Delver Magic: Book 05 - Chain of Bargains (3 page)

BOOK: Delver Magic: Book 05 - Chain of Bargains
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"Well, what should we do
now?" he asked in an almost giddy tone, like a child wondering which
lavishly wrapped present to open first.

"We are not going home,"
Holli responded.

"I didn't think we were. We
still have to check out what's going on in the valleys, but the inferns are
guarding the pass, something was coming at us from the north, and now
this."

Holli quickly appraised the
situation. She understood the delver. It was more of a delightful dilemma for
him to have so many mysteries thrown at him at once. For an elf guard, however,
too many unknowns crafted a dangerous path.

"We no longer have to worry
about cahltofs trailing us. That concern is now gone. As for the inferns, we
can examine the question of their presence with greater care in due time. That
can wait... as can the valleys. They are not going anywhere. The mystery to the
north involving the goblin scent is now our immediate concern."

"Actually, they're probably more
to the east of us by now. We went a pretty far distance and I doubt they could
have kept up with us." Ryson nodded down the clearing that curved around
the hills. "If they're following us, they're back there on the pass
between us and the inferns."

"With the heavy scent of
goblin upon them, I am sure you can pinpoint their location once we get closer,
but we will not use the pass."

"What do you suggest?"

"Let us take to the trees,
but move in a northeasterly direction." Holli pointed to the closest hilltop.
"We angle up around that peak. Once we get to the other side, we move
parallel to the pass but remain in the trees and on higher ground. When you
sense them, let me know, and we will choose the best route to gain a better
perspective."

"Fair enough," Ryson
agreed as he sheathed his sword.

Holli took the lead knowing Ryson
would follow. The elf took several strides along the open pass before
approaching the tree line, placing some distance between them and the passage
used by the last cahltof. She then turned north and moved into the woods.
Quickly scampering up a large ash tree, she climbed two thirds of the way up
the trunk before stepping out upon a branch strong enough to hold her weight.

The limb bent low as Holli moved
further out to its edge, but it would not break. The leaves rustled with
agitation as the branch bounced with each step of the elf. When Holli leapt
over to a neighboring tree, the limb snapped back upward, bobbed up and down
several times, and ultimately settled back in its previous spot, reaching for
the bright sunshine.

Ryson moved with even greater ease
through the trees. Though he was not as accustomed to that form of travel, as a
delver he could quickly adjust to his surroundings. His instincts and his
agility served him well as he danced through the trees at a much faster pace
than his companion.

The delver still allowed Holli to
set the direction of their travel, but he circled about her position, never
getting too far ahead or lagging way behind. He barely had to watch his footfalls
as the tree branches simply became an intertwined system of bridges and paths.

Utilizing all his senses, he
sniffed the wind for foreign scents, listened for hints of travelers, and
scanned the lands around them. Through the varied trees of oak, ash, hickory
and basswood, he noted the natural trails of the regional wildlife as well as
the recent signs of humans and dark creatures alike. He caught several traces
of goblin scent as he traveled, but he believed they were nothing more than the
residue from old trails. After passing the third hilltop, however, he caught a
fresher scent that definitely matched what he had noticed before the incident
with the cahltofs.

"We're getting closer,"
he whispered over to Holli as he leapt back to her side. He pointed to the
southeast. "It's coming from over there. I haven't heard them yet, which
is kind of strange."

Holli examined the location of the
pass from where she stood in the trees and then matched it to the area pointed
out by the delver. She surveyed the hills in the distance and quickly fixed
upon the hilltop where the inferns were spotted.

"If they are near, they have
not moved far from where we first encountered them."

"If they're not moving, that
would explain why I haven't heard them."

The elf guard weighed the
additional information and made a quick decision.

"Let us remain on this course
and see what else we can discover."

Holli moved slower, even allowed
Ryson to take the lead. She continuously scanned the surrounding lands and
reached out to touch the magic that flowed freely in every direction. She
utilized her inherent ability to take hold of the energy, and she examined it
closely to sense any danger in the vicinity. The magic, however, remained pure
and untouched. She sensed no magic caster attempting to exploit the energy.

