Dwarven Steel Read online

  He replied, “No. Better our charges don’t find out what happened, if you took them out when they were still in cover. I’d rather them not know exactly how deadly you are.”

  I sent a feeling of agreement, I knew I already made Bryce nervous, and that was just from my empathy. It was probably the best decision. They didn’t have much anyway, just a handful of swords, bows, and ten daggers. They weren’t even wearing armor.

  I did feel bad about the horses though, and I just couldn’t let them starve to death to keep a secret. I untied them when we were almost out of range and sent calming thoughts and emotions so they wouldn’t move for at least an hour or so. When they got hungry they’d probably head back west, someone would find them.

  The rest of the day there was nothing, and after we had lunch there hadn’t been any signs of human habitation at all. No farms, or hunters. It was late afternoon and right before dinner time when we made it to the mountains.

  We stopped in front of what looked like a cliff, but my telekinesis sunk into the stone, and I could feel the secret entrance and tunnel beyond it. An entrance and tunnel about twice as wide and high as the carriage.

  I decided then this would be one more secret I’d have to keep. I had no doubt the dwarves would be wary of bringing a human into their midst who could easily find and read their traps, secret doors, and possibly their vaults. No, I wouldn’t be sharing that, not even with Gerald, unless I was absolutely sure I wouldn’t be overheard.

  The dwarven guardian, Nolebera, jumped off the carriage, and activated the cliff opening. The rock ground against rock, shook, and rumbled, as the large entry door opened up. She returned to the carriage, and said, “You two stay behind us, it’s best if the others see us before they see you. Your charges will be safe. Don’t go too far from the carriage.”

  Gerard nodded in agreement, we were on their turf now. Some of the runes on the carriage lit up like a glow bug as it drove into the darkness, which provided plenty of light to see, and Gerard and I followed. The stone shook and rumbled, and ground closed behind us with a finality that made me a little nervous. I reminded myself I could teleport, but still felt a little confined under the weight of the stone mountain. I hoped I’d get used to it.

  Welcome to Belirith…

  The walls and floor were smooth dark brown rock, the ceiling was flat as well but not perfectly so, and was pockmarked with small crags. Every once in a while, there was an elaborate rune design on the wall. At first, I thought they were magical in nature, but when we got to our first intersection two miles in I started to suspect they were like mile markers and street signs.

  We turned left at that point and headed north on a tunnel road at least twice as wide as the one we’d been on, and I couldn’t help but compare this to a main highway, and the smaller one to an entrance ramp or access road like the highway systems back home. I couldn’t even imagine the effort involved in digging this thing out, but I supposed they’d been mining and expanding in these mountains for thousands of years.

  We didn’t go much further before we stopped for the night. The carriage turned into a side tunnel, which seemed to dead end into a large cavern. There was a small underground lake and a slow moving stream, a small stable, and a couple of small one room buildings. I suppressed a giggle, as I thought this must be like a rest area on the side of an interstate. The small stable was the only building that looked brand new, and I wondered if they’d set this up in anticipation of our agreement to come. Dwarves didn’t use horses as far as I knew.

  Gerard and I dismounted, and I took the time to unsaddle and brush down Stormy well, and made sure she had what she needed for food and water. She was tired from the day’s ride, but content enough in this cavern stable.

  Gerard asked, “How are you doing in this place?”

  I replied, “It was a bit disconcerting at first, all that weight above my head, but I’m getting used to it. It helps that I can teleport. How about you?”

  Thank the goddess I wasn’t claustrophobic.

  Gerard replied, “I’m good, it’s impressive.”

  I smiled, and stole a kiss, but then we had to get back to our charges, I was sure they were impatient to leave the carriage. The dwarves stayed with the carriage again, and we were given the use of the two, small one room buildings. I looked at the stream a little longingly right before I entered the stone shack, I could definitely use a bath after riding a horse for two days. I cheated a bit, with aqua-kinesis and micro-kinesis, and at least felt a little better with the dust and sweat gone, but still hoped she’d want a bath in the morning. It just wasn’t the same without soap.

