CHAPTER NINE
Grund Stonecutter was not a happy dwarf. The land had been changing, and food was hard to come by. Being one of the few dwarves, who ever left the safety of the mines, Grund was one of the few who were aware of the changes. After seeing what it was like in Keenley, Grund knew this was something the dwarven council needed to hear about.
It had been just over a week since he left the town of Keenley and in that time he had only seen one deer, and it was dead. This was one of the few times he wished he had Drundle with him. He preferred to make these trips alone, but her presence would have been comforting. It was still a day until he would reach the mines. Glad he had packed extra food when leaving Keenley, he decided to take his afternoon meal. Finding a place which was partially hidden from the trail he had been travelling, Grund sat down and pulled out some of the dried meats he had packed.
Not long after he had started eating, he heard a noise. Grund knew no one had been following him, and whomever it was, they definitely weren’t trying to be very quiet. Moving slowly through the bushes, Grund made his way towards the voices. What he saw almost made him laugh. There was a small band of goblins and a human. They were pulling a cart, which held two injured goblins. Goblins and dwarves are not very friendly towards each other, but Grund could not help but feel sorry for the troop. As they drew closer, he could hear part of their conversation.
“I do not understand why we have not gotten to Keenley yet,” remarked the human.
“Gots pushed fars downs Rivers Ragez. Wez lostes horses alsos onz wrongs sides of rivers,” said the goblin with him. “Wez gots finds places to crosses.”
“I guess not using the ferry was not such a good idea after all,” said the boy, his voice showing annoyance. “Now it is going to take forever to get there.”
“I be thinkin’ ye’ll be wantin’ me help,” stated a voice from the bushes.
Eric jumped at the voice. Neither he nor the goblins had heard anyone in approaching.
“Not be meanin' to startle ye boy. Names Grund.”
Eric felt like laughing. What he saw before him was a very short and stocky looking person. He had a long braided beard, which reached all the way to the ground. His hair and beard were the darkest black Eric had ever seen. Realizing he was staring, Eric introduced himself. “My name is Eric Traven.”
“Well, yer highness, yer in dwarven territory,” remarked Grund.
Stunned, Eric stammered, “How did you know who I was?”
Grund laughed and it was the deepest laugh Eric had ever heard. “We be knowin’ lots o things, Prince Eric. But not be knowin’ what yer doin' here.”
Eric was about to answer, but Nak cut him off. “Wez notz needs helpz fromz dwarvses.”
It was then Eric noticed the goblins had been practically hiding behind him. “Nak, he knows these mountain areas. I think we should get help from him.”
Nak looked at Grund suspiciously. “Yous helps goblins?”
“Well, it be lookin’ like yer needin’ some healin’ help.”
“Yes we do. Tallmeken and Mork are in pretty bad shape,” responded Eric with a sigh.
Grund eyed the prince. “Ye be a days walk from me village but yer over o week from Keenley. Ye be welcome to come. We be havin' healers like ye never seen.”
Eric could see the goblins were reluctant to go into an old enemy’s home, but Nak knew they didn’t have much of a choice. Both Mork and Tallmeken needed help, and soon.
“Wez gos,” stated Nak after a few moments.
“Well, eat a'fore we be gettin’ on the road,” declared Grund.
“Sounds good,” said Eric, smiling. He was happy something was finally going their way.
Grund led them to the spot where he had left his pack. They all sat down and broke out some rations. Nak stayed by his injured comrades, but Eric, curiosity getting the better of him, decided to sit next to Grund.
“I be thinkin’ the travellin’ gonna be mighty slow with them two as hurt as they be,” commented Grund.
Eric nodded. “Will they make it to your village?” he asked.
Grund shrugged his shoulders. “Not be knowin’ but the sooner we be goin’ the better.”
“Agrees,” stated Nak from behind Eric. “Theys notz doins
goods. Needs heals.”
Grund stood up and grabbed his pack. “Then let’s be goin’.”
The unusual group packed up their things, got Tallmeken and Mork organized on the cart they had built, and set out for the dwarf village. Having lost all the horses, things were slow going.
They rotated pulling the cart with the injured goblins, and by the time they needed to set up camp for the night, they were still more than half a day away from the village. Eric was upset about the entire situation. He set up his sleeping area near Grund, much to the amusement of the dwarf. Grund had noticed how the young prince had taken a liking to him. After Eric had set up his things, his mind immediately turned to the dwarf. “Does your village have a name?” he asked.
