Rolling Shadows - Chapter 11

It was midday when they arrived at the foot of the mountain. Their staffs had had their exercise now it was the turn of the elves. The path up the mountain was obvious having been well trodden. As they looked down they saw the hoof prints which had most probably made the path simply by treading the same course.
“I thought people coming here was rare.” said La'ingif.
“People visiting the spirits is rare,” Tha'lif corrected, “but I imagine that there are frequent centaur visits, on pilgrimage.”
As they continued up the mountain it was a fairly easy star. After the first steep ridge they came upon a sign post. The letters where all straight edged, not a curved line among them, in stark contrast to their own script, which hardly had a straight line.
“That's Norkeish,” Cassy said in recognition, “best to find out what it says.”
“No need,” Tha'lif said, she pushed Cassy's staff back.
“You can read it?” La'ingif asked.
“I can.”
“You never cease to amaze me.”
Tha'lif smiled at the compliment and read the sign allowed, “It says, 'Travelers welcome to the mountain of Democritus. You are welcome to climb here. Let it be known that what is on this mountain stays on the mountain. There are guardians here who will help, should you need it. Enjoy your climb.'”
“That's all!”
“What were you expecting?”
“I don't know,” La'ingf said, “beware those who pass this way.”
“That implies violence. This place is holy,” a voice came from the trees, and a centaur
emerged. His unicorn-like back was a dark brown it blended into a lighter brown at his torso. He carried a quarterstaff.
“I am Guardian Olympus.”
“I'm Cassy, this is La'ingif and Tha'lif.”
The centaur slapped his left shoulder with his right fist and bowed his head, in salute. Cassy returned the gesture, albeit with slightly less force.
“Why are you here?” Olympus asked, “I mean no disrespect by the question but I should like to know.”
Cassy decided to tell the truth, “to meet the spirits.” It seemed as if the silence was somehow meaningful, the centaur's face became serious.
“Then the prophecy has come true,” he said, “our seers said that one day three elves would come to speak to the, spirits as you call them. We know of the threat posed by the manticores. Now that they have reached this land we must unite. All that makes them dangerous, means that they cannot touch this mountain. Most magic does not work here.”
“I speak from personal experience when I say the manticores are still dangerous,” La'ingif said, “they do not need magic.”
“I suppose not,” Olympus conceded, “at least it makes for a more even battle. A warrior does not shy away from an uneven fight, but it is better to win the war than to go prematurely to the Great Banquet. I will be your guide if you will have me.”
“We would welcome your help,” Cassy said.
Olympus showed the way with his outstretched arm and he and the elves headed up the mountain. The quad walked in silence for while, taking in the scenery of blue sky, white thin clouds and green mountain.
Before long they began to talk. Olympus told the story of the prophet for whom the mountain was name, Democritus.
“Democritus died 1442 yeas ago,” Olympus said, “we mark our time by his death. So we are currently in 1442. He is remembered as being the greatest of us, kind, thoughtful and always whiling to help others. Some say he never truly existed, that's all right. Even if it is just a fable, the idea remains powerful.”
“I'm a little confused,” Tha'lif said, “If he died that long ago then it was before any of us came to this land. How is it then that this place was named as the place he died?”
“I fear that you may have read a mistranslation,” Olympus said, “this place is not so much where he died as where our spiritual leaders reaffirmed their belief in him. When my people and yours came to war in the old home, we had abandoned Democritus. Those of us who traveled here made a new kingdom in the shadow of this mountain. What you probably read was that this was the place where Democitus death lead to greatness.”
“Translations are bound to throw up some problems,” Tha'lif said, as she ran for a few strides to catch up to the faster centaur.
“It may seem odd to you to hear this, but we believe that the majority of Democritus work happened after he died."
“After!” La'ingif exclaimed.
Tha'lif shot La'ingif a fiery glance, “it's a different religion.”
Apparently oblivious to La'ingif's words, Olympus continued, “our afterlife, is divided in to several realms. We believe that when you die your deeds determine your place in the afterlife. We believe, as I believe you do, in reincarnation. This for us takes place ten days after death, the intervening time spent in one of the realms.”
Tha'lif hung on his every world. The climb, which might have be otherwise tiring, tricky in places, seemed to pass more easily. Cassy and La'ingif were somewhat interested, they however spent their time engaged in small talk.
