The Dwarf's Tale

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itching his pack higher on his back Daffyd took a deep breath into his barrel chest in preparation for making the last leg of the descent out of the mountains. In the distance beyond the Woods lay the Human City beckoning to him with its promise of gold. Things had been pretty boring at home since the last of the gold had run out in the mines under the mountains. It was time to see whether a sharp axe could bring a better profit than a pick and shovel.

Picking up his axe he balanced it on his shoulder and said, "Okay Boyo. How did that song go again?" Whistling tunelessly he started off towards the plains below.

Six hours later he stopped to draw water from a small stream. The hardest part of the trek had been wading through the chest-high grass on the plains themselves. Eventually he had found one of the Human roads and then things had become easier and now he had reached the only habitation for many miles around.

The building was just off the road and built part into the ground. Indeed the roof was even covered with a stubble of real grass with the entrance buried halfway into the ground. Daffyd had thought the building a human habitation but now he was not so sure, perhaps it was gnomish though he thought that unlikely — the small brothers did not like to leave their hill homes.

A sign hung from a post outside the door but it was in some Human tongue and he could not read it. His curiosity was piqued and besides who knows where an opportunity to make some gold might arise. Putting the stopper into his waterbottle he put it back onto his belt and walked up to the sunken doorway; a small bell rang when he opened to the door.

The shop was full of bric-a-brac of the most unusual kind. He took his axe from his shoulder and held it with its head close to the ground frightened that he might accidentally break something with it. In the corner furtherest from the doorway there was a bench wreathed in pale smoke, Daffyd made his way towards it savouring the rich aroma.

"Good morning, Sir Dwarf," said a voice and a face appeared out of the smoke. The rest of the man followed waving one hand to clear the air. His other hand held a long-stemmed pipe; the source of the smoke. "I haven't seen one of your kind around here for a long time and how might I serve you today?"

"Not surprising, me being the last and all and never having set eyes on you or your shop before." said Daffyd airily. "Anyways, I was passing and thought I'd drop in to see if there were any work for me Boyo and me."

The shopkeeper's expression went from surprised to confused as he tried to understand the Dwarf's thick accent. "And what services do you and your friend provide?" he asked finally.

"Killing and mayhem of the most efficient kind, good Sir," said the Dwarf, hefting the axe so that the Man could see its carefully honed blades.

"Urk," said the shopkeeper and moved away, "There's no need for that sort of thing here ... Urhh ... Are you threatening me?"

"Never," cried Daffyd, "I work for me gold, I do. I'm what ye call a soldier of fortune and I'm looking for work. No doubt I'll find me some in the city. Ye Humans are always fighting among yourselves."

"Yes, yes, the City, you will find lots of work in the City," said the shopkeeper.

"Rightey oh," said Daffyd and turned towards the door. Unfortunately the pack on his back knocked a rack of scrolls, some of which ended up on the floor. "Ooh. Sorry 'bout that"

"No don't worry at all about it," said the shopkeeper coming round the bench to pick up his fallen goods. "No harm done. Give my best to the good people of the City."

"Shall do," said Daffyd hefting his axe with a menacing gesture as he strode towards the door.

"No. I didn't mean ..." But it was too late, the burly dwarf had already gone for which the shopkeeper was very grateful.

"I wonder what he meant about him being the last?" mused the Man and then bent down to collect up the scrolls that had spilt onto the floor.

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affyd the Dwarf touched the reddened skin of his forearms tentatively. The sun had been unforgiving out on the plains and when he had taken off his tunic to make it into a makeshift hat he hadn't realised how quickly his pale skin would burn. His shoulders and back where they had not been covered by his pack or his war-braid were sore as well and he now dragged his belongings behind him as the pack chaffed his sunburn too much.

The Grath Wood, when he reached it this morning, had been welcome relief after the plains and here among the taller trees, where the smaller plants did not grow, he was strangely reminded of the pillared halls of home. Though any mason who crafted in such a haphazard manner would have been knocked on the head for his lack of discipline.

