Chapter 7. The mission
The Dragon’s Tooth was a high rock which towered above the trees, in a place where the forest began to give place to the mountain meadows.
Here, in the sun, the snow was melting already, and the smell of young grass refreshed the air.
Pyramidal in shape, the rock narrowed toward the top, a hundred feet above the ground. Its greyness was distinct in the surrounding green, and it actually looked like an enormous tooth which broke out from the ground. On the top, small, glistening stream of water was emerging, and falling down to make clear, green lake at the base of the rock. Small drops of water were rising in the air, making a thin cover of mist. The Emerald Fall.
“Fantastic!” shouted Arios. “The water is coming from the ground and rising all the way to the top of the rock!”
“Dragon’s Tooth dropping poison,” said Keol. “There is a story about something unusual in the water. It seems it can affect the mind of the person who drinks it!”
“People tell nonsense!” Arios was still awed by the sight.
Saim whispered something to his sister, and then he addressed the mercenary.
“Saim says this is the sacred place of the elven people. He feels a strong magic around it,” explained Keol. “He thinks we shouldn’t be around here for too long.”
“I agree,” said the sorcerer.
“There are people!” Orin interrupted.
Indeed, not far from the rock there was a campsite.
“These are our employers,” said Keol. “We must be careful. We have only their gemstones, without their messenger.”
The men noticed them and came in their direction. They were dressed in dark leather suits, armed with short spears, bows and arrows, and their faces were painted in blue stripes. It seemed they were on a war campaign.
“Ten,” stated Keol, laying his hand on the hilt of the sword. “Let us see what happens.”
The leader was a tall, strong man. He probably won his position by the strength of his muscles, and his attitude made it clear he will not tolerate any confrontation by the newcomers.
Keol, as the spokesman of the group, explained the situation. These men were using a language much like that which was used in the Plain Countries, so no one had any troubles to understand it. The leader was suspicious. He expected his messenger and several Hunters. The company which arrived was not what he would have preferred. Still, he was forced to except the given situation. They went to the campsite and sat there. The leader laid down his weapons and began to talk. His hoarse voice easily overcame the noise of the fall.
“My people peacefully live, west of this valley. We cattle have, we anyone do not bother. On the north there,” he waved his hand toward the mountain, “cursed Eagle-men nests have. They our cattle steal, our women steal, our children steal! Ten children three months ago they stole! People can not without children survive. The fathers here are eager, to bring the children back.” His grim face now resembled a storm cloud.
“The fort of the Eagles on the high mountain stands. My people at heights good are not. Hunters we need, to lead us to the town of Eagles. Bring our children back we must.”
“What do you think?” whispered Orin to Arios, while Keol was talking with the twins. “It would be interesting to help these people. Besides, we’re going in the same direction anyway.”
“I don’t know,” answered the sorcerer. “Maybe it would be better if we part from them when we get there and leave them to their own problems. I’m not sure we could help them.”
“You could find some magic way to help them.”
“Do not mention anything about me to anyone. I don’t want to be dragged into something that’s not my concern.”
“How do you know it’s not your concern? Maybe it’s our destiny to go with these people!”
“Yes, maybe it’s our destiny to die with them, too. I don’t like them. Did you notice they didn’t offer us their names, nor they asked for ours?” said Arios.
“Yes, so what?”
“The traditions of people are different, but the names are sacred to all, and exchange of names represents the giving of the trust. These men don’t trust us, or they think we are not worthy to know their names!”
“Maybe you’re wrong. Maybe their ways are different,” whispered the prince.
“Maybe,” answered Arios. “Still, I think we should follow our own way.”
The fate was once again set against the sorcerer’s wishes.
The twins and Keol agreed to accept the job.
“We will help you to bring your children back,” said Keol. “Saim and Nai have the skill great enough to defeat the mountain lions, which tremble when they sense their scent. We are safe with them. This one here,” he pointed at Orin, “is a great and brave swordsman, prince of his land, who will be glad to lend his sword to a righteous cause. Besides,” added he, while cold sweat covered Arios, “we have a sorcerer with us, who is a master of powerful spells. His magic will help you to bring your children home.”
The leader of the war band looked at Arios for the first time. There was a dark pleasure reflecting in his eyes. “My people magic do not like,” said he, “but the destiny sent you. The destiny wants justice to win!”
People around him cheered. Arios knew he couldn’t do anything. He’ll have to figure out something when time comes. At that moment, arguing wouldn’t help.
The Eagle people lived on the northern end of the wood-covered plateau, in a town that was built on the top of the cliff. Further to the north, beyond their rocky, steep lands, the vast territory of the Blue Mountains was spreading again, and above them towered the Dragon Rock, clearly visible from the place where the avenging party camped.
