The Wrathful Mountains (4 page)

All fell silent as
Tashi plunged the blade into Koli’s neck, the red life force spurting back at
her, coating her arms and legs. She turned her head away, feeling the eyes of
the gods upon her. They were laughing, mocking the futile effort. Koli had died
for no reason. The gods would not assist her. She had no use for them, and they
had no favors for her.

Preparing Koli’s
body as she had her sister’s, Tashi cursed the waste of life. Koli had loved
her sister and wanted to follow her in death.
That is why he volunteered,
she
told herself. Remembering the look in his eyes as he insisted on the sacrifice
gave her pause. He truly believed this would save his child. Would it have
saved Annin? Tashi would never know. It was too late to trade her own life.
There was no sacrifice that could bring Annin back to the living.

K
aiya arrived in
the town, the constant ringing of hammers upon anvils echoing in her ears. It
was rarely quiet in dwarven towns during the daytime. As she approached the
smithy, the ground rumbled beneath her, and she reached for her magic to keep
herself upright. Metal implements clanged and rattled, the blacksmith himself
rolling out of the way to avoid falling objects. It lasted only a few seconds,
but it was enough to ruffle the man’s temper.

Staring up at Kaiya
from his position on the ground, he asked, “Can’t you put a stop to this damn
shaking?”

“Not yet,” she
replied, honestly, but with a note of pride in her voice. She was no earth
mage, but if she could find a way to quiet the mountain, she would do it.

Passing the smith,
she headed for the rune carver’s stall located directly behind the smithy. A
tall elf with dark waist-length hair greeted her with a friendly smile. His
brown eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief, but before he could open his mouth
to speak, Trin shoved him from behind.

“You’re in my way,
elf,” the rune carver said. Shaking his head, he added, “Always standing
about.”

“Maybe you should
give him more work to do,” Kaiya jibed. Galen had apprenticed for Trin for six
years, and he’d learned nearly all there was to know about dwarven runes. There
wasn’t much else for the elf to do in the small town, but Kaiya knew why he
stayed. He hoped to remain close to her.

A few years back,
the two had been romantically involved. Kaiya, however, wasn’t ready to settle
into a relationship. As a sorceress, her life would extend for many centuries.
There was plenty of time to find a partner, if indeed she wanted one. The only
thing tying her to this place was her parents. She loved them dearly, but they
would not live forever. When they no longer had need of her, she intended to
travel with the wind as her only companion.

Not that Galen made
a bad traveling companion, and he would likely travel anywhere at her request.
But he was content to stay in one place as long as there were books to read. He
spent most of his daylight hours assisting Trin, but his evenings were spent in
intense study, including the history of the dwarves, their ancient language,
and the geology of the mountain itself. It made for interesting conversations,
and the two remained close friends. A true loner, Kaiya doubted anything more
would ever come of their relationship.

“He already has me
do the majority of his work,” Galen replied with a smile. “Trin spends most of
his time whittling stone animals for his grandchildren.”

Trin glared at the
elf, his silver beard quivering slightly. “One time I did that,” he replied.
“One time.” He held up a single finger as near to Galen’s face as he could reach.

After a moment
staring at each other, both men laughed. Such was their friendship, plenty of
joking to pass the tedious hours of work their chosen profession required.

When he’d finished
laughing, Galen turned his attention back to Kaiya. “Someone was looking for
you this morning,” he told her.

“Who?” she asked.
“Did you send him to the farm?”

“It was someone
from one of the mines up north, and I didn’t catch his name,” the elf replied.
“He headed off for a drink without saying anything else.”

Kaiya shook her
head. It was just like a dwarf man to start drinking before breakfast. No
wonder she had considered an elf for a partner before any dwarf. “You have no
idea what he wanted?”

“All I know was he
was looking for a sorceress, and that could only mean you,” Galen replied,
reaching for a smooth black stone. He placed it on the counter with a loud
thud, earning him a cutting glance from Trin. “I’ll help you find him if you
like,” he offered.

“You have work to
do,” Kaiya replied. “We’ll talk later.” She was interested in getting Galen’s
take on her vision and the tremors, but it was more urgent to speak to the
visitor. It was no coincidence he had shown up this morning.

