The Wrathful Mountains (7 page)

“What’s her name?” Galen asked, smiling down at
the child.

“She has none.” Seeing the elf’s confusion, she
added, “We do not name a child of this age. She will earn a name after one
year.”

Kaiya instinctively reached for the child, her
gaze fixated on the girl’s dark eyes. Tashi hesitated a moment, her heart nearly
ceasing to beat. Taking a deep breath, she passed the child to the sorceress.

Cradling the infant, Kaiya closed her eyes and
focused her mind to the wind. A glow of silver spread over the child, Tashi
taking a step backward at the sight. As quickly as it appeared, the light
faded, a silver sparkle remaining momentarily over the child’s heart.

“Grow strong, and walk with honor all your days,”
Kaiya whispered to the child. “May the wind be ever your guide on this journey
through life.”

The infant looked up at the sorceress and smiled.

S
taring at the
infant in her arms, Kaiya beamed with pride. The child squeezed her finger and
cooed, warming the sorceress’s heart. She had given the child the only blessing
she knew, the one her mother had given her when she decided to forgo
traditional schooling in favor of learning on her own. Dwarf schools would not
teach a child magic, for the simple reason that they had no knowledge of it to
pass on. Only elven schools taught such things, but they were too far away from
home. Kaiya had learned on her own, and this child could as well. A silver sparkle
remained in her eyes, and Kaiya suspected the girl might have an affinity for elemental
magic.

Turning to Galen,
Kaiya extended the child toward him. “Your turn,” she said playfully.

Galen leaned down
and took the child as if she were made of porcelain. “Hello, little one,” he
said softly.

The baby’s eyes
sparkled with curiosity as she looked upon the elf. Suddenly feeling awkward,
Galen’s face reddened. He seldom held babies, but somehow it felt natural to
him. The tiny bundle was the most precious thing he’d ever seen.

“May the blessings
of the elves be upon you,” he said, doing his best not to stumble on the words.
This was a special moment to the Ulihi, and he didn’t want to spoil it.

“With all my heart,
I thank you,” Tashi said. “Both of you.” The arrival of these travelers could
not be a coincidence. Had Koli’s sacrifice brought this to pass? Or could it be
Annin, working to secure her daughter’s well-being, even after her death? Tashi
took comfort in the thought. Annin had been strong in life, and she would
certainly be strong in the life to come.

“You’re glowing,”
Kaiya whispered to Galen.

He continued to
stare down at the child, a sideways grin on his face.

“You’ll make a
wonderful father someday,” Kaiya said without thinking. She and Galen had never
discussed his desire, or lack thereof, for a family. She had often expressed
the sentiment that she did not intend to bear children. He had never argued nor
expressed misgivings. His doting over the child only led to further confusion
on Kaiya’s part.

As if on cue, Galen
said, “I think I’d make a better uncle.”

A cry ripped
through the silent village, startling the visitors as well as the priestess.
They looked at each other as the scream sounded again. Something was
desperately wrong.

Every male Ulihi
grabbed a spear and ran toward the source of the disturbance. The ground shook
beneath their feet, but it was no tremor. This was not a constant rumble, but rather
a heavy stride. The footsteps approached, the warriors showing no sign of fear.

Frozen in place,
Tashi said, “They come for vengeance.”

“Who?” Kaiya asked.

“The gods,” Tashi
replied, her eyes full of terror. She had brought this upon her people.

A form came into
view as Kaiya strained to make it out. It was jumbled, loose pieces of rock
held together by some force. As it stepped nearer the village, Kaiya couldn’t
believe her own eyes. Gray stones, amassed more than seven feet high in a rough
quadrupedal shape stopped at the edge of the village and rose to its hind legs,
preparing for an attack. Though it had no mouth that Kaiya could see, it bellowed
a deafening roar.

Turning to Galen,
Kaiya said, “Take the child and protect her with your life.”

The elf opened his
mouth to speak, but Kaiya refused to hear him.

“Keep her safe, and
under no circumstances are you to approach this creature or attempt to fight.
Do this for me.”

With a single nod,
Galen clutched the baby to his chest. Glancing at the beast, he turned and ran,
the doula following close behind him.

Turning back to
Tashi, Kaiya asked, “You’ve seen these things before?”

