“But how were you captured in the first place? If you were given the ability to remain hidden, how were you found?” Aaron asked.
“After so many centuries, we were certain that our lands were no longer being watched. We ventured out to try and make our way to the northern region, where others had gathered. My brother thought that we might be able to unite all the elves and bring them again under one leader. Once we crossed our borders and left the protection of the forest, we were set upon by the deladrin and overpowered. We’ve been trapped in this place for over one hundred years.”
“Why were you kept alive? What did they hope to gain from your capture?” Aaron was perplexed and wanted to know the full situation before entering into the hostile caverns.
“The enemy of all had us held there hoping that we could be persuaded into revealing the secrets that we knew… secrets of the ancient kingdom and of the Book of Aleth. He does not possess the ability to dwell in harmony with the living things of this world. He hoped that as we rotted in the dungeon, he would finally break our wills and we would tell him everything.” Mari laughed out loud. “The enemy fails to understand my people. As I said, we are long-lived, and have the patience to wait many years for a favorable opportunity.”
As she spoke, Lorik woke and grumbled aloud over the cold stone he was resting upon. “Blast this deep-freeze!” he said. “Even these impressive cloaks couldn’t keep the chill out of my bones.”
“You’re bones are getting along in years, my friend,” Aaron quipped.
Lorik chuckled. “That they are.” He stood and stretched the ache from his joints, pulled his sword from its sheath, and stepped aside to try and work some warmth into his aching limbs.
From around the corner Braden appeared, carrying the satchel and looking far more satisfied than when he left. “Ah!” he exclaimed. “I see you’re all up! Well that’s good because I have brought us a great treasure.” He stopped in the small circle and reached his hand into the bag, pulling out a fist-full of roots and greens, dried meats and dried vegetables. He also retrieved a flask, filled to the brim with ice-cold spring water.
Aaron could only stare in amazement at the cache of food that welled out of the small satchel. Each one eagerly took a healthy portion and passed the water flask around until they had all satisfied their hunger.
Aaron looked at the sturdy dwarf, still beaming as if he had discovered the rarest of gems. “Where did all this come from?”
Braden sat down to recall his tale. “Well, I went up the trail until I discovered a small culvert that I could climb, taking me several hundred yards to the north. When I arrived at the end of the gulley, I ran into a small pack of those dreaded gremellaks, but they were no match for this trusty axe!” He patted his weapon as if it was a faithful pet. He continued, “I fought off the four of them… maybe they were the same ones that came on us… who knows? Anyway, I fought off the four of them, and when the last one lunged at me, I ducked and he struck his head against the cliff’s face. That knocked him clean out, but dislodged a healthy chunk of rock with his hard head.” He paused as he thought back. “Well, that chunk of rock revealed more than just a hard head. It showed a crack in the mountain side that was another of my peoples’ hiding places. I worked the stone until I found the entire door, then I searched until I found the latch that would spring it.
“At that time the gremellak came back to his senses… though I doubt that they have any sense at all… and he attacked me. I wasn’t prepared and we wrestled until I could get my hand on a large stone. I struck the foul beast and that ended that.
“I went back to the door and opened it to find what you have just enjoyed. The cavern where this food was stored must have been crafted with the ancient power of preservation that my people once employed. I scavenged what I could. I guess that it was a storehouse for the guards who would come down this path to stand watch at the tower. There is enough food available for us that we should have no problems with provisioning ourselves for the return journey.”
Aaron smiled. “My dear Braden,” he said, “you simply amaze me. I don’t think that I’ve ever had a more resourceful companion on any journey.” Aaron also noticed something different in Braden’s disposition, a new vigor that gushed out of him like water from a brook. It was a far cry from the sullen, dispassionate dwarf that started the adventure. He wielded his weapon with well-honed skill and showed remarkable bravery in the face of danger; Aaron could not imagine Braden ever suffering a lack of courage.
“Well, now,” Aaron said, “I am grateful for the food, but we must continue. I assume it is still a long hike up this trail to the entrance. We have two days if we are not waylaid, so let’s be off.” He clapped Braden on the shoulder, hoisted the satchel onto his shoulder and began walking. Behind him, Braden and Mari followed, with Lorik bringing up the rear.
