Day 303 (281)((271)

Day 303 (281)((271)):

When Callie was awakened , she woke us all, which surprised the girl sent to get us. King Gorval and the scribe from yesterday, Lanara, met us for breakfast. The older staff woman, who said to call her Nana, laid out a respectable meal. Gorval and Lanara were both sad and distracted. The situation was laying heavily on their minds. As we ate, we talked about it. They explained how thousands of years of separation had made them nearly separate races. Over all of this time, the Duergar had become angrier, more violent, highly territorial, and more convinced that they were the "pure" race. A key event that turned the two groups against each other was ages ago when humans, gnomes, and other non-dwarfs began working in their mines. When they learned these races were not slaves, the Duergar went deeper into the mines, sealed the tunnels between the two groups, and they did not see each other for about a century. At their reunion, the difference was physical and the gray ones were calling for the expulsion of all non-dwarfs from "their" mountain. They tried to reconcile, but the gray ones eventually told them that any people other than Duergar were "inferior" and everyone was to leave "their" territory. Such it has been for generations. It has finally come to this point. The gray ones were vandalizing equipment, attacking workers, and, as we discovered, planning to invade Stahendring. We asked Gorval if he would permit us to tour the tunnels, see if there was anything we could sense to determine how close the gray ones were to actual invasion. Gorval permitted, but only with armed guards. Lanara was to go with us as well.

As we waited for the guards, I sat on a bench outside Callie's home. Set stood guard as Vanity and I felt deep into the mountain. It was amazing, the sheer number of inhabitants one mountain could hold. Deeper and deeper we felt. Around level thirty, we felt no living energies. This emptiness went on until level thirty-six or thirty-seven. That is when we started feeling the hate, anger, and hostility of the gray ones. No Foot was detected. Level forty-eight was the limit of our senses without straining. Set let us know it was time to go. We returned our perceptions to our current location as everyone assembled. We did not share our information with the guards, but told my sisters and Lanara. She quickly wrote it down, surprised at how far we reached into the mountain. 

The first dozen levels were uneventful save for the spots we crossed where the Duergar had been seen. The deeper levels, thirteen through twenty-five, had far more incursions as no sunlight penetrated this far. Here, without so much other "noise" from Gorval's people, we learned of actual instructions: what to look for, how large of an item to take, when to stop and wait for the guards, what the alarm bells sounded like, etc. 

As we passed level twenty-seven, our guards and Lanara began to grow nervous. We paused to rest and asked her about their nerves.

