The Curse of Outpost 7

"Taco?" Dorak asked, quietly at first, then louder when he got no response. "TACO?"

Taco was standing in a grass field looking eye to eye with a large black and white cow. Both he and the cow had steam rising from their foreheads. Taco looked up at Dorak and blinked.

"I am having a conva...confro...confus.... I am talking with cow." He said finely with a grin. "She good cow, have beautiful leather. Taco like leather."

"I hope you're not planning to eat that cow. That would bring the Town's militia down on our necks." Dorak said. M and Fangorn stared in disbelief at the mountain Troll and his cowfriend.

"No, me like cow."

"Good, then say your goodbyes and lets move on. We have to find a house." Dorak moved off, Fangorn followed as quick as he could, but M lingered and watch Taco. Taco Mooed a few times and the cow mooed back, and then he joined M.

"You're a strange one, you know that Taco." M said and they followed after Dorak and Fangorn.

"Where girls?" Taco asked.

"They had some errand to do, apparently." M said. "I don't like that. They should stay with the group. Girls are bad luck. They don't belong on this sort of deal."

Taco just smiled.

Soon they were walking amongst the dark forms of the houses. Stone, timber and mud walled homes of very simple construction with thatched roofs. Candle light could be seen from most windows as night had fallen quickly. A cold air breezed down from the distant, snow capped mountains, and smoke rose from every chimney.

"What house are we looking for?" M asked as he and Taco closed the distance.

"A house with a emblem above the door, a pick and a hammer, crossed." Dorak said.

"A dwarf's house!" Fangorn quipped. Dorak nodded.

Taco let out a long sigh. "Too many Dwarves in this story." He mumbled to himself. "Damn shiny tower people."

Soon they spotted it, at the end of an alley, sitting by itself, a long, low standing house with a heavy thatch roof atop walls of large, cut stone.

"Uh, Taco not fit in house." The troll said with another sigh.

Dorak pounded on the five foot, solid wood door. Slowly it creaked open and there stood an older dwarf whose pure white hair and beard was offset by the black leather armor he wore and rough, black cloak.

"Enick?" Dorak asked, but he was sure it was him.

"Yes, and you must be the Blacksmith." Enick said in a gruff, but calm voice. He stood a foot taller than Fangorn, but shared the same bull like physique. "I have good news for you. I found an entrance."

Dorak looked about the alley, not wanting anyone to overhear this conversation.

"Excellent. Enick is our Guide. He used to mine up in the Tok pass."

"Come inside, eat, drink, and sleep. We can leave in the morning." Enick said, motioning them to come into his low house. Fangorn strutted in easily, but Dorak and M had to bend low.

Taco bent down and looked.

"You too Troll." Enick said. "We mustn't be out in the streets too late. It will definately bring attention from the night watchmen."

Taco huffed, and then, on hands and knees, crawled inside the dwarf's home.

Enick looked around cautiously, satisfied there was no one watching.

"You are missing someone?" Enick asked.

"Yes, they will be along later tonight. Its okay, She won't be noticed, she is a good thief." Dorak said from somewhere inside the candlelit interior.

Enick nodded, took one more look, then slammed the heavy door shut.

The pitchfork came in handy as the Walking dead charged in and around the group. It's forked head easily pierced through skulls. At one point Konradr stabbed through two skulls in one and forked the lifeless beings at the feet of some of their friends.

Kilanos had salvaged an arrow and took aim with his horsebow as a very large Dragr rushed at him and Oddvar.

"Let him have it!" Oddvar shouted. This outburst made Kilanos jump and the arrow flew into the dead man's shoulder. That blow would have humbled a living man, but the Dragr didn't even notice.

Kilanos shot Oddvar a glance.

"Oops, my bad. Hold on." Oddvar said, and he rushed up to the dragr and hacked it's shoulder off. retrieving the arrow, he ran back and handed it to Kil.

"okay...gasp...try...gasp..again."

Kilanos had time to nock it and fire from the hip as the big dragr closed in on him grasping with the arm that was still attached. The arrow thunked directly into the thing's forehead and the Dragr fell like a sack of rotten potatoes.

"Yeah, baby, that's what I'm talkin' about." Oddvar shouted, but then a loud, creaking grumble could be heard from behind the group.

The burning inn's walls began to sway outward. This was the cue to everyone, Dragr and human alike, to run like hell. Like cockroaches they scattered as the walls fell away and the building collapsed in a pile of burning timbers and smoking ash. The dense black cloud blotted everything from view.

Oddvar, Edgar and Demie ran in one direction, while Konradr, Kilanos and Strider had dissappeared in another. Dragr moaned in the darkness of the black cloud.

"Damn, what do we do, do we rush back and find Konradr and the others?" Edgar asked.

"I think we should hide. These things aren't too smart." Demie said.

"That's a good idea missy." Oddvar said.

"What about your brother, the Shepherd?" Edgar said.

"He'll be fine. He'll think of something, probably hide better than us. He always had a little more sense than me. hahaha."

They ran behind the houses where the pastured areas were fenced off by huge hedgrows.

"Hedgerow?" Demie asked, following Oddvar's quick pace.

"No, hay!" He pointed beyond the hedgerow to several large hay piles. "We can hide and get some sleep too."

They burst through the hedgerow and eyed the pasture for any of the walking dead. Fortunately the only one's to be seen were still moving around the burned down inn. They ran across the pasture and leaped into the hay, burrowing in like gopher's. Oddvar huge self was soon completely buried in the hay. Moments later he was snoring.

Demie took one last look at the smoldering heap that had been the inn.

"Poor Templar and Natooka." She said. A tear fell down her cheek as she too crawled into the safety and the warmth of the haypile.


Dawn came painfully slow, with the sun creeping up from its far eastern berth beyond the great sea. It's rays warmed the earth and forced away the shadows of night. Demie, Oddvar and Edgar awoke to a terrible, thunderous hissing. They jumped from their haven, weapons ready, but the hissing came from the village.

The sunlight hurt their eyes but shaking it off , they headed in the direction of the former inn to see what the sounds were. From the opposite side of the village, three columns of brown smoke dotted rose into the sky.

The Trio halted at the corner of a wall and peered around into the street. Several Dragr ran like drunken beasts, their skin burning from the sun's rays. They hissed like corneredd animals, but there was no escaping their doom as the sunlight turned their rotten flesh to ash.

Piles of ash lay everywhere, many in old, torn clothes marking them as the remnants of Dragr.

Kilanos suddenly appeared. He walked to a huge pile of ash that had one of his arrows sticking out of it. He pulled the arrow out of the ash, wiped it off on his pants, and placed it in his quiver. "16." he muttered.

"Kilanos!" Oddvar, Demie and Edgar yelled out as they ran over to their friend.

"There you are!" Kilanos said. "I knew you guys would be okay. Konradr thought the worse of course. I think he even cried for you Oddvar."

"Hahaha, now I know your lying Kilanos." Oddvar said as he embraced the taller man. "How'd you fare?"

"We hid in a haystack on the otherside of the village." Kilanos said.

"Where is Konradr and Strider?" Demie asked.

"They'll be along shortly." Kilanos said, and then he pointed to the three rising columns of smoke. "They are using the hay to burn those damn Barrows. That will take care of the Dragr once and for all."

Suddenly the ground below them began to vibrate, then a hole appeared, followed by a dirty hand. Kilanos quickly nocked an arrow in his bow, and Oddvar and Edgar pulled their swords and waited. The hole grew larger and a head poked up, covered in dirt and squinting into the sun.

"Hey guys." The excited voice of Templar said as he pulled himself out of the hole. He sat on the edge and reached down, pulling first his large hammer out of the ground, and then the equally dirty Natooka.

"Kiefy keef!" Demie said as she rushed forward and hugged first one then the other. "I thought you were dead."

Templar smiled. "Who me? Nah!"

"I forgot he was a dwarf." Natooka said as he dusted himself off. "There born with miner's instints. As the building collapsed he began burrowing like a mole!"

"This is going to be a good day after all." Edgar said, sheathing his sword.

"That it will be my good man." Strider said as he appeared out of the sun like a golden ghost. His ever present smile leading the way. Konradr appeared after him.

"That takes care of that." Konradr said. "Good job, all of you. You fought well. I'm proud of you and I will let Surt know how you did."

"What now?" Kilanos said.

"Let's eat, and rest a little longer if you need it. We have the hardest part ahead of us." He said, pulling his leather helmet from his matted, sweat smeared hair.

"Harder than this?" Oddvar asked, waving a hand at the battlefield around them.

"Yes." Konradr said. He pulled a leather skin from his shoulders and took a drink, passing the skin around for all. "I told you we were closer to Tok Pass than those on the Eastern road?" All nodded.

Konradr pointed to the high mountains that loomed above the red mesa's and grassy fields here around the village. "That's because we are on the flank of the pass. We will climb that mountain, and when we reach the top, we will be at what is left of Outpost 7 and the very top of Tok pass."

All heads leaned back and looked high up at the mountain before them. The Groan of pain was universal.

