Elvenshore: 02 - The Lost Cities of Elvenshore

by Clark Graham

  Amlius looked up from his reading and said, "Ah, here is the part that solves all the mysteries."

  'Elves with torches stood side by side in the entrance of the caverns and walked to the other end, killing all the Ghouls that they could touch with the flame. But there was another entrance to the caverns that opened up into the forest. The Ghouls did not like the forest, but found their way to the city of Vil Vahl where they hid amongst the stones. When the Elves were done clearing the caves they barred the far entrance from the Ghouls. The Ghouls inhabited the city of Vil Vahl, and caused the Valkyrie to flee. When the city was empty, except for the Ghouls, the Elves barred all of the entrances, trapping the Ghouls in it. The city was known as Vil Girth since then.' Amlius closed the book with a note of finality.

  "So it was the Valkyrie that started the second of the Elf Dwarf war," Sarchise stated.

  "We were attacked, according to that," Fawn said defensively.

  Sarchise saw her emotion and decided not to pursue that conversation. "What is Vil Girth mean?" Sarchise asked to change the topic.

  "City of Death," Amlius said flatly.

  Return from the Westwood

  "We need to ride to the hidden city and report this to the Queen," Sharis said

  "I will stay here with the Dwarves and be their messenger, until the Valkyrie return," Fawn replied.

  Sharis glared at her and said, "You will have to face the Queen sooner or later."

  "I choose later then," Fawn said, "You need to go now."

  Sarchise was listening to the conversation. He had no idea why Fawn was in fear of the queen, but he sensed she was. The Valkyrie walked out the vault and then climbed out of the hole.

  “We will bring back as many warriors as possible,” Sharis said to Sarchise, “now that we know how to rid the Lost City of the Ghouls. Fire, it is.”

  “I will go to the fort at the Ornamac tree and get the Dwarf army there to follow me to the Lost City. If we come at the Ghouls from all of the cities entrances, bearing torches, they will not stand a chance,” Sarchise said, and then he turned to Fawn, “Will you take this map, and a message to King Cazz?”

  “I will,” she said with a smile.

  “If you go east, out of the forest, you can follow the King’s road. It will make your journey faster and safer,” he told her.

  “Thank you, I didn’t want to go back through the forest,” Fawn said.

  The other Valkyries headed out, but Fawn stayed until Sarchise had written his note to King Cazz, then she rode off at top speed.

  Sarchise turned to Amlius. “What will you do?”

  “I am going back into the vault and read until I know all of the secrets I have missed, and then I will lock the vault back up and replace the silver throne. After that I will go and explore the Crystal Caverns. After a stop at the Mountains of Iron to see Vil Loree, I will make my way back to the Ornamac tree, where I will spend the rest of my life in peace and quiet.”

  “I doubt that,” Sarchise said with a laugh.

  “I would, if you hadn’t established a Dwarf fort there,” Amlius complained.

  The Valkyrie had already left. The remaining group split up, with the Dwarves and Sarchise headed east, back to the Ornamac tree. Amlius made his way back to the vault to uncover the rest of the secrets of the Elves.

  They had had a late start, so they had to travel by night for a part of the journey until they found the first Elf mound. Sarchise wasn’t quite sure what it was about the Elf mounds that made them safe, but he had used them when he was a Royal Scout. He was still very surprised that Amlius had let them have fires on the Elf mounds as having a fire at night in the Westwood had always been a guarantee of getting attacked my animals or giant spiders. He had never tried lighting a fire on an Elf mound before, and didn’t know if they were safe because they had an Elf with them, or if the Elf mounds were that safe. He decided not to chance it. The Dwarves and he ate dried meat that they didn’t have to cook when they finally stopped for the night.

  The sun roused the group of weary travelers. They slung their packs over their backs and started back on their way. The Dwarves had felt awkward on the large horses, but now that they had to walk, they were starting to miss the beasts. With their short legs, they had a hard time keeping up with Sarchise. Now they had the additional pressure of making it to the next Elf mound. The mounds were placed around the forest at a day’s walking distance for an Elf. Elves walk even faster than Sarchise did.

