Elvenshore: 02 - The Lost Cities of Elvenshore

by Clark Graham

  Darnien was standing over him, "My Prince, you were talking in your sleep. You were talking of things pertaining to battles long ago. Do you still fight the wars at night?"

  Sarchise looked up., "I suppose all warriors do. You can get past them in real life, but your mind still latches on and brings them back around, again and again."

  "I hope you got enough sleep anyway," Darnien said, "I brought you some breakfast; eat, and then we must be off."

  "Thank you," Sarchise said and quickly ate the hot eggs and tea. He was thankful for the food carts that had brought good food out of the fort. He had suffered from hunger, at times, while campaigning.

  When he finished his breakfast, the Dwarf army was ready to go. Darnien gave the command and they marched out. Going went well in this part of the forest. The long, snaking line of Dwarves held together without gaps forming in their ranks. For the next few days, they did not meet any of the Gremlin patrols or the Giant Spiders that inhabit the woods. It wasn't until they arrived at the dense part of the forest that they were slowed down.

  Darnien came back in line, "My Prince, the forest has nearly overgrown the trail directly to the Lost City. We must pass single file, or send the axe men out to widen the trail."

  Sarchise didn't like the idea of going single file, but if they widened the trail, they would be late at the rendezvous. "The first of the group can go single file, but have them cut the forest back as they go so the later groups will be able to go double file."

  Darnien said, "Yes my Prince," and then he headed back to the front of the formation.

  Going was slow the rest of the day as four ranks of Dwarves were heading through the trail in single, and then double file. The forest had grown fast over the trail that had been cut out during the last war. It didn't help that the direct trail to the Lost City was rarely used, because of the evil that lingered there. Several hours later the group came up against the western wall of the city, and it was only another hour before they arrived at the front gate.

  When Sarchise turned the last corner, there to greet his army were two Dwarf armies from the Mountains of Iron and a large group of Valkyrie. It was a spectacular sight to see hundreds of Valkyrie all lined up alongside of hundreds of Dwarves. Their camps formed a semicircle around the front entrance of the Lost City.

  The trees had been cut down in front of the entrance, so now the plains of the Kingdom of Zor stretched all the way to the entrance of the Lost City.

  Sarchise set up his camp behind those of the Dwarves of the Mountains of Iron. Darnien and Sarchise went to seek out the commander of the camps. They met with Oswin the commander of the Dwarf armies and Sharis of the Valkyrie.

  It was great to see Oswin again. Sharis seemed different; her skin was paler than Sarchise had seen before. He didn't ask why as she seemed displeased with him somehow.

  Oswin reported, "the Ghoul come out at night and attack us, but run to get back into the city before the sun catches them. We have started building a continuous fire around the front of the gate that they cannot cross. When they attempt it, there is a scream and a fire spouting. Then they die. You cannot see them, only the shadows they cast. It is hard to see shadows at night, that is why I think they only come out when it is hard to see them. In the daylight they stick to the sides of buildings, hiding from the sun. It's a game of cat and mouse. We have waited for your arrival before we made the final assault."

  "Good, I would like to rest my troops before any assault. We attack in the morning," Sarchise said.

  Sharis just nodded and was off. Oswin stayed. "They let me leave the fort to command the expedition, because I have fought next to you before, "Oswin said to Sarchise.

  "Did your King not want to let someone else have that honor also?' Darnien asked.

  "Sarchise is a brave man; he attacks the enemy even when he is vastly outnumbered. The other commanders thought that since I had been lucky enough to survive this long, fighting by his side, maybe I would stay lucky," Oswin replied.

  "I see," Darnien said.

  "How did you arrive here so fast?" Sarchise asked, "I didn't expect to see you for days."

  "We rode on the backs of the horses of the Valkyrie," Oswin replied, "It is much faster than marching. It was wise of you to send Fawn as a messenger. The King was pleased he had receive your message so fast. He is talking with the Valkyrie about keeping Fawn as a messenger for his Kingdom."