"These levels are said to be haunted. Equipment moves or disappears. Food and water vanish. We can find no cause or reason, thus most of this area is avoided."
We pondered such strangeness. Set sniffed, trying to not be bored. We continued with our nervous guards.
Level thirty-one felt rather strange. Devoid of any dwarf or like energy, I felt like someone was hiding, repeating, "Can't see me, can't see me," over and over. We stopped. As Set, Bo, and Dawn broke away to do their own investigating, I felt the hiders grow curious. Not actual words, I "heard" them speculating on our companions. Set took some deep breaths and launched into the darkness of the cave ceiling. The guards raised weapons, but we told them to stand down. Odd noises echoed from the darkness. From some of their reactions, I knew the guards and Lanara had heard them before. We seven heard Set ask Dawn to "light up". Dawn soared into the darkness then began to glow. As she got brighter, tiny eyes reflected the light. High above us, dozens of miniature dragons were revealed by Dawn's growing glow. Set was in the middle of them, hovering just below the ceiling. Our guards were dumbstruck. Lanara was writing furiously. Set, Dawn, and three of the little dragons descended. The little ones, nearly the same color as the stone that surrounded us, blinked wildly as they adjusted to the lights we carried. Set told me and I explained to the dwarfs.
"Their real name is difficult for non-dragons to pronounce, but they playfully refer to themselves as 'bat-dragons'. These three are fully grown. The middle one is an elder, meaning she is one of the oldest here. This is their winter home. The rest of the year, they live in the surrounding woods. This is also when they have babies.They can tell the difference between your people and the gray ones. Those things you told us about, stuff moving or vanishing, were their doing. They were playing games with you, a type of hide-and-seek. In spite of their size, they are very intelligent. The gray ones shoot them. They hate the Duergar."
The three bat-dragons chattered loudly, emphasizing their feelings on the matter.
"They want to help. Just like riding dragons can speak to each other over long distances, they can, too. If a few were in the higher levels, the ones down here could tell them when Duergar  are passing through."
"What a grand idea!" Lanara exclaimed, causing nearly everyone to jump, "Will they come up with us to speak with the King?"
Set translated. The elder stayed while the other two returned to the darkness of the tunnel ceiling.
"She volunteers," I told them.
We went up much faster than we went down, since we were not searching. Set and the tiny elder conversed in dragon nearly the entire trip.When we reached heavily populated areas, she hid under Set's wing as all the noises frightened her. The guards, sometimes roughly, parted the way for us to King Gorval's palace. Lanara took the lead inside the palace, stating she knew the most likely places to find him.
He and a few others were in the third place we tried.
"That was quick," King Gorval began as he motioned for us to find seats, "We expected you to be gone a couple of days."
Lanara went next to him, "Sire, we have discovered a great boon and a welcomed ally."
"Really? Tell me," he requested eagerly.
"Set, can you coax her out?" This is the King we mentioned," she said softly.
Set moved his wing and the small elder flew out and landed on his head. Gorval looked confused.
"A baby dragon? How can it help?"
"Sire," I began, "she is not a baby. She is an elder of her kind. This is full grown."
Gorval looked shocked. He examined the little one from his seat.
"How many of her kind did you uncover?"
The tiny elder peeped and chirped. Set translated and told me a number that was astounding and that surprised the rest when I told them. This peaked Gorval's interest.
"And how may this boon aid us?" he asked, leaning towards us.
"As with riding dragons, these are linked mentally. She can hear her fellows below, who can tell her when Duergar are moving through their levels," I explained.
"Which levels do they occupy? Will it give us a warning far enough ahead to prepare?"
"They live in levels thirty-one through thirty-three, Your Majesty," Lanara informed him.
Gorval sat back, "The haunted levels? But, Kayla, you said you felt nothing on those levels."
The elder replied for me. She flew up above our heads and vanished. A few seconds later, she reappeared in the same place.
"They can avoid detection, Your Majesty, by many means. Only the keen senses of dragons can detect them even if they are so hidden. Also, those levels are not haunted, it was these little ones playing tricks," I told him.
He visibly relaxed, a lot of confusion lifted and new ideas came to him. He asked us to begin negotiations with the little ones to become their hidden sentries. Gorval left to speak with his council about this new turn of events.
We stayed and talked with the little elder, who said to call her Echo, which was the closest human word to her actual name. She remembered old tales of her kind partnering with dwarfs and other "two-legs" to investigate tunnels and caves. She looked at all of us and went to Callie. On Callie's lap, Echo shook and removed a tiny scale. Seeing her ring, she tucked the scale between metal and skin. Lifting both scale and ring, she lightly scratched Callie's finger and quickly pressed the scale over the thin line of blood. She held the ring and scale to the wound for several seconds.
"Is the bond made?" we seven heard a small female voice ask in our heads. Callie looked at the being in her lap.
"Yes, I hear you," Callie whispered.
"Good, the old tales spoke true. Let the rest know that this can be done and the plan will work."
It took a bit to explain to Lanara what had taken place. By the time she understood, it was late evening. We returned to Callie's home for dinner. The staff took to our new addition as she became familiar with her new home. As we suspected, Echo ate very little, but it was all meat. In Callie's room, Echo found "my place", a dark corner not far from Callie's bed. As we prepared to go to sleep, I warned Callie to expect strange dreams as Echo's dreams might seep into her sleeping mind. She thanked me for the warning and we all went to our rooms to sleep.

Day 302 (280)((270))

Day 302 (280)((270)):

A little before dawn, we awoke to a glorious sound. In the large square between the council building and the rider outpost, gnomes, nearly a quarter to half of the city, were gathered and singing to the sun. Nigle and other oddlings were side-by-side with the council and other "prominent" gnomes. We quickly dressed and went down. Anna found Arkgo and his family among them. We, besides Anna, merely watched. Dawn sang with them as well, glowing brighter than the last time she sang to the sun. When the sun broke over the horizon, I felt a great weight fall off the city, replaced by a peace similar to the embrace of an old lost friend. From somewhere, I "heard" a hearty laugh and knew the gnome gods were pleased. 