Hurrying along the
dirt roads, Kaiya ignored everyone in her path. The merchants hawked their
wares as she strode past, but she wasn’t listening. Her sights set on the
tavern, she pressed on to the farthest edge of town near the mines.

Despite the early
hour, the tavern buzzed with activity. A miner grinned drunkenly at the
sorceress as he exited, holding the door open for the lady. Bobbing her head in
thanks, she stepped inside, her nose tingling from the strong scent of hops and
pipe smoke.

Several men sat
inside, and one large woman stood behind the bar, casually conversing with a
customer. Only one man was unfamiliar, so he had to be the one looking for her.
Visitors were few in this town. Kaiya went straight to his table and pulled up
a chair. The man eyed her a moment, wiping the foam away from his curly, brown
beard.

“You the sorceress?”
he asked.

Kaiya gave a single
nod. “I am, and I heard you were looking for me.”

The dwarf took a
long sip from his frothy mug before banging it on the table. He let out a long
belch before speaking. “Name’s Raad,” he began. “There’s trouble up north, and
the foreman decided you were the woman to deal with it.”

“What kind of
trouble?” she asked impatiently.

“It started as
tremors,” Raad explained. “Just enough to unnerve us at first, but then it got
worse. Soon the ground was shaking us so bad, you’d think we were all
staggering drunk.” He tapped his empty mug on the table, signaling the
bartender for a refill. Once he had it in hand, he continued. “Damn avalanche caused
a cave-in and injured thirteen workers. It took days to dig them out.”

Kaiya sighed. “If
the tremors kept happening, why would you go inside the mine?” She asked
despite knowing the answer. Dwarves could be quite greedy, and iron ore wasn’t
the only mineral found in the northernmost mines. The rarest of all gemstones,
painite—better known as Dwarf’s Heart—was also found in small quantities. Kings
of all lands craved these gems, which could be refined only by the finest elven
craftsmen.

“There’s work to be
done, miss,” Raad replied. “We don’t travel that far north to sit around,
tremors or not.”

“Surely you’ve
experienced avalanches before,” Kaiya said. “What brought you to find me?”

“It wasn’t just one
avalanche; it was three,” Raad said, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “We’ve
got miners out with injuries, and it’s slowing down production. Foreman thought
you might be able to put a stop to it.”

“It sounds like you
need an earth mage, not me,” she replied.

“You know as well
as I do that there aren’t any around these parts,” Raad said. “I’d never heard
of a wizard that wasn’t an elf, and they don’t come here. We take the gems to
them, but they’re not interested in visiting us.”

Kaiya knew well
that the elves of the isles weren’t readily available to lend their assistance
to the dwarves. The two races barely tolerated each other, the dwarves despising
the elves for their arrogance, and the elves despising the dwarves for their
boorish nature. It was a rare thing to see the two getting along.

“You’re the only
wizard around here who might be of use to us,” Raad said. “We could sure use
your help.”

Contemplating a
moment, Kaiya felt uneasy. Suspicions of a presence within the mountain had not
left her, the images from her vision still playing in her head. “I’ll come with
you,” she stated. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Much obliged,”
Raad said, finishing his ale. Extending his arm, he shook the sorceress’s hand.

At the miner’s
touch, Kaiya felt a sudden surge of fear. There was something more that he
wasn’t telling her. “Is there something else I need to know?” she asked.

Raad shook his
head. “Foreman Daro will explain everything when we get there.” He looked away
quickly.

Kaiya did not press
the matter. Whatever he was hiding would not change her decision. She had
agreed to go, and she would keep her word regardless of the possible danger.
Her vision was leading her higher into the mountains, whether she traveled with
Raad or alone. “When do you plan to leave?” she asked.

“I’d like another
drink, and then I’m all yours,” he said, flashing a smile.

“I’ll meet you near
the forges on the north side of town,” she said. “We can set out from there.”

Raad nodded his
agreement and headed over to the bar, empty mug in hand. Kaiya pushed her way
through a group of miners who were blocking her way to the exit. No magic was
needed. They were too drunk to put up a struggle as the determined woman
elbowed past them.

