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“You must be Grimmel,” Tor said and held out his hand. “I am the so-called Prince Tor of Remeny.”
Grimmel grunted, ignoring the outstretched hand. Tor shrugged his shoulders and pulled it back. “Please, take a seat.”
“I prefer to stand.”
Tor looked toward Patrick and raised an eyebrow. Dregar hadn’t being lying about his brother’s personality. The two could not have been more different.
“Maybe we should go back to Dregar and see if he wants to join us instead,” Patrick whispered, but Tor shook his head.
He quickly introduced everyone, but Grimmel seemed to take no interest. He then gave a brief summary of the quest and the reason for them needing a dwarf.
“Will it be dangerous?” Grimmel asked, his monotone voice making him sound bored.
“Probably,” Tor replied truthfully. “We almost lost Hurst when a bridge collapsed.”
“And my brother was killed,” Jem said quietly.
Grimmel nodded his head. “Good. When do we leave?”
“Wait a minute,” Seth said. “We have not yet agreed that you will join us.” He had taken an instant dislike to the dwarf and was not sure he was the right candidate for the role.
Grimmel did not seem upset by the outburst. “You need me for two reasons,” he explained. “Firstly, you will find it hard to find another dwarf willing to risk his or her life by joining you.”
“And secondly?” Tor prompted, impatient to find out what Grimmel had to say.
“Secondly, I know where to find Ballid’s horn.”
Silence greeted this statement. They had not given much thought to that part of the clue, concentrating instead on getting Ban, a dwarf and a water maiden.
“Where?” Tor finally managed to ask.
“Close to the border with your homeland, near the sea. Legend has it that Ballid used to blow his horn in order to warn ships that were sailing too close to the cliffs.”
“And how do you know this?” Seth enquired, not sure if he believed the dwarf or not.
“I have travelled most of this country, making my deliveries, and I will never forget going to that place. The horn is guarded by the strangest group of dwarves you are ever likely to meet. They all keep their eyes bound and are constantly feeding fuel into this weird fire that burns with a purple glow.”
Seth snorted derisively.
Grimmel shrugged his shoulders. “Believe or not, it does not matter to me. So, I see you have your ‘high’ person. You now have your ‘low’. Where is the water maiden?”
“She is next on our list,” Tor informed him.
“You are heading back toward Emvale then.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Are we?” Patrick asked Tor, who ignored him.
“Why?”
“Because there is a tribe of water sprites who live in woodland near the river Spriggan and I happen to know one who might be willing to join us.”
He said the word ‘us’ as though it was a foregone conclusion that he would be permitted to travel with them. Despite the short fellow’s obvious lack of a pleasant demeanour, Tor could think of no reason to refuse him. He met the criteria set out in the clue, claimed to know where their next destination could be found and knew a water maiden. Tor would class himself lucky to have him along, if only Grimmel could make himself more likeable.
Resigning himself to the unhappy comments he would be receiving from his friends over the next few days, Tor officially welcomed Grimmel to the team and announced it was time to pack up and go.
The journey to the river Spriggan did not go as badly as he had been expecting. While Grimmel did not join in many of their conversations, choosing to keep himself apart from the others, and he never smiled, he was not actually unpleasant toward anyone. Most of the time it was easy to forget that he was even there.
At meal times he would eat with everyone else and, somewhat reluctantly, did his fair share of the chores.
He was not a bad person, just grumpy. They tried to get him to join in conversations whenever they stopped riding, but he seemed reluctant to give his views on anything. Tor put this down to being a very private person and eventually everyone gave up.
The only time he seemed enthusiastic about anything was when the subject of Patrick’s propensity toward dying came up. He was fascinated by the subject and wanted to hear all of the details about his deaths.
He noticed the markings on Marie’s skin, which she was now unable to keep hidden, and knew what it was without being told. He had seen it once before and offered her his sympathies. For once, there was actual emotion in his voice, so she took it at face value and thanked him.
Hurst he avoided. While he claimed he had nothing to hide, he was still not prepared to let the old man read his mind and nobody insisted that he did.
Due to his lack of size, Grimmel was uneasy about riding a horse, so Seth suggested he ride in the wagon next to him. Wanting to feel useful, he insisted on driving it and Seth was pleased to find that he was more than competent. He almost asked how he had become so good, but just as he opened his mouth to pose the question he remembered that Grimmel made deliveries for a living so had probably more experience than anyone else on the team.
They reached the river and headed north toward Emvale, following its meandering course. It was full of fish and Seth managed to drag Jem away from Marie’s side long enough to do some fishing.
