Chapter 7

 

 

As the first light of dawn appeared in the sky, Eldor and Nyssa with Jena riding on her shoulder left the cottage. The wizard carried his staff and had a small pack on his back filled with food. Nyssa had a small pack as well and carried her bow and quiver of arrows.

 

For the rest of the day they followed a trail through the forest, resting only once for lunch. When evening began to darken the sky they reached a river and they crossed it at a narrow stone bridge. Here Eldor decided to camp for the night. They ate a cold meal as the wizard didn’t want to risk a fire being seen.

 

In the morning they continued on through the forest till mid-afternoon when the trees began to thin. Eldor then stopped at the forest’s edge and they looked beyond the trees to tall hills with sheer, rocky cliffs.

 

‘The Barren Hills, Nyssa,’ he said. ‘We’ll cross them to reach the Midnight Mountains.’

 

‘Is that wise, Eldor,’ Nyssa said nervously. ‘The Barren Hills are said to be a haunted place.’

 

‘They are not haunted, except by old tales,’ he replied. ‘But the goblins believe the same and will not enter them. That will be a help to us.’

 

He led them away from the cover of the trees, the ground quickly rising into the hills. Jena could see how they had come by their name. It was a desolate place of stone and rock, the only things growing here being thin, stunted trees and coarse grass and bushes.

 

They slept that night in a cave deep in the hills and Eldor risked a small fire to cook a hot meal. Then for the next two days they trekked through the hills, following an old trail that wound its way through narrow canyons and deep ravines.

 

Toward dusk on the second day they climbed up a steep cliff and at the top emerged onto the edge of a broad, flat plain. It was bare of any blade of grass or bush and stretched far into the distance. A gusting wind blew across it, snatching dust off the ground and swirling it into their faces.

 

‘We’ll cross the plain tonight,’ Eldor said. ‘It will be a long walk in the dark, but we dare not cross during the day. Mogrom will have her ravens out looking for us.’

 

‘How far is it to the other side?’ Nyssa asked.

 

‘We should reach there by the morning,’ he replied. ‘There is a place where we can spend the coming day and rest.’

 

‘I had better put you in my pack, Jena,’ Nyssa said. ‘You’ll be blown off my shoulder in this wind.’

 

She put her into her pack and Jena found she could stand up in it comfortably. But she couldn’t see ahead, only back the way they had come across the darkening hills. Then Eldor stepped away and they began their trek across the plain.

 

* * *

 

The night drifted by with the wind gusting and moaning about them. At times it flung up thick clouds of dust, which stung their eyes and got into their mouths and noses. They were forced to stop several times when the wind rose to a gale. Eldor stood with his back to it, hugging Nyssa to him to shield her and Jena.

 

Dawn arrived and thankfully the wind faded away, Jena once more seated on Nyssa’s shoulder. They continued to march until the sun had risen completely above the horizon. Ahead a dark mass appeared and huge walls of dark blue stone was revealed. The tall towers of a castle could be seen beyond it.

 

But Jena could see that it had seen better days. The surrounding wall was holed in many places and filled with piles of broken, shattered stone. The castle too was in poor shape, with many of its towers and roofing collapsed.

 

‘I never knew a castle was here, Eldor,’ Nyssa said. ‘Elven tales do not speak of it.’

 

‘That is not surprising, Nyssa,’ the wizard replied. ‘This castle belongs to the time of own people so is very ancient. No-one comes here now save myself. Long ago a forest grew here on the plain and it was beautiful place to behold.’

 

‘Who were your folk, Eldor?’ Jena asked.

 

Eldor smiled a little sadly.

 

‘They were a race of folk who lived in Lendor more than five hundred years ago, Jena,’ he replied. ‘But… they all disappeared.’

 

Jena wanted to know more about Eldor’s folk, but a slight shake of Nyssa’s head stopped her. It seemed the topic was not something Eldor discussed.

 

He led them toward the closest gap in the wall and they clambered over the stone rubble in the way. They headed toward the castle, but had not gone a dozen paces when Jena gave a startled cry.

 

‘Eldor!’ she exclaimed, holding up her glowing bracelet. ‘There is danger here!’

 

The wizard spun around as several blood-curdling howls rose from outside the wall. They looked back at where they had come through the wall to see half a dozen morgs leap through the gap.

