by deSouza, Leo
Rurur saw him hiding and did the same. The big flying monster was now tearing the flesh of the dead animal and beginning to eat it. Rurur looked at Olaf as if expecting something from him. "What do we do?"
Olaf looked at the berries in the bags and then back to the carnage happening ahead. "Let's not spoil its appetite, and not give him our flesh as extra spice..."
“Yes… It sounds like a good idea.”
For a while they just watched the scene. Blood spilled from the dead carcass, flesh being ripped and bones being broken in a savage carnage. The more the flying monster seemed satisfied, the more the dwarfs crouched. It was then that Rurur spoke again. "Are ye feeling it?"
“What?” Olaf asked looking at him.
The ambience suddenly got colder and darker, strangely darker than what should be. Then the sound of horse steps on the grass were heard, a sound like metal boots touching stirrups, the dwarfs looked up to the sky to see some dark clouds, the ambience had changed quickly, and with no visible explanation. A third newcomer showed ahead, a dark rider on his horse, and what a big, muscular dark horse, they thought. The rider was wearing a black hood that covered his entire body, he slowly approached the flying beast as it was there still eating the prey, the big monster noticed his presence and turned his neck to stare at him in a quick motion. The rider dismounted with a smooth leap but when his weight hit the ground it was as if a boulder had fallen there. The flying beast turned toward him and bent its wings as it got into an attack stance. Olaf and Rurur were sure that the monster would eat the rider at any moment but then the mysterious newcomer reached out his hand toward the the creature, the beast hesitated for a moment and growled. In a quick blow, it bit the rider’s cloak, a small piece of cloth was ripped and fell on the ground. But the rider had no reaction at all, he then went closer and the dwarfs heard strange sounds. Like an evil voice talking in a malignant incomprehensible language, like a ghost whispering words of death. The beast lowered its head and stirred, the rider went even closer, his voice was heard like a dark murmur in the air. Olaf looked at Rurur and saw he was pale like milk.
Then it was that the dwarfs witnessed the strangest scene of the entire episode, the flying beast bent and laid down on the ground, the rider circled its head and in a rapid jump mounted the monster. The big beast stirred and twisted its head as it roared. The Dark Rider said one more time the strange words, the flying monster opened its wings and growled so loud that both dwarfs covered their ears as the sound was tremendous. Then it flapped its wings and jumped in the air making so hard a wind blow that it caused all the grass around to bow down. Olaf and Rurur squinted and hid in the bush, the monster and its rider went higher, its body passed above them again and the last rays of sunlight dimly lit the ambient once more. The dwarfs looked at each other and stood there silent for a few moments, looking for force to say something, then finally Rurur talked: "By the bones of our fathers... What was that?"
Olaf did not answer, he got up and looked at the dead animal carcass, the field was covered in blood.
Rurur spoke: “Did ye see what I just saw? I think…”
"Where is the horse?" Olaf interrupted.
The other dwarf looked around trying to find it. "It’s gone... Like a ghost... We should go back… Now…”
“Maybe this is the best idea ye have had since a long time.”
They rose from the ground and were about to leave when Olaf held Rurur’s arm. “Wait.” He spoke. He advanced towards the big dead animal, there ahead Rurur saw him crouching to take something from the ground, and in the exact moment he did, Olaf froze and fell like a stone.
“Oh!” Rurur exclaimed as he ran to his friend. He reached Olaf and noticed he was pale and petrified, his body was cold like ice, in his hand was a piece of cloth, and Rurur saw the moment when it disintegrated in the hand of his friend, like burning paper. “What are ye doing?” He asked as he took his friend’s head on his lap.
Olaf seemed unconscious, but with some slaps in his face, he came back.
“Olaf! Talk to me!” Rurur insisted.
“I… I saw something… Shadows moving…” Olaf babbled.
Rurur helped his friend get up. “Whatever it was, let’s talk about it under the rocky ceiling of our house.”
The two dwarfs ran back to the road, and then towards home, back to the RockFoot stronghold, on the hillside.
