"S- s- s- s- so! L- lem- me get t- t- this straight." The clatter of his teeth interrupted what few words he managed to exhale over his blue lips. "W- w- we’re t- traveling th- th- through the v- very de- depths of H- h- h...ACHOO!" After battling with his runny noise for a few brief seconds, he gave in and let out a thunderous sneeze that nearly doubled him over in the knee-deep snow. "Of Hell, just to g- g- get a bunch of o- old r- r- r- rocks?"
"They’re not just old rocks." The tall shadow of his companion was barely more then a blur in the swirling waves of snowflakes. Only the glint of his finely polished armor flashed beneath the mid-day sun, most of it still hidden beneath a thick, wool cloak. "They’re special eggs that Mystic requested. The elves agreed to trade them for nothing less then the finest dwarven ore. Even though the eggs were the Warren’s to being with." A hint of scorn for the elves was evident in the youthful voice that drifted down to him from beneath waves of dark hair and an ice-tipped fur trim.
"Dwarves hate elves." The smaller companion grumbled, faltering in a snow drift that came up to his chin. He cursed and waited for his knightly friend to heave him over the hill of white, Abyssial stuff before continuing his rant. "Dwarves hate c- c- c- cold."
"I know." The knight replied calmly.
"Dwarves h- hate snow."
"I know."
"D- d- dwarves hate s- s- s- s- stupid, H- Hell-bound missions t- t- that include snow, c- cold and anything t- that resembles th- th- the Abyss!"
"I know." The knight’s last remark held a quiet chuckle.
"Dwarves hate-"
"Hey guys!" An all-too-chipper voice interrupted the dwarf’s angry muttering, causing him to cringe in annoyance. A top knot barely cleared the last snow drift that had snagged the dwarf and came bounding up to the two chilled companions. Flushed, red cheeks and cheery, green eyes peered up into the faces without a thought towards the dwarf’s dry glare. "Look at this!" The kender proudly displayed his fingers, tipped in blue. "Look at the neat colour they’re turning. Do you think they’re going numb? I’ve never seen my hands go numb before. It feels all tingly and hot, like a bunch of needles."
"Yes, they’re going numb. Soon, they’re going to freeze and fall right off your hands." The mal-tempered dwarf muttered grumpily. The cold made him cranky.
"Really?" The kender seemed altogether too delighted with this announcement. He turned his hands over and over, studying his frost bitten finger tips. "I’ve never seen anyone’s fingers fall off before. Once I saw a man have his hands chopped off. Nasty business. But I did manage to get the rope afterwards!" He began to rummage around in one of his numerous pouches, much to the dismay of the knight and dwarf. Only a sharp reprimand from the dwarven man stopped the kender short of displaying the bloodied bit of twine he claimed came from the brutal punishment.
"You don’t want to see it? Oh. Alright." Crest-fallen for only a moment, the kender lost interest in displaying his soon-to-fall-off fingers and bounded over to another member of the small traveling party.
"D- d- d- dwarves h- hate kenders."
The knightly human laughed out loud, thumping his friend genially on his stout shoulder. "Dwarves hate anything that drags them away from their forge." Gray-blue eyes twinkled in a small, youthful face that still retained the almond tan of his kin. Though they had been traveling for nearly a week since their last stop, the dusting of dark hair around his straight chin was barely even a centimeter long.
"D- damn right!" The dwarf snorted concordance, hunching his shoulders deeper into the warm folds of the thick, wool cloak draped over his stocky form.
Nearly a month ago, an urgent call had been received in the Dwarven Underground telling of a very important clutch of flit eggs that had been stolen from the Warren. The culprits had made their presence obvious, verging on the point of boasting their triumphant over the great dragon holding of Tris’Hath. The ice elves demand was simple. In exchange for the safe return of the flit eggs, they required one shipment of the dwarf’s finest metal.
It was a well known fact that the ice elves had very few precious metals of their own. The mountainous caverns they lived in were filled to the brim with gold and silver, but not a lick of usable iron. The dwarves, on the other hand, had an abundance of every kind of metal imaginable in the world. Their prosperous state angered the elves to the point that, when the snows descended down the mountains far enough, they would launch small skirmishes on the Underground. A laughable state really. The only people who had ever penetrated the Underground uninvited had simply stumbled upon it by mistake. The dwarves had keep a close friendship with Mystic and her companions ever since.
When the alarm had gone up and it was decided that a dwarf of stature and recognition must be sent to accompany the ore and insure that the interactions went smoothly, there had been five willing volunteers. When they learned that the trek took them through the innermost parts of the tallest, snow capped mountains, Vack had been elected to the position.
Vack was, originally, Terra’s apprentice in the dwarven smithies. When the flame-tongued woman had been chosen to bond a dragon, he had been left in charge of her rebellion against the dwarves separation from the war. Had he been a few years older, he would have maintained the position. As it was, Vack was more then happy to pass on the title of leadership to a much more capable dwarf when the Underground’s alliance with the dragon riders had been firmly set in place.
It was because of his still prestigious title and personal connection with a real dragon rider that had landed him in the spot light. No one had bothered to inform him that the journey would take nearly two months to complete and would include great dangers and risky situations. So, naturally, he was more then happy to oblige.
A party of five human knights had been assigned to accompany him and protect him as he traveled across the land to the home of the ice elves. One, a new recruit by the name of Dalmar, had developed a close kinship with the dwarf. The two friends often spent their trip warming each other with laughter or patiently listening to the other’s complaints about the landscape. Dalmar listened, Vack complained.
"Hey guys! Look at- oof!" The chipper call ended abruptly as the last of the three odd friends face planted in a tall snowdrift. Vack groaned and shook his head, listening to the other knights threaten to leave the kender there if he didn’t stop fooling around.
The kender, Kassander Driftwood by name, had been a surprise. No one had expected the little twerp to just show up one morning, cooking breakfast over a cheery campfire as if he had been with the troop the entire time. He had greeted them with ‘Good Mornings’ and handed out rations of the first edible, fire cooked meal they had eaten in days. They had grudgingly agreed to take him along, if only for their stomachs’ sake.
"That must be it up ahead." A thickly gloved hand peeked out from beneath Dalmar’s cloak and pointed towards an indentation in the cliff face. Swirls of snow cleared long enough to reveal the ice glazed steel of the village’s entrance. Thick columns of snow and rock rose from the ground, forming an arch over the small flat that offered relief from the harsh winds and biting frost. Even from this distance, Vack could make out the intricate carvings and glitter of precious metals winking in the light beneath layers of ice and snow. He licked his dry lips eagerly, anticipating the warmth and shelter that lay behind those solid walls. Finding a new strength, he began to trundle a direct path to the sharply carved stairs leading up to the inviting door.
Behind him, shouts of excitement and joy rose from the throats of the other weary travelers. Even the kender’s ever present chatter seemed relieved to see the graceful curve of stairs snuggled against the mountain side.
Dalmar’s presence was a heavy shadow over his shoulder, laboured breathing evident through the roar of the wind. Vack suddenly had an acute awareness of the stinging numbness on his face and ears, burrowing in to the very core of his bones. His cloak was laden with ice and partially melted snow, dragging along the ground behind him and adding weight to his aching shoulders. The bag of ore bouncing against his back poked sharp edges into his cloth covered flesh, pressuring him faster along his course.
Vack literally stumbled up the steps in his haste to reach the solid, steel doors and the warmth they held within. His stomach pinched with the thought of hot food and drink and he could feel the dirt itching along his skin from so many days of travel without luxuries. Slapping his gloved hands together eagerly, he grinned at the doors and grasped the round handle that was eye level with himself.
A swift, hard tug should have opened the doors wide and let them in from the cold. Vack frowned as not even the ice trembled at his touch. "It’s stuck." He sounded somewhat confused as again he pulled at the ornate handle.
"Let me try." Dalmar added his strength to the dwarf’s and together they did nothing more then strain their shoulders. Even Kassander had a go at the doors... until he realized there was no lock, thus rendering his skills useless. Instead, the happy-go-lucky kender wandered off in search of another opening. Possibly kender sized.
After a few minutes of cursing, swearing, kicking at the door, tugging the handle, and wasting the strength of each of the five knights, Vack gave up his attempts with an angry gwaf. "There’s not a door alive that can keep out a dwarf!" He exclaimed, drawing his battle axe and bracing to attack the thin wedge between the double doors. No one bothered to tell him that doors weren’t alive.
