Death Or Fortune (58 page)

     Glenn
Meadows continued to grow and the town became more and more self-sufficient.
 They elected an elf woman by the name of Glorith to be their leader,
Glorith traveled to Eystlundtowne and made arrangements with a merchant to
deliver goods they needed for coin or trade.  Ebbit found that his skills
were no longer needed in the little forest village so he set out on the road
with Windfall full time.  Ebbit still wonders what would have happened had
he not done so.  He couldn't have known what would have happened.
 Almost twenty years to the day that he left, Glenn Meadows was attacked
by Gnolls one winter night.  From all that was told, only two people lived
in the attack, the half elf son of Glorith and Riley the brother of Falconis.
 Ebbit never knew of her child, didn't even know his name.  Not that
it mattered any.  It just bothered him that he was not there to help
defend the town.  It just drove his will to keep working with Windfall.
 Which in the end lead him to where he was now.

      It
was close to dark when Ebbit returned to the Melkor farm. Bryce had the men
busy building the bridge that Darmot wanted.  Not that it mattered now.
When Ebbit found the human, he was trying to enjoy a meal that the Melkor
people made for them.  Ebbit knew that meal was spoiled when he saw the
look on Bryce's face.

     "What
in the hell happened now?" he asked the dwarf.

     "The
mage is dead and the entire orc army is going to march on the south half of the
island. Get yer men together, Darmot is waiting for you at the tower.  He
told me to come get you and the dead ones.  He also said to tell the
natives to run and hide, get ready to fight in case we fail."

     "Fail
at what?" Bryce asked him.

    
"Hells if I know.  He just said to get you and the dead guys up there
as fast as you can.  I have to head back now.  Mind helping me get
back up on my horse?" Bryce was on his feet and barking out orders to the
men.  By the time Ebbit was back up on his horse, the men were getting
their equipment on and the former Melkor slaves were leaving the farm.
 Ebbit waved to Bryce as he was dashing back north towards the tower.
 Ebbit was pleased with himself.  He would be back in time to get
some good shut eye before the men caught up with them at the tower in the
morning.  The dwarf wasn't afraid to run the horse at night, he could see
much better than his night blind friends.  Still, he took it easy as he
could.  It had already been a long day for the beast and Ebbit had no
desire to ride it to death.  While it would take him longer to get back to
the tower, it was the smart thing to do in his mind.

     As the
night rolled on, Ebbit continued on towards the tower.  No longer lost in
thought of his own past, he kept his mind on this mount and the stars overhead.
 While he knew the day time sky was just over head, something about the
dark out there made him feel small.  While he had been taught to find his
way at night by following the stars, he never understood them. "Yes they
are stars but what are they?" he used to ask his father.  Tiny points
of light that you couldn't see during the day.  It didn't make sense to
the dwarf.  Ebbit suspected that the gods put them there just to disturb
his mind.  Well not just him but other folks like him as well.
 People that didn’t want to hear just because.  People that wanted to
understand why something was.  Instead of just accepting what is.
 "One of these days, I'll figure it out beast."  Ebbit said
to the horse as it continued to plod up the road.  He had let the beast
slow down to a steady walk, it was a nice night and he was enjoying the cool
wind on his bearded face.  The broken wagon was in sight, he figured he
could afford go slow.  He had time to spare.

     Long
forgotten was the Orc left tied up at the side of the road.  The one that
had managed to crawl like an inch worm towards his now dead commander. The one
that had managed to pull the dagger from his commander’s belt with his teeth.
 The same dagger that he had used to cut the ropes that had kept him
bound.  The very same Orc who only days before didn't care that he wasn't
selected to join the warrior ranks.  The very same one who just wanted to
care for his horses, one of which was being ridden by a dwarf.  He was a
young Orc but he knew that if the little person went by once, he would return
again.  He only had to wait for him.  Which is what that young Orc
was doing right at that very moment.  Crouched in the back of the wagon,
waiting and watching for the little person to return with his horse.
 Waiting and watching with his commander’s weapon in his hand.  A
young Orc that knew with just a little patience, his pray would come along.

     
Ebbit didn’t see his attacker until it was too late.  As he passed by the
wagon with thoughts of the stars in his mind, the roar the Orc let out almost
saved his life.  Leaping from the back of the wagon at the dwarf, the
creature slashed out at Ebbit with the dagger.  For the second time in
less than twenty four hours, Ebbit went flying from the back of a horse and
crashing to the ground.  Only this time, instead of having to deal with an
irate paladin, he had to deal with an Orc determined to end his life.
 Rolling away from the Orc, Ebbit pulled his weapons from his belt and
planted his feet in the road trying to ignore the feeling of blood flowing from
his neck and down his chest. "Come on!" he shouted at the Orc who
still had not stood up. "I knew I should have killed you when you were all
wrapped up for me."