The gnomes proceeded to Sourmortane while the oddlings, their morning ritual complete, went to work. I could sense that their title of "oddling" was falling away. Alice and Anna, when she rejoined us, confirmed this and told us their new title was "Gourdno", indicating they practiced the oldest traditions. Maudrin saw us and called for us to join the riders for breakfast.

The former oddlings, as expected, were in grand spirits as they worked and their food reflected their joy. Maudrin and the dwarf riders, however, did not share their feelings.

"Sisters, the grey ones are getting bolder," he told us, "No place inside the mountains is safe. Failing to get the Rod has only angered and provoked them. King Gorval is, uncharacteristically, begging for any aid."

Maudrin was not pleased when we told him they had the Master Miner's Foot, which was giving them access to every place, no matter how secure. He was glad that was the only one of his parts they possessed. We told him to inform the king we would help. He nearly cheered. He told us to tell the council and he would see to our transportation. We finished breakfast, toured the finished outpost, and waited for the council

As we waited, I could feel the peace expanding in the city. Gourdnos walked openly in the near empty streets. They hummed, whistled, and sang as they worked. We met the council before they went inside and informed them of our leaving and destination. They understood, but were still sad to see us leave. They went to breakfast and we went to pack for the trip.

We were ready in short order. Maudrin met us outside along with the council. Arkgo and some of his family, Nigle, and many from the outpost, plus a host of others were also there. Out in the square, Emerald and six other dragons waited along with their riders. I could feel my sisters' confusion. I pointed out that each dragon had a double saddle. Many of them paled when they understood how we were traveling to Stahendring. The riders took our gear and secured them. Callie and Maudrin mounted Emerald. Erik and I mounted Scarlet. Lisa was aided by a gnome onto a blue. Gretta was assisted onto a green. Alice gingerly settled onto a copper behind a well-muscled dwarf. Anna accepted help from the gnome rider and Arkgo onto a brass. Sarah took a minute to get situated on another blue behind a gnome only slightly smaller than herself. The assembled Gowgornok gnomes waved and cheered as we took off, accompanied by screams from a few of my sisters. Set, Dawn, and Bo flew on their own as we lifted into the air.

Out of Gowgornok, we headed straight for the mountains. Even in the cold winter air, the heat radiating from the dragons kept us from getting too chilled. Bo decided to wrap around Lisa instead of trying to keep up. Set had little difficulty in matching Scarlet's cruising speed. Dawn not only kept up, but circled, swooped, and played around our formation. 

The mountains, massive from a distance, grew larger as we approached. Through the dragons, I saw the specific mountain that was our destination. While not the highest, it was still one of the largest. I allowed myself to feel around us. On the slopes, the mountains looked void of dwarf life even though animals abounded. Inside, however, life teemed and thrived. I received a village name and asked Erik how deep it was. In shock, he told me it was a mile below the surface of the slope. He became stone silent when I told him how I learned its name. Scarlet brought him out of it by announcing that Stahendring was in sight. 

