Chapter 1

A Chapter by Kodizee

Cadmere awoke to the sound of voices. It was twilight: the cold dawn was at hand once more, and thick cold grey mists were about the company. His horse stood nearby looking fatigued, but he held his head proudly and with dignity. It was the horse his uncle Hadurian has given him not three years past. Many tall, heavily cloaked men stood around him; some only half visible in the mist. Behind them stood towering stones, like the small off spray of the greater mountains looming up around them. Partly ruinous it seemed, for here and there were large cracks with an impenetrable darkness beyond. A faint breeze swept through. A man jumped down from a small outcrop above the men. He was large and clothed in heavy mail under a thick cloak of bearskin. He had a dark beard upon his face and his countenance was that of someone who only paid attention to serious matters. He had a stern brow and a hard set jaw. This man was the leader of the company: Gurthwain Merianor. His sudden presence meant they would be on the move soon, as most times he left to ponder the future in some quiet space, only returning to get them on the move.

‘Shall we be on the move sir?’ Said Artilen, one of the elder men of the company. The men all looked toward Gurthwain now expectantly. ‘Indeed it would have been better if we left hours ago’ said Gurthwain. ‘But things needed pondering. Come let us now make way.’

The company of grey cloaked men now stood strait and gathered their belongings, of which they had few for the meaning of haste. Cadmere observed men higher up than them upon the rocks above. They made their way forward swiftly. They were the scouts of the company whose job it was to keep watch that no foe might take them from above. The rest of the men below mounted their steeds and began to head east towards the ending of the rocky pass. They were in the pass of desolation; being named such for its foul looks and lack of any life. It was known to the men who lived in the hills roundabout as a place of great evil. No one passed through its mouth willingly as foul creatures lurked in the many caves and crevices that littered the mountain pass. Cadmere went forward with his horse until we was at the side of Artilen. ‘How long do you suppose until we come to the end of the pass? This place has the feeling of evil. Do you sense it?’

‘Indeed I do sense it. And it’s hard to tell.’ Said Artilen. ‘With all this mist about we cannot acquaint with the surroundings. All we have as a certainty is that we should be out by the morrow, if we are not ambushed. ‘

They continued in grave silence. When only a small time had passed there came one of the scouts on the rocky path before them. He hurried with great speed until he came to Gurthwain who was at the head of the company. ‘My lord the scouts have found two men dead in the woods sir.’ He said. ‘Their horses slain as well. Beyond that we have naught to report save that we fear ambush. ‘

‘Well,’ said Gurthwain, ‘this is grave news indeed. And what of these men? Who be they?’

‘It appears they are messengers of Dorlund.’ He replied. ‘One other thing sir is that they were heading west as though coming back from the lands east of here, the same as we are heading. But what business have the men of Dorlund in the east? They have for centuries had no want of an alliance with the Hillmen of Rhud. I fear they seek now to gather together as one people as they did of old and take our lands.’ The grey cloaked me gathered closer to listen to this ill news.

‘The men of Dorlund would be in great folly if they deem it wise to join with the untamed hillmen. There forces together would gain naught but small plunder from the outskirts of our empire before we would remove them off the face of the earth. The glory of the empire of Kyrelium is too great for them. I think for the moment we should not mind their deeds too much. We should first accomplish our task, and then we shall ask of the wisdom of Glamdor the wise.’

The scout saluted and departed after. The alert had been raised to watch for movement in the cold silent trees above them lest the creatures that slayed the two men might come after them. The situation was now more important as the outbreak of war seemed to be upon them. The task of the grey cloaked company was to go to the land of Rhud where the hillmen dwelt and search for men who were taken captive. The men were the brother-captains of Viliath. They had gone out to the mountains of Kar-lath, of which the pass of desolation comes through, to check on the mountain outposts. They did not return and no sign of their destruction was to be found. A company of mountain men told of how they saw dirty men of the east taking two men away. And so it came to the knowledge of the king that they were taken to the east. The brother- captains, Faldur and Daliadur were some of the best warriors in the kingdom and so the king deemed that they should not be lost to the hands of the hillmen.

And so it was that the small company of grey cloaked men where now headed east through the mountain pass. Cadmere could now see a faint glimmer of light upon the horizon giving him some small amount of hope. The rock-strewn path they were upon now gradually started a downwards slope. But still the men feared an ambush. They knew very well the dangers of the dark shaped Skinwalkers who would pick off the one who took less care. Or of the black goblin creatures that lurked in the caves beyond, hunting in groups known as throat-cutter bands. And there were many unnamed things in the dark forests. ‘You know I’m rather hungry.’ Said Alpheus Doombringer. ‘I can’t even remember the last time we’ve had a hot meal. ‘Alpheus was the type of man who worried naught about danger or serious matters, but when confronted with a foe he made his enemies quail in fear. He was a short stout man with large bare arms sticking out of his grey cloak at the sides. He had a short stubble of a beard and long dark hair tied back. Upon his back he carried a large war hammer known as the bringer of destinies that he used to smite his enemies to ruin. Of course having a hot meal would mean making a fire and that was out of the question as the smoke would be seen from miles away. All they had to eat for the meanwhile was dried meat and hard Dwarvish bread which lasted a long time but waned in flavour and was as hard as stone. They ate these things because they could keep for a long time and in the harsh mountainous regions they could find no other food.