  Late in the afternoon, Sarchise gave up. They group had walked too long the day before and it looked like it was going to be another long walk, so they made camp and settled down for the night. He had to post a watch since he was not near an Elf mound. He and three Dwarves would take the first watch, and then Hemlot and the rest of the Dwarves would take the second. That way everyone would get some sleep. Right after midnight, Sarchise heard movement on the trail. He quietly woke the rest of the group and everyone had their bows at the ready.

  Three or four Gremlins came around the corner; they could just make out the long pointy ears, and the hairless heads in the moonlight. One of the Dwarves drew back his bow, but Sarchise stopped him. Sarchise wanted to see if there were more, and if the Dwarves were getting into a fight that they could not win.

  A few moments later a Human man with another twenty Gremlins followed the first group. Sarchise whispered, "Shoot the Gremlins, and leave the Human to me."

  When Sarchise gave the signal, the Dwarves let fly with the arrows in rapid succession. Five Gremlins went down, another one was wounded and let out a loud squeal. Sarchise shot the human in the leg, so it would be hard for him to get away. To Sarchise's surprise, the man didn't go down, so he shot him again the shoulder.

  A group of Gremlins rushed towards the Dwarves, but were soon driven back with arrows thinning their ranks. The battle was over as quickly as it started with the rest of the Gremlins running wildly, and then retreating into the forest.

  Sarchise walked up to the man, while the Dwarves busied themselves killing the wounded Gremlins. Hemlot followed Sarchise to stand over the man. "Pull the arrows out of him," Sarchise said to Hemlot. "We will take him with us to the Ornoamac tree.”

  "Yes, sir," Hemlot said, and without the least effort to be gentle, pulled the two arrows out. The man screamed in pain.

  Sarchise said to the group, "We have a new priority. We need to make it to the tree as fast as we can. We will travel both day and night until we reach the tree. We do not know how many more Gremlins there are."

  On Hemlot's command, two Dwarves grabbed the Human and started carrying him down the trail. The group traveled the rest of that night and all of the next day. When they reached an Elf mound, Sarchise had the group rest for four hours.

  The wounded man wouldn't talk to anyone, but kept to himself when he wasn't being carried down the trail. Sarchise wanted his story, but he was more interested in getting off the trail and into the fort before more Gremlins found them.

  Hemlot walked to Sarchise and asked, "How long before we reach the fort?"

  "We will travel all night and get there around dawn," Sarchise answered.

  "Did you know that we are being followed?" Hemlot asked. "A Gremlin, way back on the trail, shadows us. One of my warriors spotted him a few minutes ago."

  "I didn't know that. Have one of your men hide in the trees, and when the Gremlin gets close, shoot it."

  "Yes, sir," Hemlot said.

  Hemlot took the duty himself, and when the rest of the group continued on, he waited. A few minutes later he saw the Gremlin sneaking down the trail. Hemlot aimed and shot. It was a clean hit; the Gremlin went down without making a sound. Then Hemlot then hurried down the trial to catch the rest of the group.

  A Tale of Treason

  It was a wonderful sight, the dawn of a new day, and the fort and the Ornoamac tree. The doors of the gate swung open to allow the weary group access. Darnien greeted them. "Welcome back. I am so pleased to see you. You must be tired aft
er your long journey." Darnien looked down at the wounded man, "Did you find someone injured on the trail?"

  Sarchise looked at him and said, "Thank you for the welcome. We are very tired indeed. We have been walking both day and night. We did not find this man wounded on the trail; we shot him, and he is our prisoner. He was with a group of Gremlins. After we rest we will question him."

  "Very well," Darnien said. He looked surprised when Sarchise said that they had shot him, then he when he heard that the man had been found with Gremlins, he wondered why they had not killed him outright.

  The group spread out their bedrolls and were soon asleep, not caring that they had not had a good meal in two days.

  It was early afternoon when Sarchise awoke. The two Dwarf commanders, Hemlot and Darnien, were sitting at a table having a discussion. Sarchise joined them.

