Modding on the Spectrum
The Greater Arrow
The Blood of Mor
by Steven Ross
Hador had returned with a fresh cup of coffee, Etienne had wiped the spill, and now they were both looking at the map spread before them, when they were joined by Jenassa, Chaconne, and Rayya.
"Really," stated Jenassa, "there are times I think you both are not interested in treasure at all, but find it convenient to say that so as to have an excuse to go adventuring together."
"Adventures may be fun, but without a reward, why bother?" said Etienne as he stared at the map on the table.
"Besides, there are rubies!" added Hador. "Bigger than a large man's fist, tis said."
He pointed one large finger to a corner of the map, and indeed, upon the map was writ the following:
A man's fist shall seem small, when over these rubies you stand tall;
And tall the mountain be, one of two arrows which you shall see,
Where the rubies red lie and heroes may die
then take flight, your blood to the sky!
But should you survive, and return home alive -
the necklace that graces the neck of night yours,
a friend you shall have for years evermore,
her joy and her riches, now yours.
"Well, as long as they are bigger than your brain," said Rayya, standing behind him, "we at least then shall be able to see them." And she gave Hador a large clout on the back of his head with her right hand (her other being busy kneading his left buttock).
"I think Jenassa's right," added Chaconne. "I think that you both just want to do some mountain climbing, but feel you need some excuse."
"Well if it is true what is written here about these rubies, that is more than enough excuse, though the climbing may be fun, as well," said Etienne.
The five were gathered together in Water View's upstairs study, viewing a worse for wear map upon Etienne's desk. Hador had brought it in earlier that day, having bought it off a wandering peddler along with several other items that tickled his childish fancy (such as a tiny mechanical dragon that would toot out of its tail region when you moved its wings; a small figure of an old man that when wound up would lift a mug to its mouth whilst his pants dropped; and a small snow globe which showed two cows in a field, umm, well let's just say, enjoying themselves), he having a fondness for the unusual or different - and the smaller the better.
"And the ragman swore to its truth," said Hador, "he having gotten it from a beggar in exchange for some rags, who had gotten it off a body found behind a tavern, stabbed!"
"And you can't get better references than that!" said Chaconne, with jesting smile. "Though I notice that you didn't say how the dead man had come by it in the first place."
"Well..."
"And I wonder where this map comes from, as well," commented Jenassa. "It looks like someone went to lot of trouble to make it look older than it is."
"How so?" asked Etienne.
"Look here, for example," said Jenassa, pointing at some stain marks on the map. "These look like nothing more than coffee stains - and nearly fresh ones, at that."
"Err," said Hador, "actually, about those particular stains..."
"What he is trying to say," interjected Etienne, "is that he knocked over our coffee with those huge clumsy things that he calls hands, whilst first showing the map to me."
"OAF!" said Rayya, and she gave Hador another smack upside his head (accompanied by an extra strong squeeze of his nether regions).
"Careful, Rayya," said Chaconne, smiling, for she could see what Rayya was doing. "We don't need any more stains added to the map!" And she gave a small giggle.
If Hador could blush he would have, though his already dark face did seem to get a hint of red.
"T'was an accident in the excitement of the moment -"
"Well, do not get too much more excited or you'll not be able to see anything on the map!" added Chaconne, laughing loudly, now.
"I meant about the rubies!"
"Well, maybe more of rubies and less of rubbing," added Jenassa. "Maybe you should leave off teasing Hador for the nonce, Rayya. Or, at least, leave it till we are finished here."
"Yes, you are right, the poor dumb beast can only take so much," said Rayya. "I supposed I will need to leave further disciplining of this lumpish nitwit for my own private amusement later." And she gave him one last smack and grope, and then went to minister to some tasks that needed attention.
"As to the newness of the stains," said Etienne, "not counting those added by recent clumsiness, doubtless it is because the map has been copied and recopied over time -"
"Or because it is a fake," shot back Jenassa.
"Then there is one sure way of finding out."
"And I agree with Etienne," said Chaconne. "If they wish to go on this expedition, they should. It will provide them with a fun thing to do, and us with quiet, since we will not be forced to listen to their incessant grumblings about not going."
"See, Jenassa, even Chaconne agrees!"
"Yes, I suppose you are right, Chaconne," said Jenassa. "At least if we want any peace. Had I wanted constant whining I would have found some rich noble and dropped his brats, and been content with theirs".
"I knew you would see it our way!" said Etienne.
"Though there are times I think I have just exchanged one set of brats for another," finished Jenassa.
"Come, Hador," said Etienne as he rolled up the map. "Let us go and prepare!"
"First we should make a list of what we will need, and then see if we have anything here that we can use," said Hador as he looked through a chest in the cellar. "The rest, we can get an artificer in Tilst to make for us. And while doing that, we should train some, for true climbing be not like anything else. Certainly not the smallish hills or cliffs we've crawled up together before."
