Day 284 (262)((252))

Day 284 (262)((252)):

We woke to this village singing the gnomes' sunrise song. Nathan nearly jumped out of bed as we got up. He was still trying to deal with last night's surprise. We walked out while they were still singing. Nathan could not understand their words, so Anna translated. We waited until they were finished. The Gengan told Nathan the traders had arrived just before dawn and could take him wherever he wished to go. We all walked with him to where the traders were set up. One man separated and approached us.

He grasped Nathan's hand, "Dear boy! We've been told of your dilemma. We travel quite a bit. If we can't find your home, we can find you a place that feels like home."

Nathan seemed relaxed now that he was in the presence of other humans. He was given warm clothes and a "job" until he found his home or a home. We were handed travel food as we returned to gather our things. Our guides met us at the door and helped us repack our saddles. We rode beside the traders for a bit until they veered off towards another village. We continued on the trail.

Our guides did not have to tell us when we neared Gowgornok. It amazed us as how many people we felt. The other villages held less than one thousand people each. I could feel well over five thousand beings ahead of us.Our guides must have suspected something. They stopped in what appeared to be an open field in the middle of nowhere.

"A test, Sisters," Sandorn announced with a smile, "We would like to see if the Seven Sisters of the Swords can find and enter Gowgornok on their own."

We smiled back. Dismounting, we huddled together along with our companions. We felt for the population we sensed. As we approached it, we also felt the barrier around it. While similar to the ones we passed through at the other villages, this one was much stronger. I could feel our guides tension and mirth as we approached the barrier. It was Set who told us we were close.

"I smell people and furies and food. Kayla, when I look ahead of us, my eyes hurt."

I shared his sight. The swirling magic did make my eyes sting. We looked at the ground and found where the magic lay. Returning to my own sight, my sisters helped me to confirm the boundary of the barrier. Our guides  were impressed.

"You've found it," Horbar chuffed, "which is the easy part. Entering is something else entirely."

Accepting both acknowledgement and challenge, we proceeded. We discussed many avenues of gaining entrance. As it was made to keep out invaders, force was out of the question. Anna, as a gnome-kin, we decided, would identify herself to the barrier and ask for entrance. She walked up to it and, in fluent gnomish, told her family lines and asked permission for all of us to enter. We stood still and silent as we felt the magic examine us. Our guides held their breaths. Suddenly, we heard lots of laughter. The barrier parted like a gate, revealing several hundred gnomes standing in front of us. A woman bearing the marks of the Gengan approached us, smiling and clapping, which caused the rest to applaud.

"Well done, Sisters. Your gentle natures and wisdom have won you entrance into Gowgornok. Many have tried countless ways of attempting to bully their way through our defenses. By both identifying your relations and calmly asking permission, you allowed us to know you were not enemies. What would you have done if it denied you?"
We thought for a moment.
"I could have identified myself as an ally as dwarf-kin," Callie stated, showing her family crest as proof.
Many nodded, but did not tell us if it would have worked.
"I could have identified myself as a dragon-rider, an ally from the Faerie, or as a friendly visiting cleric," I offered.
Some nodded while others stared.
The Gengan smiled, "No mention of force or aggression. You are as legend tells us. Now, let us get you inside and comfortable. We have a grand feast awaiting you. Welcome to Gowgornok."
The crowd cheered. We remounted our horses and rode through the barrier, which closed seamlessly behind us.
The power of their illusion became evident by the size of this city. What, from the outside, looked like an empty plain and rolling hills, was in fact a thriving city to rival Raval and Selvis Prime. We were taken to the largest building as the Gengan explained it was not a royal palace as they had no royalty. It was build to house other races when they visited for important meetings like treaty signing and trade agreements. Gowgornok actually had a Gengan council as it was too large for a single leader. We were shown a suite to use during our stay. Our companions were treated well and no one threatened them.
It was still early in the day, not yet mid-day, and there were people who wanted us to look at parts of the city. Callie went to inspect some new building projects. Sarah went on a tour of the clinics and healing places to help with a strange disease that had erupted this fall. Lisa was needed for some new wells that had a funny taste and smell. Gretta was called to inspect some trade goods that were suspect. Anna went to meet relatives who had been asking about their "lost daughter".
Alice and I stayed and met the Gengan council. They asked about Sky Thunder and any other dragons that would ally with them to protect both the gnomes and the Miner's Rod. I told them he was the only wild dragon in the area, but the dragon riders would be asked to patrol the area. The council gave each other odd looks.
"If I can talk to them, I can see how many gnome and dwarf riders they can spare, " I offered.
The whole council looked fit to faint. Alice and I looked at each other, a bit confused. Did they not know that there were riders of their race?
One male stood, "Ladies, you must be mistaken. There are no gnome or dwarf dragon riders. Our races are not called to be riders."
"Yes, they are," I countered, "We fought the Baalocs beside such riders. If I may borrow a viewing glass, I can have Maudrin speak with you and confirm my words."
They got one for me. Holding it so all the rings of my riding set touched it, I called to Demagram. The council crowded around me. An unfamiliar male face appeared.
"Yes? May I help you?" he asked a bit flatly.
"Hello, my name is Kayla. Is Maudrin..."
"Kayla! THE Kayla? Emperor Rider Kayla?" he interrupted excitedly.
I blushed, "Yes, that's me. Is Maudrin, rider of Emerald, nearby?"
"Maudrin, yes, he is in the yard. Please wait. I will get him," the male disappeared as he spoke.
"I guess Demagram is well informed," Alice mentally teased.
Before the council got too antsy, Maudrin's familiar face appeared in the glass. The council let out a collective gasp.
"Greetings again, Kayla. How may I help you?" he asked smiling.
"Maudrin, the council in Gowgornok are of the opinion gnomes and dwarfs cannot be dragon riders. Also, they are having an ogre problem that, we hope, a few visible dragons could lessen or eliminate entirely."
Maudrin's smile fell, "Ogres? Threatening Gowgornok? Is the Rod safe?"
"For now," I told him, "but they are getting bolder and we suspect the gray ones are aiding them somehow."
Even though I could not see his glow through the glass, his expressive face told his emotions plainly.
"Why did they not call us at the first sign of trouble?" he asked between clenched teeth.
Because, Rider," one of the Gengans answered, "we did not know any naghle (gnomes) or joban (dwarfs) were dragon riders. No rider finders have been in this area in decades. We do not ask outsiders for aid, as you know."
Maudrin nodded, "I see. Look for us on the morrow. Your eyes and minds will be open," and he ended the viewing.
The council returned to their places as I returned the glass.
"Forgive our ignorance, Ladies. We concluded that, having not seen rider finders for so long, that they preferred other races as riders. Our eyes have been opened," a female councilor explained.
We spent until evening telling them of all the races we had witnessed as dragon riders. We walked with them to reunite with our other sisters and the rest of the gnomes for the feast they had prepared.
I felt a little out of place, like an adult at a children's party. With the tallest of them at only four feet, even Anna and Sarah were almost a foot taller than every adult in the room. Gretta truly towered over them as the tallest among us. After a while, however, it was easy to forget the size difference and simply enjoy ourselves. Anna was having a grand time. As an only child now surrounded by new relatives, a loneliness fell away to be replaced by boundless love.
As I watched the merriment, one male gnome caught my attention. I felt like I had seen him before. It nagged at me a bit before I realized he was the man I saw in Fate's vision. Unknown to Anna, I was looking at her future husband. Vanity and Sloth agreed to not interfere and let the two find each other naturally. Set was too busy being fed by the children to pay attention to us. I did not have long to wait. While he was shy, he did manage to introduce himself to her. Like Alice and Earshaw and Carmon and Julia, their glows became similar at the first touch of their hands. When they parted, her eyes followed him and locked onto him until someone else got her attention.
News of the impending arrival of the dragon riders was circulated around the room and around the city. By the time everyone was leaving, that was the main topic. We went to our suite to sleep. Set regaled us with all the foods he had been given. We did not ask Anna about the man, but all of us could tell she was much happier being around so much family. We did not need our mats as the beds were quite comfortable. I did lay my mat on the floor for Set as the floor was a bit cold and the bed too small for us both.