  "He had better check with Ammlee first, she is not fond of having them around," Sarchise commented and the three of them laughed.

  Sarchise and Darnien made their way back to camp. Sarchise and Oswin would not allow any drinking before a battle, but the Dwarves made themselves merry by eating and storytelling around their huge bonfires.

  The Battle for the Lost City

  When Sarchise lay down that night he heard someone come and lay down beside him. He looked up and saw that it was Fawn.

  "What are you doing? The first journey is over and your promise is no longer valid. Do I need to tie myself to a tree?"

  "No," she smiled, "I am not here to seduce you, I am here to keep all of the other Valkyrie from seducing you. The Queen wants your seed to be part of the Valkyrie. She was very upset at me when I did not allow it."

  He was very taken aback by her honesty, "Why do you do that for me?"

  "You asked for my respect. I have decided to honor that request."

  "Thank you," he said and then rolled over and went to sleep.

  The armies were up and formed in ranks by the time the sun arose. Oswin, Darnien and Sarchise were in front, standing by the remains of the damaged gate to the Lost City. All of the Dwarves had lit torches.

  Fawn and the other Valkyrie started forming to the left of the Dwarves. When Fawn walked up to him she said, "We will fight on foot. We can interlock the fire better if we are at the same level as the Dwarves. I will be leading the Valkyrie."

  Sarchise looked around, "Where is Sharis?"

  "When she realized that she was with child, she left me in charge and is on her way back to the Hidden City. We do not risk the lives of our unborn in battle."

  Sarchise was hesitant to ask, but he did anyway, "Who is the father?"

  Fawn looked at him, like he had just asked him to give away a sacred artifact, and then relaxed her stance, "It is not you, it is Amlius."

  "Does he know?"

  "No, and you must never tell him. I should not have told you," she demanded.

  "My lips are sealed." Sarchise smiled to himself wondering if the child would grow to be as grumpy as the father.

  When the Valkyrie had formed into ranks, Sarchise called out, "Put all torches in front of you. Remain shoulder to shoulder; do not gap your lines. Pull the rest of the gate down and go forward."

  The rest of the shattered gate came crashing down and the armies entered the city torches in front of them. There were casualties on both sides, but the battle was still very one sided. The Dwarves would go down a street in the city and burn all of the Ghouls they found. Sometimes an unseen Ghoul would wait until a gap developed, mostly when Dwarves entered or exited a building, and then attack. A scream of pain would go up, but the warrior next to the one getting attacked, would burn the Ghoul.

  Slowly and carefully, Sarchise and the armies drove the shadows back against the far corner of the city. Once the Ghouls were trapped and their situation was hopeless, the Ghouls made one last lunge forward, only to be met by hundreds of torches. Bursts of flame shot up as the Ghouls died.

  The end came when the last of the shadows disappeared in flames. A cheer went out from the Dwarves and Valkyrie, but Sarchise and a group of his warriors went back through the city to see if there were any more Ghouls hiding in unseen corners. There were none.

  Then Sarchise went to find the healers and see how many wounded warriors there were. When he found them they were all one of the corner houses. He talked to the first healer he found. "How many wounded are there?"

  "Seventeen in all," answered the
healer. "They are all in the same state of unconsciousness. They have no injuries, that we can see, but the darkness has overtaken them. We don't know how to care for them. We are worried that they are going to become Ghouls, so we are barring the door, so that they can't get out. Meanwhile, we are letting them sleep. All we can do is wait and see what happens to them."

  Sarchise looked at the wounded Dwarves spread out on the floor of the house. They seemed peaceful enough. The other healers were moving between them. "Keep me posted on their progress," he said to the healer.

  "I will," the healer answered back, "but if they turn into Ghouls, we will have to kill them."

  "I understand," Sarchise answered back.

  When Sarchise turned around, Fawn was standing behind him. "Thank you for freeing the Lost City of the Valkyrie," she said, "I am sorry to hear that you have wounded. There were no wounded among my people, I am happy to report."