M led the way, followed by Enick and Fangorn, then Dorak. M watched every turn in the road cautiously as they moved along. Stefanopolis and her newly appointed thief apprentice, Whisper, had returned in the night and now were walking at the end of the column with Taco.

They had left the Village before dawn. It was easy enough. All the night watchmen were at the Eastern end of the village watching a great fire that burned from a valley in the red lands far to the southeast.

Now they walked without the encumbrance of monk robes. They were armed with weopons, backpacks, rope, bedrolls and armor.

Taco kept an eye on the mountain side to the East.

Suddenly there was a feint vibrating on the packed dirt of the road. Taco and M both noticed it and stopped. M placed his ear to the ground, while Taco pulled out his tombstone shaped shield and tiny, but deadly sword.

Soon all could feel the ground rumbling and the distant pounding of hooves.

"What is it?" Dorak asked as he looked back in the direction of the village. "A Royal Army patrol?"

M stood and nocked one of his blood red arrows. "No. They are not coming from the village. They are coming from the pass."

The bowstring quivered as M drew it back to his ear. He whispered gently, "Sing a song of death agarsul. Be true to the heart of my enemies." and he waited.

Fangorn hefted his great hammer/pick and Enick a double bladed axe, Dorack strapped on his teardrop shaped shield and readied his wide bladed bastard sword "Iron death".

Taco sniffed the air.

"Fifteen. Wild ones, from the Talath gaya. They smell bad." He said, his usual grin now gone as battle lust flowed into his eyes.

"Yes." M said, "Horsed raiders from the Talath gaya." He spat in disgust.

"Girls, go hide." Taco said.

"Not me." Stefanopolis said angrilly as she pulled her long, rainbow painted sword from her back sheath. "I've been waiting to dip this in someones blood." She also pulled out a small, heart shaped buckler.

"If you're not hiding, then I'm not hiding." Whisper said, even though all she had was an 8 inch dagger her sister had given her.

Taco shook his head. "Okay. Then you stay close to Taco" He then pulled out a mace and handed it to Whisper. "Use this first, then pointy butter knife." and now he grinned.

The rumbling grew louder and soon a band of fifteen horsemen appeared around the bend before them. They were clad in black and brown leather rags and pieces of fur. They wore round metal, cone shaped helmets with horse tails flying from the backs and black fur trimmed around the edges. some had short bows, other's war hammers, swords, or axes. One or two had spear's and javelins.

"Here they come." M spoke softly, almost lovingly to his bow. He smiled as he drew a bead on the leading horseman and let fly the arrow.

The arrow flew straight towards the leading horseman, it's black blade carved like an eagle's head seeking blood.

Tajimoki was in the lead, and he was the leader of this band of raiders from the far west. He was dressed in brown furs and a rusted, steel breastplate with the same, metal cone shaped, fur trimmed helmets as the others, but the horsehair tail that dangled from the back was red, not black. at the back of his right leg, hung from the saddle was a gortyos of a dozen black arrows and a short, black bow. At his side was hung a curved dagger, and slung across his back was a long two handed cleaver like single edged weapon.

M's arrow flew with barely a whisper, but Tajimoki instinctively bent backwards at the waist and the eagle headed arrowtip glanced off the metal breastplate with a grating spark and continued on.

The Horsemen following directly behind the leader was suddenly punched off his horse with a red arrow embedded deeply into his chest. He fell off the horse, dead before he hit the graveled road.

"Ojimoh! Naktia jahish!" Tajimoki yelled through gritted teeth as he rose and pulled his two handed cleaver from his back. He guided his galloping steed with his knees. "Arrakzi!! Arrakzi!!"

"Arrakzi!!!" His men growled as they two pulled weapons and followed the commands their leader had called out. Five broke to the left, some riding in the rough rocky shoulder of the road, five veered to the right where the shoulder of the road was wider and less rocky, and the remaining four, along with Tajimoki, stayed in the center forming an inverted V formation. They called it the 'Bull's Head' (Naktia Jahish) They thundered towards the line formed by Dorak's group.

M shot another arrow at Takimoji, but a lightning fast swing of his giant cleaver split the arrow in two and it clanked off his metal breastplate harmlessly. He nocked another arrow and dodged to the left, getting in amongst the boulder's there. He loosed one at a horesman that suddenly reared up before him. The arrow dug deep into the horse's flank and the beast fell over, throwing its rider to the ground. The rider jumped up brandishing a hand axe with a moonlike blade.

"Arrakzi!!!" The man yelled as he rushed at M, swinging his axe left, right and diagonally. M flipped back over the boulder and tossed his bow down. He drew his long black bladed Elven forged sword just as the wild horseman was upon him. The blade sparked as he parried the next axe blow, and then sang with a whisper at M thrust it deeply through the man's throat and out the back of his neck. The horseman gurgled a curse, spat blood onto M's face, then fell limp onto the boulder. It took a few minutes to pull the blade free.

Tajimoki bore down on Taco, he stood in his stirrups squeezing the frothing horse with his knees guiding it to the left of the mountain troll while he raised his mighty two handed cleaver.

"Eat this!" Tajimoki said in Taco's own troll language, and he swung the blade down and up in an underhanded arc meant to slice his target from the groin straight up to the face, that is, if he still had been standing there. Taco spun around, his tombstone shaped shield snapped against the blade as it passed by and Tajimoki cursed as his horse galloped well beyond the mountain troll.

Taco looked for the girl's who had been behind them, but they were not there anymore. A whimper behind him made him look quickly back. Both girl's were directly behind him. They had moved when he moved.

"Good." He grinned, "My little shadows."

Another horseman had charged them. This one pointing a long black spear at Taco. Whisper yelled "Noooo!" and swung her mace upwards. The spiked metal head of the mace, popped the spear's point up and the Horseman died with a look of surprise on his face as he jabbed at air, and taco cut him across the chest, arm and then stabbed in him in the back as he passed by. The horse trotted to a stop and the horseman's body fell off onto the road.

A black horse suddenly thundered up with a large, bearded warrior atop it, swinging a flail. He was intent upon crushing the skull of Stefanopolis. She braced herself, then smiled and winked at the man. The horseman was still intent on killing her, but suddenly lost focus when Stefana, princess of thieves and queen of the redlight district exposed a little more of her ample bust and licked her lips.

CRAACK! The flail man was suddenly sent flying as Taco bashed him with his shield. The big man rolled onto the ground, loosing his flail. He grabbed at his dagger but Stefana was above him, her rainbow painted sword poised straight down held in both hands.

"You won't be needing these anymore doll!" She said a half a second before thrusting the blade hard and deep into the man's groin, blood burst out in a stream and the man howled like a wounded dog. The howl was cut short by several hard blows of a mace. Blood sprinkled across whisper's face.

"Arrakzi!!!" Three horsemen were yelling their Talath Gaya warcry as they galloped hard towards Dorak, Enick and Fangorn. Suddenly both Dwarves flew into a whirling frenzy. The knee's of two of the horses were either crushed by a hammer or cut in two by a heavy bladed axe. The Horses screamed and fell hard, face first into the ground. One rider had been leveling his spear at Dorak, but the spear tip now bit into the ground and the rider was pole vaulted head over heals onto the road. As he sat there dazed, the wide blade of 'Iron death' hacked his head from his neck just below the jawline. Blood geysered like a fountain as the body slumped over and the head rolled away.

The other rider rolled off when his horse crashed and he jumped to his feet quickly. He had lost his sword. Dorak rushed at the man, holding his blood drenched bastard sword at the ready. The Horseman pulled two thick metal bars from his belt. They were attached to eachother by a short length of thick metal chain. With one hand he began to swirl one bar around above his head. Dorak got close and CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! The bar, swirled in an arc slammed against Dorak's buckler, denting it and forcing the blacksmith back. One swing came in flat towards the man's head, and had it connected would have surely crushed his skull. A red arrow suddenly sang over Dorak's shoulder and thudded deeply into the horesman's chest. He grunted with the blow, took another step still swinging the twin bar's of steel, before falling to the ground spewing blood from his mouth.

The third horse and his rider were brought down in a storm of hammer and axe blows from the dwarves. The horse's front legs were broken by hammer blows and it's rear legs were sheared off by the axe. As the beast fell over, it's rider tried to stand but had both leg's shattered at the knee's by Fangorn. The man fell onto his backside, where Enick's axe quickly cleaving his helmeted head into two pieces. Blood and brains splattered onto both heavy breathing Dwarves.

"Fall back to the right!" M yelled. "On me!" He nocked another arrow and sent it flying not at a man, but at his horse. The arrow bit up to it's feathers and the horse, blood flocking from its mouth and nose, stumbled then fell to the ground, throwing it's rider onto the road. Fangorn stopped to swing his hammer down onto the man's head and his skull 'Popped' like a rotten tomato.

Dorak, Enick and Fangorn, followed by Stefanopolis and whisper, reached M's position in the larger boulder's on the right of the road. They formed a circular defence. Taco stood his ground on the road as One horseman charged him with a leveled spear.

