The Warlock Senator (Book 2) (29 page)

Al slowed his horse down to a trot and pulled up on the reins just before exiting the forest. He slid over the side and down off the animal.
He crept up to the tree line and looked onward at the giant, rocky mountain. It had been well over a decade since the last time he had laid eyes on his former home, and even then he was only passing by.

He let his right hand fall to brush the top of his hammer. His fingers traced the etching and his thoughts went back to the arguments he had had with his father. Part of him wondered how things might be different had he taken the throne.
The resources of Roegudok Hall could be at his fingertips even now, ready to augment the warrior monks at Valtuu Temple. His mind went back to Erik. He clenched his jaw and started walking forward. He saw the pair of dwarves standing guard at the entrance to Roegudok Hall.

Even from a distance, they recognized him. “The king has decreed that you are not welcome here,” one of the dwarves said.

Al peered at the dwarf with a steely, calm gaze. “I am Aldehenkaru’hktanah Sit’marihu. I am the
elder
brother of Threntonsirai Sit’marihu. I have come to take my rightful place as firstborn heir to the throne.”

The two guards glanced uneasily to each other. Then one of them puffed up his chest and stepped forward. “The
king
has decreed that you shall not be allowed inside. You have been disowned after you abandoned your people. You are not welcome here.”

“I am the rightful heir to the throne, and I have come for my birthright. To deny me my right is to turn
your
back upon our people, and our traditions.”

The second guard ran back and disappeared behind the doors to the cavern for a moment. He reemerged with a score of dwarven guards, fully armed and donning battle gear.

“You will not pass,” the first guard said decisively.

“Stand down!” someone shouted from the side.

Al turned to see another dwarf running toward them from the side of the mountain.

“What are you doing here?” the first guard bellowed.

“Easy now, I am not trying to sneak back in. Perhaps I can persuade Master Sit’marihu to come away peacefully with me.”

“Alferug Henezard,” Al said. “It has been a long time. What are you doing away from court?”

“The king no longer requires his services,” the first guard said. “Now move along or we will be forced to apprehend you.”

“Come,” Alferug said. “Let us leave these feeble minded sheep to their duties.”

Al looked to the guards and let his fingers drift back to his hammer.

“Master Sit’marihu, come with me, please,” Alferug pleaded.

“Go with your girlfriend,” the first guard taunted.

“When I am king, you will lick the bottom of my boot,” Al spat. He turned and walked away with Alferug. “I
need to get the scale,” Al said as soon as they were far enough away that the guards couldn’t hear.

Alferug nodded. “That is an interesting thing to come back for,” he said. “You do realize that the scale is fastened to the king’s belt. It covers the buckle.”

“I know
where
the scale is,” Al replied.

“You know there is no way your brother will give it to you.”

“I am aware.”

Alferug waved his hand and continued. “The only way you will get it is if you are king, and the only way that will happen is over Threnton’s dead body.”

“Yes,” Al said. “I know.”

Alferug stopped midsentence and turned to face Al. “As much as I would like to see our people return to their proper traditions, I must advise against this.”

Al nodded and kept walking, putting as much distance between them and the guards as he could until they rounded the side of the mountain. “You know that I am the first to admit I am not the one who should be king. It is not in my blood.”

Alferug raised a finger to point out Al’s error, but thought better of it and kept his mouth closed.

“This is for something much more important,” Al continued. “It is needed to aid the Keeper of Secrets.”

“Master Lepkin needs the scale?” Alferug inquired as he scratched his wrinkled forehead. “What could he need it for?”

Al smiled politely. “That is not for everyone to know,” he said. “Just trust that it is required in order for him to fulfill his mission.”

“So, he has found the champion then?” Alferug asked.

Al nodded. “I believe he has.”

“Has the champion passed the exalted test of Arophim?”

Al shook his head. “He has not yet taken the test.” Al veered off and cut up the base of the mountain.

“Then how do you know?” Alferug pressed as he scrambled up behind Al.

“He has the gifts, I have seen it,” Al said. “Now come, let’s go. We don’t have much time.”

“Where are we going?”

Al clambered over a boulder and scanned the ground for a moment. Then he smiled and pointed down at the ground. “Here it is.” He marched onward, beckoning for Alferug to follow him. “We are going to the rear door.”

“The rear door?” Alferug asked. “What are you talking about?”

Al laughed aloud. “It is known only to me.” He walked onward, quickening his pace. “My father passed the secret to me, in case I ever wanted to come back and my brother wouldn’t let me in the front door.”

“Does your brother know of this rear door?” Alferug asked.

“No, it was passed only from king to king.”

“But you aren’t king,” Alferug pointed out.

“No, but when my father finally relented to let me walk my own path, he told me of the rear door and begged me to keep watch over Roegudok Hall. He said the time may come when I might have to come back and knock some sense into my brother.”

“It would appear that that time has come,” Alferug said with a smirk.

Al pushed on, ascending the mountain side as the loose dirt gave way to patches of gray shale and round pebbles. His thick fingers easily found the niches in the stone wall as he started up a sheer cliff, scurrying up the face like a squirrel climbs a tree. Alferug was only a few feet behind him until they reached the top and stood on the first shelf.

Al turned and surveyed the area below. “Let’s move a little farther east before we climb up. I don’t want to risk being seen by any guards.”

“Bah,” Alferug said with a wave. “They won’t be paying attention to the mountainside. They barely stand watch at the gate as it is.”

