Chapter 25: Allies

A flickering campfire was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. The heat and light of the fire were obvious to me before I even awoke. As I slowly regained consciousness, I could see the embers glowing and tongues of flame licking around a large log… but then it all went wrong. The scene swirled into a mess and my head split open as the serene image of a campfire was cracked by a shaft of light that bore into my skull through my opening eyes.

I heard laughing, cruel cackling laughter from the Iron Shield Knights as they held the twins down on a bed, the two girls bloody and crying. Pheros and Danzt drew long knives from their belts and launched themselves upon them, stabbing over and over as I lay, paralysed, unable to help. The girls screamed, then fell silent but the men kept mutilating their corpses with repeated, penetrating blows until their blood ran thick in a wave off the bed…

I sat bolt upright with a yell. The power of Bambinae coursed through my blood and I was finally able to burst into action.

I had a vague awareness of my surroundings. I had been lying on something; it was gone now, consumed by my rage. I looked down to see the men who had murdered my loves and found them cowering in the corner in awe of my anger and wrath.

“DEMONS!” It was an accusation. A command. A reckoning. My voice boomed with supernatural power and the shockwave of sound knocked the men off their feet. They had taken everything from me. Their pleas for mercy were not going to save them.

But something was wrong. Since when did they have long beards? Pheros and Danzt weren’t dwarves. The two of them, cowering before my wrath, looked familiar and they were saying something, but I couldn’t hear them over the power reverberating through my head. It didn’t matter. They would pay for murdering those innocent women. A woman’s screaming voice whispered in the back of my head, distant and all but drowned out completely by my thundering heartbeat driving me frenetically forward. All the world was a blur except those two men about to die.

Suddenly, Asha burst through the door and my wrath stumbled in confusion. The bed where she and Erica had been murdered, the blood, the bodies; I glanced at the place where they used to be. Then to Asha. But it couldn’t be Asha. I watched her die.

These soulless bastards killed her!

But a soft voice was cutting through the rage, sneaking in through the wrath. A beautiful voice. A voice I could listen to always.

“Master. It’s alright. We’re safe. I’m here. They are friends. Please calm down. It’s alright.”

I saw her. Properly now.

She was alive.

“Asha?” my voice had lost its power, devoid now of any command. My feet touched the ground. I had no idea I had been levitating. As quickly as I had erupted with divine wrath, the power now left me altogether and I collapsed to my knees. The beautiful blonde elf, whom I had feared I had lost, wrapped her arms around me and I broke into a sob. The despair, anger and grief that had consumed me now flowed freely down her shoulders and soaked her dress as my tears fell. Minutes passed and nobody moved. The two dwarves, whom I had terrified, now stood at attention like sentinels and Asha… Asha stroked my head and held me tightly to her chest, whispering soft words to calm me. Finally, I looked up and kissed her gently on the cheek.

“I thought I’d lost you…” my voice cracked and I swallowed hard to keep my composure. “I thought…”

Asha shushed me gently and then kissed my lips tenderly to emphasise she was there and real. It grounded me enough to finally realise what I had done. And I looked up and around at the bed I’d ruined and then my eyes fell on the two dwarves.

“Theran… I’m sorry.”

The dwarf walked straight up to me. He was still shaking, but he was resolute. There was something in his eye, a look of determination, but also something more; recognition. He stared me down, placed a hand on my shoulder and the corner of his mouth twisted up in a small smile.

“Welcome back, lad.” He whispered kindly. His expression was the only other thing he gave me and it told me everything I needed to know; this was a man who understood, maybe more than I even thought before—more than even I did. We were ok. He held no ill-will for my rude awakening. I was relieved, but I was still ashamed.

“I’m gonna go sort out things with the patrons. Most’o’them are out fer the day. But a few will ‘ave heard ye, and I’ll need to spin a yarn to smooth it o’er.”

He nodded in respect to the other dwarf, who I realised was actually Gleeson, standing at attention in heavy chainmail, plate armour and carrying a large single-headed, bearded axe. I hadn’t noticed his armour when I was angry. I don’t think it would have made any difference, but as I looked at him now, it seemed like a solid block of titanium would be easier to assault than this stocky dwarf. He stood proud, but wary, next to the door and remained silent under my observation, only taking in my gaze and waiting, as if for orders.

