Dark Obligations: Book One of the Phantom Badgers (3 page)

Axel went over the reasons for the operation, the basic concept of the raid, the logistics, and the route to be taken; the crippled Wizard was good at such tasks, keeping the information simple and to the point, and throwing in enough humor to keep the troops from getting bored. Careful planning and thorough briefings were a hallmark of the Phantom Badgers, along with a high degree of training-both as individuals and as a unit; all together it had turned the Company from a group of unknowns to a respected mercenary unit in the space of just over six years.

Seated with
Bridget, Janna, Robin, and Gabriella at one table, Durek sipped ale and studied the other seven members of the raid seated at the adjoining table, an informal separation of rank. At the head of the table Starr perched on a tall stool that lifted her higher than a chair would have, somehow appearing nimble even while sitting still. She was listening intently to the Lieutenant as he covered the raid policy for feeding their mounts; with only weeks with the Company she was an unknown factor, but appeared to be eager and competent, certainly she had volunteered easily enough despite the necessity of extended underground action. Durek suspected that the little Threll would undertake any risk in order to prove herself.

Sprawled in a chair next to Starr was
Kroh Blackhand, a distant cousin of Durek’s who had joined in the spring and had shown himself to be a very solid warrior in any fight, and a tremendous annoyance when not fighting. Cousin or not, fellow Dwarf or not, clansmember or not, Durek would have sent Kroh on his way weeks ago but for the fortunate advent of Starr.

The Badgers had encountered the wandering
Threll just hours before they had bumped into the Undead force belonging to the White Necromancer; in the fight that followed, Kroh had cut his way through a line of skeletal warriors to rescue Starr, who although a deadly archer, was less than expert with a sword. After the fight Starr had joined the Badgers in order to remain with Kroh and repay her blood-debt. A fraternal bond had sprung up between the Dwarf and Threll, so much so that Starr was able to influence the hot-tempered Dwarf and keep him relatively within the bounds of proper behavior.

Even in as diverse a company as the Badgers the two were a
n odd pair: Starr slender, lovely, innocent within a certain span of experience; and Kroh, a four-foot wedge of walking muscle with an attention span often equal to that of a toddler’s and a volcanic temper that was as stable as a one-legged duck. Kroh was a member of the Guardians of the Way, a brotherhood of hard-fighting Dwarves who simplistic creed was to seek out and slay the foes of Dwarvenkind wherever they could be found, a philosophy that Kroh had embraced beyond even’s its creator’s best wishes. The Dwarf, who went into a near-berserk fighting fury in combat, acquired his nickname from his habit of tattooing runic markings on his hands to commemorate the battles he had fought in and the various races he had killed. At a distance it appeared as if the Dwarf was wearing gloves of course black lace.

Next down the table from
Kroh was Gottri Gurnisarn, one of the three Dwarves in the Phantom Badgers and about as different from the Waybrother as he could be and remain a Dwarf. Where Kroh was a slab of muscle covered in a scarred, hairy hide, Gottri was of a bandy-legged, pot-bellied physique commonly associated with Dwarves by Human artists; where Kroh was of volcanic temper and possessed equally deadly fighting skills, Gottri was mild-tempered and had only an average competence with the war hammer at his belt. While the Waybrother’s eyes glowed like a rabid wolverine’s with an insane cunning, Gottri’s honest brown eyes resembled nothing so much as a milk cow’s. A member of the Badgers for over five years, Gottri had yet to distinguish himself in combat or any other endeavor. ‘Thick as a stump’ was a common descriptor for Gottri, but never with contempt or dislike, for the quiet Dwarf was popular with his companions, and a frequent choice for any task that required diligence, the ability to work hard, and the need to follow orders without a lot of improvisation.

Sitting next to Gottri was Kurt Bandle, a husky ex-logger who had tired of sawing trees and had gone into the business of soldiering, spending several years as a caravan guard before joining the Badgers.
Durek hadn’t expected him to last, nor even had planned to keep him long, but the blond logger had signed on at a time when they needed every body; after a long summer’s campaign proved him a competent warrior, Kurt was allowed to stay on. As of late, however, Kurt had been showing signs of restlessness, a certain concern about risks that usually preceded a change to safer occupations.

At the foot of the table was
Arian Thyben, a tall, lanky, red-haired man gifted with bones that seemed too big for his body and a nose that dominated his not-unhandsome face. His country-courtly manner of speech and high-pitched, soft-toned voice had made more than one person mistake Arian for a fool and possibly a weakling, impressions that were far from the truth. Arian Thyben had spent eight of his thirty years as a Brother-Effector in the Order of the Fiery Staff of Beythar’s faith, tracking down cults dedicated to the worship of the Void and other proscribed groups, an occupation that demanded cunning, intelligence, and personal fighting skills. Although he still referred to himself as Brother Thyben, and could be accurately called a monk, Arian was no longer an active member of his Order, as few could carry the burden of cult-hunting for more than half a decade, much less eight years. His enlistment two years ago had brought with it the danger of cultist retaliation, but Durek had thought the risk to be minimal compared to Arian’s skills, knowledge, and ability to use
Amplus Oseta
, or Healing magic. It was, Durek admitted modestly to himself, one of his better decisions.