"Well, I have done some climbing in my time," said Etienne. And then there came unbidden into his mind the memory of another place, another time - another world.
He was clinging to the ice face, wind howling around him, his four companions roped together beneath him, and below them, a sheer drop of three thousand feet or more. The first and closest to him had lost hold of the face, probably hit upon the head by one of the many rocks falling from above, and was swinging free, upside down and likely unconscious, pulling upon him and threatening to dislodge him from his perch, while those below clung to their holds, with the nearest beginning to climb upwards to help their luckless comrade. As this was happening, the weight of the second began pulling more strongly upon him from where he belayed the fallen climber, and he could feel his grip loosening - soon his fingers would slip and the only thing holding them would be the single piton he had hammered into the rotten ice of the face to reach the slim crack in the rock beneath it, and that would not hold - at least not more than the weight of one man - and he would be pulled off, along with those beneath, to fall to death all the far distance below. Suddenly one of his feet slipped, and he scrabbled for another toehold with his crampon and found one, but a little further down, and now he was stretched out. It would not be much longer before he lost all grip, or the piton pulled free, and he was snatched from the face, taking all those below with him. Looking down, he could see that the third climber was still some distance below from where the dangler was, and was making poor progress - there was no way that the climber would reach the man before he lost his own grip and carried them all to their doom. If anyone was to survive, there was but one thing he could do. He reached up with his left hand and grasped the piton as firmly as possible - which was not much, but maybe just enough for what was needed. Slowly, he worked his other hand down to his parka pocket and pulled out his pocket knife. Using his teeth, he managed to open it. He took another look down, and the third climber had made no progress - indeed, he looked to have reached an impasse himself and was able to climb no further. There was nothing for it now, for he could feel his grip loosening. He called down, yelling to the third man on the rope to prepare - to hammer in whatever anchors he could, but he seemed not to hear in the wildly screaming wind. And then his piton seemed to slip, and there was nothing for it, and with a quick saw of the knife, he cut the rope connecting him to the second man swinging free below him. Immediately, he was able to grab a better hold as the weight was removed, and he looked below. But there was no longer anything to be seen - except for four small dots growing smaller, as they fell out of sight below him.
"Yes, Hador," said Etienne, quietly, as the memory dissolved and sank back into the depths of his mind. "I have done some climbing in my time."
It took them some weeks to prepare, with many trips back and forth to Tilst to explain to the smith there exactly what was wanted (which drew some strange stares from the smith, but being of a practical nature and knowing the value of customers who paid in gold, he was willing to do as asked, and without question - or, at least, not many) and to have all the equipment made, but eventually all was ready, and they set out.
Mordaine
Having first travelled to Tilst to pick up the last odds and ends needed for their adventure, they stayed the night at the Trumpeting Swan and rode out early the next morning. As they travelled, the weather was fine, and they kept an easy pace along the track that ran along the north bank of the Iltmor River. On the third day they came to the small town that sat at the confluence of the North Ilt and the Mor, where, comingling their waters, they formed the Iltmor. Though it was still early, they decided to call it quits for the day, and relax at the local tavern. While they sat drinking, they looked upon the map, with Hador showing his usual curiosity about such things.
"And these verses, Etienne, I wonder what they mean," he said, tapping his finger upon where they were written.
"They are but the drivel that is always found on these things. It is as if the makers of the map or authors of the notes feel compelled to add useless and ridiculous rhymes."
"Yet at times they have meaning. Recall you those verses concerning the cabin in the snow?"
Etienne waved his hand dismissively.
"The one exception, though would have been better if writ in plainer tongue."
"Well, I still think there is some meaning in these that we are missing."
"Then study it if you wish, while I study the contents of my mug, which would appear to be empty - much like that thing atop your shoulders that you call a head." And Etienne summoned a wench over and ordered another round.
As they sat drinking, a tall, slim, woman dressed in a black dragon skin patterned garment and wearing a necklace of gold and rubies around her neck approached them.
So they met Mordaine.
"I could not help but overhear you speak of adventure, and would seek to join you," the woman said.
"And who are you?" asked Hador.
"I am called Mordaine. Tis said that I was named after the Mor of legend, but I know not."
"And why should we wish you to accompany us?" asked Etienne.
"Because I possess knowledge that you do not - knowledge which shall be needed if you wish to succeed in your endeavor," Mordaine replied.
"And what do you know of our endeavor?" demanded Hador. "And how did you find out in the first place?"
"I know you seek the Arrows, but not both, just the tallest; and that you aim to climb it, you two against the rock; and, reaching the top, mean to plunder the treasure that awaits there. As to how I know, did I not already say? Don't I know this from what I overheard as you two rambled on for all to hear in this smoky place?" And she laughed.