The hours passed and they made good time for their effort. Midday came upon them with the sun high overhead, warming them and illuminating the many rifts and glaciers that surround their expedition. Fortune seemed to favor the small group as the wind finally gave up. From their vantage point they could see far off into the distance. The mountain range they navigated reflected brightly in the afternoon sun with glimmering snow-packs and illustrious peaks as far as the eye could see.
Aaron knew, somewhere far to the south and well beyond his sight, the city of Celedon sat perched upon a high sea cliff looking down at the massive open waters of the rolling ocean. He longed for the taste of the salt air upon his tongue and the sound of birds fluttering and calling to one another as they hovered on the currents of air. He felt a long way from home and a long way from the life he once knew. Everything had changed that night in North Village. Now, hundreds of leagues from his past, high on a mountain he pressed on toward an ancient city of dwarves with the most unlikely of companions. He looked back to see Braden and Mari steadily walking behind him, seemingly unaffected by the elevation. Lorik was further back, struggling valiantly in the thin atmosphere of the high pass.
Ahead a shimmering field of white crossed their path. It stood nearly five miles away and lay directly before them. The trail widened so that the party could walk two abreast and Braden came to walk alongside Aaron. Glad for the company, Aaron pointed toward the massive field. “What is that ahead of us? It looks like an ocean of snow.”
“Oh,” spoke Braden, his breath sending out a billow of mist, “that, my dear captain, is the Kaedran Glacier! It is the largest glacier on all the Kanton mountain range, perhaps in all of Celedon.”
“Are we going to have to cross it?” Aaron didn’t feel too optimistic.
“Actually,” said Braden, “we are. It’s not as difficult as you might think. The crossing point is fairly level so we should have no difficulty. And, besides,” he continued, “there has never been a reported avalanche on that glacier… it is safe.”
Nothing Braden said made Aaron feel any better about crossing the massive field of snow. He trudged on, adjusting his sword and scratching his beard. “How far is it across?” Aaron asked, to no one in particular.
Mari answered, “It’s more than three miles across. My brother and I crossed it not more than three days ago.”
Aaron’s thoughts rested upon Lorik. He wondered if the sergeant would be able to navigate a slippery slope after taking such a long hike through the mountains. “Very well, then,” Aaron said, “we must cross, and we will. But before we attempt it I want us to be fresh. We will end our day on this side of the glacier. It will be dark in a few hours and we will need to rest for the final leg of the journey.”
“But sir,” Braden interjected, “if I remember right, there is an old lookout on the other side. It was used to watch for intruders that may have tried to invade from the mountain pass. It offers a view of the entire area and would be a better place to camp for the night.”
Aaron looked at Lorik who panted with exhaustion, tired and worn from their day’s travel. “I’ll make it, Captain,” Lorik said with little enthusiasm. “Braden’s right. We would be better off if we took shelter from the elements. A guard house, even a cave, in this climate would do us all a bit of good. If it is only three miles across, we should make it in less than two hours.”
Aaron hesitated, still reluctant to cross the glacier after such a long hike in the mountains, but also eager to be in a place where they could rest without surprise. “All right we cross, but not before we take at least a half-hour to recuperate. I want us all to have a sip of the dwarf drink as well; it does seem to help overcome the altitude.” After the brief respite, the four companions continued their journey along the high mountain pass, its rugged terrain bleak and stark, with nothing but rock and snow surrounding them.
They passed a rather jagged peak on their left when the trail turned slightly south and opened upon a wide, broad expanse of snow… the Kaedran Glacier.
10
Across the Kaedran Glacier
The wind finally decreased to little more than a whisper, yet the gentle breeze still carried the biting sting of the ancient snowpack. The sun had passed over them, making its descent toward the west, with a trail of long shadows in its wake. The fading light reflected off the snow, nearly blinding those who looked upon the vast glacial field. The snow, however, provided no means of protecting them from watching eyes. For all Aaron knew, the tower Braden mentioned was already occupied, spying on the open expanse for any would-be invaders.
