Dragonvein - Book Three (5 page)

The last of Kat's hostility gradually faded away. “In that case, I accept your offer,” she said after a short pause.

Lylinora gave her hand a light squeeze. “Good.”

As they continued on toward the shore, Kat noticed that Lylinora’s smile hadn’t completely faded. It was as if she was recalling some fond memory. “Did you love your first?” she asked.

It took a long moment before Lylinora replied. “I didn’t in the beginning. But later, I did.”

“What happened to him?”

Lylinora lowered her eyes. “I imagine that he’s getting ready for tonight.”

It took a moment for Kat to understand what she was saying. Then, in a rush, it came to her. “You mean that Ethan…”

Lylinora held up her hand. “Don’t think about it. It wasn’t meant to be. Besides, I have found in Markus what I was looking for all along.”

“But I...I thought…” Kat stammered. “I mean the way you acted, I just assumed…”

“Assumed that I’ve had many lovers? No. Ethan was the first.”

“But why?”

“That is a subject for another time,” Lylinora replied, clearly not wanting to go further. “Right now, we will concentrate on
your
needs.”

King Halvar stared across the stone table at the tall muscular elf seated directly opposite him. Only with great effort was he able to mask his contempt, which at that moment was bordering on outright hatred. He was forced to remind himself that this particular elf had done nothing wrong. More than that, he and the others with him had in fact cared for all the dwarf wounded, and, as they'd promised King Ganix, delivered them safely to Elyfoss.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed since the elf had taken his seat. But the silence Halvar had maintained was certainly long enough to be looked upon as unwelcoming. Even hearing that a truce had been reached with the elves, and the fact that they had saved the lives of thousands of dwarves, had not prepared him for this moment. He should say something. But the right words eluded him. Lotheri - that was this elf’s name. A king. He didn’t even know elves
had
kings.

“I feel much the same, Your Highness,” Lotheri said suddenly. His strong, even voice was startling as it broke through the air and reverberated off the stone walls. “To be inside Elyfoss and to sit with its ruler is equally unsettling for me.”

Halvar took a long breath and nodded slowly. “Then we agree that this situation is…unusual.”

In stark contrast to Halvar’s grim demeanor, Lotheri displayed a friendly smile. “Unusual indeed. But life under the shadow of Shinzan is coming to an end. So perhaps the unusual will soon become commonplace.”

“I assume you are referring to your prophecy.” At his mention of this, King Halvar spotted a brief flash of anger from the elf. But it quickly faded.

“That prophecy was not meant for dwarf ears,” Lotheri told him. “And the manner in which it was obtained would ensure that you did not hear it accurately.”

He must be aware that his kin had been tortured for the information, the dwarf king considered. Though, as this fact was little known even among his own people, he could not imagine how the elf ruler had found out.

“It was long ago,” Halvar said. “Perhaps the words were distorted with time. Why don’t you tell them to me now?”

“I think more trust should be established between us before I reveal what your people tried to steal,” he replied. Though his tone did not betray his emotions, his eyes burned.

“What was done was long ago,” said Halvar. “You have no cause to hold us accountable. And I would remind you that there has been killing on both sides.”

The two monarchs locked eyes for an uncomfortably long few seconds. Eventually, Lotheri held up his hand. “This is not the time for opening old wounds,” he said. “Now is the time we as leaders of our people must marshal our strengths and ready ourselves for what is to come.”

“And I suppose you know exactly what that is?”

“No,” Lotheri replied. “Aside from the fact that war is on the horizon.”

“And why must there be war?” asked Halvar. “Are not Ethan Dragonvein and the other mages destined to defeat Shinzan? Why must there be more bloodshed?”

“Because their victory is not a foregone conclusion,” Lotheri answered flatly. “And should they fail, we must continue to fight.”

Halvar sneered. “So you actually think you have hope against the power of the Emperor? Don’t be a fool. If you elves are really so wise and perceptive, you would know that such a fight is futile.”

“And yet you still prepare for war yourselves,” Lotheri countered. “If the battle is lost before it has begun, why bother with it at all?”