  "The healers are caring for them as best they can. We will leave you and your people to the city. There is another matter that the Dwarves will have to take care of," he replied.

  "I am again your messenger; if you need for me to ride, I can," she responded. "I still fear to deal with the Queen."

  "Yes, thank you, I have to get a message to the Kingdom of Ril. I will write it and get it to you before the morning."

  She smiled and nodded, and then Sarchise went looking for his commanders. They were still by the wall where the Ghouls met their last stand. "Get the warriors out of the city and back to the camps," he said, "Let us allow the Valkyrie enjoy their new city."

  "Yes my Prince," responded Oswin and Darnien, they began assembling their troops. When they had all assembled, Sarchise led the group out of the city. The only Dwarves left in the lost city were a few of the healers and the wounded.

  That night the ale flowed freely, and the cooks slaughtered the lambs they had brought with them. Bonfire lights danced against the walls of the Lost City, and songs of glory and victory echoed through the night. Many of the Valkyrie had come out of the city to participate in the victory celebration.

  The Ghoul, he thought to steal the day

  The Valkyrie he did slay

  And drove them from their home so dear

  Then let them all live a life of fear

  The Elf did find the history

  That unlocked the age old Mystery

  The Flame will kill the evil enemy

  Now the Lost City is free

  Sarchise sat there with his mug of ale half empty, and his stomach full, and leaned over to Oswin, "Who makes these songs up?" he asked.

  "I wrote that one myself, "responded Oswin.

  "Such a fine song it is," Sarchise said, backtracking.

  "Thank you," Oswin replied.

  When Sarchise staggered back to his bedroll, Fawn was already asleep in the bedroll next to his. He didn't care at that point, just lay down and went to sleep.

  A Man of Honor

  In the morning, Sarchise wrote a message to the Kingdom of Ril;

  'Dear King Mortimur,

  I, Sarchise of the Mountains of Iron, write you this message to warn you. Gregor, one of the minor nobles of the Kingdom of Zor, thinks to claim the throne of that Kingdom. He has amassed a small army of Gremlins that were scattered in the Westwood during the last war. He has hidden this army in the forest to ambush you if you try to go against him. I go now to destroy his Gremlin army, but I hesitate to attack a Human city. I wait your response as to what your wishes are in this matter.

  ‘Sarchise, adopted fifth born of the King of High Mountain, Prince to the King of the Mountains of Iron.'

  Sarchise then handed the letter to Fawn, "Please take this letter to King Mortimur of Ril."

  "I will deliver it personally into his hands," she replied.

  "Thank you," Sarchise said as she jumped on her horse and rode off.

  Sarchise gathered his commanders around him. "We still have a problem in the Westwood. Gregor is gathering as many Gremlins as he can find to his army. Are you up for yet another battle, Oswin?" Sarchise asked.

  "If I can take down Gregor, I am," Oswin said with a smile. "If he has now put himself as King over the land, many of the people we rescued during the last war will leave. They don't want to get caught in another war."

  "I will drive his army out of the Westwood, that will take the wind out of his sails," Sarchise said.

  "Should I prepare the armies?" Darnien asked.

  "No," said Sarchise, "We will let them savor the victory today. In the morning, bright and early, we will take our march towards where we think the enemy is hiding."

  The Valkyrie were busy, cleaning out buildings and washing streets. The smell of the city was improving. It had an odor of decay when they first arrived. Now the wells were getting cleaned out and water was washing away the filth.

  Sarchise had the Dwarves busy sharpening weapons and fixing gear that had endured the long marches.

  In the early afternoon, a runner came up to him with a message from Hemlot. He read

  'Prince Sarchise,

  When the Human that was captured in the Westwood with the Gremlins was healed enough, we let him go. I had my best tracker follow him. He was able to do so without being detected. We now know where the camp of the enemy is. The runner that I send this message with will show you the way when you are ready to go.

  The patrols have come back, but did not find the Elf. I fear that the enemy may have taken him.

  Hemlot, commander in the service of King Cazz.'

