Chapter 2: Hunting Worgs

I glanced at the Elf as we walked out of the fortress and headed into the pass. He was tall like most elves but wore a single white feather braided behind his left ear. He was one of the few elven rangers and my mentor for this trip. Besides my swords and knives I carried a new elven made bow. It was made from a tree that was extremely hard.

They called the wood from it green wood because of the pale green color. I had two dozen yard long arrows in a quiver at my left hip and another fifty bundled together on the side of my pack. I glanced at Gilbert and cleared my throat, “You did not say where we were going.”

He smiled as his eyes flickered around, “East along the mountains to Delf.”

I nodded, Delf was a long abandoned elf fortress. The last I had heard the orcs still had not found a way into it. I looked at him, “Tell me, why have your people abandoned so many places?”

He snorted, “We breed slowly and our numbers have declined.”

I smiled, “Sounds like you need to begin a campaign to have more children.”

He chuckled, “I will let my wife know when I see her next.”

I grinned and then we were quiet as we left the few fields and entered the forest. Crossing creeks we followed the growing stream. We crossed in a shallow spot before continuing north. It took over a month to reach Delf and we found a small army of orcs camped a few leagues away. I was squatting beside Gilbert as we looked off the cliff at the few fires from the orcs.

He shifted when the worg and rider came out of the trees below us. I looked at the huge horse size wolf, the dark brothers had bred them especially for the orcs. I glanced around before slowly standing and turning. I had learned to always carry an arrow nocked. I pulled, aimed and fired as the worg trotted out of the trees behind us.

The arrow struck high in the neck and the animal dropped and spilled the rider who was lifting a horn. It never made it to his lips as another arrow from Gilbert slammed into his throat. I moved forward as I pulled one of the short swords and cut the beast’s throat before doing the same thing to the orc.

I pulled out the arrows while Gilbert kept watch. I smiled, “Think they would follow us?”

He snorted as he accepted his arrows, “The problem is to keep them from following.”

I cleaned the arrows as I began to walk, “Let see how long it takes them to quit.”

He followed me, “What did you have in mind?”

I laughed softly, “Snares and traps.”

He laughed and we looked ahead as we walked and started planning and setting traps. We were ten leagues away when we heard one of the worgs scream. We were almost to a fast moving stream that went up the steep sided valley below Delf. I pulled out a large pouch as Gilbert looked around.

I turned and gestured to him, “Walk straight into the water.”

He snorted, “They can still follow.”

He did as I asked though and I began sprinkling a very fine reddish powder back and forth. I held my breath and walked backwards to the stream before closing the pouch. I grinned as I put it away and started walking in the water and heading up stream. Gilbert chuckled, “Demon peppers?”

I nodded, “Dried and ground into a fine powder.”

The peppers were so hot only a fool or dwarf would eat them. A single pinch in a large pot of stew would make the whole thing blister the mouth when it was eaten. We knew when the worgs reached the stream behind us. They howled and screamed as they inhaled the powder. It would be days or even a week before they would be able to track us by scent.

The fortress was above us when we came to the huge stone outcropping. It looked natural but one look at the water running through the tunnel and I knew it was made. We walked into the tunnel and I looked around and then up before stopping, “Gilbert?”

He looked at me when he turned and then followed my look, “A drainage tunnel from Delf.”

I nodded and glanced back down the stream and pulled my pack off and around, “Think it could get us into the fortress?”

He shifted, “The ways were sealed.”

I looked at him and he grinned, “But this way may be open.”

I pulled the small grapple and light elven made rope out. I glanced up as I put the pack back on and hefted the grapple before throwing. It went up and into the hole and I pulled it back slowly until it caught. I checked it before starting to climb. Once in the hole it was a lot bigger than I thought.

I secured the rope and waited for Gilbert. A few moments and he was beside me and pulling the rope up. I put it away as we heard something coming up the stream. We moved back and waited as worgs and orcs went past and then turned and looked up the tunnel behind us. The left side had narrow stairs while the right had a channel where a trickle of water ran.

