Chapter 7: The Dark Keep

Another ranger came in as Aveline and I warmed ourselves beside the fire. Josiah squatted and held out his hands, “It looks like the orcs are returning to the Dark Keep.”

Aveline looked at him as I thought about his words. Dark Keep had been built before the first millennium, even before the dark brothers split with their cousins. The dark brothers seldom used it now and it was almost in ruins. I looked at Aveline and sighed, “I think we are going for a long walk.”

She nodded, “The dark brothers will not allow them to stay in the keep.”

I was also thinking of following one of the lines to an elf stone since it went in that direction. I stood and turned to head towards the kitchen to speak with the cook. When we walked out into the pass we were wearing worg skin clothing and carrying packs. We moved easily over the hard crust of the snow and before we left the pass we were back into a routine.

There were fewer patrols on the plains as we crossed and headed west. When we passed the Frost fortress it was almost deserted. We walked using hidden game trails and slept together each night for warmth. Almost two months after we set out I looked into the distance at the elven made mountain that was the Dark Keep.

We turned to head north and around to avoid most of the patrols. A major river ran into and through it from the north and I had an idea to use it since it was frozen. There were several orc patrols we avoided each day and watched more each night. What drew my attention was the dark brothers that snuck past.

They were in large groups and they seemed to avoid the orc patrols too. There was a gap above the frozen river as it went into the mountain. We slipped in during the mid morning and moved deeper before pulling out a chemical lantern. It was a couple of hours before we came to what had once been a dock.

There were a dozen skeletons of elven boats on the dock. As we moved off the frozen river the stench struck me. I looked around before pulling Reaper and handing my bow to Aveline. As we moved closer to the stairs we found the piles of bones. I looked around again and gestured to her to move back and follow.

The stairs turned to the right and began climbing and came to a landing with a wide doorway to the left. The right side of the landing went straight down to the frozen river below. I heard something from the doorway before there was a roar and a troll emerged. It stomped towards me as I shifted and moved away from Aveline.

It reached for me and I jabbed with the sword into his hand. It pulled it back and yelled as it stomped closer and I slid back and swung as it reached out again. This time the blade took the tip of one finger and it roared and rushed me. I slid aside but jabbed into its left knee. It swiped at me as it turned and took a step back.

It glanced back when the back half of the foot went over the edge of the landing. I lunged and stabbing into its belly and it jerked back. The blade did not penetrate but the troll waved its arms as its body leaned back and then it fell. I moved to look down as it hit the frozen river and blinked as the ice cracked and broke.

The troll tried to grab at the edge of the broken ice but missed and vanish in the water below. I looked at Aveline as she came to look down, “Trolls do not swim very well.”

She smiled, “Maybe he is going to hold his breath and walk out.”

I grinned as I turned and went to look into the room it had come from. In one corner was a pile of gold, silver and jewels. Bones were scattered around and piled everywhere. I turned to the left and saw another set of stairs heading up. I gestured to Aveline and took my bow back after wiping my sword and putting it away.

We followed the stairs up a long way as they twisted back and forth. The thick door we came to was barred on the other side. We could see through several wide cracks in the door and I pulled a long knife. I shouldered my bow and slipped the knife blade through close to one side. I tried to lift the bar but it did not move.

Aveline gestured, “Try to slid it.”

I nodded and went back to work. It moved a little so I kept it up and finally we saw the end. I grinned as I moved towards the rusty hinges and put the knife blade through another crack. It took a long time before the wooden bar tilted and fell. I winced at the sound it made and we slowly pulled and forced the door open.

We looked in and saw a dark hallway in what had been a large dungeon. We slipped in and started moving and peering into empty cells. There were skeletons in almost every cell, most were human. The huge dungeon had more than one level and when we went up I glanced at Aveline.

There were sounds of orcs and I moved down the corridor and glanced into a cell. Three orcs were eating a fourth and I pulled back. I pulled my short swords before moving around the corner and though the open cell door. I stabbed through the neck of one orc and cut another’s throat before lunging to killed the last with a stab down into its chest.

I moved back as they spasmed and died and cleaned my swords. When we went to the next cell there was more orcs feeding and Aveline pulled her swords before we both moved in. We moved back and forth down the hall, sometimes moving into cells across from each other. By the time we reached the stairs almost fifty orcs were dead behind us.

This time we found an open door at the top of the stairs. There was a wide hallway beyond as I peeked out. We slipped out and moved silently towards the center area of the Keep. I was still trying to follow the line to the elf stone. We climbed another set of stairs and went past what had once been a huge throne room.

Orcs were camped in it and the throne had been replaced with one of bone. That was when the screams began and I glanced at Aveline before moving quickly. I pulled her around a corner and down to a door. It was locked and I frowned since orcs would not lock a door. I used a knife between the frame to work the bolt back into the door before pulling it open.