Hador clenched his fist, and Etienne laid a calming hand upon his arm.
Again she spoke.
"As to how did I find out in the first place? Why the same as you!" And she withdrew a rolled up parchment from her belt and tossed it upon the table. As they opened it and spread it before them, they saw that, in the main, it was the same as the map which they possessed. Only the verses differed.
Seek the two arrows and choose the taller
where black as night she be,
For rubies there lie, awaiting heroes' blood,
And so take, again, to the sky
But if you last, and do not expire,
her necklace you shall have,
riches beyond the ken of any man,
and all that one could desire.
"How came you by this?" asked Etienne.
"Does it matter? For surely yours is not the only copy, or did you not wonder at that?"
Hador sat back and looked at Etienne.
"It is perhaps like you said, it has been copied many a time, and doubtless not just one copy."
"Perhaps. Still," said Etienne, turning his attention back to Mordaine once again, "you have not explained to the full why we would wish you along. What knowledge is it that you possess and we do not, that we shall have need of?"
"I know these hills of old, having played amongst them as a child. I know the weather, and how it changes, and the warning signs as it shifts. And I have magics, including flames, which you may find to be of some small use in a land frozen and cold."
"And what do you wish in return, should we allow you to join us?"
"What? Are you that simple? Why a share in the treasure, of course! What else?"
"What say you, Hador? A one third share of the treasure - and whatever help her knowledge can provide?"
Hador thought a moment and then replied.
"Well, if the treasure be as stated, then even split three ways it still be a handsome haul. As to help, that is always appreciated, and an adventure split three ways is still an adventure. So, why not?"
"It is settled them." Etienne turned back to Mordaine. "Sit down and join of us in refreshments, and let us become better acquainted!"
Mordaine sat down while Etienne quickly drained his cup - Hador doing the same - and called the waitress over and ordered a fresh round for them all.
"My name is Etienne, and this uncouth fellow is Hador."
"And I am glad to have met you two," replied Mordaine.
"Well, that is still to be seen, as you haven't spent any time with us yet."
"Oh, I am sure that I will find the both of you agreeable companions."
"And us, you."
"Hopefully that will be the case," commented Hador.
"Oh, I'm sure it will be," replied Mordaine, giving Hador a smile. "But for now, return to me my map, lest either of you spill ale upon it."
Etienne took one last glance at her map - truly it was much the same as theirs, though perhaps less stained - and rolled it up and handed it across the table to her.
"So, why don't you start by telling us a little about yourself," he said, as the waitress returned with their drinks.
"I? As I said, I grew up in those northern lands, in the very foothills of the mountains, and so played amongst them and heard every story there was to tell of them. Then, once I was old enough to strike out on my own, I travelled, eventually making my way down to the land of T'sen T'sien and the great city of T'sa T'sen. It was there that I learned many of the arts of combat and obtained my sword which you see at my side, as well as the use of the shield fan."
"T'sen T'sien?" said Hador. "We passed through their once, on an errand to the isle of T'sa's Teardrop."
"Did you? Then you know it to be an old and ancient land, a natural gathering point for knowledge and legends. It was there that I came across a copy of the map which you now possess, the very one spread before you, even if the rhymes, they are different. And so I decided to search out a way to come at these jewels it spoke of, and so happened upon the two of you."
"But was that fate," asked Etienne, "or did you perhaps hear rumor of us?"
"Perhaps it was a bit of both, for on my way I stopped in Tilst, and it was there that I heard of two who were equipping themselves with gear that could only of be use were the two intending to climb. And after some little asking around, I heard rumor that those two were headed north. And what is there in the north to attract two great adventurers, as you were described to be. And so I set out myself, following rumors and signs of your passing, and so here I have found you."
"And, perhaps, good for you, for one only could not tackle those high mountains that make up the Mountains of Mor and succeed."
"Indeed, not," added Hador. "But you say you grew up in the foothills of the mountains. What can you tell of us of them? For though Etienne and I have been to some of them, we have not been to the region shown on the map. And what is meant by two arrows, as is mentioned in the rhymes?"
"Ah, the Arrows, as the rhyme calls them," Mordaine said, "are two of the tallest peaks in the Mountains of Mor - indeed, in all of Shanqua - which legends say are the two arrows that struck Mor as she fled from T'sa. They stand separated by some distance, with the taller of the two - The Major Arrow - to the west, rising up in the very center of the chain and said to be the second, final arrow to strike Mor and bring her down. And upon this higher of these two, are to be found rubies - rubies of immense size, said to be the blood of Mor, solidified as she fell to her death. Further, legend has it that should the rubies be watered with the blood of heroes, Mor would be restored to life once again. But that is likely just a fable added upon the tale, to enthrall small children and intrigue fools."
"See, Hador," said Etienne with a laugh. "She speaks of you!"
Hador frowned.
