Chapter 8

 

 

It took Eldor and Nyssa much of the night to trek down out of the Barren Hills. They slept the day away in a small wood and then set out again at dusk across rolling plains covered in knee high grass. Around midnight heavy clouds began move across the sky and a chill wind began to blow. It soon began to rain and it wasn’t long before they were good and soaked.

 

But when the dawn arrived the rain stopped and as the sun came up a thick mist rose from the ground. Eldor was glad of it because it would hide them from any of Mogrom’s ravens. Shortly they entered another small wood and followed a narrow trail. Then around midday Eldor stopped as the trees began to thin.

 

‘There is a river just ahead and a bridge to cross,’ he said. ‘It will be guarded this close to the Midnight Mountains, so we’ll have to be wary.’

 

He led them forward a short way and the mist lifted a little. He stopped again and through the trees they saw a narrow stone bridge arching across a river.

 

It was also guarded by three goblins.

 

‘Curse this mist!’ one of them complained. ‘We’ve been soaked all night by rain and now this.’

 

‘That’s right!’ agreed a second. ‘Can’t see a thing in it and anything could sneak up on us!’

 

‘Quit your grumbling!’ growled a third. ‘Mogrom will have your heads for whining. Come on, it’s time you walked the bridge.’

 

The other pair muttered more complaints, but shouldered their spears. They then turned across the bridge and disappeared into the mist.

 

‘Stay here whilst I deal with these three,’ Eldor whispered.

 

He moved out of the trees and quickly stalked up behind the remaining goblin. He whacked it on its head with his staff and it fell to the ground. Then he darted across the bridge after the other two.

 

Nyssa and Jena waited some anxious moments, then sighed in relief as Eldor reappeared on the bridge. He waved for them to join him and they quickly joined him. Here they found the other two goblins lying senseless on the ground.

 

Beyond the bridge a tangled mass of trees loomed out of the mist. It was the Forest of Thorns and Jena easily guessed why it had been named so. Its trees were not very tall, but grew close together with twisted limbs and branches. They had few leaves, but bristled with long sharp thorns.

 

Eldor led them to the start of trail through it. It was very narrow and obviously hadn’t been used for some while. It wasn’t long before Eldor and Nyssa had to stoop under low branches, with thorns pricking their clothing. Nyssa was carrying Jena with both hands, holding her protectively. Even one thorn would hurt her quite badly.

 

Then around midday the mist lifted away and a blue sky appeared above. The forest began to thin and they saw the slopes of the Midnight Mountains ahead. Its high, rocky cliffs soared out of the ground like dark waves of stone.

 

Then a hoot suddenly sounded above them and Eldor stopped.

 

‘Moonwing says there are many goblins nearby!’ he said. ‘Mogrom must have guessed I might try this way.’

 

‘Where is the trail up the mountains?’ Nyssa asked.

 

‘Not far, but we shall have to hurry!’ he replied urgently.

 

They stepped out of the trees and began to climb up a steep slope toward a narrow canyon. Yet they were only half way up when shouts rang out to their right. They saw dozens of goblins charging toward them.

 

‘Run!’ Eldor shouted and he and Nyssa bounded up the slope.

 

Jena was on Nyssa’s shoulder again and hung onto one of her braids. She could look back at the pursuing goblins and saw them hurling spears to bring them down. They clattered and smacked on the ground around them, some only barely missing.

 

Then they reached the canyon and Eldor led them into its shadowy depths. It shortly ended at a sheer wall where a narrow tunnel burrowed into the mountain stone. They raced inside and Jena could see daylight a short way ahead. But Eldor slid to a stop about half way along it.

 

‘We can’t let the goblins follow us,’ he said as he looked back down the tunnel. ‘They’ll catch us in the mountains.’

 

The goblins were by now were nearing the tunnel’s entrance. Eldor raised his staff, its orange crystal glowing brightly. He pointed it at the ceiling of the tunnel near the entrance and a sharp crack filled the air. Then a deep rumbling erupted as the entrance caved in.

 

‘There, that will hold them back,’ Eldor said in relief.

 

‘Is there another way up the mountains from the forest?’ Nyssa asked as they headed off again.

 

Eldor nodded.

 

‘Yes, but it will take them several days to trek around to it,’ he replied. ‘By that time we shall have reached Mogrom’s castle.’

 

They quickly emerged from the tunnel into a narrow canyon. Climbing up one wall were old, worn steps. With Eldor leading, they headed up them.

 

* * *

 

For the next two days they climbed high into the Midnight Mountains. The weather turned cold and wet, with a gusting, moaning wind. It was even colder at night. There was no wood for a fire and they slept cold and miserable in small caves Eldor found.

 

But the weather cleared on the morning of the third day. Late afternoon found them climbing up a steep mountain pass. On reaching the top they found themselves on a wide shelf of rock that jutted out from a towering mountain wall.

 

‘Are we near Mogrom’s castle, Eldor?’ Jena asked.

 

The wizard nodded.

 

‘This is the last climb to make, but from here it grows very treacherous,’ he replied. ‘Come, let us rest and eat whilst we can.’

 

They settled down near the edge of the shelf to eat a late lunch. Munching on some bread and cheese, Jena wandered over to the edge of the shelf. She peered down the way they had come, the lower mountain peaks far below.

 

Suddenly she noticed movement there. There were tiny black shapes wheeling about in the air and they were rising toward them. Then she recognized what they were.

 

‘Eldor!’ she cried, running back to the wizard and Nyssa. ‘Ravens are coming!’

 

Eldor jumped to his feet.

 

‘We mustn’t let them see us or they will tell Mogrom where we are!’ he said. ‘Come, I know a place where we can hide, but we’ll have to run!’

 

Nyssa scooped Jena up as Eldor grabbed their packs. They then fled across the shelf toward the looming mountain wall. As they reached it they heard the harsh cawing of the ravens coming closer. Eldor led them along the wall till he came to  narrow crack in the stone.

 

‘There’s a small cave inside,’ he said. ‘Quick now, in you go!’

 

Nyssa slipped through it and found it widening into a small cave. Eldor followed, squeezing through just as the ravens came cawing across the shelf. Their dark shapes flashed past the entrance and their cawing faded away.

 

‘That was close!’ Eldor exclaimed. ‘We won’t risk travelling again till night.’

 

‘How much further do we have to climb, Eldor?’ Nyssa asked.

 

‘Not far. We should reach there by midnight... and the full moon rises with it!’