I saw its aura before I saw the actual city. Anna told us it was named for a "stubborn obstacle" the first dwarfs encountered while mining the mountain. This obstacle forced them to refine and improve their tools and skills, during which time a town developed near it. Finally, they discovered its composition, iron infused with veins of diamonds, and cracked it, revealing a wonder. Their "stubborn obstacle" was actually a geode holding yellow crystals that, when exposed to sunlight, became charged and held light for many hours. Also, upon being charged, they attracted deep dwelling grubs that made their own light and quickly replaced torches and other flame lights where there was a danger of gas or combustible items. The leaders of the infant city used this shining geode as their symbol: a sun inside a mountain. As other "obstacles" were uncovered, the settlement grew into a full city and the leaders named as royalty. The "sun crystals" became their prize as no other mountain revealed such a treasure.
Stahindring erupted into view as we rounded a smaller peak. While I could feel that only a fraction of the city saw sunlight, the visible portion was still a sight to behold. Also, I could see why human mapmakers only marked it as a large town or small city.
We landed on a large flat area sticking out over a sheer cliff. A group of dwarf guards met us. Callie was wearing her gifts, which caused a mild reaction. Maudrin called us together as the riders gathered our gear. He and the group escorted us towards a large building. At the door, our companions were stopped.
"Animals remain outside. Handlers will care for them."
The seven of us stepped back, away from the door.
"Then, we remain outside," I said, "They are our companions. They go where we go."
The group looked puzzled. They turned to Callie.
"Your servants are being rude, m'lady. What punishment shall we give them?" one asked as they drew weapons.
Callie was a bit surprised, wondering why they were asking her and why they wanted to punish us.
"They are not my servants. They are my Sisters," Callie told them.
It was their turn to be surprised and confused. Maudrin tried to explain, but was pushed out of the way.
"You claim kinship to these? These are not dwarfs. There are elves, humans, and ," looking at me, "strange creatures. How can these be your sisters?" the one who looked like an officer asked.
"They are the Seven Sisters of the Swords and they and their companions are not to be prevented from entering the palace," came a deep male voice from the shadowy interior.
The officer turned to confront the male then bowed quickly, followed by the other guards. An older dwarf male in regal dress walked into the winter sunshine. He bore the same symbol as Callie.
"Forgive my foolish men," he said warmly, but gave the guards hard looks, "They have been on this mountain too long and forgotten that different races and species can be companions, friends, even Sisters. Welcome to Stahendring, I am King Gorval Stormhammer."
We introduced ourselves as the guards put away their weapons. King Gorval led us inside the palace. While dwarfs average a foot shorter than the average human, the ceilings towered twenty-thirty feet above our heads. While not painted, the carvings on the walls had shadows that fooled the eyes into seeing colors. King Gorval led us to what was probably considered a small room where other dwarfs, males and females, were already assembled. Their talk stopped when we entered. Not bowing, the others did incline their heads as the King went to the head of the table where they sat. We arranged ourselves around the table. Tunnel maps were spread out over the table, marked at random points.
"Everyone, these are the Sisters.The one wearing my crest is Callie of Denar, a distant cousin of mine. It is our hope these ladies can offer assistance from their unique perspectives. They know some of our situation as they just left Gowgornok. Dularg, fill them in on the rest."
Another male dwarf stood with a thin stick.
"These maps are the interiors of our city. These marks are Duergar attacks. As far as we can tell, they are completely random. Other than some trivial items, nothing has been taken. We cannot understand the purpose of these events."
We looked over the maps. The places marked were on nearly every level below the areas that received sunlight.
"Their activities make no sense. They are there only a short time, take some trivial item, cause, no damage, and leave when confronted. What can they be doing?"
"Are there any of these nearby?" some of us asked together.
They looked at us silently for a moment before Dularg responded, "Yes, just a way down the tunnel. Follow me."
We followed him, followed by King Gorval and the rest of his council. In a few minutes, we were at an intersection of many tunnels. Dularg began to speak, but Anna started first.
"A picture was stolen, one of little importance. The gray one only moved around this small area until he was discovered, vanishing without a fight."
"But, why? What purpose did it serve?" King Gorval asked.
"They are scouting," Alice reported, "They do not have the detailed maps you have. The items they steal are for a transport spell to lock onto places inside your city. They are not satisfied with the way of travel with the Minter's Foot. They still have to physically walk from their territory to here. They are planning attacks on you and are plotting attack points."
The dwarfs began grumbling loudly. We all returned to the room. With this information, the random points no longer appeared so random.They started naming key areas that were not far from the marks. The dwarfs sat in silence, trying to think of a solution. We also batted around ideas mentally with the swords.
"This is racial," Alice told us, "The Duergar believe they are the 'true' dwarfs because they have no interaction with non-dwarfs and remain 'untainted' by other races.They want to purge the entire dwarf lands of so-called 'bastard' dwarfs and other 'inferior' races. The Miner's Rod was going to let them collapse whole mountains and crush or trap the other dwarfs to kill them. I could not tell if they knew Nurz had failed."
We were amazed that there was such a division among the dwarf race. Callie felt the most pain, not understanding how her kin could hate themselves. The King and council told their staff to bring us all lunch in the room.
We were staring at the tunnel maps when something caught my eye. I saw a mark moving over the map.No one else seemed to see it. I continued to watch it as it traveled from the lower levels to the higher ones. So intently was I watching it that I didn't notice everyone watching me. Callie, finally, got my attention.
"I am sorry. Someone is working their way up from the deeper tunnels. That is what I was watching."
I showed them the moving mark. It was still coming up, crossing tunnel walls, floors, and ceilings. Even though I followed it with my finger, the rest seemed to have difficulty following it.
"Kayla, we see nothing. Are you certain?" one of the dwarfs asked.
