Part 21 (1/2)

”Rengarth!” Sunbright called ”You knoho I aht Steelshanks, son of Sevenhaunt and Monkberry of the Raven Clan”-Someone booed, yelled, ”Not any more!” but was slapped quiet- ”Know that I did not invite you! 'Twas our gracious hosts, the Moon Elves of the Far Forest, cousins to the High Elves of Cormanthyr in the west They wished to council, not I I am merely the mouthpiece between you”

The barbarians stirred, watched the silent elves with new interest, and listened

”I don't need to tell you,” Sunbright went on, ”how harsh the world has grown All lands suffer, their a ourselves In addition, the One King again leads are both cities and hinterlands

So it proves here, for orcs and other ver a fire

The elves doubled and tripled their efforts to keep the orcs out, and then we, the Rengarth, arrived

Since we invaded their forest, they worked to keep us out too”

Over shouts, he continued, ”Now, I could talk all night, and we shall, but I'll lay out a simple plan to consider Siarth Barbarians forget grudges, and declare peace! That the dwarves fortify the Barren Mountains That the Moon Elves guard the Far Forest And the Rengarth guard the prairie-”

A howl of protest went up, that the tribe would die, that they couldn't last the winter, that- Sunbright plowed on, ”Yes, yes, yes! True! And since the prairie can't support so e of the forest for a depth of two leagues Frorasslands, into the forest for six miles, to a river called the Delimbiyr An escort will show you this boundary A six- mile band, free, to use as ish In return, you uard the prairie from outside attack, and keep faith with elves and dwarves, and work together for the good of all So elves ht retreat to the dwarven mountains in an attack, or into the elven forest

”In short,” Sunbright droned to a mesmerized audience, ”you will swear-by blood oath-to harm neither elf nor dwarf, but aid all to keep out the orcs and other villains In short, we build an alliance of people secure on their own turf-prairie, forest, and le that can withstand any force, froht let his words die in the air, then shouted, ”Children of the Rengarth, do you agree?”

Barbarians ued Over the babble Forestvictory called, ”We can cut trees to build huts? Shoot game and set snares? And we only need keep out raiders?”

Sunbright save the answer

Chapter 18

Deep in the Barren Mountains

With oil lamps and pickaxes, Oredola and Hachne explored a tall cave from which rust water trickled Ruststink A hashed coyote carcass writhed with ots on the cave floor The skull had been crushed as if by a stone, then gnawed by strong, dull teeth Without a word, the dwarves pulled back

Too late

Fro twice as tall as the dwarves, ht Empty eye sockets drilled into their souls

”Trolls!”

The dwarves whirled and ran on stus

But the trolls were quick as spiders Crud-caked claws tore at the dwarves' backpacks, ripping stiff ox hide like paper The dwarves shucked their packs and ran faster, breath sobbing in their lungs, hobnailed boots ringing on stone and splashi+ng in rusty water As they reached the diht, they screeched, ”Help! Trolls! Help!”

Oredola felt a claw tick the back of her neck and draw blood Without turning, she whipped her pickaxe behind, heard it thud on stony flesh, gained a second's respite, then charged into flat winter light that was overcast but blinding after the dark cave Hachne sta for help

With a screech, the trolls erupted from the cave behind Scaly feet skittered on rock while a curious kitten's e Then Oredola heard a gasp like a death rattle at her ear Covering the back of her neck, she threw herself flat on rough stone

And help arrived

Slim black arrows zipped from the sky like ospreys after fish The shafts slammed into trolls' empty eye sockets, stabbed deep into dim brains, and hurled theallows

The hideous creatures didn't die, only thrashed and pulled at the wood ja was the rabbed up a rock hammer, and pounded the nearest troll She knew that any lirow, but the dwarf hoped that breaking li heard the zip of arrows, Hachne returned to s joints and reen and black, with long, wild black hair and a pale face joined theuardpost, she'd fetched an armful of sticks and branches and feathers and fluff: an old condor's nest Flinging the mess over the trolls, she called, ”Only fire will kill them! Spill your oil!”

Swiftly the dwarves smashed lanterns atop the pyre

Ancient dried wood and downy fluff caught iasped and sobbed horribly as the flames curled around them Dwarves and the elf retreated down the canyon to avoid the stink

”Well!” Oredola said as shehand, slurped water frouess we'll mark that cave as 'occupied!' ”

”Not any hed at the weak jest The elf sratulated themselves on their cooperation and the success of the elven/dwarven/barbarian alliance Here the dwarves explored the uarded the work details froh

Fla The elf said, ”I shall return to my post”

”Yes,” Oredola said ”And we thank you” She held out her craggy paw, as did Hachne Bemused, the elf stared, then, for the first time in her life, shook hands

In the Far Forest

Blackblossom and Kindbloom knelt at a small stream off the merry Delimbiyr River Behind them, in the sixand chinked The tarriors pulled axes from the streaht so the ould swell and hter, safer fit The new broad-axes were dwarven-e near an iron deposit at the foot of Sanguine Mountain

They'd shouldered the axes when Kindbloorabbed Blackblossom's arm

”Listen! What's that?”

Blackblossom tossed back her horsetail, and cupped her ear ”It's-coyotes yapping,” she said

”From across the river”

”Too deep for coyotes,” Kindblooer”

Blackblossom, tall and y and decisive, hefted her axe and yanked the sash of her sheepskin coat ”We better go see,” she said

”We're not supposed to cross the river,” stated Kindbloom, as surly and quick to cite rules

The barbarian warrior didn't answer, only tripped across a new log bridge and into the winter forest