Chapter 21

Darras stepped through into the gateway of Trasturial and was swiftly admitted after he showed his paperwork for the commissioned armour. Instead of a mule, he chose a fast horse and swiftly left the city, passing various folk on the road. Unlike the time before, Darras was hoping to shave a day, possibly more off the time involved due to the distance. As ever he found the Elven folk at the way-stations to be cheerful and polite, though avoided, where possible, any conversations revealing that his journey was to the Dwarven city of Burralsteig.

He made good time and it was on the afternoon of the fourth day that he reached the Dwarven custom post at the Burral gorge. It was there that the delays started.

“You were informed that you were not welcome, last you were here,” the slightly hostile Dwarf stated as she checked over Darras’s paperwork.

“I was also informed I could complete my business. Paying for my goods is part of that business,” Darras replied.

“True, but I cannot let you pass until I receive instructions,” she countered.

“How long?”

“A reply will be here on the morn.”

“How about you just let me go up to Burralsteig and let them deal with it directly?”

“My instructions on you are clear. You cause issues in our land if roaming free, hence you need extra permissions to enter.”

“Could I not be escorted up there?” Darras asked patiently.

“See any escorts?” the Dwarf replied bluntly.

“No, but you got down here somehow,” Darras countered.

“I live here. However there will be a patrol in about an hour,” the Dwarf grudgingly replied. “I could ask them to escort you.”

“Please do.”

The Dwarf scrawled something on her papers, applied a stamp and pushed them towards Darras.

“See, wasn’t so difficult. Now was it?” Darras chuckled, but was ignored.

The Dwarven patrol, mounted on sturdy ponies, weren’t any too happy about their extra duty in escorting Darras, though they took on the request, or rather one of them did. Hence Darras reached the entrance to Burralsteig in the late afternoon, only to face a further delay when the gate guards there had him incarcerated awaiting instructions from on high.

Fortunately, the same richly dressed Dwarf who had questioned Darras on the previous occasion turned up an hour later and escorted Darras personally, if in silence, to Frenklon’s workshop.

“Surprised you got in,” was Frenklon’s blunt comment when Darras entered.

“They weren’t happy about it, though know who I am and what I do,” Darras chuckled. “May I see the armour?”

“Through here, though how you knew it was ready is beyond me. I only sent the letter to Alvastros the other day.”

“My goddess keeps an eye on things important to her,” Darras explained, getting an understanding nod from Frenklon.

Darras was impressed. The armour was both effective yet stylised, with few trap points where an opposing lance or arrow could enter. The sign of the goddess was also mounted on the sword/lance arm in such a manner as to not weaken the armour underneath.

“Excellent work, Frenklon. My trust in you was well warranted,” Darras complimented the Dwarf.

“It is by far my finest work,” Frenklon admitted.

“And will have other Nobles beating a path to your door to have something similar made,” Darras nodded.

“You believe so?”

“I do. Your fame will grow, blessed both by Gilmea and Pelegard.”

“Aye, mayhaps. Only time will tell,” Frenklon conceded.

Darras settled the sum of the account with Frenklon directly, ensured the armour would reach Alvastros before the summer solstice and was then, as the sun set, silently escorted out of the city to his waiting horse.

“Guess I make camp then,” Darras chuckled as he moved away from the gate to a sheltered grassy outcrop that the horse could feed from as well as being out of the wind due to the sparse trees around the slight depression.

‘You don’t seem terribly annoyed with their bad manners?’ Erren queried.

“I’m not. Plus, despite the elevation the overnight temperature is not going to be bad and it’s been a while since I slept under the stars,” Darras replied as, in the dwindling light, he gathered wood to make a fire.

Darras was able to use what this world called a demon-strike to ignite a dry pine cone and get a fire going with the wood he’d found. Rooting around in his pack he pulled out the frame he used for boiling water and filled the container with water from a nearby stream and added a few herbs to it to boil up for some tea. He then took some jerky he had, skewered it along with some cheese and warmed it through till the cheese melted and flowed over the dried meat.

‘Happy, my Darras?’ Erren asked.

“Your company would make it perfect, but yes,” Darras smiled.

‘Wish I could, but there are rules, ’ she giggled.

“How come Doriel plays with woodnymphs then?”

‘She appears as a spirit, ’ Erren explained. ‘I could too, but it’s not the same as in I couldn’t touch you or be touched.’

“I see,” Darras nodded, pulling the boiling herbal tea away from the fire.