"It is fine for you to have your jest, Etienne," he rumbled, "but have I not seen that things mentioned in tales to scare children, all too often turn out to be true."
The three set out early the next day, riding off into a world turned grey, the morning being foggy and all sounds muffled (fortunately for Etienne and Hador, who were suffering the next day effects of a few - well, maybe more than a few - too many drinks), and headed north. Long they rode, just stopping mid-day to rest the horses and have a bite to eat, yet all day the fog remained with them, making everything drear and cheerless. So it was that they decided to halt while there was still light enough to see in the greyness that surrounded them, and thus they made their first camp together just south and west of the rolling hills that were the last outriders of Mor's Arms.
They sat around the campfire, Mordaine seated between the two men, Hador entertaining them with stories of his youth in the great southern land of Salmandu (well, entertaining Mordaine, maybe, since Etienne had heard them so many times he could tell them as if they were his own). As Hador related his adventures, Mordaine would stretch out her hand and place it upon his arm, and as she did so she would say "Is that so, Hador?" or "Really, Hador?" or some such trifling comment - but always with his name. And then Etienne felt himself growing somewhat jealous (why, he would not have been able to say), and so interrupted, and, related his own stories - some being of other places and other times that he occasionally recalled in his dreams. And Mordaine would then do the same with him "Amazing, Etienne!" and "How brave, Etienne!" - and now it was Hador's turn to feel jealous.
So, back and forth the conversation went, Hador and Etienne telling tales of themselves, and Mordaine giving her attention first to one and then the other, until, it growing late, she excused herself and went into the tent that Etienne and Hador had equipped for the journey - meant for two, but now crowded with three. And when they, in turn, retired for the night, they found that Mordaine had set her bedroll right in the middle, and so they each set their's to either side of where she lay sleeping. It was thus that Hador awoke in the night to find Mordaine with one hand stretched across his chest, before nodding off again, and later, Etienne the same, though it was Mordaine's leg that lay across his own. And then it was morning, and Mordaine was sitting by the fire under a newly risen bright sun, the fog of the previous day blown off to cloak some other land in dreariness.
After a quick breakfast, they mounted up and spent the rest of the day riding, with Mordaine spending her time talking in low whispers to the two, alternating between Hador and Etienne. And so the day passed, and the next one as well, in much the same manner, and then they found themselves at a crossing of the river Mor, and the town that was located there.
Stabling the horses, Etienne and Hador went to the local tavern (well, what else is new?) while Mordaine walked around the town and, discovering an acquaintance of her's from her earlier years, stopped to visit them in their house.
It was over drinks in their newly rented room that Hador spoke up.
"Don't think I do not see how you eye her!"
"I? You big, besotted fool! It is you who stretches yon nether regions of your garments the moment she walks near!"
"You but wish you were as endowed as I, Etienne!"
"Doubtless how you came by your brain damage, with all your blood rushing to your loins!"
"The better to stab with! And if you do not stop, you will feel a different type of sword entering you!" And Hador placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Would you dare? If so, try it, and we shall see who is the better!" And Etienne made to draw his sword as well.
Before either could take a swing at the other, Mordaine entered the room.
"So, fighting amongst yourselves, I see," she said. "Is this private, or can anyone join in?" And she laughed.
As she did so, it was as if a spell was broken, and Etienne and Hador sheathed their swords.
"T'was nothing," said Hador, but not without a glare at Etienne.
"Indeed, it was nothing at all," Etienne commented. "Now if you two will excuse me, I have things I wish to do." And he left the room - but not before returning Hador's look.
"Well, I can see you two are getting along - are you both always like this?"
"It was nothing, as said. Just a little playfulness."
"Well, Hador, perhaps you would like to try a little of your playfulness with me?" And Mordaine drew her sword and flared her fan. "Let us see who is the better at swordplay, you and I. The winner to name the prize."
"As you wish, but beware, I am known for my skill with a sword."
"Ah, so I've heard. But which sword? That is the question. And that is what we shall find out, won't we?"
Hador just drew forth his sword and took a step towards her, eyeing for any opening. (Not that they would actually complete a thrust or slash, but would stop short, or slap with the flat of the blade - with both being good enough at the art of the blade to know when a given move had won or lost the duel, and so call it quits.) As Hador slowly slid one foot forward, Mordaine began a slow circling motion to his left, and then Hador lunged low with his sword and Mordaine slapped it away with her fan, stepping briskly forward as she did so to make a thrust of her own at Hador's now unprotected side. He took a sudden leap back and with a spinning motion brought his blade back around again to slash at Mordaine's arm, but she twisted aside and dashed her fan into Hador's face, forcing him back a step, and then she lunged at him with a thrust of her blade. Hador retreated as he parried her attack, but catching his foot on a warped floor board, fell with a great crash upon his back, his sword flying from his hand. In an instant, Mordain was sitting astride him.
