Reborn: Book 2 (Chronicles of Ghost Company)

by Shawn Muller

  A cyclops ship managed to turn north and tried to run for the distant Three Finger Isles to escape the deadly attack while the last ship through the Straights of Westdom managed to flee without being pursued at all.

  Three cyclops ships sank to the bottom of the False Bay that day with all hands lost and a few bodies stored on the decks of the king’s ships to be taken back to The Capitol to show King Dwayne. The ship heading for Three Finger Isle was taking on water fast and almost made the Isles before sinking as well.

  A small dingy with a handful of survivors was all that made it to the Isles where a very weary orc camp captured them. The last ship slipped back through the Straights of Westdom and turn south, heading for Mountdom Port to report the horrors that they experienced.

  Chapter 3 – Unknown pathways

  We were riding through the foothills of the Great Divide Mountains taking a short cut that the dwarves knew about when a strange shadow passed over us. I looked up, expecting to see something, but whatever it was, it eluded us again. I couldn’t decide if it was a bird or something else and if it was following us or not. I had spotted strange shadows moving over us while we were crossing Lake Eire, then again as we crossed the countryside to reach the foothills. But whenever I looked up, I saw nothing.

  We were in a race for time it seemed. The leaves began to turn with autumn beginning to leave its mark on the world. The mountains looming in front of us promised a daunting task of travelling through to Dwarfinaan. Apparently snow fell early in these mountains. Something I wasn’t looking forward to hence the supposed shortcut to Dwarfinaan.

  The dwarves were leading us through the mountains following an unseen route as we slowly climbed higher and higher into the mountains proper. I could already feel the temperature dropping during the day with the nights more often or not leaving a thin layer of frost over us.

  We were trudging up a steep hill which was covered in a hardy leaved shrub and loose stones when Pebbles called a sudden halt. He gestured to Shard to join him and the two of them began talking animatedly. I quietly joined them and asked if everything was ok.

  “Ai, not really Bob seems that our path is crossing a rather large band of goblins who are also heading into the mountains,” Pebbles explained.

  “How many is a large band?” I asked.

  “Well, perhaps two hundred odd,” Shard replied.

  Looking around, I examined the ground but did not see any noticeable trace of any goblins, or any living thing as a matter of fact crossing our path on the hillside.

  “Show me where these goblins are?” I asked as I gestured Max to join us.

  “Ai, well, they're below us, travelling through a series of tunnels which we were supposed to enter not far from here. I can feel the vibration of their feet travelling up to us.”

  “I see. Max seems we may run into some complications later on. Pebbles and Shard have detected goblins on the same path as us. Well, below us, but heading in the same direction?” I asked the dwarves

  “Hard to tell really, these hills are full of twisted and winding passageways and caves. They may just be passing through to the grasslands further east, or they are heading for Dwarfinaan. They raid us from time to time for weapons and iron.”

  “Spread the word. Keep an eye and ear out for this. We don’t need to be surprised by them. Thackeray, Mia!” I shouted to my wizards to join us as Max left to spread the word down the line.

  “Seems we may run into goblins at a later stage, keep close by and ready to help,” I told them.

  We continued our journey more cautiously, with a double guard being posted at night when we camped. We were only a small group, mainly the group who shared a similar dream during the annual wargames. The rest of the Ghost’s were with Farpae in the Elven Forests who were training with the elves. We were to meet the dwarves to receive the help promised in our dreams, before rejoining the rest of the Ghost’s to complete the training schedule.

  After a warm stew of some freshly caught rabbit, I sat next to Mia sharing a warm cup of honey-sweetened tea. We made small talk while looking up at the stars which poked through the few light clouds as they moved slowly over us.

  “I was very surprised when you joined us, you know,” I said to her.

  “So was I. I wasn’t planning to, but something inside drew me to joining you, I mean, the company,” she answered hastily.

  “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad you did. I felt we began to become good friends towards the end of the games.”

  “You know what, me too actually. I feel, I don’t know, comfortable here, around you and your men of course, like I belong.”

  I smiled at that while we looked up at the stars.

  “Can I be honest with you Mia?” I asked with a more serious tone.

  “Sure,” she said slightly worried now.

  “I feel an attraction to you. Not just a physical one, but like we have some higher purpose together, almost like we are meant to be together. I can’t explain it Mia, but, I think I am falling in love with you. Which is dangerous, I’m your commander. I hardly know you, yet, it feels like I have known you forever. I mean, here we are. In the middle of who knows where and I’m a foreigner from an entirely different world. Yet, I have this feeling deep down inside of me that I know you. I’m sorry Mia for blurting this out. Forgive me please,” I said embarrassed at my sudden emotional outburst.

  I stood up quickly and left her sitting on the log looking bewildered and confused.

  I made my way across the campsite towards my tent which I shared with Max, shaking my head at what had just happened. Max was sitting inside the tent on a small stool, polishing his armour when he looked up and greeted me.

  “What the hell is up with you?” He asked me straight out.

  Over the last few months we had become close friends and he knew me inside out.