 

‘We’ve been tracked!’ Nyssa exclaimed as she fitted an arrow to her bow.

 

‘Quickly, Nyssa. Take Jena into the castle and hide,’ Eldor said. ‘I’ll deal with these and then find you.’

 

Nyssa turned and fled toward the castle’s entrance. A huge iron gate stood there, hanging crookedly off one hinge. She almost reached it when she heard snarls off to her left. Three more morgs were bounding toward them and she fired an arrow at one. It tumbled to the ground, but the others kept coming.

 

Nyssa darted through the gate and fled across a courtyard with Jena hanging on grimly to a braid. She slipped through an open door and into a castle building. But the morgs were right behind them, snarling and growling in chase. Then Jena pointed to a doorway ahead.

 

‘Go in here, Nyssa!’ she said. ‘I’ll use my bracelet to stop them.’

 

Nyssa quickly darted through it and into a small room. But she didn’t see that part of its ceiling had collapsed. Tiles and bits of wood lay everywhere and she suddenly tripped and sprawled heavily onto the floor.

 

The impact caused Jena to lose her grip on her braid and she went flying through the air. But she landed safely in a tumbling roll and jumped to her feet as the morgs bounded into the room.

 

Jena quickly concentrated on her glowing bracelet as Eldor had told her. This time she remained calm and focused. She held up her hands as the morgs leapt snarling at Nyssa and they struck an invisible wall she had willed in front of them. Then with a flick of her wrists she sent them flying into a wall and they fell senseless to the floor.

 

* * *

 

Eldor found them a short time later. Nyssa was sitting against a wall holding her side with a hand, her face quite pale.

 

‘Nyssa’s hurt, Eldor!’ Jena said anxiously, standing by her side.

 

‘I... I think I’ve broken a rib!’ Nyssa gasped. ‘I tripped and fell into those tiles!’

 

Eldor frowned in concern.

 

‘I’ll have a look at it, Nyssa,’ he said. ‘Hopefully you’ve just got some bad bruising.’

 

She nodded and managed a smile at Jena.

 

‘We would have been finished without Jena’s magic,’ she said. ‘She dealt with those morgs easily!’

 

‘It’s what the bracelet was made for,’ Eldor replied. ‘Come, let’s find a more comfortable place to rest.’

 

He helped Nyssa to her feet and they left the room. They headed down a few more corridors, Jena jogging along behind them and glad to be on her feet for a change. Then at the end of one corridor they came to a large wooden door. Eldor gave it a shove and it creaked open.

 

Beyond was a massive hall with a high domed ceiling. Its walls had been painted at one time and though most were faded, she could still see pictures of animals and a tall folk that reminded her of Eldor. What had happened to Eldor’s folk she wondered?

 

At the end of the hall a flight of steps climbed to a landing. A doorway led outside into sunshine. Eldor and Nyssa sat down on the stairs and the wizard inspected her sore ribs. He felt gently around the area that was red and scratched.

 

‘I don’t think there’s anything broken, Nyssa,’ he said in relief. ‘You’ll have some nasty bruising and be sore for a day or two.’

 

‘Thank goodness!’ Nyssa said. ‘I was afraid I might not be able to go on.’

 

‘Have something to eat and then get some sleep,’ Eldor said, standing up and moving up the stairway. ‘We’ll leave again at dusk.’

 

Jena watched him walk out the door outside, then looked up at Nyssa.

 

‘What happened to Eldor’s folk, Nyssa?’ she asked.

 

Nyssa smiled sadly at her.

 

‘I’m not sure myself,’ she replied. ‘They got some type of disease I think and all died, except for Eldor… and Mogrom of course.’

 

‘That’s so sad,’ Jena said, thinking that he must be lonely at times.

 

‘It is, but he’s happy amongst folk like you and me.’

 

* * *

 

The day was almost over when Nyssa woke and went to find the wizard. She left Jena asleep and climbing the stairs, stepped through the doorway. A cold wind greeted her, blowing across a broad balcony. In the distance she could see the Midnight Mountains. They were much closer now and reared like dark waves against the scarlet sky.

 

She found Eldor leaning against a stone railing around a corner and with him was Moonwing.