Not two steps
outside the tavern, Kaiya stopped short, surprised by the sight in front of
her. Galen waved cheerfully as he jogged to meet her.

“I thought you had
work to do,” Kaiya said, her hands moving to her hips.

Galen waved the
comment away. “I wanted to make sure you found your visitor,” he said,
grinning.

“I did,” she
replied, starting to walk.

Galen kept pace at
her side. “So what did he want?”

“There’s trouble at
the mines,” she said.

“Naturally,” the
elf commented. “What kind of trouble?”

Kaiya paused her
walking. “The kind that doesn’t concern you,” she said. “Why are you so nosey
all of a sudden?” It wasn’t like him to ply her with questions. He was
typically laid-back and willing to let her have her secrets. She was, after
all, a sorceress.

“I know something’s
troubling you,” he said sincerely. “Those tremors are a warning.”

“What makes you say
that?” she wondered. Did the elf know something she didn’t?

“I’ve done a lot of
reading in my lifetime,” he began. “And I’ve lived a long time in the Vale
beneath these mountains. There have never been earthquakes in my lifetime.”

“That doesn’t mean
they couldn’t be natural,” she said, willing her voice to stay steady. What
good would it do to worry her friend with her own suspicions?

“You’re hiding
something,” Galen said. “Whatever it is, I want to help.”

“I don’t even know
if I need help yet,” she replied. “Until I’ve gone to the mines to see for
myself, I won’t know what’s going on.”

“So you do plan to
leave,” he said. “I figured that miner came to fetch you for something.”

“Yes, he did,” she
said. “The Dwarf’s Heart mines have become dangerous, and people have been
hurt. It could be natural, it could be something else. That’s what I’m going to
figure out.”

“I’ll go with you,”
Galen said, his tone resolute.

“I appreciate the
offer, but it’s not going to be a fun trip,” she replied. Galen made a good
companion for travel, but this wasn’t a vacation. This was serious business,
and he would try to make light of it. She feared he would only prove a
distraction from her investigation. “It could also be dangerous,” she added.

“Then you might
need me to rescue you,” he said, chuckling. “Plus it’ll give me a chance to
work with Dwarf’s Heart. Trin will be jealous.”

Kaiya pursed her
lips and stared at the elf.

“I’m going whether
you like it or not, so please say you’ll like it,” he said.

Kaiya sighed and
glanced up at his warm, brown eyes. Though he had few skills in mountain
survival, and his magical skills were even fewer, he could offer something far
more valuable. His friendship would be a bit of light in a dark place. The wind
rustled his hair, the ends tickling against Kaiya’s cheek. In that touch, she
felt a sense of family. Here was a man willing to walk to the ends of the earth
with her, wanting nothing but her friendship in return. “I’d be grateful for
your company,” she heard herself say.

* * * * *

Half an hour passed and
then an hour, Galen all the while leaning against the edge of a stone well.
Kaiya clenched her teeth and stared down the dirt road, impatiently awaiting
the appearance of Raad.

“Relax,” Galen said. “He’ll be along soon.”

Kaiya was anxious to get going. “He said
one
more drink,” she grunted, still staring at the path. After two more minutes,
Kaiya threw her hands in the air. “That’s it. I’m going to fetch him.” She
started off but stopped, seeing the brown-bearded dwarf staggering toward her.

Galen chuckled. “Looks like he had one more
dozen.”

Kaiya fumed but managed to hold her tongue. Her
only regret was not leaving without him. She could use magic to find the mine’s
location. Raad’s company was not needed.

He hiccupped and nodded as he presented himself
before his traveling companions. His eyes stopped on Galen, the dwarf tilting
his head sideways for a better look at the elf who stood three feet taller than
himself. “You a real elf?” he asked.

Galen didn’t bother to contain his laughter.
“Something like that,” he replied.

“Well, I’ll be the son of a stone eater,” Raad
said, still staring at Galen. The elf wore dwarven-style clothes, crafted from
wool and accented with dwarven runic symbols. “You could pass for an extra-tall
dwarf. I’ve never seen one of your kind not wearing those fancy robes that hide
all your magic spells underneath.”