“The realms are varied. The lowest level in a volcanic place – only through toil can one leave this realm of fire. The highest of the realms is the Grand Halls of Kankorr'loth. Here we eat drink and are merry, for soon we are reborn”
“There is no such place in elf beliefs,” Tha'lif said, taking advantage of a brief pause as Olympus galloped up a small rise, “the reincarnation is formless – intermingling of form and thought. It is said that some have been able to delay their reincarnation so as to be in the right place at the right time. Why the ten days?”
“Opportunity.”
“Opportunity?”
“To gain in the afterlife what one did not manage in life. If you have committed great acts of evil you will find yourself in the fire prison. If you work hard you can escape the torments and the hardships. The closer to Kankorr'loth you are at the end of the ten days the better your new life. Those who live a good life, arrive in Kankorr'loth are normally content to make merry for those ten days. However Democitus was different. He spent only a day in those grand halls. With the other nine days he headed down through the realms to the realm of fire. He helped the damed in their struggle, taught them and in the process they achieved a better state of mind – a better new life.
“Is their someone among your current people who was Democitus?”
“Not for a while,” Olympus said, “we believe he has chosen not to reincarnate. He is perhaps, as you said some elves were able to do, waiting, for the right time. In the meanwhile he will over come the demons and fight for those who need it the most.
The group stopped for a moment. The landscape stretchering out around them. Such a shame it would be if the manticores came here, blighting the landscape.
“Tell me of your people,” Olympus said, “what belief system do you hold?”
“Nothing quite so,” Tha'lif searched for the right word, “elaborate.” She stopped for a moment as they came to a large rock blocking the path. Olyampus backed away from it and took it at a run. Just before reaching it he jumped, sailing through the air and landing atop the rock. He held his arms over the edge and helped each of the elves up.
“Thank you,” Tha'lif said, “where was I? Oh yes, out beliefs focus more on the hear and now.”
“What do you mean?”
“We do not have an afterlife, not as such. There is life after life but not what you would call an afterlife. There are no specific deity for instance, or prophet as you know it.”
Olympus listened with interest, he was pledged to protect the mountain like
the other guardians, like his mother before him, and her father before that, every generation since his people first arrived in this land. Then when he became a father his child, once they came of age would continue the tradition. The job of guardian was often a solitary one – so any story fascinated him. He would listen intently no matter who he accompanied; those who climbed the mountain because it was there, worshipers on pilgrimage or a group of elves written down in prophecy.
“A rebirth,” Tha'lif's words were slower now as she tried to speak simply without being confusing or misleading, “is not, in our beliefs, controlled by a force. It is one owns being that helps to determine where one is reborn. Sorry into what form someone is reborn – there are some of us who can guide their rebirth however.”
“But,” Olympus said, trying to keep his questions diplomatic and friendly, “how are you to know what is good without a point of reference?”
Tha'lif nodded accepting his point. “We have commentaries, people have written much literature on the subject. These writings are however not infallible. Everyone can make mistakes and each teacher has his or her own ideas of right and wrong. I suppose if there is one cornerstone rule, belief it would be the idea of doing for others as you would have dome to you.”
“We have a smiler central philosophy. May I ask the name of your teacher?”
“Thrin of El'Ingrth.”
They came to a ridge overlooking a lake. It was one of four on the mountain. The lake was calm and the wind blew across the water making small waves. Another centaur stood by it, over the far side as the group approached. Olympus trotted over to great him.
“What food do we have?” asked La'ingif.
“Birch's people were most generous,” Cassy said opening the pack, “we've fruits and berries. Plenty for us after a big dwarf meal.” Cassy passed them a few fruits and a handful of berries on plates. They sat nibbling quietly enjoying the chance to just sit, even if it would only be for a short while. As magic would not work on the mountain they drank from bottles they had brought, rather than being able to simply conjure the water.
Once they were replete they rose, ready to continue. Olympus came back over, the centaur he'd been talking to headed off to another part of the mountain. Cassy tossed him a small juicy purple fruit and while he ate they walked on.
“Why do you seek the spirits at this time?” Olympus asked.
The elves exchanged a few meaningful looks, as they tried to communicate whether it was all right to say anything. Deciding that it was Tha'lif explained. She told him about the discovery of the scroll, its message and briefly the sequence of events that had lead to being here now. Olympus seemed personally skeptical that the spirits would help, nevertheless there was the prophecy, it seemed unlikely that that would have been written if the elves were destined to fail.