"That’s not going to work." A soft voice, dry with sarcasm and smug humour, spoke behind their backs. All seven party members whirled to face the new threat, Vack already wielding his duel-edged axe. A barely audible growl rumbled in Dalmar’s throat, matching the menacing glare that filled his eyes.
The figure standing on the edge of the flat was draped in a simple cloak of white fur, trimmed in long, silver hairs from a different animal. His small frame and elven features were barely visible beneath the low drawn cowl overshadowing his face. Only the mocking smile playing across his thin lips gave light to his physical appearance. In one white gloved hand he held a meek, brown haired creature enveloped in a thick jacket. Kas smiled meekly up at his companions, twiddling his fingers in greeting.
"Hey everybody. Fancy meeting you here. Heh..." Kas attempted a weak joke. Something about the look in Dalmar’s eyes told him he was in deep trouble.
The ice elf dropped the kender none-too-gently on the ground as he whispered forward on unseen feet. "I believe this belongs to you." The same gloved hand waved absently back at Kas, then disappeared beneath the folds of his purely white cloak. "And the door only opens to a certain touch." Piercing violet eyes gazed down at Vack as the elf paused by the unmoved doors. They seemed to laugh at him, as if to remind the young dwarf that the tables were now turned between ice elves and dwarves. Vack glared back, refusing to allow this simple elf victory over him.
The elven man turned and placed a slender boned hand over the intricate carvings etched carefully into the thick steel. Long fingers traced delicately over the symbols, moving from one to another in fluid steps that seemed to create a dance. Words whispered on the wind, as if spoken by the mountains themselves. After a brief moment of this, the ice elf stepped back and smiled triumphantly at his homeland.
A low rumble began in the very stone beneath their feet, more felt then heard. It rose until it trembled through the columns of stone and ice and spread into the very steel of the door. Bits of icicles dropped from their perch and shattered on the ground with sharp snaps. Suddenly, the rumbling became a low whine, grating on the nerves of those watching as the doors slowly began to swing open on frozen hinges.
When the noise and tremble finally subsided, Vack, Kas, and the five human knights stood facing a long corridor carved into the very heart of the mountain. The hard packed ice of the walls had been carved and smoothed until they glistened like glass. Even the floor seemed to be made of nothing more then calm water, reflecting the warm glow of dozens of torches. Bright flames danced in the shrill wind that whipped past them from outside, flickering their fragile hold on the sconces attached to the walls. The light sparked and danced through gems set in the arched ceiling and flickered along veins of gold and silver ore naturally flowing through the walls. Even Vack was amazed by the size and grandeur of this unseen haven. The end of the tunnel disappeared into a veil of shadows and skittered weakly along the ceiling that rose nearly three times Dalmar’s height. The ice elf smirked with a dry, mocking pride that resembled the very ice he dwelt in.
"Welcome to Karientalis Halls, travellers." The chilling elf strode forward as if only he should have the honor of setting foot in these hallowed halls. The white gloved hand slipped out from beneath volumes of white fur and tilted the cowl covering his head just enough so that the feather weight fabric fell back of it’s own accord.
Light glistened on his silver-gray hair like sunlight on new fallen snow. The straight, shoulder length locks shifted with his movements as he turned to face them, smiling with smug contempt. He shimmered with a light of his own, pale, silvery skin taking on a tint of blue in the presence of the smooth ice walls of his home. Long, black lashes drooped slightly over the piercing violet eyes that had tried to pin Vack to the outer wall earlier. High cheekbones tapered down to his small mouth, accenting their ashen colour. His slender build was draped in soft leathers and fine furs. The light, airy finery made Vack fidget in his own heavy attire. He was still chilled to the bone but the elf’s obvious comfort in these conditions was unnerving.
A soft chuckle escaped the ice elf’s lips. He turned to face the long corridor, flipping the edge of his cloak over his shoulder as he went. "My name is Ischashei. I will lead you into my Lord’s audience so that you may conduct your business then go."
"That’s it?" Dalmar asked incrediously. Normally, the well bred knight was not so bold, but cold did strange things to people. "Don’t we get a chance to sit and warm ourselves? Have a decent meal? Anything?"
"Warm yourselves?" Ischashei laughed mockingly, casting the human a bitter glance over his shoulder. His very eyes showed the depth of ice that lay in his soul. "We are ice elves. What need have we of warmth?" He looked forward again after catching the amusing shade of red that Dalmar’s face flushed. "The only warmth you’ll find here is whatever you’ve brought with you."
"That’s damned hospitable of you." Vack muttered into the stubble of beard that covered his chin. He stomped along the glass floor with a wary eye, expecting it to turn to chill water at any moment.
"We have no reason to be hospitable." Ischashei winced noticeably as one of the knights slipped on the icy ground. The clatter of his armor and weapons created a ringing echo in the elf’s ears. "And please try to keep the noise to a minimum." Slits of violet fixed contemptuously on the failing knight. "You creatures really should have been wiped out eons ago."
"What’s that supposed to mean?!" Vack nearly roared. The only thing that kept his voice below a bellow was the revibration caused by the ice walls. He had grimaced at the knight’s fall as well.
"Easy, friend." Dalmar soothed. His cheeks still burned with the indignation caused by Ischashei’s comment. At least his thoughts were in control, even if his pride wasn’t.
"What’s this, mister Isch- Ischisis- Ischeeeee-" While Kassander stumbled over the name, Ischashei was obviously offended by whatever the kender had picked up. He snatched it from Kas’ blue fingers before he had finished and stuffed it into one of his unseen pockets.
"What that is, is none of your concern. My name is Ischashei. Get it right or keep your mouth shut." The ice elf snapped, glaring distrustingly at the sweet faced kender. Vack and Dalmar were forced to suppress amused grins at the glint of mischief in their friend’s eyes. Ischashei would never have a moment’s peace after that comment.
The long, glassy corridor seemed to last for centuries, curving subtly deeper into the mountain’s heart. The knights cowered at the echo of their own clanging armor, Vack stomped and grumbled, occasionally shifting the bag of ore from shoulder to shoulder, and Kas continued to assault Ischashei with a thousand questions a second. The ice elf was quickly losing patience.
"Now look!" He finally snapped, whirling on Kas and pressing the kender’s nose with an accusing finger. "I don’t know how many drops of water it takes to make a bit of ice. Nor do I know how much ice is in this cavern! A lot, alright?! Leave me alone!"
"Ischashei," a soft, murmuring voice interrupted the ice elf’s intent stare. "That’s no way to treat our guests." An icy skinned woman sashayed into the room from an adjoining corridor. The white veil of cloth draped around her form fluttered in the slight breeze her careful movements stirred up. Flat layers of icy blue hair framed her grayish skin. She was a shade darker then their reluctant host, with eyes as wide and innocent as a new born child.
No one had noticed the whisper of ice as she entered the chamber. Her foot falls were as soft as a stalking feline. Nor did they notice the sudden shift in scenery as the corridor they traveled widen and became a high domed central room. Five other tunnels adjoined this major branch, each lit by the eerie glow of warm torches. At the very opposite end of the smooth, rounded walls sat a pair of huge double doors, twice the size of the ones they had seen at the entrance but quite alike in appearance.
"Seshalaya." Ischashei drawled in boredom. He was both relieved and appalled by her presence. Relieved because he would no longer have to lead this pathetic band of travelers around, appalled because she, of all women, should be at the King’s side and not away from the royal audience chambers.
"A pleasure to see you too." Seshalaya smiled sweetly, shifting her weight onto one hip as she stopped before them. A bag swung gently back and forth with the lost of momentum, hung from a slender wrist on a golden chain. Ischashei’s eyes fell to the bag but no emotion crossed his face. Before he could comment, Seshalaya spoke with a satisfied air of authority. "I wish I could stay a while and chat but his Highness instructed me to deliver this then return to his side." She held out the bag on the golden chain reverently to Ischashei. "You’re to take it and the travelers to the Eastern Gate and show them the way out. I’ll have a guard sent by to pick up our goods."
"Too delicate to carry it yourself?" Ischashei sneered. He snatched the offering from the woman’s hands, though was careful enough not to jar the contents.
"Ever so humorous, Ischashei." Seshalaya chuckled low in her throat, every word dripping sarcasm. The seven weary travelers wisely stayed out of it.