"So," she said, "have you another weapon you wish try upon me?"
As she straddled him, it was as if Hador could hear Rayya's voice. "Oaf! Fool! Clumsy beggar! Tripping over nothing and losing to a woman with a fan! I'll give you a fanning when you get back, and then show you the proper use for your sword!"
With that, Hador pushed Mordaine off him.
"Enough of this foolishness!" he said, and picking up his sword, stalked out of the room, followed by the sound of Mordaine's laughter.
"Are you truly as skilled with the sword as is said, Etienne? Then show me!"
It was later, with Hador looking to replenish supplies at the marketplace, that Etienne returned, to find Mordaine waiting. She smiled at him, making no mention of earlier, while Etienne made to sift through the items in his pack. Then she spoke, and Etienne turned to face her.
"Are you truly as skilled with the sword as is said, Etienne?"
"I have some small skill."
"Then show me!"
And she drew her blade and snapped out her fan, and Etienne drew his sword. They stood ready, each eyeing the other, both motionless, waiting upon a first move. It was Mordaine who broke the impasse, slapping her fan at Etienne's sword and lunging in with her blade - but Etienne just slapped the fan aside with his sword and danced to the side, avoiding her thrust. Again Mordaine repeated her attack, and again Etienne did the same, though seemingly leaving his off hand side open. Mordain saw her chance, and repeated her move a third time, but Etiennne had expected that, and this time, instead of slapping aside her fan, he skewered it through the mesh with the tip of his blade, and as he spun to avoid her inplunging steel, gave a flick of his sword, tearing the fan from her grasp and sending it flying across the room. In the next instant he stepped back, and as she once more thrust her blade towards him, he met her head on, and locked blade to blade. As Mordaine pushed away and moved backwards, Etienne gave his sword a twirl, and binding upon her blade, disarmed her of it, the blade also now spinning away. At that, Mordaine took another step back, looking to gain space and recover her blade, and Etienne, unrelenting now, dashed forward and smashed the hilt of his weapon full into her body. Mordaine fell backwards, and in the motion grasped Etienne's sword arm to her breast, and pulled him down atop her. As she lay there, she smiled up at him , and spoke.
"Well done!" she said. "And now that you have conquered me, shall you claim your prize?"
As he lay upon her, Etienne's mind was overtaken.
It was mating season, and as the waves rolled in on the beach, all were jumbled together, their eel like bodies entwined in a great squirming mass. He could feel the waves pushing him against the others, and as they did so, the pressure and motion of the surrounding bodies all rasping against his own scales made his reproductive organs stiffen and extend out from his body. Even though he knew that at the end of the act he would die, as all males did after mating, he could not control himself. First one, then another, then a third of his appendages stabbed out, penetrating the females clustered around him. He felt himself being drained of all his life-force, his thoughts and mind falling into darkness, when he heard a voice speaking to him, as if from the heavy ammonia clouds that filled the sky. "What, Etienne? Have you forgotten Chaconne and myself? Or do you wish to couple in the mud like some worm in a farm field?"
At once his mind recalled itself to the present, and with a heave, he pushed himself up from where he lay atop Mordaine.
She laughed at him from where she lay, and spoke.
"So did your friend Hador do, when presented with the same opportunity."
And then she just smiled and stared as he walked from the room.
Later, back in their room (Mordaine having left to stay with her acquaintance for the night), Hador and Etienne spoke about what had occurred earlier.
"I'm sorry, Etienne -"
"Forget it."
"Well, I don't know what came over me, it was as if I was bewitched."
"You were not the only one. But it is past, now."
"Indeed it is. But I trust not this Mordaine. Observe you how, now that it grows colder as we progress northwards, she distains any clothing other than she had when first we met, and seemingly requires nothing to keep her warm?"
"I have seen that."
"And she never shivers or seems cold, even in the face of the cold north winds."
"Indeed."
"All this is somehow wrong. She seems a witch of sort, or at least is practicing some witchery."
"Then we must be on our guard."
"We could just leave her -"
"And have her follow? Free to conjure her spells and we not know? I think not. Better to keep her close and under watch. No, I will speak with her tomorrow before we leave."
"If you say so, but I still do not trust her - whether close or far."
"What game are you playing, Mordaine?"
The next morning, after asking around town, Etienne found Mordaine having breakfast in her friend's house.
"Etienne! Good morning, have a seat and something to eat. The family is out doing chores, but you are quite safe alone here with me - maybe!" And Mordaine laughed.
"No. Hador and I have already broken fast. I've just come to tell you that we are leaving, and if you are to accompany us further, that you should make ready. And to speak with you."
"I am always ready. As to speaking, why make sounds with the mouth, when actions speak louder than words, and the mouth may be put to better use?" She reached out her hand to lay it on Etienne's arm.
