Night Calls the Raven (Book 2 of The Master of the Tane) (3 page)

Teek couldn’t get over how much Segford and Jancar looked like Hilden. In fact, the similarities were so incredible he felt a little confused at first as to who was who. All three
boasted long red beards that draped from their chins down to their bellies as well as shoulder length hair that cascaded out of identical helms of silver. Their noses were the characteristic big and round size that, from what Teek could ascertain, were typical of all dwarfs. Their clothes consisted of dark leather pants and wool shirts of dark brown that imitated the rocks and rough mountains around them. But Jancar and Hilden both carried axes while Segford preferred a large hammer.

It wasn’t until after mistaking their names three or four times that Teek finally picked up on some of the subtleties of each that distinguished them from one another. It was mostly the eyes that clued him in. Hilden’s were blue, Jancar’s were gray, and Segford’s were brown. Jancar’s hair was also a lighter shade of red compared to the fire that escaped the helmets of the other two. They were all three very rough around the edges but were amiable enough to not make him feel overly uncomfortable. He did feel an extra sense of safety being in their company, although after seeing Tchee’s ferocity toward Hilden, Teek knew he had no need to fear for his life while the large bird was near.

“So where did ye get the big pet, laddie?” Jancar asked pulling out a pipe to join the other two.

Teek glanced down at Tchee who was venturing forth into the frigid mountain lake for a bath. “She picked me up really. Actually, she really did pick me up.” Teek spent the next few minutes explaining his meeting and eventual companionship with the giant bird. All three of the dwarfs seemed impressed with the story or at least were polite enough not to show any outward doubt.

“It’s a rare thing ye got there, lad,” Jancar said between puffs from his pipe.

“Aye,” Hilden agreed. “Rocs not
be evil creatures, but they keep to themselves, preferring the solitude of a life alone excepting, of course, when they mate.”

“Rocs?”
Teek asked looking somewhat puzzled.

“Aye, Rocs,” Jancar answered while the other two dragged on their pipes. “That big bird ye’ve been callin’ Tchee be a Roc.”

Teek looked at his large friend now ruffling her feathers in the water and making quite a splash. “I’ve never seen the like in my life.”

Jancar eyed him for a moment. “Course not, ye being from the swamps an’ all. I don’t be guessin’ ye get much o’ them down there. Truth be, this be only the second one I seen in me own lifetime. Though, I never heard o’ one attached to anyone else but their mate.”

“Really?” Teek asked, the excitement evident in his voice.

“Rocs mate fer life, Teek,” Hilden supplied. “They live to be up to a thousand years but have only one mate.”

Teek’s eyes widened considerably.

Hilden continued. “If their mate dies, they won’t pick another fer the rest o’ their days.”

Jancar motioned to Tchee. “That bird is probably the most loyal friend ye’ll ever have. An’ I can easily see why she be so attached to ye. After savin’ her life an’ all you’ll be stuck with her until the day ye die.”

“Or she’ll die protectin’ you,” Segford added.

Teek stared in wonder at Tchee now fluffing her feathers and drying them in the noontime sun. He figured she had been treating him so well because he had saved her life but he never imagined it would continue for a lifetime. He thought that after a day or two he would just wake up one day and she’d be gone. What was he going to do? What could he do? Then it hit him. “You mean she won’t pick a mate now because of me?”

Three red heads nodded in unison. “She’d fight to the death with any Roc male that tried to woo her now,” Segford said. “She’s picked
ye as her mate, in a sense. She won’t have another.”

Teek was overwhelmed. “But she can’t. I mean she should have her own family. I can’t take that from her.”
              Segford looked down and shook his head. Then he smiled. “Ye ain’t be havin’ no say in that decision, lad. Ye’re hers and she be yours. It’s time ye get used ta havin’ her ‘round.”

Teek stared at the fire suddenly feeling sad. He hadn’t wanted this for her. But what would have been the alternative? Had he not saved her when he did she would be dead.

“So what brings ye to the Dorian Mountains?” Hilden asked, changing the subject and trying to lighten the mood of the conversation. “Ye be a might ways away from the heat o’ the swamplands.”

Teek looked briefly at Tchee now sound asleep. “I’m on an appeasing journey,” he half whispered.

“Appeasing who?” Jancar asked.

Teek blink at the dwarf as if just noticing he was there. “
It’s part of the Waseeni way,” he began to explain. “My dearest friend died not too many days past and I was chosen to seek out a gift to appease his ancestors so he can enter the afterlife.”

“Aye,” Hilden said as all three nodded. “Then ye
be on a holy quest.”

Teek shrugged. “I guess.”

“What sort o’ gift be ye searchin’ fer then, lad?” Jancar asked, pounding his extinguished pipe against his knee and knocking out the remaining ash.

Teek shook his head. “I don’t know. That’s part of the journey. It’s said that the ancestors will choose their gift and lead the seeker to it.” Teek got noticeably more excited. “My mom got a gift from a dwarf on her journey.”

All three dwarfs looked somewhat surprised. “Really, now,” Hilden said, the disbelief obvious in his expression and tone.

Teek caught on to their skepticism.
“No, really. She got two gems and this.” He pulled the dagger from its place at his side. Three pairs of eyes narrowed beneath furrowed red brows as Teek presented the blade.

“Migh
t I be takin’ a closer look at that blade?” Jancar asked, leaning forward to snatch the outstretched knife from Teek’s hand.

“It was given to my mother,” Teek went on excitedly not noticing Segford’s hand moving to the hammer at his side. “She gave it to me just before I left. Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Aye,” Jancar said, eyeing it carefully before placing it into Hilden’s outstretched hand. “It be.” Both dwarfs gave each other a knowing look and then Jancar suddenly glanced past Teek to Tchee. A frown creased his lips as he looked back to Hilden and slightly shook his head.