Ischashei motioned back to Vack with an impatient wave of his hand. "Just drop the ore here. I’ll lead you out." His eyes never left Seshalaya’s. When it was apparent that these two had finished their debate, Seshalaya elegantly excused herself and swayed through the huge, double doors as they opened on silent hinges.
The thunderous, suffocating silence that presided after the moment the doors boomed shut seemed endless. Vack, cold, hungry and annoyed with the weight on his back, heaved the bag of ore to the ground with a low grunt.
The resulting crash rang through the halls like the shattering of a hundred glasses. The very walls trembled, as if hurt by the offensive noise. Ischashei cringed, whirling to fix the stunned dwarf with an accusing glare.
"Be careful, dwarf!" He snarled. "These halls are far more delicate then the crude caverns your people live in."
"My people-!" The out raged bellow was cut short as Dalmar slapped his hand over Vack’s mouth. He knew the prideful dwarf would continue to rant even though the words were inaudible, but at least now they had a semblance of quiet.
"Show us the way." Dalmar inclined his head graciously to Ischashei. The youthful human had a few inches of height over the ice elf, but knew his place in this society. "I will be as glad as you to leave this whole ordeal behind me."
"A noble statement, knight." Ischashei returned the respectful nod, but every action of his seemed cold and uncaring, eternally soured by his disposition. "Follow- PUT THAT DOWN!" The frightened outburst caused even Vack to start in surprise.
Ischashei descended on Kassander, snatching something from the kender’s curious hands before he could further examine it. The wide eyed child could only stand in stunned silence... for a moment at least. "Why? What is it?" He pried inquisitively at answers Ischashei kept jealously hidden. Even his swift and often unseen hands could not penetrate the elf’s now vigilant guard of the bag and its contents. Whatever had been snatched from the kender was now safely back in the bag. Ischashei glared at the kender with unbridled malice.
"Do not touch this bag." The ice elf accented each word carefully through clenched teeth. White gloved hands tucked the precious bag into the folds of his cloak and away from the nimble fingers of the kender. His furious glare swept over the entire band, holding the same message for each of them. Touch the bag and die.
Vack fell into inaudible grumblings as the troop began to trudge along behind the up-tight elf again. Dalmar smiled, barely retaining a laugh at some of the caught words of his friend’s continuous muttering. The four other knights took up their places three steps behind Dalmar and Vack. Over the course of their journey and the trials they had faced, Dalmar had become the unanimous leader.
The corridor they traveled this time twisted and rose in a gentle slope. The flickering glow of torches began to grow thin and dissipate the further towards the surface they climbed. Faint images of mal-care imprinted in their minds. The walls and ceiling formed hair-line cracks that snaked above their heads and threatened to collapse at any moment. The ground seemed less enchanting and more like thin ice ready to break. Metal scraped over the clear surface and left the band with a sour note ringing in their ears, also causing them to cringe in fright. The slightest noise seemed to make the entire tunnel tremble fragilely.
"What so important about this bag anyway?" Kassander’s prying hands had made their way to the hidden pocket of Ischashei’s cloak and were holding open the fabric for his curious eyes to see.
"None of your business." Ischashei hissed viciously, snapping his cloak from the kender’s hands and twirling it tightly about his being.
"Careful, kender-kin." Dalmar warned. His deep voice brought another tremble to the walls and gave pause to the traveling company. When all was well again, he beckoned the halfling to his side. "That bag contains five very special eggs that belong to the Warren. I suggest you keep your hands to yourself lest you desire to see Lady Mystic’s wrath."
"Our guide’ll turn him to ice before that." Vack mumbled under his breath. The four knights crowded close behind him snickered quietly.
"I’ve never seen her angry." Kas admitted innocently. Wide, green eyes meeting the friendly gleam in Dalmar’s hazel gaze. He had always liked the peaceful human best. Of all the companions, he was the only one who gave him a nice pet name. "Though I don’t think I’d be particularly inclined to see the whole thing." An unspoken statement told of the respect even kenders held for the powerful red mage. His mind immediately wandered to what he knew of the red robed woman and, thusly, increased his curiosity about the eggs.
"A wise decision." Dalmar chuckled lightly, resting his gloved hand on the kender’s top knot. Kas’ eyes glowed with such child-like warmth that the young human had trouble disliking him as much as the others did. He came from a large family with many younger siblings, many of them as curious as Kassander.
"Here." Ischashei stopped suddenly, turning an icy glare on Vack as the dwarf barely avoided colliding with him. "The tunnels around this area are very weak so keep your voices down." The ice elf fixed a meaningful scowl on Kas before turning towards the ancient, intricately carved door and muttering the words that would unlock it.
As the ice elf worked his magic, Kas grew bored with watching. Everyone knows that a bored kender was the worst thing in the world aside from a curious kender. This time was no different. Dalmar and the knights were interested in watching the minute cracks in the ceiling that might widen and bring the whole mountain down on them in a second. Vack was mutter to himself about the fact that elves were not meant to be builders. Kas, seeing that he was needed to provide some entertainment, began wandering up and down the short stretch of corridor and examining the glistening, icy clear walls.
Each step he took echoed off the walls and bounced back to him in an intriguing mixture of fading pitches. Kassander paused, listening to the overwhelming silence as the last of the echos faded away. Only Ischashei’s concentrated whispers permeated the absolute stillness when all else had settled. He took another step, lighting his face with a mischievous grin as the sound revibrated back to him for a mere instant. Surely, a larger noise would produce a longer echo and much more interest effect.
"Hey guys!" He shouted, turning on his heels to face his friends. All the knights had a straight-backed stiffness about them, as if they had suddenly turned to stone. Even Vack seemed horrified of the faint echo that was created by Kassander’s voice. The kender took it as stunned surprise and grinned even wider. "Watch this." He turned to face the empty path they had taken as Ischashei finished the last word of his spell. A long, loud "Hello!" burst through the air and roared down the deserted tunnel, followed by another roar.
"The tunnel’s collapsing!" One of the knights shouted in alarm. The general consensus at that point was to run through the open door. Though the doors themselves had barely finished opening, the fragile cracks in the ceiling had already begun to widen. Bits of crystalized snow drifted to the ground, dusting the streaks of white that raced from one side to the next. Nearly all of the party members were safely outside before the thunderous downpour of stone tumbled from the broken ceiling. Only Dalmar realized Kas was still inside. The stupid kender had been too enthralled in seeing the perfect ice walls crack and splinter to notice his immediate danger.
"Damn it! Kas!" The knight swore, diving back into the turmoil before anyone could stop him. Rock and ice pelted the ground from above, smashing against the smooth glass of the floor and creating frost-etched lines where it began to break. Dalmar stumbled over the debris that had already settled and shielded his eyes from the shards of ice that floated through the air. He could barely see the kender’s immobile figure through the clouds of snow. Nor could he hear the insistent swearing that emanated from behind him.
Vack stood on the verge of plunging in after his friend, only being held back by the massive amounts of rock and ice that were tumbling down around him. The mountain cavern roared furiously as it collapsed around the small band, drowning out the dwarf’s stream of creative curses. His hands clenched the sturdy handle of his battle axe instead of cutting into his palms as Ischashei’s were doing. The instinct to draw his axe and prepare for battle was caused by the slightest inclination of danger. Though he could do nothing against the falling tunnel with the weapon, he felt safer holding it.
"Those idiots!" Ischashei hissed, his face frozen in a look of stricken anger and fear. He took one step forward, leaning his weight as if to charge into the open doorway. Common sense held him back. "They’ll die in there."
"Aye." Vack admitted under his breath. He heaved a low sigh and reslung his axe. "Then I guess I’ll be joining them. Idiot kender." The curse was a mild one and only served to quench Vack’s fright of re-entering the tunnel. They hadn’t much time but he’d be damned if he was going to leave them in there to die. "Damned, valiant knight!" The dwaven man roared a battle cry and charged head long into the fray. Chunks of the tunnel had already collapsed, thus making his entrance twice as difficult as Dalmar’s. Ischashei was right on his heels.
"Why in the Nine Hells I’m doing this is beyond me!" The ice elf hissed, throwing himself over Kassander to shield him from a sudden stream of stone and ice. His thin hands clasped tightly around the collar of the kender’s fur lined jacket. With a harsh yank, he pulled the child-like humanoid to his feet and dashed towards the opening that was quickly being consumed by fallen boulders.