The Dwarf walked on still heading toward the City and fortune. At least he hoped he was still heading toward the City. Since he had left the Crags he had seen no sight of it and at this point he was navigating purely by guesswork and simply walking in what he hoped was a straight line hoping to reach the other side of the Wood.

A noise startled him. It sounded like someone rapidly beating a drum using a protesting animal as the beater. He looked around and realised that he hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings recently. The large animal off to his left was proof of this inattention and like a Troll it was objecting to his trespassing on its territory.

What a strange looking beast, he thought. It had fur like a bear but was obviously elderly as the hair on its back had gone silvery-grey. Its chest was the source of the drumming sound for the animal was beating it with paws that looked like distorted hands. The large fangs in its face told him that this was a potentially dangerous foe.

"Well then, it looks like we've got some work to do, me Boyo," he said and brought his axe up to the ready position.

Suddenly the animal charged. Shambling towards him using its overlong arms like an extra pair of legs it travelled very quickly for something so large. He crouched and as he expected the creature stopped just short of him — its attack more one of display than intent. So he took the initiative and bringing round his left arm threw his pack into the beast's face. He threw himself immediately afterwards.

The axe did its deadly work. One solid blow to the face of the surprised beast left it lying dead in the leaf litter, the Dwarf's sturdy body suffering little more than the pain of its groping on his sunburn.

"Ye poor beastie," he said, looking down at the carcass. "My fault. I should have been paying more attention."

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he Dwarf gazed avidly at the tall buildings of the City rising in the distance. He had feared he might have lost his way in the Wood, been turned about by the confusion of trees and the need to find the easiest path, but his luck had held true for he was now in the extensive fields of crops the Humans had established around the City to feed its large population.

He could almost smell the accumulation of gold within the City walls and had been eager to press on but his stomach had demanded he stop and eat some of the delicacies he had found in the Fields and so with several cobs of corn beginning to boil in his pot and the last of his fermented mushroom fortifier in his drinking mug he sat by the fire he had made by the side of the Man-made pond he had found and daydreamed of the wealth he hoped soon to acquire.

His reverie was broken by the sound of something large moving in the corn field behind him. He had been uneasy ever since he had been forced to slay the strange forest animal yesterday and on occasion been taken by the feeling that something had followed him out of the Woods. Was this the animal's mate come to take its revenge? He put down his mug and, with axe in hand, he got to his feet and stalwartly faced the field of towering stalks and whatever it was that was coming towards him.

The animal was big and emerged from the ranks of corn stalks only paces from where the Dwarf stood. Their eyes met as they took each other's measure. It was a pale-furred, horn-ed beast with four legs, similar to but taller in stature than a mountain goat. It had a fringe of hair along its long neck and although it was healthy looking the Dwarf thought it must be a sport or mutant because it only had one horn instead of two.

"You have got to be joking," said the Unicorn looking down its long nose at the Dwarf.

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warves are gifted with senses unknown to humans and so a Human would not have felt the strange feeling that Daffyd, last of the Dwarves of the Crags Clan, suddenly felt through the soles of his feet. He had been on his way back to the campsite after meeting the strange old human who had just become his new boss when he had felt the feeling. A feeling that told him that something moved beneath his feet. Something special. Something magical.

He had been rehearsing in his mind what he was going to say to his current boss so that he could somehow work for both of them. But those thoughts were soon forgotten as he followed the flow beneath his feet to where it went under a rock outcrop at the edge of the River. The flow must continue into the River he reasoned but to the palm of his hand the rock itself pulsed with a steady power. His questing palms easily found the point where the power was strongest on the face of the rock. A well placed strike must be all that was needed, surely, he thought to himself.

"Hello. I was wondering if you would find this." The Unicorn moved up quietly to stand next to the Dwarf. "It appears there is some faerie in you after all."

The Dwarf scowled and said, "I ain't no virgin and I ain't a faerie, either." He then turned back to the stone and with one single sudden blow of his axe put a hole in the rock face. Water sprayed out. Water that sparkled with its own light.