Across the table from
Kroh was Trellan Northwind, a gnarled oak burl of a man who looked ten years older than his twenty-six years. Free with a song, a joke, his fists, or a blade, Trellan had held the position of ‘most difficult to control’ until Kroh had joined the Company. Trellan (who had taken on a Imperial-style name when he joined) had been born and raised on the docks of Evba, the capitol of the independent Duchy of Navio and the busiest seaport in Alhenland, going to work on a harbor galley-tug at the age of ten, graduating to a sea-going trader at thirteen, and a privateer at seventeen. His tales were full of the seas he had crossed, the ports he had seen, and the many women he had bedded, details of all of which were both plentiful and graphic. Why he had chosen to leave the sea-trade was a question he would not even hint at, although none who knew him would summarize that something as minor as a death-warrant for piracy would ever drive the fierce little sailor far from his beloved sea. Durek had chosen him for this mission because the little man (Trellan was a scant inch taller than Starr) was very good with a blade and would be much less trouble in the field than he would be in Oramere.

An empty seat separated Trellan from Nuila Leandra-Klaun
, a wise precaution for nearly anything female within lunging distance of the peppery little man, although the rowdy sailor had learned the hard way that Janna Maidenwalk and Gabriella Zanetti were perfectly able to deal with his unwanted advances. Nuila lacked the savage strength or quicksilver skill to fully deter the Navian, and settled for keeping him beyond an arm’s length. The dark-haired young woman was included on this mission against Durek’s better judgment, and he regarded the lush beauty with some concern. Nuila had been the mistress of a wealthy merchant who had been active in the fur trade coming off the Wastes at the sleepy little town of Blue Rock when a major Orc incursion managed to close to, and cross, the Ward before Imperial Seers or Legion patrols spotted it. The Badgers, the local Militia, and a half-century of Imperial Legionnaires had combined to defend the town, a harrowing action that had cost the lives of many of the defenders, including two Badgers, before Imperial troops arrived to drive off the Orcs.

Nuila’s patron had been killed in an ill-advised attempt to flee the besieged town; only quick and very daring action by Robin had saved the young woman from a very horrible fate as a slave of the Orcs. Impressed by Robin’s rescue (and unemployed), Nuila had stayed on after the siege was lifted, first as Robin’s live-in, later as a Badger in her own right. Originally trained as a dancer, the former mistress had developed into a keen hand with a sword-rapier, but
Durek disliked her for her pouting ways and the measurable drop in intelligence Robin displayed whenever he was within sight of her. He had created the position of standard bearer and appointed Nuila to be the first to hold that position in an attempt to keep her out of situations where her actions might be crucial, and had decided to take her along on this raid only because Robin would have been nearly useless if they had left her behind.

Durek
wondered why Human historians never discussed the effects of the unfathomable Human sex drive upon so many vital decisions; even after decades of interaction with Humans he could hardly comprehend it. Not for the first, or even thousandth time he thanked the Eight that he was a Dwarf, and above such things.

The logistical elements of the briefing concluded, Axel yielded the floor to his Captain, swinging nimbly on his crutches to sit beside his wife. As the Dwarf stumped to the map stand the wizard had been using he was struck that this raid contained all the non-Humans in the thirty-strong Company (three Dwarves and one Lanthrell), and all but two of the females.

“For those of you who have been to
Gradrek Heleth
this will be old news, but the rest of you should listen carefully.
Gradrek Heleth
is an abandoned Dwarven mining city, and most importantly, one which was not part of the network of tunnels and outposts that link and protect the bulk of Dwarven cities. Located on the west slopes of the Thunderpeak Mountains two week’s ride above the current Emperor’s Ward, the site was first established as a mining outpost about eight hundred years ago, in the year two hundred ninety of the Age of Hope, better known as the Second Age. Due to the richness of the veins, the outpost was established as a mining colony in four hundred ten, Second Age, and further expanded into an independent city in five hundred eight, Second Age. Although not integrated into the overall defense plans of the Dwarven cities due to positional complications which I won’t bore you with,
Gradrek Heleth
was a very valuable ore producer and a sizeable city by Dwarven standards. In eight hundred seventy, Second Age, the First North War began when the Empire launched an invasion into the Wastes to disrupt the preparations of the Dark Sun cult-nation, a conflict which lasted nine years and involved virtually every significant power in the region.”

