by P. G. Thomas
“He found a book today,” Eric began, “If there is any information in it, he’ll find it.”
“That was an awfully big book,” replied Steve.
“He’ll be as efficient with it as you were in that alley today. Ryan’s right and we need to start planning something. However, I’ve no idea where to start. Mirtza is checking out, and Gayne is gone, so going to the dwarves might help. If we offer some gold, maybe we can get Meeovad on our side. I say we circle our wagons tomorrow, and see what we can figure out.” Finishing his drink, Eric went inside, and the rest followed.
*******
Ryan sat down on the couch and arranged the pillows.
“What did you buy your wife?” asked Steve.
“It’s personal.”
“Something to do with breastfeeding I imagine.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Two wives, two kids, and being a detective helps. Is she going to use it?”
“I’m just trying to help, being a good husband.”
“Then why are you sleeping down here?” That was when the pillow hit Steve in the back of the head.
*******
The next morning, when John went downstairs, the kitchen was absent of hot bean juice and people. He saw the pot beside the wood burning stove, which lacked a fire, and a bag of beans, but he had no idea how to make it. Wandering out to the front room, he saw Steve sleeping on the floor with Ryan face down on the couch, and the patio doors wide open. Heading outside, he saw the keg, and finding the least disgusting mug, he threw away the contents and filled it. The night air had given the beer a chill, which helped to wash the bad taste in his mouth left from the history book. Sitting in the cool morning air, he heard sounds from the kitchen, but before going in, he decided to wait until smelling the desired aroma. Shortly after that, he heard somebody and turned to face Lauren. She did not have to ask her questions because he already knew them, and the answer that she had no interest in. “Other than the town is screwed up and corrupt, we didn’t learn anything yesterday, but we do know that we can trust Steve. There are no answers here, so we need to find some of our old friends to help. Since Gayne left us a stash of magic, our trips should be quick.”
“Where are we going?”
“First, the forest where you found your staff and Logan received his tattoos. We’ll use a magic portal to get to the north road and winged horses from there. Then follow the dwarven road to the Night Forest and the Earth Mother’s tree if we can find it. After that, portal to Ironhouse, and we’ll see what they know. Finally, Alron, and with the magic, it should only take a few days.”
“Will this help me find my daughters?”
“Yes.”
“Then when do we leave?”
“Today.”
After going to the kitchen, Lauren returned with a mug of hot bean juice for John, and then, without any concern for those who complained, she woke the rest of the house. Having initially wanted to leave at noon, he suddenly realized they would be leaving much earlier, and hearing sounds of the table being set, people grumbling, he joined them.
Sitting at the table, Logan’s hands were wrapped around a mug of hot bean juice, “Road trip?”
“Yeah, just like the last time, but with the magic, we should be back in a few days.”
Everybody at the table nodded.
Mirtza standing in the doorway asked, “What do you hope to learn?”
“From what I saw yesterday,” began John, “other than how to live one day at a time, nobody in this town knows anything. We don’t know anybody here, but between Alron and Ironhouse, somebody has to know something.”
Walking over to the table, Mirtza looked at John, “I wish I could be more help to you Logan, but I have been away for so long.”
Letting out a heavy sigh, Lauren walked to the front of the house, putting a plate in the window.
“Are all of those places on the map you bought?” asked Steve.
He nodded, “Most of them. I’ll bring it down after we eat and show you.”
“What about the book you bought yesterday? Anything interesting in it?” asked Eric.
“It talks about the trade with Darkpaye and the problems they had. When the invasion is supposed to start, it jumps ahead ten years. I quit reading it halfway through the rainy season, and because the history has been altered or forgotten, I never finished the second half.” After the meal, he retrieved the map and spread it out on the table, pointing as he talked. “Here’s the Bright Coast, the North Dwarf road, and over there, the Southern Dwarf road. Where it turns, the Ironhouse Mine.”
Steve looked at the map, “I understand the Southern Dwarf road because it runs both south and north. Why is the other one called the Northern Dwarf road when it goes east to west?”
Eric shrugged his shoulders, “Something to do with living under a mountain I guess. I don’t even know if they understand directions, other than up and down.”
“The first one took them out of the north,” began Logan. “The second took them into the south. It makes perfect sense.”
“Okay,” began Steve, “so what’re all of those other roads?”
“We’re only visitors here, not residents,” groaned Ryan.
John traced his finger along the North Road. “Somewhere in here is where we should find the forest that we camped in, and over here, the elfin Earth Mother’s final tree.” He walked around to the side of the table, “From Ironhouse we’ll go down to Alron. It’s not marked on the map, but this is where the pass should be, and its seven days west of this point.”
“Seven days?” asked Steve. “I thought you said we would be back in a few.”
“We aren’t going to walk or ride there,” replied John. “We’ll travel by one form of magic or another to speed up the trip. If we leave within the hour, we should be in Ironhouse by nightfall.”
As he placed his finger on the location of the Ironhouse Mine, Steve pointed to the Bright Coast on the map, “Be there by nightfall?”