"I hate spear!" Taco said and with lightning reflexes he moved his shoulders out of the way of the point and grabbed the haft. Pulling hard, he yanked the rider from the saddle. The man fell hard, rolled to his feet and pulled a curved scimitar from his belt, and a buckler that had been strapped to his back. The buckler had a large metal spike sticking from its center and several smaller spikes along the entire rim.

"Arrakzi!!!" The smaller, bearded man said as he rushed towards the Taco swinging his scimitar, then thrusting, and swinging again. Taco danced with the man then shield kicked the bucklar. The spike's along the top rim jabbed the man in the face and he howled.

"You mom should have told you not play with pointing toys." Taco said, then he sliced left and then right in two quick flick's of his wrists. The man's leather breast guard, held on by a thick buckled strap over both shoulder's, suddenly slid down his waist as the straps were sliced off. The man stood in shock, then turned and ran away. Taco laughed.

The angel of battle suddenly spoke to the mountain troll and he spun around and threw himself backwards as Tajimoki galloped by and swung his mighty cleaver. The blade managed to nick off a corner of the Troll's shield, rather than his head. Taco fell to the ground and spun back up to his feet.

A red arrow whispered through the air. Again, seeking Tajimoki's heart only to miss as the wiley old warrior slid over onto the right side of his horse at the last moment.

Tajimoki rode on to rejoin his remaining men. They circled up on the far side of the road and formed line. The man on the ground was picked up by one of his comrades.

"We will meet again my friends." Tajimoki said in the common tounge. "Okishma tahosh!" he yelled harshly to his men. With that they whirled about and in a cloud of dust, they rode off back up the pass they way they had come. Soon they had dissappeared all together.

"Well done! well done!" Dorak said with a smile. M was not pleased. "I missed. twice."

"Good morning excercise." Taco said and he grinned like a giant boy.

"Do we need a rest?" Dorak asked. "Anyone hurt?"

None answered.

"Well then, let's continue on." All shouldered their weapons, checked their gear and again began the long walk up the road.

The group was about to head off on their way again when the sudden sound of the Clink and Clank of metal, the thudding of heavy feet on the gravel made them spin around, weapons, drawn and ready.

Lago, the fat Orc who was Stefana's self appointed bodyguard, appeared huffing and puffing with labored breath's. He was loaded down with backpacks, bedding rolls, sacks, water skins, rope, a glaive, an axe, two sheathed swords and jangling chainmail that hung over his large frame. He stopped when he saw the group.

"Hey! You forgot me!" He yelled in between heavy gasps of air.

"Oops!" Stefanopolis said, trying to hide a smile. "Sorry Lago."

Lago continued on towards them, only now noticing the dead Raiders and their butchered horses lying along the road.

"Damn, and I'm missing all the fun!"

Taco took some of the gear from lago's wide shoulder's and threw them over his own.

"There will be more fun to come." He slapped the Orc on the shoulder and they both laughed.

"Were you trying to loose him?" Whisper asked Stefana quietly.

"Yeah, he's sweet for an Orc, but I don't know if he's cut out for this." She said, but nevertheless she gave the green guy a hug and they all headed off down the road with M leading the way as scout.

"Well hells, they have Taco with them." He said to his black riding lizard Chevo. The creature snorted in the direction the scout was viewing with his spyglass, spraying the nearby rocks with caustic mucus.

"Oh come now Chevo. He's pretty smart once you get past the idiot savant routine and limited speech."

Chevo glared at the scout with what could only be described as incredulous. For a lizard anyway. Firalis Nostarios, barely known in the city of Barad' Dun as Smithy, lowered the spyglass and replaced the caps on it.

"And it appears as though they took care of the raiders." Said smithy. The lizard hissed at the mention of them baring her long fangs.

"Yeah I know honey. I know."

Smithy had planned to take the raiders during the night murdering them in their sleep or offering a few of them to the creatures who dwelled below Outpost Seven in the dwarven mines.

Smithy had encountered them in the past when he moved to the outpost as an unofficial curator, hoping that his squatting would be overlooked when he joined the ranks of the Royal Army. The creatures attacked when he lit the forge. They were like the lizardmen of the swamplands only they were the size of Shirefolk. Besides being excellent trapsmiths, they were as strong as a man and knew no fear. Smithy's only saving grace when he met the creatures who called their race Keovahl, was that they knew demonspeech. Smithy knew the language only too well thanks to his greatgrandfather. So after a few dead Keovahl to include the former chief, a deal was made where one would help the other but live apart. Whenever they had slaves from their own raids on caravans Smithy would translate. He would also try to buy the slaves and eventually free them to Barad'Dun. The two had even teamed up to kill a young dragon that tried to move into Outpost Seven. The bones of the dragon now were used as weapons in the form of his scimitar, dagger, and Khopesh and her scales were used in smithy's armor.

"Well they're headed for our home so lets-" Smithy suddenly noticed from his vantage point on the ridgeline the fading collumn of smoke in the distance.

"Lets go find out what happened to the village." Smithy jumped into the saddle and he and Chevo sped down the ridge in the direction of the village. He didn't care if the people with Taco saw him. He was a few miles away from them anyway. But maybe there were items that could be salvaged at the village. Because hey, they were probably dead. They wouldn't need anything.

The Troll had known, had sensed his prescence. Now M stood on a promotory watching the feint trail of flying dust leading into the valley. Everyone is trudging wearily past him.

"Do you see anything?" Dorak asked, stopping to wipe sweat from his brow.

"I see many things." M said cooly.

He points above them. All gather around Dorak and look where M is pointing. Just beyond the next curve in the steep road, can be seen a ridge topped by old, stone walls. The walls are jagged and gapped with piles of loose rock lying about their base.

"Outpost 7" M said.

"See anyone up there?" Dorak continued.

"No, not up there, but over there." He pointed to the side of the mountain leading up to the abandoned fort. Everyone squinted into the sunlight, but could see nothing. All that is except for Taco, who grinned.

"White headed shepherd." Taco said.

"Yes." M agreed. "Konradr's group is climbing the mountain. Normally, I would say they would beat us to the top, but they are moving very slow. Some seem to be afraid of heights. I have been watching them for the past half hour."

"Too far for an arrow shot I would say, eh? M?" Fangorn asked.

"Good, at least we know where our competition is." Dorak said.

"That is not all." M now pointed behind them, farther down the road where it stretches back along the valley floor. A very feint trail of dust can be seen heading across the valley.

"Rider. He had been watching us and is now heading to that burning village in the valley. He is moving too fast to be on a horse."

"Worg rider?" Lago said, a little fear escaping his thick Orcish throat.

"No." M said, "Lizard rider."

"Well, he's riding away from us, so he can't be a threat." Dorak said.

"I wouldn't say that." M said. "My bow sings to me when their is a threat. Now she hums. We must keep our eyes on the road behind us."

Dorak shoulders his gear again. "Okay, so if Konradr's group is moving slow, then we must pick up the pace. We will reach Outpost 7 before them." And with that, the blacksmith moved off briskly sucking in air and using long strides of his big legs.

M remains first staring at Konradr's distant group struggling up the mountains.

"Courageous fools." M mutters. He then thumps his left chest with his right hand held straight as a knife blade. It is a military salute, a sign of respect. He ends with a salute of his own, his right hand straight up, middle finger held stiffly in the sunlight.

M turns to see Taco eyeing him.

"You wouldn't know anything about that rider down the road, would you Troll?"

"Black lizard?" Taco asked.

"Yes."

"Puny man, in red armor?"

"Yes."

"No, Taco don't know him."

The Troll and the Wood elf stood a long moment staring into one another's eyes. Taco felt a warm breath on his knees and looked down to see Fangorn standing, looking up at him, Hammer/pick held comfortably across his shoulders, ready to swing at a moments notice.

"Problem here gents?" Fangorn asked. "Dorak is requesting you all to join the group, NOW!"

"Red arrows can find a Troll's heart too my friend." M said quietly.

"Not if Troll reach Archer first." Taco said calmly and clearly in reply. "Taco very good at killing."

"So am I." M said and then he and Fangorn left.

Stefanopolis and Whisper had been standing nearby, along with Lago who followed Stefana where ever she went. Taco began to walk again and the girls and Orc followed him. It was Stefana who spoke first.

"Is he cute?" Stefana asked.

"Who?"

"The man on the Lizard." She said.

"He ugly, but Lizard beautiful." Taco said.

"I thought you said you didn't know him?"

"I lie to Elf. No like him."

"Do you eat Lizards?" Whisper asked shyly from behind Stefana who was the closest to the Troll having no fear of males be they Troll or otherwise.

"Yes. Lizard make good steaks and wonderful leather!" Taco said with his usual grin.

"What about children?" Whisper continued, this time even more timid than before.

"No, not anymore. Little girl have no worry. Taco not eat her." He laughed at that. "Taco like little girl."

Whisper laughed too and now she edged out in front of Stefana to be closer to the Troll.

"What about wood elves? Would you eat one of them?"

Taco's face grimaced and he flicked his tounge as if spitting outs something distasteful.

"No, no, Wood elf have black heart, tastes like Charcoal. Taco no eat."

