* * * *
Garrick knew Mordrim's stamina was legendary but he still took delight in pushing the stocky man as they ran throughout the day. The northerner's longer legs ate up the distance and forced the dwarf to push his legs twice as fast to keep up.
Their camp that first night was among the hills with the stars shining down on them. They were dining on dried meats and ale when Mordrim looked at the barbarian and asked, "You planning to run tomorrow like that giant's family is chasing you?"
Garrick looked at his friend and smiled. He poked the fire with a spare log and tossed it in, and then shrugged. "Might be important that we get there and let them know something's going on."
"And it might be that they're still in the southlands," Mordrim said.
Garrick nodded and took a drink of ale. He tied off the skin and offered it to the dwarf, only to have Mordrim shake his head. Garrick shrugged and set it on the ground beside him. "How goes the mines?"
"It's a mess. Some chambers and passages are fine. Most aren't. Clearing out the dead was the worst part," Mordrim said. "In places, they were trapped and ran out of air. In others, they had air, but no food or water. We got no way of knowing but I'm thinking the ogres and goblins fell to eating each other. No idea what happened with the men down there, but most of what we found was bones and a few bodies with rotting meat on them."
Garrick grimaced. "Going to reopen the mines?"
Mordrim nodded. "Soon. A month or two more. More mines than we got the dwarves to dig. Strong man like you could do some good down there. Ever think of mining?"
Garrick scowled. "I spent enough time in caves. I'll take the tundra and open sky."
Mordrim glanced up at the stars. "Suit yourself. No roof overhead has a way of making a man feel small."
Garrick laughed. "That why there's no Mrs. Mordrim?"
The dwarf's cheeks flushed under his beard. "Bah, you're a fool!" He stared into the fire and crossed his arms.
Garrick smirked and let the silence draw on. The barbarian stared up at the night sky above and picked out the groups of stars his father had told him stories about as a child. The history of his people was written in the stars, his father had taught him. Garrick frowned. If enough ogres and giants came out of the mountains, the stars would remain but there'd be no one left to tell their stories.
"How's the north been?" Mordrim asked after several minutes had passed.
"Good, until now," Garrick said.
"Heard you weren't to go back until the news of the mountains had been found?"
Garrick nodded. "Word spread by the time I reached them. I went home to a hero's welcome."
"That's good."
The barbarian shrugged. "More was expected of me. Men came from other clans and villages to meet me and introduce their daughters to me. Seemed I was expected to take a woman."
Mordrim laughed. "I don't remember you having trouble when it came to taking women!"
It was Garrick's turn to turn red. "Not like that. I mean as a mate. A wife."
Mordrim chuckled. "Were there any?"
"There were a few good ones. One, in particular," Garrick trailed off as he thought back to the shy but strong Kendall.
"Well? What of her? You going to have little Garricks running around the north?"
"She's dead."
"Oh!" Mordrim fell silent and stared into the fire again.
Garrick shrugged it away. "She was part of the family the ogres came after."
Mordrim grimaced but offered nothing in return. The dwarf used his boot to shift a few logs in the fire and then looked at the ground around him. "Well, if we've another day of running ahead, we'd best get some rest."
Garrick grunted, "I'll take first watch."
"I'll let you," Mordrim said as he shifted and lay on the soft grass.
Garrick stared into the darkness and listened to the sounds of the night, becoming accustomed to them. He was about to rise and stretch when the dwarf rolled over and stared at him, his dark eyes glittering with the firelight.
"Sorry to hear about the girl," Mordrim offered.
Garrick nodded. "I fought the ogres with her father and brother, but there were too many. Her brother was killed and her father hurt. I kept the ogres busy while he ran to the house and made sure his wife and daughter were taken care of."
"Taken care of?" Mordrim leaned up on his elbow.
Garrick nodded. "The men would be killed, but women the ogres would use."
"Use?"
Garrick nodded. "Slaves, until they died from the abuse."
"You mean…"
"Yes, they'd be passed among the ogres until they were of no more use."
"That's savage!" Mordrim growled.
"Better a clean death."
"I'm glad they got it then." The dwarf shook his head and lay back down. "You survived. Do you think they might have if they held out longer?"
"No," Garrick said. "I've thought on that already. Had the house not been burning, they would have fought on. They had no more reason to fight with the spoils of war gone and me proving no easy victim."
Mordrim blew out a sigh. "Again, I'm sorry."
Garrick accepted the condolences and listened as Mordrim's breathing soon grew even and deep. He rose up and walked around the campsite, staring into the wilderness and keeping watch from a distance. His thoughts strayed to Patrina, the woman who had first captivated him. He accepted her interest lay elsewhere, though, but then he'd met Alto's sister, Caitlyn. She had surprised him, at once soft and troubled but at other times strong and clever. Then she'd met the southlander and been swept up in his mystery. Garrick had left Holgasford behind then, disgusted by the man's exotic ways and longing for home.
And now Caitlyn had gone south to marry the southlander. Kendall was dead. Patrina had no interest in him. All he had was a snoring dwarf for a companion. Garrick smirked and shook his head. At the very least he could go wake the dwarf up and make him take his turn at watch.
Isle of the Ape Page 14