“In the year eight hundred seventy-two of the Second Age, with the
First North War fully developed, an army made up of the forces of the Green Flaming Orb
Weehoc
, or nation-tribe of Felher supported by Direthrell contingents from Fremlar assaulted
Gradrek Heleth
. The Felher and their Dark Threll allies stormed into the halls, having never encountered Dwarven defense works before, and in doing so took staggering losses. They pulled back out of the city and set up a siege which was possible because it was not part of the interlocking defenses. The Dark Threll quietly tired of the siege and returned to their lands in the north, but the Felher remained in place despite harassment by Dwarven forces coming over the mountains.”

“After two years of siege the Felher showed no signs of weakening in their determination, while the
First North War dragged on, tying down the bulk of Dwarven combat forces. After reviewing the factors involved, especially the declining state of the veins in the area, the City leaders decided to evacuate and abandon
Gradrek Heleth
. A Dwarven army broke the siege and escorted the occupants of
Gradrek Heleth
and the bulk of their belongings back into the main clan holdings.”

“
The ratmen did not enjoy the fruits of victory for very long, however: even as they moved into the abandoned halls, two united
Keiba
, or tribes of Cave Goblins assaulted the place and drove the Felher into the deepest recesses of the mines. It was only days after their victory before the Goblins fell into quarrelling over the spoils, leaving them vulnerable to an assault by the Direthrell from Fremlar. Before the Dark Elves could properly consolidate, a Dwarven raiding force used their knowledge of the hold to raid the place and inflict serious loss upon the Direthrell. So it has gone in the last two centuries: the hold is too large and complex in its layout for any non-Dwarven force to occupy and secure. Thus the city is a no-man’s-land, occupied in part by Felher, Cave Goblins, and other Void-followers, and frequently raided by every race and power bloc north of the Ward, as well as any treasure-seekers who can reach it.”

“The qu
estion, of course, is why everyone so interested in the place. Obviously,
Gradrek Heleth
commands a very strategic location, perched as it is above the Wastes. Besides being a perfect ready-made home for Goblins or Felher, it also would be an ideal base for the Dark Sun or the Direthrell to use for raids against both the Empire and the Dwarves. The White Necromancer and similar types have likewise expressed an interest in the place as a bastion within which they could safely practice their forbidden arts.”

“
Additionally, the place is a treasure trove ready to be mined: when the city was abandoned the Dwarves could not haul off everything they owned. Naturally they took the bodies of the ancestors, their bullion, gemstones, and treasures of artwork, as well as some tools and the like. However, large stocks of tools, weapons, armor, and every sort of worked goods such as Dwarven clans are world-renown for were left behind, hidden as best they could. Large numbers of ingots of iron, steel, copper, and other metals were abandoned as too heavy to move; rumor abounds that gold and silver where likewise cached against future recovery.”

He had their full and undivided attention. “Additionally, the very fabric of the city has value: the tiles laid in hallways and homes, the metal fittings on doors and hatches, light fixtures, plumbing, furniture, on and on. Dwarven craftsmanship is famed throughout the lands, and these items were cr
afted for the creator’s own use so they will command a high price anywhere. And as a renewable aspect of the place, with so many armed and armored parties large and small a’raiding into the place there are regular drafts of valuable goods being brought in and lost with the owner’s lives.”

“A word, or rather
some dozen words, on the construction of Dwarven cities. All Dwarven cities are constructed along the same lines for a wide variety of reasons from which I’ll spare you; think of Dwarven cities as being shaped like a slightly squared-off keg. At the very center of the hold will be the
Ead Gluais
, the Grand Rampway or great walkway; this is a central ramp-shaft that will run from the top of the city to near the very bottom through the center of the hold. It will be flanked in a triangular pattern by three
Tagh Gluai
, or lesser ramp-ways, each of which is roughly halfway between the Grand ramp-way and the outer edge of the city. These latter three are the primary cargo paths for the hold, although they are also used for pedestrian traffic. Needless to say, there are hundreds of
gluaire
or minor ramp-ways connecting individual levels.”

“E
ach city is made up of
cidhe
, or what outsiders mistakenly call levels or stories in the manner of Human buildings; too many non-Dwarves think a Dwarven city is made up of stacked living and business quarters like a pile of plates. A
cidhe
is more accurately termed a ‘belt’ or ‘section’, because by experience we know just how wide a city can be, so a Dwarven city grows up and down the vertical scale while maintaining a constant girth.”

“As opposed to the Dwarves themselves, who do the opposite,”
Bridget observed, grinning.