"Look out!" Dalmar bellowed, pulling Ischashei back seconds before a tremendous shudder brought down the rest of the entrance. Now they were trapped.
"This is bloody fantastic!" Vack roared over the turmoil. His battle axe flashed in the dying light of the tunnel and struck solid ice, it’s echoing ring lost beneath another great shake of the ground. Dalmar and Ischashei exchanged a glance, rushing forward to help their comrade at a possible escape rout. Kas was dropped heedlessly to the ground and left to his own to pull at the rocks Vack loosened.
While the others gathered around him and scrambled with sword, fingers, feet, anything that could cause damage, Vack continued to hack senselessly at the wall. All other options had been cut off by sheets of stone or were crumbling into dust with each passing second. Another minute or so and the entire tunnel would crush them. His blade slashed at broken chunks of ice, freeing them from the thin, mountain wall. Nearly all light had left their enclosing tunnel, only aiding Vack’s natural dark vision.
When a small crack appeared beneath another of Vack’s powerful blows, Dalmar let out a cry of joy. He shoved Vack aside, eager to use his own strength to bring down enough of the minute hole to allow them to squeeze through. With an immense blow from his steel booted feet, the knightly human tumbled end over end onto the calm, crisp snow outside. Mere seconds later, his three companions landed with sound thuds beside him. The mountain tunnel gave a final shudder then collapsed in a heap of dust and glinting, sunlit crystals.
The four friends let out a unanimous sigh of relief, relaxing in the mind-numbing cold of the snow while their nerves ceased to twitch. Sprawled out as he was, Dalmar turned his head and grinned at the dwarf just now able to spit snow out of his clogged mouth. "How’d you know to attack the wall?" The knight asked curiously.
"Huh?" Vack, too preoccupied with removing bits of rubble from the meager bit of a beard that he had, had almost missed Dalmar’s question. He gave a short huff and shrugged his thick shoulders. "I didn’t." Dark eyes gleamed beneath a ruddy brow. "I was imagining it was the kender’s head."
Ischashei drew a shuddering breath and kept his eyes firmly shut against the glare of the sun. His heart was firmly lodged in his throat and only by some act of Silinarialaun was he alive and in one piece. He thanked the lady of the elves from the depths of his soul then began a frantic search for things of greater importance; like the eggs.
For a long, long time, Kassander Driftwood lay perfectly still. The heat of the sun on his face contrasted the bitter chill that pricked at the back of his neck and his exposed hands. The contents of his many pouches lay in disarray around him, small indents in the pure, white snow. He had been last to jump through Dalmar’s hastily made hole and had only barely escaped before the rest of the tunnel collapsed. He even had a little nick on his ankle and bit of rubble clutched in his small hand to prove it. Kas grinned broadly, sitting up straight backed and blinking innocently at Dalmar and Vack. "That was fun! Can we do it again?"
An alarming roar filled the air once more, startling three of the companions. The fourth was lunging towards Kas with a murderous look in his eyes. Ischashei closed his grayish-blue hands around the kender’s throat... or tried to at least. Kas had wisely dodged the first attack and was currently darting behind Dalmar to protect himself from the next. The ice elf skidded to a halt, glaring daggers at the brown top knot peeking out from around Dalmar’s shining armor.
"Do you have any idea what you’ve done you stupid little brat?!" He snapped. There was no use trying to go around or threw the human knight. Dalmar had leapt to his feet after the first shout and now stood defensively in front of his little friend. Ischashei hissed, darting swiftly to the side to get a better look at his target. "There is no path back to my home unless we go down the mountain then back up it again! You’ve stranded us here you little pest!"
"Calm yourself, elf." Vack growled. He stood uneasily in the thick layers of snow, already sunk up to his knees. He snorted gruffly at his buried boots and turned to cleaning his cloak instead. Dust and snowflakes rose up in little puffs at each strike of his hand. "There’s gotta be another way off this blasted mountain." Beady brown eyes shot a look over the landscape. No one knew how to navigate a mountain path better then a dwarf. Not even the ice elves that lived there. "Look, we can take that path down. It’ll be a bit of a walk from there but at least we’ll be out of the cold." He nodded sharply towards a low slope, almost invisible beneath the jagged rocks and high peaks surrounding them.
"And where you do expect to take us?" Ischashei snapped indignantly. He was still quite furious; more so that the dwarf had found a solution before he did.
"The Warren, of course." Vack huffed, starting to shove his way through the snowdrifts. Dalmar immediately took the lead, clearing a path for his smaller friends. Vack turned back once, watching Kas hop lightfootedly over the drifts, up to the human knight. His narrowed gaze fell on Ischashei, who still stood quite motionless. "That’s where those eggs gotta get to, right?"
"Yes but-" Ischashei stumbled. He glowered at the dwarf as Vack began moving again, trundling in Dalmar’s wake like a unsteady boulder, intent on getting down the mountain by it’s own force. The ice elf snarled to himself. He refused to let anyone else carry the eggs... so long as he was around, thus, he was stuck with this rag-tag group until the end. He kicked at a pile of snow, wishing it were something more substantial, then hurried to catch up to the other three. "I only hope those other knightly friends of yours have enough sense to go back to my people and tell them what happened." His voice was a low, sulky mutter. Only Vack turned at the sound.
"They’ll head back to their regime and report the losses." He turned again, striking out through the path Dalmar had formed. "Far as they know, we’re all dead."
* * *
The rest of the day passed with little discussion from Ischashei. Kassander happily chattered away, sometimes scurrying off like a curious little pup to investigate some interesting snow formation. Vack and Dalmar talked of how best to reach the Warren and how often to stop along the way. One path would take longer but would not be so troublesome to navigate. The only time Ischashei spoke was to say that he’d sooner “jump off a cliff to reach the ocean if it meant spending less time with you three idiots.” The general consensus after that point was to take the shorter route. The less time spent around the foul-tempered ice elf, the better.
By nightfall, the four companions had agreed to step up camp, preferably somewhere out of the wind. A small outcropping of stones provided a large enough space for all four to sleep comfortably, while a fire set up at the cave’s entrance gave warmth and light to the three, heat-deprived friends. Ischashei sat farther back from the flickering, red-gold flames then the others, veiled in darkness and touched with silver by the light of the moon. He seemed almost ghostly, perched as he was on a snow covered rock, his cloak drawn tightly about himself. Glittering, violet eyes reflected the cheery glow of the fire, barely acknowledging the soft, silvery tint of his face.
Dalmar stretched languorously, glad to be free of his armor now that night had fallen. The carefully sculpted sheets of metal lay wrapped in a light blanket, hidden within the dark recesses of the cave. Dalmar himself was wrapped securely in his warm cloak. Only the tips of his booted feet peeked out from beneath the fur trimmed edges. His almond tanned face looked quite odd against the backdrop of white, surrounded by grayish tinged fur. Content, gray-blue eyes watched the flames as they licked at dry logs, captured in a circle of small stones. His short, black hair lay flat against his head, thick and glossy and catching the red light of the fire. With a smile upon his dark lips, he looked like a small child enjoying a warm fireplace after a day of play. Only the dark stubble on his square jaw set him as a man of eighteen years.
Vack sighed his satisfaction as his booted feet soaked up a good deal of the heat. Cold, droplets of water splashed to the ground from the black soles, joining the puddle of slush that had formed by the fire warmed stones. His cloak was clasped tightly around his stout body, revealing nothing of the thick, leather vest and cotton shirt that covered his chest; or the tanned, leather pants that tucked into his sturdy work boots. Unlike Dalmar, the dwarf possessed the look of a sagely man, too young for the smug smile on his lips. Shaggy, brown hair cascaded around his hunched shoulders and tangled with the square growth of beard that covered his chin and upper lip. His roundish nose had turned a rosy pink from the cold, matching his roundish cheeks like the chubby, good-tempered gift-giver of human legend. Small, brown eyes hid beneath bushy brows, darkened by the shadows of his face. He was still quite young for a dwarf, only entering his thirties, but had already grown into the pride and leadership of his people.
Kassander lay curled in a ball as close to the hot flames as his friends would allow. The kender shivered, even snuggled as deeply into his fur-lined cloak as he was. He’d had the mis-fortune of leaving his cloak in his pack while off exploring. The thick volumes of fur only hindered his light step and quick hands. Now, prying the fabric from his numb hands would be like trying to remove a gem from the earth without digging around it first. His hands were literally frozen around the edges, tucked behind his knees with the long ends draping around his lower half. An ice-tipped trail of mouse brown hair hung down his back from the tight top knot held securely at the top of his small head. Bright pink cheeks pulled his blue lips away from chattering teeth. His small nose was nearly as bright as the fire, though nothing could compare to the constant flames of curiosity in his spring green eyes.