Day 283 (261)((251))

Day 283 (261)((251)):

We woke to a curious noise. We exited the barn to find the village united in song. They were facing the sun, singing in the new day. We did not join in nor interrupt them, but listened to their lovely song. Dawn winged over the crowd, softly mimicking their tune. At the moment the sun burst over the horizon, Dawn and the crowd were enveloped in golden light. While it lasted only a few heartbeats, it was still an awesome sight. The light faded and the crowd parted. Dawn returned to us. She seemed slightly different, like something had been lifted from her. Alice must have asked, for she told us it was part of her growth process to "sing to the sun". This released some inner tension to allow her to make her own fire to complete her cycle into adulthood. The gnomes thanked us and Dawn for her addition to their morning ritual. Breakfast was eaten while we packed our things back on the horses. Many of the children followed us as we left. It was hard to grasp that many of them were old enough to be our parents and we were nearly half their ages. We put that out of our minds as we continued to Gowgornok.

At some point between the village we left and the next, we encountered a human male who appeared totally lost. He had no outward injuries, yet he walked like he was hurt. Even though we saw each other for several moments, he seemed startled when we spoke to him. We asked his name and his condition several times before he responded.

"I am Nathan. I am not sure if I am well or not. This is not where I went to sleep last night. Nor is it the time of year when I laid to rest. It was summer. I was at the farthest edge of my lord's orchard when night began to fall. Too far was it to get back home before full dark, so I went to the nearest work shed and went to sleep. When I awoke, I was very cold, in a cave of some kind, and all alone. I left the cave and have wandered for two days since."

We checked him for injuries, illness, and anything else that might account for such strangeness. Other than some marks that looked like he had been bitten, we could find nothing. We shared food, water, and a spare cloak as he rode with Sarah on her horse, with us to the next village. Cara sent word to the Gengan of our extra rider. We were met a ways outside of the village by armed gnomes. We assured Nathan that this was only a precaution and not anything personal. He was escorted elsewhere while we entered the village. 

Here, too, the evidence of ogre attack was barely visible. The Gengan met us, a male of middle years, and asked about Nathan. Relaying our meeting, the Gengan came to understand why we did not view him as a threat. Their "tall house" was repaired so we put our things in there. We had a couple of hours before nightfall, so we wandered about the village. This one did not have as many children as the other, but many ran and giggled through the dirt streets, playing various games.

The sensation of danger hit us a mere breath before the first scream. We raced toward the sounds and sensations. We arrived to see Nathan with two gnomish swords, hacking through the village, wildly flailing at everyone and everything. However, he did not look the same as when we parted. His eyes were glowing red and his face was contorted into a mask of anger and madness. Lisa unsheathed Gluttony and charged at him. Even faced with a skilled fighter of his same size, Nathan did not change from his wild swinging. Lisa disarmed him quickly. Still, he swung his arms at her, Gluttony, and anything else nearby. He pushed Lisa into a stack of barrels, causing her to fall. Nathan continued to swing wildly. When an opportunity appeared, Set ran with all his speed and bowled Nathan over. As Nathan lay on the ground, Set parked his weight on top of Nathan's squirming form. Try as he may, Nathan could not wiggle free of Set's bulk. We seven encircled the still thrashing man. With the lightest of touches, we made him sleep. I told Set to keep him down as we figured out what had caused this. The marks that had looked like bites were now glowing and formed writing in a language unknown to us. The Gengan and our guides came over to assess the situation. Horbar saw the writing and went pale. 

