Rolling Shadows - Chapter 7

Nayrath returned to the riverside where his brother and Thalif waited. He had barely touched down before his brother inquired how it went.
“I am to seek out the spirits,” Nayrath said, his trepidation showing in his voice, “my orders are to assemble a small team and head to the spirits.”
“With your squadron?”
“No,” Nayrath said, he explained how he had been ordered to take a small group. He hoped to hint that he required Thalif's assistance, not feeling he could ask her directly. He was therefore relieved when she said, "since you no doubt want to keep this secret. I suggest I come with you, I know about the legends, may be of help.”
“Thank you,” Nayrath said, “that will be most helpful.”
“I'm going too,” La'ingif said.
“No.”
“Why?”
Nayrath placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, “Tha'lif has skills that I require, I don't want to risk more than I have too.”
“If the manticores do invade,” La'ingif said, “I'd rather be with you. Please.”
“All right,” his brother conceded, “Cassy, Shaydon,” he called beckoning the two over.

As soon as they were ready the five of them took to the sky. They flew across the river, that represented the boundary of their country. Heading towards the Dwarf Dominions and the Centaur Kingdom. Laingif and Tha'lif flew along side Shaydon and Cassy respectively, Nayrath wanted the less inexperienced members of his team to be well protected. The Wardens of course carried swords but the civilian couple had been loaned swards by two members of Nayrath's squadron. La'ingif pulled the sword from his scabbard checking the reflection in the decreasing light.
“Concentrate on flying,” his brother told him.
“The staff does that itself.”
“True,” Nayrath said, without looking back, “but better to have your eyes ahead.”
Before the sun had completely set they landed. They were now some distance from home and needed a place to sleep for the night.
“Can we really just drop in?” Cassy asked.
“No choice,” said Nayrath, “besides, we have money to pay – if they have rooms I can't see why they would refuse us.”
“We are armed sir.”
“True. But so will the dwarfs be, they carry hammers or axes as a matter of course. Nevertheless the uniforms will be recognized.”
“Our group will indeed attract attention,” Shaydon said.
“Anything you can do about that?” Nayrath asked his brother.
“Of course,” he smiled, “seems it was advantageous to have me with you,” he spoke as though he was glad of it himself, not in an 'I told you so' kind of way. Tailoring had been his area of study. While elf tailoring worked with cloth like that of the Dwarfs, it could also use magic. This was usually done to test a new design, but in this instance it could be used for a disguise.
“We'll still stand out.”
“No,” Nayrath said, “we'll be hidden in plain sight. Come on me first.”
“All right, I suppose that only you three need to change, Tha'lif and I are inconspicuous.” La'ingif pointed his staff at his brother and called the spell to the forefront of his mind. Nayrath's dark blue robes slowly changed colour. The colour washed down him like an ocean wave, his uniform was now dark green and the insignia became a patten on the left breast. Nayrath thanked his brother and moved on to Cassy.
“Light green,” Cassy said with a smile.
La'ingif performed the spell again, the wave of colour washed over Cassy and her robes changed to a light mossy green. Shaydon's robes were changed to black.
“Sure you don't want a more interesting colour?” La'ingif asked.
“Yes,” she said simply.
“We're ready,” Nayrath said, “we'll leave the staffs here as sentries, besides they might alarm the dwarfs.”
“Yes sir,” Shaydon said, though she was somewhat unsure by that order. Their staffs were placed in the ground, away from their masters the staffs became trees. As they morphed to this form the elves headed away.
The Dwarfs were primarily a cave dwelling species, but they had some living space above ground to rear their animals and to enjoy noisy parties. Just ahead of the elf quintet was a rock face with the entrance to the dwarf caves. Just before that was a tavern, smoke bellowed from the chimneys, indicating a roaring fire within. Outside the tavern their hung a sign, written in the photographic language of the Dwarfs.
“Can anyone read that?” Nayrath asked.
“Miner's Bounty,” Shaydon said.
“Thank you.”
Even before they reached the tavern door they could hear the internal goings on, the sound of drunken singing. Elves were never as jolly as this and normally Dwarfs were considered to be lacking in decorum. Nayrath pushed the door open. The ceiling of the tavern was higher than the dwarfs required, it meant that the elves didn't have to stoop to far. At the back of the tavern, just to the right of the counter a fire roared, above it was a bricked chimney breast. The dwarfs held large tankards of frothy mead. They smashed them together creating small sticky patches on the floor. Shaydon looked down with some disdain, unable to shake the feeling that someone should clean up in here. As they entered the conversations seemed to stop, as if everyone had reached a natural pause at the same moment. The elves quickly realized that all eyes were on them. Quietly Nayrath and his party approached the bar.
“We did not meant to interrupt,” Nayrath said, “we'd like to eat here and have a bed for the night.”
“Of course!” The bar tender beamed, looking up at the elf, “we're happy to welcome our huge friends,” he clicked his fingers, “Denon!” He called to one of his staff, “remove the chairs from table fifteen!” He spoke as if the young Denon should have done it five minutes before the elves entered.
“Thank you,” Nayrath said, a little taken aback at the tone of the bar owner to his staff.
They moved through the bar and sat at the table that had been prepared for them. Shaydon's slight claustrophobia ebbed once she was sat on one of the cushions round the table, though she was rather unsure of what to do with her legs.
“What can I get you?” asked Denon, he nervously played with his thin wispy beard. Yet to reach his full fight he had to look up to look the elves in the eyes, even though the latter were seated.
“Your people's mead is the stuff of legends,” Nayrath said, “mead all round.”
“Of course sir,” he took a quick head count and went to get the order. As he walked to the bar talking among the dwarfs started again. They now saw the elves simply as customers like they were, drinking like they were. Any racial uncertainty seemed to be gone. Songs soon began to be sung, and soon the sound rose so as to show no evidence of their having been an interruption.
“We should drop formalities,” Nayrath said quietly, eying his fellow Wardens, “it could attract attention.”
“Do we just call you Nayrath?” Cassy asked.
“Yes.”
“That might take some getting used to.”
“Yes sir, I mean Nayrath.”
Nayrath smiled at Shaydon's response, though he was sure she hadn't intended her remark to be humerus. Rather it was a knee-jerk reaction to orders having been given. Denon returned at that moment with their drinks, placing a tankard in front of each of them.
“Enjoy,” he said with some nervousness, “please tell me when and if you wish to order food.”
“We will, thank you.”
The young dwarf headed away as the elves took a moment to examine their drinks, “this looks interesting,” Tha'lif said picking up the tankard. The mead smelt of honey and was very frothy. They raised their tankards and tapped them against each others lightly. In stark contrast to the table just across from them. They roared with approval as another batch of drinks arrived, smashing them together, spilling more mead on the floor.
“They'd do better not to fill them so full,” Shaydon said under her breath.
Cassy laughed, “maybe. It's all good fun,” she took a sip of her drink, and screwed up her face.
“Though I think I see why they do.”