When the woods came into sight Tor called a halt. Grimmel had already told him that the water sprites lived on the other side of the woodland and he did not want to get too close. Once again he was reluctant to have such a large group invading the home of a peaceful race of people and told them to make camp.
He gave them permission to collect sticks from within the woodland in order to make a fire, but that was all. Other than that they were to remain outside.
This time he did not take Patrick with him. He did not know a lot about the water sprite race, but he was aware that they were small, probably about the same height as the dwarves, and the females were said to be very beautiful. He did not want to risk Patrick getting into trouble by trying to seduce one of them.
As Grimmel knew at least one member of this particular tribe it was logical that he should be the one to accompany him, but the dwarf had other ideas.
“I am going in alone,” he announced. “I am known here,” he continued before Tor could protest. “They do not like strangers. I will find the young lady I think will be willing to help and I will bring her back here with me to speak with you.”
What Grimmel said made sense and Tor could find no reason to argue against it, but he still felt uneasy. Reluctantly he nodded his head and watched the dwarf until he was hidden by the trees.
A surprisingly short while later he returned with a tiny figure by his side. She could only be described as dainty and looked like a miniature version of the perfect human figure, except for the fact that her skin had a hint of blue in it.
Her eyes were deep sapphire and perfectly complimented her long navy hair, which streamed down her back. She wore no shoes and her thin blue dress was so sheer it was almost see-through.
She was a pretty little thing and Tor could imagine her breaking the hearts of many of her own kind.
“This is River,” Grimmel said when they were close enough. “I have told her everything and she has agreed to meet you. I have made deliveries to her father on many occasions and I am always invited to stay for a meal. They are good people and can be trusted to do the right thing.”
It was the longest speech he had made since joining the team.
“Hello,” she said in a soft voice. She appeared to be nervous, which was understandable given the number of people surrounding her, most of whom towered over her.
“Thank you for coming,” Tor said. “Please, take a seat.” A number of blankets had been spread on the ground and she chose an empty spot close to Tor.
“This is the Prince I was telling you about,” Grimmel told her. Tor noticed he had dropped the ‘so-called’.
“So what details have you been given?” Tor asked her.
She told him all she knew and he was surprised that Grimmel had done such a thorough job. The dwarf had obviously been listening more than he had led them all to believe. He filled in the missing details then introduced her to everyone.
She had a few questions and between them they answered all they could. The only one that nobody could help her with was what the task would be. Other than blowing the horn, none of them had any idea.
When questioned about the risks, they were honest. They did not want to scare her off, but they also did not want to lie to her. They told her what they knew and also what they didn’t. They could not guarantee her safety or tell her where they would end up going after she had retrieved the next clue.
It was a lot for her to take in and she said she would need time to think about it. Grimmel escorted her back to her home and the waiting game began.
She was invited to join them for a meal, but declined. Water sprites ate no meat or fish and the smell of it cooking made her feel nauseous. Tor told her that that might be a problem if she travelled with them and that, while they would find her plenty of food to eat, there would be aromas of fish or meat cooking most nights, but she just told him that she would get used to it.
“We will have an answer in the morning,” Grimmel announced when he walked back into the campsite. “If she decides to join us she will need to obtain permission from her father.”
This came as no surprise to Tor. Water sprites were known to be protective of their children, even after they had reached adulthood.
River returned as the sun was beginning to rise, carrying a bag.
“I take it she is joining us then,” Patrick said to Tor as the two men watched her approach.
“Either that or she has brought us some provisions because she feels guilty about letting us down.” He then gave Patrick a serious look. “Do I have to warn you to keep your hands to yourself?”
Patrick shook his head. “No. I have never been interested in water sprites. They look too much like little girls to me.”
As soon as he saw her approaching, Grimmel ran to meet her and insisted on carrying her bag.
“Welcome to the team,” Ria said as the pair approached. “Have you had breakfast?”
The little waif nodded and Ria thought of suggesting she could do with another one, but decided it would be rude.
Everyone else ate a hurried cold breakfast then packed up. Grimmel helped River into the front of the wagon, then sat on the seat beside her.
River turned out to be extremely friendly, the exact opposite of Grimmel, and the leagues passed away quickly as she and Seth chatted.
Ban rode over to Tor. “Tor my friend, why do you look so glum. The sun is shining, we have all we need to fulfil the next clue and we know where we are going. Life could not be any better.”
“So why do I have the feeling something is going to go wrong?”
“Because Patrick is with us?” Ellen suggested.
“And Bellak,” Nosmas added with a grin on his face.