Pork and pie.
The RockFoot Stronghold was located on the western mountainside of the Red Mountains range, its structure was built in brown stone, almost red. Different from the mountain strongholds on the west, this one had some buildings above the ground, but it was mostly an underground structure that extended deep into the mountain roots, a vast complex of tunnels and halls that housed this clan’s dwelling. The surface structure was composed of a few buildings, towers and a wide wall where sentinels stood guard. There was an iron gate under a strong gatehouse, and in it was carved the clan’s emblem, a foot above an anvil, the same emblem was fluttering on the banners hanging on the wall. Leaning against the mountainside there was a portcullis, a tall structure containing the main gate entrance to the lower levels. All this wrought in the typical dwarf harsh edged architecture.
It was night when Rurur and Olaf arrived back there. A sentinel opened the gate when he saw the two dwarfs coming from the fields facing the main slope of the mountainside. When they reached the center of the main courtyard, Olaf stopped and held Rurur. “Wait. Where are we going?” He asked.
Rurur looked at him as if not understanding. “Well herm… Tell someone about what we saw, of course.”
“Tell who? I don’t think it is a good idea to go directly to the King’s advisors. What if they accuse us of rumor-mongering and incitement to disorder?”
“Hunf… Then we would end up jailed. It is true.”
“Look, let’s talk to captain Thuor, I think he would hear us, and even if not, the worst that could happen would be him scolding us… I’m still feeling a bit… Dizzy.” Olaf spoke.
They crossed the courtyard of the citadel going directly to the barracks building, a tower like structure behind the wall, and they did not have to spend much time looking for the captain. He was there, leaning on the handle of his warhammer, staring at an old plate armor hanging on the wall. Thuor was a strong imposing dwarf, and already aged, though he looked even younger than many ones.
There were some other guards inside the barracks, lying on beds or cleaning their axes. They wore leather clothes and some steel plates as armor covering their torso and arms, still none were wearing helmets. The captain had his face furrowed as he looked at the newcomers.
“Greetings, captain.” Rurur spoke. “We would like to… Report.”
Captain Thuor looked at the two dwarfs and examined them from feet to head. “Report? What is this about?” He asked.
Rurur gestured trying to find the best way to talk and looked at Olaf, then back to the captain. “We just arrived from the fields… On the western gap, from the Berry Fields… We saw something.”
“Ye came to report to the guard. Then I guess ye saw something more than berries and sparrows. It better be important.” The captain spoke.
“We saw a great beast.” Olaf said.
“So what?” Thuor asked.
“And a flying beast, big one.” Rurur said.
Thuor raised one eyebrow. “That is quite uncommon, but it means nothing at all. Nothing for us to be worried about. Why report about silvan animals?”
“And there was also a horse.” Rurur continued.
Now Thuor looked at him as if not understanding what they meant to state after all.
“And a rider…” Olaf added. “A dark rider, in a dark cloak, and the sky became as dark as him. He came on the horse and left on the flying beast.”
Now the captain had a surprised mien.
“This is something that requires attention… Could ye say more about this... Rider?”
“Nothing more than that he was per
verse and cruel.” Rurur said.
“Well… I hope ye are confident about what ye are saying, for if this is really true, then I will need to tell our authorities about it. Guess ye understand the consequences of telling a false story, not that I’m insinuating anything.” The captain said.
“Ye can be sure about what we told, captain! As sure as I am about what I saw.” Rurur replied.
Now the captain looked at them suspicious, he stared at the dwarfs as if waiting for them to tell something more or maybe belie what they had just told, but as they did not, he came to a small table where he took pen and paper and wrote a small report. Then he went to the door and left the barracks, telling Olaf and Rurur to wait there for him. The two dwarfs stayed there, sitting on one of the beds as they talked about what they saw.
“He is going to tell someone, maybe the elders! I thought we could trust him!” Rurur said.
“Well it was the best option we had.” Olaf replied
“What do ye think was it anyway?”
