The Dragon Hunters (32 page)

Secret Ways

The Pell Darga moved with confidence rival to the Elves. Grelic discovered his growing respect for the stout people and hoped they were equally fierce in battle. Their short spears were sharp and blackened against moon or torchlight. They crawled over rocks and practically disappeared unless viewed directly. Dozens more had joined them after entering the mouth of Deldin Grim. The Aeldruin column set out as the sun broke the horizon. Many said their morning prayers and bade the light good-bye. It would be long before any of them were kissed by golden rays again.

Cpur led them unerringly into the pass as soon as night lifted. Deldin Grim proved to be a drab nightmare. The rock walls were sickening shades of grey and brown. Unusual stenches permeated the air, as if a thousand trees had died and were decomposing in a watery distillery. Evidence from the rains was gone. Most of the sludge had dried in thick, chalk-like dust that coated everything. It lent the Pell a spectral appearance. Kialla thought the only things missing were chains and blood-red eyes.

No wind blew this deep in the pass. The air was old, stagnant. They were reminded of a cemetery on a cold winter night. Shadows clung to everything. Despite the assurances of the Pell Darga, the Elves constantly searched for Goblin scouts. Even Dakeb argued against the futility of it. The Goblins were secure in their mountain fortress. Based on what Faeldrin and Grelic reported, they were arrogant and certain of their dominance. Surely they weren’t expecting a head-on assault.

Grelic agreed with the old Mage. It wouldn’t take much to beat back the Aeldruin as they were. Cavalry was no good against fortified defensive positions, especially with the strength of those two towers.

“How much further before we branch off? I don’t want to take the chance of running into a patrol,” Faeldrin voiced his concerns.

Cpur gestured. “Not much. My people already wait for us. They keep the way hidden from Goblins.”

A rider came flying up behind them, kicking dust and rock. His face bore a dire look.

“What is it?” Faeldrin demanded.

“A Goblin raiding part returns. They’ll be in the pass within the hour,” the scout reported grimly.

Cron paled. “There’s no way we can get this caravan to the secret path in time.”

“Nor can we fight. The sound will rouse the garrison and have them pouring down our throats,” Grelic added.

Faeldrin scowled at their lack of luck. “Our choices are limited. What are their numbers?”

“Close to one hundred.”

Faeldrin punched his fist into the palm of his other hand. “Damnation. We couldn’t even kill them quickly if we had to. I say we attack and hope the other lot doesn’t join in. It’s the only chance we have.”

“Perhaps there is one other way,” Dakeb interjected. He looked to Cpur. “Are your people ready?”

Cpur nodded, his back stiffening with pride. “We will handle Goblins. They never trouble anyone again. We keep moving.”

With no other course of action available, Faeldrin gestured for the Pell to continue.

Cpur guided them through another opposing stretch of Deldin Grim. Places looked as if drab cliffs were leaning down on them, threatening to crush them out of blind hatred. He stopped at one point where the shadows were particularly deep. The leader of the Pell Darga chirped shrilly and a dozen of the smaller warriors crawled down from the rock face. He barked orders in his native language and his warriors quickly pulled aside the elaborate camouflage concealing their secret pass.

Grelic was impressed. The Pell Darga worked without sound and moved the heavy stones aside with relative ease. It wasn’t until the Aeldruin rode into the cave that he saw why they were so easy to move. The boulders were nothing more than heavy screens stretched and manipulated over a lattice of branches and rope. From the outside they looked completely natural. Grelic suddenly felt much better about leaving the Pell behind to handle the Goblin raiding party.

“How far does this tunnel run?” Faeldrin asked Cpur.

“A few hundred meters before it becomes a small pass. We come out almost a league from Deldin Grim.”

Faeldrin nodded. “Today may just work in our favor. Aleor, lead them out of the cave. I’m staying to ensure the rest of the convoy moves into cover without incident.”