Tavern's back home were quite different to what the elves now experienced in The Miner's Bounty. Elves were never quite so jovial and for them meals were usually a sombre affair. However when they declared to their hosts that they wished to eat food came in great quantities. Denon didn't even ask what they wished to have, he simply left at would soon return with food. When the food was served they were not given an individual meal, it was placed on the table and shared between all. The elf diet was mainly fish, grains and vegetables. It seemed to the elves had never had the concept of portions.
Of course the food that was brought to the table you would not know. So imagine if you will being used to simplistic food and now being served: salted pork, two legs of lamb, four small chickens and a large bowl of vegetables. Obviously these were not the beasts they were served but it would have been had the dwarfs lived on earth.

“This is incredible,” La'ingif said as he surveyed the table, “we'd never eat like this at home!”
“Oh course not,” his brother said quietly, “we eat only what we need, nothing is wasted.”
“Nothing is wasted here I assure you,” a dwarf passing by said, he didn't seem to mind the comments of the elves, perhaps he was too drunk to notice what had been said. The dwarf lent across their table picking up a drum stick, “everything will be eaten.” The dwarf headed back to his own table and the bar owner came over.
“We don't always eat like this,” he said, “its a celebration.”

Feeling that they would not need to eat for a couple of weeks, for the dwarfs this was factually true, the elves were shown up the stairs to the room they had asked for.
“Are you sure you don't want separate rooms?” the bar owner asked, “I don't ask that because of the money – just thought you'd be more comfortable.”
“This room will be fine, thank you.”
“Your welcome.”
“Goodnight.”