“We prefer to consider it as
achieving a suitably dignified posture,” Durek grinned back. “Each
cidhe
is simply a disk of living stone which will be honeycombed for living and working space; when the
cidhe
is full, the next one above or below is opened, and so forth. An individual
cidhe
might appear to be five or six levels or stories ‘high’, or as few as one, depending upon need.
Cidhe
are also how we Dwarves judge a city, rather than by number of occupants. Trellan, rattle that mug again and you’ll eat it.
Cidhe
are where the inhabitants live, store their goods, and do all labor save mining, smelting, and certain smithing.”

“
Smelting and heavy smithing are done in an area known as a
argalt
, which will usually be attached to the city ‘barrel’ at the side or bottom. The
argalt
is simply a rough workplace that will be evacuated should the hold come under attack. Arian, wake Nuila up. There are two other parts of a Dwarven hold: the
piseagan
, or mining base, which will be attached to the city at some point. Lastly, and yet most dear to a Dwarf’s heart, are the
bonaid
, or mine shafts and galleries where ore is harvested.”

“The reason I have bored you with all of this is to impress a very
important concept to you, which is the defenses of Dwarven cities. We Dwarves live underground, so our homes have no walls or fighting towers and our foes can attack through the very fabric of our city at any time. Thus the very nature of the city is its defense: a Dwarven hold is a confusing rat’s-nest of passageways,
gluaire
, apartment blocks, and the like, all laid out in what would seem to be a haphazard pattern. However, bring in any Dwarf who was raised in such a place, and within an hour or so he or she will orient themselves and be able to move with confidence.”

“That is very useful, but what about Dwarves
who have gone over to the Void?” Arian asked as the Captain paused for a drink of ale. “Would they not offset the advantages of confusion? And have not the time-tested traditions been written down over the centuries?”

“Yes and no.
Fortren
, what you call Black Dwarves, no longer maintain holds of their own, but live with other Void-worshippers; you see, you must have been raised in a Dwarven city to absorb the nuances, no amount of study or research would compensate. Oh, such a scholar would have a better time of it than one who was uninformed, but you must realize that we Dwarves think in terms of three dimensions, as do fish and birds, while flat-landers do not.”

“
Which leads us to the second line of defense: not only can you easily become lost within a Dwarven hold while your foes dart around, but the entire city is honeycombed with defenses. These defensive belts, which we call
spairn
, are worked into the very fabric of the city and are all but invisible to the non-Dwarf. They are not the mighty works such as Humans build in their fortress, but rather cunning murder holes, concealed blockhouses where war engines and crossbows can fill a hallway with missiles, choke points where a half-dozen Dwarves can hold off a hundred without fear of being flanked, concealed portals which allows groups of raiders to harry the foe, and so on. The essence of Dwarven defense in the city is not great battles, but a steady series of ambushes, sniping, traps, and the like intended to wear down the enemy, demoralize his troops, and scatter his forces. If the invader is overbold, such as were the Felher-Darkthrell force that stormed
Gradrek Heleth
, they can find themselves getting split into smaller and smaller groups which are then systematically hunted down and butchered, all without ever finding the Dwarven noncombatants who are carefully shifted away from the fighting.”

“Now, the reason for this long and boring speech is to make you aware of two facts: the first is that it is very possible, even inevitable, for a
non-Dwarf to become permanently lost within an abandoned hold such as
Gradrek Heleth
; you must be extremely careful never to become separated from the main body, as Kroh and I will always be able to find our way out.”

“
The second factor is that both Goblins and Felher groups now live within sections of
Gradrek Heleth
, and they will have worked out an understanding of their portions of the hold and more importantly, parts of the
spairn
. Thus it is essential that you remain extremely alert and report anything suspicion to myself or Kroh at once. Everyone take a few minutes to stretch and then we’ll go over
Gradrek Heleth
proper and the objectives of this raid.”

When the last straggler had returned and reclaimed their seat, the Captain began again.
“
Gradrek Heleth
is made up of five
cidhe
, which for our purposes we will call One to Five, One being at the top of the ‘barrel’ and Five at the bottom. The
argalt
is to the side, opposite Two, and the
piseagan
is opposite Three. The mines fan out from the
piseagan
and won’t be a factor to us.” The Captain had turned a table onto its side and was drawing on its top in chalk. “There. Now, there is one additional feature of
Gradrek Heleth
that bears explaining: here, under Five, is what we Dwarves call a
raith
or under-deeps, a long, interconnected series of tunnels, crevices, natural chambers, and the like. A
raith
is wild lands, much favored by Goblins and Felher and creatures who never go near the light of the sun. Whenever we find a
raith
near a city, we seal it off from us, and mount heavy defenses against an attack from that quarter.”

“Why do Dwarves dislike
raiths
?” Starr asked. “It would seem that they would offer space without digging.”

“Because they are chaotic, while
the essence of Dwarven defense is that we know every square inch of our holds, every room and ramp being positioned just so; trying to build in a
raith
is maddening, and defies tradition.”