Chapter 19

“Sir Darras, please come into the sanctuary that you may be healed,” Gemoldus, the senior priest, requested.

“Thank you,” a now white faced and in a lot of pain Darras replied.

Inside Darras was led to a summoning circle and surrounded by four priests who began chanting out a summons to Gilmea to heal him and within seconds he was bathed in a soft golden glow. The pain, which had been becoming intense, faded and the glow formed into the shape of his Erren who reached out her hand to touch his shoulder which seemed to flow back into shape, the bones fusing and the bruising fading until the shape faded and the four priests raised a paean of praise to the goddess who had blessed them with her presence.

“You are most blessed, sir Darras!” Gemoldus exclaimed. “We know you are Gilmea’s agent, but never thought to see her come in person.”

“I thank you for the healing, but this is not over yet. This darkness has Allies, perhaps amongst the Human traders.”

“Linota, you heard?” Gemoldus asked.

“I heard,” the female Dwarf who had been following Darras replied.

“This is Linota, the head of the Temple guards here. I asked her to assist you if you needed it,” Gemoldus introduced her.

“It was most welcome and kept the darkness inhabiting the Dwarven company from being warned,” Darras nodded.

“You are most welcome, sir Darras. We could not see this darkness until you ... pulled it out,” she acknowledged the praise.

“What do we know of the associates of the Sarak brothers?” Gemoldus asked Linota.

“They mostly traded with a Human known as Lirral,” she replied. “Agricultural implements for Elven leather. They claimed he was over-charging them and were forced to pass the cost on.”

“The source of this price gouging?” Gemoldus queried.

“It appears likely. Elven leather is prized by our artisans in the making of clothing.”

“So, by shorting the Humans they passed on the shorting to your people and the whole thing snowballed?” Darras asked.

“It would appear so, though our economics are complex and they likely interfered elsewhere,” Linota replied.

‘They have been here for over a year, so it’s likely, ’ Erren informed Darras.

Darras told Gemoldus and Linota of Erren’s information, getting understanding nods from both of them.

“Do we know if or when this Lirral is due?” Gemoldus asked.

“He is known to bring leather in weekly. He is due tomorrow, though I cannot specify a time,” Linota replied.

“Guess we wait then,” Darras nodded, seeing agreement from the Dwarves.

Darras was offered and accepted a room and board at the temple and enjoyed sitting and observing a beautiful rock garden that had a stream running through it. Despite the underground setting, the crystal veins the Dwarves grew illuminated everything clearly to his eyes, though had been informed by Erren that a lot of humans found it rather gloomy. He was joined by Linota and several of her squad and it appeared they wished to ask some questions.

“Go ahead and ask,” Darras chuckled in the awkward silence caused mostly by the Dwarven polite reticence to interrupt anyone.

“Thank you, sir Darras. May I know how you knew I was female? Most humans cannot tell the difference,” Linota asked.

“Believe me, I can’t,” Darras replied with a smile. “However, my goddess can.”

“Gilmea?”

“That’s what you call her, yes.”

“She has many names, and is wise,” one of the Dwarves with Linota intoned reverently.

“She is,” Darras agreed. “Though to me she is simply a lovely young woman who takes care of me when I’m not doing her bidding.”

“Takes care of you?” Linota asked.

“We live in her private Realm. She feeds me, provides beer, bathing and conversation as well as entertaining the occasional other god and goddess.”

“This ... does not sound like a goddess...” Linota trailed off.

“True, though the Erren I deal with is but an avatar of the goddess as a whole.”

“Ah, this explains some of the differences between Gilmea, Wenderos and Erren that we hear of.”

“Yes. Different races see a different aspect of her to suit their needs and ways,” Darras nodded, feeling Erren’s agreement.

“And you can see this darkness that infects others?”

“I can. My touch is as a poison to them,” Darra explained, then smiled as an acolyte brough through several tankards of ale.

“But Dwarves can’t?” one of Linota’s companions asked.

“Nor can Elves, Humans, Orcs or Lizardmen,” Darras explained. “I am ... different, that’s why she chose me.”

“You appear as a normal Human though.”

“One who cannot do magic, not even the smallest cantrip,” Darras chuckled.

“Ah,” the Dwarf nodded. “As this darkness is magically induced, then it is vulnerable to you.”

“I believe so, though I’ve not received an explanation from my Erren yet,” Darras replied. “It simply works, so I do her bidding willingly.”

“Well, whilst in Sorrak, we will aid you,” Linota informed him.

“My gratitude,” Darras acknowledged. “This price gouging does no one any good, Dwarf or Human.”

“Indeed it does not,” Linota agreed. “Plus your target is hopefully coming to us, so you will not have to search Dobra for him.”

“I hope not, though I may yet have to ferret out a nest of them there.”

“I would be honoured to assist, as would my squad,” Linota offered.

“I may take you up on that at a later date, but I suspect tensions are high in Dobra with the price gouging.”