There was steel in Halvar's reply. “My people are weary of living on their knees. We have decided that death in battle is preferable to a slow, withering demise.”

“Then our minds are in agreement,” Lotheri said, his smile returning. “My people have groveled for far too long. Just like you, we have feared annihilation. We have feared that our passing would be the end of our beloved Mother. We can hear the screams of our ancestors as Shinzan slowly corrupts our home. We have waited long for our opportunity to fight. And now it would seem that the time has finally arrived.”

Halvar scrutinized the elf. His sharp angular features and fluid movements were nothing like any dwarf. Yet the look in his eyes was that of a leader with true conviction and courage. He was beginning to understand why King Ganix desired this alliance.

“You realize we will be fighting alone,” he said. “The humans will certainly rally to Shinzan’s banner - out of fear, if for no other reason. Even with our weapons, their sheer numbers will be enough to overcome us.”

“There is no denying that,” agreed Lotheri. “But all of our allies have yet to reveal themselves.”

It had already occurred to King Halvar that Ethan might be able to sway some humans to their cause. But he doubted they would be sufficient to attain victory. Ultimately, all would be decided in a battle between the mages and Shinzan. “You may be right,” he said. “But not all of our
enemies
are revealed either.”

Just as Lotheri was about to respond to this, the door burst open and a young dwarf rushed in. He halted after only a few steps, out of breath. Though he addressed his king, his eyes kept shifting uneasily to the elf sitting opposite. “Your Highness,” he panted. “Forgive my intrusion.”

Halvar forced a smile. “It’s all right. What is it?”

“Trolls,” he replied. “They’re at the gate. Hundreds of them.”

Halvar furled his brow. “Did you say trolls?”

“I did, Your Highness.”

Halvar noticed a knowing look in Lotheri’s eyes. “I take it that this does not come as a surprise to you?”

“That they came to your gate is a bit surprising,” the elf king admitted. “Trolls are shy creatures. And they do not care for dwarves living in their mountain.”

“You speak of them as if they were intelligent,” Halvar said.

“And you have treated them as if they were not,” he shot back. “Not all intelligence manifests as you would expect.”

Halvar turned back to the young dwarf. “What are they doing?”

“Just standing there, Sire.” He nodded toward Lotheri. “One of
his
people is with them.”

“What do you know about this?” Halvar demanded.

Lotheri rose to his feet. “I sent one of my people to seek them out when we first entered the mountain. More as a courtesy than anything else. It would be rude to trespass in their domain without at least an explanation.”

“
Their
domain?”

A flash of contempt appeared on Lotheri’s face, but was quickly banished. “This
is
their domain, and has been long before your people ever set foot on Lumnia. They are the first and the oldest. They feel the Mother’s heart more deeply than any other. If they have come to give aid then you should be grateful.”

“Don’t misunderstand,” said Halvar. “If they would fight on our side, I
am
grateful. But from what we know of them, they are gentle creatures. For all their size and strength, only the young are violent.”

This time Lotheri was unable to hide his anger. “Their young were made that way by you. Your intrusion into their home, together with your constant mining and carving into the rock, drives them insane. The deeper you delved, the greater their madness became. Eventually, they were even forced to drive their own children away. So, the fact that they are here and
not
battering down your gates is indeed no small surprise to me.”

Stunned by this outburst, for several seconds Halvar wilted under the pressure of Lotheri’s hard gaze. “If what you say is true, then we were unaware of the harm we were causing.”

Lotheri waved this defense aside. “You would not have cared, even had you known. The greed of the dwarves has been unwavering since your arrival. You take what is not yours and leave nothing behind but death and chaos.”

This insult was too much for Halvar. His anger surged to the fore. “And I suppose your people are entirely blameless? You may think us interlopers…
King
Lotheri. But this is our home. We have been here long enough to make that claim. Just because we do not
feel
the will of this world as you do, that does not give you the right to judge us.”

Tension filled the air as the two men glared at each other. For a time it seemed as if they would actually come to blows. It was Lotheri who relaxed his posture first.