Grund settled down beside Eric. “It be havin' a grand name. Ye never heard o it?”
Eric became a little uneasy. He had never heard of any dwarven villages, and felt unsettled about the situation. Eric couldn’t figure out why no one had ever talked to him about villages which were inhabited by other creatures. “No. No one has ever spoken of dwarven villages. I did not even know if your people really existed or not.”
Grund laughed, which to Eric sounded like a landslide.
“Ye never be hearin' stories o Xamblers? He be a mighty hero in dwarven legend. Just ask yer goblin friend.”
Eric had noticed when Grund mentioned the name Xamblers, Nak looked very uncomfortable.
“Yesses dwarfses. Thatz names wez knows. Hez killses goblins.”
“He be savin’ many a dwarf village from yer kind, goblin. Yer kind would have slaughtered the lot o us.”
“And you still want to help them?” questioned Eric, looking very puzzled by all of this.
“Thems be goblin crimes o the past. I be livin’ fer the now,
boy.”
“Orz youses leadins olds enemieses toz deaths,” hissed Nak.
Eric noticed the tension, which had been building up between these old enemies, was about to come to a head.
“Nak! Tallmeken and Mork are going to die if we do not get them help. Either keep being perturbed by the situation, or grateful he is willing to help. I am glad someone came along to help us and not kill us. I trust him even if you do not and I am the one in charge of this expedition so as long as I am alive, we will take help whenever we are given it.”
Nak stared at Eric. “Goingses sleeps nowz. Weses leaves suns comes ups.”
“Good night, Nak. Remember, this trip is going to help out all of us,” said Eric softly.
Nak nodded and went over to his pallet.
“That be a brave thing ye did lad,” remarked Grund.
“Thanks, Grund. I only hope he sees I only want everyone to get out of this alive. One of our group had been taken when we were attacked. I think that is what is bothering him.”
“I see. Maybe he be thinkin’ dwarves be behind it.”
“That could be. Anyway, we should not be worrying about that right now. I just want Tallmeken and Mork to get better.”
“Ye should be gettin’ rest.”
Eric agreed and went to sleep. When Grund heard Eric’s breathing level out he got up and went over to where the goblins slept.
“I know ye be up goblin. I got herbs that may help yer friends.”
“Knows bouts dwarfses healings. Princez trustes youz. Yous gives herbs.”
“That be very gracious o ye.” Then he went to work mashing up the herbs and mixing them with some water. He poured a little in each of their mouths and sat back. The potions started to work immediately and within a few seconds they were both breathing better and their natural green colour had returned to their skin.
“T
hey be walkin' tomorrow. Ye should be gettin’ some rest, Nak. And I need to be thinkin’ o what to tell the boy.”
“Iz explains. Yous notz like stories ofz dwarvses wes taughts.”
Grund smiled. “And ye be nothin’ like the stories I be taught.”
Grund patted Nak on the shoulder and went over to his pallet. His little trip just got a bit more interesting. As he was falling asleep, he realized something. These goblins did not sacrifice creatures, but worship them. The council was never going to believe him when he showed up in Xamblers with followers of Nelvlick. That was yet another thing he was going to have to explain and he was sure was going to be a very difficult task.
Koral woke with a start. She had sensed Eric, and he was not far away. Knowing this was going to be their one chance to catch him, she bolted to where Glavlin lay sleeping. Jumping to his feet upon her approach startled Koral, and she paused for a moment.
“Eric is close,” she stammered.
“There is something else in the forest as well,” stated Glavlin. “You and I will pack our things and leave immediately. The rest of the group will continue to the dwarf town.”
Koral nodded and ran back to her things, throwing them as quickly as possible into her pack. The sun was slowly poking through the trees and she suddenly felt a sense of urgency. She grabbed her things and brought them to Swift. When she was done, she noticed Glavlin, Darly, and Mekken were all waiting for her. The king handed her some of the food he had given Swift earlier. “Feed this to him. It will get us there faster. Hurry, princess, we must be off.”
Again, Koral just nodded. She fed the food to him, then hopped up and was off. They had to find Eric, and quickly.
Eric woke up with the sun slightly above the trees. He had thought the goblins would have awakened him sooner, but figured they just wanted everyone to rest, so he got up and started packing up his things. He almost fell over when he saw Tallmeken and Mork packing their belongings.
“Dwarfes healings,” came Nak’s voice from behind.
Eric was going to respond when he got an overwhelming feeling. It was so strong that it brought him to his knees.