  “Man, I have just made an ass of myself with Mia,” I started to explain what had happened.

  “Dude, I’ve noticed that you attracted to her. Man, I think most of us here could see that by the way you look at her with that slight dopey look when she smiles at you. You can hardly talk to her without blushing,” he said while polishing his armour with a twinkle in his eye.

  “Piss off! I don’t blush when I talk to her,” I replied indignantly.

  “Okay, you don’t blush much anymore. But dude, it’s been obvious to us all how you feel for her,” he laughed.

  “Great thanks. So everybody knows I’m an idiot then,” I said with a sulk.

  “We all knew that anyway, but not because of your feeling for her,” he said laughing again when I threw him a dirty look.

  “I’m joking bud. Look, you’ve laid your feelings out on the table for her. There is nothing you can do now about it. If she feels the same or not, well, I’m pretty sure she will tell you. She’s the type that calls a spade a spade,” Max said in a matter of fact tone.

  “Ja, I suppose that you’re right,” I said grudgingly.

  “Of course, I’m right.”

  I laid down on my sleeping place lost in thought on what had happened, replaying the scene over and over trying to make sense of what had happened. Before long, I drifted off to sleep, only waking when Deez shook me awake to take my turn at guard duty.

  We broke camp at dawn the next morning with me trying to avoid eye contact with Mia, which seemed impossible to do actually. Where ever I looked, she was there, staring back at me with a look of amusement on her face. My embarrassment from last night seemed to grow as well with each glance at her. Man, did I make a fool of myself or what?

  Finally, the camp was struck down and we were ready to leave, following the dwarves once more. Most of the morning saw us climbing a winding path up the mountainside which began to grow steeper the higher we went. Pebbles and Shard were far in front scouting the route when they both seemed to have disappeared from view as they rounded a bend. Shard reappeared and as I approached closer, I saw a broad smile when he waved us to join him.<
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  “We found it at last!” He shouted.

  “Found what?” I asked, confused.

  “The short cut to Dwarfinaan.”

  “What?!” I exclaimed. “I thought we were on that trail already?”

  “Ai, kinda,” Shard replied sheepishly.

  “Kinda?”

  “Well. The actual shortcut is a series of tunnels which run through the mountains to Dwarfinaan. We have just found the entrance that’s all,” Shard explained.

  “Found the entrance that’s all,” I muttered with a dark look as I followed him to the mouth of a large cave.

  The entrance to the cave was littered with bones and animal droppings and a small berry bush struggling to grow out the side of the mouth. A few small boulders lay around the entrance covered in moss. The cave itself was ominously dark inside and seemed to stretch deep into the mountain side.

  “Looks like a bear’s cave. A rather large bear as well,” Fremod said from behind us.

  “It is a large bear cave,” said a voice from within the cave which startled us all.

  “And it’s full of bats too,” Pebbles said covered in thick spiders webs as he emerged from the gloom.

  “Bats? I hate bats,” said a small feminine voice to my right.

  I looked and saw a small, frightened-looking Mia standing beside me.

  “Nothing but rats with wings. Dirty vermin,” Deez agreed.

  “And spiders too,” Ivan said with a deep shiver.

  “Oh, common guys. After all we have been through the last few months, you are scared of a few bats and spiders? Seriously,” I said incredulously.

  “What about the bear, Pebbles?” I asked.

  “Out hunting. This cave is clear right to the back. But I suggest we hurry before it returns and takes offence to us invading its home. Follow me, lads,” he replied with a dark grin.

  Torches were light and our horses blindfolded as we led them into the cave, following the dwarves once more. The cave smelt like a charnel house. Rotten meat and bones lay everywhere, with the skittering sounds of bugs running from us as we walked deeper into the cave. Right at the back we halted.

  We were in a small chamber which was stocked with an assortment of dried up berries and green, rotting meat still attached to bones. It seemed that the bear was stocking up for winter. What was surprising was the odd human skull lying on the floor. It seemed the bear wasn’t too fussy with what it ate.

  “So what now?” I asked, nervous that the bear would return any minute.

  “Now I knock on the door and ask if we may enter,” Pebbles stated in a matter of fact tone.

  “What?” I asked confused now as all the dwarves grinned at our confusion.

  “Watch,” was all he said.

  He approached the back wall and pulled out a large metal mallet from his pack. Gingerly he ran his hands over the wall, feeling the bumps and cracks before selecting a seemingly random bump off centre, about chest height.

  He hefted the mallet before taking a strong swing and hit the bump hard enough that the mallet bounced off the solid rock wall. He followed the strike with a series of softer strikes, tapping out a rhythm against the rock. Long, short, short, long, short, short, long, long, short, short, almost like Morse code.

  Pebbles did this for nearly a minute before stepping back and cocked his head, waiting for something. Seconds passed and an answering rhythm sounded through the rocks: long, long, short, short, long, short, long, short, long, long, short. Satisfied with himself, he put his mallet away and looked smug back at us.

  “Told ya we just knock,” he said.

  A rumble sounded from behind the rock causing the horses to stamp in fear as the floors shook. We tried to calm the horses but we were just as scared thinking that we were caught in an earthquake.