  The shack had three smaller beds obviously designed for dwarves, I’d fit if I bent my legs enough. There were also supplies for a fire, but if anything, the cavern was a little too warm already. Lynn was silent, so I followed her lead and just ate my cold dinner and got ready for bed. Hopefully tomorrow night we’d reach our destination, or at least a dwarven town with nicer facilities and something better than trail food. It was still better than sleeping in a tent though, and I tweaked my vanity a little bit by mocking myself. I’d gotten spoiled on my week-long honeymoon in the castle.

  I wasn’t truly upset about any of that anyway, so much as the fact I couldn’t ask questions. It was annoying. I was sure the dwarves had told Bryce and Lynn the itinerary, they just couldn’t be bothered to pass it on to their guards. I suppose I really didn’t have a need to know, but it felt strange to be cut off. It was like I wasn’t even on this mission to help the dwarves find a murdering creature, and I suppose I wasn’t. My mission was to protect Lynn.

  To that end, I checked the area with my mind one last time, and outside of the eight of us no one else was in my range. I closed my eyes, and eventually found sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  The next day’s travel was interesting, but also a little frustrating as my curiosity was once again denied until the very end of the day.

  We travelled north on the large highway, and passed by several east west corridors. The mountain tunnels carried sounds very well, and I heard miners, picks, and shovels. I heard what sounded like a whole town down another corridor, but it was all too far off the main road through the mountains to actually see any of it. Except the occasional dwarven wagon or carriage moving past us in the other direction, all I saw during the day were the flat walls, ground, ceiling, and the back of the dwarven carriage.

  The one good thing was Gerard and I got to ride relatively close together, as we followed the carriage. We chatted away most of the day while I let my mind range out ahead and behind, but no dangers presented themselves.

  It was late afternoon when Gerard asked, “How are you holding together?”

  I sighed and said, “Honestly, I’m good. Why?”

  I really was, for all my mental complaining, things weren’t nearly so bad, and the dwarven tunnels and kingdom were interesting. I was excited about getting to the capitol city, or what passed as one in the dwarven kingdom. All my complaints really stemmed back to not knowing what was going on, and wanting to ask questions I couldn’t. I supposed it was an opportunity to grow, but it felt confining. I wasn’t used to it at all.

  I’d always been independent growing up, and between google and my parents I’d grown up getting the answers whenever I wanted them. I suppose I was handling it though, since I hadn’t broken my own morals and delved into anyone’s head for the answers.

  Gerard replied, “You just seem a little tense today.”

  I supposed I was, probably because I didn’t want to complain like a whiny teenager, and was holding it all in. Was I really that high maintenance? I tried to smile, until I felt it. If denying my curiosity was the worst of the trip, then I’d say we were in for an easy mission. Still, no one liked working in the dark, did they? How did regular guards do this day after day without going nuts?

  I said I wouldn’t mention it again, but I think being separated from Gerard at night was making it worse, a mountain out of
a molehill. I needed a pillow to scream in, like I used to do when I was fourteen. My complaining thoughts were starting to annoy me now.

  I shrugged, not sure what to say. I decided I needed to meditate tonight, and order my mind. I felt scattered, surely I wasn’t so spoiled that not knowing our destination would make me spin out of control, but that’s what it felt like just then.

  Or maybe, it was not asking questions, no Gerard in my bed, and the crushing weight of all that stone over my head.

  Shit.

  That’s exactly what it was, and why my mind was being so whiny. Being underground had me off balance far more than the other two things. Perversely, I felt better almost immediately, now that I finally admitted that to myself and knew what the real problem was. Being underground was freaking me out and making everything else seem worse.

  “I think it’s the underground thing, I’ll be fine.”

