Games of the Powerful

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  Brokk and four of his comrades recently left a small human village nestled in a small valley between two massive mountains. They spent more time than they wanted to trying to convince the clan leader that the danger is real and a risk for them to stay. Finally, persuaded to leave the village began preparing to move south and to go to Celedryl’s village for protection while they could before the next storm set in. Right outside their valley high on the mountainside is a tunnel that travels roughly in an east-west direction for three leagues straight through the mountains. This tunnel built by the dwarfs from the distant past has been in use for longer than anyone can remember. During the trading season, it is a main thoroughfare for travelers because the mountains in this area are not passable. Standing in front of the entrance of the tunnel near midday with the warm sun glistening off the snow, they felt reluctant to enter the dark dank environs of the tunnel.

  “Norelia ye leid us in wi' an arraw notched. Ah dinnae expect any trooble but tae be on th' safe side lets plan fur trooble,” ordered Brokk. Norelia tall for a dwarf has the inherent ability to pass through mountain terrain quickly and with ease, some say far better than the best scouts human, dwarf or elf. It is said by many she could see for miles with her intense blue eyes for which she would never comment on whether it is true or not.

  “Blackhammer ye guard th' rear an' watch fur bandits comin' from th' side tunnels. Thrumbar, an' Battlebur bide behin' Norelia an' me. Aw of ye except Norelia grab a torch from one ay th' crates inside. Thaur shoods be enough torches tae be had alang th' way,” Brokk concluded heading to the entrance of the cave.

  The group is essentially dressed the same but each of them had their weapon of choice. The standard dress is thigh length pullover short sleeve leather jerkins and furs with wide belts, fur boots and backpacks. Brokk had his massive dwarf made three-foot long broadsword made of heavy steel and Battlebur used a standard dwarf battleax with great efficiency against orcs. Thrumbar carried a dwarf made short sword that he used very efficiently for stabbing in close quarters like caves and crevasses. Blackhammer carried his namesake a massive black hammer that he used to crush things like orcs and boulders things like that. Norelia preferred her dwarf made bow. It took a very strong arm to pull but an arrow from it could easily pass through a knight's armor like melted cheese.

  Entering the tunnel, they quickly used steel and flint to light the pitch coated torches sending smoke rising to the ceiling of the tunnel. Quickly moving in single file, they headed in a westerly direction. Soon the air in the cave became musty, with the stench of burned pitch, and smoke. The only sounds in the tunnel save an occasional drip of water and their breathing was the sound their boots made on the tunnel floor. Walking through the dark tunnel each looked with more than a little unease down the side tunnels wary of bandits lurking there. To ferret them out of the tunnels and switchbacks could take months and many soldiers so most time travelers provide security for themselves.

  Suddenly about halfway through the tunnel Norelia stopped raising her arm for silence. The others quietly moved up to stand on either side of her and Brokk. Leaning over she whispered in Brokk’s ear who quickly motioned for them to ready their weapons. With torches in their weak hands and weapons drawn, they moved very slowly down the tunnel listening for any sound. The tension is palpable thick enough to cut with a knife. If it is a very large band of thieves, it could mean their deaths and if Norelia heard something alerting her to trouble, there is a very good chance that it will find them in these dark tunnels.

  “Thaur is a flicker ay light comin' from behin' us. Ah think we have bin made,” Blackhammer whispered.

  “Alrecht we make a stand haur since they will be comin' from both directions. Quickly pit yer torches in th' wall sconces an' grab some from 'at crate an' light as many ay them as ye can. Ah want Norelia tae hae as much light as she can tae see by an' use 'at bow of hers,” Brokk concluded putting another torch in a wall sconce.

  From both directions flickering torch light dancing sinuously on the dark walls flowed inexorably closer filling the tunnel with ambient light as the darkness receded from it. From their ensnared position, they waited patiently for both groups of torch bearing cutthroats to converge on them. The group from the rear is the first to arrive, stopping short of sword or ax range. Shortly another group of filthy cutthroats arrive from the opposite direction all of them a ruff looking lot with mismatched clothes, armor, and weapons with most not even wearing any shoes. The apparent leader among them arrogantly moved to stand a few paces in front his men with his had resting on the hilt of his sword.

