Even the longest journies begin with but a single step...

By Tarn Stormhold

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

'Twas near as silent as an orcish mind an' twice as black when we stepped into the passage tha' would lead us from the caves I'd called 'ome all me life. There be the normal tunnels fer the comin's an' goin's o' daily life fer dwarves an' topsiders alike, but we kept t' the less travelled ways t' leave this time. "I cleared this trip with your council and your family, Tarn," Samael told me when I first questioned 'im on our odd choice of direction, "but that doesn't mean we need to make this trip common knowledge. We'll pass from the caves this way, and make further course changes when we reach the surface."

I'd 'ave argued more wit' this mysterious choice o' action, but secretly, I was glad we kept away from the main 'alls. Clan dwarves are more'n likely t' spend their whole lives pluggin' away at whatever task they're most useful at, n'ere movin' far from their place o' responsibility but t' eat, sleep, an' die. Those who'd make their lives comin' an' goin' all the time, not drivin' support beams in the shafts they dig, as it were, are looked upon less than favorible like. They'd shed nary a tear fer me passin' through', but I'd 'ave sooner eaten bad ore than see their disappointment at me in their eyes fer very long.

We progressed quickly at first, sure footed as I was in familiar passages. I led with me lantern sure ahead, calm and steady. I'd trod most o' these tunnles an' caves as a wee lad, explorin' to me 'earts content. But as we continued on even I began to falter a' times, as we were progressin' farther than I'd dare go before, and soon 'ad even gone beyond tha' which any cave cartographer I could think of 'ad gone in recent times. Life in the caves required constant re-mapping o' the areas beyond our core settlements, as cave-ins an' new mine shafts could quickly render e'en a seasoned explorer into a scared, confused lad, given enough time. 'Twas only then tha' I noticed 'ow Samael 'ad really moved from behind me, t' beside, an' now seemd slightly ahead an' leadin' the way. 'E seemed possesed o' some sense o' direction tha' baffled me. Whether 'twas memory, experience, or simply balls-out bravado, 'e never 'esitated in in direction. Onwards, e'er onwards, was the constant momentum, an' 'twas seemin' I was bein' dragged along whether I liked it or not. An' I can assure ye sure as silver, 'twas quickly becomin' a case o' likin' it, "not".

I extinguisehed me lantern, expectin' 'im t' pull one forth if'n 'e wanted t' lead. But when the light n'ere dimmed, I first noticed the soft glow emmenated from 'is left 'and, which 'e kept 'eld slightly ahead. The garish light o' me lantern 'ad covered o'er it before, I near figured. 'Twas surprisin' fer but a moment, as 'is personal magnetism 'ad convinced me long ago tha' 'e was most likely a student o' the magical arts. A light shiver ran down me spine, though, with the full realization o' tha' finally permeatin' through. Dwarves, as I'm sure ye well know, are not the most acceptin' o' those fancy slight-o'-'and braggarts tha' prance about the world spinnin' fantastic spells an' even more fantastic tales o' 'ow blasted superior they feel they are. This one, 'owever, 'ad not spoken a word o' 'is power, nor bragged or flaunted it at all. 'E'd simply used it as best when need be. 'Twas somethin' t' respect, so I forgave 'im this character flaw o' followin' the magical ways almost immediately. I did not, though, forgive 'im what I thought t' simply be the wrong path 'e was choosin' through the caves.

"Samael," I spoke up at last, as we passed into a darker passageway from a totally unfamiliar cave, "Perhappin' we should stop fer a minute an' consider our options 'ere. We've passed at least three routes I know could lead us t' the surface already, an' they were miles back. Maybe ye could share yer little plan with me now, a'fore we press on t' our dooms all sudden like. I know I'll die eventually, I just didn'a expect it t' be lost and starvin' after but a few days travel so far."

'E stopped fer a minute then, turned, an' faced me full on. "Fear not, Tarn. Fate draws us implacably on each day of our lives. Mine draws me unfailingly to our destination, of this I am sure. Yours will not leave you to die here. I can assure you of that." An' with that, 'e 'alf began t' turn t' continue forward.

I quickly rummaged in me pack. "Well, at least lemme give ye this lantern then, eh? tha' fancy 'and-wavin' o' yours looks nice, but it's got t' be wearin' on ye by now," 'an I made t' 'and it to 'im.

