Chronicles of Aurderia: The Balance (25 page)

“The Shin’Ar has come to us. He has returned to us the Manasutur. He has delivered it with his own hands.”
 

The crowds roared with excitement. All the dwarves knew what this all meant. Shuran Shin’Ar had royal dwarven blood and by returning the ancient war hammer he had returned their long life spans. The King motioned for Shuran to stand.
 

“I present to you my Kimmatu’Du and our Shin’Ar, Shuran Shin’Ar.”
 

Every dwarf in attendance cheered, except for one, Brakvar.

Shuran spent much of the next few hours meeting various clan leaders and representatives. He limited his partaking in wine since he wanted to keep a straight head, but Mallick was not following his example. There would be a hearty fire in the hearth the next morn.
 

Shuran was finally free of the crowd when he noticed Brakvar sitting alone. “Brakvar, may we speak?” Shuran asked.
 

“If you must, but you will not find me swooning at you like some maiden at her first dance,” he answered.
 

“Have I done something to you?” Shuran asked as Brakvar stared at him blankly.
 

“You exist!” Brakvar said as he got up and walked away.
 

Shuran stood their stunned.
 

“What was that about?” Mallick asked having heard the exchange.
 

“I have no thoughts, but whatever it is, I am certain it is nothing I have done and cannot dwell on it.”
 

Shuran and Mallick turned to follow the King and Queen with Avrank, back into the palace.

“Shuran, in the morn when you prepare to leave I have instructed two dwarfs to travel with you as both guides and fighters should you need them. I think you will be collecting such comrades during your quest,” Vraduun said.
 

“If he wishes, I would ask Avrank to accept placement in my Zudi’Si. That is if you have no objection,” Shuran requested.
 

“It would be an honor upon the entire clan, but the decision is his alone,” Vraduun answered.
 

“I ACCEPT!” Avrank said as he entered the room.
 

“I am honored by your acceptance, Avrank. I am uncertain of what is proper protocol for being inducted into the Zidu’Si. We will put off the formalities for now,” Shuran responded.
 

“Avrank, you know what this means do you not?” Levdrianda asked.
 

“Brakvar will stand in as heir apparent while I am in the service of the Shin’Ar,” he answered.
 

“And I will be taking the Manasutur with me.”

The next morning Shuran, Mallick, and Avrank prepared to leave and were met by the two dwarves that King Vraduun assigned as guard and guide.
 

“Well, the ‘talkie twins’ I wondered what had become of you two. Come to see us off have you?” Mallick asked.
 

“No, we are to travel with you.” Dvargan and Grafdrik answered in turn.
 

Mallick had no response and Shuran just laughed and walked over to great them. “Well met again, my friends. You are most welcome among our merry troop,” Shuran said as he gave Mallick a crooked smile. “Did we pack rope? I think perhaps Mallick will need to be anchored as we climb down the mountains for fear of leaping a ledge.”
 

Everyone laughed, except Mallick who just smirked. “Har-har!”
 

The King and Queen soon arrived to see them all off. It was an emotional scene. Vraduun and Levdrianda both let the tears flow freely at seeing their youngest son go off on his adventure.
 

“You come back to us whole,” Levdrianda said. “And you, Shin’Ar or not, look after my boy!” She ordered Shuran who merely nodded and bowed his head in acceptance.
 

The King had seen fit to overload them with supplies and was about to order pack goats be brought out when Shuran spoke up.
 

“Your Majesty that will not be necessary. We will travel light. All that we need is but a thought away.” With that statement Shuran walked among the supplies and at his touch, sent everything to the Vault.

The trip down the Eastern slopes of the Orenthal Mountains was easier than the climb. Not simply because they were headed down but because this was a regularly traveled route for the dwarves whom practiced trade with the humans of Elmwood and the elves in Tarangale.
 

They would be meeting a ferryboat at one of the feeder rivers of the Napalkua called the West Pass feed. It was named this because it originated beyond the Orenthal Mountains in the Frozen North, and flowed along the Western side of the mysterious break in the ranges that provided a means of passing to the North.
 

A dwarf captain would take them along the Western Pass feed beyond Elmwood into the main branch of the Napalkua River. He would take them as far south as safety permitted and drop them west of the Forests that bordered Tarangale. Travel too far south along the Napalkua would mean venturing too close to the rapids just before the great falls of Zig’Mada. There was a branch of river that flowed directly into Tarangale but that would mean passing Rivenwood.
 

Shuran did not want to risk traveling to his mother’s home village for fear of spies watching for him.

They made it to the feeder river and met the ferryboat before Utu reached mid-sky the next day. The ferryboat captain was a jovial fellow and excited to have the Shin’Ar and his companions on his rig.
 

Knowing that he would have such passengers the day before, the captain provisioned for a comfortable and well-stocked journey on his best boat. It would be a two-day journey to Elmwood then another day and a half to their departure point. The Napalkua ran much faster than the feeders so they would spend less time on the longer stretch of the journey. After getting settled onboard, the ferry left the Orenthal Mountains behind and headed south.
 

Shuran spent the first half of the trip toward Elmwood talking to Codger and asking him to research gug weaponry.
 

Moona reminded Shuran to remain on guard for elven trickery and keep his mind shielded unless he wanted to think he was a dur like Codger had.
 

Shuran relayed this warning to the others. The dwarves could not shield themselves the same as Shuran and Mallick, but they assured him they had ways of protecting their minds from elven influence.

As they finally approached Elmwood it was well after dark. The town appeared asleep and there was little to no torchlight in the windows. Had they passed the village during light, they would have noticed the town was actually all but abandoned. The only residents left were those having no place else to go or looters picking over what was left behind when the majority of the inhabitants fled for safety.
 