“Ye be alright boy?” asked Grund.
“It is Koral. I can feel her. It is as if she is close by. It was such a strong feeling it overwhelmed me for a moment.” Getting to his feet, he added, “I think I will be fine.”
“No you will not because I am going to kill you,” came a
voice through the trees. Koral and her elven friends were upon them in seconds. Glavlin’s food had worked it is magic again. They had just made a day’s ride in under an hour.
Reining in Swift, Koral jumped down, walked up to Eric, and punched him in the stomach.
“That is for running out on me, you little snake.”
Regaining his composure, Eric faced his sister. “Glad you could join us.”
Koral clenched her fist to take another shot at Eric when she noticed the goblins had drawn their swords.
“Some friends you have here, “she spat.
Eric turned. “Wait, this is my sister,” he yelled, putting himself between the goblins and Koral.
The goblins placed their swords back in the sheaths and went back to packing up their things. Grund on the other had was staring at the elves.
“What brings ye to this area, Glavlin?” he asked.
“Grund,” shouted Glavlin realizing whom it was speaking to him. “I have come to see you about this boy actually.”
Grund laughed and Koral could not believe how it sounded; like two stones rubbing against each other.
“The boy be trouble fer sure. We be headin’ to Xamblers.”
“The rest of my group is headed there right now. I guess we will be escorting you home.”
Grund smiled. “We could be usein’ some o yer help. This little band be pretty beat up.”
Koral and Eric exchanged glances. She was stunned to be seeing a dwarf, and he at seeing an elf. It appeared they both had made new friends.
“They look it,” responded Glavlin. “We will head out then.”
Koral helped Eric finish up with his things while Darly and Mekken helped the rest of the group. “Are they really elves?” asked Eric, speaking barely above a whisper.
“Yes,” answered Koral. “They are going to help us fulfil the prophecy.”
This news upset Eric. He did not want any more help than what he had. It meant sharing in the glory and that was not something he wanted to do. Koral saw the look on his face and knew this wasn’t what he wanted to hear.
“In case you forgot, this has to be done by both of us,” she stated.
Eric just stared at her. Of course, he knew the prophecy said it would take both of them, but he was certain he could figure it out on his own. “Yes, I remember. I left when I did because I knew father would not let us go otherwise. I knew you would find me.”
Of course, it was all a lie. Eric had been hoping that with him running off their parents would make her stay until he was found. He threw the pack onto the cart and picked it up. “Well, let us get going.”
Koral got up onto Swift and watched her brother move off. A goblin joined him, and the two of them headed off down the trail. Koral knew her brother had been lying; it was something she could always sense in him. What she did not know is why. Eric had always wanted to go down in history as some great hero, but she could not believe he would risk something this important. She decided not to dwell on it for now and headed off with the rest of the group.
Glavlin watched the entire scene, and was in the same frame of mind as Koral. “Darly, we must watch this boy,” he whispered to her.
Darly looked ahead at Eric. “He doesn’t look like he would be a problem.”
Glavlin was not so sure. “He wants to fulfil this prophecy by himself and that is something we cannot let happen.”
Darly was stunned by the forcefulness of his last statement. Obviously, there was more to this prophecy than he was letting on. “Mekken and I will watch him,” she replied and rode off to where Mekken was riding.
It took them the rest of the day, but they made it to Grund's village. Eric was astonished by how small the actual village was. After Grund's story, he had been expecting something grand. Grund, seeing the disappointment on his face, placed his hand on Eric’s arm. “Don’t ye worry, boy. There be more here than ye be seein’.”
Eric had no idea what he was talking about, but followed him into the village, the rest of the group in tow. They saw no one, but Grund assured him they were about especially with goblins amidst the group. As if on cue, out stepped about twelve dwarves, weapons aimed.
“Grund, what ye be doin’ with the likes o these?” asked a dwarf, pointing to the goblins.
“They be friends,” Grund answered.
An odd look crossed the face of the dwarf. “Friends ye say. Well, that be up to the council. They be waitin’ for ye n' yer group.”
“Then ye best be takin’ us in,” Grund replied.
The dwarf nodded. “Not all ye. Need be pickin' who goes in.”
Glavlin turned and sent his elven entourage, save Darly and Mekken, away. They bowed and without a word, left.
“Is this satisfactory?” asked the elf king.
“It be,” he said, leading them towards the mountain running behind the town.
Eric kept looking for more dwarves, but none appeared. Glancing ahead, he noticed they were heading directly for the mountainside. “Do you expect us to be able to climb that?” he asked Grund.
