Elvenshore: 03 - Elf's Bane

BOOK: Elvenshore: 03 - Elf's Bane
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Elf's Bane

 

By Clark Graham

 

 

[email protected]

© Clark Graham 2012

All Rights Reserved

Book One

Dwarves of Elvenshore

 

 

Book Two

Lost Cities of Elvenshore

 

 

Book Three

Elf's Bane

Elf's Bane

Dire Predictions

The Long Road Home

The Inn at Bon Jul

Warning Horns in the Night

The Chancellor’s Sleepless Night

Into the Swampland

The Battle of Mount Ealdwine

Bon Lathan and Safety

The Retreat of the Elves

A Meeting of Sticks

Vil Falcress

The Battle of Morgus Tier

Return to Elvenshore

A City of Tents

A Capital in Chaos

The Fall of Morgus Tier

Flight of the Survivors

A Day without Death

A Meeting at South Fort

A Parting of Ways

The Calm Amidst the Storm

The Battle of Fernar Derus Begins

A Journey to an Old Home

The Battle of Fernar Derus Continues

Dwarves on the Far Shore

The Battle for Vil Mawe

The Ships to the Swampland

A Short Reprieve

A Minor Victory

A Crossing of the Moat

Death and a Dream

Taking the Battle to the Enemy

A Quiet Night

The Rebuilding of Santera

The Death of the Queen

Exploring the Destruction

Dwarf Feast Around the Bonfire

A March into the Forest

Into the Mountain

A Political Treachery

A Night Under the Mountain

The Rebuilding Begins

A Toast in the Capital

A Long Road Home

Mauric’s Visit

Sarchise’s Return

Counsel at Fernar Darus

Vil Loree

Travail in the Night

Dire Predictions

 
The Far Shore

 

Darnic Tewl was troubled as he walked along the Great Hall past the ornately carved wood columns and figurines and climbed up the steps to talk to Grand Chancellor Lanor. The old Human used a walking stick that was taller than he was. Not that he needed it, but because he was an elder in clan Tewl and the walking stick was a symbol of his status. Darnic was thin and had graying hair with a sharp wit and a bright, airy personality. When the Elves first came to the Far Shore, they encountered the Human clans. The Humans here were shorter than the ones in Elvenshore. There was no central form of government like the Elves had been used to, only scattered clans, each one with its own traditions and leaders.

Darnic was the only Human in a city
of Elves, and had so far had worked with them very well. A wise noble of the clan Tewl, he had come to Fernar Darus, the Elf capital, as an advisor. The Elves wanted a Human to advise them on the ways of man to avoid other confrontations with them, as they had had in the past. When Darnic had come to the capital, they were eager to listen to what he had to say, but now it was many years later, and the Elves were not listening to him as they once did.

Darnic stormed up the stairs
to the guards of the doors to the Grand Chancellor’s chamber. He waited there to be let in, impatiently tapping his foot. The massive wood doors had carvings on them, showing the faces of all the Elf rulers from the time before they had settled in Elvenshore, up to the time that they came over to the Far Shore. Chancellor Lanor’s likeness was on the topmost door panel. The guards pushed the doors open to reveal a brightly lit hall with the Chancellor’s throne at the far end. Giant pillars supported  the roof and the walls were lightly colored wood panels.  The Chancellor was standing and talking to some of his advisors when Darnic walked up to him. The Chancellor preferred not to sit on the throne. Instead he favored talking to and being amidst his people. The tall Elf was a good head and shoulders above Darnic. He had long, thin blonde hair that was tied in a braid in the back. He wore the green robe of the ruler of the Elves with his frame standing perfectly upright.

Darnic gave a slight bow in respect of the Chancellor, trying not to show his frustration. “I take my
leave,” he said. I will go and dwell among my people. My words are no longer welcome here.”

Lanor
was concerned at these words and said,
“I do not wish this. Tell me what has you so upset, Darnic, and I will try to remedy it.”

“Elves now live on the approaches to Mount
Ealdwine. My words were not heard, and now the mountain will awake and arise. Man cannot defend you if the monsters of the mountain awake. We have fought the monsters before and we lost. There is no defeating the mountain. Man will flee if the monsters stir."

The Chancellor smiled
. "I am not asking for men to defend us. We have a fine army and all of our males are taught in the way of the warrior. All that has to be done is call them to arms. I do have a nation of warriors, but if there is a concern, I will send the Cavalry up to defend those on the slopes of the mountain."