“I did not come here to fight,” he said, his tone now conciliatory. “And though it is difficult for me to admit, your words are justified. Your people
have
been here long enough to call Lumnia your home. As I understand it, only a few of you are even aware of your otherworldly origins.”

“A secret soon to be revealed to all dwarves, I suspect,” said Halvar, his eyes darting to the young messenger who was looking both nervous and confused. “And do not think I am unaware that my people have wronged yours. But that was in another time, and we have no desire for conquest or to rule others. We seek only to live in peace – without the constant threat of annihilation.”

“Then we truly are of one mind,” Lotheri told him. “It will be difficult for the elves to accept that you are blameless. But in time they may soften their hearts.” He stepped toward the door. “Come, Your Highness. Let us see what the trolls have to say.”

Halvar heaved a sigh, then forced a smile. “I can only assume that you are able to understand them. As far as we have known, they are without language.”

“It is not language as you would understand it,” Lotheri explained. “You shall see.”

Outside the door, six dwarf guards and two elves were there to escort them to the gates. The remaining twenty-eight of Lotheri's kinsmen accompanying him on his visit were currently awaiting his orders in the quarters provided for them.

As they passed through the streets, Halvar couldn't help but notice how his people hurried aside to give the party a wide berth. Some were even taking refuge inside buildings. They were afraid. Stories of elf brutality were told to them at a very young age. He knew he must act quickly to quell their fears, otherwise the situation might well escalate into violence. In spite of his misgivings about this alliance, he knew that dwarf numbers alone were far too few for them to offer much serious resistance. They also had almost no experience above ground. Elf allies would be invaluable in any battles there.

The city was clearly making an impression on Lotheri, though Halvar couldn’t tell if his reaction was one of approval, admiration, or disgust.

“Your people have been busy,” the elf remarked as they walked past a particularly ornate building. “A pity you chose this location to build your first city. The trolls only dwell within Gol’ Shupa.” He shrugged, as if shaking off the thought. “I have to admit, Elyfoss is far more beautiful that I imagined it would be. Your ancestors certainly possessed great skill.”

Halvar nodded his appreciation of these kind words before saying: “Tell me more about the trolls. How were their young driven mad?”

Lotheri stared down as if in deep contemplation. Then, with a sharp nod, he looked up. “Troll children can feel the heart of Lumnia far more keenly than any other creature alive. They can actually sense the pulse and rhythms of everything around them. So much so that it causes them great physical pain when your people chip away at the mountain. To them it is as if you are carving into their very own flesh.”

Halvar thought on this for a moment. “Sadly, there is little to be done about it for now. We cannot leave, and we must make weapons. But I can assure you that we were completely unaware of the pain we were causing. And I certainly would not wish to inflict more on them. But until Shinzan falls, we must continue mining.”

“It is pleasing to hear of your concern,” said Lotheri. “Perhaps the fall of your people was required for you to gain wisdom and compassion.”

As they neared the gate, Halvar could see that a large crowd had gathered. Several dozen guards were shifting nervously atop the gate towers. He immediately ordered everyone back.

“If I open the gates, what will they do?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Lotheri replied. “They did not come bringing violence. The elf I sent would have given me warning if there was any danger.”

Halvar drew a long cleansing breath; the pair of them then started forward together.

The gates swung open in response, quickly revealing a sight that completely stunned the dwarf king. Hundreds of trolls were standing in the road, some as tall as twelve feet and three times as broad as the stoutest dwarf. The stench of the muck and grime covering their bodies caused him to grimace.

Positioned a few feet in front of the mass was an elf woman, a bow strapped across her back and a long blade on her belt. She took a step forward and bowed to the two monarchs.

“As you ordered, I contacted the trolls,” she said. “They are aware of the impending fight and insisted on coming here to offer their assistance.”

“You are able to speak their language, I assume,” said Halvar. “Can you translate for me?”

Her eyes fell on Lotheri, who held up his hand. “There is no need. I will convey your message.”

Steeling his wits, Halvar walked closer to the mass of hulking figures.