News would reach Shuran and his companions soon enough. A force of warriors was on the march through the lands of Aurderia. They were not entirely human and not taking prisoners. They had but one order; to find and capture, or kill the human known as Shuran of Rivenwood, son of Sulura and Dalgon, ANZILLU of mixed blood.

The ferryboat sided along shore in the best spot the captain could gain without threat of running aground. He was not close enough to let down a plank, so Shuran and company would have to disembark the boat many paces from shore and swim.
 

“We will not need to swim.” Shuran raised his hand and one by one, levitated his friends over to the shore. When it was just himself left, he jumped off the boat and descended slowly to the water, which parted below him. He walked to shore as the waters parted in front of him and folded back behind.
 

“Bit of a flare for the dramatic, even for you Shuran,” Mallick teased.
 

“I have not yet got the trick to moving myself by levitation. I can lift myself up but have yet found a way to use opposing force to move,” Shuran answered.
 

“Why not use the wind to give you a push?” Mallick asked.
 

“Try as I might, I have yet to be able to blow myself about.” Shuran said with all seriousness.
 

Mallick turned and walked away with the dwarves who all laughed heartily.
 

The companions had to travel nearly all day to reach the tree line. Once they reached the forest, Shuran called their trek to a halt.
 

“Have any of you traveled to Tarangale from this direction?” he asked.
 

“We have never been to Tarangale from any direction Shin’Ar!” Avrank admitted.
 

Shuran reached out with his shi to locate signatures of the Essence. He stretched his senses to their limits without using a power stone. He found nothing human. He boosted his power with a stone to widen his range. He finally located the trading settlement.
 

“I have located what must be Tarangale since I sense no other human life around. It feels odd though,” Shuran said.
 

“What do you mean sheesh?” Mallick asked.
 

“There are very few people about and none appear to be elf.”
 

The group trekked their way through the forest toward the sense of life that Shuran followed.
 

Shuran stopped suddenly.
 

“What is it Shuran Shin’Ar?” the twins asked.
 

“DOWN!” he responded and reached out with hands and Essence. He immediately sensed a disturbance in the area around them. Dozens of empty spots, was the best way he could describe it to himself. Before he could investigate further, dozens of arrows came arching toward him from high above.
 

Instantly he tugged on the energy of the nearest line of energy in the ground and then on another of opposite charge. He wove the forces together and formed a powerful net of energy to snag the arrows several paces before they reached him. More arrows flew and met the same net of force.
 

“You can loose arrows all you wish, they shall not reach me or my companions,” Shuran yelled then turned to face the nearest void in the Essence. “Reveal yourself elf before I send these arrows back the way they came!”

“HOLD!” The elf cried out then stepped forward.
 

Shuran turned the arrows the way they came. “Explain why you attack us without cause?” Shuran demanded.
 

“You are not from the army.” the elf said half question half statement.
 

“Do we look like soldiers you pointy eared shoe maker!” Avrank said.
 

The elf glared at the dwarf and turned his eyes back to Shuran. “You are the mixed blood we have heard tell about.” This again was more statement than question.
 

“He is Shuran Shin’Ar, and you should show respect!” Avrank said. “And I am Avrank son of Vraduun, King of the Dwarves. You will show us all respect and stop this needless waste of our time,” he finished.
 

During this exchange, Shuran used the distraction to adjust his senses. He was now able to see the remaining elves as they moved in to circle him and his group. With a slight movement he adjusted the aim of the arrows.
 

“I see you,” he said.

The elves that just arrived all revealed themselves and lowered their bows.
 

Shuran let the arrows he held with Essence fall to the earth. At the sudden appearance of the elves, Mallick and the dwarves all jumped with surprise and began to point their weapons at the new threat.
 

“Lower your weapons, they will not harm us,” Shuran said and he turned to the elf that first came out of hiding. “Why would you think we were soldiers?” he asked the elf.
 

“Forgive the mistake Shin’Ar. We were warned of a threat arriving from the North. We took you for a scouting party since you arrive, not from the river feed, into our settlement.” he answered. “These are unsettling times. Come we will escort you to the village. My name is Orian.”
 

“You spoke of a warning, of an army marching?” Shuran asked.
 

“We received a bird not two days past telling of an army marching across Northern Aurderia. They have been laying waste to settlements and villages along their path including Elmwood,” Orian said.
 

“There have been no open hostilities between realms in centuries, where are these troops from?” Avrank asked.
 

“Unknown, the only people who have survived the raids are those who were not around during the attack, or travelers who came upon what was left. There are no signs of troop movements and, there have been no sitings of soldiers anywhere. They just appear randomly, destroy, then move on leaving no trace,” Orian Finished.
 

“How is it that you then received warning of army movement along the Western line of the forest?” Shuran asked.
 

“Our message came by Guinea Hawk.” This statement was directed to the dwarves.
 

“Those are the messenger birds of the Dwarves!” Avrank said. “We had no knowledge of an army when we left Duranekur four days past,” he said.
 

“Perhaps someone saw us passing Tarangale by ferry?” Mallick suggested.
 

“Or perhaps someone wanted us attacked.” Shuran spoke to no one in particular.

As the group walked along the path Orian led them to, Shuran extended his senses again to look for signs of the elves now that he knew what to look for. He gasped with surprise. He could sense hundreds of them around in the forest and at the settlement he first felt only mundanes and weaving humans in.
 

“You have discovered our true numbers in Tarangale,” Orian said. “Only elf blood could have felt past our shielding.” Orian smiled at Shuran.
 

“I am of seven blood lines,” Shuran answered.