“Ah, that’s true, we would be deeply unpopular.”

“I suppose you could ferry a lot of farming implements at the old price,” Darras mused.

“If we confiscate whatever goods this Lirral may have. He will no doubt have a team. There may be more of these ... shadows as well.”

“Thus calming the market on both sides,” Darras nodded. “But first we deal with Lirral and whatever comes through with him.”

“Agreed,” Linota nodded.

The following morning, Darras was escorted by Linota and her squad to the gateway office. The guard outside did not permit them to enter but as there was only one exit they were able to watch it from what appeared to be an indoor water supply. Not knowing when or if this Lirral was coming in, Darras expected a possible long and boring day, though there was plenty of activity around to keep him occupied.

It was an hour later that the sense of wrongness overcame him and he signalled Linota, who had simply sat stoically not engaging in spurious conversation, that their quarry had arrived. Lirral himself, when he exited the gateway office toting a heavy pack and a pull-along cart, looked more like a thug than a trader, though he clearly was not expecting the Dwarves who had him surrounded, nor the grip from Darras that had him keeling over as Darras removed and eliminated the shadow.

“So we wait?” Linota asked as the squad revived Lirral.

“Yes, he may not be working alone,” Darras replied.

“Very well,” she nodded and, other than a Dwarf taking Lirral to the Temple for questioning, her squad moved back to whatever they were doing after concealing Lirral’s goods.

Several other traders came through at minute intervals, which was all the gateway would permit, until again Darras felt the wrongness and signalled Linota. The man who came through this time clearly was no trader, but looked like some sort of guard or bounty hunter and was clearly on his guard as well judging by how carefully he scanned the outside of the gateway office. He wasn’t looking out for the dwarves though, but Darras, and due to Darras only making his move when the man was surrounded he was swiftly pinned and the shadow eliminated.

“It appears you are known to them,” Linota posited.

“Yes, the dark lord visited to identify me and promised retaliation,” Darras replied.

“They can do little with this method. The gateway will only permit one person at a time.”

“True. But when in Dobra I may have a bigger issue if they are now alerted to my presence,” Darras sighed.

“Do they know if you have taken one out?”

“I suspect the leader types keep in contact somehow, though they may not know what happened, just contact is lost,” Darras explained. “Though that doesn’t explain why Lirral came through first.”

“He may just have been expecting to wait outside?” Linota queried.

“Or the shadows are not letting their right hand know what the left is doing,” Darras explained with a chuckle.

“True, from what you told me there appears more of a hierarchy than co-operation amongst them.”

‘It was actually me, ’ Erren giggled. ‘The guard was first but I interfered.’

“Ah, Erren intervened for us and swapped the merchant and the guard around,” Darras explained to the Dwarves.

“That was good of her,” Linota replied. “But what plans do you have to find out more about them?”

“We know very little about them, though Erren and I have set plans in motion to capture one.”

“Well, if help is needed, simply contact Gemoldus and we will be assigned to you,” Linota offered.

“Accepted, though it’s possible you may end up working with the Elven folk, as well as Humans” Darras chuckled, seeing a slight wince.

“No doubt we’ll cope with the Elves if we bring ear plugs,” she sighed. “What of their activity in Dobra?”

“I intend to take a look there soon,” Darras replied.

“Need help?”

“Only if you bring goods, the Humans may not like an influx of Temple guards.”

“That we can do. Please wait for an hour.”

The official at Dobra was surprised at the number of Dwarves coming through with massive packs and hand-pulled carts containing farming implements. He was even more surprised when the Dwarves said they had sorted out a supply issue and the price had returned to normal ... or what had been normal.

Darras was the last through and, although standing out quite a bit, by mixing with the Dwarves he was able to deal with a very nasty attack by several thugs led by two shadows, neither of whom survived the experience, unlike the majority of the thugs who had simply been restrained by the Dwarves. The explanation that it was an attempt by a competitor to prevent the return of cheaper goods was accepted by a serjeant of the town guard who had been called to investigate and the Dwarves were bidden to carry on with their business.

‘There’s one more I can detect, ’ Erren warned Darras, who informed the Dwarves.

“Do you know where?” Darras asked.

‘Market square, centre of town, ’ Erren replied, sounding very happy.

“It is remarkable that these ... things only become visible when out in the open,” Linota commented.

“When they do move, that’s mostly at night,” Darras replied as the town guard hauled the prisoners away.

“Understandable,” she nodded as they headed to the market square.

Once at the market square they swiftly found buyers for their goods as word spread that decent goods were now available at affordable prices. Many were purchased by merchant groups to be added to their caravans to be sold elsewhere. Darras, however, was on the hunt, aided by Erren.

“I can feel it, but there’s no sense of direction as yet,” Darras murmured.

‘It’s stronger on the north side, but lying low ... I think, ’ she replied.

“Knows it’s being hunted,” Darras chuckled.