They all laughed until Dorak yelled. "Be quiet you fools! These rocks echo for miles." And they did. Dorak's words echoed loudly throughout the pass.

as they climbed the cliffs heading to the peak,edgar suddenly stoped,he others noticed and turned to see what had happened.konrad asked "whats wronge edgar whyed you stop?"i thought i heard something like echos from behind us we might wanna pick up our pace a bit"he replied.

upon saying this strider walked to a small ledge and looked out over the desert and then just barely was able to make out the aproching party"yes they are close that troll and his gang we should move a lil faster"he said."almost to the top just a lil farther everone"konrad said in the direction of natooka,demie and templar who followed just behind edgar,but as they began moveing again a loud crack was heard and suddenly in an instant edgar lost his footin and fell down the cliff face into the fog and out of sight.

demie and templar both reached out in vain to catch him as he fell yelling his name as they did so,but nothing could be done though no sound had signaled an end to his decent no crash against the rocks just silence the group was in shock,they hadnt realy gotin to know much about him but theyhad become strangly attached to the odd fellow and with a heavy sigh and a sad tone konrad said"we should move on a fall like that and there wouldnt be much we could do for him anyways.if hes ok he wouldnt want to slow us down im sure hell catch up to us he dosent seem like someone to meet his end in such a way anyhow"saying this with the best smile he could muster to reasure the others.

the group paused each thinking for a moment demie and templar with tears in her eyes and then turned to continue there climb as they wondered wether they would ever see edgar again.......

Whisper walked quietly besides Stefana not wanting to make any noises. Her mind wandered back to her original intentions of leaving with this group. Sure, she wanted to stay with Stefana to master her natural art of conning, but she wanted the wealth. If she could get her hands on the gold, she would be able to pay the elf she conned before and come back home.

"Home," Whisper muttered quietly.

Stefana looked at her questioningly.

Whisper shook her head. She missed her father. She wanted to know how her mother was doing. She looked up to the mountains, knowing Demie was there somewhere. She missed her sister.

Trying to cheer herself up, Whisper pulled out a rather small pouch of coins. She smiled at the weight on her palms. Not wanting to put it away yet, she twirled it around.

"What's that?" Stefana whispered, looking at her student.

"My first conned money." Whisper smirked, knowing that telling the story would take her mind off things. "I was just seven at the time. I was walking home when a guy came crashing out of a bar. I bet him all his money that he couldn't make a monkey come out of his shoe. Of course, conning a drunk is pathetically easy."

Stefana snickered and patted Whisper's head. "Good girl."

Whisper walked closer to Stefana and suddenly felt guilty. She looked around and now she felt guilty AND scared. Clearly, these were not the right guys to be messing with. If Whisper conned them, she might never get home.

Troubled thoughts ran through Smithy's mind as he sat at the base of the outpost mountain and pulled out his spyglass. He was no longer able to see the group that Taco was with. They were making good time. Damn. He would have to go up the face of the mountain to beat them to the outpost. Not a problem riding Chevo. He pulled down the demon like mask of a faceplate on his helm to deflect the wind and set Chevo to climbing. He thought back to few hours earlier when he witnessed the remains of the valley village. Every structure burned, some sort escape tunnel that was by the Inn, piles of ash that had clothing in it. Smithy looked back at the meager findings secured to Chevo's saddle in a sack. He nearly left that sack when he found a small body half buried in the rubble of the Inn. He had pulled the little girl out and saw half her head caved in. Then he saw her lightly burst into flames. It was then he knew what had happened the night before. He knew why the entire village had been burnt to the ground. Dragr. The walking dead. Smithy had no desire to be anywhere near the village when nightfall came, and Chevo having even more sense had refused to come within a hundred paces of the village itself. Whoever destroyed the village had saved those good people from a terrible fate. Now Chevo carried Smithy up the mountain quickly. She flowed around and over boulders like scaled water and traversed the rest of the rough terrain with equal grace. They were close to the top when they jumped across a gap in the rock and were surprised to hear startled cries and more than a few curses from inside the gap. Latching to the rock face on the other side they stopped, both rider and mount turning in unison to see who made the noise. They looked down to see a small group of people, half of which had weapons out, though from Smithy and Chevo’s elevated point only the archer posed a threat. After a short moment of each sizing the other up the man in the lead of the group spoke.

“Who are you? State your name and business out here?” He commanded.

Smithy said nothing as he turned Chevo around and into the gap. There was something about this man he recognized. Then recognition slapped Smithy in the face. The military man with the white hair. He had heard tales of this man in Alacian’s tavern.

Oddvar took the time of silence to move up next to Konradr. “He asked you a question. Answer.”

“I heard him. And I will.” Said Smithy smiling behind his faceplate. “I just never thought I’d meet the famous Konradr. Shepard of Barad’ Dun.” Smithy scanned the group once more noticing other iconic figures. “Or you Oddvar. Or Kilanos with the bow over there. I’ve even heard of fearless little Demi.” Smithy slowly stood in his saddle and pulled off his helm.

“My name is Firalis Nostarios, curator and smithy of Outpost Seven.” He sat back and replaced his helm.

“You mean you’re a squatter. The outpost was abandoned.” Said Strider as he revealed himself up on the walls edge that Smithy had just climbed down.

“Well before you pass judgment why don’t you see the condition that I keep the outpost in.” Said Smithy grabbing a length of rope from the back of the saddle and tossing it to Konradr. He nudged Chevo to resume climbing.

“There, it’s a dangerous climb. There is another group ahead of you and a good friend of mine is with them. I have to see if he’s in over his head.”
Smithy rode up the wall and around the bend of the mountain when Oddvar turned to Konradr.

“Wait, good friend in the other group?”

Konradr held up his thumb with its healing slash mark.

"I think I know." He said, and he smiled. "I do believe we can trust this man. Let's climb."

Oddvar looked up the rope shimmering down along a solid face of reddish rock.

"y'know, I should have took the road." he muttered.

"Come on." Konradr chimed in. "I know you don't like heights, want me to carry you?"

"As if. Hahaha" Oddvar chuckled.

Strider tugged on the rope. "It's good. Will take us to the top."

All moved to the rope, except for young Templar. He was still squatting by the edge of the ledge they were on, staring at the rock face leading off to the right.

"James, we're going." Demie said.

Templar looked back at them, then back to the rock face. He reached out with his hand and rubbed a flat, square stone sticking out.

Konradr stepped over to him, leaned down and looked at what the boy was so serious about.

"What is it?"

"look." He pointed at the square stone of a slightly yellowish color, unlike the mostly red of the rock face. "And there are more, leading around this rock face and up." He pointed further up. There were more square, flat rocks, hard to spot, maybe a foot in length, but definately in a lazy spiral heading around the rock face and leading upwards.

"What do you make of that?" Konradr asked, for he knew Templar had an idea, but was just unsure as to weather he should voice it.

"Carved by Dwarves." Templar said. "A hidden stairway."

"Leading to a hidden entrance to the mines!" Kilanos blurted out, joining them at the edge.

"Yes, a secret way in, or an escape. What you would call a 'Sally door', in the city." Templar continued.

Konradr stood to think, rustling his fingers through his mane of silver hair. "Well, Firalis pretty much confirmed that the other group were ahead of us in this race to Outpost 7."

He looked at the very narrow steps that led away and up around the sheer rock. He could see them clearly now.

"If we go to the hidden entrance, if it's still there after all these years, and wasn't sealed up by the army, then we may get a step on them." Konradr said.

Strider peered at the steps too and smiled. "Not to difficult, if a dwarf can do it, we can all do it."

Oddvar grimaced. "I'd rather climb the rope."

"Come on Oddvar, where's that spirit of yours?" Konradr asked.

"Back at the Tavern playing 3 dragon ante." Oddvar said. He was serious, but a moment later he laughed. "Oh what the hell. If I fall off, maybe Edgar will catch me down there."

"Good." He said, pulling rope from his pack. "Let's rope together and then get up that clever Dwarven stairway."

They roped together, then Strider led the way, followed by Templar and Kilanos, then Konradr and Oddvar. Demie was last, she took a look down off the ledge, where they had so recently lost Edgar, and said a silent prayer for him. They never heard him hit bottom, but would they have so far up? Perhaps, he was a big man, they would have heard something. Maybe he was still alive and well, he was after all, a trained Shuratai warrior and they were as agile and resourceful as they were deadly. She decided to leave a piece of cloth here on the ledge. She took out a pink scarf and placed it in a crude arrow, pointing to the stairway.

"Hope you are still alive Edgar, and that you find your way to us." And with that, she too began the gingerly maneuver of stepping from one flat, foot sized step to the other, with nothing below them but a sheer drop to oblivion.

After their arduos climb clinging to the rock face while gingerly stepping on foot long slabs of rock, Konradr's group reached a deep recessed ledge of rock. This spot would be invisible from above or below. They pulled eachother onto it and stood gazing upon an old, thick wooden door set deep into the rock.

"Get your weapons ready, and those candle lantern's I told you to bring." Konradr said. He looked to Templar.

"Can that hammer of yours burst in that door?"

