Beyond the Dragon’s Teeth
Copyright© 2026 by Asa Strong
Chapter 11
After we finished packing, I looked around for Saraid. I was going to suggest that she ride with Gait, but he must have already thought of it. She was sitting behind him on his large charger.
I was somewhat concerned if the troll, Torg, would be able to keep up with the horses. I quickly found that this would not be a problem. His long stride easily matched the gait of the horses at a walk.
Gait, with Saraid riding behind him, took the lead as we climbed out of the gully and headed north. Dan’ar followed, leading two of the mules, then me with a single mule in tow. Torg brought up the rear.
We traveled north at a slow pace, taking great care to scout for orcs as we moved. By noon, we had only traveled a few miles. Twice, we had to take cover when a band of orcs was discovered near our path. It seemed as if the countryside was alive with the vile creatures.
After the sun had reached its zenith for the day, we stopped for a quick meal of dried sausage and cheese. While Gait was preparing the meal, I asked Saraid, “How much further until we reach the forest?”
She answered, “At the rate we are traveling, it will be a few more days.”
I looked north, towards the tree line that was clearly visible, and then turned towards Saraid. “It looks so close from here. It seems like the tree line is only a mile or so in front of us.”
She nodded once, and then said, “Yes, it does, but the trees are much larger than most, so they appear to be close when they are not.”
She paused a moment and then continued. “Also, soon the way we travel will lead into a series of very deep gullies. They will be difficult to cross with horses.”
Her statement was not what I wished to hear. With so many orc bands on the move, I didn’t want to get caught in a canyon with no ready escape route.
As I pondered her words, Torg spoke. “There is a way that lies to the east that crosses very few of the deep gullies.”
His deep and coarse voice shook me from my thoughts. This was the first time I had heard him speak. I looked up at his face, and it was as impassive as ever. His countenance was, as I’d seen over the past few days, stoic and unreadable.
“Is it safe?” I asked?
Torg looked at me for a short while and then spoke. “The way is difficult, with several very large gullies to cross. But we will not have to cross the many dozen we face if we continue on as we are.”
When I looked at Saraid for confirmation, she nodded her head in agreement.
“Then east it is,” I said.
Torg nodded and left Saraid and me alone.
After Torg was out of hearing, Saraid said, “Donta, Torg will never tell you an untruth. He has made the decision to go along with us on this quest, and in doing so, his honor requires that he support you in all ways he is able.”
I looked at her and said what I had been thinking since Torg had started talking. “Then I can trust him?”
Her eyes changed to a cold gray color, and she spoke in a quiet but cold voice, “With your life. Torg is the most honorable person I have ever known.” She then turned and walked towards where Gait had spread out the food for our meal.
After our mid-day meal, Torg took the lead as we headed east. He set a quick pace that covered a considerable distance by the time we stopped to make camp for the evening.
The next morning, we were off early. We ate a cold breakfast of sausage, cheese, and the last of the bread, which by this time had turned stale.
After finishing a hurried meal, Torg continued to set a rapid pace, and it amazed me that the giant troll could maintain his rate of travel for such a long period.
Late in the afternoon, Torg stopped and was evidently taking bearings on landmarks only he could see. After a short stop, we were off again, this time heading towards the northeast. We reached the first gully as the sun was working its way towards the horizon to the west.
Torg stopped in a small grove of scrub oak, and we set about preparing our camp for the coming night. After we had taken care of the horses and mules, Torg motioned for Gait and me to join him.
As we walked toward him, he turned and then led us to the edge of the gully. When I reached the rim, I could see that it was a very deep gouge in the earth, with walls that stood about fifty feet high and were almost vertical.
“There,” said Torg, motioning towards the east, “is where we will enter the gully.”
I looked where he was pointing and could just make out a slope entering the small canyon to my right. As I looked to the north, I could see that the way through the canyon was clear for a considerable distance. I also noticed that there was no change in the slope of the canyon walls.
“How far must we travel before we can work our way out of this canyon?” I asked, all the while thinking it would not be a good idea to get caught there with a bunch of orcs.
Torg answered, “The gully winds its way for about eight miles before you will find a way up the other side.”
“Torg, is there no other way? If we get caught there, there is no place to use the horses. The canyon is too narrow to be able to maneuver them.”
“Donta,” he answered, “this is the shortest way. There is this gully and one other about the same size, and then we are free of them. We will just have to take our chances that there are no orcs near.”
I sat down on a large boulder to think. Several times during our journey, we had run across orcs. We had come across signs of their passage in the draws and gullies on a regular basis. Despite Saraid’s confidence in Torg, I was still uneasy placing our lives in his hands.