  Sarchise turned to the messenger, "In the morning, you will take me to the where the Gremlin camp is. For now, get some food and rest."

  "Yes, my Prince."

  Sarchise walked around the camp to see how the troops were doing, and then he headed into the city to check on the wounded. He walked up to the healer and asked, "How are they?"

  "They have all awakened. We keep them locked up as a precaution, since we do not know what effects their unseen wounds have. One thing we have noticed is the hair is turning white," the healer responded.

  White was not a color of Dwarf hair; rarely did it even turn grey at old age. Sarchise looked into the room and saw that the wounded were all sitting against the walls, talking to each other and eating.

  "They look fine," Sarchise said.

  "Yes, they are all healthy and strong," The healer responded.

  "Thank you," Sarchise said as he walked away; the healer gave a deep bow.

  On his way out of the city he noticed that many of the Valkyrie were staring at him as he left. He wondered how many children he would sire if he fell asleep. He shuddered at the thought. Then He walked back to the camp of his commanders.

  They both stood up and bowed as he came near. Sarchise returned the bow, "I will keep watch tonight so you can sleep."

  "But my Prince," Darnien started to protest.

  Oswin just smiled, "Still afraid of the Valkyrie?"

  Sarchise just glared at him. Oswin knew him too well and after the sleep walking at the fort, it was useless to pretend it was anything else, but Sarchise tried anyway, "Just trying to do you a favor."

  This only increased Oswin's smile.

  All during the night, amid the snoring of the Dwarves, Sarchise kept watch. He would see Valkyrie come out of the broken gate, look around and then walk back in. It was as if they were waiting for something. Sarchise thought to himself, 'not tonight.'

  By the middle of the night, he was getting really weary, it was then he regretted sending Fawn away. 'If I had only kept her here one more day,' he thought.

  One of the other guards came up to him with a mug of red liquid. It was called trantor, made from the buds of a large spiny plant that grew up the side of the mountains. Dwarf guards had used the drink as a way to keep awake at night. Sarchise had always hated the taste, but tonight, he needed it.

  "My Prince, you looked like you are struggling. I brought you this."

  Sarchise smiled, "I thank you so much." Sarchi
se shuddered as he drank it down.

  The guard was staring at the city gate and watching the Valkyrie, "They are restless tonight."

  "I've noticed that too," Sarchise replied.

  "You have given them something they have only dreamed about for hundreds of years. You have given them back their city, both by finding it and by freeing it. They will praise you name for generations to come. All of them would be honored to have your child. That is their way."

  Sarchise smiled again, "I do not want them to have my child."

  "Yes, and in that you do great honor to my family. I am Ammlee's cousin. I can now report back to her that you are a true and loving husband, despite all the temptations of the Valkyrie." The guard gave Sarchise a deep bow and then walked back into the darkness.

  A Short Walk to the Woods

  In the morning the armies gathered in front of the Lost City and formed in ranks. The brown and light green tunics of the Dwarves shone in the dawn’s light. Each company of Dwarves had the banner displayed at the head of each column, representing their mountain. Some were of the High Mountain, some representing the Mountains of Iron.

  A group of fifteen Valkyrie came riding through the gate and up to Sarchise. Their leader said, "I am Alidia. I have been given the order to accompany you on your campaign. You have fought to give us the Lost City back, we will help you also."

  Sarchise gave the deep bow of the Dwarves, "Thank you, Alidia, my hopes is that it will be a battle with as few casualties as we had freeing your city."

  Alidia nodded then had her warriors form rank next to the Dwarves. On Sarchise's command, the whole group marched out. It was a lot easier marching across the plains than through the forest. The area was made up of prairie grass and rocks. The farmers did not cultivate the land this close to the Westwood, so the rocks had never been cleared. Other areas of the Kingdom had been cultivated, so when the farmers cleared the land of rocks, they took the rocks and built their homes, and the walls to their cities. All the cities now stood in ruin except for the village of Zorham, which had been rebuilt.