I decided I needed to see where I stood with this dwarf as well.

“Gleeson. I’m glad to see you are up. How are you feeling?”

The dwarf snapped a salute so fast I almost didn’t see it.

“I am completely healed, replenished and at your service, Sir.”

The pit of my stomach dropped into my boots. Not another indebted servant.

“Gleeson, you owe me nothing. I healed you because it was the right thing to do - not to claim you as my slave.”

“No self-respecting dwarf would allow himself to become an indebted servant, Sir. And from my enquiries of the honourable Miss Asha, I am aware you have little desire for slaves, Sir.”

I sighed with no small relief. “Good man. I’m glad I could help.”

“However,” the dwarf continued in a snappy, almost military tone, “any dwarf who owes his life to another must take measures to ensure that debt is repaid honourably and satisfactorily to both parties. To that end, when you are ready, Sir, I would like to discuss how I would repay your service. Until then, I will place myself between you and all who may harm you. You may sleep deeply, Sir, in full comfort. I promise that until we come to a satisfactory understanding, no mortal being will harm you while I draw breath.”

It was clear to me that this was not the slavery the girls had pledged to me. Erica had done so to save her family’s standing, Asha had pledged herself to me as a safety mechanism. But Gleeson, this was different. A proud man… dwarf… whatever, was indebted to someone and wanted to correct the ledger, not out of some fear of being in debt, but because it was the right thing to do. And I understood this. He had set boundaries, clarified the means by which his service ended and accepted my feelings on the matter; this was ok.

“Gleeson, for now, I think I need to get on my feet and eat something. Will you eat with me? I would like to speak with Theran as well.”

The dwarf dropped his arm from its salute and turned to face me in another snapping motion. Definitely ex-military. Definitely well-trained. He was back in the role and decided that I was his commanding officer, at least for now.

“It would be my honour, Sir. I will summon my cousin and have the clan prepare your meal.” He stared straight ahead, and there was still uncertainty in his eyes, as if he were afraid I would deny him his opportunity to show his gratitude. “With your leave, Sir.”

I stood from my place on the floor where I was still embraced by Asha and pulled myself up to my full height. I groaned a little, as the lactic acid had built up in my muscles during my explosive awakening and hadn’t had time to dissipate. I shook my arms and legs out and then met the man square on. I grasped him by the forearm and shoulder, hoping that this was something that crossed cultures as a sign of respect, and looked him in the eye.

“Thank you, Gleeson. You do not need my leave to act as you see best.”

The dwarf smiled respectfully and appreciatively, and then he was gone.

“Come on.” I said, turning to Asha. “I need something to eat.”

In the common area of the Steel Flagon, the four of us sat in silence as we prepared ourselves for the conversation that had to happen, but no-one was sure they were ready for.

Eventually, some of the clan brought out a meal for all of us and, to my surprise, the clan then locked the doors of the inn and sat down to join us.

At seeing my astonishment, Tarven spoke.

“Lad, they all know som’in’ is up. They know som’in’ isn’t right, so you may as well set’em straight and swear’em to their grave. Ye can trust ‘em like yer own flesh and blood.”

Asha nudged me with her foot, and encouraged me with her eyes. “You can trust them.” she whispered.

I nodded, but still, I had to think of an oath that would bind them. It wasn’t about trust, it was about making a statement. Something that would put my mind at ease, sure, but also something that would give them a sense of the gravity of the situation. Were dwarves here like in the tales of Tolkien and other fantasy media? They seemed to be honourable and have similar strong clan ties. I held up a finger to give me time as I thought. This was a behaviour contract, just like teaching. It needed to be airtight. It needed to give them reason to follow it, and consequences for failure.

“Before I begin, I would have each of you swear to me, on the honour of your ancestors and the legacy of your children’s children, that you will not breathe a word of this to anyone outside this room without my explicit consent. To break this vow will be to forfeit the honour and reliability of any member of your clan past, present or emerging. Uphold your oath, and Clan Firespit will be family to me and I will consider all members I meet, regardless of when or where, as a brother or sister.”