“Never,” she
replied, shaking her head.

The rock monster
entered the village on massive stone feet, rattling the Ulihi as they scattered
for cover. Two warriors charged forward, spears in hand. Their war cries echoed
in Kaiya’s ears as she watched them fall, crushed by the weight of the beast,
who continued forward without a thought for the lives it had taken.

Raad darted forward
as the creature passed, grabbing a spear from one of the fallen warriors.
Running to join the other men, they positioned themselves into a battle
formation. Standing behind them were the majority of the village’s women, the
warriors shouting for them to flee. To their credit, most of the women refused.
They grabbed loose rocks and burning torches, ready to defend their homes. Only
the oldest among them fled to safety.

Tashi ripped the
bottom from her staff, dropping the top to the ground. Kaiya looked at her in
confusion until she realized what the priestess actually held. Placing the
bottom end of the staff to her lips, she blew inside it, sending a dart
speeding toward the rock beast. It glanced off the creature’s armored hide, causing
it no harm.

As the men began
their charge toward the beast, Kaiya readied her hands. Silver sparks swirled upon
her fingers, the wind racing at her back. Focusing her mind to the enemy, she
struggled against its weight to hold it solidly in place.

Seeing their enemy
struggle against the wind, Raad and the warriors charged. With a grunt, Raad
thrust the spear between the rocks that made up one of the monster’s legs. The
force of the blow sent a shattering pain through his arm, his shoulder
crunching and wrenching itself at an odd angle. Crying out in agony, he dropped
the spear and grasped his shoulder with his other hand. Unable to shift the
injured arm back into its correct position, he stumbled out of the way,
cursing.

The rest of the
warriors continued the onslaught, breaking their spears upon the rocks. The
creature remained in position, completely unaffected by their weapons. The
women threw their rocks, hoping to knock pieces away from the creature to weaken
it. But the rocks glanced off without harming the beast. Fire had no effect as
they lobbed their torches toward it. One succeeded in lighting fire to a hut,
sending warriors and women alike scrambling to contain the flames before they
could spread across the village.

Kaiya held her
breath, her strength waning. The creature’s weight was immense, forcing her to
expend a vast supply of magic to restrain it. Dropping to one knee, the
sorceress began to sweat. Sensing the beast’s mind, she knew it had but one
purpose—to destroy.

The rock beast
swayed and struggled, freeing its feet enough to move a few inches. Three women
fled from beneath it, one of them crashing into Kaiya as she struggled to
maintain her focus. Losing her concentration, the sorceress faltered, and the
beast charged forward unimpeded.

The woman helped
Kaiya to her feet, both terror and sympathy in her eyes. The sorceress
attempted to catch her breath, but there was no time to spare. The beast
crashed into an unoccupied hut, smashing it with a single step. It swiped a
massive arm at a second hut, toppling it as if it were no more than a pile of
leaves.

The warriors
reformed their ranks, determined to continue the fight. Swinging its head
around, the beast focused its attention on them. It pawed a foreleg against the
ground, kicking up dirt and snow. An angry growl escaped the beast as it reared
onto its hind legs, preparing for another attack.

The warriors stood
their ground, but Kaiya knew they would not survive. Squeezing her eyes shut,
she summoned the wind above her, focusing her magic to the sky. Dark clouds
swirled above her, a burst of thunder splitting the air. Her violet hair blew
violently on the wind, scratching at her face. With a single blast of wind, she
knocked the Ulihi backward, sending them tumbling to safety. Throwing open her
eyes, a bright flash of silver erupted from them, calling the lightning from
the sky. In a single strike, it blasted the stone beast, shattering its rear
half into hundreds of pieces. Exhausted, she collapsed on the ground, her head
slumped over her knees.

The warriors wasted
no time getting back to their feet. This was the opportunity they needed.
Leaping onto the creature as it writhed in agony, they tore at the rocks until
they managed to wrest a few from their proper position. The beast tumbled, its
form too weakened to maintain itself. With a cry of victory, the Ulihi stood
over their kill.

Tashi raced to
Kaiya’s side, finding her unconscious. Gently she rolled the dwarf onto her
back and brushed her hair away from her face. Leaning down, she pressed her ear
to the woman’s chest. To Tashi’s relief, the sorceress was still breathing, her
heartbeat strong.