The Eagle people earned their name because of an unusual agreement, which their ancestors made with the gigantic mountain eagles. The mountain eagles fed their masters, who in return enabled them to nest safely within their walls, and protected their young from numerous dangers. As the leader of the band said, the Eagle people flew on their birds and were spreading fear among the tribes of the cattle herders, stealing their cattle, women and children.
No one ever succeeded to bring back those who were stolen. So the leader asked help from those who could make their odds better.
They needed to reach the town of the Eagle people unnoticed, so the company travelled only by night, while every morning they carefully camouflaged under the trees to avoid the sharp eyes of the eagles which flew above them sometimes.
The cattle herder carried with them two long, thin but strong ropes, which they intended to use to climb up to the town on the mountain. They had a plan, which consisted of the Hunters climbing to the top and there securing the ropes; then, the rest of them would follow. They needed to find children and run away before anyone notices them. Arios thought the plan desperate, almost impossible. His opinion, however, was not asked for. He was here to make the quest easier with magic. It is strange, thought he, that all my powers could not help me against the wish of this group. If I intended to confront them, I would have to hurt them. And there is something in me which prevents me to do that, although I could, almost without effort. What is this power of other people over us, that has such influence on our decisions?
Orin was eagerly waiting for the action. He wanted to prove to himself and to everyone else he was able to endure all hardships. He wanted to assure himself he was worthy enough to carry the Ring of the Kings. Now he will have a real chance.
The journey was mostly peaceful, but the second night, the existing tension between the two groups resulted in an incident, which deepened Arios’ doubts about the avenging herders. Everything started when Saim returned from the hunt somewhere after midnight and joined the company, which was resting after the exhausting march. The hunt was successful; his sister helped him disembowel a young mountain goat. The Hunters knew how to make the raw meat edible in just half a day, using some herbs. The meat should be rubbed with the ground dry leaves of s
ome kind of mountain nettle, which doesn’t grow in lower lands. It would “dry” meat somehow and give it a specific taste. The meat prepared that way could last as long as the meat prepared more traditionally. The Hunters had good food even when they had no time for cooking, or during the hunt and the war campaigns, when the use of fire was forbidden. The leader of the cattle herders, however, had a different idea. Seeing the short-statured Hunter with his game, he approached the twins, his strides overconfident.
“Meat you bring. Good,” he said in a gruff voice. Saim and Nai continued with preparing the meat, acting as if they did not notice him.
“You, start fire,” he said to one of his people who were watching their leader carefully. “We have a feast before the battle!”
The man hurried to fulfil the task, but then Keol, who was watching the situation, spoke: “Wait!” he said in a quiet voice. “We must not start a fire! Someone could notice.”
“You, shut up!” the leader roughly stopped him. “The Eagles are asleep. The mountain is far. No one sees!”
“They will notice in the morning, you cannot hide remains of the fire from the Eagles!” said Keol, rising up.
“I say, start fire!” the man’s words became threatening. The rest of the herder company jumped, their hands on the weapons.
“I am the leader,” said the man, “I pay you. You obey me.”
The twins rose from the ground and kept silent. Keol was standing still. The moonlight was shining behind his face, hiding his expression. Orin also stood up, beside the mercenary. Now, only Arios was outside the situation.
“The goat belongs to Saim, not to you,” said Keol.
“I paid for the Hunter. The Hunter’s mine, and the goat’s mine.” The man was not going to give up. Orin reached for the sword, but felt Keol’s hand on his own.
“We are yours,” said the mercenary then. “We will not fight you. Your word will be obeyed here. But, the Eagles are waiting for us. They are the enemies. The Hunters of the mountain lions never give their game. If you want to take it from them, you will have to kill them. Or die trying. The Eagles will remain unpunished then. Don’t you want to bring back your children?”
“The children?” said the leader thoughtfully. “Yes, the children we must bring back.”
Keol relaxed. The man accepted the excuse that will save his authority.
The man turned to his people.
“Let them keep the stinking goat. Real feast we will have soon!”
The tension was over, it was visible. The men returned back to their places, and the twins continued to work.
“I don’t like this at all,” said Orin to Keol when the herders sat back.
“Me neither, lad,” answered the mercenary.
“They don’t have the attitude of the concerned fathers,” Arios joined the conversation. “Who knows what these men really are up to?”
“We’ll see. But, we must be careful,” said Keol.
The company spent several nights to reach the foothills of the mountain. It seemed they were unnoticed until now. They talked only when it was necessary. No one was mentioning the recent conflict, but the atmosphere was not a pleasant one. When they reached their destination, Arios relaxed. He did not like being surrounded with people anyway, and if their attitude was not friendly, it was much worse.