Looking up, I was surprised, "You can't see this? It is in level sixteen, heading northeast, slowly, like its searching..."
"The armory!" King Gorval barked as he stood.
He ran to a wall with many chords dangling. He pulled several at once, causing a cacophony of bells to sound all around us. Gorval returned to stand beside me. He looked at the tunnel maps intently.
"Where is it now? Do you still see it?" he asked tensely.
"It is still on level sixteen, but it has stopped. The bells are causing it to be confused."
"Good, maybe we can catch one of these intruders," he said, not taking his eyes off the maps, "What's happening now?"
I saw different markings converging on the intruder mark, which still had not moved. They were on levels fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen. When the intruder mark was surrounded on sixteen, it dropped to seventeen. Those on that level engulfed it. It appeared to have been captured. They were all headed back. The ones on the two higher levels met the rest as they came up towards the surface. Suddenly, they all stopped.
"Sarah, pull in now! Brace yourself!" I sent urgently to her.
 She complied just before all of the marks vanished. Gorval was most upset and confused. He sent Dularg and a few of the others to investigate. It pained me to tell him that I suspected they were dead. As Sarah reopened her senses, she confirmed she could not feel their presences any longer.
When they returned, Dularg and the others gave a sad report.
"The Duergar must of had the Foot, but someone retrieved it and replaced it with something that killed the Duergar and all of the guards. No one survived."
Gorval collapsed into an empty seat, pain shrinking his glow.
"Your Majesty, let us go down and check it out. We may get the answers," Alice offered.
Gorval barely nodded. Dularg led us to the spot. We sadly watched the bodies being carried away. Another dwarf was poised to record our observations.
"The gray ones actually wait for the guards so they can escape right through their hands. They believe the dwarfs here are too stupid to prepare for their plan of escape. This one was actually stunned that guards were below him. The guards secured the Foot. It took whomever was watching a bit before they knew they lost the Foot. They transported the Foot at the same time as a fragile bottle of an acid cloud. The guard holding the Foot crushed the bottle, releasing the cloud and killing everyone around."
The dwarfs, listening silently, nodded as they digested this information.
The scribe finished, then she asked, "Is this preparing for invasion?"
"Yes," Anna replied, "they are building transport points to put soldiers in all of those spots at the same time. They know that they can't overpower you, so they are betting on surprise."
The scribe finished while the other dwarfs fumed and fussed.
Once she finished, she sighed," There lies our dilemma.  How do we stop this?"
We all nodded. We all knew the Foot had to be taken from them to prevent any more incursions. If they could not complete their placement, they would not dare their invasion.
The bodies were gone save for the Duergar. The physical difference between the two groups was stark.Gorval and his people were tanned, robust, with hair in shades of browns and reds and eyes of all colors. This "gray one" was scrawny and just that, gray. Skin, hair, and eyes all in shades of gray. Even his clothes were gray where Gorval's people wore browns, greens, rusty reds, and muted blues.
"What of his body?" Callie asked.
"We're not sure," Dularg replied, "They've all escaped before. This is the first we've had to handle."
The other dwarfs were also at a loss. We suggested returning him to his people, not to get rid of him, but to allow them their death rituals.
"Courtesy to the enemy? You girls really do have kind hearts. Very well, but how?" Dularg asked.
We said nothing. Drawing swords, we touched the tips to the corpse.
"Return to your people so they can properly mourn," we ordered.
The body glowed, then vanished.
We all went back to the room we had left. King Gorval was still there. He read the scribe's writing. We were all seated by the time he finished.
"As I see it, we must get the Foot away from them. Since they are still scouting, we can surmise that their plan is not complete.We must prevent its completion, but how? They can call it out of our hands when we seize it. Reinforcing the tunnels will do nothing since the Foot lets them walk though walls and floors. Ladies, I do not put this all on you, but any help will be appreciated. We will let you retire to Callie's home to think, rest, and do what it is you do."
A valet was called to escort us to the home that was also a gift to Callie. All of our gear was waiting on us as well as a handful of staff people. The valet left us to them. We were each shown to a bedroom "tailored" to us. Callie, of course, had the "master suite", which also had books on building and mining and like subjects. Sarah's was very airy with religious and medicinal items. Gretta's had gem cutting and appraising items in an open but solid room. Lisa's looked like a small armory and training area. Alice's was a gallery of past kings, heroes, and important events along with books of the same. Anna's had paintings and tapestries of great battles and discoveries and all the supporting documents. Mine was all dragon: tools, books, paintings, and decor. I guess it was hard to decorate for a seer although I did find an assortment of scrying bowls and wizards' glasses. Set sniffed everything. We were all still looking them over when dinner was announced.
We made our ways to a grand dining room. Such a feast! Callie was a bit overwhelmed when she was placed at the head of "her" table and asked if she approved of everything.
Sometime during dinner, I felt Callie getting very sad.
"Callie? What's wrong? What saddens you?" I asked.
"I cannot accept this house. I can't pay these people or buy food or maintain it. I am a simple girl from Denar. I don't have a staff or a mansion. I will have to give it all back," she cried after speaking.
"Miss," one of the older staff women spoke, "there is no need to worry about all of that. We are paid by the King, who also provides the food and upkeep. As for being a simple girl, it was told to us you would have a very important job that will require most of your time. We are here to do the minor daily stuff so you can focus on your job. We chose to keep your house. I hope you choose to keep it as well."
Callie sniffed as she composed herself, "You might find me working beside you. I don't want you to think I think I am above you."
The whole staff laughed.
"Miss Callie, we would happily work beside you, when your job permits," the same woman told her, "but you may find that rarely happens."
Callie relaxed and finished dinner. It was odd to be in a room without my sisters physically present. Still, we spoke mentally as we prepared for bed. My bed was large enough and sturdy enough for Set to sleep beside me. Vanity was laid in her usual spot. 