"I know that language. It is of the gray ones, the Duergar. It is a spell of some kind," he looked closely at the glowing marks, "Yes, it is a spell."

He began to tell us the words as he pointed to each mark. The spell, which would not activate until Nathan was in a gnome village, ordered him to kill everyone and destroy everything. As it was "dead" at the time we met and cloaked against detection, we were not blamed for not seeing it.

We seven erased the spell, which caused Nathan to stop twitching. Set helped the gnomes drag Nathan back to the place they had been holding him. Sarah went with them to help heal both his physical and mental wounds. The rest of us set about fixing everything he had broken or damaged. Fortunately, gnome quickness had prevented anyone from being hurt. Some of the children had to be comforted, crying that "all tall folk are mean". The funny thing was that the presence of Set, Bo, and Dawn proved to the children that we were not mean.

One child put it, "Mean people do not attract such pretties."

It took until dinner, but the children settled enough to sit with all of us at a very long table set in a building they referred to as the "guest hall".

We were almost finished when the children were hurried out. It was whispered to us that Nathan wanted to speak with all of us. After the last child was well away, Nathan was brought in under guard and in shackles. He emotions were a mess, but he was not evil.

"Dear people," he began softly, "I beg you to forgive me. With the spell removed, my memories have returned. The night I went to sleep in that shed, I was taken by strange dwarf-like creatures into a cave and deep underground. I lost track of the time as they beat me, tortured me, and starved me. After the marks healed, they began to treat me well, almost like royalty. A few nights ago, one touched me on the head. Next I knew, I was wandering around in the cold with nothing but the clothes I had when I was taken, with no memory of what had happened between the shed and this area. I did not know what the marks meant or why they did what they did. I can only hope no one was hurt. I submit to whatever punishment you decide to give me."

Nathan hung his head, thoroughly dejected and hopeless. He was taken to the furthest wall while we decided his fate. We contributed the fact he was telling the truth and everything he remembered. After some discussion, Nathan was called back to us.

The Gengan spoke, "Nathan, know that no one was hurt. What damage you did was easily repaired. We know you speak the truth. We do not blame you for anything that happened. Horbar read the marks and told us the spell laid upon you. Your ordeal was deliberate. They weakened you to make the spell more powerful and to affect you completely. Your memory loss was also a ploy to get us to take you into our village. They were, most likely, hoping you would stumble into Gowgornok. We have no punishment for you, Nathan. You are as much a victim of this conflict as we. A group of traders is expected shortly. You can travel with them back to your home or to a new life elsewhere."

Nathan fell to his knees as the guards removed the shackles. He knelt there numbly as his mind tried to process what had just occurred. We seven helped him to his feet. We walked him to the "tall house" and showed him where he could sleep. He lay there, staring  at the ceiling while we got to bed. I don't know when he fell asleep, but I heard him snoring at one point in the night when Set's tail had whacked my leg and woke me.

Day 282 (260)((250))

Day 282 (260)((250)):

It was not yet dawn when Set's mental voice woke me.

"Kay, come see, come see," he urged me.

In the near dark, I found Set and Sky outside of the village. Both had happy glows and smiling faces. 

"That tickle, in my throat, that we couldn't identify, remember?" Set rambled as I joined them.

"Yes, I remember," I replied, trying not to be cross at him for both waking me and not getting to the point.

"Sky worked me through it. Turns out, I have lightning!"

Perhaps lack of sleep made me fuzzy brained, but I could not grasp what he was talking about. My confusion must have been plain to the dragons. Sky asked Set to demonstrate. Away from the village, Set focused on a stone sticking out of the ground. He made a strange noise and opened his mouth. A bolt of lightning shot from his mouth and split the stone. Fully awake, I marveled at the sight. Set returned to my side.

"See! I have lightning!" he nearly shouted in my head.

"How is this?" I asked them both, "Dragons only have one or two breath types. Set has three?"

"Or more," Sky replied, "Emperor dragons are unique and very little is written about them. As the new queen's rider is learning, queens, as mothers of all colors and types of dragons, have every breath type. Kings top out at four, perhaps five, but usually only three. Our little Emperor here may have every type like a queen. Who knows? He may develop one only Emperors possess. Alas, he only has the first stage of these abilities. His fire is barely as hot as a human's forge. His ice melts quickly and can be broken. This lightning is only a single bolt with the same force as a dwarf wielding a hammer. Useful as they are, they are not yet where they will become with age. I, as an old dragon with lightning, can strike many foes at once or bounce the bolt from target to target, covering great distances. Maybe your chronicles of Set's abilities will educate others of the unique nature of Emperor dragons."

I laughed, "By the time another is born, my pages may be dust."

Sky and Set laughed.

By now, dawn was full upon us and my sisters were asking my location. Set and I returned to them, explaining our early activities. Upon reaching them, Sarah asked to see where, inside Set's mouth, this was being made. He sparked a bit to show her. We had a quick breakfast and returned to our trip to our planned destination.

The trip was pleasant enough. The hills and nearby mountains blocked the wind that could have made this a very cold trip. Our guides, even after being told of Set's new skills, still spoke openly with us, telling us of family and home.

By evening, we arrived at the next village. The attack upon it must have been weeks ago as there was very little evidence of destruction. The Gengan, a female here, greeted us warmly and chatted easily. We explained our delay to which she smiled knowingly.

"We Gengans keep in touch through mirrors and seeing stones. They told us last night what you had done for them. I must say that getting a dragon to keep watch and deter invasion was a clever move. You are definitely trying to aid us."