"I told ya to wear your cloak." Vack reprimanded the partially blue kender. A small grin lit Kas’ face.
"B- b- but th- then I- I- I wou- wou- wouldn’t h- have be- be- been able t- t- t- to ex- explore." The kender stuttered through the clatter of his teeth, a wide grin on his childish face.
"What a shame that would be." Spoke the shadowed visage of Ischashei. His voice was dry with sarcasm, utterly lost on the energetic kender. The ice elf scoffed his disgust as Kas squirmed a few inches closer to the roaring fire. Violet eyes flickered beneath the low cowl, spearing Vack with their icy depths. "Where did you pick up a thing like that anyway?"
"He’s got more of a soul then you do." The dwarf grumbled into his beard. Stout fingers peeked out from beneath his cloak and spread wide before the fire. While he warmed his chilled hands, Vack recited the tale of how Kas had come to them. "He just showed up one mornin’. Cooking breakfast and chattin’ away. We were about ready to throw him on the fire too afore we tasted some of his food. Turns out Kas’ is a fine little cook. We tried to send him on his way but he wouldn’t go. So we just let him tag along, only asking that he make the meals from then on." A craggy grin appeared on the dwarf’s face. "Lost a few trinkets of our own but our stomachs haven’t complained since."
"What about you, Ischashei?" Dalmar asked suddenly into the following silence. In response to the elf’s fierce glare, the human shrugged and motioned to his companions. "We all know each other’s stories." When Ischashei still made no response, Dalmar pointed at himself. "I come from a long line of knights. My father was a knight, and my father’s father. They were all happy to stay in the royal regime but I wanted to see the world." He smiled and shrugged. "That’s why I agreed to go on this adventure."
"Hrumphf." Vack huffed, casting a false glare in his friend’s direction. "Some adventure." Just the same, Vack nodded his roundish head and directed his attention to Ischashei. "Not so much of a great family history m’self." He began. He had told this story the first night of their journey together, seated around a blazing fire with five knights, in the temperate forests surrounding the dwarven homeland. "I was Terra’s apprentice in my youth. She’s a dragon rider now. Left me in charge of her rebellion to get the dwarves active in the war. ‘Cause of my relation to her, I was volunteered for this trip." He grumbled and muttered. "Didn’t have much choice in the matter. Either I went willingly, or by force." The comment brought a small smirk to Ischashei’s lips, but still no story. Vack narrowed his bushy brow, thinking back on a question that had been nagging him for some time. "I’ve been meaning to ask: what’s with you and that other girl we met? You two seemed pretty close."
"Yeah!" Kas enthused, suddenly as alert and awake as he had been at mid-day. "Come on, Ischy, I wanna know!"
The smile on Ischashei’s face suddenly fell. He glared from one inquisitive face to the next, knowing that he could easily walk away and ignore their question. Also knowing that they would continue to pester him until he told. With a dejected sigh, the ice elf dropped his gaze. "Seshalaya and I used to be engaged." He said by way of explanation, feeling the weight of sadness drop on his heart once again. He angrily brushed it aside. "We were to be wed in a month’s time when the King asked her to become one of his concubines. Of course, she agreed. She was overjoyed at the opportunity. We haven’t really been on good terms since that day." Ischashei shrugged lightly, ending his tale there. It was short, but it was all he wanted to reveal.
Silence pervaded in the small group of travelers. Not even Kas made a peep, simply watched shadows dance over Ischashei’s cloaked form. One leg hung over the boulder he sat on. The other was propped up under his arm, revealing his soft blue pants and black shoes. He had no need for heavy boots as the others did.
"That’s terrible." Dalmar whispered, working his voice around a lump of unease in his throat.
Ischashei’s icy gaze pierced the knight and made him flinch in surprise. "It’s an honor among my people to become a member of the King’s harem." He leapt lightly from his perch, furious gaze never leaving the dark haired youth. "She has a better life now. Better then anything I could have given her." He snapped his reply then turned on his heels. Cloak fluttering in his wake, Ischashei stormed into the darkness of the cave, listening to the stunned words of the companions once they thought he was out of range.
"Was it something we said?" Kassander’s high voice inquired.
"Nah. It’s just in his nature to be cold." Vack replied in his gruff tones. Ischashei snorted at the explanation, curling up in a far corner of the small cavern. Sleep soon found him, long before the other three made their quiet entrances.
* * *
"Wake up!" A hissed breath of air passed over Vack’s ear. The dwarf grumbled in his sleep and rolled over, swatting at the annoying whisper. A clawing grip landed on his shoulder, shaking him roughly until the sweet veil of his sleep was torn away, leaving him groggy and cold.
"What?" He growled into his beard, blinking blurry eyes up at the silver figure that hung over him. Every passing moment revealed more of the slender shadow, coalescing him into Ischashei’s glowering face.
"The eggs are hatching. Get up, dwarf!" The ice elf snapped, giving Vack’s shoulder another hard shove. He stood and, in a swirl of his white furred cloak, stalked off to the small fire that had been lit inside the cave. Dalmar and Kassander already huddled close to the warming flames, staring intently at the open bag Ischashei had set beside the logs.
Vack grumbled and growled, throwing off his blanket and stomping his feet into his thick boots. Puffs of gray fog danced in the air before his mouth, reappearing with every cursed word. Wrapped hastily in his cloak and still shivering, Vack tromped over to the meager fire and plopped himself down beside Dalmar. Peering curiously over the human’s cupped hands, he saw the reason for his friends’ tense forms and held breath.
The eggs were indeed hatching. Ischashei had apparently decided that he didn’t want five flits following him around, so had generously given one egg to each of the companions. Dalmar and Ischashei each clutched a shivering, cracking egg; Kassander had somehow managed to get his paws on two; and Vack’s own little bundle of joy struggled with it’s shell before his crossed legs. Briefly, Vack wondered how they were supposed to deliver the flits back to Mystic if all of them had already hatched and Impressed upon each of the travelers. He had no more time to ponder on it as his designated hatchling pushed fiercely against it’s prison and removed a fair chunk of shell.
Vack quickly scooped the dissolving egg into his large (for a dwarf) hands and cradled it close to his chest. While one hand continued to balance the emerging flit, the other reached for the bowl of meat that had been hurriedly thrown together. Wide-eyed and slightly stunned, the dwaven man dangled a bit of meat above the creeling hatchling. It snatched up the offering with a quick thrust of it’s short neck, literally inhaling the large chunk.
"Whoa now!" Vack laughingly warned. He felt the tiny pin pricks of the flit’s claws digging into his palm; felt the warmth that emanated from it’s small, slick body; twitched his fingers involuntarily as the hatchling accidentally mistook his hand for another piece of meat. Without noticing the unique colour of the tiny flit, he grabbed another bit of food and shoved it under the creature’s active little nose. When the hatchling had finally had it’s fill, Vack took a moment to study it’s shimmering hide.
"Rainbow!" He roared in surprise. The flit, most definitely female by the looks of it, yawned loudly and curled up in Vack’s hand. Her teardrop head tucked beneath the wrinkled sails of a drying, blizzard tinted wing and snuggled close against his calloused palm. He was about to descend into more curses and mutterings when Kas’ chipper voice interrupted him.
"Hey guys!" Kas called loudly, grinning like a fool. All three companions looked up and even Ischashei cracked a small, almost friendly smile at the sight before them.
The happy-go-lucky kender sat cross legged before the fire, his hands laying loosely in his lap. A wide grin lit his face and sparkled in his green eyes as two flits explored his top knot. One, a small aqua, perched atop the highest point of his gathered hair, nipping at loose strands that escaped his petite paws. The other, a vibrant magenta female, chirped orders from his shoulder, glaring fiercely at her aqua brother.
"They seem like quite the pair!" Dalmar chuckled, stroking the slender shoulders of his golden queen. She purred in contentment, nestled securely by the knight’s thick neck. Dalmar nodded to Kas’ two. "What’re you going to call them?"