Tor smiled. Ban was right. Here he was, surrounded by friends and people he hoped would become friends. Things really were going well.
A short while later he was proven wrong.
“What did your father say when you asked his permission to travel with a group of humans?” Grimmel asked River when they stopped for a midday meal.
“Nothing,” she replied.
“Nothing?” Grimmel knew that the elder water sprite did not think much of humans and he had been expecting him to say a great deal. Then a horrible thought occurred to him. “You did tell your father where you are going and who with?”
“Sort of.” Tor did not like the sound of that.
“What do you mean ‘sort of’?” He sounded like a father talking to a teenage daughter who knows she has done something wrong but does not want to admit it.
“I left him a note.”
Tor groaned while, next to him, Patrick burst out laughing.
“We could always go back,” Ellen volunteered, but Tor shook his head. What was done was done and he would just have to live with it. Hopefully he would be able to get the water sprite’s daughter back to him in one piece and he was prepared to face the consequences if he couldn’t.
“At least her father knows where she is,” Patrick said, still grinning.
“That is what he is afraid of,” Nosmas commented. He, too, was finding the situation amusing.
“I am glad you are both enjoying yourselves,” Tor snapped. “We have just effectively kidnapped this young lady. She was supposed to get her father’s permission to leave the tribe.” He glared at her and she shrank away from his gaze.
He then turned to Grimmel. “This is all your fault.”
“Why me?”
“If you had allowed me to go with you when you first sought out this young lady I would have insisted on speaking to her father myself.”
“But then I would not be here,” River said. She looked at him so sweetly he found he could not stay mad at her.
“Why am I surrounded by people who insist on getting us into trouble?” he asked the sky, then he stormed off.
“Is he always like this?” River asked.
“Only when he is forced to do the wrong thing,” Ellen told her. “You really should have spoken with your father.”
“I know, but he would never have given his permission and I have longed to travel for such a long time. At least this way there are plenty of people around to protect me.”
“She does have a point,” Modo said.
“And I find it is always better to ask for forgiveness than permission,” Patrick added.
Ellen glared at him. “You are not exactly a good role model. Please keep your opinions to yourself.”
“Tell me,” Nosmas said, overhearing the conversation. “Exactly how many times have you actually received forgiveness?”
“None,” he admitted. “But it may happen one day.”
“Do I really want to know what he is talking about?” Marie asked, though she had a pretty good idea.
“Probably not,” Ellen told her.
––––––––
The journey took less time than expected and within a week Grimmel announced that they were getting close to the location of Ballid’s horn.
“If you look over there you can just about make out the sea,” he told Seth and River. “Keep on this road until you come to a junction. The left fork will take you all the way to Needham, which is where we need to go.”
“Needham? I have never heard of it.”
“Not many dwarves have, let alone anyone from any other species, so I am not surprised. You just have to trust me.”
Seth bit back his response. While the dwarf had, so far, not done anything to make him distrust him, he also had not done anything to gain his trust. River seemed to be a great addition to the team, and Seth was grateful to the dwarf for suggesting her, but he still had his doubts about Grimmel himself.
When they made camp that night Grimmel decided it was about time he warned them about what to expect.
“Needham is a small village,” he began.
“Surely all dwarf villages are,” Patrick whispered to Nosmas. Vicky overheard and hit him.
“Be quiet,” she hissed.
Grimmel glared at them, waiting for them to stop talking before he continued. Luckily he had not heard what Patrick had said.
“Its population is not large,” he said and had to pause again when Patrick sniggered.
“Go and find some firewood if you cannot behave,” Tor snapped. Grimmel was being kind enough to give them some valuable information and Patrick was acting like a child.
“Sorry,” Patrick said to Grimmel and mimed sewing his mouth shut.
“If only we could really do that,” Ellen whispered to Tor.
“Please continue,” Tor told Grimmel as he did his best not to smile.
“As I have already told you, everyone there wears a blindfold. I have no idea why and I am not sure we will be told if we ask. Somehow they manage to survive without being able to see, but their hearing is exceptional, so do not say anything you do not want them to overhear.”
“What about the horn?” River asked. “Where is that kept.”
“That is the interesting part. It is at the top of the Stairway to the Gods.”
“And what, may I ask, is that?” Modo was the first to ask.
“The horn is located at the top of the cliff, which is a lot higher than we are now. It is surrounded by a forest, through which there is a path. As it is a steep climb, many centuries ago steps were built to make it easier to reach the top.”
As she would be the one to climb them, River wanted to know how many. Grimmel seemed nervous about giving the answer.
“Ten thousand, give or take a few hundred.”