Se took us to another barn as their "tall house" was still under repairs. We were treated to a nice meal and good company. Set became a center of attention by the children, being of the perfect size for the gnomish young to ride two or three at a time. Bo was the focus of another group, scholars mainly. Apparently ko-a-tie were also very rate and not well known. Anna was in great spirits, learning what her parents, fearing the "curse", did not tell her about her gnome heritage. "Brownies", it seems, are a type of gnome that favor engineering and crafting. It is more of a title than anything else. Barcabas, as this type, was well suited as a blacksmith, although wizard skills seem to be a race-wide ability. Even children use magic nearly effortlessly, playing with spells like human children play with toys. Dawn was not avoided nor ignored, but they seemed more interested in the other two. 

It was well past dark when the gnomes left us to go to bed. As we settled in, Anna informed us she would find it very pleasant to live among the gnomes for the rest of her days.

Days 280-281 (258-259)((248-249))

Day 280 (258)((248)):
We awoke as the sun lightened the sky. A light snow had fallen and marked the edge of our shield. The rabbits and duck were well smoked and very tasty. We took a side trip to the place Set had found the truffles. With Set's aid, we had triple the amount he had carried to camp. Everyone was cheery as we continued to Gowgornok. They explained that the Duergar's aversion to sunlight was the main reason the Miner's Rod was housed with the gnomes. Their ability to hide their villages and cities was another. No one knew if the Duergar, or "gray ones" as Horbar called them, had the other two parts, but as the Rod they were protecting was the most powerful of the three, it was the one of greatest concern.
We had a moment of uneasiness when Sandorn saw our map. Ripping it from our hands, the three of them examined it closely. They demanded to know the source of it. It took most of the day to explain and return to the previous level of friendship.
By nightfall, we had made it to a small village at the edge of their territory. It was obvious they had been the victim of ogre attacks. They were so downtrodden, it was a physical pain to see. My sisters also felt their own pains from this place. We were taken to the leader, a male gnome who was still recovering from a multitude of injuries. He tried to be warm, but his pain was too great.
"Let us help you," Sarah begged, "We can fix a lot of this."
The leader was apprehensive, having been hurt so much already. Cara and Sandorn vouched for us, willing to be punished if we failed. Finally, he agreed and summoned all the villagers to a central area. Like him, the rest were leery of us. He explained what we were going to do. Most doubted we provided anything but false hope, but let us try.
We gathered in a tight circle at the village center. Dawn began by sprinkling the entire village with her golden glitter. Just this small beginning improved the feeling of the villagers. Dawn returned to our circle and Bo took off. He produced a swirling wind that, while not harsh, seemed to cleanse the village and remove more of the pain. He came back to our circle. Set stepped into the center and just stood. Around him, we began to chant, calling upon the powers and gods of this place and people. Set took to the air and hovered above his previous position. He opened his mouth and thick smoke rolled out. It expanded and filled the village. Before us all, broken walls became whole and strong. Buildings returned to their original condition. Broken roads were rebuilt. In just a few moments, no sign of attack was visible on any structure. The smoke retreated and curled around every person. Just as the buildings had been fixed, so were the people. Wounds healed, limbs strengthened or restored, missing or damaged parts made whole and healthy. When the last person was healed, it seemed the smoke disappeared. That was when we noticed crops slowly rising to fullness, trees straightening and growing healthier, and the burnt grass and other plants returning to a full, lush state. When that was done, Set settled back in our circle and the smoke dissipated. We finished with a request for protection and blessing. We closed our circle and went to the leader, who was now fully healed and strong.
"Sisters," he began with a confident voice, "we cannot repay this bounty. We have nothing that can match what you have done."
"Gengan," Anna bowed as she started, "we ask for no payment. You were in need. We have the power to help. We are guardians, it is what we do."
The Gengan did not know how to respond. Cara and Sandorn excused all of us from him and led us to the "tall house", a place for non-gnome visitors too tall for their regular homes. They were both glowing, happy that their village was whole again and that we had proven ourselves. As we were getting settled, Anna showed Cara the hair sticks she had received from her family. While she was impressed by their quality and craftsmanship, she could not name the family who made them. Sandorn thought that they looked familiar and told us he would ask around. Food was brought in for us by slightly nervous young gnome women. Cara and Sandorn said their good-nights and left.
While alone, we explored Anna's family line and retrieved several family names to inquire about in the morning. We used our mats as the beds did not look as if they had been used for a long time.


Day 281 (259)((249)):
We rose with the sun. We were walking out the door when Cara, Sandorn, Horbar, the Gengan, and an unknown female gnome approached. They were pleased to see us up as early as they. Sandorn and the unknown woman stepped ahead of the group.
"Anna, do you have your hair sticks handy?" he asked.
She drew them out of a pouch on her belt. The woman looked at them and smiled.
"You were right, Sandorn. These are Hillman made. Ebony and silver, their mark, plain and simple."
"Hillman, yes, on my mother's side, they are my kin," Anna proclaimed, clutching the sticks to her heart.
They all nodded. The woman asked, "Your father? Is he of us as well?"
"Yes, ma'am," Anna replied, "Foresttamer and Goldwright."
"I see, they are good families. Whom else is of your mother's kin? We are missing a piece."
"My mother is of Hillman and Riverman, ma'am."
The smiles left their faces. Strange looks were exchanged.
Cara took Anna's hands, "We understand why your mother's family left to be with humans. The Riverman family is notorious for being traitors. The last of that name was executed sixty-plus years ago for leading enemies to our villages. That name is a curse on our language now. Tell no one they are your kin."
"Her kinship is their last crime," Alice piped in, "The Hillman woman was raped. The kinship is not a reflection on Anna."
The darkness that had arrived fled when they heard that news. They ushered us to the middle of town. As we went, our escorts told all they met to find any Hillmans, Foresttamers, and Goldwrights that were in the village. We stood near a pole with a banner at its top. We were alone for a bit. One or two at a time arrived. Within an hour, a good twenty people surround us. Between Alice, Anna, and the woman, Fannie, a family fifty-seven strong was revealed to be related to Anna in some fashion. The Riverman incident was explained and set aside. We seven were invited to "the house", which was the home of the Foresttamer family, the largest group of Anna's kin. The others, we were told, were "centered" at other villages. As we talked and ate breakfast, we found out each village had at least one family as its "center". They were the ones who first hid the town with their magic. This was how the ogres were finding them. They kidnapped gnomes until they found a centered family. Through "blood magic", they fooled the barriers into believing the ogres were of that gnome family. This Foresttamer family lost three sons whose blood let the ogres find them. Gowgornok, we were told, was big enough to have three centered families, which is why it was still safe. The Ogre Mage had yet to gain all three family blood ties in order to breach the city. They were all furious at this Ogre Mage and could not understand why he was so determined to get the Miner's Rod. I asked if the ogres had left anything. When they looked at me oddly, I explained I was a seer and a cleric of Fate. This caused two men to run out and return with items that were obviously not gnomish. Taking some deep breaths, I took them from the men. I relaxed and let the vision happen:

The Ogre Mage was dancing around a fire. The owner of these things was watching in confusion and awe. Thick smoke rolled from the fire. A blue orb of light rose from the fire. A face formed in the orb. It told of the talisman to shape earth and stone. It promised the Ogre Mage godhood if he got the talisman from the gnomes and used it to destroy the dwarfs. A beam of light connected him to the orb as the voice said it was teaching him how to break the gnomes illusion magic. When the beam stopped, the orb popped like a bubble, but gold and gems were released as it did. The Ogre Mage called it a promise of wealth to come. The rest of the assembly roared and cheered as the vision faded.

The gnomes were silent as I blinked to return to normal sight. The items in my hands crumbled to dust, their tale gone.
The Gengan broke the silence, "Now we know. It is another who funds and fuels this one. Alas, we cannot tell if it is Duergar or some other force behind their campaign. It explains how such as he could know such strong magic. What to do now? Do we focus on guarding the Rod or seeking the mage and his patron?"
"We believe it is best to guard the Rod," Lisa told them, "Force him to us rather than follow in his wake. We can repair villages as we go, strengthen the gnome nation to overcome this tragedy."
The gnomes agreed and decided that every village, no matter how small, would have at least two centered families, to make it harder for this to happen again.
We returned to our sleeping area and retrieved our gear to continue to Gowgornok. Cara, Sandorn, and Horbar met us outside with our horses. The whole village, it seemed, watched us leave.
Our guides, with our map, showed us the route we were taking. While we would only cross two or three villages, we were told they had been hit just as hard as the one we just left. Talk was light as we rode easily on what appeared to be an animal path, easily dismissed if one were searching for a "true" road between villages. Our guides told many tales of "tall fools" who dismissed both gnomes and dwarfs because of their sizes, much to their dismay.
We crested a small hill and stopped. Plumes of smoke marked the sky like dirty fingers.This came from our right, not the path we were following.We did not ask our guides, but took off toward the smoke. Our fliers took out ahead to get a look. We reached it quickly. Before us, a scene similar to the one we had seen on Vanity's blade. Horbar growled at the sight. Cara began to cry. I jumped out of the saddle and drew Vanity. My sisters and our companions joined me. We summoned a great ball of power.
"ARIESIO" , we shouted.
All motion before us stopped, including flames and smoke. We nearly drug our guides to aid us. Moving through the frozen village, we pried gnomes out of ogre clutches. As we freed them, we released them from the magic and gave them to Cara and Sandorn to console and explain. With every gnome accounted for and Sarah tending the injured, we proceeded to gather the ogres to a central area where they were tied up. Set iced the frozen flames to extinguish them when we released the magic. It took a while, but we finally got all the gnomes whole and healthy, the ogres secured, and the fires put out. With the gnomes behind us, we released the ogres. Their shouting revealed their anger, but none of us understood their words. We let them vent their hate and anger and wear themselves out before we attempted to speak with them. We selected the one with the most armor and ornaments.
"Speak so we may understand you," I politely ordered as I wrapped the magic around him.
He shook and writhed as it worked on him. His growls slowly became words, although most of it was cursing. Tiring, we stopped him.
"Where is your leader?" Lisa asked him shortly.
"No here. He wait for gnome blood. He make big magic. We take over. Gnome give us power stick. Nurz be god. We be powerful."
"You fools!" one of the gnomes yelled, "He will kill you once he gets the Rod."
"He give word. We even get name. We call 'scape goats'. We special."
We all looked at each other in confusion. They truly thought that "scape goat" was a title of honor. We shook it off.
"WHERE is he?" Lisa asked angrily.
The ogre looked off to the north, well away from both the village where we were headed and Gowgornok.
As my sisters and the villagers discussed what to do with the ogres, I felt around the area. I brushed a presence that was interesting.

"Hail, brother dragon. How fair you?"

"Eh? Who speaks?" replied a deep mental voice.

"I am Kayla, a dragon rider. I was hoping for a favor."

"What favor? What is it you need of me?"

I explained our current situation. He, Sky Thunder, laughed and agreed to "ferry" the ogres back to their leader.
My sisters had stopped talking with the gnomes and explained my distraction. Some looked fit to faint. Others laughed. The children giggled at the thought of a dragon landing in their village. The one who understood us grumbled to his men as I pulled the magic back. Their growls and thrashing told us they understood what was coming for them.
In a few moments, a deep blue dragon settled in an open area, "Well, you were right in your description. I believe I passed over their camp and can place them back with the others."
The ogres fought to free themselves. We negotiated between Sky Thunder and this village a mutual cooperation and protection. When that was settled, Sky Thunder grabbed the ogres and took off. As it was getting close to sunset, we were allowed a place to camp for the night.
A simple, but large, dinner was made for the entire village and us as well. We talked and ate. Just as it was getting dark, Sky Thunder returned.
"They were not happy," he reported, "I got shot at by nearly the whole camp. They all missed, but I 'dropped' your prisoners. They only fell a dozen feet, yet cried out as if they fell from the clouds. Your Ogre Mage, Nurz, fired some magic at me. He missed as well."
He asked the sore question of how they had penetrated the gnomes' illusion magic. We told him it was blood magic. Sky Thunder's face darkened.

