CHAPTER FORTY-NINE:

  UP THE MOUNTAIN

  “Deelah. Wake up,” whispered Elias, moving his shoulder slowly.

  When the thief opened her eyes, she saw Garrick and the others getting their things together. Then she blinked and looked up at Elias.

  “I am sorry! I cannot believe I fell asleep,” exclaimed Deelah, leaning forward from the tree, blinking her eyes.

  “It was not for long,” said Elias. “Besides, it was nice having you leaning against my shoulder instead of me leaning against my sword.” The Knight of Providence got up, reached his hand down to Deelah then looked up at the sky. “Look. Elion has created another beautiful day for us.”

  When Deelah got to her feet, Garrick and Onyx walked over to them.

  “How do you both feel?” asked the mercenary.

  “We are fine, my friend. Deelah took the first watch. I just let her close her eyes a little longer,” replied Elias with a smile.

  When Garrick looked at Deelah, she grinned at him and nodded, knowing that Elias had taken the first watch and probably was up the whole time.

  As everyone started to move out, Maldrin called out to Tal, who was sitting in a tree eating a nut. Below her, where Ondibar had been sitting, was a small wood carving of a fairy.

  Once Elias and Deelah joined the group, the wizard wiggled his fingers and spoke, “Animate,” then pointed to Ondibar.

  Suddenly the wooden fairy came alive and flew toward the dwarf.

  “Ondibar!” said Maldrin loudly, so everyone would hear him.

  The dwarf turned around and jumped, startled at the sight of his carving flying toward him. Realizing it was Maldrin’s doing, the dwarf put his hand out. Once the fairy landed in his hand it became still again, returning to its original shape.

  Amused by the magical demonstration and the dwarf’s reaction, the rest of the companions laughed.

  Feeling a little embarrassed, Ondibar grinned and looked from Maldrin back at Cerelene and his new friends.

  After leaving Deelah and Anya’s side, Elias stepped over to the dwarf and smiled as he put his hand on Ondibar’s shoulder. “It is all in good fun, my friend. He did it once to me.” Then when the knight looked back, he saw Garrick telling Anya and Deelah about the knight figurine that the wizard had animated for him.

  Stepping closer to her good friend, Cerelene admired the small fairy carving in his right hand. “It is beautiful, Ondibar! So intricate and delicate. It may be your best work.”

  Seeing her reaction, Ondibar smiled and sighed happily, reassured by the elf maiden’s praise. Then he opened her hand with his left hand and placed the fairy into it with his right.

  “It is yours, child. I have had it for many months. It was to be yours when I found you, but once I did, I was so overjoyed that I wanted to make it better,” said Ondibar. Then he looked out at The Cloud Shroud Mountain just up ahead. When he looked back at Cerelene, the elf maiden was looking back at him, lovingly. Then the dwarf ran a finger down one of the fairy’s wings. “I could not sleep very well last night, so I added more detail to the wings and eyes.

  All the companions watched as Cerelene leaned down and kissed Ondibar’s cheek.

  “Nice touch, you old wizard,” whispered Garrick slyly to Maldrin, as Cerelene showed the fairy to Anya and Deelah. It was then that Garrick not only realized how much the dwarf truly cared for the elf maiden, but why he also never spoke about family.

  Much like Maldrin was his family now, Cerelene was the dwarf’s. But whereas he had met Maldrin when they were both men, Ondibar had met Cerelene when she was a small child. And he may always see her that way. Then Garrick looked at Anya, placing the fairy carefully into Deelah’s hand, and seeing how overprotective she was.

  “But you are not the only one, dwarf,” said Garrick under his breath. Then he walked out of the cluster of trees toward where The Living River ran the closest to The Cloud Shroud Mountain.

  When the companions reached the bottom of the mountain, Ondibar led them farther around the base to a small, shallow cave. Once they got into the cave, the dwarf pointed to the place they would start. A place where their trek may not be the easiest to ascend, but, with its wider path, would be the safest. Then Ondibar nodded at Garrick and Maldrin.

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  “Alright, Maldrin,” said Garrick, as Ondibar led them a little farther into the small cave that they barely fit into.

  Carefully, Maldrin pulled out the pressed fairy wings they had found in Master Zendres’ bag in The River Caverns.

  “We must all stand close together,” commanded the wizard.

  “That will not be a problem, Maldrin,” stated Anya; her white robes almost rubbing up against the cave wall and her face only inches away from Azure, who was sitting on Cerelene’s shoulder.

  Garrick laughed as Maldrin looked back at Anya, none too pleased. Then he wiped the smile from his face when the wizard looked back at him.

  “Place a hand on Onyx, then grab my shoulder,” continued Maldrin, after he placed Tal onto the mystic wolf’s head. Then he looked back at everyone else. “Grab onto each other.” A moment later his voice became even more deliberate. “Do. Not. Move. We must all be as one. I can not stress enough how important this is.”

