Earthkin, Topple and Coaldon stepped off the ferry boat feeling despair. They stood on the shore of the river without saying a word. No words could describe their sadness. The peaceful village had been contaminated by the cancer spreading over the Empire. Crossmore’s sickness infected the community. Either the citizens would fight the disease or all would be lost.
Gazing at the village from across the river Earthkin finally stated, “I am surprised at the disorder we found. Anger and frustration have literally exploded inside the village.”
Turning away from the village, he continued, “I am tired. I believe we need to rest before going to the Monastery. Many small farms occupy the north side of the river. I suggest we find a farm family who will provide us with board and room for several days.”
The small group followed the well-traveled road through the farmlands. They walked until there was only one farm left on the road. By this time Coaldon had removed the monk’s robe.
With a giggle, Topple declared, “In my great wisdom, I select this farm. Matter of fact, we either choose this farm or we choose nothing.”
As they approached the house, two large dogs greeted them with loud barks and growls. Topple walked up to the dogs in a carefree manner. He dropped to his knees and looked into the dogs eyes. Each dog gave a whimper of submission. Sid loped toward them in a playful mood. With a robust burst of energy the three dogs leaped off together. Topple enjoyed watching the dogs bounding around the yard. The dogs chased each other in circles and jumped to escape the pursuing animal. A small nip on the rump caused a frisky salvo of barking.
Earthkin approached the house in a casual manner. Several men with clubs greeted him at the front steps. A large man with a heavy black beard demanded, “What do you want?”
Earthkin bowed, saying, “We are in search of lodging for several days. We are honest travelers in need of rest. We will pay you well for your service.”
The big man responded, “What did you do to my dogs? Nobody has ever gotten past them. They are vicious killers.”
Earthkin continued, “They recognize we have no intention of causing harm. We come in peace.”
The big man turned toward the door of the house as a woman stepped out. She looked with curiosity at the three travelers and the dogs. She smiled at the man saying, “Dod, it is all right with me if they stay for several days. We could use the company.”
The big man nodded as he led Earthkin to a cabin next to the barn.
He said, “My wife likes you, so you are all right with me. You may stay in the cabin. Wood for the fireplace is behind the shed. The dinner meal will be served at 6:00 in the evening. If you need anything just ask. Good day.”
The travelers gathered in the cabin to rest before the meal. It was pleasant to relax without being concerned about impending doom.
The ringing of the kitchen bell invited the guests to dinner. The three travelers sat down at the large table with Dod, his wife Doria, their daughter Rosa and a workman. The meal was pork, turnips and bread. Dod was interested in learning about the rumors of strange events. Earthkin told the stories he heard in Grandy.
Dod finally said, “We have heard the unnatural howl of wolves. I know they are not ordinary wolves. The calls are not normal. It cuts through my spirit with fear. Also, we have seen large foot prints near the farm. So far the dogs have kept unwanted visitors away.”
Dod was uncertain if he wanted to ask the question burning in his mind.
He reluctantly stated, “We are just peaceful farmers. We have never needed to defend the farm with weapons. We are becoming concerned about our personal safety. Danger seems to be lurking at the edge of our farm. It has been many years since I studied the art of war. You appear to be warriors. Would you teach us to defend ourselves?”
Coaldon and Earthkin looked at each other with questioning eyes. Finally, Earthkin said, “We would be happy to assist you. What would you like to know?”
Dod showed them several old swords. Coaldon and Earthkin looked at the swords with surprise. Both were elfin weapons with unusual runes carved onto the blades in the ancient spiral script. Coaldon rubbed away the dust on one to take a closer look.
He read out loud, “The Sword of Truth will bless the hand that uses it in the defense of all that is good.”
Coaldon could not read the writing on the other blade.
Earthkin said, “This sword is a weapon of great power. I am amazed you possess a sword of such great value. Remember, if it is used for righteous purposes it will assist you in fighting any evil.”
Earthkin said, “Tomorrow we will teach you to use different weapons.”
The next two days passed quickly as Coaldon and Earthkin explained how to use the sword, spear and bow in self-defense. By the evening of the second day the family members had been taught the basic moves in the use of each weapon. Doria and Rosa practiced alongside the men. They did not want to just watch, but desired to learn to defend themselves.
Coaldon explained, “It will be necessary to practice with these weapons daily. Only practice will prepare you to defend yourselves.”
At dinner, Coaldon noticed that Rosa was watching him. Rosa was an attractive girl of 17 years. She had an outgoing personality with intelligence to match her strong character. The work on the farm had given her rough hands and strong muscles. Her mother taught her as a small child to read and write. After dinner Doria sent Coaldon and Rosa to take care of the evening chores. The two talked and laughed as they completed the tasks. Rosa was happy to meet someone her age, especially a handsome young man. They found it easy to talk together.
