Chapter 11

 

 

Even as Lore crossed the floor, kicking at the rats to reach Dom, a deep rumbling filled the air. He knew they must have sprung a trap, but what kind he didn’t know. All he cared about was reaching Dom and the trap would have to wait.

 

The rats were fighting back, thinking they could overpower the larger creatures with numbers. They snapped and leapt at the trio, biting and scratching where they could.

 

But they hadn’t countered on a furious Lore seeing Dom so wounded. He jumped up onto the dais and scooping him up, snatched the staff up as well.

 

He then began to smash the rats with its pronged end. He smacked them away, sending them flying into the walls with heavy thuds. The rest quickly sensed they were loosing the fight and with shrill squeals, dashed to the airshaft. Within moments they were gone, leaving the trio breathing hard after the fight.

 

It was then they all became aware of the rumbling sound above them. They looked up to see the entire ceiling descending toward them, its forest of blades ready to impale them.

 

‘We’ve triggered a trap!’ Nye yelled above the rumble.

 

‘And the door’s closed behind us!’ Nyssa said in alarm and they looked back to see the stairs blocked by a door.

 

Lore quickly jumped off the dais, the blades almost low enough now to stab him. He ran to the door and felt around its edges, looking for a trigger to open it again.

 

‘It’s shut for good!’ he said grimly. ‘There’s no way to open it.’

 

‘My bracelet!’ Jena said quickly. ‘Give me my bracelet and I’ll get the door open.’

 

‘Of course!’ Lore said and quickly put Dom on the floor, as did Nyssa with Jena.

 

Jena quickly gave Dom a hug, worried about all the scratches on him, but glad he was safe.

 

‘Are you all right, Dom?’ she asked.

 

‘Yeah, I’ll live,’ he said with a weary croak. ‘Just get us out of here!’

 

Jena smiled and taking the bracelet from him, slipped it on her wrist. It instantly began to glow brighter and she turned to the door. A look of deep concentration filled her face and she made a sweeping motion with a hand. With a sharp crack, the door split down the middle and with a rumble, tumbled into the chamber. Then they dashed out of the chamber, escaping the trap that would surely have killed them all.

 

* * *

 

It was midmorning in the world outside and Berrin was sitting in a tree near the tomb’s building. A full night had gone by since Dom had ventured into it and there had been no sign of him or the others.

 

She was starting to get quite worried, when suddenly a huge rumbling came from somewhere underground. It made the ruins tremble and the trees shake. Then a series of booming shocks split the air and a cloud of billowing dust burst from the entrance to the tomb.

 

Trall appeared from his hut, fear on his face as he looked at the building. Other boglins were milling about in panic and then out of the cloud of dust stepped Nyssa with Jena on her shoulder. Her bracelet was alight with magic and Trall was suddenly picked up by an ankle and held upside down.

 

Berrin leapt from the tree and ran over to them as Lore and Nye appeared. Then Nyssa stepped up to the hanging Trall, her face dark with anger.

 

‘You will tell your boglins to lay down their weapons!’ she snapped. ‘Or we will use our magic against you.’

 

Trall gave a yelp of terror and quickly nodded.

 

‘I do what you say!’ he whimpered. ‘Don’t hurt me!’

 

‘You deserve worse for what you have done to Mebin’s people,’ Nyssa said. ‘We will be taking them with us when we go. You are not to follow us.’

 

Trall nodded, terror clearly overcoming his earlier cruelty.

 

‘The get out of my sight!’ Nyssa said and he was suddenly dropped in a heap on the ground.

 

He was up on his feet quickly and with a fearful yelp, fled into the jungle. His fellow boglins followed him and all quickly vanished.

 

Then Mebin appeared, wonder on his face as he approached.

 

‘My friends, it’s so good and amazing to see you,’ he said. ‘I thought it a very slim chance that Dom would find you all safe.’

 

‘We almost didn’t make it, Mebin,’ Lore said. ‘But Dom’s injured and needs attention.’

 

‘Then come to my hut and we’ll see to him,’ Mebin said. ‘Then we shall have a feast to celebrate your return.’

 

* * *

 

It was almost evening by the time they got ready for the promised feast. After their wounds had been seen to, they had stripped out of their filthy clothes and fallen asleep, thoroughly exhausted from their ordeal. Even Berrin, who had stayed awake all night fretting about their fate. They slept the rest of the day away and on waking, found their clothes washed and dried again.

 

‘I’m famished!’ Dom said as he pulled on his clothes. ‘What do you think is for dinner?’