“I don’t know… But it was tall enough to be a man, and the only men on this side of the world are the eastern ones.”
“Could be a western man.”
Olaf shook his head. “A western man could be that tall, but not that evil. I actually never saw one like the one we just met, not even from the eastern men’s realm, not even close.”
“Yes…”Rurur said. “He looked like nothing from this land, and I felt cold when he came, cold as if my bones were freezing, like in a frost wind from the mountains. By my beard… He did not even seem to be from this world…”
“I felt it. There was more in that one than just flesh. Something evil and terrifying.”
Rurur suddenly became white and wide eyed looking at the void. “Ye know… Now that ye say… I think that maybe he saw us, but he did nothing because he wanted to see where we would flee to.”
“That is nonsense.”
“Now he knows where we live.” Rurur continued as tension took his face.
“Stop with this.” Olaf spoke.
“Maybe he is coming back to find us and…”
“Enough!” Said Olaf slapping Rurur’s face.
One of the guards approached and put one of his feet on a chair nearby, propping his elbow on his thigh as he bowed. “What are ye talking about?”
“Oh ehm…” Olaf Stammered. “Nothing. Heh… Just about some animals we saw on the fields.”
“Animals? What kind of animals? I’ve seen many ones through the patrols I did on the roads.” The guard said.
“Great beasts, and horses, that’s it.” Olaf replied.
The guard frowned. “Then why ye came to talk with captain Thuor? He is not the one in charge of livestock.”
Rurur looked at Olaf as he rubbed his cheek. Olaf stood silent for a moment still thinking on what to say, then spoke quickly and in a harsh tone: “This is not of your business, friend!”
“Oh… Right.” The guard said as he turned and left. “One can’t even start a good conversation these days…”
Time passed and Thuor to came back, and when he did he stepped through the door and motioned to call Olaf and Rurur outside, the dwarfs came out as the captain led them under a balcony through some pillars and talked. “I sent the report to the elder in his chamber, it seems that he got quite interested in hearing the entire story.” Thuor said.
“If ye sent it to the elder then I guess this is something more than a mere military matter.” Olaf replied.
“I can deal with warriors and war engines, beasts and many kinds of foes in warfare, but a dark rider who tames flying beasts is something that requires more than war craft to deal with. Besides, this is something that our King will for sure be interested in.” Thuor spoke.
Rurur was wide eyed. “The king himself? Well, yes, he would for sure want to know about strangers in our lands.”
“By the way, what are your names?” Thuor asked.
“I’m Olaf, and this one is Rurur, humble dwarfs.”
They entered the stronghold building inside the mountainside, walls and corridors carved into the rock or even crafted in polished brown stone tiles, very well designed and adorned with the typical dwarf carvings. The three dwarfs came to a large hall and finally to the door which gave entrance to the elder’s room, Thuor knocked on it and announced their coming. They entered the door as a voice coming from inside allowed them to, there inside the room they found an ancient dwarf, an elder one, a curved dwarf with long hair and long beard, using loose clothes. The room was crowded with books, strange equipment and dust. “Yes, yes, get in.” The elder said.
“Greetings, noble sir.” Thuor spoke as he bowed in compliment. “These are the dwarfs who report seeing the rider.”
“Right… Can ye tell me where did ye exactly see him?” The old dwarf asked.
“On the Berry Fields.” Olaf replied. “Beyond the Crystal River, almost half a day of walking from here, for a short leg… Well… We did it quite faster when coming back, as fast as we could.”
The elder rubbed his chin. “But when did ye saw him? Night or day?”
“It was still day.” Olaf replied.
“Night. I mean, it became night.” Rurur broke in.
“Oh… Sunset, almost night, but yes, it was as if night came earlier.” Olaf spoke.
“That does not seem very precise.” Said the old one. “Still at sunlight ye say, sunset… What about this rider, describe him.”
Olaf nodded as he babbled something, then spoke: “Oh he was like… Very tall, a man I would say. He wore some dirty dark cloak, and a hood, so we did not manage to see his face.”