I'd might as well 'ave asked 'im t' grab a wyvern's tail by the way 'e reacted, though. Immediately, 'e shrank back from the outstretched lantern, seemin' almost t' try'n scrunch 'imself into the walls themselves t' get away. I could 'ave sworn, too, tha' I saw a momentary terror flash across 'is eyes, but I discounted it at the time as just a figment o' the poor lightin'. This all 'appened in a moment, an' 'e recovered 'imself so fast I almost didn'a beleive I'd seen it at all. 'E straightened 'is tall form an turned fully back t' the path. "No thank you," 'e said, perhaps a bit more quickly than I remembered 'im speakin' a'fore, "This light will be fine, I assure you. Now, let us move quickly. Time is wasting."

An' with tha', he strode off, leavin' me t' catch up as quick as I could. We moved so fast I almost left me confusion o'er tha' incident behind. Almost.

* * *

After a week o' travelin' thorugh the caves, we emerged onto the Morbihan Plains, where we set a west-south-west course. 'Twas slow goin' at first, for I was in a poor state t' begin wit'. A dwarf tha's seen the light o' day ne'er too often, nor seen much o' grass, trees, an' beasts o' the topside lands 'tis a sorry sight fer the first bit. We're a solid race, not prone t' fear or cowardice, but we'll get right uncomfortable like any other creature when faced wit' nothin' but the unknown. An' any dwarf alive'd sooner chew nails like nuts than admit tha' again, so store it well in yer memory. Ye'll nay 'ear it often.

We traveled by foot, at night fer the first bit t' give me eyes a chance to acclimate themselves t' their new surroundin's, an' then by evenin' fer the next while, wit' the sun to our backs an' more light t' adjust me to. But within' a few days or so, I'd become accustomed to life above ground as well as could be expected, an' things went more rapidly.

I tried t' make conversation fer the first while. 'E'd readily enough answer questions about the scenery, the weather, an' other such small talk, but questions about who 'e was an' where 'e come from, where we were goin', an' what we were up to were smoothly diverted. I'd get t' askin' about some o' tha', an' e'd say, "Tarn, could you run over and check that bush over there for any berries we might pick for breakfast tomorrow?" or, "Tarn, could you tell me about the proper method for seperating ore into useful and non-useful constituent elements?" or, "Tarn, mind your step. You're likely to sprain an ankle if you're not watching the ground in this area," or any number o' other distractin' comments. Seemed odd an' adventurous at first, but 'twas soon like a stone in me boot t' find out somethin', anythin', about our journey or me companion. Got to the point where I seriously considered forgettin' tha' whole exasperatin', soddin', sorry mess an' goin' back t' the security o' the caves an' Bremmen's smithy. But everytime I'd contemplate simply givin' up on the whole business, 'e'd give me 'is look, somehow full o' the promise tha' this was the right path for me t' be takin' in life, an' I'd mind me tongue an' keep ploddin' on.

Oh, I know it's hard fer you all readin' this t' understand 'ow someone could follow another across the land with only the barest hint o' purpose or understandin', but all I can say t' that was, "Ye 'ad t' 'ave known Samael." 'E could 'ave asked me t' cross me forge fire on foot with one o' 'is looks, an I'd jump to it an' 'ave no idea why.

We came across few o' the more intimidatin' creatures I expected t' meet along the way. 'Twas an odd thing, but it seemed tha' trouble went out o' its way t' avoid the two o' us. An' as much as a dwarf's pride might compel 'im t' claim 'twas 'is fearsome prowress wit' fightin' tha' kept the beasties away (though in 'indsight I know I was far from a great warrior then), it seems more'n likely it was somethin' about me companion tha' kept trouble from impedin' our progress. 'E'd made an awful strong impression on me in the caves an' on our trek, an' it seems that feelin' was some'ow universal. We saw neither 'ide nor 'air of any creature save ourselves fer near on t' tha' whole trip. We could 'ear 'em at night, snufflin' an' moanin' outside the light o' the campfire, but none'd venture close enough for us t' get a good look at 'em. But whether 'twas sorcery or simply some instinct they 'ad as t' the trouble we'd give 'em, their reluctance gave our journey some extra speed, an' we soon reached the coast.

Now, if'n y'think a dwarf looks an odd sight when 'e's trying t' adjust t' the rigors o' sunlight an' open sky, try showin' 'im the ocean for the first time. I'd lived me whole life beneath miles o' solid rock, but I'd never imagined something could be so massive. Takes more than ye can imagine t' admit it, but even I, Tarn Stormhold, felt some small twinges o' apprehension a' seein' it. E'en more when I realized Samael meant fer me t' go out across it by ship.

