The Unknown Man: Book 1 in The Keepers of the Orbs Series (24 page)

Liniana waved her hand in the air. “Believe me Yordrinn, I had the same reservations you do. I felt skeptical when I first heard his story from one of the guards in my father’s infantry.” He nodded, understanding what she said. “But the crest on his breastplate left us very curious, to say the least.”

“A crest doesn’t make a man truthful. I would’ve needed more information than that.” He laughed. “
Humans
are too easy to deceive, I’m afraid.” He harrumphed. “The only reason I agreed to allow you into our halls is because of the sword and armor.”

Liniana grew upset as the Dwarf kept interrupting her story. If she could just explain, she felt sure he would understand. “I agree with what you’re saying, Yordrinn.” She looked at Tirene. “Show him your scar. I think it’s the only way they will see who you are.” He extended his hand for them to examine.

Aglina shook her head. “I don’t understand. What is this supposed to mean?”

Yordrinn rolled his eyes. “Anyone could harm themselves in that fashion. It’s nothing to write home about.”

“He’s a keeper of the orbs. He knows things only a keeper could know.” They both perked up at the information. She smiled at Tirene. “I’ve the utmost belief what he states is the truth.” She returned her attention to the Dwarves. “We left Havenbrook over a month ago on a journey seeking Norlun. We feel he’s the only person who can help him regain his memory. He lives in Riverfell, which is where we headed first. But, when we arrived, we found he had left a week prior. We’ve ascertained he headed to another house he owns which lies east of the Ruvenka Mountains”

Yordrinn interjected. “So take the pass to the north and be on your way. Why the need to interrupt the lives of the Dwarves?”

She glared at him. “Like we told you, the whole world is in danger.” Yordrinn chuckled and Liniana continued. “We’ve reason to believe somebody is trying to gather the orbs.” Once again, Yordrinn interrupted her.

“And what makes you think that?” He looked toward each of the Humans. “I’ve heard no word of such as yet, and I hear everything.”

“We have one orb and have been attacked by Minotaurs and wizards alike. They are after it, and from what we’ve gathered, all of the orbs.” The Dwarves exchanged looks. “I don’t have to tell you what it would mean if someone gathered them all. The face of the planet would never be the same.”

Aglina crept forward, staring at Liniana with large eyes. “You have an orb? Here?” Liniana and Tirene nodded their heads. “Is there any chance I can see it?”

Tirene pulled out the bag he carried and brought it down before him. He opened it and with one hand, retrieved the orb and felt the power emanating from it. He displayed it for both of the Dwarves, who eyed it in wonder.

“Is this enough to prove that we’ve said the truth?” Tirene asked. “It’s of the utmost importance we reach Norlun, and as soon as possible. A man is responsible for all of this, and I’m afraid he won’t stop until he has gathered them all. By then it will be too late.” He glanced at Yordrinn. “Not even the Dwarves will be safe. Now you must see the urgency.”

Yordrinn spoke first. “That is quite the tale you have. I still don’t know if I trust you,” he turned to Aglina, “But we’ll recommend you speak to the council.”

Aglina, who they won over to their cause, interjected. “It’s evening and I’m sure the chiefs have all retired already.” She walked over and grabbed Liniana's hand. “I wanted to stop for the evening myself. Will you all accompany me to the Wounded Pig for dinner and ale? They have the best cuts of Turnok this side of the Ruvenka Mountains.” They nodded their agreement, all being famished themselves, and told her to lead the way. Yordrinn declined, stating he wished to check in on his home. He left them in the care of his sister and told them he would come for them in the morning—assuming the council agreed to the meeting.

They waited while Aglina finished closing up her shop, and then departed together. They found the curving walkway leading back down to the main level and descended. Aglina asked questions the whole way down, wanting to know more about each of them. She agreed with her brother and knew they needed to be cautious with these Humans, but she was a jolly gal by nature and wanted them to be comfortable. When they reached the main level, there were more twists and turns. Tirene inquired after what Turnok was. Aglina laughed and told them it resembled a pig or a boar. It had long hair and tusks but grew larger than a normal swine. She giggled at their ignorance of one of their most common meats.

After a walk that turned them all around and got them lost, they rounded a corner and came to a stop in front of a tavern. The picture on the sign showed a creature that did, in fact, resemble a pig with a spear sticking through it.

“Well this is it.” She smelled the air outside the door. “I told you they have the best Turnok. Do you smell that?” Her voice showed appreciation and joy.