“Fine.” The elder replied. “Ye heard him saying something?”
Olaf replied: “Well herm… Yes… In a very strange language that we could not understand.”
“We did not understand but we got it. Every word caused me nausea and chills. He was spewing a plague or something.” Spoke Rurur.
“Casting a spell he was.” The elder added.
Olaf nodded. “Yes, it seemed to be this. I saw when the flying beast felt tamed, like a docile dog.”
“This is a very unique skill, nothing that our wise ones can cast, and yet very perverse. A wizard can charm an animal, or even another person. But to bend a big flying beast one needs to be a scholar witch, as these beasts are mean, and only someone even more mean can bend them.” Said the old dwarf.
“Mean, harsh and big. Big teeth it has, and wide wings, one blow from these wings and the wind will throw ye away. I saw it.” Rurur said.
“I’m going to alert the guards, and double the vigilance.” Thuor broke in.
The elder shook his head and spoke with slow voice: “This is not necessary.”
“Excuse me, wise one but why not? We have a flying beast around.” Thuor insisted.
“I will talk to the King’s council, and this is all for ye, for now, ye can go, but keep these ones close in case we need to interrogate them again.” The elder said pointing to Olaf and Rurur.
“Right.” Thuor replied looking to them. “Ye can go, for now, and ye better not tell about this to anyone until we report it to the King himself!”
He stood there still talking to the elder as the two dwarfs left the chamber and went back to the hall.
“What ye think they are going to do?” Rurur asked to Olaf as they walked.
“Ye heard the old wise one, they are going to talk to the King.” Replied Olaf.
Rurur looked up and crossed his hands behind his back while walking. “If they are going to, then this must be something very important.”
“Yes… Not the great beast, not the flying beast, not even the ghost horse, but the rider himself.”
“Hunf… I heard the elder’s voice, and saw the glow in his eyes. It was as if we were telling him about someone who he already knew. Ye know, we used to hear about old legends, about eastern men that can cast spells in words of order, evil words that can hurt our ears and even evil wizards that can talk
to the dead.”
They reached back to the main courtyard.
“This is all about old legends and stories.” Olaf spoke.
“Well then we have just gotten into one of these legends. Or are ye now saying different from what we just told the elder? Ye saw what I saw, and that was it, like we told.”
“We saw a strange man in strange cloths taming a big animal. The conclusion about this will come from above us. The less we care, the better is. Be thankful it is over for us.”
“Which does not prevent us from guessing! After all we were the ones who saw it, not them. Maybe we could talk to my uncle Tharin, he knows about these things, I’ve heard him tell stories since I was a petty dwarf.” Rurur argued.
“Ye heard the captain and ye better keep this mouth closed! I’m not going to jail because of ye!” Olaf exclaimed. He looked up and saw the stars in the sky among the towers around. “Ye know what? Look at this.” Said he, taking the bag full of berries from his back.
“So?” Rurur asked.
“The berries! The dinner!” Olaf replied.
“Oh my! I almost forgot about the dinner!”
“And this is not ordinary dinner Rurur! Today is the King’s birthday!” Olaf exclaimed.
“By my beard! It is true! Madam Blavat is waiting for us!”
They rushed to the royal kitchen, there the dwarf women were working on making the dinner that would celebrate the King’s birthday. As they entered the place, they felt the smell of good food being cooked, and much steam was around in the air, the main cook came to them, the so called madam Blavat. “Oh ye sluggish dwarfs… Where ye were?” She asked as she furrowed her face and put her hands on hips. Madam was really not happy.
“I’m sorry madam but we had to deal with some setbacks.” Olaf replied.
She twisted her mouth. “And I guess this was a really big setback for ye to arrive so late.”
“Quite big ye bet.” Rurur whispered.
“I thought ye got lost in the fields. My cats could have done better, it is almost time for the dinner, luckily this is for dessert, the pork is already ready. What do ye have here?” She said reaching for the berry bags abruptly.