Lost In The Realm

chapter 12. Escaped

Glinda woke and looked around, a little confused,"where am I"? It was dark,there was a small red glow from the fire she had that evening. Feeling around she put her hands on some sticks and added it to the coals, they flamed adding light to the cave. She added more wood to the fire,as she realized where she was. Glinda looked up and saw the bats hanging on the other side of the cave. "Good morning", she said to the bats", who didn't seem to mind her presence.
Glinda stood and stretched "oh I'm feeling much better", after building the fire bigger she went down to get more water.
Setting the pot to boil she decided to take a look outside. The sun was just starting to touch the tops of the trees off in the distance.
Gazing up at a clear sky," it's going to be a good morning". Glinda explored around the cave entrance and found a path that led uphill above and beyond the cave. Following it she found herself walking onto a large flat rock that gave her a commanding view of the brook back to the bridge.
She breathed in the fresh air, "what a beautiful spot this is",she thought.
Glinda dropped down and laid low as she saw movement through the trees.
Back on the road she could see horses coming, she felt relieved as she thought about her father's horses,and was about to stand. But something within her said wait. As they rode onto the bridge she could see four men all dressed in long black robes with black cloth covering their faces. They pulled up and stopped on the bridge. A moment later more horses came galloping from the other direction and stopped with the others.
They were talking fairly loud but in a language Glinda didn't recognize. Then she saw them, the men riding those beast were with them.
Glinda froze she didn't dare to move . Some of the horses were acting scared and moved around a lot. One of the first men yelled something and pointed east up the road. The men on the beast rode off with the beast howling as they went. The horses seem to calm down. The rest of the men started riding east following the beast riders.
After she was sure they were gone Glinda slowly creped back to the path taking her time and watching for anything out of the ordinary till she returned to the cave.
Once inside she sat heavily on the blanket and fur she slept on," what am I to do"as the tears started to form. She hugged her knees tightly bowing her head crying.

Lee stoking the modest little fire they had started just before dark,looked down the mountain pass. The two brothers were quietly talking together across from him.
"I wonder where Lasar is"he thought to himself.
        Lasar had scouted ahead,he had gone a couple miles and was about to turn back,when he spotted fires burning. Down the pass he crept ,clinging to the tall cliff edges that lined the pass. As he got closer he could hear voices. A few trees had grown out into the pass ,so he knew he was close to the end of the old Dwarven road.
Going slow he came upon a sentry,the guard was facing away from him,but turned just as Lasar was trying to slip pass. the man started to yell when Lasar reached out and hit him over the head with the hilt of his sword. Holding his hand over the mans mouth he lowered him to the ground. Lasar got as close as he dared to go. Hiding behind an out cropping of stones he watched and listened to the men talk. There were local bandits with a mix of what looked to be mercenaries sitting around a bright fire.
A few feet away was other fires, those had some men dressed in black robes. A few of them wore head coverings,bare chest and black trousers. He recognized their clothing,they were from the deep desert mountains,below the Calmer desert,in the Southern Realm. Nearby lay the ferocious beast that attacked earlier.
The men were talking low.
"We've got to move north soon"said one of the mercenaries,"I don't like it"said one of the bandits,"aye"said another,"we've done some killing for you and still haven't been paid"said another bandit.
An older,big man stood "you men agreed to get us to the north where our leader will pay you handsomely for your troubles"he said pointing at what must be the leader of the bandits. "Yes that's true we did agree to guide you and scaring off some farmers and a little blood shed is one thing,but fighting organized soldiers is completely different"said the bandit defiantly.
The leader of the mercenaries stood and gave a whistle,two of the beasts came and stood at his feet, snarling and nashing their long fangs together." Shall we renegotiate our deal then",said the mercenary.
The bandit leader sit down "no we will help you get to the north",just saying we don't like it that's all"he said palms up. "I thought as much ",he said a word Lasar didn't understand and the two beast went back to the other fire and lay down.
Lasar slowly made his way back past the sentry he had knocked out. "Dam I wish I didn't hit the guard, they'll be after us now,I better get back.
It was getting daylight when Gregg spoke "stop who goes there". Lasar came into the light of the fire,"just me lad ,the others asleep?
" Not for long, Lee told me to wake him when you arrived".
"Good I've got some bad news for us",come along",and they headed back to their campsite.
After telling everyone what he saw they were silent for awhile. Lee stood", well there probably on their way so what's the plan?"
" Half a mile back I saw a cave on the right side of this road. I went in a little ways,it looks like it goes quite a ways back,but it could be a better place to defend",Lasar stated.
"Better than this road with cliff faces on both sides, let's go",said Jeff. "Grab some of those tinders from the fire, we may need them". They agreed and took off at a run.
After a half hour of running Lasar stopped, they all stood behind him quietly. The sun hadn't cleared the mountains yet, a long shadow spread across the road.
" There", Lasar pointed at a black spot in the cliff face.
As they approached the cave arrows bounced off the rocks around them." Hurry ",Lasar said as he ducked into the black tunnel. Wait don't go to far yet, someone light a torch,I didn't go very far so I wouldn't want any one to get lost or worse from our hurrying",
Stay close to the entrance for a few minutes and look for anything to block it off. "I'll scout a bit, Lee cover their back", Lee nodded he would. Gregg spoke up" you want one of these torches"?
" Don't need it thanks", as he ran off into the gloom.
The three men looked franticly for some wood or anything that would work for a barrier.
The Howling was getting closer when Lasar came back. Follow me he turned and led them at a quick pace through a series of interlocking chambers. They came into a bigger chamber with two other caves. Looking back at the opening they had come through Lasar pointed at the wall. They all looked," what" said Jeff and Gregg at the same time. "Ah it's a door ",said Lee
"Yes so there must be a way to close it" Lasar said.
Jeff looked at them both," and trap us down here"? "I'm not liking the thought of that much", he said with a bit of fear in his voice. Gregg squeezed his older brothers shoulder.
"Look quickly there's got to be some sort of mechanism to close it and maybe open it again", he said with a smile to Jeff. They started feeling the walls for holes or a lever.
Lasar slowly drew his sword with a ringing sound as it cleared. They all looked to where he was looking. One of the beast was walking slowly down the cave path towards them. Gregg said in a whisper "I've found a chain with a handle on it".
"When I say pull it,pull it, then step back ",Lasar said without taking his eyes off the beast.
The beast saw them now and was getting ready to pounce.
The animal jumped straight at Lasar." Pull it", he said
Gregg pulled for all he was worth nothing happened, then there was a loud clicking sound.
The beast flying through the air was coming into the chamber, then the door slid down,with a loud crash, cutting the horrible beast in half and blocking the entrance. years of dust filled the area.The beast lay thrashing around the chamber before it stopped and died. You could hear the voices of men cursing and beating on the rock door but to no avail." We barely escaped that one ",said Gregg.
      No one's getting through there in a hurry",said Lee
" Us either it would seem" said Jeff solumly .
"All right then ,we got two choices this tunnel goes down at a steep rate and that tunnel indicating the one closest to the doorway seems to go back the way we came.
"Which one shall we take"? said Lasar looking at the other three men.
"Let's scout them both out aways then meet back here, say ,half hr",Lee said.
"Sounds good ,Gregg your with me,how many torches do we have"? Lasar asked.
I've got four in my pack said Jeff,
" I've got two plus the tinder I brought from our fire",Gregg added.
Good let's go, they set off, Lasar and Gregg went down into one cave, Lee and Jeff lit a torch and followed the other cave back to the surface.