They each took a large whiff at the air—it smelled savory. Tirene gave a small nod to Aglina and she opened the door and walked in. The room stretched far larger than it appeared from the outside, and there were many fireplaces that all had fires blazing inside. A Dwarf played a large piano in the corner of the room, while a female sat on top. She wore a tight dress displaying her bosom. She showed her legs as she bounced them along with the tune, showing too much skin for Tirene’s liking. They were stocking covered, but the movement shifted them further down her leg. Many patrons danced around the room as glasses of ale clanked together. The Dwarves inside the establishment were well into their drinks and having a good time.

They spotted a small table toward the rear of the tavern and walked over to it. They noticed the stares they gathered as they moved through the tavern. One by one, they got quiet, and the level of conversation in the establishment grew hushed. Aglina put a stop to it, though.

She glared around the room and at the Dwarves who stared. “What you be looking at Varnin? Have you never seen a Human before?” She spun around the room, looking at all of those that stared. “They are with me. Anyone who has a problem can come and bring it to my attention. I will deal with each of you.” She continued to return the long stares. “That goes for all of you!” She continued to glare at each patron until her point was felt.

Rather abruptly, they all turned their attention back to what they were doing. She guided them to the empty table, where they proceeded to sit down and wait for the barkeep to come and take their orders. They spent the rest of the evening answering her questions and drinking a lot of the Dwarven ale, before being led to their quarters for the evening.

Tirene lay in his bed, a hard rock slab piled with blankets and hay. Although he thought it uncomfortable by most standards, he hadn’t had trouble the previous nights falling asleep. This night, however, he found sleep evading him. His thoughts were preoccupied and it didn’t help he shared a room with Jaeden and Matt—both of them professionals at snoring.

He stared at the carved ceiling of the room. It wasn’t large, but the perfect craftsmanship grabbed his attention. He tried to figure out what time it was, a difficult task considering they were inside a mountain. His best guess put the time at five in the morning. Resigned to the fact that he wasn’t going to get any sleep, he got up and dressed in a tunic and plain leather breeches. He snuck out of their temporary quarters and made his way into the already bustling city streets.

He found his way over to the Wounded Pig, which he found without problem because its location was right across the street from their lodging. He entered the tavern and walked over to one of the many tables. He figured the excitement of their existence had dissipated in the city because the few patrons in the establishment barely gave him a second look. Already they had become old news.

He sat down and an old Dwarf limped over to his table. “You must be the one who caused all of the commotion last night.” He laughed. “No need to worry about that now. I assure you, we’re all very well aware of your presence. Welcome. What are you hungry for?”

“Well I’m glad news appears to travel quickly.” He chuckled. “Hopefully it will aid us in getting an audience with the clan chiefs. What are you serving, if I may ask?”

“Not much yet. It be a wee bit early and we’re still getting prepared. We have plenty of fresh biscuits we pulled out of the oven, and I suppose I could whip up a batch of porridge, if it suits you.”

“That sounds wonderful.” He noticed how dry his throat felt. “Would you happen to have any hot tea?”

The barkeep broke out in a rather raucous laugh. “No morning ale for you, huh?” He continued his laugh. “I heard Humans were rather weak in the stomach. Tea we do have though, and I will bring some for ya.” He turned to leave, stopped and continued. “Don’t let Yordrinn get to ya. Many of us—after hearing your story from Aglina—are pulling for ya. It’s my hope the council votes in your favor.” He shook his head. “It appears dark times are upon us and if you have any part in stopping this, well then you have my support.”

Tirene nodded his head. “I appreciate that. I can only hope your clan chiefs agree. We can’t afford another delay.” The Dwarf nodded his agreement before continuing to the kitchen, where he disappeared.

Tirene sat and strummed his fingers over the top of the table, waiting for his breakfast. After a moment, the barkeep returned with a pot of hot water and a clay mug.

“I hope this suits ya. We don’t get many requests for tea, but we do have some on hand just in case.” Tirene thanked the Dwarf.

He poured steaming water into the mug and reached for the tea leaves. They were large, but he figured they would suffice. He let the leaves steep in the boiling water. While he waited, he looked around the room. He spotted a Dwarf at another table who stared at him. He didn’t stop, even after Tirene spotted him. He had a baldhead and didn’t have a beard, but rather a mustache drooping down around both sides of his mouth—it rivaled most men’s beards. He thumbed one side while he stared. Tirene smiled at him and the Dwarf reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a carved pipe that looked to have been some type of bone. He also pulled out a tobacco pouch and grabbed a large pinch of it, stuffing it into the bowl. He put the pipe into his mouth, lit it, and took a couple of large draws before exhaling the smoke in large rings.