“I’ll stay as well,” Grelic seconded. “Maybe a few Goblins will make it this far. It’s been too long since I had a reason to swing my sword.”

Cron smiled wanly. “Me too.”

Kialla elbowed him swiftly, her message clear. She wasn’t going anywhere without him. Grelic watched their little exchange and realization dawned. He didn’t know how he’d missed the signs, despite their casual closeness from the beginning. Too many new thoughts competed for his attention. He thought how happy her father would be. The horrors of his earlier nightmare were finally laid to rest. Grelic knew peace at last. Now all he needed to do was keep her alive long enough for her to enjoy her choices.

Lord Death was out there, drawing closer.

The Elf Lord turned and gave Aleor the go-ahead. Elf and Pell took off into the short tunnel and the Deadlands beyond. All too soon all that remained were the three obstinate humans and the Elf. The Pell had returned to their haunts while the rest of the Aeldruin rode through. Once done, they’d climb back down and secure their passage.

“Can you hear anything?” Cron asked.

Grelic shook his head. “The battle might be too far away or already finished. I’ve half a mind to ride back and know for certain.”

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go see if our little friends are as fearsome as they claim. I don’t relish the thought of having a Goblin war party on my tail,” Faeldrin said.

“Is that such a good idea?” Kialla asked. “They might have been beaten and the Goblins are already marching towards us. If we ride into them there’s no way we can escape. They’ll find the secret path and we’ll be finished.”

A shadow moved, barely noticeable. Only Grelic noticed it.

“I don’t think we need to worry about Goblins discovering the Pell Darga paths. Even if we get killed, these mountain people seem more than capable of defending themselves. Come, we’re wasting too much time,” he told them.

Drawing his sword, Grelic headed back towards the beginning of the pass. They’d only made it a few hundred meters before a nauseating smell permeated the air. Kialla gagged. With no wind, the air was stiflingly thick. Rot and decay wafted up to assault their senses. Cold dread spread over the group. Grelic had seen many obscene things in his time, but this was an act he hadn’t witnessed in years.

Dark shapes could be seen moving just ahead. The light mist had returned, blanketing the unwinding stretch of Deldin Grim. Something fluttered past one of his ears. He watched unfamiliar birds drift off into the mist.
At least we don’t have to sneak around worrying about running into a fight anymore. They know we’re here
.

Grelic rode point while the others fanned out in an arrowhead pattern behind. Weapons were drawn. Hearts beat faster. Despite the ghostly feeling suffocating them, they took comfort in knowing an honest fight lay just ahead. Weeks of running, hiding, and imprisonment wore their nerves thin. Crows chattered. The stench strengthened. Grelic idly wondered how much death it took to poison the air in such a short amount of time. Something stirred in the mist. It grew larger, heading straight for them. Cron set an arrow to his bow and drew a bead.

The barrel-bodied Goblin burst from the mists. He bled from a dozen cuts. His black uniform was in shreds. Normally black eyes, cold and calculating, were wide and terrified. He had no weapons. He took them by surprise so quickly they failed to notice the handful of Pell warriors chasing the Goblin. Short spears zipped through the air and took the Goblin in the back. He pitched forward with a gurgled cry and died. The Pell Darga slowed and retrieved their spears without a word.

“Damnation,” Grelic uttered.

The Pell disappeared back into the mist. Doubts of the Goblins winning through evaporated. Faeldrin entertained ideas about what he could do with an army of the squat mountain people at his side. His promise came back to him. Taking the Goblin fortifications at the inner mouth of Deldin Grim suddenly appeared much easier. A nod from Grelic and they rode on, morbid curiosity pulled them deeper into the carnage. Corpses littered the pass amidst pools of cooling blood. All were Goblins. Flies buzzed everywhere.

“This certainly ends doubt,” Faeldrin said and sheathed his sword.

Cron stuffed his arrow back in the quiver and looked down into the agonized face of a dead Goblin. “We should leave this place. Nothing good can come from this.”