Glinda felt totally worn out from all that had happened to her. After she had a deep cry earlier she was even more determined to get back to her mother and father. She built up the fire and lay some meat across some flat rocks pushing some red hot coals against them ,she put some of the berries and some Pelka leaves (which was an herb that grows by the brook ,that is used to calm the blood flow and restore energy to good health), another herb her mother taught her about.
Mixing them with some water to boil ,made a tea.
Eating some of the warm pig and eating an apple,she drank the tea then fell to sleep.
Glinda slept throughout the day and night. The next morning ,She woke up feeling much better and rested . Today I strike out.gathering all her meager items together and picking up a hardwood staff she had been whittling on ,she struck out. Going to the road she stepped out into the open. Cautiously and at a quick pace, she set off following the road east. She just knew or at least had a hunch, that this road would connect to the kings highway somewhere.

Lee and Jeff were the first to come back to the big chamber, seeing that Lasar and Gregg hadn't returned yet, decided to wait them out.
Let's have a bite to eat,while we wait,Lee said to Jeff.
Lasar and Gregg appeared a few minutes later. Jeff offered them a drink from his canteen. "Thank you", Gregg said handing it to Lasar, he nodded his thanks and took a deep drink. "This is fresh and cold", he exclaimed.
"Yes that cave is a dead end, but there was clean water coming out of a crack in the walls which pooled up and ran under some rocks of a cavein,Lee said with a smile. "And I also grabbed some of these", as he held out a arm full of timber pieces .
"What did you find"?asked Jeff.
"There are more chambers like this one and the main path goes on at a downward slope", said Lasar.
Seeing the disappointment in Jeff's eyes,Gregg spoke up,"there seems to be some fresh air coming out of that path,that's why we hurried back".
"Let's eat, then set out", said Lasar. They all nodded yes. Out side the sounds of men got quiet. They all hoped that they had left.
They gathered themselves together and looking one last time at the beast head by the door they set out. Lasar led the way, Jeff had a torch lit and was following behind Gregg and Lee. Some of the chambers they past had old wore tapestries hanging on the walls. They stopped as Lasar got close to one that was still partially whole." Jeff bring the torch closer,but not to close", he asked smiling.
There was a scene depicting soldiers on horse back and armed children,standing with a wall of flames to there back.
This is ancient,Lasar said he pointed. "What is it"?asked Gregg .
Lasar took a deep breath,and in the most passionate voice they had herd yet said,"this is the last stand of men and Dwarves against the hordes,and the burning of the north",he said with tears in his eyes.
They all looked on quietly waiting for him to finish." My father told me this tale when we were young children, how men, dwarves and elves survived the on slot of goblins, by the magic and might of the Lord's Williamson. And with the help of the wizards and priest from their homeland help defeat the armies of our foe" .
The other three men looked at each other amazed. "I've read the archives back at the academy and our father's library is full of history books of that time"Jeff commented.
"This must have been one of the early home's of the Dwarves from that era",Lasar said.
"It's amazing that it's still hanging here",Jeff said," must be this dry air, the floors are thick with dust ",he said.
Lasar glanced around the chamber,"let's push on and not disturb this relic,he said with honor.
    They moved out going deeper down the mountain.