Etienne at once drew back and looked at her, then spoke.
"What game are you playing, Mordaine?"
"Game? I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Cut the crap. You know exactly what I'm talking about!"
Mordaine leaned back, looking at Etienne, and gave a wry smile.
"Yes, indeed I do. Well, you need not worry any longer about that. Nor Hador, either. It would seem you two are not to be divided by any means - even were that my desire, which it is not. And that is all I've to say on the matter. The important thing now is to focus on the task at hand."
"Game? I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Good! Then let's consider the matter closed. We leave within the hour - we'll see you then." And Etienne gave one last nod of his head to Mordaine, and went to meet Hador, to help finish saddling the horses and loading their supplies on them.
From then on, whether due to Etienne's words with her, or some other reason, Mordaine kept herself aloof, and spoke little - neither to Etienne, nor Hador. So all passed peacefully, and they arrived at the last major village at the foothills of the Mountains of Mor without further ado.
The last village was almost not a village at all when compared to other towns in Iltmora or the Kingdom of Tilst, but in this place, it was a veritable metroplis. And so, leaving Etienne and Mordaine to talk, Hador took the horses to be stabled and make arraignments for lodgings, as well as to see about purchasing any necessities, and to just have a general look around the place.
Etienne and Mordaine stood talking in the village street, the nearby mountains looming over the land. There would be smaller places before they reached the base, of course, but they would be little more than small clusters of maybe a few huts or so - nothing that could rightly be called a town of any sort.
"Hador is picking up the last of the major supplies we'll need for this last leg of the journey," said Etienne. "Then we'll rest here a couple of days before pushing on, again. Once we reach the bottom of the ice field, we'll place our weapons and any other unnecessary equipment in a cairn, and pick it up on our return."
"Well, you can place your weapons there if you wish, but I, at least, am keeping my sword with me."
"I doubt there will be anything on the ascent that will bother us much. And a dagger should suffice for any small creatures that may be roaming the lower part of the ice. And once on the mountain, what is there that could possibly trouble us, other than the elements?"
"Maybe nothing, but what if there is? No, I will keep my sword."
"Listen Mordaine, if we are to climb, we must concentrate on that, and swords will only be a hindrance. We either are climbing or we are fighting - but we cannot do both. So again, I say, leave your sword behind."
"We either are climbing or we are fighting - but we cannot do both"
"And I say no! What if we do encounter some enemy, be it a wild beast or some other. I will not be left to their mercy. Do as you will, but I, for one, am taking my sword with me. It is my problem to deal with, not yours or Hador's."
"You may think that, but on a climb, one person's problems quicky become all's."
"Then deal with it, and if it becomes a problem for you and Hador, then leave me to myself!"
"Well, have it your way, then. But when that sword becomes as a lead weight upon you, you will think otherwise!"
The next two days passed quickly, Hador and Etienne keeping busy as they made whatever preparations were needed for the remainder of their journey, Mordaine keeping to herself for the most part. Finally, on the morning of the third day, it was time to depart.
"We shall load one of the horses with as much firewood as is needed," said Etienne, "as there will be no wood to be found from this point on. As for the horses, Hador is making arrangements for the stabling of two now, and we shall bring the third to carry supplies and wood. And once the terrain is no longer passable for the horse, we will turn it back and carry the wood ourselves, as well -"
"Carry the wood?" said Mordaine. "Tis one thing to carry food and equipment, but wood? Just the other day you were insisting I leave my weapons behind because of the weight, and here you would have us carry a whole forest on our backs?"
"It is not the same thi -"
"Yes! It is!"
"Sword and shield we should not need, but fire is another thing - if only to cook and brew tea with."
"For that, we do not need wood. Did I not say I have some other talents that may be of use when first we met? Then be silent and observe!"
And Mordaine cupped her hands, and in the palm of each a small flame appeared, and as she extended her hands and spread her fingers, the flames grew in size, until they were nearly an arms length in extent - suddenly, with a tossing movement and fingers spread completely open, the flames shot out in long gouts, which ceased as she closed her fists once more.
"There! What need you carry wood when I can supply all the fire you need to heat you your simple foods and drink! And if you are cold at night, then you and Hador may huddle together - I shall be warm enough as always, and need neither a crackling fire, nor heavy furs to make it so."
"Very well, though we will still carry some wood, for a fire in camp may not be needed by you for warmth, but does wonders to lift the spirit when darkness falls. Though the extra warmth also be a welcome thing."
"That is for you and Hador to decide - I need it not."
"Yet, we may, for though you may have some magical powers of warmth, we do not. Now, best you gather what things you need while I get Hador, and we can be on our way."
"I already have all I need for the journey - and if not, that I shall discover ere we reach the end."
"Then wait here. I will return with Hador shortly."
"There!" said Etienne, pointing. "There's our goal!"
