|
Part IV
The dwarves, it appeared, had been waiting for them. It was unsettling
how so many dwarves in full armor could move so quietly. It was
even more unsettling to find oneself surrounded with a score of
crossbows aimed at your head. Adrienne raised her right arm with
her palm facing outward.
"Elor sa hannath! Eesa na tor sa bintarr!" cried Adrienne.
A dwarf, standing head and shoulders above his kin broke from the
ranks of dwarves blocking the pass. With a broad grin on his ruddy
face, he approached Adrienne arms wide open.
"Ho! Well met Adrienne! Wot took ya so long?"
"Well met, Dorakk!" said Adrienne and accepted the brawny
dwarf's bearhug. "We need to see Karell fast, or I'm afraid
we'll lose our ambassador to the Council of Man." Jared waved
weakly at the dwarven leader.
"Och lassie, shoulda said so den! Olroight fellas, to the
tunnels!" shouted Dorakk. As quickly as they appeared, the
dwarfish soldiers disappeared behind their boulders with nary a
sound. Dorakk beckoned to the party. "Follow me laddies, we
be off ta Dwarholt!"
"By the way, what was that you shouted to them?" whispered
Denshur to Adrienne as they set off up the rocky path. "Oh.
Shoot and I'll stick this up where the sun don't shine. Or something
like that."
"I had to ask."
The journey up the mountain took many twists and turns. Sometimes
they had to double back, or walk under ledges that looked suspiciously
like deadfalls. Finally, at sunset, they came upon the steep path
leading up to the gates of Dwarholt. Jared was unconscious, moaning
in his feverish nightmares. Denshur took note of the impregnability
of the dwarven fortress city. It was not an idle boast then, that
Dwarholt had never fallen before any enemy, he thought. Any army
would get slaughtered trying to storm this fortress. Provided they
could even find it in the first place. Looking up towards the main
gates of Dwarholt, Denshur let out a whistle of appreciation. It
was built into the face of the mountain itself. Huge steel bound
doors of iron towered up to almost a hundred feet in height. It
was an awesome example of dwarven smith and stone-craft. Denshur
scratched his beard, pondered, and asked Dorakk, "Erm...scuse
me Lord Dorakk, but why would you sho...er dwarves need such a BIG
door? How do you get it to open?"
"Dunno laddie, nivar used it maself. Been stuck for centuries
it hus. We just paint oovar the front ta make it look good. Looks
good aye?" chuckled Dorakk. "Wiff hud lotsa dumb stonoks
try ta bang it doon, while wis pour stuff on'em from da toop. Makes
ma laddies laff tho. Good fer morale I'd sez."
As they reached the top of the steep incline, the way became flatter.
The land in front of the gates was filled with dwarven soldiers
drilling in incredibly shiny full plate armor. Their swords, pikes
and shields gleamed red with the light of the setting sun. Off to
another side of the square, troll axe-wielders were whirling their
deadly double-axes around. With perfectly timed shouts of "SKAK!"
they would hack in half the imaginary opponent in front of them.
Denshur shivered. As they neared the drilling soldiers, Dorakk let
out a bellow.
"Stunda se lidos stonokool!"
The dwarves parted like a wave before him, each one standing smartly
to attention, weapons held in salute. Dorakk led the much- impressed
party to the small gateway built into the huge steel gate. "Welcome
ta Dwarholt me laddies!"
Notes:
stonoks: asses
SKAK!: KILL!
Stunda se lidos stonokool!: Stand aside, assholes!
|