     The young
Orc looked at the thin dwarf in the middle of the road.  He didn't know
what a dwarf was.  He just assumed this was just a young human.
 Letting out a second roar, the Orc charged towards the dwarf with his
commander’s dagger held high.  Ebbit, still trying to ignore the blood
that was now flowing at a steady pace from the wound on his neck met that roar
with one of his own. With an axe in each hand, Ebbit waited for the creature to
come to him.

     
“Yea, come here ya black blooded bastard." It was something Ebbit had done
a hundred times before.  He stood and waited till just the right time, all
the while watching his attacker’s feet. When the time was right, he would spin
to the side. Turning on his foot, his first axe met the knee cap of the Orc;
the second was planted in his spine.  He watched with grim satisfaction as
the creature fell in the road, dead before his face hit the ground. "That
is what ya get." he said to the corpse of the young Orc.  He then
reached up to touch the side of his neck, with each beat of his heart, it
pumped out a bit more of his life blood. "Better patch...whoa."

     The first
wave hit Ebbit hard.  His knees gave way as he fell to the road.
 While he managed to catch himself, he could see from the blood spilling
out onto the ground that he was in real trouble.  Pressing his hand to the
side of his neck, hoping to stop the flow of blood the dwarf rolled over onto
his back. "Blasted horse, get over here..."

     As the
second wave hit Ebbit, he had to fight to keep his eyes open.  Everything
he needed was six and one half feet off the ground on the back of a horse that
did not care about the affairs of those who walked on two legs.
"Mason!" he said as loud as he could, reaching into his belt for a
small brass whistle.  Pressing the whistle to his lips, he blew out a
single note, that only one creature could hear.  Pressing harder into his
neck, hoping to stop the flow of blood he prayed to the dwarven god.
 Asking only one question of him, "why now?" Off in the distance,
he could hear his companion howling in return.

     As the
third and final wave crashed into Ebbit he drew a deep breath, repressing his
hand into the wound on his neck. "Have to keep my eyes open, can't let
that happen again." As the howl in the distance grew closer he knew help
would be along soon.  He just had to hold on.  Fight back the growing
darkness that seemed to be destroying the stars in the sky. One by one, they
seemed to wink out, leaving only darkness overhead.  As his faithful companion
charged down the road, Ebbit could hear him coming. "Damn wolf runs like a
cow. I knew I was feeding him too much." As his eyes started to close
again, Ebbit could feel his friends tongue on his face. "Stop that pup,
look at me." Ebbit was worried, his voice once as strong and deep as the
mountain home his clan came from, was growing weak.  Mason, still winded
from the long run sat down beside his master and looked into his eyes, in a way
that only a wolf can.

     
"I'm not gonna make it pup. You have been a good friend to me.  Even
better than that pointy eared bastard.  I wanted to see you one last time.
 So I could tell you, that you are free.  Free to run wild again,
free to find a mate.  I'm going to visit my ancestors and you go back to
where you belong.  Go home with Windfall and Darmot, they will get you
there.  If you get a chance.  Piss on that dead orc for me.  I
love you pup, take...good..c" The final breath of Ebbit came out silent as
the wind.  As the light went out of his eyes Mason laid down beside his
master of ten years.  When the sun returned to the sky, Bryce and the dead
squad found Ebbit in the road, Mason by his side.