They travelled across a rising and increasingly broken land the next two days, passing solitary huts along the way, until even of those there were no more. Finally, they reached a point where the horse could no longer go, and so they unloaded it and, with Hador giving it a slap on its rump, sent it back the way they had come. Dividing up the gear (well, at least Etienne and Hador divided up the gear, Mordaine distaining the whole idea of carrying anything), they continued onwards and upwards. As the day was coming to an end, they exited the long valley they had been trekking through, and could see what lay ahead.
"There!" exclaimed Etienne, pointing. "There's our goal!"
"The Greater Arrow!" said Mordaine. "All is finally within reach! But now for the hard part - all that has gone before has just been the preliminary preparations for the climb. Now we will see what you two are made of!"
"Then let us set camp," said Hador, dropping his pack and the disassembled tent to the ground. "We can rest here and then decide what needs be carried for the remaining push."
The evening passed quietly enough, with Mordaine placing her bedroll to the side, as she had done ever since Etienne's words with her, and they all arose early the next morning. After a hasty breakfast, they set out, and soon were in the lowest of the snowfields, picking their ways carefully between the great crevasses that broke its surface, whilst checking to see that the snow they were walking upon was indeed solid, and not just some mask overlying a yawning gap, ready to tumble any who were unawares to injury or death. By early afternoon, they had made their way beyond the snowfield with its cracked and broken surface, and into the upper reaches of the ice. Onward they plodded, Hador leading, using his strength and great bulk to thrust through any drifts that barred their way. So they continued, the slope getting ever steeper, and soon they approached a saddle that linked the icefield to the main face of the Arrow.
"Let us push onwards!" exclaimed Mordaine. "One last camp and then the climb to the top."
"Let us push onwards! One last camp and then the climb to the top."
As the last rays of the sun reached them before it dipped below the horizon, they reached a flat space (or as flat as was possible in that tilted realm) at the base of a sheer wall of cracked and iced rock, and stopped. Hador set the tent and laid the fire - with Mordaine using her magical skill with flame to set it alight.
And so they made their last camp.
Hador busied himself preparing the things they would need for the morrow's climb - rope, ice axe, two small vessels to be used to heat food and drink in - just the two, as they would share, each making use of them in turn, as well as the dried food and leaves for drink they would take.
While he did this, Etienne was preparing that evening's meal over the fire (just some raw meat skewered on a stick and held over the flames), Mordaine seated next to him.
"Are you sure you will not leave your weapons here?" asked Etienne of Mordaine.
"I have told you already, I will not."
Etienne just shook his head, and seeing the meat was ready, called Hador over as he proffered the roasted chunks to Mordaine.
they sat round the fire, each absorbed in their own thoughts
Mordaine took some pieces from the stick, the heat not seeming to bother her, and stood as she ate. Hador, meanwhile, sat next to Etienne, and they took turns eating. When they were done, Etienne tossed the stick into the fire, and then all was silent, silent but for the crackling of the fire as the flames danced in the night, before them. And so, they sat round the fire, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Finally, Hador and Etienne made their way to their bedrolls and sleep - Mordaine remaining, gazing into the flames, alone with her thoughts. When they awoke the next morning, she was still there.
as the day progressed, the ground below receded into the distance
They started out, leaving the tent up and placing anything they were not taking, within. They walked the few steps to the face of the rock and looked up - from where they stood, the summit itself was hidden, set back from the wall which was now before them. Etienne tied a rope around his waist - then Moraine, Hador being at the end. Leading the way, Etienne stepped forward, and, reaching up, grabbed a low projection of rock and pulled himself up, finding a slim sliver of a ledge to place his feet. He was on the face.
This lower section presented few problems, and they were able to make quick progress, though the thinning of the air was making it more difficult to breathe. So far, however, they were doing well, and as the day progressed, the ground below receded into the distance. It was around midafternoon, that they encountered their first setback. Etienne had been climbing up a long narrow flue which branched, and the right branch seemingly offering a better path, Etienne chose that one - and so it was until some time later when he reached an impasse, the rock overhead bulging outward, like the edge of a helmet over a person's face, and search as he could, Etienne could see no way around or over it. Finally, calling down to Hador and Mordaine, he told them of the problem. There was nothing for it but to climb down to where the flue branched and try the other path upwards.
Etienne clung to the face, each new move requiring the utmost care
Now the day was getting late, and there was no time to be wasted. Etienne moved up this second path as quickly as he could, and lo! the flue opened out and he was back on a well defined section of the face again. But the exertion, cold, and altitude were taking their toll, and he found his concentration slipping, his climbing now in fits and halts, actions seeming to take forever to complete.
Etienne clung to the face, each new move requiring the utmost care, lest one find one on a quick descent to the ground far, far below. Grasping at the next small outjutting, his stiff and cold fingers could find no hold, and he scrabbled at it and missed, and he found himself overcome with weariness as he began to slip, and then, unbidden, his thoughts and mind shifted.