“Old man, these flashbacks are going to be in 3D and HD. There’s no mass transit, no body scanners, and no lines to wait in.”
John scanned the group, “I need a cell phone.”
Everybody shook their heads.
“Can I borrow your phone?” he asked, turning to Steve.
Thinking it odd, he retrieved the phone as requested.
John smacked it open to expose the insides, and pulling the circuit board out with his Leatherman tool, he then cut the small components in half.
“Big mistake, old man,” replied a smiling Logan.
“Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?”
“I needed a homing beacon to get us back here. It has to be a unique element or combination so that the magic in the bracelets can work. Didn’t I mention that?”
Steve shook his head, No, you little snot-nosed—
Lauren stomped her foot, sending everybody to get ready, telling John to make any additional preparations. When they returned to the main room, she heard the knock at the front door and answered it; it was Danex. Lauren advised her of Mirtza’s condition and their short absence, and she agreed to look after him.
Chapter 8
Lauren chased Logan, Ryan, Eric, and Steve out of the house and into the backyard where John waited for them, checking his crude backpack, which contained the numerous magic items. The chests of food and camping equipment, the boxes containing the mineral and metal destinations, among other things. With the portal bracelets on his wrist, he had already pulled out the stone to the north road. Handing out the platinum rings, he checked to see that everybody was ready. When all signaled in agreement, he pulled off the first bracelet, dropping the rock towards it. As it passed through, it disappeared, and then he tilted the bracelet upright, resulting in a shimmering ring floating forward, stopping several feet in front of them. As it began to stabilize, the hazy image slowly changed to reveal an expanse of grasslands and a crude road. John walked up to it, stepped through, and the rest
followed. Once on the other side, Steve looked back to see the portal, and he saw the image of the house wink out, shaking his head in disbelief. Having already pulled off the backpack, John handed out the winged horse amulets to all. Steve watched as the others set them on the ground, waving their hands over each, and as they did, huge white horses materialized in front of them, being complete with wings and saddle. They turned to look at Steve, whose eyes were wide, his jaw hanging open.
Lauren walked over to him, grabbed the amulet from his hand, and brought forth the winged steed. “Snap out of it!” Then she returned to her mount, taking to its saddle.
John turned back to the group, “I don’t know how many horses Gayne used to host these, so I don’t know how fast they’ll travel. He seems to have incorporated seat belts in this version, so I suggest you use them and hold on tight. I doubt if the forest still has a tarp, so we’ll be looking for tall Iron Wood trees.” As the others followed behind, he coaxed his winged beast into the air. Steve, even more dumbfounded, watched the other five gain altitude. His mount, not wanting to stay behind, sought the breezes without command, chasing eagerly after the others.
It was eight hours later, a distance that had taken two days to cover the first time, when John’s screams caught their attention. Seeing him coax his mount towards the land, the others followed accordingly. Steve, who was just becoming used to the sensation, gladly followed, looking forward to being on the solid ground. Once on the road, he watched them wave their hands beside the winged beasts, bend down, and retrieve the small amulet. Without blinking his eyes, when he did the same, the horse was gone. Looking down, he saw the small bright winged figure, picked it up, and placed it in his pocket.
“STEVE! Get with it.”
Looking up, he saw Lauren, who was already twenty feet into the forest. Steve pinched himself, slapped his face, and when he failed to wake up, raced after them. Upon arriving, John was walking in circles.
“It’s just like last time! Everything is dead again.” He pulled a dry yellow leaf off of an Iron Wood tree, crushing it in his hands, and then blew away the dust. “Before, there was a moat around it, and a tarp above to deprive it of light and rain, so there’s no reason this forest should be dead. Eric, Steve, go with Logan. See if you can find those strange park benches and Sister. Lauren, do you think you can find where you camped out?”
Splitting into two groups, they headed in opposite directions. Logan, still remembering that day, quickly found the path, and raced down it. Even though they found a spot with the impressions of where the large stones once sat, the area was empty, and the group headed back to the other end of the forest.
Lauren also followed the path, walking cautiously along it, but she was unable to remember where she had turned off, so they followed it towards the end of the forest. When she saw a large tree that had toppled over, she instinctively threaded her way through the dead bushes and plants. Because it had a large hole in its trunk, which she had crawled into so long ago, she knew it was the right place. “This was the spot, but how can this entire forest be dead? All of the others that we saw were alive and green. What happened?”
“Do you see anything that looks like your old staff?” asked John.
They all went around to the various trees, but each one they pulled on came out of the ground, breaking easily.
John threw up his hands in frustration, “Mother would know you would return here. She would’ve left us a piece of whatever puzzle they were building this time. Have you sensed her at all, Lauren?”
She looked up to the sky and screamed, “MOTHER! What’s happening?”
John already knew the question was without an answer.
Hearing her anguished call, Steve, Logan, and Eric followed it.
Logan was shaking his head, “The stones are gone. You can see…”
“Sons of bitches,” John headed back to the road, and once there, he turned to the group. “I want to see if we can find the forest where the elfin Earth Mother went to her tree. Logan and Lauren, you were there, so we need you to spot it. There should still be Iron Wood trees present, so keep your eyes open. We’ll follow the road from the air, and it should be on the other side of the Night Forest.”
