A Game of Chi Book III: A Sword of Dust

Chapter 42: Gorzan V

GORZAN

Gorzan had been asleep, barely comfortable in the cold, when he was awoken by the sound of metal clanging. He sat bolt upright, for a moment forgetting he was in Wylda's Stronghold and not Firestone. It reminded me of workers building our ship, Gorzan thought, smiling wistfully. I wonder what happened to those who fled on the Command Ship. I hope they're alright. Getting out of his bed and stretching, Gorzan glanced at the bars of his cell and saw that no one was outside. I wonder what that sound was, he thought. Gorzan turned to look out the barred window on the far side of his small cell, where light was pouring in. He sat back down, knowing that he could do nothing while inside his prison. He hadn't forgotten Windra's dire warnings about the Ice Hunters, and inwardly kicked himself. If I hadn't been so foolish as to offer myself as a prisoner, maybe I could have made a difference! he lamented. Although ironically, if I hadn't, I wouldn't have known about them anyway. A second clang ran out, making Gorzan flinch once again. What is that? He walked up to the bars and clutched them with his hands, trying to crane his neck to get a better view of the hallway. Useless, he thought. Sighing, he sat back down on his bed and sat cross-legged, slowing his breathing to warm himself. I suppose that's all I can do from in here, he mused. A third and final clang made him open his eyes, but he did not budge. When some time passed and no more clangs were heard, Gorzan decided to spend his time wisely and began attempting to reconnect to the Sanctuary Forest. Whatever I saw that day, I need to know more. Especially if Ice Hunters are involved.

Whether the cold was affecting him, or if his connection the last time had been a fluke, Gorzan wasn't able to mentally return to the Sanctuary Forest. However, when thinking about the Ice Hunters more, a memory from his time there stirred. The Beaver Tribe, Gorzan realized. Like most gorillas, I was shown the Great Dam and I met the Beaver Tribe, but all they told me was that they built the Barrier thousands of years ago. They didn't say anything about what was beyond it, but surely they know about them. Suddenly, Gorzan felt frustrated and balled his fists, slamming one onto his bed. "Damn it!" he exclaimed out loud. If the beavers knew so much, so did Grumlo. Why didn't they say anything? Why didn't they warn us about this? As quickly as the frustration had overtaken him, Gorzan understood. Who would believe them? he asked himself, shaking his head. Not even the wolves, who live up here, would believe them. Because they're a bunch of dumb, pacifist monkeys. Just like me. Gorzan thought back to Crokenburg, as he often did. He would have, he thought. At the very least, Crokenburg would have listened to me and actually considered my words. He was good like that. It's a shame he lost his way... Gorzan looked down at his own hands, wondering if he could have done anything about it. I told him not to send in the reserve during our battle in the Citadel, he recalled. That was the start of it. After that, I recommended that we stay in the Crocfort, and we lost. But surely if we attacked Crooler instead, we would have been defeated as well, right? And as for his journey here, to the Northerlands, he just ignored me. To be fair, I didn't know what the correct course of action was either. I still don't.

Gorzan continued pondering and wondering about things long past for a while until he heard footsteps approaching his cell. He got up and looked beyond the bars, and when he saw who was coming, he smiled. The familiar shape of Windra was heading towards him, although she seemed happier than the last time they had spoken. To his surprise, she was holding another wolf's hand, one who was about her height with grey fur. A distinctive black line went through each of his eyes, and he had a tattered white cloak draped behind him. "This is who I was talking about," Windra said to the other wolf, gesturing to Gorzan. "He was with Crokenburg, and he asked to be taken prisoner. He seemed harmless, so I did as he asked. He knows about the Ice Hunters too." Gorzan paused, unsure of who this wolf was or why Windra seemed so close to him. "I see," the wolf said. "Thank you, Windra." He walked closer to the bars and took out a ring of keys from a pouch around his waist, unlocking the door with one of them. The door swung open and the wolf gestured for Gorzan to step outside. "I'm Worriz," the wolf said, extending his hand in greeting. Gorzan shook his hand, shaking it for a moment before what the wolf said sunk in.