Teek was ignorant of the exchange but the following silence was quickly becoming uncomfortable. He looked at the dwarfs eagerly, expecting a little more excitement from them than they were showing.

Hilden suddenly smiled and handed the dagger back to him. “Mighty fine indeed, me lad.”

“Aye,” Jancar agreed.
“Mighty fine.” He slipped a quick look at Segford who released his grip on his battle hammer and merely nodded his head.

Teek took the dagger and returned it to its place at his side. “A dwarf named Helgar gave it to her.”

All three heads snapped at the mention of Helgar. Hilden cleared his throat. “Helgar, ye say?”

Teek smiled. “That’s right. Do you know him?”

Segford and Jancar turned blank stares to each other while Hilden slowly answered. “Well then lad, that be dependin’. What be his second name?”

Three sets of dwarf eyes set on Teek as he dropped his head, a thoughtful look on his face. “You know,” he said rubbing his chin, “I don’t really know. She never told me that.”

The dwarfs glanced quickly at one another but didn’t respond.

Hilden forced a small chuckle. “Well, I guess it be hard ta say then if we be
knowin’ him or not.”

Teek looked up and laughed. “I guess you’re right.” He shrugged. “I was just thinking that I would like to meet him is all.”

Hilden flashed a quick look at Jancar who raised an eyebrow. Segford glanced at Tchee again. “Well, then. Maybe ye ought to be comin’ with us for a spell,” Jancar spouted, “and maybe we could be findin’ him fer ye.”

Teek’s countenance brightened briefly before suddenly becoming dark. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Segford asked, leaning forward, a flash of anger in his eyes.

“Well,” Teek started slowly, “I have to be on my way to complete my journey. Twee is waiting and I can’t let him down. Plus, my mother is waiting for me at home.”

Segford opened his mouth as if to respond, the anger growing in his dark eyes, but Jancar cut him off. “Aye,” he said in a kind voice, “that do be a problem. Ye must be finishin’ yer holy quest and that right quick.”

Teek only
nodded, his disappointment obvious.

Jancar brushed a hand through his beard a serious look on his face. The other two dwarfs watched him closely as if trying to understand where he was going with all of this. Suddenly, he brought his hand up. “I got it!” he roared making Teek jump. “Ye come with us to see if we can’t be findin’ Helgar and maybe he would be givin’
ye a gift fer yer journey like he did fer yer mum.”

Teek’s face flashed excitement but was quickly overrun again by concern. “As much as I want to meet him, I can’t ask him for a gift to give the ancestors. It’s not the right way. The gift must be found or freely offered, not begged for.”

“I’ll give ye a gift,” Segford spat, his voice edged with roughness.

Hilden shot Segford a piercing look as Teek turned his eyes onto the dwarf.

Segford cleared his throat and forced a smile. “I got jist the thing fer ye, lad.”

Teek’s expression brightened slightly. “But I couldn’t really ask you for anything, Segford. It wouldn’t be right.”

Segford waved a hand. “Ye ain’t askin’ fer nothin’, Teek. I want to be helpin’ ye. Plus, I think this Helgar fella would be might happy to meet with ye.”

Teek looked at the other dwarfs who nodded enthusiastically. “Well,” he said, a bright smile breaking on his face. “I guess that would do.”

The dwarfs smiled. “Good, then.” Jancar said, rising to his feet. “Let’s git this fire out an’ be on our way.”

“Wait,” Teek said, stopping Jancar as he started stomping the fire out on the rock ground. “What about Tchee?”

Jancar looked at Hilden. Hilden cleared his throat and stood up. “Well, the Roc can’t be goin’ with us underground. She’s too big.”

“Underground?” Teek looked surprised.

“Of course,” Jancar answered. “Where else?”

Teek rubbed his hand through his bright blond hair. “Oh.”

Segford leaned forward, the look on his face turning sour. “Where else did ye think we lived?”

Teek looked at him for a moment starting to feel a bit uncomfortable before Jancar suddenly stepped between them drawing Teek’s eyes to him. “What Segford be meanin’, Teek, is that we be miners. Where else would we be livin’?”

Teek blinked at Jancar who smiled back at him. “Well,” he started, “that is, I mean…I didn’t mean any offense, it’s just that when my mother said that you lived in the Dorian Mountains I didn’t realize she meant that you lived
in
the Dorian Mountains.” Teek looked down. “I’ve never been inside a mountain before.”

Jancar glanced back at Segford shooting him a heated look before turning back to Teek, a warm smile spread across his rough features. He laughed. “There be no need fer ye to worry now there, Teek. These mountains
be more beautiful on the inside than the out. Jis because we be rough folk don’t mean we don’t know how to be livin’ nice. You come with us and we’ll be showin’ ye some things ye’ve never seen.”

Teek looked over at Tchee still sitting quietly, soaking up the sun.

“Ye won’t be long, Teek.” Jancar reassured him. “She won’t hardly be missin’ ye before ye’ll be back.”

Teek nodded slowly and then looked back at Jancar. “All right,” he finally said, a smile creeping across his face. “This will be a story to match my mother’s I’m sure.”

Jancar smiled back at him as Segford grunted out from behind, “Ye can bet it will be, lad.”

*     *     *

Teek looked up again just to check that Tchee was still hovering high above. She seemed to understand what was going on and had made no attempt to stop him from traveling with the dwarfs. She just sprang into the air and circled about as they made their way through the rugged mountains. Teek was confident that should they run into any trouble the dwarfs and Tchee would protect him. Once they put out the cook fire and gathered their gear, Hilden lead out in front with Teek and then Jancar and Segford behind.