"Such waste. I am guessing the gnomes are killed in order to get enough blood to get ogres through the illusion barrier. If I remember, blood magic is painful, difficult, but short lived. Nurz has very little time after the spell is complete to find the village and fool the barrier. Let me go through the process so you will understand."

We got comfortable around the fire with the gnome adults. The children were taken to go to bed to spare them the disturbing details Sky was going to share with us. He waited until the last child was out of earshot and all the adults returned to him.

"I apologize, first of all, to those who lost family to these ogres. This will not be easy to hear. Now, blood magic, as I said, is a long difficult process. Once the victim is chosen and bound, he or she is brought to a table or chair where they cannot get loose. A trough, bottle, or other container is near them to collect the blood. Some powerful beings can draw the blood out without any cuts or punctures. I doubt these have that power. The main one performing the spells tells the gods, powers, and those observing what the outcome of the spell should be. Lengthy prayers, promises, threats, or other verbal comments are made. The performer works him/herself into a frenzy, which may include torturing the victim either lightly or all the way to nearly mortal wounding. At the height of the frenzy, the main or final cut is done, which can drain the victim completely, killing them. The blood, charged from the ritual, is now primed for the purpose of the spell. In this case, several ogres will be anointed with the blood to fool your barriers. As the ritual ends, they are sent out to find your villages with the hope they have the right family on whom the magic is centered. I am guessing these attacks happen only during the day."

The gnomes confirmed.
Sky continued, "The rituals, usually, are performed at night as it may take all night to complete. They have from sunrise until sunset to find the village and attempt to enter. If it is the wrong one, they must move on to the next. If it is the right one, they must wait for the barrier to recognize them as gnomes. Once it does, well, you know the rest."
One of the older gnomes asked, "Sky Thunder, the Sisters have told us another gave them this powerful spell. Have you seen their patron or witnessed this power before?"
Sky thought a moment, "Now that you mention it, there was a scent over their camp that was definitely not ogre. It had a bitter edge to it. While ogres smell like dirty animals and dung, this was sharp and, to my mind, unnatural. While I cannot name it, that may be a place to start."
We all pondered this as we broke up to go to our own beds. Sky Thunder chose to stay in the village as a deterrent to the ogres returning. Set decided to stay beside Sky to talk with another dragon about a "tickle" he had begun experiencing. Our camp was in a barn as it was one of the few structures large enough to house us "tall folk". It took me a little longer to fall asleep without Set's body next to mine, but sleep eventually won.

Day 279 (257)((247))