Gilbert pulled a small chemical lantern and led the way up. A thousand steps later we stood looking up at a stone grate with a ladder carved into the wall. The grate moved easily and we climbed out into a set of tunnels that spread out. I grinned, “These are the collection tunnels.”

He nodded before leading me down one and then up another ladder. We climbed out of another stone grate and into a stone practice yard. I looked around and frowned at the white stone footsteps in the dark grey stones, creating a pattern, “What is that?”

Gilbert followed my look and smiled, “The steps to learn our martial skills.”

I followed them with my eye until he pulled me after him, “Come.”

We climbed to the northern wall and looked out and down into the distance. He touched a large crystal orb and I watched as the area far away and below appeared in it. He moved his finger and we watched as we found where we had killed the worg and rider. He followed our trail and we smiled when we saw the dozen worg bodies our traps had left.

We explored and I blinked when we found the armory and it was still full of elven weapons. The storeroom next door is where we found the arrows. They were in bundles and solid white and I knelt to feel them. I looked at Gilbert, “The shafts almost feel like stone but they are very light.”

He knelt to feel and smiled, “Time has changed them.”

The huge dragon kites left in another room is what gave me the idea. We were eating in a high room and looking out a window, “Have you ever seen the kite riders from down south?”

He smiled, “Yes.”

I looked at him, “Those dragon kites are in very good shape.”

Gilbert grinned, “You thinking of becoming a kite rider?”

I grinned back, “It would let us come and go. We could leave as the sun begins to come up and land on those cliff to the west. Hunt worgs and orcs and then use the kites to vanish and return here.”

He looked thoughtful before nodding, “Hunting worgs sounds good.”

That afternoon we set up two of the kites on one of the southern walls. There was a breeze that kept trying to lift the kite. I watched as Gilbert fashioned a harness and showed me what to do. The first time I slowly lifted the front, the kite began to rise and lifted me as I tried to balance. Slowly I shifted my feet back and onto the rear brace.

I floated above the wall for several minutes before putting my feet down and landing, Gilbert grinned as I laughed. I watched him lift and a moment later he tilted the wings and slipped over the wall. I gasped but a moment later he rose up and began to circle before coming back and landing.

For an hour we tested the kites and learned before collapsing them. When we walked through the practice yard I saw the footprints again as they seemed to glow and a ghost began moving as if in a dance. Gilbert watched with me, “That is the practice spell to teach beginners.”

I smiled as I watched the graceful shade glide over the steps and moved to the first ones. To say I was awkward and clumsy would be polite but the ghost returned each time to guide me when I started over. When I slept that night the steps and martial dance almost glowed behind my eyes.

We were up early and left our packs. Gilbert returned with two large quivers of the white arrows. We lifted from the wall just as the hint of the sun appeared. I followed Gilbert and he followed ridges where he said warm air would keep us flying. It was cool but I loved the feel of flying from the first moment I took off.

It would have taken us at least a half day if not longer to reach the cliffs, we made it in an hour. We spiraled down and landed beside each other. After collapsing the kites we strung our bows and headed around and down into the forest below. It was several hours before I saw the worg moving through the trees.

I aimed and put an arrow through the side of its head. Gilbert killed the orc riding it and then gesture, “Skin it.”

I looked at him before nodding and moving to the dying animal. I skinned it and rolled up the hide and thought before taking a canine tooth and carrying it back. We moved into another position and waited and it was not long before another worg came as it followed the scent of the first.

Gilbert killed it and I killed the orc and then stood watch as Gilbert went to skin the worg. We killed twenty before Gilbert headed towards me, “Time to go.”

I had heard the distant howls and nodded as I lifted the hide. We moved up to the cliff before opening the kites and letting the air lift us. I followed him again as he used the ridges to fly into the mountains. The kites were a little sluggish and took a little more work but we landed on the fortress wall safely.

We began cleaning the hides as we ate rations and then I went to the practice area. I followed the steps with the ghostly image leading me. It was very dark when I stopped and stretched. I felt strangely refreshed as I returned to the room.

Gilbert only smiled as he sat looking out the window, “Soon the summer storms will come and we will not be able to use the kites.”

I nodded as I went back to cleaning and stretching the hide, “The orcs will not move around much during the first few.”