hands defensively, Kaiya prepared to
defend herself and her companions. But the wind rustled her hair, whispering a
message in her ear. To her surprise, she replied, “We will go with you.”
Chapter 6
“A re you crazy?”
Raad asked. “Those are mountain wild men!”
Her expression
serene, Kaiya replied, “I know what I’m doing.”
“I don’t think you
do,” Raad stated, gripping the spear tighter. “You should blast these savages
before they kill all three of us. They practice evil magic.”
“What do you mean?”
she asked.
“They’ve put curses
on us miners before,” he said. “Boils and dysentery are their favorite weapons
besides the spear. They hate us. They don’t want us in these mountains, and
they’ll kill any dwarf they can get their hands on.”
“These people have
no magic,” Kaiya replied. “You’re mistaken, and I won’t harm them.”
“Did you miss the
part where they attacked us?” he asked, lifting the spear to her face.
“I miss nothing,”
she said, placing her hand on the spear shaft and lowering it. “Put this down
before they think you’re threatening them.”
Raad stared
open-mouthed at the sorceress. Taking a look at Galen, the dwarf weighed his
options. “You agree with her, Elf?”
“I trust her
judgment,” Galen stated. “She won’t let them harm us.” His voice betrayed no
hint of deception. If Kaiya did not fear these people, Galen would not.
With a huff, Raad
tossed the spear to the ground in front of him. The attackers approached with
caution, the masked figure leading the way.
Kaiya spread her
arms in a nonthreatening manner. “We aren’t here to hurt you,” she said. “We
will go with you to discuss our presence in your land. We want no trouble, only
to pass through. Our kinsmen are in need of our help.”
Removing her mask,
Tashi studied the travelers before her. Raad was uninteresting. She had seen
hundreds of miners before. But Kaiya’s presence demanded a second look.
Studying her face closely, she asked, “Are you a being of magic?”
“I am,” Kaiya
replied.
Tashi’s eyes
widened. She didn’t know how, but she could sense the magic in this woman. It
radiated from her, her power unmistakable. Never before had Tashi encountered a
being of true magic, and it was both frightening and intriguing.
The warriors moved
to a position behind the intruders and lowered their spears. The priestess led
the way, heading back toward her tribe’s village. Instead of continuing north,
the travelers were forced in a westerly direction, rounding a steep hillside and
hopping over a deep crag.
They descended
slightly, taking the trio farther away from their original destination. The
landscape smoothed, and a tiny village came into view. Evergreens surrounded
it, stretching on to eternity, lifting their snow-covered boughs in
praise of the life-giving sun. In the most beautiful stretch of the
inhospitable mountains, the tribe had carved a home.
“Wait in there,” Tashi commanded, pointing to a
hut.
The three did not argue, instead stepping inside
without a word. They sat cross-legged, facing the door flap and awaiting
whatever might come through it.
“You’ve encountered these wild men before?” Kaiya
asked Raad.
“I’ve seen them from a distance,” he replied.
“Mostly it’s stories. Lots of miners have seen things, and some of our caravans
have been attacked.”
Galen shook his head. “These are the Ulihi. They
keep mostly to themselves.”
“How do you know?” Kaiya asked.
“I’ve read about them,” the elf replied. “There
are several old volumes that mention this tribe. Once they populated the entire
mountain range and lived peacefully with the earliest dwarves. Now they’ve all
but disappeared. I’m actually surprised these people are still living here.”
“How do you know that’s who we’re dealing with?”
Raad asked, his tone skeptical. These were undoubtedly the people the miners
had encountered before,
defend herself and her companions. But the wind rustled her hair, whispering a
message in her ear. To her surprise, she replied, “We will go with you.”
Chapter 6
“A re you crazy?”
Raad asked. “Those are mountain wild men!”
Her expression
serene, Kaiya replied, “I know what I’m doing.”
“I don’t think you
do,” Raad stated, gripping the spear tighter. “You should blast these savages
before they kill all three of us. They practice evil magic.”
“What do you mean?”
she asked.
“They’ve put curses
on us miners before,” he said. “Boils and dysentery are their favorite weapons
besides the spear. They hate us. They don’t want us in these mountains, and
they’ll kill any dwarf they can get their hands on.”
“These people have
no magic,” Kaiya replied. “You’re mistaken, and I won’t harm them.”
“Did you miss the
part where they attacked us?” he asked, lifting the spear to her face.
“I miss nothing,”
she said, placing her hand on the spear shaft and lowering it. “Put this down
before they think you’re threatening them.”
Raad stared
open-mouthed at the sorceress. Taking a look at Galen, the dwarf weighed his
options. “You agree with her, Elf?”
“I trust her
judgment,” Galen stated. “She won’t let them harm us.” His voice betrayed no
hint of deception. If Kaiya did not fear these people, Galen would not.
With a huff, Raad
tossed the spear to the ground in front of him. The attackers approached with
caution, the masked figure leading the way.
Kaiya spread her
arms in a nonthreatening manner. “We aren’t here to hurt you,” she said. “We
will go with you to discuss our presence in your land. We want no trouble, only
to pass through. Our kinsmen are in need of our help.”
Removing her mask,
Tashi studied the travelers before her. Raad was uninteresting. She had seen
hundreds of miners before. But Kaiya’s presence demanded a second look.
Studying her face closely, she asked, “Are you a being of magic?”
“I am,” Kaiya
replied.
Tashi’s eyes
widened. She didn’t know how, but she could sense the magic in this woman. It
radiated from her, her power unmistakable. Never before had Tashi encountered a
being of true magic, and it was both frightening and intriguing.
The warriors moved
to a position behind the intruders and lowered their spears. The priestess led
the way, heading back toward her tribe’s village. Instead of continuing north,
the travelers were forced in a westerly direction, rounding a steep hillside and
hopping over a deep crag.
They descended
slightly, taking the trio farther away from their original destination. The
landscape smoothed, and a tiny village came into view. Evergreens surrounded
it, stretching on to eternity, lifting their snow-covered boughs in
praise of the life-giving sun. In the most beautiful stretch of the
inhospitable mountains, the tribe had carved a home.
“Wait in there,” Tashi commanded, pointing to a
hut.
The three did not argue, instead stepping inside
without a word. They sat cross-legged, facing the door flap and awaiting
whatever might come through it.
“You’ve encountered these wild men before?” Kaiya
asked Raad.
“I’ve seen them from a distance,” he replied.
“Mostly it’s stories. Lots of miners have seen things, and some of our caravans
have been attacked.”
Galen shook his head. “These are the Ulihi. They
keep mostly to themselves.”
“How do you know?” Kaiya asked.
“I’ve read about them,” the elf replied. “There
are several old volumes that mention this tribe. Once they populated the entire
mountain range and lived peacefully with the earliest dwarves. Now they’ve all
but disappeared. I’m actually surprised these people are still living here.”
“How do you know that’s who we’re dealing with?”
Raad asked, his tone skeptical. These were undoubtedly the people the miners
had encountered before,
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