Days 300-301 (278-279)((268-269))

Day 300 (278)((268)):

As we waited for the council to return from Soumortane, I looked over my journal. I informed my sisters that we had caught up with ourselves and were no longer in Crialas at the same time we were here. They relaxed a bit, no longer having that in the backs of their minds. I was slightly curious how the Faerie Queen got us out of Crialas, but other things were more important than satisfying my curiosity. We watched for the council to return. We followed them to the council chambers. They looked at us hopefully.

"Sisters, have you any news? Did the experts give you any answers?"

We began telling them that there were some gnomes in Gowgornok who could do the mystery part, but they insisted on keeping their identities a secret. So as not to draw attentions to them, they asked that everyone dress in identical robes with hoods, masks, and gloves. It was the only way they would agree to join in completing the plans. The council silently pondered this odd request. It did not take long for them to agree.

"They have the skill we do not. We accept their specifications."

After breakfast, we found Nigle and let him know they agreed to the plan. He and the other oddlings were relieved and excited at the same time. We had copies of the plans and they went over the steps. Word was sent to us that, by evening, all of the equipment would be in place. Robes with hoods were sent to us and our "experts" shortly after lunch. We had no illusions that the seven of us wouldn't be easily noticed. The oddlings, however, would be well disguised and, since they rarely spoke to non-oddlings, their voices would not mark them. They practiced their dance and found the item, a shell of sorts, to be ready.

We flung on the robes, gloves, and masks and met the council, similarly attired, outside the Rod's "home". As expected, most of the seven of us received looks of recognition. Anna, Sarah, the dwarf riders, and the oddlings received questioning looks that were quickly suppressed. We all filed in pass the guards and patrols, who simply watched us in silence. Inside, the four guards dropped the ineffective barrier and left.

Following the plans to the letter, we called, cast, summoned, and evoked, building quite a bit of power in the room. Finally, time came for the oddlings. When the shell was brought out, I felt anger from the council. Why would an empty shell produce such intense emotions? Then, the dance. Graceful and spry, their movements wove the magic in the room into a second, smaller, room encasing the Rod and its pedestal. The shell was transformed into a transparent dome over the Rod, pedestal, and some of the surrounding floor. With a final shout and twirl, the Rod was encased, its magic undetectable outside this room. The oddlings rejoined us for some final words and the task was complete. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The council began removing their masks. Horror shot through the oddlings.

"Now that it is safe, we would like to see whom we have to thank for this," a councilor calmly spoke, hiding the anger he truly felt. The other councilors were also angry but hiding it.