“Just ye watch, boy,” was his reply. Grund could not wait to see what Eric’s expression would be when he saw what was about to happen.
Two of the dwarves escorting them stopped the group, and the one who had spoken before went off ahead. “Now ye be seein’ where we be goin’,” Grund whispered to Eric.
Eric was about to ask him what he was talking about when the mountain started to shake. This is when he noticed t
he dwarf had been chanting something. All of a sudden, an opening appeared within the wall of the mountain.
“Now that is something I did not expect to see,” was all Eric could come up with.
Koral almost fell off her horse when she heard the rumbling. The elves, on the other hand, weren’t bothered in the slightest. The dwarves told the group to dismount and take only their sleeping packs inside. Darly and Mekken exchanged glances at this, but Glavlin assured them it was safe. Koral was not happy to be leaving Swift, but realized she didn’t want him to be a part of whatever was waiting for them in the days ahead.
When they started through the doorway, it was apparent the horses wouldn’t have been able to travel through the tunnel. It looked as if the area was carved by hand. The floor was very uneven, but the walls were unbelievably smooth. Eric reached out and touched the wall, quickly snatching his hand back. It had begun to glow. The goblins hid behind Eric, shielding themselves from what they thought was going to be an attack. The dwarves with them all began to laugh, and the sound echoed so strongly the group thought the mountain would come down on top of them.
“Don’t ye be worryin’,” laughed Grund. “It be a spell. Lights the walls when one who not be a dwarf touch it.”
Koral was amazed. “How is it the Maget have not destroyed you?” she asked.
“It be too hard fer 'em to find us. None but Naned can open the doorway in,” he stated, pointing to the dwarf who had spoken with him earlier. “It be his family who created the doorway into the mountain and it be only his family blood which can let ye in.”
Koral thought it was quite ingenious of the dwarves to come up with that kind of system. It explained why there were eleven other dwarves with him. No one would know for sure which one could open the doorway.
The group felt as if they travelled for nearly an hour. It was dark and musty, which was starting to annoy Eric. Koral was feeling quite uncomfortable as well, but hid it. She didn’t want to insult the dwarves by saying or doing something wrong. Eric, on the other hand, was just about to start complaining when he noticed a light ahead. “We be at Xamblers,” stated Naned.
Koral and Eric stood in awe. They had never seen anything so magnificent in their lives. It was an entire underground city. Even Klayhern was small compared to this. The homes and roads were carved completely out of the stone surrounding it. A river flowed through the centre of the city, and Grund informed them this was part of the River Rage.
“We must have travelled a long way,” stated Eric, his voice
barely above a whisper.
All Koral could do was nod. She couldn’t believe the magnitude of this city. It appeared to go off in all directions forever. Koral was making herself dizzy by trying to look everywhere at once. She was trying to absorb it all, and turning too quickly she bumped into Adora. The act stunned Koral for a moment; she had forgotten the girl was still with them. It looked as if everyone had forgotten, judging by his or her expressions. Koral apologized and moved back over to Eric. The encounter had made her suddenly realize just how foreign this place was. What a moment ago was awe-inspiring was now ominous. Koral huddled close to her brother; the feelings were so strong it was giving her a chill. They travelled into the city and when they were coming near to a very large building, the twins could see a garden area, with many different types of plants and vegetables.
The group stopped and the twins could hear the elves mumbling to themselves.
“Ye need to go from here on yer own,” stated Naned.
Grund nodded and opened the door for the group to go inside. “This should be interestin’,” he muttered to himself, and closed the door behind them.
“My queen, we are with the dwarves. We have also found Prince Eric.”
Malena smiled, “Well done Moray. Lakin will be sending out General Traug and his little Magima within the next few days, I am sure. If you can, try to speed up your group. We cannot have Lakin’s lackey catching any of you.”
Moray smiled, “We are about to go in and meet with the council. I am sure they will let us pass through.”
“Wonderful! Let me know when you exit from the mines. I will pass the information to Lakin stating you were denied, and have to travel the long way. That should through Traug off.”
Moray smiled again. Nothing pleased him more than seeing his queen smile. “When will I be able to shed this form?” he asked.
“I am sorry, my dear, but you must remain in that form until the end of this journey. Only then will we be able to make sure the prophecy turns out in our favour.”
Moray’s smile faded. “As you wish.” Then his mirror clouded over, and he followed his fellow travellers into the meeting.