He seemed to be falling...
He seemed to be falling, falling down a long tunnel or chute, and with him were two motes of light. And from one, came Hador's voice.
"What foolishness is this of yours now, Etienne? We are to climb up, not fall down!"
Then, from the other, he heard Jenassa speak.
"It is not yet time, my love! You still have much here and cannot leave until this plane is no longer the place for you - and that time is not yet."
With that, Etienne snapped back to the present, and he wearily extended his hand upwards once again, and this time grabbed the small outcrop of rock, and regained his hold on the face. As if that had been the last test, in just a few more feet he was at the top of the rock wall.
Etienne hauled himself over the brow of rock, and found himself on a slope of snow, where he was soon joined by his companions. Before them, just over a last uprising in the snow covered slope, was the summit. Darkness was closing in, however, and being exhausted from the day's ascent (well, Hador and Etienne, at least, Mordaine was seemingly unaffected and paced restlessly back and forth) it was decided that they would make camp. Using her fan, Mordaine scooped out a small snow cave for them to shelter in, then, using a flame spell, she melted snow in two small containers, and made tea in one and soup in the other, which they took turns passing around as they huddled together. Eventually, after drinking all that there was, they drifted off to sleep.
The sun had not yet risen when they awoke, but they set out in the darkness, Mordaine using her flame spell to light the way. Soon, the sun was above the horizon, and they could see the summit before them, just beyond the mounded drift of snow that formed a cornice overhanging the steep leeward face.
They crested this last hillock of snow and were finally at the top - and there ahead of them rising out of the snow that covered the peak was a spire of rock. Even from where they were, they could see that it was encrusted with rubies. Mordaine dashed on ahead, seeming no longer effected by tiredness or the thin air at that altitude, with Etienne and Hador following slowly behind.
"Finally!" she cried. "The moment is here! And now, having passed the tests I set for you, you shall fulfill the purpose for which you were brought here!" With that, she drew her sword and began to advance towards them. As she did so, she stared first at Hador, then at Etienne, and at the touch of her gaze, they became as if paralyzed, unable to move. She laughed.
...she drew her sword and began to advance towards them.
"Struggling is useless! The spell binds you. But don't worry! This won't take long and then it will be done!"
She was upon them. And with two quick slices of her blade, it was over.
The blood poured from the wounds on their arms, and as it did so, Mordaine reached out with her fan, capturing in its folds the spilling blood - first from Hador, and then Etienne. Turning, she sped back to the spire and poured the blood upon it, crying, "With the blood of heroes, all will be restored!" and it ran down, seemingly seeking each ruby in turn.
As their blood touched upon the last of the rubies, the air filled with a red mist, swirled round Mordaine, and was absorbed. "It is done!" they heard her cry joyously. Then there was a great clap of thunder, as of air being displaced, and they heard a fading voice cry "Perhaps we shall meet again", and before them a section of the snow broke from the summit and tumbled in one great slab to smash thousands of feet below, and there appeared a great dragon, which, with a flap of its wings, rose above them, made one circling pass, during which something appeared to drop to the snow upon the slope below them, and then disappeared to the north. Of the rubies, there was nothing left to be seen. A moment later, Etienne and Hador found that they were able to move once more, and their wounds healed, as if they never were. Whatever the spell was, it had vanished with Mordaine.
Hador was the first to move, and went over to see what had been dropped by the dragon as it circled.
It was a necklace of rubies and gold.
Mordaine's necklace.
Hador and Etienne exchanged looks. Finally, Hador spoke.
"She could have just asked for a few drops of blood and given us the necklace before we started out, and saved us all the trouble," he said, as he held the necklace in his hand.
Etienne shrugged.
"Perhaps she needed us to prove our worth as heroes."
"Leave it for the gods to make things more difficult than need be."
"As is the way with all the old gods."
"And leave it for men to accomplish."
"Tis true. But to them we are but mere playthings, and so have little say in the matter."
"So it is." And he gave a shrug. "Though, more likely, t'was just a dragon happening by, and Mordaine fell to her death when the edge broke beneath her - all too easy given the excitement of the moment, the dragon's wings doubtless triggering the collapse with its arrival, her necklace getting caught in its talons as it snatched at her as she fell, and then dropping, as we saw."
"And all else just an illusion brought upon us by the air being too thin to breathe properly."
"Exactly." Then Hador looked around at the expanse of sky, and down at the mountains below them. "Now, I suppose, all we need do is get down," he said.
Which, after not a little travail, our two doughty and intrepid adventurers did, helped not a little by exceptionally fine weather - though if this be a gift of the gods or just chance, they did not bother themselves overmuch to think - and so in time returned to the only gods who mattered - their loved and faithful companions.
c Steven Ross