"Why?" Anna asked, putting herself between the two groups. 

One councilor snapped, "Because that shell is forbidden! No gnome would hold such a thing, let alone have one in his possession. Show your face so we know who to throw in jail."

We joined Anna in separating council from oddling. I removed my mask.

"Your own gods told you to use that shell and that dance. If they will it, how is it forbidden?" I asked them sternly.

Their anger buckled. They had forgotten the authors of the plans we followed. Now, they were uncertain. We used that as a diversion to let the oddlings sprint from the building and vanish into the night. No one followed. The council began dredging up ancient history as they tried to remember when the shell, the remains of a particular kind of tortoise, had become a forbidden item to their race. Not a single one could come up with a moment it had happened. Even Anna and Alice were at a loss. As we all walked through the dark streets at Gowgornok, the council vowed to re-examine their rules and beliefs. We hoped it might reunite the oddlings with the rest of their people.

Day 301 (279)((269)):

Upon waking, the swords told us gifts had been left during the night by the oddlings. We opened the door to find treasure. More of the spice Set liked, sparingly as too much hurt his stomach. Trinkets of all types, showing their master skills with a variety of metals and stones. Hats, gloves, scarves, all manner of cold weather garments, dyed in radiant hues.

We gathered them quickly in case the other gnomes returned and saw them. The clothes we packed away as well as the spice. Some of the trinkets we stowed while asking Aloriana to take the rest to the Faerie Realm. We hurriedly dressed when we felt the gnomes returning from Sourmortane. We met the council in their chambers.

As we all ate breakfast, the council, while not voicing it, still pondered the "experts" from last night. They knew better than to ask us, knowing we would not tell.

"Ladies," one began, "we would like you and your experts to know we have found nothing in any record that forbids the handling of that shell, animal, or any shell known. Please apologize to them for us."

As we confirmed, I relayed the message to the riders to convey to the oddlings. They were pleased. 

"We hope you can answer something for us," another posed, "Did they explain why they knew it but no one else in all of Gowgornok?"

We swallowed before explaining how they collected obscure rites and rituals that had been purged from officially observed practices and most of Gowgornok had never seen or studied. Heads bobbed as they took in our words.

"Perhaps they can be persuaded to share some of this knowledge? Another look might give us new insight or at least let us understand why they were purged?"

This I also sent to the riders who told the oddlings. I tried sending directly, but these gnomes' mental voices only worked at short ranges and the distance from the outpost to the council chambers was simply too far. I received their replies of only showing the mildest and least offensive. If those were well received, they would cautiously reveal more. 

After breakfast, the council received a package which contained these mild rituals. The council gathered tightly to pour over them, ignoring us completely. We took a walk around Gowgornok.

Some of the beings attracted by the Rod decided to stay with the gnomes. Small fire and water elements actually found jobs within forges, craft halls, and medical areas. Unicorns found the city too noisy and left once they had finished their additions to the outpost. Pixies, will-o'-wisps, and other small beings flitted around. 

We were watched as we walked. The man that was Anna's future husband was going about his daily life, which appeared to be a paper merchant or someone who made paper. Anna's eyes locked on him and she stopped. We stopped with her and allowed her to watch him. We remained silent, in respect for her and him. When he saw her, he stopped everything and ran over. As before, their auras began changing to match each other. The pair went off to talk. The rest of us continued around the city. We had no fear that we would separate now, but it was good for Anna and him to get better acquainted. 

Anna and Arkgo found us that evening with an invitation from his family to join them for dinner. Arkgo said his parents, specifically his mother, decided a person's friends reflected the person's character and judgement. By meeting us, they would get a better view of Anna.

The family, like many gnome families, was large and had many members living in the same house. We met brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and many other relatives. We had a pleasant time. I could see they liked Anna and approved of she and Arkgo together. They understood we still had some of our journey year left and a wedding was still a while before she could commit to a date. He and some of his family escorted us back to the council building as they lived well away from it. Anna was very reluctant to part from Arkgo, but they did part. We did not see any of the council on our way to our suite. Some more gifts had been left, neatly hidden from accidental discovery by any other gnomes. Also, a curious note was left. It predicted that oddlings would, soon, no longer be odd. Nigle had already met with the council, who told him they could find no ban or rule on the oddlings rituals or restrictions on their diet. We were happy for both sides.