Al shrugged. “Still, better to be cautious.” He made his way along the shelf. At times the flat shelf gave way to steep drops where rockslides had occurred over the years. A man might have easily fallen down any one of the dangerous slopes, but Al was a dwarf. His feet were in tune with the
mountain and the rock. He often joked that when it came to climbing mountains, dwarves were more akin to goats than to their taller human cousins.

They walked for the space of an hour before Al judged they had gone far enough to avoid any possible detection. He scanned the ascending slopes, looking for the best route up the mountain. It didn’t take him long. He pointed a sausage-like finger at a jagged crevice and went straight to it. His hands found purchase quickly and his feet propelled him up. He had all but forgotten how much he enjoyed the feel of rock in his hands. A part of him began to come alive that had long lain dormant. A great smile stretched across his face and he increased his pace, scrambling up the mountain as though he were a strong summer wind, bending up to crest over the peak.

Once they arrived at the second shelf, Al led them on a winding trail to a place near the back of the mountain. They were about two thirds of the way up the great peak, but Al knew there was no cause to go any higher. The door was somewhere nearby. The trick was to find it.

“We’ll make camp over there,” Al said, pointing to a flat area recessed in a small nook where the mountain curved into itself and hidden by a patch of scrub oak. “I have some biscuits we can share until nightfall.”

“Why wait?” Alferug asked. “I thought you said that time was of the essence.”

Al nodded. “We can only see the door when the moon shines upon the mountain.”

“Ah,” Alferug said. “A moonstone?” he asked.

“Aye, a moonstone is set above the doorway. It glows blue in the moonlight. It should be somewhere nearby.”

The two of them rolled a couple of sizeable rocks out onto the flat area so they could sit comfortably while they waited. Al reached into his backpack and pulled out three whole biscuits and the remnants of one that had obviously been smashed during the climb.

“I’m sorry I have nothing to contribute,” Alferug offered.

“I’ll take the broken bits and one more,” Al said. He gave the other two whole biscuits to Alferug. “Tell me what caused my brother to expel you from the court.”

Alferug frowned and tugged on his long, gray beard. “There isn’t much to tell, I’m afraid. It happened when Master Lepkin and Senator Bracken visited the king.”

“Master Lepkin came with Senator Bracken?” Al asked.

“No, they came separately, but were seen at the same time by your brother,” Alferug clarified. “Anyway, they spoke to him and Master Lepkin asked whether King Threnton would come to King Mathias’ aid in battle if the need arose. Your brother told him exactly what he thought of the tall folk and then expelled Lepkin from Roegudok Hall.”

“To imagine that the dwarf king should dishonor the Keeper of Secrets so,” Al murmured.

“It gets worse,” Alferug said. “Master Lepkin
insulted your brother pretty harshly.”

“What did he say?”

“Well, your brother had just finished renouncing the Ancients, so Lepkin told him that for the sake of the dwarves he hoped that Threnton would not live to be king for much longer.”

Al choked on a bit of biscuit and coughed violently. After successfully dislodging the dry bite from his throat he shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t imagine that set well with my brother at all.”

“No,” Alferug confirmed. “And that is why I was sent packing along with him. Expelled and forbidden to return.”

“Well, no more forbidden,” Al said. “Whether I choose it or not, I do believe the time has come to put the sense back in my brother’s head.”

“I said it before, but he won’t sit idly and let you in.” Alferug took a big bite of biscuit.

“I know,” Al said. “But I don’t have much choice in the matter. He has what I need and the fool is too blind to see what is happening around him.” He took a bite and swallowed without chewing. “Senator Bracken was actually a warlock imposter,” he put in. He watched Alferug’s disbelieving eyes
and took another bite. “It’s true,” Al said through a mouthful. “I saw it with my own eyes. I don’t know exactly what he was planning, but he was an evil, evil man. Threnton should have paid more attention to the affairs of men, then perhaps he would know what perils lie in wait for our people should we fail to act.” Al slid down to the ground, kicked his feet out in front and crossed his legs at the ankles as he leaned back against the rock and closed his eyes. He was long overdue for some rest, and there would be a few hours yet to wait before the moon would be high enough to reveal the door.

Alferug sat silently, allowing Al to rest. He finished his dry biscuits and then walked to the edge of the slope they were on to look out. To the east he could just make out the great, jagged snowcapped mountains that separated the Middle Kingdom from the lands of the Tarthun barbarians and raiders. Slowly he brought his gaze down and swept it out across to the west. Everything looked so still and peaceful. To some it would have been an amazing, beautiful scene to behold. Alferug wrinkled his nose and walked back to his seat. He preferred the cool, damp air of his underground home.

He sat still, like a gargoyle perched upon the rock, until the sun dropped behind the western horizon and ushered in the dark night. Stars began to appear as the last colors of the day faded away. Twinkling blue and green dots littered the sky, fighting the night’s shadow as best they could, but no moon shone. Alferug searched the sky. His eyes were used to discerning shapes and objects in the dark, so for him it was easy to spot the massive, thick clouds that hung in the air, blocking the moon.

“Well, that is some luck to have tonight,” Alferug mumbled to himself. He glanced back to Al and rubbed his hands over his knees.
“Never would have dreamed that the rightful king would return, and certainly not like this,” Alferug said to himself. He rose to his feet and scanned the side of the mountain, searching the crags and nooks for any sign of a glowing moonstone. After failing to locate anything he moved in close to the rock wall and ran his fingers over the hard, unyielding stone. He moved his hands over every reachable inch in the next hour and a half before he finally gave up and cursed the clouds.

“What is the matter?”

Alferug shook his head. “I can’t find the doorway, and the clouds have blotted out the moon. We will not be able to gain entrance this night.”

“And why should that trouble you so, my old friend?”