‘You know our reasons very well for not lighting fire.’ Said Artilen to Alpheus. ‘we would light our fire and before we could even cook but a small ration we would find ourselves being cooked in a cave by Goblins themselves.’

‘Yes I realize.’ He said, looking round about. ’I just thought...aye never mind what I say. My deeds are too oft decided by the desires of my stomach. But maybe we ought to bring some kitchen staff folk on these expeditions?’

Artilen looked musingly at Alpheus. ‘And how would these poor kitchen fold fare in a battle? You can’t expect them to smite our foes with pots and pans.’

‘Nay but they could raise our morale a fair bit indeed.’ Replied Alpheus. The company of men now came to a small bend in the path where they could not see round as there was a large mound of rocks blocking their view. Gurthwain slowed as if sensing something. The sky was dark and grey and it started to rain in small drops. With the rain and mist about them they could barely see the rocky mound ahead. ‘Tell the scouts to see what lays ahead.’ Said Gurthwain to one of the men nearby at hand. The man went forward and gave a small shrill bird sound with his hands. Not a moment later a hooded man came out of the trees and silently went to the man. The man Gurthwain had spoken to whispered to the scout, who hastily went back into the cover of the trees going towards the rocky mound. Silence followed almost complete but for the soft rain. A horse neighed here. Someone coughed over there. It seemed like hours until the scout returned. And when he did he was in a great haste. He ran to Gurthwain and said aloud: ‘Goblins! They are here! Make ready.’

At this the men quickly drew swords and bows. The horses seemed uneasy. And then out of the mist came dark arrows flying strait at them. They had only time to try and duck behind rocks and dead trees. They jumped off their horses and straightaway the beasts fled in the way they had just come. Cadmere could now see dark shapes upon the rocky slope in front of them. They were only visible for a short time before they disappeared; fearing lest the grey-clad men return fire. And indeed the scouts who were higher up on the slopes, hidden by trees, did let their bows sing. So skilled were they that they could perceive when the dark creatures would show themselves for a brief moment and fire upon them. Soon the foe began to fall here and there. They let out a high pitched howl. The enemy soon began to see their skills were outmatched with the bow and thought it better to go into close combat using their short rusty blades to thrust into the guts of their opponents. They came down from the higher ground, running on all fours, to slay the men. Gurthwain stood and strode from the rock where he was taking cover. He went with confidence and seeing this his men did the same. Cadmere stood and for the first time on the journey from the mainland he drew his sword, and it shone with a glint of fiery steel. It was forged by his fathers of old for he came from a line of warriors, and when the time came his father handed it down to him. Now all the men went forward, with fire in their eyes, to confront the foe who would dare oppose them. The first wave of creature came suddenly upon them like water upon a steady holding rock. As soon as they were upon them the swords of the men hewed them down like weeds in an open field. Gurthwains gaze was like an unseen blow upon the enemy and they fled from before him in terror. He cut down all that sprang up before him with striking blows with his blade.

The foe was wavering, their ranks breaking. Arrows from the keen-sighted scouts picked them off from the sides and they fell like the rain that poured around them. Cadmere too had his taste of the enemy. Many sprang up before him but he hewed them down. One goblin had slightly more wits than the others it seemed for he scrambled atop a high fallen stone above Cadmere, and sprang with his sword ready. Cadmere only had a moment to perceive the plan of his foe. The goblin taking him by surprise cut with his might at Cadmere and his blade pierced through his cloak. Cadmere could feel the warm blood on his arms, but had not time to mind it. Swiftly he jumped out of the way of another blow by the goblin and responded with a fell swing of his blade. The blade caught the Goblin by the shoulder and cut deep.

After the short bloody battle all that remained was the flow of blood upon the ground and the lifeless bodies of the goblins. There were none who fell of the grey cloaked men as they were some of the best warriors apart from the knights of ultimate, of which they had one. They gathered themselves, picking up knives here and finding a lost helmet there. Cadmere cleaned the black blood off of his blade and sheathed it. ‘Well they’re nice as practice I suppose.’ Said Alpheus, taking a look at the battlefield. The men had soon readied their things and departed.

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