    
I stood there on the temple steps watching Ebbit ride away. I then looked to
his companion, his eyes were trained on the back of the dwarf as he rode away.
 Perhaps he knew something I didn't as when I told him to come inside, he
just whined at me.  While I don't know much about rangers and their pets,
I was pretty sure they did one thing, follow orders.  I caught myself
about to call out to him again, telling him to follow when it dawned on me that
it might be a good idea to leave him outside.  Give us a warning should
anyone else arrive.  Besides, a wolf would only get in the way I thought.
 I turned and went back in the temple only to see Michaels, something had
changed about him.  I could see it on his face, he was at ease.  I
gave him the best smile I could and asked him to follow me.
'Wait, I have to
show you something.
' I stopped where I was and asked him what it was.
 He held out the hammer to me, about four feet long, the head looked to be
pure silver.  It almost gleamed with its own light.
'This is Solarths
Fist. The weapon given to Keltor the Peacebringer to end the first war here.
'
 I couldn't believe it.  I looked at that hammer and I could not
believe it had ever been used in a fight.  Everything in my mind resisted
it.  The handle didn't look more than a year or two old.
     I asked him if he was sure.
'Yes, I was given a
holy vision that led me to its resting place.  It was in the lower tombs
here.  Would you like to hold it?
' I told him yes right away, not even
thinking about that fact that this very well could have been some kind of holy
artifact.  As I reached out and took the weapon in hand, it hit me.
 Warmth and light flooded up my arm holding the weapon and into my brain.
 I remember going down to my knees and I seem to remember the distant
sound of thunder.   Michaels ripped my hand off the weapon, asking me
what I was doing, what I was saying.
'You started to speak to me in elven; I
thought you were going to pass out.
'  What I said was, blessed lord
shine your light on me.  Give me the strength to live in your light and to
do your bidding.  I never told Michaels this as I just told him I didn't
remember what I was saying.  I've not yet come to terms with what happened
to me that day, it is something I talk to Hans about now and then.  It has
given me a new outlook on my life and how I live.  While I am not looking
to give up all that I have and put on a robe, I do make regular donations to
the temple of Solarth.  I asked Hans once why I spoke elven when I touched
the hammer.  He just shrugged at me and told me it did belong to an elf to
start.  I took a good look at the weapon one more time, I was sure then
that it was the real thing.

     'What
were you doing outside, is everything ok?
' I told him that things were far
from ok and that I sent Ebbit to collect Bryce and the rest of the men.  I
started to walk back to the room where I left Windfall and Pare with Kandella.
  I told him how we found Windfall and Kandella.  How Windfall
hoped to end it all by killing his father and then I explained to him all that
Kandella had told us, about the Flame of Hope and how Argon was using that as a
signal to summon his army.
'Ah, so as the flame would not burn with him in
the temple, he ensured that if anything ever happened, his army would come and
kill those who did him in. Not a bad plan.'
I had to laugh at the man, I
just told him that we had an entire army marching towards us and he didn't seem
concerned at all.
'What about the Melkor people Darmot, what message did you
give the dwarf to tell them?'
I told him what I told Ebbit, to have them
run and hide with the rest of their people.  To get ready to fight in case
we fail.  When he asked me what we were going to do I just told him that
was a good question and kept walking.
'Do not worry my friend, I have a
plan.'
I asked him what that was and he just smiled at me.
'Solarth will
guide me, that is all I know right now. I will put my fate in his hands
.'

     While it
went against my nature at the time, I couldn't argue with him.  We were
dealing with something beyond my simple understanding.  Today, I want to
go back and argue with him.  Find another way to deal with the problem.
 I never saw it coming and I would have fought to prevent it if I could.
 Windfall was much the way I had left him, sitting there with that lost
look on his face, staring at the spot where his father was on the floor.  Pare
was standing on a table, reenacting something for Kandella, his arms were
waving about.  I honestly had no idea what he was talking about.
 When they saw us Pare stopped and jumped down to the floor.
 Kandella came over to Michaels and shook his hand.
'Never thought I
would see you here good paladin but I am not sorry for it.'
She had a smile
on her face for half a second, when she saw the item in his hand the smile was
gone and she turned white as a ghost.
'How did you get that? Is that the
real thing? What am I saying, of course it is.  I can feel its power.'
 Michaels told the story again for Kandella.  I took that chance to
move away from them and told Pare to see what he could do about dinner.  
'Sure
thing Darmot'
he told me as he plopped down on the floor and started to dig
into his pack. That is when I told him, something for everyone.  He just
kind of looked at me for a moment and said
'Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh'.

     I then
went over to Windfall, softly calling out his name as I put my hand on his shoulder.
When he looked up at me I told him to follow me outside.  Once he was out
under the sun, the color started to return to his face.  As we stood on
the steps, Mason came over and sat there, watching us.  I asked him just
what had happened.
'He pulled the information out of me like he was pulling
errant strings from a thread worn blanket. I told him everything he wanted to
know and in his arrogance, told me just what his plans were. I fear I may have
put my son in very real danger.  He won't come back here and I may have
saved Eystlund for a time. Yet all I did was make him shift his focus. No
longer is the human race his main objective. He will plot and plan.
'
 I had to stop him and ask him what he was talking about.  
'Xcavere,
I told him about Xcavere in Toryth Vol. That was going to be his next stop
should he succeed in Eystlund.  He told me he would use Zender to kill the
lich.  So while he was fighting with Kandella, I snapped his neck.  I
didn't know he had a plan for that as well.'  
While I didn't know
Zender as well as his father did, I did remind him that the stubborn priest
wasn't easy to control.  
'No but he is loyal to his family, out of
respect he will listen to the old man. Yet I think if he ever meets his
grandfather, it would be an interesting day. By interesting I mean, one of them
will die.  You are right my friend, Zender will not be controlled like
that.  Still, the idea of it might appeal to him. Destroy the lich king
Xcavere and return life to Toryth Vol.  If we live to get off this island,
I am gonna have to find him and warn him.'