‘You’ll be home soon. I look forward to that.’

“As will I,” Darras replied with a smile as he unfolded his waterproof blanket and wrapped his cloak around himself.

For all it was cloudy, there was no rain and Darras simply enjoyed his simple meal and drink before settling down for the night under the fire’s dwindling glow.

It was shortly after dawn when a well-rested Darras set off for the customs post and the road to Trasturial, passing several carts heading up the mountain to deliver goods to Burralsteig. At the customs post he was simply acknowledged and told to get across the bridge and out of the Kingdom of the Dwarfs by the customs agent who then turned her back on him and returned to the post.

“Wonder how I’ll manage if another shadow turns up?” Darras mused as the horse cantered over the bridge and into the Kingdom of the Elven folk.

‘Oh, I’ll think of something, ’ Erren giggled.

“Don’t they have a gateway?”

‘Not in Burralsteig, no, ’ Erren replied. ‘They have one in Durstos, but it’s a far more difficult journey despite the Dwarven roads, which is why most Humans use Trasturial for business in Burralsteig.’

“Guess if they do have an infestation, I’ll use Durstos,” Darras chuckled.

‘And faked papers.’

“Yes,” Darras nodded.

‘Be careful my Darras, someone is using magic in your vicinity!’ Erren warned, causing Darras to slow the horse and start scanning his surroundings, spotting only a clump of trees off to his right.

“Against me?” Darras asked.

‘Not yet, but they are using a precise location spell that normally is a precursor for some sort of offensive cast.’

“In the trees?”

‘Yes.’

Darras snapped his reins and sent the horse at a fast gallop directly at the trees, hearing a distinct curse from them as some sort of missile shot from the trees to pass through where he’d been observing. Leaping from the saddle Darras headed towards where a voice was now chanting out some sort of invocation only to cut off with a squawk as Darras raced into a clearing and straight at the caster who dropped his staff in sheer terror at Darras’s appearance within what Darras knew to be a casting circle.

“You have some explaining to do, Elf,” Darras stated to the shocked young male ... though young in Elven terms was a bit ambiguous.

“I ... I was just practicing my art, no harm was meant,” the Elf gabbled out.

“You targeted me. That’s hardly harmless,” Darras countered, drawing his knife and making the Elf gasp in fear.

‘I sense no ill intent within him. It might just be that he speaks the truth, ’ Erren interjected. ‘Though using such magic on a person is very bad manners.’

“I have to practice. I only cast the shot to warn you off when you came my way,” the Elf pleaded.

“Assuming I believe you, you do know that using that kind of magic on a person is very bad manners,” Darras warned.

“I know, but thought only to practice. I did not expect anyone travelling the road to detect me. None have so far until you came along,” the Elf confessed.

“That’s extreme hubris on your part,” Darras chided him, placing his knife back in its sheath. “You could possibly have picked on someone far more powerful who would not have dealt kindly with you.”

“How did you detect me?” the Elf asked. “Oh, my name is Sondrast.”

“Mine’s Darras and I didn’t detect you, the goddess Erren ... Wenderos did.”

“You are a priest of the goddess?” Sondrast asked, looking shocked.

“No, I’m her agent. I deal with what you Elves call the darkness.”

“I am so sorry. I never meant for this circumstance to arise,” Sondrast apologised.

“She says that’s OK, but be far more careful in future.”

“You speak with her?”

“She observes the world ... in a sense, through me, though I’m not her only source.”

“I will be far more cautious in future. Thank you for sparing me, sir Darras.”

“You’re welcome and Wenderos blesses you in your search for knowledge,” Darras replied and then moved off to retrieve his horse.

Darras was surprised to find a woodnymph holding his horse’s reins and paused to give a respectful greeting. He was also aware of a shocked Sondrast approaching who was clearly struggling to believe what his eyes were telling him.

“Greetings sir Darras. I have information for you,” the woodnymph stated.

“Please say on...?”

“My name is Tarruva,” she informed Darras. “I have a request from the people of Dhrovannis Forest. We have uncovered a shadow encampment and cannot deal with them, simply avoid them.”

“Of course I’ll help,” Darras replied. “Where is it?”

“I will guide you.”

“Er ... ever ridden a horse?” Darras queried.

“No, but I can summon a stag to ride,” she replied with a smile.

“Er, excuse me?” Sondrast asked.

“Yes, Sondrast?” Darras replied as Tarruva observed the Elf with interest.

“Could I assist? I do know some spells that may be useful.”