The glacier filled an area of the Kanton mountain range with a wide view of the southern regions of Celedon. From their vantage point they looked down at the Great Expanse. Miles and miles of open plains and rolling hills, like a patchwork quilt, lay exposed to their sight. Far to the southwest, a mere pinpoint on the horizon, stood the Inland Sea glimmering in the sunlight. Aaron stared over the distant landscape, dotted with hills and farms, captivated by the panoramic scene afforded by the view.
Aaron fixed his eyes on the vast glacier that silently waited, daring them to cross. It looked menacing, massive, and riddled with danger. Aaron’s mind raced with apprehension, fearing that crossing the expanse would leave them exposed and vulnerable. Every ounce of his being warned him it was foolish to try and cross, that their secrecy would be compromised, their path known, and that such exposure would finish their mission prematurely.
Braden approached him. “Captain,” he said, “We must cross soon. If we wait too much longer we might be caught in the twilight wind that blows across this chasm. It is a difficult hike when it’s calm; it is foolhardy to cross when the wind picks up.”
Looking back, the sun set low upon the mountain peaks. Aaron watched the shadows slowly, steadily grow in the fading light. He looked upon each one of his companions. Aaron never imagined he would lead such a ragtag assortment of adventurers. A slow smile crossed his face. Despite the apparent danger, Aaron found his own heart lighter. For the first time he sensed his life had purpose, a meaning greater than simply living to serve the empire. Aaron took the first step onto the Kaedran Glacier.
The temperature dropped drastically the moment they moved away from the edge of the rock wall and into the massive ice field. He moved like a plow through the heavy drifts of snow, his companions following close behind him. His winter boots quickly became caked in white. The snow deepened the farther they traveled so that they had to maneuver through drifts nearly waste high.
For a moment Aaron looked back toward the cliffs behind him, watching the sun fall lower upon the peaks. He was grateful the first part of the glacier proved to be flat and wide, with only deep snow to hinder their progress. It took just over an hour to cross half the distance.
The sun vanished behind the western peaks of the Kanton Mountains, igniting the cliffs and spires with a brilliant orange and red aura. Moments later a breeze began to caress the landscape, gentle at first, but increasing its fury as they continued across. An army of ice specks pecked at their skin like needles. The wind whipped across the glacier and sent a flurry of snow swirling around them like a cloud. Even Braden began to despair of ever reaching the eastern edge. They had nothing left to do but press on, anxious to reach the shelter on the other side. Aaron led the way, his body carving a channel through the mounting snowdrifts nearly to his shoulders.
They made slow progress across the frozen terrain, but nearer to the eastern side, the winds were less prominent and the depth of the snow decreased enough so they could see rock beneath their feet. However, now the landscape appeared set against them. The slope of the glacier took a decidedly steeper angle, and they fought to keep their footing as they trudged up the snowy incline. Absent the deeper drifts of snow, Aaron found the footing untenable.
Without warning he began to slip. He flailed with his arms as he fell, sliding down the face of the glacier. Desperate, he tried to grab the snow with his fingers, leaving long channels as he clawed at the surface to slow down. Panic gripped him as he careened down the frozen slope. Snow rushed passed him, blinding his eyes and stinging his face. His mind raced with the fear that he might fall to his death. He could barely see the bottom edge of the glacier rushing up as he tried to dig his heels into the ice.
Without thinking, Aaron pulled his sword from the scabbard and with a last, desperate effort, plunged the blade into the snow, holding the hilt with all his might. He feared the blade would snap under the strain, but it held. He gasped as he realized that he slid nearly half-way down the glacier and faced an impossible climb to regain the path. His sword stuck hilt-deep in the snowpack and his arms began to tire from the strain. Only a bit of icy land separated him from a sheer cliff and a fatal end.
Digging his feet into the snow, he carved out some footholds. Once his feet were secure he took the risk and pulled out the blade, plunging it ahead of him. It held. Slowly Aaron climbed back toward the others. Another step and he crept closer, digging out footholds, stabbing the snow, crawling up the face of the mountain. Aaron only hoped his strength would hold. He gasped in shock as Mari started to climb down after him. Using her daggers like ice picks, she navigated the glacier with amazing agility.