Theran looked at me with concern. “Ye don’t know what yer askin of us, lad. If one of us breaks an oath like tha, the consequences f’all of us are dire. You don’t realise, but an oath like tha is bound into a dwarf’s blood. If we swear tha, then break it, every one of our clan’ll bear the shame in their blood without even knowing why. Other dwarves will smell it and only a damn powerful bit o’divine grace will erase it.”

A corner of my mouth rose in satisfaction. “Should the cost of breaking an oath be anything less?”

Theran matched my smile, his braided beard twitching slightly. “No.”

“Then it’s up to each of you to decide whether it is worth swearing such a thing.”

Theran looked to the rest of his clan. “I believe tha Mathew is good t’his word, and tha I would have’em as brother rather than not.” He looked back at me, dead in the eyes, “so as you ask, so I swear.”

Gleeson stood, his armour clicking heavily and the chainmail hauberk rustling as he rose from his chair. “As you ask, so I swear.”

There were a few surprised expressions on the faces of the other dwarves. They hadn’t witnessed what the other two had, but I could see them taking the immediate replies of Theran and Gleeson as strong endorsements of the oath. One by one, the five other dwarves around the table stood and swore their oath of silence to me.

I was satisfied.

I told them the situation. I abridged it in places, leaving out details that would lead to irrelevant questions, stressing others that were more important, and explaining especially the situation with the Iron Shield. I told them of Laura and Erica staying elsewhere, and how we snuck into the city. I ended with the relationship between prayer and Bambinae’s strength and the importance of prayer and family in the success of my mission.

“So that’s the gist of it all. The Gods live and I need to help restore Bambinae to power, and maybe others too.”

A moment of unspoken conversation passed amongst the dwarves until Gleeson spoke.

“For her part in restoring me, I will serve the Goddess Bambinae for the rest of my days. May no being of Henarum, Dromin nor Darask sway my fealty elsewhere.”

Henarum and Darask were unknown terms to me, but I accepted the sentiment. I had a new ally.

Again, one by one, the dwarves made the same oath, including their families and their descendants where appropriate and I was surprised to feel a sudden fortitude, like I was carrying a weight and someone had just helped take some of the strain. It dawned upon me how much of a boon this would be for Bambinae’s chances. Eventually, all the dwarves looked at Theran expectantly, who purposefully released a slow, long breath as if he’d been holding it for a long time.

“So you’re sayin’ that Adara is still alive?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know who that is.”

Theran got a faraway look in his eyes. “Adara Hopestar.”

The musty smell of the tavern common room became more evident in the silence. The still air and wattle and daub walls had a very distinctive smell. Then there was a tinge of the smoky, acrid scent given off by a fire and a chimney that wasn’t drawing as well as it should be. In all, it was actually a pleasant, welcoming combination of aromas that made me feel oddly comforted. But it was subtle, and I wouldn’t have noticed it, if it weren’t for the awkward silence that had settled on the table as Theran’s cousins all stared at him, expecting him to make the same pledge.

“I canna make the same pledge as ye all. I am bound still to the oaths I swore as a'lad. But I swear on Adara, Goddess of Light and Hope that, as you saved my blood, you and your clan will be welcome in the Steel Flagon free of charge as long as its doors are open. Ye ’ave paid yer fee with my cousin’s blood. It’s the least I can do fer ye. And if there’s more, ye will not hesitate to ask me.”

Rising from my chair, I stepped across to him and offered him my hand, which he accepted. We had an understanding and, I think more importantly for my current state of mind, I had made a life-long friend.

“Gleeson,” I started, turning from Theran and addressing the hulking armoured dwarf. “You wanted to discuss your debt to me. As far as I consider it, you haven’t got one. I did what was right because it was right and Bambinae expects it of me in return for the gifts she has given to me. It would be dishonourable to expect payment twice for the same service.”

The dwarf tilted his head. I could see him wrestling with my desire to act honourably and his desire to honour his debts.

“However,” I continued. “I am in an unfamiliar land, with little knowledge of its customs and laws, and have two women for whom I am responsible and a monumental task in front of me… I could use as many friends as I can get. If you would let me count you among them, I would consider us even.”

The dwarf gave a short and sharp nod. “This is acceptable, Sir.”

I chuckled at the honorific. “You don’t need to call me Sir.”

“I know, Sir.”

I chuckled again and grabbed a bread roll from the spread of food in front of us.

“Fair enough…

Fair enough.”