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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
All nine stood beneath the giant table, not even Harald needed to
stoop to fit, they looked like children playing dress up and make believe.
"Master Telenstil." Talberth began. "What is our plan, this is not
where we were supposed to be."
"Obviously my friend." Telenstil said unhappily. "It's a lucky
plan which survives intact beyond the first few steps, but yes, we have
gone far astray. First we must hide our entrance and our rope. Talberth,
please assist our master gnome to ascend." He then asked Ivo, "If you will
be so kind, please take the rope and make the roof appear once more to be
as it was before we came."
"A simple thing." Ivo said. "Talberth, if you will."
Talberth took out a length of leather strap and with flick of his
wrist tossed it toward the roof, "Oki-Var-os" he said and the strap
vanished in the air. He pointed to the gnome and said "Epe-no" and Ivo
rose slowly to the roof.
Ivo placed the rope atop the roof and quickly cast a minor spell,
the gapping hole became wooden beams once more, but as he stood above the
chiefs trophy hall he felt fresh drops of rain. His illusion would not
hide the leak, still, better to have it appear solid than as a great star
filled hole, he thought. Ivo dropped back down but floated near the
ceiling top. He waved a hand to show he was ready to descend.
"Ca-to" Talberth pointed again and Ivo wafted to the floor.
"It begins to rain up above, that will fool the eye," he told them
all, indicating the now whole roof, "but it will not keep the water out."
"It will do." said Telenstil, then holding out their map "I do not
know if we can trust any of this map, but at a guess it has simply been
drawn backwards, right is left and left is right."
"Or it may all be wrong." said Talberth.
"Even so. But if it is right to any small degree, then that way."
said Telenstil pointing north, "should take us to Nosnra's private chamber
and the giant chiefs map that I have come to see."
* * *
To the west the rushing river disappeared as Engenulf had promised.
Once more it was a mild stream, a bare trickle that two good steps would
pass through. Nosnra swore and shook a fist at the stars, some night
flying flock of birds went by, he would have tossed a stone or spear at
them, so mad was he, if he'd had such at hand.
"Come" he called to Gosfrith and the wolves, Ursoth growled and
bowled one playfully aside, but Nosnra gave his bear a swat and told his
pet to let the wolves do their work. "Engenulf, can you cast ahead, I do
not trust our scouts or wolves to find these villains trail. That stream,
it seemed real to me, and to the wolves as well. What other tricks do
they have in store?"
"I could not even guess, my Thegn." said Engenulf, "but yes I
have a spell that may help and a spirit yet at my command, if need be."
* * *
Harald caught a glimmer on the wall. He'd brought an axe to
replace his lost claymore, his claidheamohmor in his fathers tongue, but
he missed the great blade dearly. High above the mantle, held within the
horns of giant stag, was a sword that shown with edges razor keen and
blade like polished silver. It drew him forward like a beckoning maiden
on a summers night, he paced to it across the carpeted floor and stood
looking up with worshipful eyes.
The axe he laid aside by the hearth and wrestled a chair, that
would have sat five men, beneath the mantles edge.
Telenstil had sent the two scouts out, and with them their
halfling thief, skilled beyond any here in finding ways through unfamiliar
halls and chambers. Gytha, Henri, Ivo, all were nearby and Talberth too,
but where had their ranger gotten to, he wondered.
A scraping sound turned all their heads, their scouts already
yards away froze along a wall, Talberth held a magic wand that needed just
a word to cast a bolt of lightning out, Telenstil stayed his hands and
rushed over to the ranger to put a stop to his strange and noisy actions.
Harald stood upon the chair and reached up to grab at the lowest
antler that held the wondrous sword. Below him Telenstil reached out and
pulled his trouser leg.
"What are you doing? Harald are you bespelled?" Telenstil asked
with some alarm.
"I'm fine, this sword, have you ever seen its like." Harald said
but would not have believed that any blade could match the one just beyond
his grasp.
"Harald..." Telenstil began, but stopped, speechless as the
greyhaired giant of a man teetered on the edge of the huge chair, like
a child reaching for a cookie jar placed high upon a shelf.
The antlers were firmly set into the wooden wall, Harald pulled
himself upon the mantle and stood before the sword. It lay unsheathed,
resting upon the yellowing antler horns. He touched it reverently with two
hands and read the words carved upon its quillon block. "Miming" it said
in old fashioned runes, and turning it over saw "Weland made me" etched on
the reverse. He pulled it from the bracket of horns and as he did a vibrant
challenge rang out. The antlers before him came alive then jabbed out and
knocked him from the shelf.
Telenstil, standing below, saw the ranger fall and jumped aside,
quick as only an elf could be, graceful as he rolled and came back to his
feet. Harald fell back and hit the ground, he twisted and landed in a
shoulder roll, still clutching the ancient claidheamohmor, but grunted in
pain from his hard fall, and bleeding from a half dozen stabs, the horns
now dripped red with Harald's blood. They moved from their place above the
mantle and sat atop a spectral stag, a monster of countless tines, it
walked from a spirit realm that opened into the trophy hall.
The stag stood taller than horse, its coat was a translucent red
but its horns were solid and sharp, it coughed out a challenge and proudly
stepped further into the room.
Against the eastern wall were set the heads of many foes, each had
been stuffed and mounted by a masters hand, they bore a living scream, or
look of fear or defiant shout, but held a spark of life. This spark was
roused into a flame, each head began to scream and shout, some for mercy,
most in myriad tongues that cursed the giant chief, but in their roaring
discord they served Nosnra well and sent out an alarm that roused the
giants in their beds or at their posts within the steadings walls.
* * *
(To Be Continued)