 

‘Oh, I think it will be a fine feast, Dom,’ Nye said. ‘Mebin’s folk will want to celebrate their freedom.’

 

‘Are they really coming back with us?’ Jena asked.

 

‘I’ll certainly be offering it to them, Jena,’ Nyssa said. ‘There is nothing for them here and it will be a wonder to see Eldor when we return with some of his folk… alive after all these years.’

 

‘I wonder if he’ll be able to use Racos’ staff?’ Dom commented, the wizard’s staff having being carried out of the tomb by Lore.

 

‘Maybe. We’ll find out I guess when we give it him,’ Lore replied.

 

‘Well, let’s join our new friends,’ Berrin urged. ‘Dom’s not the only one who’s hungry!’

 

Everyone laughed at that and they all stepped out of the hut. Then halted as they discovered Mebin’s folk gathered in the clearing in front of it. The whole village seemed to be present, young and old alike. Then Mebin stepped forward and bowing low before them, straightened with a beaming smile.

 

‘Three cheers for our heroes!’ he shouted in delight.

 

The whole clearing erupted in cheers and everyone surged forward to congratulate them. Then they were led where tables had been set up and once seated, food was served and the feast begun.

 

Night came and the clearing was lit up by the strange crystal lights. Many hours passed as they ate and chatted and a happy, festive cheer filled the air.

 

Nyssa and Lore talked at length with Mebin and some of the other elders of the village. They all agreed that they should return with them to Lendor. There was nothing in the jungle for them and whilst the boglins had vanished for the moment, they would return once Jena’s magic left.

 

Songs were sung as the night grew older and there was dancing under the stars. It was well after midnight when the last went to bed, Dom of course being one of them.

 

In the morning they prepared to leave the village. They packed plenty of food and water for the crossing of the Dead Sands, strapping it to a dozen Thads they would take with them. Splutter was one of them, much to the delight of Dom and Berrin.

 

And so around noon the six adventurers and nearly three hundred humans departed the jungle village. They travelled slowly, there being no rush to reach their destination. The journey over the Dead Sands was hot and hard, but they had plenty of water and food.

 

They reached the Scorched Desert and arrived some days later at the tents of the Desert Elves. Here they rested for several days before heading north and the journey over the Bleak Mountains.

 

* * *

 

Eldor the wizard was sitting outside his cottage in his rocking chair when he became aware of visitors approaching. He smiled at the intrusion, a welcome one as always by his good friends in Lendor. He figured that it was Nyssa and their friends returning from their journey to visit the desert elves and dropping in to say hello.

 

He marked the place in the book he had been reading and looked across the clearing toward the surrounding forest. It was nearly noon and he wondered whether he had enough food in his cottage to make lunch for whoever was coming.

 

He smiled again as he saw Nyssa and Lore step clear of the forest, Jena and Dom with them as well.

 

‘Well, well… so you’ve returned from visiting Berrin have you?’ he greeted them as they came up the pebbled path to where he sat. ‘Wasn’t she coming back with you to celebrate Nyssa’s birthday in a few weeks. You know I haven’t forgotten that.’

 

‘Berrin’s coming, Eldor… and Nye with her,’ Nyssa replied with a small, secretive smile that made him frown.

 

They all had tiny smiles on their faces, hiding something from him for sure.

 

‘Well, how was your trip south?’ he asked. ‘What did you get up to?’

 

The four of them looked at each other and Eldor got the impression they were unsure of what to say next. He truly was intrigued.

 

‘You didn’t get yourself into trouble, did you?’ he asked a little worriedly.

 

‘We… we had a little adventure,’ Jena replied.

 

‘Ha! I knew it!’ Eldor laughed.

 

‘Yes… we had a little adventure,’ Dom agreed. ‘And we found… someone.’

 

Eldor looked shocked.

 

‘You don’t mean you found Mogrom out there in the desert?’ he asked. ‘She’s meant to be still a prisoner of Ashmon, but…’

 

‘No, it wasn’t Mogrom, Eldor,’ Lore interrupted. ‘We… we just found someone you’d like to see.’

 

With that he gave a wave at the trees behind him and Berrin and Nye stepped into view… and then some folk he never thought he would ever see again.

 

Jena watched as Eldor slowly rose out of his chair, tears welling in his eyes at the sight of Mebin and his folk crowding into the clearing. They came forward with smiles and she watched him struggle to find his voice. When he did it was an emotional whisper.

 

‘Good… good wizards! Wherever… wherever did you find them?’

 

Nyssa took the stricken wizard by the hand.

 

‘Let’s go inside, Eldor and we’ll tell you all about it.’