The hours of the night passed and most of the group fell asleep with ease. Nayrath was surprised with the ease at which his brother and Tha'lif fell asleep. He expected the civilian members of his team to have more trouble, what with the unfamiliar situation. Unable to sleep he cast a glance over at Shaydon, her feat hung over the edge of the bed. As he closed his eyes his mind raced with possibilities.
Suddenly he heard a clatter. He turned his head towards the windows, it might have been nothing, just the wind. - Its never just the wind. As he looked closer he noticed his party's staffs hanging just outside, barely visible in the darkness. He flung his hand in the direction of his sleeping companions, they awoke and sat up. With outstretched hands they called their staffs to them and stood as if as one.
“What is it?” La'ingif asked.
Nayrath signaled for quiet. There was a creaking sound just outside the door now, the windows rattled in duet. The staffs must have seen something and known that they would be needed. The cacophonous sounds were added to by a thud outside.
“Stand ready,” Nayrath said.
Shaydon and Cassy stood ready – swards drawn, hands steady.
La'ingif stood quivering – ready though nervous.
Tha'liff bit her lit.
Suddenly the door was blown of it's hinges. It flew straight to the back of the room, La'ingif dived out of the way as it hit the back wall slamming into and smashing the windows. In the doorway their stood a manticore, blood dripped from its lips – it had feasted on dwarf. The manitcore surveyed the room. Since taking on the mantel of the Dark Elves these beasts could show emotion like a sapient species, in fact they had become sapient because of the Dark Elves. His expression seemed to be one of disappointment, like it wanted more of a fight. The creature lifted its paw, the jewel that gave it its magic glowed briefly. Shaydon withdrew her dagger and hurled it at the beast. The manticore wailed and looked at the knife embedded in its paw. Then simultaneously the three wardens lifted their staffs, spoke their magic and the manticore was thrown in the air and landed hard – stunned.
Another manticore came to the threshold. It paid no heed to its fallen comrade. It instead made a dive for Nayrath. A large, sharp claw slashed at his face, the white blood seeping down his cheek. Nayrath brought his sword to attack once more when suddenly the manticore was slammed aside by the door, flung at it hard by a spell from Cassy. The dazed creature shook of its injury and tried to rise again, before it could do so Nayrath speared it through the heart.
At that moment more manticores entered the room. Nayrath was rather better prepared this time, he swung his sword high. In doing so he slashed the wings of the creature, it fell to the ground and fired off a spell. Nayrath dogged the spell and deflected it back to the beast that has cast it, the manticore stopped it with a wave of its paw. It bounded once more to Nayrath who speared it thought the neck. It chocked briefly and collapsed.
With staff in one hand and sword in the other Shaydon fought her attacker, as Nayrath fought his, however neither of them, nor Cassy, who was pinned to the ground shielding herself from a slashing manticore, could help Tha'lif or La'inif.
The fifth beast to enter the room had dived immediately for La'ingif and Tha'lif, perhaps seeing them as easy prey. La'ingif swung his sword, but missed. The manticore knocked him down on the bed. Tha'lif tried to help and the creature slashed at her face. The manticore grinned a toothy grin and lent forward to devour its prey. Tha'lif reached up behind the manticore, the cuts stung on her face, she jabbed her sword in to its back. She drew blood but the beast thrust itself back and the sword clattered and Tha'lif fell to the ground.
Still under her shield Cassy's hands were shaped like claws. The manticore still tried to get at her, Cassy whispered something, the shield expanded and the manticore was thrown out of the window. He hit the ground hard.
La'ingif felt the warm breath of the manticore on his face.
Tha'lif was back on her feat, she tried to use the sword again – but was no more successful.
Then before the manticore was fully aware of what was happening he shot up in the sky, a spell of Cassy's the sword hilt hit the ceiling and drove the weapon into its back.
“Lets go,” Nayrath said, “we'll be swimming in these Beasts before long!
“La'ingif,” Cassy said looking over at Nayrath's brother. Nayrath turned to look upon the two inexperienced members of his team. Tha'liff's face bled from her cuts and La'ingif lay still. His clothing was shredded, there were cuts on his shoulders, and every so often his body twitched.
“A thorn,” Cassy declared. Nayrath could just see it sticking out of La'ingif's arm with a white halo around it.
“How long does he have?”
Cassy declared that she did not know. Right now it wasn't their main concern, more manticores would no doubt arrive soon and the elves knew they could not be their when they did. Shaydon left the room first directing the limp body of La'ingif with a spell, Cassy followed behind her.
“What about him?” Tha'liff asked with some difficulty. Her finger pointed towards the manticore they had stunned.
“Follow the others,” Nayrath said, he cast her a look that told her not to argue.
Tha'lif bowed her head and left the room without another word. Nayrath walked up to the body, looking at it he said, “I know what you would do in my place.” He put his sword to the neck of the creature. A body was so fragile he thought. With one stroke this manticore could be dead. He couldn't do it. He switched to place his staff to the manticore and performed the reviving spell.
“Move and you die,” he said switching back to his sword.
“You could have killed me when I was stunned,” the creature said in a croaky monotone.
“I will not kill in cold blood.”
“Your integrity will lose you this war.”
“Defend yourself,” Nayrath ordered the manticore. The beast yanked the knife from its paw. Nayrath backed away from his enemy. His enemy stood, raised its paw and fired a spell. Nayrath dodged and returned fire, the creature lept out of the way and dived for Nayrath – only to meet the sharp end of the elf's sword. Nayrath left the room to see the headless body of the bar owner. With a swift prayer, he followed his companions.