Darnic shook his head slowly
back and forth. "Your powerful Cavalry will be crushed in a single night. Your multitude of warriors will not stop the monsters of the mountain once they beset you. I go now to live with my people and wait the time to leave. When you feel the ground rumbling and our horns start to blow, it is time to flee."

The Chancellor pu
t his hand on Darnic's shoulder. "I will miss you, my friend, but I do believe that we will be just fine."

Darnic
knew it was no use explaining a terror that only those who had experienced it could understand. It was imbedded deeply in the lore of the clans. He had been a young lad when the mountain awoke. His father and brother were both killed, and it looked as if there whole world would be destroyed, until they fled to the swamps. It was here they would make their last stand. The monsters would not cross the swampland and man found that he was safe there. When the monsters stopped attacking and left, they moved back to the fertile plains, but no one was allowed near the mountain.

Elves did not have a great belief in man's fighting ability. One of the clans had attacked them and the clan was easily repulsed. It was rabble of men with clubs, rusty swords
, and spears against a trained and disciplined Elf army. The battle was over in less than an hour. The Elves did not understand the clans so they brought Darnic Tewl to the capital as an advisor. They did not want a war with any or all of the tribes.

Darnic advised the Elves on the traditions of man, and served as a go
- between of Elf and the Humans if there were any disputes. The Elves had always listened to him, until they started building a city on the slopes of Mount Ealdwine. Too many Elves had come; indeed all of Elvenshore had emptied when the Elf started over the Stormy Sea. Now they needed room so they went against the advice Darnic had given them.

Darnic again gave the Chancellor a slight bow and then
sadly took his leave.
He walked down the stairs the outside of the Palace. The air was fresh outside as he walked down the tree lined lane. He looked at the cobblestone street beneath his feet and noticed how each rock had been precisely cut to interlock with the other rocks around it. All of the homes were built inside of, or between, the trees of the forest that the elves now inhabited. Darnic thought about how sad that it was that all of this beauty was about to be in ruins. He arrived at his home. It was a simple tree house. The trunk had been cut level and a small, peaked-roof house was built on top of it. The branches were still alive and wrapped around the house, providing extra protection from the weather.

Darnic walked up the five steps, hewn out of the stump
, and entered. It was a small three room structure. One room for the kitchen, the second for the bedroom, and the front room made up the rest. He rolled up the bedroll and packed his clothes into a backpack. Around the top of the backpack he tied the bedroll and then put his arms through the strap of the pack. He  walked back down the steps and onto the street.

Fannor, the Captain of the Chancellor's Calvary, came up to him on the street. He was a little taller than even the Chancellor. He had  dark brown hair that was rare amongst the Elves. His tunic was green and had a white tree embroidered on it, the symbol the Elves had adopted upon reaching the Far Shore.

"Darnic, I hear you are leaving us."

"My
dear Fannor, I will miss you and our debates."

"I h
ad never lost a debate to a Human till I met you. I will miss you also."

Darnic got
a serious look on his face and then he said, "Go for the feet. Their weakness is their feet. Lead your warriors, but not too far in the front as you will be an easy target. A leader does no good for his men if he dies first."

Fannor smiled and said, "You talk in riddles
, my friend."

"Riddles now, but you will remember my words when the time comes. Farewell for now
; may the spirit of your forefathers protect you from the evil that will soon transpire."

With that Fannor gave a slight bow, "May your sword be sharp and your arms strong when facing your enemies."

"Thank you and goodbye." Darnic started the long journey home.

The Long Road Home

 

When Darnic Tewl finally made his way to the edge of town, the town guard opened the gate. He took one last slow look back, knowing in his heart that all the beautiful things the Elves had built here would soon be destroyed. The walls of the city were made from living trees planted close together. As the trees grew, they became even tighter and thicker. They were black oak, a very dark hardwood tree that was as strong as stone. The Elves kept the branches of the outside of the trees pruned to prevent their use as handholds by possible enemies. The inside of the trees had the branches used for archer platforms, so they could see to shoot over the walls. Ladders were stationed around to get up to the platforms. It had all been built to face an potential foe that was never really a threat. Now a real foe would emerge and they would find the walls inadequate.

BOOK: Elvenshore: 03 - Elf's Bane
7.86Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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