Opening her eyes,
Kaiya bolted upright, a silver sheen disappearing from her face. Her eyes shot
to the fallen beast, and she whispered a word of thanks to the wind.

“You have saved
us,” Tashi said, extending her hand to Kaiya.

The sorceress
gladly took it, pulling herself back to her feet. As she stood, she felt eyes
upon her. The presence had returned. Its force was strong, focusing its will
upon her. A great malice entered her heart, burning throughout her body. This
was a force of pure evil, and she had angered it by defending these people.
Whoever had sent the beast was taking notes, and the next one would not go down
so easily.

Not that Kaiya had
found the battle easy by any means. Her head spun from the effort, and she felt
as if she hadn’t slept for a week. The muscles in her arms ached from fatigue
and overuse, and her legs were jelly beneath her. These things she hid well,
knowing that she could not let the true enemy see any sign of weakness in her.
Conventional weapons weren’t going to banish this threat, and she knew of no
other in the mountains who could lend magical aid.

The images from her
vision flashed once again in her mind. It was imperative she continue her
journey higher into the mountains. Her final destination would not be the
painite mines.

“Are you injured?”
Tashi asked.

The sorceress shook
her head. “Tired is all,” she said. “You?”

“I am well, but
others have fallen,” Tashi replied. Her eyes looked to the fallen warriors,
whose bodies were being wrapped in blankets.

Galen rose from his
position behind a boulder, the infant cradled in his arms. The doula, who had
pressed herself close to him to further shield the child, rose as well, with a
simple nod to a job well done. Together they reentered the village.

Hearing footsteps
behind her, Tashi spun around. Her heart leapt to see the elf still clutching
her niece. “I thank you for protecting this child,” she said to him, bowing
slightly. She inclined her head to the doula, who reached for the child.

Before passing the
child to her caretaker, Galen leaned down and kissed her forehead. As he handed
her over, he said, “She didn’t cry or make a single sound.”

“That is because
she is Ulihi,” Tashi said, holding her head high. “She knows when danger is
near.”

“Danger will
return,” Kaiya said. “We must continue on our journey.”

Raad made his way
toward them, still clutching at his dislocated shoulder.

“This man is
injured,” Tashi said, a line of worry wrinkling her brow. Reaching out for him,
she said, “You risked your life for my people. You are a warrior.”

The miner swayed
and pursed his lips. “I wouldn’t go that far,” he said. “I did more damage to
myself than that monster.” To Kaiya, he asked, “What was that thing?”

“I don’t know,” she
replied, “but I intend to find out.”

Examining the
dwarf’s injured shoulder, the priestess said, “This will have to be reset. It
will hurt, but only for a moment.”

Without another
word, she yanked on his arm, doubling him over in surprise. Pressing her bare
foot against his armpit, she wrenched the arm back into place. A sickening
crunch sounded, and a sharp pain shot through Raad’s body. For a moment he
thought he might lose consciousness, but as soon as the pain had started, it
vanished.

“I will wrap that
in place for you,” she said, turning away and dashing inside a hut. She
returned seconds later with a strip of cloth which she fashioned into a sling.
“That will feel better in a few days.”

His arm immobilized
and feeling much better, Raad said, “Thank you, ma’am.” His eyes scanned the
snow for his fallen backpack, his taste buds desperate for a sip of ale.
Looking at his arm, he said, “I don’t suppose I’ll be able to carry my pack.”

“I’ll get it,”
Galen offered. Jogging across the village he retrieved the dwarf’s belongings
and adjusted the straps to fit his own frame. Returning to his companions, he
said, “It’s the least I can do for a warrior.”

Raad rolled his
eyes. “Let me at that ale,” he said.

“Later,” Kaiya
stated firmly. “We need to get going. I’m ready to find out what that creature
was, and what it wanted from these people.”

“How can you
protect us if you aren’t here?” Tashi asked. “I implore you to stay.”

“I cannot,” Kaiya
said. “Whatever sent that thing is a threat to us all, not only your tribe. A
vision has sent me higher into the mountains, to the very summit perhaps. But
first I must get to the mines, and we’ve already gone off-course.”