"Well..." Kas paused, lifting the magenta female from his shoulder, "this one’s Senna and..." He reached up and pried the aqua from his long strands of hair. "This is Terik." A wide grin spread across his childish face as he looked for approval from the companions. "They mean pride and joy."
"This little beauty is Pandala. ‘Golden’ in the human tongue." Dalmar introduced his flit with a fond smile and stroke of her thin crest.
"Human tongue, eh?" Vack gruffed, staring down at the rainbow flit in his hands. He bit back a remark about dwarves not liking rainbows, knowing that he’d make an exception for this little wonder. "Then she’ll be Est Sher."
"What does it mean?" Kas inquired curiously, leaning around the flickering fire to see Vack’s new friend.
"None of your business." He muttered into his beard. He would never admit to his companions that the name he had given the tiny rainbow meant ‘little sister’ in his tongue.
"That leaves only you, Ischashei." Dalmar turned to the reclusive elf. The exquisitely small hatchling sheltered by Ischashei’s long fingered hands lay in a quiet, peaceful ball. Her sides rose and fell in the slow rhythm of deep sleep, tiny enough to fill only one of Ischashei’s narrow palms. Only a pale gleam of white gave away the colouration of his new pet.
"Her name is Sesh." He said simply, violet eyes fixed in contempt on the noble knight.
"After Seshalaya!" Kas piped before anyone could stop him. As Ischashei sent an icy glare towards the kender, Vack rolled his eyes. Ischashei stood in a swirl of white fur, careful not to jar his precious Sesh too much as he stormed back to his bed. Kas looked, wide-eyed and innocent, towards their dwarven leader. "Was it something I said?"
"Kas, a word of advice: don’t bring up Seshalaya anymore." Vack growled, glaring at the kender from across the fire.
"Aye." Vack sighed deeply, looking down at the slumbering Est Sher in his palms. "Nothing we can do now though. We’ll just have to work it out when we get there." He looked up and nodded to the two remaining companions. "I’m going back to bed." Standing stiffly, Vack cast a swift glare at Dalmar and Kassander. "And no one better wake me up this time."
* * *
The next day, the four companions set out on the road again, delighting in the antics of their miniature friends as they danced through the air. Kassander bounded on ahead, hopping from one knee-deep drift to the next in an attempt to keep up with his energetic pair. Dalmar laughed as his day-old queen immediately took charge of the rambunctious duo. Her sun kissed hide glittered and shone against the stark white of the snow, sparkling like a treasure in the eyes of the human knight. Her pure shimmer contrasted the vibrance of Kas’ Senna and Terik, creating three impossibly small dots of colour against the blue sky. Vack’s rainbow Est Sher perched happily atop the dwarf’s head, singing and cooing to her siblings as they zoomed past. Her blizzard dappled wings opened to the fresh breeze and flapped experimentally. She didn’t dare to leave Vack though, too concerned that her beloved owner might get lost without her. Ischashei’s pale white Sesh sat calmly on the ice elf’s shoulder, as placid and cold as he.
A week passed where the four friends traveled across the snow covered countryside of the Dragon Tooth Mountains. Through companionable silence and chilled nights spent around a fire, they grew closer; through shared difficulties and triumphs over danger, they learned to trust; through the trying task of putting up with Kas, they learned that threatening to tie him up so that he couldn’t move his hands worked wonders to shut the kender up. And through the dangers they faced traveling the open road, Vack learned that Ischashei cared more then he wanted to let on.
Soon after the eighth day of their journey together, the troupe began to notice a subtle change in the weather. At first, it was a mere warmth to the sharp wind that blew across their path. By the end of the day, the layers of snow hindering their movement had dropped several feet. The night’s breeze was warm and a lightness to the air spurred their steps on through the darkness. When the sky began to turn a faint, sleepy gray, even Kas admitted that he had grown weary. Their break lasted only a few hours. Just long enough to catch a quick nap before they were on their way again. Even the f’lizards, nearly twice the size they had been at hatching, darted through the lightening sky with a song in their throats.
Day break came and with it, sight of the magnificent caverns carved into the side of the mountain range. They had reached New Warren. The glittering dome that was the Warren sat in it’s protective shadow of trees far below, beckoning the travelers onward. Only... Ischashei began to lag.
"Hurry up, elf!" Vack bellowed over his shoulder. He puffed laboriously, stunted steps vainly trying to keep up with Dalmar’s long strides as the human shot ahead. He and Kassander laughed as they leapt lightly down the mountain path, dreaming of the blissful luxuries that awaited them in the Warren. Vack jogged mid-way between Dalmar and Ischashei, only trying to keep sight of the knight’s glinting armor, lest they be separated. The ice elf still hung back in the shadows of the forest, his small feet dragging along the slush covered ground. There was little to no snow in this area of the mountains, thus leaving the rich soil with a healthy growth of trees. Vack paused as his remark went unanswered. Turning, he raised a curious brow at the silver haired man.
"Where is it?" He rasped, trudging up to Vack without even acknowledging the dwarf’s presence. His hands and eyes frantically searched every one of his pockets, nearly tearing the soft fabric apart in his frenzy. Sesh chittered worriedly above his head, her keen, blue eyes searching as her owner did.
"Where’s what?" Vack asked gruffly, dark eyes flashing over Ischashei’s face. A faint, pink flush filled his cheeks and his mouth formed a small ‘o’ as he breathed heavily. Sweat dotted the ice elf’s silver brow and dampened the straight edges of his silver-gray hair. He had long ago removed his cloak and all other unnecessary items of clothing. Just the same, his shirt clung to his slender back, dark blue where the droplets of sweat made his soft skin slick.
"The pendant!" Ischashei’s voice grated hoarsely in desperation. His breath wheezed over cracked lips as he looked wildly around him. The familiar contempt that often lit his violet eyes was replaced with utter panic. "I can’t survive in this climate without it." He had been trying his hardest to last longer in the warming lands; to prove himself stronger then his people. Now though, he was in desperate need of the one magical item that would allow him to breath this humid air. They had walked so long from the frosted peaks of the mountains that it was useless to attempt going back. If he didn’t find that precious treasure soon, he would most certainly die.
The revelation hit Vack with a force that upset the core of his being. He refused to admit that he was worried for his long-time enemy. He hadn’t even considered the idea that an ice elf couldn’t survive outside of their freezing habitat. When Sesh took off in a flurry, screeching at the top of her tiny lungs, his thoughts broke and fixed on the one place Ichashei’s pendent might be. Vack barely had time to get out of the elf’s way before he was bowled over. The stout dwarf was running after them in the next instant, following the slender elf as best he could.
Ischashei tore down the path, stumbling over stray roots and loose pebbles as he went. His heart pulsed with terror, matching the blank numbness in his mind. The warm air that brought strength and joy to the others burned his lungs like a furnace. His limbs ached from the torment of this tepid atmosphere, shrieking protest as he continued to run. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he dreaded what might happen if he didn’t find that pendent. He couldn’t have come so far, only to fail now.
Sesh chittered anxiously somewhere up ahead, her pure white thoughts filling his mind. A pendant glittered in her sight. Cool, silver strands shaped in the intricate form of a snowflake, thin as spider’s silk and glowing with an inner light. The palm sized relic hung on a silver chain as delicate as it’s threads, cushioned in the soft leather interior of an open pocket.
"You!" The elven man’s enraged roar echoed through the trees as he lunged at his target. Murder and desperation filled his eyes, colouring the edges of his vision with a red fog. Kassander 'eep'ed and darted out of his way, barely avoiding a blow from Ischashei’s extended hands. The ice elf stopped after his first attempt, turning on his heels and lunging again.
Vack huffed for breath, finally catching up to the other three. His hands planted on his knees while his chest rose up and down in a ragged rhythm, stopping him a few feet from the others. He looked up, scanning the shocked look of Dalmar as he was pushed aside; and the crazed gleam in Ischashei’s eyes as he attacked Kassander. A silver pendant hung from the kender’s small hand. Vack watched in horror as the silver haired elf landed solidly on Kassander’s throat and wrapped his slender-bonded finger’s around the tender flesh. The momentum of his lunge uprooted Kas’ light weight and sent both of them tumbling off the path, down a steep hill and into the shadows of the forest.
"Kas! Ischashei!" Dalmar called sharply. He waited barely a moment before beginning a reckless run down the moss covered ground. Vack was soon on his trial.
