to be a war council as soon as you arrive back at the High Mountain. You are to make all haste. The King wishes you to take the road and not proceed through the forest. The King will also grant your request that a human outpost be allowed to be established just outside the lower gate.” Fordin reported.
Sarchise wasted no time breaking camp. The dwarves formed ranks and the army proceeded back to High Mountain. The scouts and the baggage train followed them. Sarchise decided not to go to high gate and proceed through the mountain but since he was so far west he marched directly for low gate. The dwarves would have preferred the mountain route but Sarchise was not at home yet inside the mountain. Besides that both ways had their merits.
There was no old trail through the brush and prairie grass like the route between the high gate and South Fort but the brush was not a large problem to get through. Small trees cropped up every so often as the forest tried to expand its borders.
The hunters and cooks were delighted that they did not have to eat the dried meat. They had looked at the stuff with suspicion. It was not cooked, like a true dwarf eats his meat, just dried and spiced. The thought of eating raw meat was repugnant to them. They had avoided this and were far enough from the forest that Sarchise had allowed cooking fires.
The guards at the lower gate were surprised to see the army back. They had been expected at the high gate. The captain of the guard ran to the King to ask instructions and then ushered the army into the great hall. There they broke ranks, ate a quick meal around the bonfire and went back to their homes. Hemlot told Sarchise goodbye and went back to the cave he called home. The army had disappeared in a matter of an hour.
The humans and the pack train started setting up camp near the lower gate outside of the wall. Caspin came up and told showed them a place inside the gate that he would like them to set up. He was pleased indeed; since Sarchise had left he and the King had planned out a war. Even his brother Cazz had been well enough to help in the planning.
The King walked into the Great Hall. “Tell me of your adventure?”
“It went well.” Sarchise said as he put his hat over his heart and bowed low.
“You should get some sleep, on the morrow we meet to plan. I would have let you get revenge over the spiders but I had two other sons that wanted to help. It has b een a long time since their warrior blood has been stirred up to this level. Besides, someone has been waiting for your return.” The King motioned to his left. There was Ammlee standing there in the doorway.
Outside the tents were pitched and a small watchtower was erected. It was just high enough to see over the wall. They thought that it looked kind of silly this close to a stone tower. B esides the dwarves were giving the wood tower unfriendly looks, so they took it back down. The dwarves didn’t seem to like the tents either, because soon stone masons came out and started talking about how many buildings, and of what size, they would require.
In the morning the fire in the Great Hall was burning bright. A lone table stood in the midst of the hall. The King and his sons sat down in a war council. Maps were spread all over the table and lines were drawn all over the maps. It was the first time that Sarchise had seen a map of the inside of High Mountain. He was momentarily distracted by all of the tunnels and caves that crisscrossed t he mountain. He was surprised that numerous dwarf cities were inside and outside of the mountain. He had no idea that the population was so large. Larger than what was left of the population of the Four Kingdoms.
“Sarchise, are you still paying attention?” asked the King.
Sarchise looked up from his map; everyone was looking at him. The thing he remembered the King saying was something about the lower gate so he said, “Yes, the lower
Sarchise wasted no time breaking camp. The dwarves formed ranks and the army proceeded back to High Mountain. The scouts and the baggage train followed them. Sarchise decided not to go to high gate and proceed through the mountain but since he was so far west he marched directly for low gate. The dwarves would have preferred the mountain route but Sarchise was not at home yet inside the mountain. Besides that both ways had their merits.
There was no old trail through the brush and prairie grass like the route between the high gate and South Fort but the brush was not a large problem to get through. Small trees cropped up every so often as the forest tried to expand its borders.
The hunters and cooks were delighted that they did not have to eat the dried meat. They had looked at the stuff with suspicion. It was not cooked, like a true dwarf eats his meat, just dried and spiced. The thought of eating raw meat was repugnant to them. They had avoided this and were far enough from the forest that Sarchise had allowed cooking fires.
The guards at the lower gate were surprised to see the army back. They had been expected at the high gate. The captain of the guard ran to the King to ask instructions and then ushered the army into the great hall. There they broke ranks, ate a quick meal around the bonfire and went back to their homes. Hemlot told Sarchise goodbye and went back to the cave he called home. The army had disappeared in a matter of an hour.
The humans and the pack train started setting up camp near the lower gate outside of the wall. Caspin came up and told showed them a place inside the gate that he would like them to set up. He was pleased indeed; since Sarchise had left he and the King had planned out a war. Even his brother Cazz had been well enough to help in the planning.
The King walked into the Great Hall. “Tell me of your adventure?”
“It went well.” Sarchise said as he put his hat over his heart and bowed low.
“You should get some sleep, on the morrow we meet to plan. I would have let you get revenge over the spiders but I had two other sons that wanted to help. It has b een a long time since their warrior blood has been stirred up to this level. Besides, someone has been waiting for your return.” The King motioned to his left. There was Ammlee standing there in the doorway.
Outside the tents were pitched and a small watchtower was erected. It was just high enough to see over the wall. They thought that it looked kind of silly this close to a stone tower. B esides the dwarves were giving the wood tower unfriendly looks, so they took it back down. The dwarves didn’t seem to like the tents either, because soon stone masons came out and started talking about how many buildings, and of what size, they would require.
In the morning the fire in the Great Hall was burning bright. A lone table stood in the midst of the hall. The King and his sons sat down in a war council. Maps were spread all over the table and lines were drawn all over the maps. It was the first time that Sarchise had seen a map of the inside of High Mountain. He was momentarily distracted by all of the tunnels and caves that crisscrossed t he mountain. He was surprised that numerous dwarf cities were inside and outside of the mountain. He had no idea that the population was so large. Larger than what was left of the population of the Four Kingdoms.
“Sarchise, are you still paying attention?” asked the King.
Sarchise looked up from his map; everyone was looking at him. The thing he remembered the King saying was something about the lower gate so he said, “Yes, the lower
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