired by Kant’s words, into his sword. He blocked the old IceIsle dwarf’s attacks deftly, and before responding he stepped forward and swung his sword down hard toward Kant’s shoulder. Kant blocked with his sword and the stroke landed low on his blade, the force and vibrations causing Kant’s fingers to loosen and driving him backward. Machai stepped back into place and replied to the accusations while Kant kept his distance and caught his breath.

  “I be meaning no disrespect, but the Dwarven Realm be scattered in nine clans because the mighty dwarves who be founding the clans be unable to be issuing effective orders. They be using this very ceremony to be sundering the realm, and it be the ability of this generation to be either uniting it or be repeating the mistakes of our ancestors. Ye be saying I be naïve, but it be naïve to be thinking this realm be solid. We be fractured and fighting, failing to be binding our strength and our honor in our actions, failing to be rising to the need for greatness in a world that be on the brink of atrocity, failing to be meeting ou
r potential as the mighty warriors and leaders that our ancestors should be if they be putting their differences aside for the good of the clan. Our ancestors be great men, mighty and honorable in their own rights, but they be failing the realm when they be giving up on unity and abandoning each other because they could not be agreeing. We can be great men too, or we can be striving to be even greater than they be. We be valuing tradition, as our blades meeting here today be showing, but we need not be blinded by it. Let us be seeking to be the greatest Dwarven Realm that ever be. Let us be standing beside our clan leaders and be following them into battle for virtue and right, rather than standing against each other with blades raised and insults flying. Let us be bringing the clans together under one banner, bound by our blood and our burdens and our desire to be defending Archana from brutality and wickedness. Let us be marching out from our mountain fortresses and be showing the world that the Dwarven Realm be a realm to be celebrated and feared, a realm of justice delivered swiftly by honorable hearts and enchanted blades, not a realm of factions but a realm of heroes!” Machai thrust his sword skyward as he concluded, raising a thunderous cheer and applause from the gathered audience. The dwarves who had been fighting with Thenar had stopped to listen to his speech as well, and tears were shining in old Rhemt’s eyes as he nodded in approval of Machai’s words.