Ryson silently glided through the
trees, making no sounds and focusing all of his senses on the signs he could
find. After passing another hilltop, he announced his new discovery.

"They're dwarves," Ryson
offered.

"You are certain?"

"Look at the tracks," he
stated with confidence as he pointed to the forest floor. "Those are dwarf
footprints. There's eight of them... and they're very close by." He paused
to listen and sniffed the wind once more. "They're not moving, I think
they're just waiting in the pass. I can't see them, but it's around this
hill."

Holli looked across the horizon,
noted the position of the pass in the distance and its relation to their
current position.

"Right where we were when you
spotted the inferns," Holli declared. "They didn't follow us at
all."

"What should we do?"

"Can you see if the inferns
are still watching the pass?"

Ryson quickly retrieved his
spyscope. He had to climb higher up the tree, but he found a position with a
clear view. After a brief moment of peering into the east, he leapt silently
back down to the elf.

"Still there. They're not
moving, either, and they don't seem to be concerned with what's going on over
here. They're just focused on the pass as it drops down into the valleys."

Holli nodded.

"Let us get a better look at
the dwarves," she advised.

With fluent grace, the elf and the
delver slipped through the trees like silent shadows. Holli led once more and
chose a path that remained elevated above the clearing of the pass. Ryson
stalked through the trees very near the elf as opposed to circling her. He knew
exactly where the dwarves were, even as they remained out of sight around one
last hilltop.

Once the two circled the last
peak, they found a spot deep within thick leaves that covered their positions,
but allowed them to review the dwarves from a safe distance. Holli brought them
to a halt and took great care to pinpoint the location of all eight dwarves.
She could not understand why they carried such a strong scent of goblin among
them, but she was relieved to see their relaxed state. All eight stood within
the clearing of the pass, and though they kept watch in all directions, they
showed no sign of aggression.

"They are armed, but probably
not a war patrol," Holli whispered as she continued to evaluate the
situation.

The elf guard immediately spotted
a female dwarf who turned her head in their direction. The dwarf made no other
move, but stared directly at Ryson and Holli's position. By her armor, Holli
judged her to be an officer. The dwarf would not release her gaze. It was clear
they had been discovered.

"One heard me," Holli
revealed in a slightly lower voice. "Might as well not pretend. Let us
greet them in the open."

"You're sure?"

Holli nodded. "Best way to
handle the situation. We are going to ground level and we will move into the
pass. Stay on guard and do not stray too far from the trees. Leave your sword
sheathed, but remain prepared to retreat back into the woods."

Ryson agreed and again let Holli
take the lead. He followed her to the ground and they broke through the thick
brush at the edge of the clearing together. When she stopped after but two
steps into the open pass, Ryson took a position by her left side. He took one
quick scan of the horizon and then noted the movements of the dwarves. They did
not appear at all surprised to see them.

The female dwarf who had turned
her head stepped up deliberately to meet the two new arrivals while the other
dwarves remained several steps behind and showed little distress. The dwarf officer
had a wide chin and large eyes, and she looked upon Holli with what appeared to
be simple curiosity. When she turned her attention to the delver, she smiled
broadly and her large chin seemed to expand even wider.

"Ryson Acumen, it is an honor
to welcome you to the Oachets."

"You know who I am?"

"You are the delver with the
glowing sword and a friend to all dwarves, no?"

The delver agreed with the
sentiment. Though his relations with the dwarves of Dunop had been at one time
strained by certain circumstances, any hostilities had been settled. Still, he
was not at all familiar with the dwarf before him, and Dunop was a great
distance to the west.

The dwarves of the Oachets were of
another city, another region. He realized tales of a delver carrying the Sword
of Decree were spreading, but he remained uneasy over such fame—and uncertain
on how to react to his growing prominence among strangers.

"I guess so."

