Darkness in Eloria

The Dwarven Pass

***Author's note: Please remember this is unedited and unrefined, this is pretty much a rough draft. Also, I've been very busy and I apologize for that. Please, follow so you can get notices of my terribly sporatic updates.**

Aiden gently shook Mallory awake. She sat up groggily, wincing and rubbing her lower back. “Time to go?”

“Time to go.” Aiden went back to clearing camp with Eugene.

“So who is the dwarf you know?”

“Eugene, how many times do I have to tell you, it’s not important? Ask me one more time, see what happens.” Aiden looked grumpy and disgruntled, Mallory could tell that Eugene had been ceaselessly pestering him.

“Fine, fine, I’ll find out when we get there. I just feel that I should know.”

“And why do you feel you should know?” Aiden sighed.

“Well, because I am your traveling companion, your number two, your right hand man, I should know what you know.” Eugene puffed up his chest.

“For one, my left hand is dominant, for second you weren’t even invited, and third, Mallory would be the second most important in this group. She’s the reason we’re traveling in the first place.” Aiden winked, and covered over the ashes from the fire. “Let’s go.”

Eugene mumbled under his breath as he took the horse’s reins and led him behind Aiden and Moya. Mallory patted Milky, bringing up the rear, the little shadow creature upon her shoulder once again.

Aiden led them to a densely vegetated clearing at the bottom of a rise. He walked along the wall of the ridge back and forth for a few moments and then ducked under a sapling, pushing through a leafy bush, he cooed quietly, guiding Moya through with care. Eugene followed, not nearly as deftly, and managed to scratch his face on the bush at which he swatted after the fact. Mallory stepped through, wary of the bush, Milky followed nicely, barely needing to be led.

Looking around, Mallory saw a steep ravine leading leisurely down the ridge between the vegetation and the wall of stone. Aiden cautioned them that the path would be difficult and to mind the horses. They followed the tiny, winding path down, and down some more. They twisted and turned until it seemed that all around them was rock, and all that would ever be around them was rock. They crossed a narrow stream that spit out from the stone face to the left and fell off a small ledge to the right, leading back into the mountain through a puddle of a pool. They walked even further, and ended up on a larger path that wound around a sharp bend that Mallory couldn’t see past. Aiden turned around, “Now, if you say a word, you might kill us. Just don’t say anything.” He glared at Eugene specifically.

They rounded the sharp bend to see five dwarves aiming crossbows in their faces, and another standing to the front of the passage they blocked, holding an axe as nonchalantly as one would hold a cane.

“How did ye’ find this place?” His accent was strange and slightly muffled by the mass of beard.

“I have come here before, I am a friend of Geor’Dekahn. He has granted me the means of passage through here as I need it.” Aiden replied formally and very carefully.

“And how do we know you speak the truth?”

“I have a token that he gave me to prove it.” He handed the dwarf a small metal circle with engravings upon it.

“I see this is the royal mark, how about we ask him?” The dwarf slyly motioned to one of the crossbow wielding dwarves. “See if the Geor would like to visit with his friend.” The dwarf looked at Aiden with disdain, obvious disbelief written on his face.

They waited for the messenger to return with the Geor for only a short time. A stout dwarf, dressed quite unremarkably came striding through the line. “Rar’Goren, I can assure you this is my friend and I have given him the right of free passage.” He smiled and walked over to Aiden, smacking him conspiratorially on the arm.

Goren looked annoyed, but respectfully returned the token to Aiden and called him men off. They retreated to the small nook that held some crates for chairs and some cups for dice.

“Aiden, I didn’t expect to see you so soon, and with company, come, follow me and you can tell me all about it.” Dekahn pronounced.

“We will come with you, but we do need to have a small measure of haste.” Dekhan lead them around another bend and into a great open space. The walls of the ravine fell back sharply on each side forming a cone that meandered at the base, making almost an oval before returning to small passageways. The area was filled with large, beautiful trees, much like the baobab trees back on Earth. They filled the stony cove to the brim. Mallory felt that if she could only get up to the top it would be a green leafy carpet.

Dekahn lead them into the forest and veered off the path to a cleared grove where a small woman of imperial stature sat upon the lifted root of a tree. She was about the same size as Dekhan, but more reed-like than stone-like.

Dekhan gave a small bow to the woman and turned back to his guests, “Aiden, this is Rhyallis, she is princess of her people, and my betrothed. Rhyallis, this is Aiden, grand adventurer and good friend to me and all Dwarves, and his companions.”

Aiden and Eugene bowed low, and Mallory tried to cursy, but tilted to one side and lost her balance. The little princess laughed quietly. “I’m pleased to meet you all, good friend Aiden, could you introduce me to your companions?”

“This is Eugene, he is also an adventurer and a mage, and this is Mallory, she is a new mage that I am taking to the University. We had some problems in The Waste and had to find a shorter route for fear of her life.”

“Oh dear, are you alright, Mallory?”

“I believe so, the haste is due to the fact that we still aren’t quite sure what’s happening.” Mallory blushed and mumbled.

“We, won’t keep you long, Geor’Dekahn was very pleased to hear you were here and wanted to see you. He wanted to share the news of our betrothal.”

“Yes, we have united to two kingdoms, the dryads will now have all the rights and privileges of the Dwarves, and our continued protection of their forests within our mountains. As you can see, dwarves and dryads may now intermarry legally.”

“I didn’t think you could pull it off. I apologize deeply for doubting you. Aiden pulled out his purse and counted out a sum and handed it over to the Dwarven Prince. “There, paid in full.”

Dekahn counted the coins to be sure and deftly pocketed them. “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses and realize that I can do anything. I hope that your love affair will end as swimmingly as mine has.”

Aiden frowned and turned to Eugene and Mallory. “It’s almost nightfall, may we beseech you for some lodging for the night?”

“Of course, and for the newcomers, there are a few rules here, no fires, no breaking or cutting anything from the trees, anything living you may not hurt or hunt, this is a sacred place, and you must remember so with your actions.” Rhyallis stood and gestured for them to follow her.