Vicky looked at Tor. “We do not all have to go, do we?” While she was fit and active for her age, she did not think she would be able to climb up that many steps.
“I do not know. It will not be my decision to make, but I am hoping not. Though I will be very unhappy if River has to go alone.”
“I will go with her,” Grimmel assured him.
“If you are allowed to.”
“You said something about fire,” Marie said, remembering back to when Grimmel had first told them that he knew where to find the horn they sought. “Where does that fit in?”
“I do not know. I have visited there many times and none of the residents have ever spoken of it. I did ask once, but they all acted as if they had not heard my question, so I gave up trying to get an answer.”
Grimmel went on to say that they should arrive at the village before midday and Tor suggested they all get an early night. They had no idea what they would face once they reached their destination so they would need their wits about them.
As he had every night since collecting Grimmel, Tor insisted on two sets of guards being awake at the same time. He had no idea how safe their location was and nobody could reassure him.
Patrick and Ellen sat at one side of the campsite while Jem and Marie were on the other. The fire was still burning low, providing just enough light for the two pairs to see each other.
They were supposed to be watching out into the darkness, but Patrick kept looking across at Jem and Marie.
“You will ruin your night vision,” Ellen observed. Patrick grunted. She was right, but he didn’t care. “What are you looking at anyway?”
“Jem has his arm around her.”
“And?”
“And I want to know if I should go and have words with him.”
Ellen smiled. “Feeling protective are you?”
“No. I just think she has enough to cope with right now without him taking advantage of her.”
“Leave them alone. I think they make a nice couple.” Then she sighed sadly. “I just hope she lives long enough for them to have some sort of life together.”
“Do you ever think about finding someone to settle down with?” Patrick asked.
“Not yet. I believe the right person will come along at the right time and there is no point in searching for him.”
“You do not have to look far. I am right here.”
Ellen burst out laughing, then looked guiltily toward those who were sleeping. Thankfully she had not woken anyone.
Patrick faked looking hurt. Then he put his arm around her and pulled her toward him. They had been friends for a long time she so she knew he was not making a move on her.
“Can I ask you one more question?” He felt her nod against his chest. “When you do find Mister Right, will you still clean and mend my clothes for me?”
She elbowed him in the ribs, but not hard enough to hurt. Then she leaned into him once more. It was a cool night and she felt warm and protected in his arms.
As Grimmel had stated, they reached the village while the sun was still high in the sky. A number of dwarves were there to meet them, as though they had predicted their arrival time. All wore bandages over their eyes and carried canes.
The visitors dismounted and Grimmel helped River step down from the wagon. The lead dwarf walked straight up to Tor and bowed low.
“Welcome Prince Tor. We have been expecting you.”
“Thank you. May I ask how you knew when we would be arriving?”
The dwarf smiled. “We cannot reveal our secrets I am afraid.”
Though he was effectively blind, he appeared to look from Ban to Grimmel then River. “You have brought with you the required people, I see.”
Patrick leaned in close to Ria. “Is he intentionally being ironic?”
She had to bite her lips to stop herself from laughing.
“Unfortunately you are the last team to arrive,” the dwarf continued. Tor felt his heart sink. After everything they had been through, after losing William, after getting a good group of people together, it was over. True, he hadn’t expected to win; he didn’t even want to win, but it was ending too soon.
And the dwarf who had delivered the bad news was smiling at him. Never before had he wanted to hit someone as badly as he did right then.
“But do not worry, everything is not lost. Your quest is not over yet.”
“What?” Tor was not sure who asked the question. It may even have been himself.
“This is not a knockout leg. You may continue. If you beat any one of your brothers to the destination after this one, then you are still in with a chance of winning.”
Tor felt faint. He could not believe what he was hearing. He looked around him and saw people hugging each other in relief.
But the dwarf had not finished.
“However, before we will allow your water maiden to climb up to the horn to collect the next clue, we require one of you to complete a task. Come with me.” It was a command which all of them obeyed.
In silence they were led through the village, between houses and shops and into the main square. A group of dwarves followed them, all of them finding their way by waving their canes in front of them, low to the ground.
In the middle of the square was the fire Grimmel had spoken of. The flames leaping into the sky were tinged with purple and the heat they were giving off would be blistering if they stepped any closer. It was contained by a low brick wall and Tor did some mental calculations, trying to work out how large it was. At a rough guess he decided it would be about one hundred of his paces along each side. The dwarves who had followed them moved to surround it, lining the low wall and stared into the fire.
“This is the fire of life,” the lead dwarf announced. “And all we require is for one of you to walk through it.”