     The longer
we talked, the better he looked.  Soon he was back to his old self, the
shock of seeing and killing his father wore off.  Mason continued to watch
us, shifting his head back and forth as we spoke.  At first, I just
thought he might be hungry and was hoping one of us would feed him.  After
an hour or so I looked down at him, his eyes were so focused on me.  When
Windfall noticed he started laughing at me.
'Don't worry, you will get used
to it.'
I asked him what he meant?
'Mason is not your average wolf.
 A few years ago Ebbit found a ring that would grant him one wish. He
tried to give it to me but I told him I didn't want it, he might not like what
I would wish for. He pondered what to do with it for weeks. He questioned a
wizard in Eystlund about it, trying to find the limits of the ring.  In
the end he used it to make his companion smarter. You are looking at perhaps
the smartest wolf in all of Majius.  Not only can he understand everything
we say, he has a bad habit of letting you know when he thinks you are wrong.'
I just looked at the half elf; I could not believe a word that was coming out
of his mouth. He could see it on my face that I wasn't buying it.  He
leveled one finger at me and pointed.
'I see that look on your face, trust
me it is true. Don't get me wrong, he isn't a great thinker or anything but for
a wolf, he is very smart.  I’d bet he is a fair bit smarter than your
halfling friend.'

     I kept
waiting for the big laugh but it never came. While I don't know today if the
story was true, I tend to believe it.  Mason was a very strange wolf.
 Looking back, it felt rather odd having an animal sit there and watch
you.  Hanging on every word that came out of your mouth.  My son was
close to a year old when I noticed he would do the same thing.  It
reminded me of the wolf right away when I noticed it.  When Windfall and I
went back inside the temple I asked Mason if he wanted to come inside.  He
just turned around and went back to the same spot he was in before Windfall and
I came out.  Waiting for his true master to return.  Pare was able to
find enough food in the temple to make us a simple stew.  While he wasn't
a great cook, I didn't have to worry about him killing us all.  After we
ate, we decided to inspect the rest of the temple.  I was able to find a
detailed map of the island that Argon had put together.  It showed us
where everything was down to the finest detail.  It showed the location of
the slave compounds, both in the city and near the shipyards.  The one
near the shipyard I knew about, the one in the city I did not.

     Michaels,
Windfall and I went over the maps together, making plans on how to proceed.
 Looking back, Michaels was overly agreeable with most of what we said.
 I never knew he had other ideas on his mind.  Not until it was too
late to stop him. We figured Bryce and the Dead Squad would be along by
morning, we could get started in full from there.  From everything we
could find and from everything Kandella told us the guards at the slave camps would
be light.  We planned on getting all the slaves free and putting them to
the test.  They would have to fight for their home.  After all that
time as slaves, we all figured that they would be ready to fight back.
 Kandella, while she was there during the planning, she told us right away
that she would not fight.  Explaining that while yes, she was a cleric,
her gifts were used in other ways.  She didn’t even have the power that
Michaels had.  
'I don't find many books that are in need of healing.
 My skills would do you no good on any battlefield.'
 I told her
not to worry about it as her safety was the most important thing.  I did
promise my friend that I would rescue her.

     The last
thing we did was find a place to rest for the night.  There were more than
enough beds but I didn't want anyone sleeping alone.  No matter how much
Kandella protested, I insisted on that.  While I was willing to take her
and Michaels word that we wouldn't need a guard for the night, I wasn't going
to leave anyone alone all night long.  In the end it didn't matter.
 We slept through the night and for the first time since we had left the
ship I had dreams of home.  Just before I awoke in the morning I could see
Jasmin, her belly was showing the child in her womb.  I rolled out of bed
and put my armor on; I expected I would need it before the end of the day.
 I was right about that but blind to so many other things.  I woke
Pare up before leaving the modest room we were crammed in, telling him to get
ready.  I then took a bowl of what was left of Pare's stew outside to see
if Mason would eat it.  I was shocked to see him gone.  I didn't know
why or where he went for another three hours.  When Bryce showed up he had
both Mason and Ebbit with him. Two of the Dead Squad had a small stretcher and
the body of Ebbit was on it, covered in blood and cold as the grave.