Rosa stated, “We moved to the farm from Neverly when I was a little child. My parents never told me why we moved here.”
Coaldon responded, “That is strange. My grandparents also moved to the Outlast at about the same time. Maybe Wastelow drove your parents out of the capital?”
When they returned to the house, darkness was casting its long shadows over the land. Coaldon shyly promised he would visit her on a return trip.
The travelers left the farm at sunrise the next morning. Topple decided to leave Rose Petal at the farm in the care of gentle hands. Dod, Doria, and Rosa felt saddened to see their special guests leave the farm. Rosa and Coaldon touched each other’s hands before they departed.
After leaving the farm, the travelers entered into a dense forest. They followed a seldom used road that wondered aimlessly in a westerly direction. Coaldon’s attention was not on the journey. He could only daydream about returning to visit Rosa. The half elf felt a fire burning in his soul that he did not understand. For some reason the mysterious longing to be with Rosa had a bitter-sweet feeling. He experienced the longing to be with Rosa and the warm glow of her memory.
They had kept a steady westerly course all morning. The high peaks of the Black Mountains were looming on the western horizon. Coaldon’s attention returned to his surroundings when the travelers walked out of the forest and on to the grasslands. He had never seen the Great Plains. The miles of grass and the openness was a feast to his senses. He could see for miles without anything obstructing his view. His feet sank into the rich soil that provided the basic nutrition for the abundance of life on the prairie. Large and small animals could be seen in all directions. Many small rodents scampered around in pursuit of some unseen destiny. Wild dogs could be seen hunting in small packs in the distance. Hawks and eagles circled in search of their next meal. Herds of horses and deer aimlessly grazed on the horizon.
After the noon meal, Topple said, “We should arrive at the Wastelands by nightfall. I have visited the Monastery several times. I remember how challenging it was to find my way through the puzzle of channels. I am looking forward to walking the twisted paths.”
Topple’s mood lightened as they approached the Wastelands. At dusk the grasslands abruptly ended at the boundaries of the giant labyrinth. In disbelief Coaldon stood before the barren and bleak maze of canyons. To him it felt as if the life force had been ripped from the land. On
ly a shell of existence remained in the form of desolation.
With reluctance Earthkin led the way into the badlands. He found shelter for the night in a dead end gully.
Coaldon commented, “I found large wolf foot prints at the mouth of the canyon. We do not want to relax our guard tonight.”
After dinner Earthkin and Coaldon took turns on guard duty. The steep walls of the narrow canyon created absolute silence. The whisper of bat wings could be heard in the muffled surroundings. Coaldon had never experienced such silence in his entire life. He developed a growing sense of entrapment within the towering walls of the canyon. He walked around to listen to the sound of his feet crunching on the rocky ground. He was happy when the morning light broke the spell of isolation. The voices of his traveling mates sounded like songs from heaven. The half elf looked forward to escaping from the absolute emptiness of the Wastelands.
Topple led the way into the maze of canyons with confident strides. He made the selection between canyons without pondering or breaking stride. The travelers made good progress as the morning hours passed. Sid, with his nose to the ground, suddenly left Coaldon’s side. He ran ahead of the group to investigate the trail. Sid stopped with his eyes focused on the entrance of a side canyon. He barked a warning as three giant wolves jumped into the canyon ahead of them. These were not ordinary wolves, but something clever and wicked.
Topple exclaimed, “These are spirit wolves. They are intelligent and very dangerous. Spread out across the canyon floor. Let them come to us. Patience and confidence will be our best weapon.”
The spirit wolves watched the group with hostile eyes. Their muscles rippled with anticipation. They waited for their victims to either run or attack. The three men looked at the beasts with calm self-assurance. Finally the creatures sprang forward with a burst of speed. The leader attacked Topple with a ferocious leap. Topple raised his hand, releasing a bolt of lightning. The spirit wolf froze mid-air dying before it hit the ground. Topple sagged with fatigue from the expenditure of energy.
The other two creatures lunged forward in unison. Coaldon paused as a giant beast rushed toward him. In hesitation he took a step backward tripping over his own feet. As he fell on his back, he had the alertness of mind to raise his feet to catch the forward motion of the wolf. With the push of his legs, Coaldon sent the wolf sailing over him. Coaldon jumped to his feet before the wolf could regain its footing. With a wide stroke, his sword nipped the top of the wolf ’s head. The spirit wolf ’s eyes burned with hatred. The cut on its head and the sight of Coaldon enraged the beast with an immeasurable passion to kill. Like an arrow being released from a bow, the massive beast sprang forward. Coaldon stepped forward with his sword pointing directly at the wolf ’s chest. The wolf hit him with such force that he was knocked to the ground.