Templar nodded and dropped his pack, grabbing the hammer by the lowest part of the grip. He was about to start swinging when Strider put a hand on his shoulder.

"Do Dwarves booby trap their doors?" he asked.

"No, they don't." Templar said. He started to swing again, but this time Kilanos chimed in.

"Dwarves don't, but their may be other's living in the mines now, that do."

Templar hesitated then looked at Konradr.

"True," The shepherd said, "But there's only one way to find out. Stand back, Templar, hammer away, but stay to the side."

Templar nodded, moved over, then began to swing his mighty hammer against the ancient timbers. The door shook. Dust sifted down from the rock. He hit it again and again. The rock began to tremble even ring a little like a bell. The wood creaked and groaned and began to splinter.

Soon Templar had tired too much to continued and slid the hammer so that it rested on the ground while he heaved heavily to catch his breath. Sweat had beaded his forehead, and dripped down the sides of his face. The door was covered in a spiderweb of cracks and fractures.

"That's pretty good, Kid." Oddvar said. He then lunged out with one of his thick legs and kicked the door hard. It CRACKED and a large, black hole appeared in the shattered wood. A chill wind suddenly screamed out of the hole, blasting dust outwards. Oddvar peered in.

"Don't see any booby traps, but I do see..." He squinted to get a better look.

"What?" Konradr asked.

"About a thousand beady little eyes!" He jerked back. "Hit the dirt!"

Everyone instantly dropped to the cold, reddish sandstone floor as a thousand, sputtering, squealing black bats stormed out through the hole in the door.

After the bats had flown off they stood and laughed.

"There's your booby trap Kilanos." Strider said. "Shall we venture in?"

Templar stood and hammered the rest of the door out of the way to reveal a dark, black abyss within.

Konradr stepped up with his iron lantern. The candle within was already glowing.

"Lead the way my Golden Shadow. And be careful." He handed the lantern to Strider. Peering in to the blackness, Strider smiled confidently.

"I always am my dear shepherd." With that, he slowly entered through the rock hewn doorway.

"I got your back Strider" Kilanos said as he nocked his bow moved in behind the thin, ranger. "I got that feeling, there will be...inhabitants, we will have to watch out for." The lantern cast a dull, yellowish light within but the bowman, dressed in his usual black tunic and pants, was completely invisible.'

Konradr helped Oddvar to his feet. "Let's go little brother." He said. Konradr had another lantern ready, as did Demie. "You two stay close." Templar and Demie nodded and then they all entered through the empty doorway into the mines of Dredd.

At the top of the pass, Dorak's group had reached the crumbled wall and gate that once blocked the pass. Here the Royal Army charged dues to allow traveler's and caravans access to either side. Now the walls were like broken teeth, jagged and useless. These only hindered but did not stop anyone from traveling along the road.

To the right of the road, above the pass, lay Outpost 7. It's walls also lay in the same state as the gate wall. Some parts still stood strong and firm, ten feet high and made of large, squared stone. But several areas had been breached and torn down. Heaps of shattered rock lay about the foot of large gaps in the wall.

M led the group off the roadway and up a steep incline of gravel and boulder's.

"Watch your footing." Dorak yelled as the rest followed.

He, fangorn and Enick were close behind M, while Lago and Stefana came next followed by the Troll and whisper. The boulder's were thigh high to Taco, but whisper dissappeared behind them like a phantom.

M suddenly stopped. He glanced over the remain's of the fort's walls. No one could be seen or heard, but of course M had Elf senses. His ears twitched. Slowly he drew a blood red arrow and notched it in his bow Agarsul.

"What is it?" Dorak asked. All had stopped to look. None could see anything on or beyond the walls. Even the buildings within the fort could not be seen from below. Only the old ramparts, what was left of them, and they were deserted.

M said nothing, but he cocked his head slightly to look down the slope through the corner of his eye. Taco was also staring up at the walls.

"Nothing elf." Taco grunted.

M nodded to Fangorn. The dwarve was hidden from view behind several boulders. He shoved the bottom of his great hammer beneath one and heaved. It creaked and then fell away, thundering down the slope. Enick did the same and another heavy rock fell crashing past Dorak.

One rock tumbled and bounced towards Stefana. It was Lagos, moving faster than anyone thought for such an overweight Orc, who pushed her out of the way. The rock careened down into the pass and smashed against the gate wall.

The other rock hurtled hard and fast towards little Whisper. She only had time to gasp. Taco, enraged with anger, tackled the rock, causing it to veer sharply off course and dissappear over the abyss that was the edge of the mountain. They never heard it hit bottom. Taco fumed, steam rising from his scalp.

M had not hesitated. He had his distraction, now he stood on a outcropping of rock, pulled his bowstring back to his ear, and after a few silent words, sent the arrow flying.

Taco hunched and brought up his shield, but the arrow was not directed at him. It flew off in another direction. He watched, and that's when he heard it. The clawed feet of a lizard, moving fast up the mountainside.

The arrow dissappeared. There was a shriek down below. Man or lizard, Taco couldn't tell. But the sounds of the lizard changed to another direction. Away from them, and in a hurry.

Taco looked angrilly at M. The elf stared back. Another arrow had been notched and readied.

"That lizard rider?" Dorak asked.

"Yes, but he won't bother us." M said cooly.

"Did you get him in the heart?" Fangorn asked with a wicked grin. "Poor bastard, of course you did. You never miss." Both dwarves and the Elf watched Taco intently.

Taco's hands gripped tighly around his sword hilt, but then slackened as a feint sound could be heard fading off down the pass.

"I am....Firalis...Nostarios.....and....I will...be....back." The words were labored and spoken with pain.

Taco looked off down the pass. He could see the tail of the giant lizard as it went rushing down the road at breakneck speed. The troll grinned. His old friend was not dead. Hurt perhaps, but still alive and true to his word. He would be back.

The anger began to well up again. Taco felt his skin begin to harden like bone, which always happend when he became so enraged. He looked up, but M and the other's were already moving on towards the broken walls of the fort.

"Hurry up you four." Dorak called out.

"Fools." Taco scoffed.

"That rock almost hit me." Whisper said. Taco grunted. "Trick. Keep Taco busy, shoot arrow at friend." Taco put a big hand on Whisper's head. She was so tiny. "You okay?"

She nodded.

"Good," He picked whisper up and slid her onto his back. She cradled his neck as best she could. "You watch for arrows, I watch for rocks." And they headed up the slope.

"Lago." Stefana said. "Thank you." She kissed the Orc gently on the cheek.

"Dangerous, we in the middle." Lago said. Wisdom out of the mouth of an Orc, who'd have thought it.

Stefana laughed. "Yes, we are stuck in the middle. Something tells me, if we want a share of that gold, we'd better stick close to the Troll."

Lago nodded.

"Hurry Orc, come on." Taco said as he passed the two. "And bring Stefan...stufor....nopo...er, blonde girl with you."

The two hurried to catch up and all headed up and through a mighty breach in the old, amber stoned walls of Outpost 7.

When out of bowshot, Smithy and his lizard slowed. An arrow was stuck in the man's dragon scale armor, right where his heart was.

"Son of a..." He grunted as he pulled the arrow out. "This is dragon scales for blessed sake!" A trickle of blood fell from the neat hole left over his heart.

He studied the arrow. It hadn't even dented or malformed.

"What devil's work is this?" Firalis muttered as the weapon's smith in his soul questioned the metal the arrowhead was made of.

He held the arrow aloft. Sunlight bathed the blade, and it began to glow. First a dull blue, then a bright red.

"Aha!" He exclaimed, then he grimaced. The wound in his chest, though not fatal, did hurt. "Dwarven metal. Mirtheil. Forged in a fire of Elven magic. Black magic no doubt." The man began to think, reaching deep into memory for a similar arrow construction. "Where was it, Mirkwood? Lothlorian? Damn, I know I've come across these before. A long, long time ago, in a land far away."

Chevo snorted.

"Girl, thank you for jumping like that and saving my pitiful life. If we had kept going full steam, this would have pierced me all the way through." He patted the soft, black skin of the lizard's neck.

He looked to the mountain.

"Dangerous, that woodelf." He stroked Chevo's neck again and thought hard on what to do.

"Chevo, I will have to leave you for awhile." The lizard bucked angrilly, but Smithy soothed her with more soft strokes to the neck. "Now, now. Go to that cave we used to hide out in. Stay hidden til I call for you."

He looked back at outpost 7.

"I'm going to have to find Konradr's group. They went in that old secret sally door on the side of the mountain. Its too small for you girl, and I don't want you going to Outpost 7. Not just yet."

Chevo spewed her acidic mucus at a nearby bush in protest. The bush wilted to a brown, muck within seconds.

"Now now girl. Just carry me to the cliff side where we left them. Come on, be a good girl." Smithy pulled a leather bag from his saddle kit and fished out a large, long dead mountain rat. He held it aloft. The Lizard began to froth at the mouth.

"Your favourite." He tossed it down and the Lizard's fanged mouth caught it in mid air and gulped the morsel down.

"Let's go now. I have to make up for lost time." The Lizard stepped off the road and began to climb along the side of the mountain. Firalis took another look at the deadly arrow.