  "Darnien wishes to accompany you to the Lost City," Hemlot said. "I will stay and take command of the fort while you two are gone. When you are done, Darnien will come back here and I will join you in the Mountains of Iron."

  "Very well," Sarchise said. He knew Hemlot's old war wounds sometimes bothered him; the long march must have aggravated his condition. Sarchise then said, "Let us talk to the prisoner."

  The three of them walked over to where the prisoner sat against a tree. A healer was looking at him and said, "His wounds are starting to infect. It is too late to apply a mudpack on him."

  "Do you have some of the Elf's wound medicine?" Sarchise asked.

  "The Elf keeps us amply supplied. I will get it."

  Sarchise looked down at the man, "Let's start with something simple. What is your name?"

  "I am Timmion, of South Fort."

  "Why are you leading a group of Gremlins?"

  "I am a commander in the service of King Gregor, soon to be ruler over the Kingdom of Zor. He is not going to be very happy when he learns that you shot me and killed my warriors, without provocation, but if you release me now, I will ask him to spare your life," Timmion said.

  Sarchise was taken aback by the man's boldness. "I suppose I should consider your request," he said, playing with the man, "but first, I need some answers. Where did you find the Gremlin?"

  "During the last Gremlin war, there were a lot of forced marches. When the Gremlin warriors could not keep up, they were left behind or killed. Those left behind are still living in the Westwood. Our army has gathered up a lot of them. We have built a camp at the edge of the Kingdom of Zor where the trees grow thick. When Gregor declares himself King, he expects the Armies of the Kingdom of Ril to dispute it. When the armies of Ril come to attack King Gregor, we will be waiting to ambush them," Timmion explained.

  "There are not enough Gremlins left in all the Four Kingdoms to challenge the armies of Ril." Sarchise said.

  "That is why we were out to capture the Elf. Mine was one of four armies sent out when the Elf was spotted walking across the West wood in accompany of several horse warriors. We were supposed to kill the horse warriors and capture the Elf, to get the secret of breeding large numbers of Gremlins. He is probably already captured. With this knowledge we can breed an army to easily defend the Kingdom of Zor." Timmion gave an evil smile.

  On hearing this, Sarchise was alarmed, "We may speak more later."

  Sarchise met with his two commanders, “We need to warn the Elf that they are looking for him.”

  “If we send runners, then they might get killed and the message will not get through,” Darnien said.

  Hemlot thought for a minute. “How about if you send groups of twenty Dwarves out at a time. The enemy had only about thirty Gremlins with him. Twenty Dwarves could easily defeat that many. It would be safer, and the message would get through.”

  “Good idea,” nodded Sarchise. “We can send one group to Tarlina and one group to Santera. He should be at one or the other of those two cities.”

  “I will send the groups out right away,” said Hemlot and he went to organize it.

  “Meanwhile,” Sarchise went on, “Darnien, can you organize your army, and be ready to move first thing in the morning?”

  “Yes sir,” Darnien said, and then he was off.

  Sarchise went to find something to eat. The cooks were just finishing some rabbit stew, and he took a bowl, and then climbed up the Ornamac tree to eat it. It was his favorite place to be in the Westwood. He looked out on the tops of the trees in all directions. ‘How could some place so beautiful be so deadly?’ he thought to himself. Then he sat back and enjoyed the view.

  Soon Hemlot came up and sat beside him. “The patrols have gone out with instructions to find the Elf and warn him.”

  “I hope that we are not too late,” Sarchise said, “but I can hear the Elf now, if the Dwarves get to him first, ‘Did you think I could be taken unaware by a group of Gremlins?’”

  “Does he know how to breed Gremlins, just in case they are able to capture him?” Hemlot asked.

  “I don't know. I don't think that the Elf has any interest in finding out the secret. He kills anyone who does know,” Sarchise commented. Then looking around he added, “I will stay here for the rest of the day, and sleep here tonight. Darnien and I will take an army out in the morning. We will march to the Lost City and hopefully be joined there by an army from the Mountains of Iron.”

  “I wish you luck in your endeavor,” Hemlot said.