"You guess? Are you not the
delver who destroyed Ingar's sphere? Though we dwarves are not thrilled with
the return of magic, we understand how you saved all the land. Did you also not
save the dwarves of Dunop from the shadow trees? And did you not work with
those same dwarves to save the humans of Connel and build growing relations
between the two races?"

"There are others that had a
lot to do with all of that."

The dwarf released a hearty
chuckle.

"Ryson Acumen, now is not the
time for modesty. You're in a strange land, greeting a dwarf warrior you have
never met. Are you a friend of the dwarves or not?"

"I've always thought so,
well, at least for as long as I knew dwarves existed."

"We have always
existed," the dwarf laughed a bit harder, "but I understand. The time
before magic remains in most of our memories, even if it now seems a distant
thought. My name is Ulet Bulharp. I am a battle commander in the dwarf brigade
of Sterling."

"Pleased to meet you,"
Ryson responded.

The smile remained on the dwarf
warrior as she turned to the elf, but it diminished a degree or two.

"And may I ask the name of the
elf who accompanies you?"

Holli introduced herself, but
stood firm and made no other acknowledgement.

"I am Holli Brances. My
original camp was of Dark Spruce
Forest—among the elves that oversaw
the region below Sanctum Mountain.
I am now in the service of the wizard Enin of Burbon... and Connel as
well."

The dwarf's smile drifted away,
but she responded with respect.

"Holli Brances. You also
entered Sanctum in service of the land. Now you work side-by-side with the
great wizard, and the deeds of Enin are almost as legendary as that of Ryson
Acumen."

The dwarf warrior then placed her
hands together and rubbed them strenuously as she announced her intentions.
"I wish to speak with both of you, but not here. There is a cave entrance
to Sterling just to the
southeast... near the base of the neighboring hill. I would ask that you follow
me there. It is a more secure area. Agreed?"

Holli would have preferred to stay
in their current location. The trees remained in reach and there were only
eight dwarves before them. Moving into a tunnel that served as the entrance to
a dwarf city would definitely alter the advantage and limit her options, but
she had to accept the fact that she and Ryson were the ones traveling through
dwarf territory. She did her best to appear congenial but also acted in a
fashion to mitigate the potential hazards.

"I would ask that we do not
move far into any tunnel. I am uncomfortable in confined areas."

Ryson appeared somewhat surprised,
but the dwarf appeared unfazed by the request.

"I understand. We shall stay
at the entrance. I'm going to leave six of my party here to keep watch over the
pass."

"Can you have them take that
sack with them?" Ryson asked, as he pointed to a large bag that exuded an
overpowering scent of goblin. His delver curiosity almost made him inquire as
to the contents of the bag, but then he feared they might open it to show him,
and he believed the stench might render him unconscious. He never asked.

The dwarf warrior agreed and gave
her orders to the surrounding dwarves. A half dozen moved off to the north with
the foul smelling sack in tow. Only one other dwarf accompanied Ulet, Holli and
Ryson, and the dwarf commander bade that sentry to guard their flank.

Ulet Bulharp led the delver and
elf across the clearing and into the woods of the adjoining hill to the south.
Once past the thick brush that filled the border between the pass and the
trees, they stepped upon clearer grounds that were deep in the shadows of the
thick canopy of leaves overhead. The dwarf turned west and followed the lower
base of the hill. After several paces, she made one last turn back to face the
hillside. With but a few steps, they came across an opening that broke through
a massive chunk of limestone.

The dwarf at the rear remained
just outside the opening as Ulet guided Ryson and Holli several steps into the
tunnel entrance. The path widened slightly after the initial opening and then
angled into a fairly steep downward grade.

Ryson's vision immediately
adjusted to the lower light, but he realized it remained brighter than it
should have been. He quickly noted the angled position of several reflective
rocks at the cave opening that sent beams of light down the tunnel. He also
recognized several scents coming up from the passage. He wondered how far below
ground the dwarf city of Sterling
rested and what it might look like.

BOOK: Delver Magic: Book 05 - Chain of Bargains
13.81Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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