"Son of bitch." He muttered again. "I will keep you for my own bow." and with that he put the arrow in his saddle mounted quiver.

Man and lizard moved as one in perfect balance as the animal climbed the rock face of the mountain.

"let's go quietly girl. I don't want anyone to know what we are up to."

The lizard moved as quietly as a salamander, heading back towards the spot they had last seen the white haired shepherd and his group.

Up ahead, they heard a feint voice cursing. A man hung for dear life on a tiny ledge of rock. He had long flowing hair and wore a blue silk robe with a silver dragon embroidered on its back.

"A bird lost from the nest." Smithy said. "Let's be good neighbor's, eh, chevo."

The Lizard snorted again, and off they went.

The more he thought about the current situation the more anger began to swell within Smithy. Two groups of people who could only be described as adventurers had come to the place he called home. From his point of view only one had been civil while the other which contained his 'friend' had introduced themselves by shooting him in the chest. Smithy didn't care anymore. He began pulling out the items he would need in the tunnels. The bone bow and quiver with its' newest arrow, Tic his scimitar and Toc the khopesh, the odd butcher-like knife he had found in the old armoury of the outpost, and lastly the war paint that the Keovahl had given him. The off white paint was special in that it would glow blue when humans and elves were near. Underground dwellers such as dwarves, and the like, the paint would not glow for.
Nor did it glow on Smithy. The only drawback was that it was made from diluted sulfur which Smithy didn't mind. He was done putting the paint on by the time he reached the the man clad in blue.

Smithy rode up next him and offered him a stirrup. "Step in and hold on to he saddle." Edgar did so silently and they rode up over the ledge. Both dismounted and Smithy began to write a note only half listening while the man he saved introduced himself. He said that his name was Idger or Edgar something and he was a swordsman from some country Smithy had never heard of.

"Well thats very nice and maybe some other day we could actually be friends. But honestly I don't care who you are but rather who you're with."

Edgar eyes narrowed at the insult. "You would do well to keep yourself humble. I am-"

"Going to deliver this note to Konradr." Smithy interupted. "Look you could possibly cut me down for my manners but know that if you do you will greatly diminish the chances of your friends within the mines." Smithy pulled a small backpack off Chevo's saddle and bade her to go as planned.

"What do you mean?"

"It's all in that note. Your friends went up these stairs and through the doorway therein. Come."

The pair made their way into the mines after lighting torches at the doorway. They moved quickly until they came to a junction.

"Your friends went that way." Smithy said pointing to a tunnel ladden with tracks. "Take these and go." He handed a ceramic footlong rod and the note to Edgar.

"Simply strike it on the stones to have daylight in these caves for about an hour." Edgar took and placed them beneath his robes.

"And whom shall I inform to Konradr that you are?" Edgar asked as Smithy walked away.

"Me?" Smithy paused for a moment to let some of the anger subside. "I am a builder of hope and woe. A creator of the tools of chaos and law." He shrugged. "I am Smithy."

Smithy left Edgar in the juction holding a mundane torch, wearing a confused expression. Konradr's group was now forewarned and had a member returned to them. Now he was on his way to warn the Keovahl about all of the intruders but to give Konradr some time.

Edgar made his way down the tunnel to where, presumably, his friends were. He unrolled the note, which was not sealed, and read it.


Konradr,

You showed me civility when we met and I shall now do likewise. I have alerted the Keovahl to everyone currently in the mines. But you unlike all others are forwarned and I shall speak on your behalf. You would also find it advantageous not to don a helm or hood. At least until you leave the mines. I have been accosted and spurned in the placeI call home. "Squatter" or not I will stand for this no longer.

Best of hunting to you and yours.

Smithy


Now Edgar ran hoping he would find Konradr in time.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! Came the thunderous sound of metal slamming against wood. The sound echoed off the stone walls of what was left of Outpost 7.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

"What!" cried Dorak. "Nothing? Not even a crack?"

Enick and Fangorn, both dripping with sweat, dropped their hammers and gasped deeply. Before them, set deep into a short tunnel in the rock, was a massive wood door laced with iron straps. No lock was visible which meant the door was bolted from within, probably by an a large iron bar. With each hit of the hammer's the wood would shake and the rock would vibrate, but no cracks were visible. The door was still sitting squat in its rock hewn hinges, unmoving and unyielding.

Taco tried to hunch down low enough to squeeze into the tunnel and have a look.

"Let Taco try."

"No, Taco, you're too big. You'll just get in the way." Dorak grumbled. "It's a damn dwarven door, let the dwarves knock it down."

Taco walked away sneering. "Dwarves."

"Finish the job!" Dorak yelled and then he too left the tunnel. Enick and Fangorn, rubbed their tired hands then again, hefted their mighty hammers and in alternating swings began to pound on the door again and again.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

Dorak stepped out into the sunshine. M came over from a nearby stone hut shaped like a barracks building. He had been snooping throughout the rubble and abandoned structures of the old fort.

"Anything?" Dorak asked.

"Someone has been living here." M said quietly.

"How do you know?" Dorak said, looking about the place. "I don't see anything"

M pointed down between Dorak's two large feet. The blacksmith looked down then jumped back. A large, semi-dry brown mass lay on the stone. It gave off a feint acidic smell.

"Lizard poop. Watch your step, it will burn your boots off." M said with a smile.

"That lizard rider." Dorak said. M nodded in agreement.

Taco stalked over to where the girls and Lago were sitting under an arch of stone that had once been a gate or doorway into a courtyard.

"Its okay, you tried. Just hang out with us." Stefana said as she sat and slowly stroked her rainbow bladed sword with a wetstone. Sharpening the steel slowly to a razor sharpness that would split leather like butter.

Taco hissed and kept going. He wanted to do something. He hated just standing around. The builder's of the fort had used the flat, steep rock of the mountain as the rear wall. It was sheer and solid like granite even though it was of the yellow, red and amber color. Taco found a spot and leaned against it to rest.

CRRRAAACCCKKKK! The rock Taco had leaned against suddenly shattered and the Troll dissappeared with a short Yelp, a cloud of rock dust and a cascade or what at first had appeared to be solid rock, but in fact turned out to be a cleverly mortared wall of stone brickwork.

A gaping hole was left where Taco had been standing. From within could be heard several lTHUMPS, as if someone where falling down a flight of stairs, and then finally a loud WHAM followed by a low groan.

Whisper ran to the opening right away.

"Taco! Taco are you alright?" She said in fear for the Troll's safety.

"Taco ok. Taco land on head." The troll, somewhere down below in the darkness, began to laugh, then he groaned again.

M, Dorak and the Dwarves suddenly rushed over.

"Well, good job Taco." Dorak said with a smile.

"Now we can move on." M said.

"I hope finding the rest of the way will be easier than this." Stefana said.

Dorak smiled and from his leather pouch he drew out an old, yellowing scroll.

"Oh yes, my dear, it will be. It most definately will be." He and M shared a silent smile.

The group cautiously ventured further inside the dark tunnel. With his lantern, Strider was able to see a good twenty feet infront of him. Demie holding the other lantern pointed it behind them, her and Templar watching the back.

''......This is strange.'' Templar said bluntly as he looked at the curved walls and ceiling. The whole group slowed their march, turning around to look at the dwarf.

''What is strange?'' asked Konradr.

''......These walls. They're too....perfect.'' said the dwarf.

''Perfect? It's just a mine shaft, how can it be too perfect, let alone decent?'' Oddvar said with a small chuckle.

''That's what i'm thinking. Regular minning tools would leave marks, edges, concaves, some kind of mark. But there's no depressions.....its as though something else did this.''

''....What do you mean something else?'' Demie looked at him oddly, twisting her head up and down the tunnel.

''Lets hope we don't find out.....'' Strider said in a calm voice as they began to walk down the tunnel. Everyone began to see what Templar was talking about. The dirt walls were strangly smooth, and the ceiling was too high for a group of dwarves to reach let alone chizel.

After some time going what seemed to be downward Strider suddenly stopped and peered ahead. Pointing his Lantern ahead of them, he gulped loudly as he feared what he had suspected. The tunnel had ended....with a fork in the way. There were now two paths instead of one.

The first path looked exactly like the one they were already on; strangely smooth and perfect. The other, however, was crude, large chunks of rock penetrating the surface.

''Templar, what about that tunnel?'' he said, pointing the obscene one.

''.....that's more like a dwarven tunnel. See here?'' picking his hammer up it used the small pike at the end as a pointer, picking out certain details. ''These rocks are hacked away with a pickaxe. You can still see the depressions in the stone from when they miss. And the surrounding rock was probably done with a great hammer. You can still see bits of rock on the ground.''

''Well that's the one we should go to, right?'' said Kilanos in a calm voice.

"Not nesseccarily'' said Konradr. ''We shouldn't jump to assumptions just yet. It could be a dead end.''

''Dwarves never stop digging until they get where they need. Saying a dwarf made a dead end on purpose is a bit offending.'' he said bluntly, puffing out his chest.

