Blade of Erogrund

Chapter 36- To Arms

Between the heavily armed soldiers and the doors rose a dozen or so Dwarves armored in similar equipment. Despite standing only to the chest of their human counterparts, the Dwarves were fearsome enough to behold. Thick iron armor clad their short, stocky frames and huge helmets crafted in terrifying likenesses donned their bearded heads. Their captain had removed his to speak with the soldiers. 

"...will need to see your orders first," he was saying as Mira and Samantha crouched in the stairway, listening. 

"Of course," the man answered. Sounds of shuffling ensued as he searched for the document before handing it to the significantly shorter Dwarf guard. Small, calloused hands snatched the paper unceremoniously and examined it. 

"Alright then. And how many will you be taking?" 

The captain gestured to the chains. "We can take some fifty or so. Another troop will be down after us. They should be out before nightfall." 

"Damned souls," the Dwarf whistled. "Better if they just died here if you ask me. The king's not wasting any time, 'eh?" 

Mira could just see the man shake his head. "Nah, not an hour. He's got the rest of the army assembling as we speak. Word has it that we are marching in a week's time." 

"Alright then," the Dwarf waved for two of his fellows who stepped to the door. Clanking and scraping led Mira to believe they unlocked it as the remaining Dwarves took hold of the doors. "You lads ready?" the captain asked the soldiers who nodded in response. 

With a mighty heave the Dwarves drew back on the doors, letting them groan open. Simultaneously the guards lowered their spears and locked shields in a bristling wall of sharpened iron points. 

The sounds of furious shouting were their only welcome. 

"Draw up," the captain of the Men ordered. Half of his soldiers closed ranks until they formed a tight rectangle of shields and spears. 

"By order of King Ennor Lord of Niron, put down your weapons and come peaceably!" 

A short moment of silence muffled the vast Hall beyond the door but it was broken by a retaliating shout. Sounds of scuffling feet and dragging of something heavy ensued until figures appeared some fifteen feet inside the monumental gateway. 

Whatever the sight, the guards tensed and lifted their weapons. "Surrender the boy!" the captain ordered. 

"Or what?" sneered the speaker. "You'll kill us?" 

Mira glanced back to see that Samantha was, apart from being thoroughly terrified, okay. "Sam, go get help. This doesn't look good." Without waiting for a response she let her soft footsteps carry her down the stairway until she could peer through the line of guards to see what it was they beheld. 

Inside the gateway lie three bodies - unconscious or lifeless Mira could not tell. She could not see them well, but two resembled the boy and girl that had sat beside Godric at the King's table at the ball. The third wore the garb of a soldier, though he had no helm and his equipment looked to be in disrepair. 

Four additional figures stood in the gateway. Three, who stood on either side, carried blades and wore scraps of armor or half-masks as they must have at the ball. Each looked like a gruesome hyena, gore and dirt covering them. The dirt could not disguise the viciousness that lingered in their eyes. 

But it was the fourth that Mira gape at. Hair matted with dirt and blood, half-mask broken at the cheekbone, and covered in gashes, it was difficult to determine the jeering face of Caeros. In one hand he grasped a thick, wicked hunting knife that hovered closely under the throat of a boy whom he held round the waist with an iron grip.