With stars floating in his head, he tried to get up. To his horror he was unable to move. He looked up to see the wolf ’s mouth next to his face. With an explosion of energy he rolled to his left. The rolling motion allowed him to twist free of the heavy body. With a cat-like reaction, he sprang to his feet grabbing his knife from its scabbard. He held it in his shaking hand ready to defend himself. Lying on the ground, unable to move, the wolf looked at him in distress. Coaldon’s sword was buried deep in the wolf ’s chest. As he watched, the wolf dissolved into a cloud of black smoke.
Coaldon looked around to determine what to do next. To his relief, all the spirit wolves were gone. He saw Topple sitting on a boulder with a broad smile on his face. Earthkin stood next to him with the look of satisfaction.
The dwarf stated, “I am glad there were only three of them. They are vicious fellows.”
Topple glowing with excitement said, “That was fun! Fighting those nasty things provides good exercise and keeps our minds alert.”
In frustration Earthkin erupted, “I do not need the exercise or the stimulation! But I do know we need to keep moving. There could be more of these creatures looking for entertainment.”
After a short break, they returned to their trek. The wizard led the group like a blood hound sniffing out a trail. With a sense of calm assurance he made each turn in the labyrinth without hesitation. As they entered an especially narrow gully, Sid growled. He bounded forward at a full run. On the canyon floor they saw a body with Sid standing over it. Topple laughed as he trotted forward. Sid was growling as Topple approached the body. Topple giggled, “Now whom do we have here? Maybe it is a lost sheep or an orphan goat?”
Sid stepped back from the body with his tail wagging. With bewildered eyes, Pacer stood up with a look of disbelief. In delight he gave Topple a robust hug.
Topple squeaked, “I didn’t know you cared. Now, let me go you big bully. I can’t breathe.”
Earthkin and Coaldon rushed to greet Pacer. The emotions ran high for several moments. Coaldon actually had tears of joy running down his face. He had missed Pacer’s unwavering personality.
Pacer’s face grew pale as he struggled to remain enthusiastic. He finally sat down with sweat pouring off his face.
He commented, “I was hit by an arrow. I think it was poisoned. Would you check my leg?”
Earthkin carefully pealed back the dressing. The wound was an angry red with puss oozing from it. He removed a small bottle of liquid from his side pouch. He rubbed a healing liquid into the wound. Pacer gasped with pain as the healing lotion ate away the infection. His eyes slowly closed as he lost consciousness.
Earthkin said, “It is best he passed out. This is going to hurt.”
He lit a candle from the hot coals of his small tinderbox. He placed his knife over the flame to sterilize the blade. Topple and Coaldon held Pacer down as he lanced the wound. He slowly dug around in the wound with his knife to clean out the remaining infection. The dwarf smiled as he pulled out a small piece of metal.
He said, “This metal may be poisoned with the Curse of Death. I want to keep it for later examination.” He reapplied the healing lotion and dressed the wound.
The dwarf smiled as he directed, “I will carry Pacer. Topple, you lead the way. ”
The afternoon quickly passed. Coaldon noticed that Earthkin’s massive strength was beginning to sag under the weight of Pacer’s heavy body. As the sun was setting in the west, they walked out of the canyon into open fields. Several monks dressed in green robes were sitting on a bench near a stream. They stood to greet their guests.
The tallest monk said, “We have been waiting for you. Let us carry your wounded friend to the Monastery. We will take good care of him. We must hurry if we are to reach the Monastery before dark.”
Coaldon stood in awe at the sight of the Monastery towering over the valley. It sat on top of a hill surrounded by cliffs. The Village of Toms was a collection of low buildings bathed in the shadow of the great Monastery. The Cathedral was constructed in a symmetrical blend of sweeping arches, tall towers, small chapels and majestic shrines. Earthkin commented, “This intricate stonework required the expert skills of many dwarf stonemasons. It must have been built in an age when the creation of beauty was of great value.”
The road leading to the Monastery was narrow and angled upward across the side of a sheer cliff.
As Coaldon drew near the Monastery, he found himself relaxing. The peaceful surroundings helped him forget about the long, dangerous journey. He turned his head and looked at the beauty of the valley. He felt a swell of calm expand into his body and mind.
This moment was interrupted when he thought about his grandparents. He remembered leaving them on the farm only to return to find the farm destroyed. The charred ruins of the farm house did not leave any clues as to their fate. The memory of their smiling faces haunted him. At first, he wanted to rush off and search for them. Yet, he questioned, “Where would I look?” He finally decided he would trust the One Presence to bring them together.
~ ~
Brad, Ingrid, and Starhood