  Hearing Maldrin’s serious voice, Ondibar grabbed onto Garrick, Cerelene grabbed onto Ondibar, Anya grabbed onto Cerelene, Deelah grabbed onto Anya, and Elias grabbed onto Deelah. Once Elias nodded up at Garrick, the mercenary looked at Maldrin.

  “Alright, my friend. We are ready,” announced Garrick, nodding twice.

  Though he couldn’t hear what the wizard was saying, Garrick could see Maldrin’s lips moving. Slow at first then faster. Suddenly, the fairy wings began to glow. Then the wizard’s lips stopped moving.

  “Anchor,” spoke Maldrin.

  Garrick watched as the pressed fairy wings began glowing brighter and gave off a loud humming sound. When all the companions began to glow, everyone shut their eyes. Then as soon as Maldrin tore the wings in half, the light and sound slowly faded, until all they heard was the faint sound of the rushing water coming from The Living River far off in the distance.

  When they all looked up again, Maldrin had set one of the fairy wings under a rock, while he placed the other into his robe. Once they all followed him out of the cave, the old wizard looked at the dwarf.

  “Ondibar, lead the way,” spoke Maldrin with a bow.

  Having been to The Cloud Shroud Mountain more than once, Ondibar confidently led them up the slope. In the beginning, the trek was steep, but easily wide enough for two or three people side by side. For the dwarf, mercenary, knight and thief, the path was a moderate scenic hike. Once they got to a level part of the mountain, Garrick stopped, giving Maldrin and Anya time to catch up. Though they were not too far behind them, the mercenary could see that the steep climb was starting to take a toll.

  “Ondibar, wait for a moment,” said Garrick, nodding behind him at Anya and Maldrin. Then as he started to turn around he caught a glimpse of something just below Cloud Veil.

  As the mercenary stared out in the distance, Maldrin caught up to him and together they watched mountain goats, deer and big horn sheep, grazing and traveling about the terrain. The mountain goats walked across the rocky grounds, while the big horn sheep were resting, happily, on the bigger boulders in the sun, higher up. The deer, both bucks and does, below them watched the companions as they ate what limited grass there still was.

  “Well, my boy, the hunting here is plentiful. Of course, you would have to contend with a dragon,” stated Maldrin, leaning heavily on his staff.

  “Hopefully not for much longer,” replied Garrick, pulling a dragonbiter arrow from his quiver.”

  As he put the arrow back, Anya arrived next. The cleric was doing her best to hide her exhaustion, but Garrick could tell she had never done anything like this in her life. Noticing the mercenary and wizard staring up the mountain, Anya looked out as well.

  “Elion is a wonderful creator,” replied the cleric, as she looked at the animals off in the distance. “It is hard to believe a dragon rules this lovely scene.”

  Seeing that Anya was tired, Ondibar turned and looked ahead. After shielding his face from the sun, the dwarf squinted his eyes and then turned back to Garrick, Maldrin, and Anya.

  “We are almost to the entrance leading into the old kingdom I told you about,” announced Ondibar, pointing up at a small crack in the mountain. Then he looked at the cleric. “Do you think you can make it a little farther, Anya?”

  When he saw Anya take a deep breath, Elias left Deelah and Ondibar and went to her. “I will help you if you do not think you can do it.”

  “No, Elias,” replied Anya with a small smile. “I thank you for your gesture, but I can make it.” Then she looked at Garrick. “I know I am slowing us, but if I do not do this on my own, how can I become the companion you all need? I only ask for patience.” Then she looked up ahead. A few seconds later, Anya looked back at the knight with a smile. “I can make it, Elias. If I could not, I would tell you. I will never put my pride in front of our safety.”

  When the companions finally made it to a level part of the mountain, Ondibar led them to a crack that only a seasoned climber would notice. Without even being told, Onyx trotted into the slim opening. Seeing that the mystic wolf didn’t smell any danger, everyone but Cerelene followed, as she waited patiently for Azure. Then after the falcon landed on her arm, the elf maiden finally followed as well. Once inside far enough that Firebaugh could not see them, the companions ate and rested with the light descending into the open entrance.

  Once the break was over and they were well rested, Ondibar nodded at Maldrin. Seeing the cue from the dwarf, the wizard acted.

  “Dawning Light,” spoke Maldrin, and the lapis lazuli stone in his staff lit up the narrow path that led farther into the mountain.

  After a long walk evading spiders, small snakes, and sneaking under sleeping bats where they hung, Ondibar led them, finally, to a part of the old dwarven kingdom that, though it had been abandoned hundreds of years ago, was still standing. As Garrick looked out at the crumbling stairs that took them down to a stone floor, Onyx began to growl.

  Having traveled with Garrick and the mystic wolf repeatedly, Maldrin instantly vanquished the light without question.

  A few seconds later, loud talking and crashing noises echoed through the room. As Garrick motioned to the group to get down behind a series of broken columns, they all peeked out and saw two mountain giants with torches walk into the room below, and sit on the cracked stone floor. Even worse, they sat in front of a crumbling entrance to another staircase that ascended higher into the mountain.

  The staircase that, according to Ondibar, was a shortcut to Cloud Veil.