''Ok ok, keep it easy kid. Hey bro, why don't we each take a tunnel?'' said Oodvar, pointing his ''bigger then yours'' towards the perfect path.

''Splitting up might not be a good idea.'' Demie said quietly.

''Demie is right.'' said Kilanos.

''But Oddvar does have a point.'' Strider added on.

''Ok, ok, no need to argue. How about we each take a tunnel and a whistle?'' Konradr went to his pouch and pulled out two metal whistles. ''If we reach a dead end or some kind of trouble, one of us will blow on the whistle; that way the other group can rush to help the other?''

Everyone looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

''Ok, Strider, you lead with Oodvar, Kilanos and Natooka. I'll lead with Demie and Templar. We'll take the new path while you stick to this one.''

Strider went to the shepard and hugged him briefly.

''May the sand gem protect you.'' Strider said respectively.

''Ay, you too shadow.'' he replied as they hugged briefly. With that the two groups slowly went down the tunnels, each taking a cautious step and an ear open for anything that would come at them.....

Strider, followed diligently by Kilanos with his bow notched an ready, led the way down the old dwarven hewn tunnel.

Natooka carried the group's lantern while Oddvar brought up the rear whistling a tune under his breath and carrying his mighty two handed sword over his broad shoulder.

Soon they came to T shaped passage. To one side, the hall continued on into the darkness. On the other was an old, rotting wooden door.

The group stopped to look at the door and at eachother.

"Do we go inside?" Strider asked.

"Hell yes." Oddvar said with a grin. "We're looking for gold, remember."

"Ah yes." Strider said. With that he pulled out his Blade 'Notte' and gave it a sweet kiss for luck. His face contorted in disgust and he spat at the ground.

Oddvar started to chuckle. "Haven't cleaned her since killing those Dragr back at the village, eh boy?"

"Apparently not." Strider said with a sour grimace.

"Gentlemen." Natooka said. "Time is wasting away, and the game is afoot." He said. All stared at the monk for a moment.

"Yes, yes it is." Kilanos said. "Go ahead strider. Open that door."

Strider held Notte in his right hand and with his left, he did just that. He opened the door.

Meanwhile Konradr, Demie, Templar and Edgar were following the tunnel with the strange smooth walls. Edgar was leading with his sword drawn and ready. He walked slowly like a cat, moving in and out of the light cast from the group's lantern which Demie held.

Soon they seemed to be moving a little faster.

"Are we gaining speed?" Templar asked.

"It's the slope." Konradr said. "This tunnel is starting to slope downward pretty sharply."

The floor was a smooth as stone and even Edgar was having a hard time keeping his feet from slipping.

Soon they came to a small pile of rubble. They stood upon it. The tunnel seemed to dip sharply here. It was lost in blackness until Demie stood out more and held the lantern before her. The tunnel suddenly sloped down into the bowels of the earth at an angle to great for anyone to walk on.

"I guess we've come to the end of the trail." Edgar muttered.

A rock fell away from the pile and clunked and clinked down into the blackness below. Then another and another.

"That doesn't sound good." Templar said.

"Demie! Get back." Konradr said, reaching out to grab Demie's arm.

Craaaccckkk! The pile of rubble they stood on suddenly heaved out from under them and all of them fell onto to their backside's and in a swirl or stone, dirt and debris, they slid down the slick tunnel, gaining speed despite their kicking and screaming. Soon they vanished into the dark depths below.

Torchlight flickered their golden glow on the walls of yet another dwarven carved tunnel as Dorak's group traveld along another path.

M led the way with his bow Agarsul notched and ready. His eyes, accustomed to dark, shadowy places like the great dense forest he grew up in, seemed to glow in the dark and see everything. Enick stood behind him, holding open a yellowed scroll. Diagram's were drawn crudely on the parchment and coupled with Dwarven runes.

"What does it say?" Dorak asked.

"We should be coming upon something they named, the steam room. It is a Thieve's delight." Enick said.

Fangorn followed close on their heels, and behind him was Stefana and Whisper. Lago came next and then Taco, the hunched over troll.

Taco eyed the walls worriedly.

"No spiders?" he whined.

"No spider's Taco." Whisper said calmly. "I'll kill them for you, if we see any."

Whisper and Stefana eyed eachother and smothered their giggling. Who ever heard of a Troll being afraid of spiders. Of course, there were spider's in the mountains and in far off Mirkwood that were rumored to be as big as a mountain goat.

"Taco hate spiders. Eight, hairy legs, Beady little eyes. Yuck." The troll said, his big body shaking with the thought. He continued to watch the walls cautiously for any spiderwebs.

They continued on.

"Did you catch what Enick said?" Whisper asked as she nudged closer to Stefana.

"Something about a Thieve's delight." she smiled, "Something for me, I think."

Soon, the temperature began to get warmer, and a fine hot mist began to form in the tunnel.

"We are nearing the Steam room." Dorak announced to the group.

They came to a wide opening that lead onto a ledge of rock with a sharp edge. They stood in a large round chamber. At the far side of which was another ledge, this one had a huge drawbridge made of solid brass on it, but the drawbridge was in the raised position. There was a good 25 to 30 feet between their ledge and the drawbridge on the opposite side. Between them was a long, deep chasm, bathed in darkness. Hot steam rose from below and continued upwards towards some distant opening in the rock far above them.

"Lava." Enick said. "We're in a lave tube of some sort."

"Does the map say how to get across to the drawbridge?" Dorak said. Enick began to read.

Whisper put her hand out over the edge and felt the warmth of the steam. It began to burn and she pulled her hand back.

"Wow, that's hot." She said.

"A fall down there would kill you long before you reached the lava." M said cooly. Whisper backed away from the edge and moved closer to Taco and Lago.

"Check the walls." Enick said. "The runes say something about a thieves delight."

Taco began to eye the walls to the left, while M and Dorak checked the walls on the right. M could see better than any of them, even in the fog like steam. Small holes, big enough for fingers and toes, were cut in the side of the wall leading along the right side of the chasm, all the way across.

M looked at Stefana. "Well, I hope you are a nimble thief." He said pointing to the holes. "There is only one way across, and if you slip...." He pointed down over the edge into the rising lava born steam.

Stefana walked over and felt the grooves in the wall. She could just barely see them if she hugged the wet, black stone.

"Can you do it?" Dorak asked.

"I think my fee just went up." Stefana said as she pulled her pink laced, red leather boots off her feet. She put these in her small backpack and smiled. "I will."

With that, she put her finger's into the top set of holes, and pushed her toes into the lower set. Off she went, grimacing with the effort. Hand over hand, then jab in the toes. The rock was hot and sweaty from the steam. She began to sweat profusely, which burned her eyes.

Halfway across, her toes slipped out and she screamed.

Taco and Lago lunged out on their ledge, but she was too far out for them to reach her.

She hung there, swinging like a pendulum while her finger's turned red from the effort to hold on.

The door, due to it's disuse for a number of years, inched open slowly, the bottom of it scraping against the ground. As soon as Strider had enough space to do so, he inches his way through the small opening he'd made and pushed the door open from behind. When the door was fully open, he stood for a moment and smiled, proud of his strength.

Of course, not a few second had passed before the group began to hear faint screeching. Natooka saw them first.
"Strider! Step to the side!" he shouted as the screeching became louder.

Strider stepped out of the doorway just in time to avoid being rushed by three large, black figures. They made sounds more terrifyingly loud than a banshee's screams. Before the group stood three black bats, each one the size of a grizzly bear with fangs and claws that could rip through a rhino.

"Well, this will be fun," Oddvar said, unsheathing Mine is Longer than Yours.

"Very," said Kilanos, nocking his bow as he moved in front of Natooka.

One of the bats opened its mouth and screeched in Oddvar's direction, nearly deafening the man. Then, immediately, it flew at him, its wings barely open for maximum speed. Quickly, Oddvar ducked just under the beastly creature.

"Dammit, they're fast!" he shouted, which alerted another of the bats to his presence. It too opened its mouth and screeched at Oddvar before making an attempt to rush him. Oddvar ducked once again. This time, he said nothing. Nor did anyone else say anything, too afraid to alert the bats to their locations. However, each fighter did their best to silently alert eachother of a plan.

Kilanos looked Strider in the eyes. Strider nodded to show he understood, then looked at Oddvar in the same way. Oddvar nodded as well, then looked back at Kilanos and Natooka, who both nodded their understanding. Natooka held up his fist and began counting silently with his fingers. One......Two.....

"THREE!" Oddvar shouted out loud, and the plan went into action.

The sound of rushing rocks filled the tunnel as Konradr, Demie and Templar landed with a thud. Dust settled into the air as the trio carefully stood up.

''What was that?'' Demie said cautiously

''I think we found a hidden dwarven tunnel'' said Templar sarcastically as he gathered his massive hammer over his shoulder.

''In any case, it doesn't seem like we will be able to join our friends any time soon.'' added Konradr as he pointed the lantern upward. The shaft they had fallen down of had large rocks embedded in the walls. Had they tried to climb up, a large rock would have impaled them at any moment's notice.