Once again, they brought forth the winged mounts and took to the air, followed closely by Steve this time. Taking over seven hours, when Lauren shouted, the rest turned their mounts to the numerous tall trees with yellow leaves, following her down. This forest was also dead, which the winged horses were easily able to land inside of. They spent twenty minutes walking around, but everything they touched or stepped on was lifeless.
John cursed again, gathered up the winged mount amulets, and tucked them back into one of the bags. Retrieving the box of minerals, he found the envelope with the stones from the Ironhouse Mine. After securing the box in the backpack, he pulled off the bracelet, dropped the stone through as before, which caused a ring to shimmer off, and an image of the stables formed. Walking up to it, John stepped through with the others following.
The dwarves working in the stable were shocked, to say the least, circling the six, and threatening them with whatever would pass for a weapon.
The tallest stepped forward, holding out his fist with the dwarven ring on his finger, “I am Eric Ironhouse, dwarf, and this is my clan.”
Recognizing the name and the ring, the dwarves stopped. From the back, they heard a thick baritone voice, which sounded like it started at the bottom of a mine shaft. “Brother, you are back?” One beardless dwarf stepped forward, who was also bald and had lost some of his size.
“Fen, what has happened to you?” asked a smiling John. “Do you no longer work the bellows?”
“John Ironhouse, Eric Ironhouse. Do my eyes play tricks?” He scanned the group, “Earth Mother Ironhouse, Unnamed, and Bastard.” He turned to a dwarf beside him, “Go upstairs and tell all, legends have returned to us. The hall we will prepare for a feast this night.” Fen walked over and grasped each one by the hand. “Aaro, Bor. With you, are they?”
The question shocked the five.
“No, we came here looking for them. Where are they?” asked John.
Defeated anguish quickly registered on his face, “Years of twenty-five past, we received a message. The Bright Coast, the armor and sword they wanted to see, and we thought the words came from you. We wondered why you did not visit. Aaro and Bor went to the Bright Coast with the sword and armor as well. You sent no message?”
Lauren knelt down, “We only arrived a few days ago.”
He shook his head, “Wrong it was, and knew this I did. If here, visit you would, not send a stranger. Bor and Aaro, anxious to re-meet, listen they would not. Upstairs we go now. Much talk we need.”
Eric hearing the cough looked down to Fen, “I would like to introduce a new friend of ours. His name is Steve.” Stepping forward to greet the dwarf, with Fen’s mind elsewhere, he never heard the introduction.
Following Fen up the winding stairs and tunnels, they arrived at the grand entranceway on the main level, which was crowded with the Ironhouse clan. Word of the returning legends had spread through the mine, like the discovery of a new vein of gold, and all wanted to see them. Dwarves packed the curved stairs, including the upper level, and when they saw the giant frame of Eric enter the hall, they all pointed and went quiet. It had been over forty years since the five had walked the stone halls of Ironhouse, and most of the dwarves still remembered the last visit. However, any born afterwards recognized most by their appearance, having heard the stories all of their lives.
As they tried to get closer to the five in the entrance way, the gathering crowd of dwarves was growing louder. Fen raised his hand to silence them, “This night celebrate we will. To Ironhouse, legends returned they have. Right now, private we need,” then he called out, “FODU, WHERE ARE YOU?”
Looking to the top of the stairs, Fen saw the goldsmith descending. Fodu was like the other dwarves, four feet tall, thick, muscular, and of course, the b
eard. However, his was tied behind his neck, allowing it to display a wonderful gold pendant, which was in the shape of a dwarf ax, that was suspended below his chin.
After greeting him, the brothers ushered them to the room that Tranquil Fury had called home for so long. When the six entered, scanning the room, the mantle over the fireplace was absent of the great sword and humble sheath.
“Brother, friends return but family not,” began Fen. “Stranger still, their arrival is recent.”
Fodu lowered his head, “Aaro, Bor, still no word?”
They pushed the dusty chairs into a circle, but the mood in the room was unfitting of the reunion. Lauren, knowing there would be no news of the triplets here, set the image of her daughters to the side so that she could better concentrate on the current issues. “I’m uncertain of what to say since we only arrived a few days ago. There’s more to the story, but right now, I need to know what has happened here. The Bright Coast looks like a war ghetto, but when we left, there was peace, and the lands were rebuilding. What happened?”
Fen shook his head, his thick voice filling the small room, “For many years all knew peace. Back to normal, before the plague and invasion, all things were. Then, again, strange events began. Mother grew weaker, and the Earth Mothers scoured the land but found no answers. Then rain. Many Earth Mothers visited Ironhouse, and we tried helped them, but what to look for was a mystery to all. Each year, Mother grew weaker, quieter. Each year, more rain than the last, drowning the lands: water too much and sun not enough. Years and questions many, but answers were none. Then the darkest day dawned. Mother was Cursed, and all did feel it.” There was a knock at the door, which he stood to answer, and it was the requested ale.