  A thin vertical line of light appeared through a crack in the wall, small at first but quickly spreading up and down, then horizontal as the shape of a large door became evident to us. The entire door moved back into the wall and silently slid to one side revealing a large chamber on the other side, and a group of heavily armed but grinning dwarves waiting.

  “Welcome to Bear Cave. I’m Captain Big Bear,” greeted a bearded dwarf grinning from ear to ear as he shook our hands.

  “Good to see ya again Bear,” greeted the dwarves.

  “Been a long time hasn’t it?”

  “How’s yer mother doin’?” Asked Sandstone.

  “Ready ta kick yer arse fir you agin,” Captain Big Bear replied clapping Sandstone on his shoulder.

  “Pleasure to meet you Captain Big Bear, and I’m Captain Bob, commander of the Ghost Company,” I introduced myself and the small platoon of mine.

  “Pleasure is all mine, Captain Bob. Heard all aboot yer exploits. Good show, good show. Please, come in, ma men will take yer horses and stable them a wee bit doon the passageway.”

  The platoon greeted the captain and his men while the Bear Cave dwarves took the horses to the stables before rejoining us

  We followed the captain and the dwarves down a well-lit side passage. The walls were roughly carved out of the stone, yet big enough to allow Fremod to walk almost upright.

  We entered into another cavern, more a large room than a cavern. The room was carved square with a smooth finish to the walls which had been painted a soft yellow. The roof was high enough in here for Fremod to stand upright and stretch comfortably. Embedded in the walls at regular intervals were soft glowing crystals, giving off a soft yellow light which lit the entire room with a comfortable glow.

  In the far corner stood a small hearth, with a cheerful fire crackling in it, providing some warmth against the cold rocks surrounding us. A large wooden table dominated the centre with wooden chairs arranged around it.

  Although they were designed with dwarves in mind, it was rather comfortable for us to sit on, except for Fremod who sat on the floor on a soft, woollen carpet of a dark maroon colour. Even though the room was sparse, it was comfortable and homely.

  Voices could be heard from another passage leading to the room, and soon more dwarves joining us. They were followed by a rather friendly looking female dwarf who carried a tray of mugs filled with ale.

  A chorus of ‘Ai’s’ sounded as the dwarves saw the tray, which was followed by more female dwarves carrying platters of meats and bread. This elicited a louder chorus of ‘Ai’s’ as the platters were set down on the table before us. Hands were smacked by the women as dwarves reached out for the food and bottoms.

  “Behave ya scoundrels! We have guests ya know. Thay eat first!” Shouted the leading woman to the groans of the men.

  “Welcome ta you and yer men, and lady, Captain Bob. I’m She-Bear, that scoundrel Bear’s wife. Please, make yerselves comfortable.”

  “Thank you kindly ma’am, but please, call me Bob. May I introduce us? This is Max, my second in command. Ivan, Deez, Li, Bruce and Titanius, we are all from Earth, over here we have the lovely Mia, who together with Thackeray are our mages, Kimba and Mycotaur from the Hahnium Jungles, Babar, Queen Vickerson’s husband and Warleader of the Laridon Jungles. Bruniks, Warleader of the Elves from the Elven Forests, Fremod, King Rodic’s son, Carl and Tachojay, a last but not least, Shard, Sandstone, Pebbles and Granular whom I guess you know already,” I ended by bowing to She-Bear.

  “It’s a pleasure ta meet ya all Bob,” she said curtsying back. “Ya see ya animals. That’s how ya treat a lady!” She-Bear said to the resident dwarves who laughed at her.

  She laughed back before gesturing to us to eat up before the dwarves ate all the food. We chatted while eating this wonderful meal. The bread had a mixture of nuts and berries in it, sweetened with honey. The meat was juicy and tender, melting in the mouth as you bit it. The ale was crisp and refreshing, washing down the amazing lunch we were eating. I explained why we were heading to Dwarfinaan, and all the dwarves present hung by my words.

  “Well, then ma friend Bob. We must not keep ya then. Rest here for the night an’ tomorrow
morning I will assign a small team ta lead ya through the passages. We’ve had an increase in goblins lately. Them bastards been getting mighty brave too, been attacking our outer barricades now and then,” the captain explained.

  “We would appreciate the help Big Bear.”

  Soon after lunch, we were shown our quarters for the night where we could store our packs until the next day. Small rooms with two beds and a chest at the foot of each bed were to be our sleeping places. Even Fremod had a room and a bed big enough for him.

  Captain Big Bear invited us for a tour of the complex as he called it. It was one of many trading complexes which were dug throughout the mountains. It allowed for trade to flow from Dwarfinaan and back unhindered during the harsh winter months. It also served as guard posts for the outer mines, where frequent attacks by goblins were always a threat.

  The cave we had entered through was an actual bear cave, but with a few additional props like the skulls to make it seem more ominous than it was. The bear was well trained and friendly towards dwarves, and often served as a sentry alerting the dwarves within the second chamber when people were around.