The terrain of the mountain seemed to fluctuate greatly. It went up, down and had areas where it was almost flat. For a while the group only briefly talked as they helped each other over the more difficult areas of the climb.
“Here we are,” Olympus declared spreading his arms wide. They now stood looking down at another beautiful lake. This one had still waters that looked like you could walk on it. Despite the stillness it still seemed to glisten and made the elves feel more at home. It was water and trees that where the thing of elf desire. They stood for only a moment before deciding how best to head down to the lake. It truth, rejecting scrabbling down on their backs, their really was only one way down. They walked up a gentle slope and then the path wound down to the lake side.
“Beautiful,” Cassy declared.
“It is,” Olympus said simply.
Sitting by the lake Cassy opened her pack. She looked at its contents for a moment as if in deep thought, pulled out a bottle of water and took a swig. La'ingif thought he might go for a swim. He approached the water and dipped his hands into it, it was very cold.
“Where are the spirits,” La'ingif asked, coming back from the water's edge.
“Up their,” Olympus said pointing. He pointed further around the lakeside, high up the cliff face that framed the lake on three sides. They could see a cave.
“How can we reach it?” La'ingifs voice was a varied mix of emotions, worried that their was no way and they would fail but also thinking that there might be a way, only he was too scared.”
“I think it is supposed to be difficult,” Tha'lif said.
“I can think of no way to reach that cave without magic,” Laingif said.
However La'ingif was wrong in his assertion. It was simply the case that elves did not know how to work without magic – it was that integral to their very being. As it turned out the lack of magic was not the obstacle that it might first have appeared. Elves still understood that materials had a strength of their own, a climber would use ropes – yet he wouldn't dream of climbing without a protective shield.
The magic of the pixies was on a far subtler lever. This was to the degree that they could bypass that which prevented magic from working on the mountain. The others hadn't yet noticed that Cassy was ready for this eventuality. Putting the bottle of water back she pulled from each of their bags a thick brown rope.
“They gave us these,” Cassy said, “they have a strength of their own. In a way it is alive.”
“So are our staffs,” Tha'lif said, “they can do nothing here.”
Cassy was about to respond but realized she actually didn't have an explanation. They had tried their staff of course but they had seem drowsy. Being on the mountain had indeed effected them. It was however Olympus that offered an explanation.
“You can only defend against that which you know.”
“I'm sorry?”
“A fortress is well defended. The moat prevents heavily armed forces from crossing to it and the high walls make it difficult to fire arrows. However I'm sure with powerful magic you could demolish the walls.”
“You're saying,” Cassy said, “that pixie magic works differently to our magic?”
“Yes.”
Cassy nodded in understanding and walked to just below the cave. She placed two of the ropes on the ground and swirled the third like a lasso, then threw it at the cliff face. As it approached the ends of the rope splayed out like a claw and embedded into the rock. Cassy took the other two ropes, one at a time, and did the same.
The three ropes were now embedded in the cliff face. La'ingif came and stood next to Cassy looking up at the three ropes, he didn't like where this was going. Cassy on the other hand had a smile on her face as she approached the rock face. Taking one of the ropes in both her hands and her feat on the cliff she climbed hand over hand up the side. She breathed deeply from the exertion, as she neared the top she pushed off and was able to swing herself into the cave.
“Come on,” she called. Her voice was exhilarated, she was slightly out of breath but her tone sounded more like she was inviting them to join her in lovely warm water – rather than to climb a cliff face. Tha'lif took a deep breath as she approached the cliff face, she was sure that she wouldn't be able to climb as well as Cassy had. Tha'lif used two of the ropes, a hand on each to slowly pull herself up, it took a while longer but soon she two reached the cave.
“You can do it,” Cassy and Tha'lif said in unison to La'ingif, who stood at the bottom looking most unsure. In time he said, “I'm not sure I can do this.” His words were barely out of his mouth before the three roped converged on his position. The first rapped itself around his middle and with the others help he was lifted up.
“Wow,” he said as his feat touched down.
“Not so bad was it?” Tha'lif said, kissing on the cheek.
“No,” he said, still rather unnerved.
“Good luck,” Olympus called from below.