Day 279 (257)((247)):
By the time Cara knocked on our door, we were up and about. She sat with us in the nearly empty common room. She told us the tale of how this item came to be and why the Ogre Mage would think it could grant him godhood.
"In ancient times, a dwarf miner of extraordinary power lived, some claim he was a god. This miner earned the title The Master Miner. Even other master miners called him Master. It is said the very earth obeyed his every word. He could find rich veins of metals and large deposits of gems of excellent quality. He brought much wealth to his land and fame to both it and him.
"One day, he and his crew encountered a creature deep in the caves. His crew was unharmed, but the Miner got one of his legs bitten off, all the way to the hip. His crew killed the creature and rescued the leg. They quickly got the Miner to a healer. The healer decided that regrowing the leg was better than trying to reattach the chomped one. As the new leg grew, the Miner pondered what to do with the old one. Struck with inspiration, the Miner stripped his old leg down to the bones. He wired the foot bones to keep it shaped like a foot. Clay was shaped over it to make a stone foot. The two lower leg bones were fashioned into a wand, which remained unadorned save for the material that bound them together. The thigh bone was the most worked. Plates of every natural metal was laid upon it and attached to it. Gems were also embedded on and in the bone. Hide with the hair still upon it formed a crude handle. It is this one we have at Gowgornok. It holds most of the Master Miner's powers. It can reshape earth and stone, find metals and gems, form strong tunnels where it is too hard to dig, plus make walls of protection and repel projectiles of stone or metal. The Foot, it is said, allows the holder to pass through stone and earth as if through air and to walk on lava as if on a cobble stone street. The unadorned leg bones can summon creatures of the earth, like elements, the Stone race, and the like that live underground.
"It is our speculation that, by having all three, they can reclaim all of the Master Miner's powers and skills. Whether they do or do not have the other two, we cannot let this Ogre Mage get this item."
We thought on Cara's tale as we finished eating.
"If we understand correctly," Lisa began, "you fear he will use the power of this empowered device to wreak untold damage in his bid for godhood. Also, if the Duergar get it, they will do the same or worse and much more if they have the other parts."
Cara nodded as we ate, worry hanging over her like a cloud. We sympathized with her and her plight.
As we were heading out, a male gnome and a male dwarf entered. Cara brightened up when she saw them. Rapidly, she told them who we were and that we had agreed to help. The men, in turn, brightened up a little bit, some of their worry was lifted. We all exited and retrieved our horses. The two gnomes rode ponies and the dwarf a short, but stout, horse.
The morning crowd barely acknowledged us as we headed out of River Helm or, as they called it, Elv Ror. Sandorn, the male gnome, took the lead, but kept looking back at us. Horbar took up the rear, growling and grumbling all the while. Cara, try as she may, could not get the two men to speak with us. Set easily kept up with my horse without impeding anyone else. Bo and Dawn stayed with their partners to avoid upsetting our guides and those around us.
It was past mid-day and many miles outside of town before either man spoke.
Horbar rode up beside Callie, "Forklare din klaer," he barked at her.
"Konge Gorval gitt dem til meg," she replied.
Horbar nearly fell out of his saddle. It was hard to see if it was her response or the fact she responded in fluent dwarfish. Horbar returned to his spot at the rear. We did not hear a word from the men until we made camp. The men secured our horses and asked if we had any food we could not eat. We let them know that we did not. This lifted us a bit more in their sight. Cara tried so hard to get them to treat us with some civility. The men kept their distance as they attempted a fire and retrieved food for us to share. They grumbled as they worked the fire as all the wood they could find was wet. After about an hour, they threw the wood in anger and stormed off.
"Set, they can't light the fire. The wood is too wet for them to get it to burn. Would you try to light it?"
"Dragon fire is very hot. I will try."
Set approached and pushed the wood back into a pile. The men stood off and watched. Set puffed a bit to build up his fire. Soon, a steady stream of smoke began rolling from his nostrils. He focused on the wood and blew a strong concentrated flame. The wood steamed as the water evaporated. It was not long before the wood was burning brightly and crackling cheerfully. The men did not speak, but began assembling the food and cooking pots. They piled some more wood that Set proceeded to dry without setting them alight.
As we ate, our companions sought food in the wild. We ate in silence, receiving harsh looks from the men and desperate ones from Cara. Dawn trumpeted before she entered the camp. To us, she told of plentiful game of good size. At the feet of the men, she dropped three large rabbits, heads gone and blood drained. She settled at Alice's side and set about cleaning her feathers. Horbar picked them up and checked them all over. Deciding they were fit, he took them off to the side and skinned them. The guts he was about to throw into the fire when Dawn cheeped and pulled them from his hands and proceeded to eat them. Horbar placed the rabbits in the smoke to cure. He had just sat down when Bo arrived. He placed a large duck in front of the men, headless, bloodless, and devoid of most of it feathers. Sandorn picked it up and examined it. Approving, he slit its belly and dumped its guts before Bo, who proceeded to eat them. He removed the last of the feathers and cut off the feet, which Dawn and Bo got one each. Sandorn added this to the rabbits in the smoke. The men remained silent, but I could feel the questions stirring in their minds. Set returned and landed a bit awkwardly. Walking on his back legs and holding something in his front claws, he approached the men and Cara.
Carefully, he spoke aloud the words, "A ... gift".
The three of them held out their hands. Set opened his front claws and small black things tumbled into their hands and over their feet. The way Cara squealed, I feared Set had frightened her, but the speed with which they gathered them up told us that the gift was well received. Sandorn grabbed his provision bag and they stuffed everyone of the black things into it as Set returned to my side. I praised him for both the gift and his clearly spoken words.
Sandorn, finally, addressed us without anger, "Ladies, do you know what these are?"
We all shook our heads as we had never seen them before.
"They are called truffles, a rare and expensive mushroom. Such as we have here takes months to gather. Pray tell, where did he find such bounty?"
I turned to Set. Mentally, he showed me the place where he had unearthed the truffles. I relayed the location to everyone else.
Then, he asked the question that was foremost in their minds, "Why have they done this?"
"Our friends are very perceptive. They felt the lack of trust between us and wanted to fix it. This is the only thing, to them, that has any real value. Coins, items, and things we value mean nothing to them. Sharing food is sharing friendship," I explained.
They looked at the rabbits, duck, and truffles and began laughing. We seven were very confused.
Horbar explained their mirth, "We were of the impression that your friends were for show, worthless beasts of privilege. That was part of our anger. Some of the tales we had heard placed you at the tables of kings and clothed in fine garments. We thought you would treat us like servants and expect us to treat you as superiors or royalty. Seeing you in common clothes, we thought you were mocking us. Telling us our king gave you those clothes did not help matters. We've been expecting you to order us, berate us for not providing a shelter or the poor quality of our food, or some other infraction. The fact that they felt compelled to share their 'valuables' with us to gain our friendship has shattered these notions. We apologize, to all of you, for our boorish behavior. It was ignorance on our part."
We all laughed and shared tales of others having the same ideas. To prevent any snow from covering us as we slept, we cast a shield over our camp. We all went to sleep in a much better mood.

Days 277-278 (255-256)((245-246))