Tirene quit watching the Dwarf when his food arrived. The porridge smelled delightful, and somewhat sweet. He picked up the scent of maple and cinnamon, making his mouth water. He took a bite, which confirmed his suspicions. It had a lumpy texture and the milk tasted creamier than he expected. He dug into his porridge, glancing at the table with the Dwarf who continued to stare at him.

When Tirene made eye contact with him, he strode over to Tirene's table and sat down with the pipe still in his mouth. “You’re a very brave man.”

This caught Tirene off guard. He swallowed and said, “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

The Dwarf still had a serious look upon his face. He took a couple more draws from his pipe and then blew large smoke rings in Tirene’s direction. The smoke had a blue haze and smelled almost spicy. After he stared for a moment, he let out a boisterous laugh. “No, I’m afraid you don’t know me.” He took another drag from his pipe. “But, I’m very aware of who you are, and it takes a lot of nerve to stumble into a city filled with those who despise your kind.” He studied Tirene for a moment. “My name is Ulor Earthforger and I’m one of the council chiefs who will be voting to grant your request today.”

This news excited Tirene. “So we’ll get to meet with the council today? This is good news.”

Ulor sat for a moment, staring at Tirene, pulling smoke from his pipe. “We’ve no choice but to allow you to meet with the council. Your presence here has already done enough damage. The sooner we can reach a decision and have you on your way, the better things will be for all of us. Rumors are already floating around and we wish to put a stop to them,” He furrowed his brow in contempt.

“I’m sorry if our presence here has created issues, and I appreciate the council’s willingness to listen to us instead of kicking us out on our backsides.” He bowed his head. “I hope you can see the importance of reaching Norlun.” Norlun already felt defeated.  If any of the other chiefs felt the same way as Ulor, they had no chance of convincing them.

Ulor pulled the pipe from his mouth. “While I hope Norlun can help you with your quandary, it seems you’re pinning an awful lot on the insights of one man; an old and senile man at that.” He stuffed the pipe back into his mouth as he stood. “I will leave you to finish your breakfast, and I will see you in the council chambers in a few hours.”

He rounded the table and stalked out of the tavern. Tirene followed him with his eyes and then returned his attention to his porridge. He only hoped he would be able to convince the council.

He finished what he had left in the bowl, which wasn’t much, dropped the spoon, and pushed it all aside. He picked up the mug of tea and took a sip. It burned the roof of his mouth, so he blew into the top of the mug. He spotted Liniana walking into the tavern out of the corner of his eye. She smiled when she spotted him, and walked over.

She bent forward and kissed him on the cheek. “Good morning.” She gave him a smile. “I take it you didn’t sleep well last night?” Her glance taking in the shadows under his eyes.

He gazed at her for a moment, noticing she still looked pale this morning. “No. I don’t think I slept at all. With the beds carved in stone and the snoring of my roommates, I tossed and turned all night. Not to mention I couldn’t stop thinking about how important today will be.”

She sat down and tried to give him a reassuring smile. “I didn’t sleep well last night either.” She reached across the table and patted his hand. “Today will go just fine, I’m sure of it. Soon we’ll be on our way and will be back out under the sky in search of Norlun.”

“I suppose you’re right.” He bent over the table and kissed her. “Why don't you get something to eat? I’m sure Matt and Jaeden will join us soon.”

She shook her head. “No, I’m not hungry and my stomach is upset. I think food would make me feel worse.”

“You do look a little pale. I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. Should we have you looked...”

Jaeden cut him off. “Man, am I starved.” He saw them chatting. “I’m sorry, did I interrupt?”

Liniana welcomed the interruption. “No, no. Come over and take a seat.” Jaeden and Matt joined them.

Jaeden finished his breakfast first. He slid the plate to the side and patted his stomach. “I’ve never had hawk eggs before.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin and threw it on the empty plate. “They were delicious.” He turned toward Tirene. “So how are we to proceed today?”

Tirene’s attention was pulled from his concern for Liniana to the other members. He thought about it Jaeden’s question for a moment. “It has kept me awake all night. I think we need to give them the whole story.”