  “Ye sure ur a puir lookin' lot fur bandits. Ye must be th' warst bandits ever by th' looks of ye. Ah bet thaur is not a copper amang ye. Dae ye know ye reek worse than thes tunnel does in th' middle ay th' trading season?” Brokk asked never wasting a chance to taunt his enemies for enraged adversaries make mistakes. Incredulous the apparent leader of the group looked at them with his mouth gaping enough that Norelia wished she could put an arrow through it.

  “Brokk is that you?” a voice from further behind them in the tunnel asked. Turning to face this new unexpected threat from their rear caused a shifting of feet and more than a little nervous shuffling by the bandits worried that an intentional trap was set for them. “If that is you Brokk, your insults are a little flat with this crowd. You should have seen what they look liked from behind; I have never seen such a grotesque sight. They have holes big enough in their pants that I could see an arse or two through them, it is enough to make me hurl my stomach, and now that they have turned around, they are even uglier than I first thought. We should kill them all simply for being ugly."

  “Aelfdane is 'at ye?” Brokk asked jovially.

  “Why sure Brokk who do you think it would be. You know I am always around to pull your arse out of the jaws of death,” Aelfdene answered chuckling all the while.

  “Hoo many wi' ye the-day Aelfdene?

  “Only me, do you need any more than that?”

  “Did ye brin' Deathsbane wi' ye?”

  “Of course Brokk, I never leave my house without Deathsbane.”

  “In that case jist ye will dae,” Brokk said laughing uproariously at their banter back and forth. During this discourse, the bandit leader had his mouth hanging open in disbelief. Finally, he slammed it shut in fury.

  “Heed me you dirty filthy dwarfs drop your weapons and we will be nice to you before we kill you. If one of my men so much as gets a scratch we will pull out your eyes and feed them to you before we kill you,” growled the bandit leader.

  “So 'at is the choices 'at we hae, drop our weapons an' ye kill us nicely, an' if not ye torture us” Brokk sighed. “Those arenae very good choices,” Brokk concluded.

  “Enough drop your weapons and call your friend forward so we can see him,” ordered the bandit. Brokk gave Norelia a barely perceptible nod of his head.

  Suddenly, the arrow from her bow took the bandit leader in the eye with the tip protruding from the back of his head. Another arrow quickly followed the first taking a bandit square in the chest toppling him backward into a bandit behind him. The others quickly joined the battle, Brokk’s broadsword taking the arm off a lunging bandit, he immediately followed with a backhand swing easily lifting the screaming bandits head from his shoulders sending it bouncing and rolling across the floor spraying blood as it went. Thrumbar jabbed his sword into the thigh of a bandit while ducking the slashing blade of another he quickly lunged at stabbing him in the groin. The bandit fell back screaming in pain blood dripping from between his legs. When the other bandit bent to grab his bleeding leg in pain, Thrumbar stabbed him in the throat killing him instantly.

  Meanwhile, an inordinate amount of screaming was coming from the rear as Aelfdene and Deathsbane went to work. In a matter of seconds, half a score of the bandits lay dead on the bloody floor or screaming in pain with arrows protruding from them. Blackhammer quickly smashed the knee of a bandit then his head when he fel
l to the ground screaming. A bandit quickly cut at Blackhammer slicing a thin gash down his arm staggering him backward. Battlebur came to his rescue driving his ax into the offending bandit's spine breaking his back at the waist. Brokk sidestepped a wild swing from a bandit’s sword thrusting his broadsword deep into the bandit’s stomach pulling it out dripping blood and entrails followed by the bandit crumpling to the floor like a wet rag.

  Suddenly, no bandits were left standing, either all were dead or they wished they were. Dispatching the handfuls of bandits moaning pitifully in pain, they looked among the dead for any clue as to why they were attacked other than for their gold or weapons. Gathering some of his good arrows, Aelfdene quickly joined the dwarfs racing down the dank tunnel getting away from the scene of the battle. Quickly reaching a small bend in the tunnel, they stopped for a brief rest binding Blackhammer’s cut on his arm. When they were sure that the bleeding had stopped, they moved swiftly down the tunnel in the direction they had been heading knowing there would be time for greetings and talking later when they got out of the tunnel and into the next mountain range.