 

‘How are your ribs, Nyssa?’ he asked as she came up to him.

 

‘Still sore, but not as bad as this morning,’ she replied. ‘Has Moonwing come with news?’

 

Eldor nodded.

 

‘Tani reached your father,’ he replied. ‘They are preparing to set out for the Midnight Mountains.’

 

‘I hope there won’t be any fighting,’ she said worriedly.

 

‘So do I, so it will be up to us to see that there will be none,’ Eldor replied firmly.

 

‘Where do we go from the castle?’ she asked.

 

He pointed toward the mountains.

 

‘West down out of the hills to grass country beyond,’ he replied. ‘Then to the Forest of Thorns and through it to the mountains. I know of an old trail that climbs to Mogrom’s castle.’

 

‘We’ll have to be careful as we near the mountains,’ Nyssa said. ‘Mogrom will have goblins searching for us.’

 

‘Indeed she will,’ Eldor agreed grimly. ‘Come, let’s wake Jena and be on our way.’

 

* * *

 

Mogrom had left Dom alone in the hall. She had warned him not to try and escape though as there were many hungry morgs in her castle. So he sat in the deep seat of her throne, starting at every flickering shadow. Time went by without Mogrom returning and he started to doze off. Then quite suddenly a cold shiver went down his spine and came wide awake.

 

He looked toward the door and terror snatched his breath away.  A huge morg was standing there, its orange eyes glaring at him hungrily.

 

Dom got to his feet trembling in fear, knowing that it wanted only one thing. To eat him! He looked around for somewhere to run and hide, but there was nowhere in the hall to go. He tried to cry out for help, but was so frightened he couldn’t utter a sound.

 

The morg stalked into the hall, its drooling jaws opened wide to reveal sharp fangs. It reached a spot only a few yards from the dais and Dom thought he was finished. Then Mogrom suddenly flew down the hall like a gust of wind and stepped in front of it.

 

‘Be gone, morg!’ she snarled angrily, her eyes blazing. ‘This does not belong to you!’

 

The morg backed away a little, glaring at Mogrom fiercely and uttering a low growl.

 

‘Annoy me and I’ll have your hide for a goblin’s bed!’ she snapped. ‘Be gone!’

 

The morg gave a vicious snarl, then turned and loped out of the hall. Mogrom watched it go and then looked down at Dom.

 

‘Did that nasty morg scare you, little gnome?’ she asked.

 

Dom nodded, still too terrified to speak.

 

‘Well don’t worry, it won’t return. Come, I’ve brought you something to drink.’

 

She held out a pale, bony hand. In her palm was a tiny, dark bottle.

 

‘Drink it,’ she urged. ‘It will make you feel better.’

 

At first something told Dom that he probably shouldn’t drink what was in the bottle. But Mogrom was gazing at him so intently that he suddenly felt as though he should.

 

He reached out and taking the bottle, pulled out its cork. He sniffed at its contents and smiled. It smelled quite good, so he tipped the bottle back and drank every drop. A sudden warm glow spread through him and he looked up at Mogrom with a grin.

 

‘That’s better, isn’t it?’ Mogrom asked.

 

Dom nodded and she cackled slyly. She picked him up and sitting down, put him on an armrest.

 

‘Now, you must tell me your name,’ she said slyly. ‘I would like to be your friend.’

 

Dom began to think that maybe Mogrom wasn’t such a bad person after all. He suddenly gave a bow, taking off his cap and sweeping it before him.

 

‘My name’s Dom, your majesty,’ he replied.

 

Mogrom cackled in delight.

 

‘My, my… such good manners! We’ll have to see about getting you something to eat later. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Dom?’

 

Dom was about to say that he would like that very much, when a sudden harsh cawing filled the hall. He looked up to see one of Mogrom’s ravens gliding toward them. It landed with a mad flapping of its wings on the other armrest.

 

‘Ah, my pet!’ Mogrom said as she gazed deep into its eyes. ‘What news to your bring?’

 

The raven cawed and Dom watched Mogrom’s eyes flare in anger. Her hands clenched into fists.

 

‘Lost them, eh?’ she said angrily. ‘Then keep looking my pet. Have all your brothers and sisters search for them. I must know where Eldor is!’