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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
"Another failed attempt." complained Talberth.
"No!" Telenstil exclaimed with surprising vehemence. "I expected
something of the sort. Again we return unscathed, and this last attempt
was just a prelude." the fair elf looked about at the gathered company.
"Have you all rested enough from this nights excitement?"
"I don't believe it." said Talberth.
"You mean for us to go out again?" asked Gytha, she smiled. "Good,
good, the iron is hot. Let us strike!"
"Yes, they are running about looking for us." said Harald the
old ranger. "If we can avoid their search parties then the steading
itself should be undermanned."
"Undergianted you mean." said Harold brightly, but his attempt at
humor earned him only some sour looks. "But how are we going to get past
these patrols?"
"With master Ivo's help and mine, if need be, and with the
guidance of our good ranger Harald." said Telenstil.
"Oh not more magic spells!" moaned the halfling Harold. "This
big clod nearly squashed me flat with his invisible size twelves of his."
"That is a problem with invisibility." master Ivo said seriously
"I have never been able to teach the spell the difference between friend
and foe, but it would certainly be a useful addition to its effects, but
do not worry, I have other spells at my command, we will arrive at the
steading unseen."
* * *
The night was lit by a river of fire. Nosnra had summoned forth
the most trustworthy of his orcish slaves and each now carried a burning
torch. Hundreds of orcs marched down the southern slope of the giants
hill, between them went the most skilled of the giant scouts searching for
each track and print left behind by their puny attackers.
At the bottom of the hill, a narrow valley between their own and
the southerly lower hills, Nosnra waited with the steadings wolf pack, a
small band of his clansmen and his witan Engenulf.
"What foul enchantment is this?" Nosnra asked.
"Its the work of dwarves," Engenulf explained. "The wizened
hillish kind, they call themselves gnomes."
"I've heard their name before." said Nosnra with a nod of his
head.
"This is not real, but it fools the mind. It is done with great
power, the effort to dispel it would be just as great or greater."
Engenulf declared.
"The trail leads through the stream, we needs to pass, and this
flood seems real enough to me." Nosnra said. "You must dispel it and
quick, they flee, they've cost us three more dead."
"It cannot go far either upstream or down. The stream is not
flooding, we can bypass this and circle around." answered Engenulf.
"Alright. Gosfrith!" Nosnra yelled and the wolf master came
running.
"My Thegn." Gosfrith spoke up.
"Take the pack north but have someone take six of the wolves
south, Engenulf says that the stream will be clear to the south and the
north. We will circle round."
Gosfrith eyed the crashing water, but nodded his head and did as
he was told.
* * *
"We will circle round the hill." Telenstil explained. "And we will
come from the north where they have no watchtower set."
"Good." said Talberth. "I do not like leaving here when they are
searching for us. What if they spot our trail?"
"I have an idea, and I have an item which was created as an
amusement for an Emperors child ages past, it will come in very handy
for us now." Telenstil took a small chest from his pack and with some
reverence opened it for all to see. Inside, a ball of milky white,
like some monstrous pearl, rested upon a cloth of red silk. He took
the ball from its wooden case and as he did it appeared to grow so that
what had been an apples size took two hands to hold. He bent and breathed
a word upon its surface "Xsurjere" he said and the ball began to glow.
Telenstil pulled his hands away, and the ball, glowing white, remained
floating in the air.
* * *
(To Be Continued)