Dragon Wolf Hero
Chapter 9
The caravan stopped when nightfall made travel too dangerous. The campfires reflected shadows over the snow covered plains.
Cindaln issued orders to her staff and a light meal was served. She realized the elf ambassdor was in the north to discover the major weakness of the king and found him interviewing Grald near a campfire setup about a mile in front of the main caravan.
Eohnin asked Grald to return to his wolf form and guard the caravan, especially the area around the mountain pass in case the monsters escaped the dungeon and started tracking the humans to the open plains. Grald always seemed ready to jump into battle and the elf ambassdor laughed as he welcomed Cildan at the remote campfire. “Are you the leader of the castle staff? The meal preperations were completed before the moons turned silver.”
Cindaln ignored the question and commanded the elf to record her story. She told him there was no guarantee anyone would suvive the journey and wanted to share information that could save the world. “The magic circle was found in a well below the castle. The first humans who settled in the abandoned dwarf kingdom needed a reliable source of fresh water. The magic circle was designed to trap people into accepting the power radiating from the well, but at first the king warned his people to keep their distance. The problem as I see it, was the king He transformed the top advisors into a wolf pack after the first winter. Too many people were lost in the cold and snow of the mountain regions and the wolf pack was formed to become a rescue party.”
Eohnin recorded the story in his journal. “I knew much of this from interviews with the top advisors. Are you here to share information or prove you can be trusted?”
Cindaln was furious and stood up to face the elf ambassador. “I am trusted above the wolf pack of top advisors in the northern kingdom. I raised Vor when he was found alone in a forest as a young boy. He was muttering about things I could not understand, transported from another world into this one, cities built with towers of steel instead of the stone…”
Eohnin closed his journal and watched the flames dance in the large fire started by the capable human Grald, a man he admired for his leadership and fighting ability. “Vor shared these wonders with me. I need to understand his weaknesses. The council of Illam will order the mage to remove the power of the magic circles, but we need a key to unlock the wish he made when the dragon form was chosen.”
The ground rumbled and a loud crack sent an ominous warning. The mountain pass behind the caravan fell into a pile of rock and debris. The landslide was miles behind the caravan, but the shock caused most to huddle into a tight group. The elf ambassor and his guest were unmoved.
Eohnin watched the chaos. “Are you not worried about your people?”
Cindaln looked back at the caravan and remained seated across from the elf ambassador. “Did we survive in the north without the ability to respond to these challenges?” She stood up and sat close to the elf, taking his hand and watched the flames dance in the campfire. “Ilam is a doomed island nation and the library of knowledge you recorded at the expense of others will fall into the ocean.”
Eohnin laughed. “Who are you?”
Cindaln smiled and leaned closer to the elf ambassador. “The wall standing between your past and your future! The council of Illam understands the truth of Vor and sent their best ambassador to turn the key, but he failed. It’s up to his sister to save the world. Do you like dried and cured nymreels? I have a salt box filled with the little river fish.”
Eohnin opened the journal and recorded his thoughts while the human woman at his side watched the flames burn the campfire into pile of coals. The winter night was less cold with her at his side. “We should return to the caravan and get a report from Grald and the other top advisors.” He was surprised when Cindaln reached out to hold his hand once more after the long pause in the conversation. “And I will try a taste of the cured nymreels.”
Cindaln issued a warning. “Vor and Sennranor must leave the dungeon or the world is lost.”
“Too late, the landslide was the first of many world changing events. I warned the council of Illam about you in the journal of recent events.”
The wind began to feel too cold and the distance between her and the caravan too great.
Cindaln turned to find the top advisors in the group of wagons gathered around campfires and walked in the deep snow without looking back to see if her companion was able to keep pace. “Vor is no longer my responsibility, he does what he feels is right. I do the opposite and bring chaos into the world.”
Eohnin followed close at her side, his progress slowed by the deep snow drifting across the plains. “Sennranor will control the chaos. The daughter of the dwarven king is with her in a treasure vault and she reports that your king will either give in to the nature of his dragon form and stay locked in the vault, hording the wealth and forgetting his responsibilities in the human world, or continue on his journey to remove the core of the dungeon.”
The ground shook and and Eohnin fell into a deep snowdrift. He stood up and continue without comment.
Cindaln disagreed. “Wilstra is the hero of the dwarves, sent to restore their kingdom. She is the chaos I brought back from a long slumber in the core of the world.”
The ground shook and cracks formed in the distance, the surface of the open plains sunk into the caverns underground and the leaders of the group rallied to continue south.
© J. Bateman
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