Days 277-278 (255-256)((245-246)):
With us and the crew on friendly terms, these two days of travel flew by. Set aided in gathering food by picking fish right out of the river, some half as big as himself. Dawn provided entertainment with her singing. Bo "encouraged" the wind to keep a steady pace. We learned more about the troubles the gnomes and dwarfs were experiencing. The angry creatures we had seen were called Ogres. The biggest one was referred to as an Ogre Mage, one who uses magic. They are repulsive to behold. They raid anyone and anything that they can. Ogre Mages are feared by other ogres and usually lead by fear. Normally, the gnomes' magic holds them off and the dwarves' mines are too heavily guarded and hard to find. Lately, however, gnomes were being carried off by the dozens and dwarf holdings were being ransacked. Neither race was asking for help of any kind from anyone except their own. Non-gnomes or non-dwarfs speaking of it brought denials that anything was wrong. The crew hoped we had better luck and could do some good.
At River Helm, we consulted our map, copied from the wall mural, for the best route to Gowgornok. As this was dwarf land, Callie wore her circlet and overdress with her dwarf family symbol. Wisely, Lisa and Alice hid their elf pendants. It was past mid-day and we did not know the land, so we decided to stay in River Helm for the night and set out first thing in the morning. What amazed me most was not the mass of dwarfs, but the lack of attention we got. Set walking beside my horse caused no disturbance at all. Pass a casual glance, no one even looked at us. The first verbal acknowledgement of him and the other two was the stable hand at the inn asking if they were staying with us or the horses. He was indifferent when we told him they would stay with us. Inside the inn, barely a ripple was caused by our presence. The innkeeper brought a pail of water for them to share.
As we sat and ate, I felt an impression of surprise from someone entering. Finding the source, I wondered why the trio of dwarfs who had just entered felt surprise when they saw us. With drinks in hand, they approached us.
"Hilsen, pike. Hva ha fatt?" he asked, looking at Callie in mock seriousness.
"What do you mean, sir? To which part of my gear are you referring?"
"Deres krone," he replied.
"This?" she asked, touching the circlet, "It is no crown, sir. A relative gave it to me for my birthday. Maybe you know him? King Gorval of Stahendring."
The trio paled, their pretend seriousness and their underlying playfulness gone. The nearby tables also became silent and pale. The speaker changed his attitude.
"My apologies, I was trying to be funny. We saw a human girl wearing dwarf clothes and were trying to embarrass you."
"Oh, I see. Well, I am not fully human and, as these were gifts, I thought it was appropriate for this area."
The three apologized again and found other places to sit. Our neighboring tables returned to their business. Besides the servers, no one else bothered us until we got up to go to our room.
Halfway up the stairs, a gnome woman ran up to walk beside us, "Beg pardon. I heard you, earlier, mention a relation to King Gorval. Did I hear right?"
"Yes, ma'am, he is a distant relative of mine," Callie answered.
"But you are not native to this area?" she asked, nearly pleading.
"No, I was born far from here."
"These ladies? Are they, are you, the Sisters?"
We nodded. She stifled a squeal of delight.
"The dwarfs told us, if our need was great, the Sisters of the Swords would find their way to us. You know our plight, I take it?"
Telling her, Cara, what we knew as we sat in our room got her to be a bit calmer. When she finished, she filled in the blanks.
"This Ogre Mage, we know not his name, seeks an ancient talisman. He believes, with it, he can become a god. A sub race of dwarfs, called Duergar, told him of its power to shape stone and he thinks they did not tell him all of its power. We gnomes, as allies to the dwarfs, hid it in our villages to keep it out of Duergar hands as they are too cruel to use it for every one's benefit and are sensitive to sunlight, so they do not leave their deep caves. Ogres, however, have no such sensitivity. This mage hopes to get it and have the Duergar instruct him in its use. We are certain they will keep it for themselves, probably killing the mage as soon as he shows it to them. This Ogre Mage is raiding our villages, using blood magic to find them, to find this talisman. We are getting desperate as he is closing in on Gowgornok and our powers have little effect to stop him or his hoard."
We assured her that we were here to help. She left our room in tears, feeling joy for the first time in a long time. We settled in with confidence we were well received.

Day 276 (254)((244))

Day 276 (254)((244)):
A series of whistles woke us. Callie had slept through the night and had color in her face. That encouraged us all. We went on deck to see what the whistles were about. The ship was anchored out of the flow of the river, but far from the docks. A smaller boat was approaching from the docks. I could feel the anger of the crew. We did not ask as both Anna and Alice told us what was going on.
"The 'Gaillanna' is being inspected. Since she's been out of use for quite a while, word of her return to service has prompted this 'visit', " Anna told us.
"They hate inspections. They know what the ship can hold. They know what docks they can and cannot go to and where to tie up. They view this as a waste of time," Alice shared.
We found Hector. He was agitated. We silently stood by as the inspector came aboard. The arrogance of this man created an armor about him that made everyone bristle. Set growled low in his chest. Hector turned sharply and looked at him. He looked at me and smiled.
"Your friend is a good judge of people," he whispered, "This fellow is not liked, even by his employer. Hopefully, his visit will be quick."
I patted Set, relaying Hector's approval of his opinion.
The inspector critically eyed every man and part of the ship as he walked toward Hector. He gave us seven rather vile looks before he spoke in a voice that grated as much as his presence.
"Captain Hector," he began as if talking to a stupid child, "I have noted some inconsistencies between your ship and its registered description. Care to explain?"
Hector proceeded to tell of "highly skilled crafters" who worked his ship into its current state. The inspector wrote as Hector spoke, but not his actual words. I could sense him "interpreting" Hector's words into "the truth". Once he had been told the whole of it, he turned to us.
"What is your purpose on board this vessel?"
"Travel", Alice told him, "Captain Hector is giving us passage downriver."
"I see, " he answered as he wrote, "Your destination?"
"River Helm."
The inspector dropped his writing tool. This produced a chorus of snickers from the crew. The inspector retrieved it and eyed us harshly.
"You are meeting an escort there, correct?" he asked coldly.
"No, sir. No one is waiting for us," Alice answered calmly.
Dark emotions passed around him before he steeled himself,  "Ladies, River Helm is no place for any unescorted women at this time. I advise against it."
"Thank you for your advice, but we are needed there," Alice responded cheerfully.
The inspector marched to where his boat was tied and called to someone we could not see. Four soldiers climbed aboard and followed him back to us. He pointed at us.
"Take them into custody. They are mad and a danger to themselves," he barked at them.
The soldiers looked confused. Twice more, they were ordered to take us off the ship. One whispered to the inspector.
"I don't care who they are! Seize them now!" he ordered, growing redder as the moments passed.
The soldiers did not speak, but came to a mutual agreement. Two hooked the inspector under his arms and began hauling him back to the boat. He screamed and threatened the entire length of the ship. One of the soldiers apologized for him and wished us success in River Helm. They joined the other two detaining the inspector and got him off the 'Gaillanna' to cheers from the crew.
As soon as their boat was clear, Hector ordered the anchor raised and the ship underway.
The crew was much friendlier to us after that. The cook met us with breakfast. Callie braved regular food, but ate timidly. We traveled briskly, pushed by a stiff wind. We kept out of the crew's way, but milled about the ship. Our gifts were used throughout the day, now that the crew accepted us. Our companions were put to work as carriers between ships, passing news, items, and supplies. They were given bits of food as "payment".