Kassander and Ischashei rolled end over end down the rough path. Jarred on rocks and shaken against thick trees, Ischashei lost his hold on the kender’s throat. His arms pulled tightly against his body as he continued to drop on a hap-hazard course. Chilled, thin metal pressed against his palm, a flood of relief filling his chest at the delicate touch. His eyes clenched firmly closed to ignore the spin and whirl of the world around him. He bit his tongue to keep from crying out in pain as his shoulders bruised against the unrelenting ground. For seemingly endless seconds, he continued to fall, only stopping when the earth evened out and he flopped into the soft underbrush on the forest floor.
Before he could check if he was in one piece, before even taking a relieved breath, Ischashei lifted the pendent over his head and let it settle as a soft weight around his neck. A cold wind swept through his being, chilling the fire in his lungs and setting his muscles at ease. The sweat drenching his back and forehead seemed to freeze instantly, sending a shiver down his spine. He smiled lightly, reveling in the cold magic that radiated from this blessed pendant.
"Um... Ischy?" Kas’ tentatively high voice broke through Ischashei’s peace and drenched his comfort in a wave of rage.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" The ice elf seethed, quickly flipping onto his front and gathering his feet beneath him. Fierce, violet eyes pierced the cooling shadows of the forest, seeking the one figure that could ignite his anger upon sight. The rest of his reprimand sat on his tongue, ready to lash Kassander’s fragile ears. Silvery-blue hands gripped the ground, ready to push his lean body into flight as soon as he found the kender. Instead, his long nails dug deeper into the rich soil, clinging to something substantial lest he topple in fright. His jaw hung slack and his furor disappeared in a breath, while before him loomed three, grotesquely huge ogres.
They were the largest, ugliest things Ischashei had ever laid eyes on. Legs as thick as tree trunks supported a body that buldged with excess fat. Blotches of brown coloured their sickly green skin, darker on their shoulders and growing lighter towards the stretched hide over their protruding bellies. Thick hands hung from arms as wide around as their legs, and nearly as long. The only part that wasn't overly humongous were their heads. Tiny, bald, and barely separated from the rolls that represented their necks. Pug noses and curling lips interrupted the sagging skin that lay like a limp parchment on their undersized skulls. Beady, black eyes peered out from sunken holes beneath lowered brows, fixed on the two trespassers in their territory. A ragged, filthy loin cloth was the only thing covering the lower sections of each ogre. The loin cloths, quite unnervingly, were held up with rough rope that also held a collection of clattering, partially broken, skulls and bones.
"I- I don’t think... they’re happy." Kassander squeaked, backing up step by step until he stood beside the astounded elf. His shoulders hunched and his hands hovered over his pouches, as if the trinkets they held would be a useful weapon against their adversaries. He licked dry lips, appraising the snarling visage of each of the three giants. They were definitely unhappy... and from the looks of it, hungry. Snarled and broken tree limbs rested in their thick, green scaled hands, twice as large as Kas and nearly as wide around.
Ischashei rose with jerking slowness, like a cat on the prowl. He didn’t dare move faster then that, lest he incur the wraith of any of these three monsters. Their stench was enough to knock him senseless, though not as painfully as those clubs could. When Sesh arrowed from the sky with all the courage of a dragon, Ischashei was quick to snatch her from the air and clamp her mouth shut with a single hand. "Don’t... make.... a sound." He whispered urgently to Kassander, eyes still locked on the largest and ugliest of the ogres. Thin lips pulled back from half rotten teeth, mocking the ice elf’s attempts at motionlessness.
"Kassander! Ischa-" Dalmar’s voice ended in a squawk as he caught sight of the danger his friends faced. Lightning quick reflexes reacted as Vack continued barreling past. His hand snaked forward and caught the dwarf’s shirt collar before tumbled the rest of the way down the hill. Together, they stood in horrified silence as the ogres suddenly launched into action.
A thunderous roar echoed through Ischashei’s skull as the head ogre raised his grime covered club and roared a challenge to the two, puny humanoids. The ice elf threw himself to the ground, clasping his hands above his head as a hissing wind tickled the edges of his ears. When the club had soared past and before it came around for another swipe, he darted nimbly to his feet and began a frantic charge up the hill. Loose gravel and slippery plants made it difficult to find footing, even for the quick-footed kender beside him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as a dooming pressure tingled through his skin.
Yet when he thought the club would surely fall and crack his fragile skull, another clamorous noise filled the stillness of the air. Great wings beat at the wind, rising and falling with a slow, descending rhythm. A gigantic maw opened with the click of dagger-sharp teeth and the audible hiss of an indrawn breath. A roar built in the creature’s solid chest, rumbling up her long throat until it burst forth in a glorious display of silver flames and an ear-shattering bellow. The ogres cried out in their frog-throated voices, staring dumbly at the imperious beast that fell upon them with claws and teeth, lifting the leader into the air while he still burned with sickly, silver fire.
She turned gracefully in the sky, silver wings dancing in the sunlight, and dropped the ogre’s mauled corpse into the depths of the forest. With glittering blue eyes, she sought out the four humanoids who still gazed in stricken wonder at the embers of the vanquished ogres. A word from her red robed rider and she descended again, agile body cutting through the air will all the beauty of a fallen star.
Myrah’Care landed on the narrow path above the hill, silver crested head turned towards the approaching four youths. She lowered a wing graciously for her rider, allowing the mage to slip from her bare back with ease. When Mystic stood patiently at her side, Myrah’Care ruffled her wings and straightened them against her angular sides. She remained like that, poised and daunting in her regal perfection.
"You saved us!" Kas cried joyously. And in the next breath, "Wow! A dragon!" He bounded forward, first of the companions to greet the red mage and her silver bond. Mystic smiled warmly, following the kender with her golden eyes as he pattered curiously around Myrah’Care.
"Kassander, you idiot!" Ischashei hissed viciously, two paces behind Dalmar and Vack as they trudged up the hill. "Show some respect! That’s the queen dragoness of the Warren you’re pawing!"
"Queen dragoness?" The kender queried, his green eyed gaze shifting to Mystic. "Then that must mean you’re Mystic Dragon!" He wiped his dirt smeared hands on his dirt smeared pants and stuck out a small, still dirt smeared, paw towards Mystic. "A pleasure to meet you, Lady Dragon. Name’s Kassander Driftwood, though most people just call me Kas."
"Or pest." Ischashei muttered to himself.
"An honour to meet you, Miss Dragon." Vack murmured respectfully. He had no hat to take off in the lady’s presence, so resigned himself to kneading his hands before his slightly muscled stomach. Bushy brows narrowed in thought as the dwarf stood awkwardly before the Warren’s greatest mage. "Um... not to be rude, your ladyship, but how did you find us?"
"Please, call me Mystic." She said kindly to him when all four had gathered around. A light smile touched her rose red lips, lighting the gold of her eyes. She was shorter then both Dalmar and Ischashei, but dominated the clearing with her mere presence. Laugh lines wrinkled the corners of her mouth, while a prideful glory radiated from her straight stance. She was the Lady Dragon, but also just another woman of the world. She preferred to be the ordinary woman. "I like to avoid what titles life has given me." Her eyes flickered mysteriously, spreading to the upturn of her mouth. "In answer to your question, you might say your knightly friend is quite the shining beckon in the daylight." The mysterious smile and gaze turned to Dalmar, watching him blush from the tips of his dark hair to the scraggly roots of his thick beard.
Vack chuckled into his beard, watching his friend squirm under the mage’s gaze. Est Sher landed on his shoulder, chittering and chirping happily as if she too laughed at the cheery colour filling Dalmar’s cheeks. Only Pandala found it fit to look indignant and not laugh with the others. It was then that Vack remembered what purpose had brought them to the Warren. He returned his dark brown gaze to Mystic and cleared his throat, somewhat ashamedly.
"We’ve brought the eggs you wanted, Lady Dragon." He began politely, forgetting her request the instant something of importance entered his mind. "Unfortunately, they’re not entirely eggs anymore." When Mystic raised a golden brow and fixed her attention on him, the dwaven man attempted a weak smile and pointed to the flits perched on the shoulders of their various owners. "Quite friendly little things they are. This here’s my Est Sher." With all the tenderness of a doting mother, Vack pried his energetic, rainbow flit from his shoulder and held her cupped in his meaty hands. A knot of despair grew in his stomach at what he said next. "They’re yours, by right. So’s I’m guessing you want them back."