The door to the tavern flew open and Yordrinn stepped in. He stalked over toward Tirene. “Ulor tells me you two spoke this morning. Because you were awake, he assembled the clan chiefs. He’s as eager to get this underway and over with as fast as possible.”

The door opened again and Aglina walked in as well; she walked up to Yordrinn. “You could’ve told me you were coming to gather them. I want to accompany you to the meeting this morning.” Her staunch glare dared him to try to stop her.

Yordrinn rolled his eyes at her before looking back to the Humans. “If you all are ready?” They nodded their heads and rose from the table. They followed Yordrinn back out to the city streets, and made their way to their temporary chambers. They all changed into clothes more appropriate for an audience with the clan chiefs. Tirene also put his breastplate on and buckled the sheath holding his sword at his waist. Yordrinn led them to the council chambers.

The council room was large—far larger than those contained in Human cities were. From the outside, it looked like a large monument towering well into the sky of the cavern. The front of the building had large, arching, black stone doors polished to a mirror-like finish. The doors stood open and many Dwarves had gathered, deep in conversation with one another. Yordrinn nodded toward one of the Dwarves and then led the group up a set of stairs leading through the open doors. They walked in and received the attention of the assembled audience.

The room held an audience chamber more magnificent than the outside appearance let on. The walls were carved out of stone—similar to all the other buildings in Drognard—but these walls were polished like the doors. There were carvings in the polished stone depicting past battles and they ran around the walls of the room, telling the history of their people. Rows of benches stretched before them, leading to the front of the chamber. All of the benches faced toward a dais, and upon it stood eight carved chairs. The two in the middle stood larger than the others. They almost looked like thrones, but the Dwarves didn’t observe Kings or Queens. They ruled by council, utilizing the eight clan chiefs. The chiefs were very old and had been placed in their current positions years before.

Yordrinn guided them to a row of benches that stood alone, right in front of the dais. He motioned for them all to sit before taking a seat himself. The benches behind them filled up as many of Drognard's citizens filed in.

A bell tolled from above them, and those gathered in the chamber rose to their feet. Tirene and the others followed suit. The bells tolled again, this time ringing twice. From the corner of the room, another door opened, appearing right out of the wall surrounding it. An old stocky Dwarf emerged from the door, followed by Ulor and the remaining clan chiefs.

They all walked up to the dais and stood behind their respective chairs where they waited. A hard-faced, old Dwarf walked forward in front of the center chair. He looked thinner than most of the other Dwarves and carried a scepter. He had long, gray hair upon his head streaked with white throughout. His beard had gone gray and lay before him in a single braid, decorated with jewelry.

He raised the scepter into the air and brought it down where it connected with the stone floor of the dais, creating a noise that reverberated throughout the room. He raised his hands and said “Akta boreht mir!” His eyes steadied and focused upon the group. The others around them all returned to their seats. “I will speak in the common tongue so you can understand what I’m saying. You may be seated.” The Humans sat. “I’m called Hirig Swordcarver, but you may all refer to me as the High Clan Chief.” They nodded their agreement, Hirig took his seat, and the other clan chiefs followed suit. Yordrinn remained standing.

He bowed and dropped to one knee. “If it pleases the council, I will speak on what I’ve learned.” Hirig nodded and Yordrinn stood. “High Clan Chief, these Humans approached the western gates three days ago. They asked for permission to travel through the halls of Drognard to save time as they traveled east. They claimed to have a mission of the utmost importance, and the time savings offered by passing through our tunnels seemed crucial.” A smirk crossed the corners of his lips. “I denied them access at first. I reminded them that Humans and Dwarves are not on the best terms. I suggested they turn back the way they came and to leave my presence immediately.” He paused to let his words sink in. He didn’t want to be responsible if the clan’s wrath should fall on any of them later.

Hirig acknowledged him and then said, “Proceed, Yordrinn.” To add to it he motioned with his hands, urging him on, taking in the Human’s exquisite armor.

“Very well, High Clan Chief.” He retold the story of their journey that brought them before the council. His retelling created an uproar in the chamber and Hirig stood to quiet them.

He motioned for silence with his hands and said, “Very well, Yordrinn. You may be seated. I wish to question the warrior named Tirene.” Tirene stood and then followed Yordrinn's example. He bowed his head and then dropped to his knee. “You learn our customs very quickly, my Human friend. You may stand.” He waited for Tirene to get back to his feet. “I would like to hear more about this ceremony and how you came to be in possession of these items.” Hirig sat back down indicating to Tirene that he could start speaking.