The way through the narrow canyon led them to the base of the cliff they were going to climb. Up there, on the night sky, the wall of the Eagle people’s fort was outlined. The company found a shelter below a broad rock. The leader was giving the last instructions.
“When the moon’s covered with clouds, we go. Warlock, it is time for your help,” he whispered.
In the tensed silence, Arios quietly spoke the words of power. When the incantation was over, he said to people who were waiting expectantly: “This spell will make you invisible to your enemies until the morning. You will be able to pass near them, without them noticing. But, be careful and use the cover of the night, because the spell can easily be broken. It’s all I can do for you.”
Keol looked lost in his thoughts. Orin approached him while they watched Saim and Nai securing the ropes and preparing for climbing.
“This is a weird night,” said the mercenary.
“Why?”
“It is said that some people, with time, after many survived battles, develop special feelings, something which warns them about the danger, the vicinity of death. I never thought much about it until now, but tonight...”
“The task is dangerous,” said Orin. “But, the twins aren’t showing any signs of fear or excitement.”
“They don’t know what it is. Death isn’t a part of their religion. The Hunters of the mountain lions, while they live, never think about it. When someone of their own dies, they say ‘It is so. He’s gone. Life’s going on.’”
“How is it possible?”
Keol smiled in the dark. “I don’t know. But I think they are happier. Thinking about dying takes a great part of our lives. And it is useless.”
“Don’t talk about death anymore,” said Orin. “Everything will be all right.”
“I wish it would,” said Keol, but there was darkness in his voice.
Nai and Saim started their ascent up the nearly vertical cliff, using every extension with great skill. Soon, they were invisible on the dark background. Their ascent made not one unnatural sound - a pebble rolling down, a breeze stroking the cliff. Less than hour after, two strong ropes descended from above. The cliff was about sixty paces high. The little company began climbing. One rope could bear the weight of two men at the same time, but the climbing was much quicker. Keol and Orin climbed last. Arios remained at the foothill, waiting and watching over the rest of the equipment.
The prince had been in many dangerous situations until now, but the ascending that cliff in the pitch-black night was probably the worst of them. After the first few minutes, his whole body hurt, not from the physical effort, but from the enormous focus of mind that every next step demanded. Now he fully realized what the two Hunters, who climbed without ropes, have done. Their skill was really superhuman.
When he finally reached the edge of the cliff and jumped over it, it seemed to him it lasted an eternity. He felt like being reborn. But, now the real danger was ahead.
The sorcerer’s spell worked as he said. The small company was moving through the fort, and every guard they passed by would only look around suspiciously, then shrug his shoulders and continue to stare into the night. The fort was big - its stone buildings filled the whole broad plateau. On the numerous towers, eagle nests were visible. The gigantic birds were almost blind at night and there was no danger they could discover the group, shielded by magic. They were stealing through the narrow streets, and then the leader stopped in front of one of the doors, and signalized the group to enter the fort.
“I don’t understand,” said Keol quietly to the prince. “This one’s acting like he has been here before. The question is what we’re really looking for?”
“I don’t know,” answered Orin, “maybe the children are in there?”
“I don’t believe anymore in the story of the children. This seems to me like a plain robbery.”
“I’m thinking the same. But, we’ll see,” said the prince. The mercenary was right. The leader behaved like he knew the fort. The things were different from what their employers told them. However, it was too late to retreat.
What followed after remained very unclear in the prince’s mind. All he recalled was the long sneaking through the dark corridors at the back of the group, and then the sounds of struggle somewhere ahead and the terrible scream, which began the nightmare. The spell of invisibility was somehow broken. The night was filled suddenly with Eagle men, tall bony silhouettes who were attacking mercilessly with cudgels shaped like eagle talons. Their shrieking war-cries echoed among the stone.
Keol’s long sword was reaping the attackers, making horrible sounds of cutting meat and breaking bones.
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He didn’t know where Nai and Saim were, have they escaped, or fell under the cudgels.
He defended in frenzy for some time, stroking with sword on all sides, but the attackers were coming endlessly. He saw Keol cutting an Eagle man in half, and falling down after, hit in head.
Then a mountain fell on him, and there was only dark and nothingness.
The next morning, four gigantic eagles with their riders came in the canyon to get Arios. The sorcerer was ready, knowing that the night action failed. Seeing that no one’s coming back, he decided to stay and wait for the Eagle men, convinced they are going to find him quickly. He did not have any special plan. It was important to see if his companions were alive. Then, if necessary, he would use the magic that he abhorred so.
The eagle riders threw at him two nets, without a word, and then flew up, carrying him to the high fort.