They slowly moved forward into the unknown, taking each step with caution. Not taking a risk, Konradr shone the light to the ground, checking if there were any holes. He stopped suddenly as the light caught a flicker of white.

''..Konradr, whats wrong?'' asked a worried Demie.

''...Something is down here with us.'' he stated as he moved back for Demie and Templar to see. Under the bright light law a skull, with a large hole near the top.

''Do you think someone killed him?'' Templar said, observing the hole.

''This was caused by no knife Templar. More like....a fang.'' Before Demie or Templar could ask him what he meant, something growled in front of them. Quickly pointing the lantern up, they met face to face with a beastly creature. It's fangs were protruding from it's long face, it's claws were resting on the wall, talons easily crushing into the dirt.

''Is that what I think that is?'' Demie said out loud as she readied her sword.

''It is....'' Konradr took out his blade, pointing it towards the beast.

''.....who knew Badgers were this big?'' a scared Templar said as he took out his hammer. Demie and Konradr took a step back as the badger swung it's claw at them. Not realizing the consqeuences, Templar took a mighty swing and hit the badger's claw. The pressure of the hammer literally forced a Talon to shoot out from the badger's claw unto the ground a few feet away.

The beast cried out in pain, having one of it's claws fly out of it's paw. The whole paw looked broken and flat, it's fingers pointing in different directions. With a fierce growl the giant bader forced it's long body around and quickly retreated from the gang.

Demie and Konradr looked at the dwarf, his hammer, and now the talon that lay on the floor.

''.....Huh. I didn't think that could happen.'' said an amused Demie as she took the claw. Blooded at the end, it was slightly entact, though it had a slight crack near the tip.

''Looks like the hammer is more useful then breaking down doors. Outta boy young one.'' Konradr said with a slight chuckle as he patted him on the back. Templar blushed a bit from the attention as he took the claw from Demie.

''I guess I don't know my own strength.'' chuckled Templar as he put the talon in his belt.

With a boost of confidence, the party walked onward.

"Wait!" Konradr said, suddenly stopping.

"What?" Demie and Templar asked in unison, their voices echoeing softly off the tunnel walls.

"Wasn't Edgar with us?"

All three looked back up the slick chute they had fallen down. High above they could see the faint glimmer of legs swinging, trying to get a grip on the stone.

"How does he do that?" Demie asked.

"Must be his Shuratai training." Templar said. "He could probably grip the tiniest cracks and hang there for days."

With that, a yelp could be heard from above and suddenly, tumbling, sliding and screeching, Edgar came careening down into their tunnel. They all expected to hear him crumple hard onto the stony floor, but instead, he hit with a muted WHOOMP.

"Edgar?" Demie asked. The three started moving towards where the big fellow had landed.

"Ugh!" Edgar moaned. "Please don't tell me I landed in Shit."

But the smell at that end of the tunnel told the others that the answer was yes, he had. Badger shit no doubt.

"HAAAA!" Strider, Kilanos, Natooka, and Oddvar all shouted at once. Just as quickly as they'd opened their mouths, a bat flew at each of them, cutting through the air like lightning.

Simultaneously, all four men dropped to the ground, just missing the bats, who stopped short just before hitting the tunnel walls.

"NOW!" Natooka shouted, struggling to get up without dropping the lantern.

Suddenly, the other three all jumped up, swords in the hands of Strider and Oddvar, nocked bow in the hands of Kilanos. Kilanos fired his arrow into the back of the bat he and Natooka had dodged. The bat screeched as another arrow pierced it's spine and it slumped to the ground.

Oddvar slashed blindly at the back of his bat with Mine is Longer that Yours. His sword arm moved wildly, barely visible under the dim lantern lighting. He was still in a swinging, slashing fury as his bat's head slid off of it's neck and onto the floor, the body falling to the ground with a loud "THUD".

Strider jumped at his bat with Notte steady in his hands, pointing straight at the massive flying beast. The bat shrieked as Notte plunged into it, if Strider made his calculations right, directly into its heart.

"Well," said Natooka, "That was effective." Strider pulled his sword out of the bat he fought as Oddvar wiped down his blade on his bat's fur.

"Yeah," said Oddvar, "Now. What do you say we see what's behind that door?"

The three others nodded. Kilanos walked to the door and stood before it, trying his best to see into its depths.

"Let's go," said Natooka. And the four men entered the doorway into the dark unknown.

It was brave little Whisper who came to Stefana's aid. She grabbed a spool of Rope from Enick's backpack and tied a metal ring around the end. This she coiled around her shoulder and followed Stefana's lead. She gingerly poked her finger's and toes into the small holes cut in the sweaty rock and climbed towards her thief mentor.

The steam was beginning to turn Stefana's pale white skin, red. She tried to swing herself to the next set of holes, but it was either too awkward an angle or perhaps it had been a trick. The next set had been deliberately set too far out so that someone would reach only this point and no farther. A cleverly simple trap, she had to admit.

She heard whisper's breath as the girl neared her.

"Be careful little one." Stefana said. "I don't think we were meant to go any further than this."

Whisper soon reached where the thief dangled. Her fingers and toes ached and fear stabbed at her gut as she clung to the wet rock.

"can you use this?" Whisper asked, sliding the end of the rope towards her, the end with the iron ring bound on it.

"Of course. How stupid of me not to have brought one just in case." She used her free hand to grab and pull over the coil of rope.

She swung like a pendulum again, this time, on purpose. The hand gripping the rock was by now straining and turning dark red from the effort, but she showed no strain on her face, only determination.

On the third swing, she threw out the ringed end of the rope. It flew up to the Bronze railings of the drawbridge.

CLANK! the iron ring spun around and round the bronze pole. Stefana jerked the rope taut and it held like a grapple.

"Nice shot!" Taco said, his deep voice echoing in the chamber.

"Come on Whisper," Stefana said, "Hold on to me." Whisper seemed frozen. Afraid to let go of her tenuous grip on the stone wall. "Come on." Stefana said calmly and firmly. Finally the girl relented and in a quick leap of faith, let go and threw her arms around Stefana's shoulders.

Stefana used the momentum of Whisper's jump to swing them out over the steaming pit.

"You go first." Stefana grunted. Her hands were stiff, but she held onto the rope firmly. Whisper grabbed the rope above her and hand over hand, she climbed the rope, followed by Stefana. Soon they clambered over the drawbridge and couldn't be seen from the otherside. The rope slid up and out of view as well.

Moments passed without any sound or sign of them, or any movement of the drawbridge.

Dorak looked at M with a little worry.

"You chose the thief." M said calmly.

They waited a few more minutes and then the drawbridge began to clank downward with a sound of old, rusted gears.

It was the other sound that caught M's ears, and only his. Archer's of the like of M, knew arrows, as they flew through the air, sang a song to any who could hear. Each song as different as the archer that let it fly. This arrow sang a demon's mocking song.

Dorak stood next to M, his gaze afixed to the lowering drawbridge.

"Good job Stefana." Dorak was saying. "Well done."

M reached over calmly, and spun Dorak around so that his buckler, strapped to his arm, was now where his back had been.

A black arrow with black, crow feather's, suddenly impaled itself with a hiss into the face of the buckler.

"What the..." Dorak said, his eyes affixed on the quivering wood of the arrow. M raised his hand for silence.

He, and now Taco, who was atuned to the tunnel behind them, could hear the scampering away of tiny clawed feet and a squirrel like laugh.

M looked at the arrow again.

"Keovahl's." He said, removing the shaft and studying the shiny, black obsidian arrowhead. "A scout."

"He will bring back his friends." Taco grunted.

The drawbridge fell with a thump against the rocky rim of their ledge.

"Then we must hurry." Dorak said. They all picked up their gear and one by one headed over the age old drawbridg.

"Taco!" Dorak yelled. "You're rear guard. raise this drawbridge back up, but don't destroy it. We may need it later."

Taco grunted again. He looked at Lago "Keep an eye on girls." Lago nodded and headed across the bridge after the Dorak, the Elf and the dwarves. Taco waited a few minutes. He began to hear tiny feet moving back in the tunnel's darkness. He bellowed down the tunnel, the sound echoing painfully along its stony walls. The feet stopped.

Taco laughed and with two hurdling leaps, was across the drawbridge. He found the rusted wheel with its bronze chain that raised or lowered the drawbridge, and began to spin it furiously.

Arrows whispered out from the far tunnel. They bit into the rising drawbridge. One flew past Taco's head and cracked in two when it struck the rock wall behind him. The Troll laughed, but his laughter stopped suddenly and he ducked down. An arrow skimmed over his head.

"Damn!" Taco muttered as he began to laugh again. "Good shot you little buggars." He could see several beady little eyes glowing in the far tunnel. They too laughed their squirrel like hissing laugh.

"Next time big troll." One of them hissed in the common tounge. "Next time."

"Stand in line." Taco laughed as the drawbridge blocked them from view in its raised position. He slammed a bronze lever down that locked the wheel in place. "Red arrows want me to." With that, the Troll bounded off down the new tunnel to catch up with his companions.

The Keovahl's scurried off as well. They knew these tunnels and would find another way around.