"The Sarra's Speed will meet us here tomorrow, Tarn. It will take us the rest of the way to our first destination," 'e said, as casual as if proposin' a trip round the corner t' the store. "Let us set up camp now, and get some rest. You'll need your rest tonight to get ready for the rigors of sea travel. Build the fire pit here, and I'll set up the tents-"

"Beggin' yer pardon, sir," I said, wit' all the gentlemanly charm I could manage a' the time. I'd taken a lot, but 'is 'old on me was weakenin' wit' the idea o' goin' out onto tha' big blasted ocean. "but precisely why are ye proposin' a bloody sea trip a' this point? We've made good time on foot, an' ye've said naught about deadlines or schedules so far. Perhappin' we could discuss this a bit further, an' find some common ground tha' would convince me t' let you drag me kickin' an screamin' aboard some leaky, rottin', rat-infested, scurvy spreadin', cursed tub o' wood? 'Cause, an' beggin' yer pardon again, ye ain't gonna make good time anymore without some explanation at this point, I can assure ye quite firmly o' tha'," As ye've already noticed, I'm sure, I can be quite the eloquent gentleman when I sets me mind t' it. An' if'n 'e didn't catch the drift right away, I set me feet a bit more firmly an' flexed me shoulders fer emphasis.

Samael watched me quite firmly fer a moment, wit' those eyes o' 'is borin' down on me. 'Twas no malice in 'em, I can assure you o' tha', but I'd 'ave rather faced the Stillwater Giant fer a few rounds than withered under tha' gaze fer much longer than 'e left me there. Finally, 'e spoke, 'is voice a bit quieter than usual. "Tarn, I've asked a lot of you so far. I know that. I've been less than giving on any details at all. But all I can ask at this point is that you trust me a bit further," 'E sat down on a nearby boulder an removed 'is 'at, running 'is fingers through 'is black hair with the other 'and. 'Twas the first time I noticed the stoop to 'is shoulders, or the weariness in 'is eyes. 'E was as exhausted as I was. Made me think all sudden like tha' maybe I wasn't the only person there tha' this trip was wearing out, an' tha' maybe 'e was a bit more normal than 'e let on.

'E motioned me to sit beside 'im. "Come, Tarn. Perhaps I should be a bit more forthcoming with some details of our journey. I will tell you what I can," I seated myself near 'im, while 'e stared silently off across the waves for a moment or two before goin' on, "We are not using this ship to simply speed our travel around this land. We are heading out to sea, Tarn, to an island named Ben'Arel, known as, 'The Floating Island'. Have you heard of it before?" I shook my head. I thought me father 'ad told me o' all the known lands durin' story time as a lad, but 'e'd never mentioned tha' place. "I'm not surprised, " 'e went on, "as no one from these lands has travelled to it in many, many years. We'll be the first in a long time. If, that is, we can find it."

I was more'n a bit confused after tha' statement. "If we can find it? 'Ow exactly were ye plannin' on continuin' this 'ere journey if'n ye don't even know where yer goin' ?"

'E smiled at me then. "It's not as easy as having directions, Tarn. For you see, this particular Island is far more, shall we say, mobile than most. It actually moves around the ocean, drifting with the winds and currents." I was about t' speak up at tha' point t' question 'ow exactly an island just up an' moves around, when 'e cut me off with a look again. I realized this was another of those things I'd just 'ave t' trust 'im with fer now. "It is not impossible to find, however. The drift of Ben'Arel can be roughly plotted, based on recorded patterns of its past movements. At this time of year, the island usually floats to with about a hundred leagues of the coast here. And beyond that, I have certian methods of tracking it down on my own. I'll not guide you astray yet. I can assure you of that. We'll get there all right."

"'Tis all fine an' good t' say tha' we can get there, Samael," I said, realizin' 'e meant t' say no more than tha' an expect me t' be happy with it, "but exactly what are ye proposin' we do when we get there? What am I t' do, eh?"

Tha' same weary look as before crossed 'is face then. I could almost sense 'im wantin' t' tell me, though somethin' was holding 'im back. "I cannot say much of it for now, Tarn, other than to ask you to trust me for the time being. All will become clear soon enough, but until then, you must remain in the dark for a bit longer. If you knew more of it, that knowledge could...," 'e searched for the right word fer a bit, "...influence you when the right time came. You will understand when you get there, I promise."

I made as if t' ask another question, when movement from around a rocky point on the coast caught me attention. 'Twas a ship. The Sarra's Speed 'ad arrived earlier than expected. We stood t' wave an' let the crew know where we were, an' soon they 'ad launched a longboat t' pick us up an' ferry us t' the waitin' ship.

I can still almost taste the first bit o' sea spray tha' happened onto me tongue as we sailed away. It, as well as the continued confusion I 'ad o'er our voyage, 'eld the promise o' a few sleepless nights gettin' used t' a new set of circumstances yet again. 'Twas t' be an 'arrowin' an' exitin' journey t' Ben'Arel, though not 'alf as interestin' as when we finally arrived on its rocky shores a few days later.