"No!" Kas cried morosely, tucking his pride and joy tightly to his small chest. Great pools of spring green sadness fixed on the dwarven leader and begged him to reconsider. "Senna and Terik are mine."
"Vack has a point, kender-kin." Dalmar’s voice was laden with a heavy sigh as he lovingly stroked Pandala’s eye ridges. Ever the dutiful knight, he was bound to his vow to return the flits to Mystic, whether he wanted to or not. The thought froze his heart and sunk it to the depths of his being, but he couldn’t avoid the laws his father had ingrained in him. He saw the same look of regret on Vack’s sullen face, and the fearful gaze of Kassander as he tried to hide his beloved pets in his multitudes of overstuffed pouches. Ischashei was the only one to remain perfectly silent, hidden in the shadows of his companions with Sesh clutched securely to his shoulder.
"Will all of you stop being so down-hearted, please?" Mystic quipped sharply. Her high-browed gaze moved from one to the next, examining their shocked expressions. "I am not going to take away your flits, believe it or not. Now," she turned, making a quick motion with her hand to usher them toward’s Myrah’Care. "The rest of our business discussions can wait until all four of you have freshened up and eaten properly. Come along."
The four companions followed Mystic, somewhat disoriented by the dragon rider’s announcement. They stood by Myrah’Care’s muscled shoulder, taking turns finding a comfortable seat on the dragoness’ bare back. Kassander was sandwiched between Ischashei and the red lady herself, a wide grin on his impish face. He looked up at Mystic as she gave the command for Myrah’Care to take off (somewhat overloaded but still as graceful as ever).
"So... this means I get to keep Senna and Terik, right?" He inquired. The two f’lizards in question poked their vibrantly coloured heads out of Kas’ pockets and chirruped happily.
* * *
A few long, blissful hours passed where the companions indulged in all the luxuries the Warren had to provide. They were given rooms in Drakmor, complete with room service and comfy beds. While Kas found the joys of bed jumping, Vack and Dalmar wandered off to bathe and groom, as all proud men should. Even Ischashei dropped his icy exterior to appreciate the cold baths and fragrant soaps held in Drakmor’s bathing chambers. Far more sophisticated and elegant then the vast cavern used as a bathing chamber in New Warren, but the four friends hadn’t had a chance to learn that yet. Once they had eaten a meal of fresh fruits, red meat, hot bread, and crisp wine, they were summoned into Mystic’s audience. Of course, what better way to get down a mountain then by dragon back? Kassander was so intrigued by the treasure trove of sights below, he nearly tried to grow wings himself. Luckily (unfortunately if you ask Ischashei), the rider had caught him by the top knot as he prepared to dive.
They each arrived separately outside the wide tunnel that lead directly to Mystic’s room. One by one they entered into the cool depths of the first and largest den in the Warren, taking in the ancient and terrific wonders she had collected over the ages. Godly idols of the purest gold, tomes as old as the world itself, gifts of the rarest materials in all the lands; all decorated the duel-den with splendor and grace. Last to enter was Dalmar, still proudly stroking the tips of his trimmed and combed mustache. The beard had been shaved, leaving his jaw and cheeks somewhat raw. When he stepped into the presence of his friends, decked out in freshly polished armor, he received the opposite reaction of what he had expected.
Vack roared with laughter, slapping one hand against his thigh as he looked up at his knightly comrade. His own hair had been washed, trimmed, and combed; though he still sported his beard with pride. The dwarf grinned and chuckled deep in his broad chest as Dalmar came to stand beside him. "What happened lad? A cat brush it’s tail under your nose and leave a few hairs?"
"I don’t consider that funny." Dalmar spoke with all the prestige and indignance of a man twice his age. He stood straight backed, with one hand clenched behind his back while the other continued to stroke the black tips of his fine mustache. "A knight’s pride is his mustache."
"We’ve always known you have no pride." Ischashei commented quietly from a dark shadow. His silver-blue lips twisted up in a mocking smile while Vack and Kas continued to laugh. Dalmar sent him a vicious glare, Pandala chirping irately from his shoulder.
"Enough banter you two." Mystic leaned back in her chair with a smile upon her lips. A calm, studious gaze shifted from one to the other, penetrating deep into their hearts and minds to discover what truths lay beneath the surface. She spoke with a veiled intention, her lips forever quirked in a mysterious smile. "Before we begin, I believe there’s a matter of payment to settle." With a curious suddenness, her eyes shifted focus to Ischashei.
The ice elf nodded, gliding forward silently to stand before her like a silver statue. "I brought him here as you requested. Though I would’ve been here much faster if the other two hadn’t tagged along." He said in a quieter, muttering tone. When the other three responded with astonished questions and exclamations, he looked at them all incrediously. "What? You didn’t actually believe we managed to come down from the mountain; penetrate into the deepest of tropical jungles; infiltrate the Warren, specifically Mystic’s den; steal the eggs and still manage to get back to Karientalis Halls alive, did you?"
That comment brought a bit of doubt to their minds. Dalmar unclenched his fists, Kas lost his look of amazement, and even Vack managed to loosen the grip on his axe. The dwarf muttered into his beard as he thought over the logic of Ischashei’s statement, ignoring the smug look on the ice elf’s face. Penetrating the Warren was a nearly impossible feat. Especially for people who dwelt in the isolated upper-reaches of the Dragon Tooth Mountains. Stealing a bag of precious eggs from beneath Mystic’s nose seemed just as preposterous.
"Aye..." He admitted slowly, letting the axe slip back into its holder on his back. "I suppose that makes sense." Vack looked up suddenly, pointing an accusing finger at the smiling mage. "But you shouldn’t’ve tricked us!"
"Let me explain myself before you go pointing fingers." Mystic chuckled, waving a delicate hand to indicate the seats that waited behind each of them. Ischashei hesitated a moment, desiring to get his pay and be gone. At a stern nod from the Master Mage, he sat compliantly. Mystic’s gaze flickered in the long shadows of her room, focusing on each f’lizard that sat quietly on the shoulders of the four men. Most were quiet at least. Terik and Senna bickered around the back of Kassander’s head. Mystic smiled, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "These flits are very special, as you already know. They come from Ryslen Weyr where an epidemic of them seems to have broken out. They are also my means of finding candidates for Ryslen’s current Flurry clutch." She fixed a meaningful look on each of the companions. Only Kas seemed to miss out on the implied purpose.
"So... how do they find these candidates?" He asked innocently, paying attention to Senna’s antics as the magenta queen batted at Terik around the kender’s exposed neck.
"We’re the candidates, idiot!" Ischashei hissed. His violet eyes narrowed in feline coyness, shifting to the mage with a suspicious air. "That’s right, isn’t it? And if so, why weren’t we searched?" He could only surmise that this was the 'grand reward' Mystic had promised him.
Mystic’s mysterious smile flitted from her lips to the depths of her golden eyes. "You were searched. While you four were in Drakmor." At their somewhat blank expressions, her smile widened into a grin. "You see, I have an interesting way of doing things. Instead of gathering a group of possible candidates, I send my Search Riders after a few specific individuals that show vast potential. I had K’lter and Rei search all four of you and give me a full report." She shrugged her shoulders with an aloof easiness. "It seems you’ll be perfect for this clutch." Her smile returned, a sly upturn of her lips.
"Well I’ll be damned." Vack swore, heedless of Est Sher as she nibbled gaily on his hair.
"No, but you’ll be late if you don’t go now." Mystic corrected, already lifting her quill from its ink well and holding it poised over a fresh sheet of paper. Her eyes lingered on the comrades as they stood hurriedly, intent on moving after her warning. "And Vack," she called after the dwarven man, "say hello to Terra and Dungar for me. They’re terribly missed in the smithy." She restrained a laugh at Vack’s stricken face. Even he knew the foul-tempered master smith and strong-willed dragon rider were a bad combination.
"Ryslen Weyr, huh?" Kassander piped cheerily, bouncing ahead of his three friends. "Wonder what it’ll be like."
Ischashei’s stone-like visage broke into a satisfied smile as they emerged onto the sunny expanse of the flight fields. He knew very little of the other worlds. His knowledge of them basically extended to the point that he knew most of them existed in warm or tropical climates. But Ryslen Weyr he knew; and the Flurry he knew. A great celebration of winter and the wonderful snow that filled the Weyrbowl. While the others chatted on about exotic dragons and distant lands, a single, despised word left Ischashei’s lips. "Cold."