Grelic turned and decided to let his horse stretch its legs. The others followed suit. They’d seen enough. Soon all four were galloping back towards the secret path.

Kialla desperately wanted to be away from this awful place and on the open plain. Tormenting visions attacked her every time she blinked. This was not the way she planned on going to war. Come to think of it, the more time she spent dwelling on the vast array of possibilities, the more she came to understand that this wasn’t the life she wanted to live at all. It was fine for men like her father, like Grelic. Everything she had seen lately convinced her it wasn’t for her.

The change began in Gend when they decided to go to the Deadlands. She’d never had an issue when it came to killing but she never looked forward to it either. Growing up in the home of a legendary warrior left her with a hard shell. No one had ever gotten to her heart before, no one until Cron. Around him she felt complete, like nothing bad could ever touch her. She didn’t know love before him.

There were certain degrees of anguish associated with the unexpected revelation. Cron was a strong man filled with passion for his job and loyalty to kingdom. It was enduring and she loved him more for it. Right now though she really wanted to go home and abandon the possibility of dying, forgotten in a hostile land. This was the first time in her life she felt like there was the chance at making something substantial out of life. A brief glimmer of hope into a world she knew nothing about. Until this task was complete, her dreams of the future were going to wait. She looked up in time to see the entrance to the secret path. The imminent danger had passed.

“I rather like these people,” Faeldrin said about the Pell Darga, his song-like voice danced above the
clip-clop
of hooves.

“They come in handy in a fight,” Cron agreed. “I’d never want to get them mad at me, that’s for sure.”

“True enough, but I believe they are just what we need to turn this campaign back into our favor,” the Elf Lord said.

Grelic’s eyebrow arched. “What do you have in mind?”

“Think about it. These stalwart fellows just wiped out a full company of heavily armed Goblins in a matter of minutes. If we can convince Cpur to bring his full force to bear we might be able to draw attention away from the main mission and clear the pass.”

“Use them to fight for us? We can’t do that,” Kialla protested.

Faeldrin emphatically shook his head. “Not for us, but with us. We marshal our forces and assault the Goblin towers at the mouth of the pass. Draw out the enemy. With the Goblins marching to counter this new threat you’ll be able to make your way across the plains and into Druem almost unnoticed.”

“Sounds like you’re not planning on coming with us,” Grelic stated.

“I’m not. My Aeldruin would be useless under the mountain. With any luck we’ll put up enough of a fight to draw out the dragon and kill him here. That gives you all the time you need to stop the dark Mage.”

Cron suddenly felt uneasy. “What if the Pell Darga say no? You can’t fight an army with a handful of Elves. It’s suicide.”

The Elf Lord gave a haphazard shrug. “Then we make a new plan.”

Sunlight kissed the far darkness. They were coming to the end of the tunnel.

Faeldrin stopped. “It’s the only real chance we have. I’ll provide the diversion. You take Dakeb and stop the Mage.”

“If the dragon catches you in the open…” Grelic left the thought unfinished.

“Then we sacrifice ourselves for the greater good. I’m no hero, Grelic. I’m just a simple Elf trying to do the right thing. The Pell Darga need help. I can’t sit by and watch, knowing what these Goblin scum are doing. They deserve the same chances as the rest of us. My Aeldruin can fight this dragon, maybe even win, but we need to be in the open. Make him come to us and we have the advantage.” The Elf Lord seemed particularly pleased with his rationale. He watched the doubt in their eyes flicker and crack.
One more push and they’ll see it my way
.

“We can do this. The dragon isn’t our primary concern anymore. It’s the largest threat, but the dark Mage must come first. We have to stop him from finding the shard of the crystal. Grelic, I remember the last war and I do not want to see those days renewed. Perhaps this time evil will be stamped out for good.”

Grelic wasn’t overly excited with the thought, but he wasn’t the one with the final decision-making authority. If anything, they needed to come to a consensus. “The risk is great, and many could die. Let us see what Dakeb has to say first.”