  Going after the demons hadn’t bothered me at all, and I wondered if that was simply because of the adrenaline and anticipation of battle. Probably.

  Gerard replied, “Anything I can do?”

  “No, not really, but I have a few ideas.”

  I had to keep my mind busy. I started to scan the rock around me with telekinesis, deep inside of it. I spent the rest of the afternoon in sporadic conversation with my husband, and trying to figure out the dwarven traps we passed which weren’t armed. I also tested something new, and although it failed it taught me something new.

  I ran across a few gems deep in the rock, and studied their structure with my telekinesis. I could feel their molecules, their size, and even detected small flaws in the gems. But when I tried to teleport them out of the rock, and into my hands, I failed. It seemed counterintuitive, but even though I felt like I knew more studying the rock with my telekinesis senses, I obviously couldn’t pick up the quantum signature of the object so I could teleport it.

  For some reason, looking at it with my naked eyes was required to do that. My mind may have learned less about the object that way, but apparently my power learned far more, enough to teleport it, if I laid eyes on something.

  Maybe I was crazy, but it also felt like studying what I was afraid of helped. The rock, striations, and deposits of metals and gems I saw all around us helped. The fear of all that weight above me, was a nebulous concept, a not quite formed idea that tickled my hind brain. I was far from cured, perhaps I’d never be happy underground, but I did feel more in control and not quite at my wits end any longer.

  I’d lost track of time, it was hard to tell with no sun and no watch on my wrist, so I was a little startled as the carriage took the next turn off, and Gerard and I followed it. After about a half a mile, the tunnel opened up into a large cavern maybe a half mile long, and a quarter mile wide, with a small waterfall on the far side into an underground lake.

  The cavern was half filled with stone houses on quarter acre lots. There were even some flora in the cavern, and the air felt fresher, perhaps they had more airshafts in here than in the tunnels? Based on my empathy, there were a couple of thousand dwarves living here. I was curious if they considered this a city or a small town, but as usual on this trip I swallowed my questions. I’d figure it out once we got to the capitol city, by comparison.

  We got a few curious looks, a few that weren’t all that trusting, but none that gave me cause to worry for our safety as we rode about a quarter way through town, and then the carriage pulled behind a large building that looked like a tavern. Once again, there was a stable in the back that looked newly built, and we got the horses taken care of as quickly as possible, but I didn’t stint on attention either.

  This time, the dwarves left the carriage, and Gerard and I stayed close to our charges as we entered the large tavern. It looked like a common room the world over, tables, chairs, long bar, and drunk patrons. The only thing different was the furniture was all just a bit too small for us, but it wasn’t too bad, and was still better and more comfortable than sitting astride a saddle like I’d done all day. I didn’t sense any danger, and relaxed as the eight of us sat around the table.

  The dwarves around us were rowdy, loud, and while curious about us it didn’t change how they acted at all as far as I could tell.

  I was starved, as usual, but it didn’t take long for the food and ale to come out. I immediately noticed several differences, when we’d eaten at the human inn, the other patrons and the servers were obviously nervous or outright afraid of the nobles with us. Here in the dwarven inn, the ambassadors and guardians were treated no differently than anyone else.

  I considered what I’d learned in the history book, and decided they wore those robes for our benefit, and probably had a regular job most of the time, like the king. It was different, odd, but in some ways better to my way of thinking. I also knew a society like that wouldn’t ever work for humans. What it basically amounted to was the dwarves had a system closer to anarchy than anything else, but it clearly worked for them.

  Tursac said, “We’re making good time, we should reach the capitol on schedule, or earlier.”

  I suppressed a giggle at my frustration, couldn’t he have said when instead of on schedule? It was clear to me I needed to be more patient.

  Lynn asked, “Is the capitol like this place?”

  I wanted to kiss her, at least someone was asking questions.

  Tursac laughed, and took a drink from his ale mug.