  “How’s the chest?” Sarchise asked, knowing why Hemlot would not be joining him in the campaign.

  “It started hurting when the weather changed. Then it got worse because of our forced march. If I can stay here a few days, it will get feeling better. I just don’t have another long march in me,” Hemlot said, with a little guilt in his voice.

  “The curse of old warriors is to live with all the wounds we had during the hard fighting years,” Sarchise commented understandingly.

  The old warriers sat there looking over the greens and the grays of the Westwood from the vantage post of the Ornamac tree.

  There was a bonfire going in the main grounds of the fort below the tree. The sound of singing warriors sitting around the bonfire made its way up to the top of the tree where Sarchise and Hemlot sat.

  He’s the tallest Dwarf prince you’ll ever see

  He’s the one who like to sleeps up in a tree

  But his heart is brave and his arms are strong

  He’ll lead us through a trail that long

  In the lost city we soon will be

  To battle an enemy we cannot see.

  “At least this time they didn’t remind me how the Elf killed Tabor,” Sarchise said to Hemlot.

  “These warriors will follow you anywhere,” Hemlot responded, “To them you are a living legend.”

  “Ah, but you, my friend, know better,” responded Sarchise.

  “You are braver than the bravest, Human or Dwarf, I have ever met. You have never faltered in battle, even when things looked hopeless. But death does follow you, because you go straight at the enemy without pause. Without you, High Mountain would have fallen and the Mountains of Iron would have never been freed. King Cazz owes you a debt of gratitude he cannot repay. He knows this. That is why you, and not his firstborn son, is heir apparent to the throne of the Mountains of Iron,” Hemlot said.

  “I thought it was because his son was too young,” Sarchise replied.

  “No, my prince, maybe someday things will change, but for now, you will be King if Cazz dies.” Hemlot explained.

  A Meeting at the Lost city

  Sarchise spent the rest of the night contemplating all of the things that Hemlot had told him.

  In the morning Sarchise came out of the tree to see that Darnien had the Dwarf warriors lined up and ready to go. Unlike the warriors he had fought with in the last Gremlin war, who were hardened and harrowed in the end, these were young and strong, and had an eagerness in their eyes. With a sense of pride, Sarchise led them out of the open gates and toward the Lost City. The five hundred strong army spread out a long way in the
narrow confines of the trails of the Westwood. Darnien walked next to Sarchise with Darnien's under commander, with Telric walking just behind them.

  The sound of so many Dwarves in heavy boots crashing through the forest was scaring all of the game away, but it didn’t matter, as the Dwarves were well provisioned. They marched along in high spirits. At mid day, the Dwarves sat where they were on the trail and ate a quick lunch of bread and cheese, and then they marched out again. The trees grew thinner. Sarchise had spent a lot of time in this part of the forest, so he knew where the clearings were that would allow the army to all camp together. When dusk fell, he found such a clearing and the Dwarves made camp. Then Sarchise set out guards around the camp to allow the rest of them to have fires. The guards would change every two hours to allow everyone to get some sleep.

  Sarchise sat at a fire and started cooking some chicken that had been brought out of the fort. Darnien sat next to him and said, “I have read all about you and heard of your fame in stories and songs. I am honored to be serving with you.”

  Sarchise smiled, “I don’t know how much of an honor that is, I led a lot of Dwarves to their deaths.”

  “Death is a part of battle. Those that died in the last war are bathed in glory. High Mountain remains in Dwarf hands because of the war,” Darnien reminded him.

  “Things can still go ill for us, we are fighting an unknown enemy, but I have faith in you and I have faith in those that serve under you. It is I that should be honored,” Sarchise replied.

  “I thank you for that,” Darnien said.

  All the Dwarves were either asleep or guarding the camp when Sarchise lay down. Sleep was not long in coming, as Sarchise was very tired and sore from all the walking. He hated to admit it, but he was no longer the young man he was when he first scouted these woods, before the war. He had strange dreams that night of Valkyrie fighting over him and Gremlins attacking. He was in a cold sweat when he woke up in the morning.