  “No Lynn, it’s about eight times larger, and besides the north-south entrances for the main highway, there are seven other tunnels which lead to various places, many of which split off into other tunnels. Foundries, forges, our oldest mines, stockpiles of weapons, the runic college, and other places I will not talk about. This is merely a small village, many of which are spread out through the mountains. You’ll see for yourself tomorrow.”

  Oh, thank god, real answers. I felt like an addict who’d finally gotten a hit. I covered my mouth and coughed, to hide the giggle. Maybe I was impatient, but at least I could make fun of myself for it. Even stranger, the eight-foot ceiling in this building made my nerves about the cavern roof go away, as if the building’s roof could stop a cave in. It was ridiculous, but stupid or not my primitive brain was relaxed for the first time since we came in the door on the side of the mountain yesterday afternoon.

  I was sure the dwarves’ happy chatter, good natured grumbling, and the ale had something to do with it as well. I also enjoyed absorbing the emotions of the dwarves around me.

  Bryce looked unimpressed with the description of the capitol city, and as arrogant as ever. He was still shielded, which meant that I was at least safe from his emotions, but it was also annoying because I’d had to take my enchanted ring off. Being near him all the time would make my early warning system in my sleep worthless, since the ring when worn wouldn’t ever stop vibrating. Then again, the dwarves didn’t have magical shields, so hopefully it wouldn’t matter.

  Lynn didn’t ask any more questions, but the dwarves spoke freely to each other and basically ignored the taciturn humans at their table. Lynn and Bryce by choice, while Gerard and I weren’t supposed to talk. I didn’t pick up much, they talked about family and what they were planning when they got back to the main city. I did learn that they wouldn’t be staying with us, and the king would provide us with an escort when we got there.

  I got the vibes that they wouldn’t mind getting away from us. They didn’t really hate us or anything, it was just that they didn’t get us, at all.

  After dinner Gerard and I traded a silent good night, and followed our charges to the rooms. There was a tub, but like everything else it was dwarf sized so a tight fit. Still, I was more than happy to cope with that and wash up once Lynn was finished. I cleaned up my outfit as well, and dried it and myself with aqua-kinesis before I got dressed again, sans my boots and weapons, which I had by the wall next to the small bed I slept on.

  I was excited, and looking forward to seeing the dwarven city. I’d also get some answers, if on
ly where we’d be staying, and who would be leading us to the murder sites. I was also curious to see more magic, though I knew I wouldn’t be able to sense it. I still had only vague ideas what a mage was truly capable of, and almost all of that related to battle.

  Outside of Gerard’s absence, I felt more like myself as I fell asleep, than I had the last couple of days…

  Chapter Eight

  The dwarves may have been spread out throughout the mountains, but it was clear that they were more concentrated around the capitol just like humans were. The last day’s ride to the capitol showed a lot more dwarves passing us in the large mountain tunnel, and there were more side tunnels and mines than on the previous day.

  Based on how far we were going, and the time, I guessed the dwarven capitol in the mountains were almost directly east of Lorbridge, which was fifty miles or so south to the mountain pass into Jendas. That explained to me why they’d come to Trelin instead of Jendas, Trelin’s capitol was much closer. I doubted the dwarves cared about human politics at all, just as Gerard had said.

  I’d been able to meditate a little, and though being below the mountain still bothered me, I felt more balanced and was able to ignore it a little better. It wasn’t something that could be fixed with rationality.

  It was early afternoon when we entered a very large cavern. It was easily two miles long, and a mile wide. The cavern ceiling was domed, and went up extremely high, and there were several support columns as wide as a skyscraper in Manhattan. The large stone columns were also responsible for the lighting in the city, they glowed warmly and filled the cavern with an even light. The city itself seemed to be on a shallow hill, like an upside-down saucer, and we were looking up slightly into it. I guessed that was to avoid flooding, some water must leak down the air shafts, or there was an underground river close by that overflowed in the spring melt? It was just a guess.