The Dwarf and the Unicorn had come to an uneasy truce after much debate over last night's campfire driven to side uncomfortably with each other in the face of the scepticism of the Human from the City. They were both creatures of magic, bound by rules that Humans would never understand. Despite the ridiculousness of their situation the gaeas which bound the Unicorn to the Dwarf could only be broken by the death of the Unicorn and that was something that the Dwarf would not condone. So they were stuck with each other.

Now both of them looked at the Magic Stream of water that flowed from the stone making its way eventually into the mundane water of the River.

"Well? Are you going to drink it?" asked the Unicorn. "It could do anything."

"Aye. I know that, lassy," said the Dwarf turning and looking up at the Unicorn's eyes. "But we Dwarves have always been treated well by the spirits of the deep places and that is where this has come from."

He put his axe down and with cupped hands caught some of the iridescent water. He put it to his mouth and after sniffing it poured his handful down his throat. Cold fire flowed from his stomach into his limbs causing him to shiver violently but just as quickly the sensation faded leaving a tremendous feeling of strength.

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immons the Human looked very subdued as Daffyd the Dwarf bade him farewell. The Man looked pale and Daffyd decided that not having him along on the trip would probably be for the best — the Man should go back to the City and visit a Physic, he thought to himself. Picking up his pack the Dwarf joined the older Human and the Unicorn on the road that lead to the distant Crags.

Their destination was the nearby Woods where Daffyd hoped to find enough suitable wood to make a Raft large enough to ferry them all across the Storm River to the strange-looking Ruins that could be seen on the other side. Apart from the two bags of gold that he had been promised the Dwarf was interested in investigating those Ruin, perhaps there was treasure to be found there.

Several hours later the Dwarf led his party off the road and headed across open ground to where the tree line met the River. The trees of the wood looked very sturdy and would make a good Raft if he could work out some way of binding them together.

"Can I leave you to set up camp?" said the Dwarf when they had decided on a campsite. He hefted his axe. "I want to chop wood while there is still some daylight."

"You do that, dearie," said the disguised Sorceress. "I'm just going to nip back into that last field. I think I saw some wild potatoes there, which would help with dinner. Stew again, I'm afraid."

"That's fine by me," said Daffyd glad that his travelling companion had elected to cook again. He was not a cook and had become tired of his own poor attempts. The nice meal they'd had last night had been a pleasant surprise, though perhaps a bit spicier than he preferred.

The two walked off in different directions leaving the Unicorn at the water's edge. When the animal had finished drinking it looked up to where the Dwarf was taking the measure of a tree in preparation of making his first cut. It then turned and looked in the direction and quietly followed the departing Human.

The Unicorn didn't have to follow the woman for long as she made a bee line straight for a patch of yellow flowers just outside of the Wood. The Unicorn with its magical senses could tell that these were not normal plants and the woman obviously knew this as well.

What the Unicorn didn't know was why the woman took out her knife and started digging in the ground under the plants. However, it did not take long to find out why, for suddenly the woman reached down into the hole she had made and pulled a dirt-covered mass from it. She shook it clean revealing a mouldering leather bag which she untied and poured the contents of into her palm — gold coins.

The fascination these creatures had for that strange metal had always confused the Unicorn. She turned away and headed back towards the sound of the Dwarf's axe.

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affyd had underestimated the old Human. They were not as useless as he had expected. Fashioning functioning ropes from reeds to complete the Raft had been clever enough but when they had used their magic to control the passage of the cumbersome craft across the swiftly flowing Storm River he began to feel a little surplus to requirements. So he almost welcomed the angry words that were suddenly flung at them from the rocks just ahead. Perhaps he would be able to prove he was something more than just a carpenter.

"I said, go away, you cretins," the shrill voice came again. "We're not ready for you lot yet."

Daffyd brought his axe into the defensive position as a small winged creature with reddish-brown scaly skin literally popped into view on top of the nearest rock. "Go on git away wid ya," it said shooing them back in the direction of the River.

Daffyd the Dwarf turned to his travelling companions and asked "What in all the realm is that?"

The old Human and the Unicorn both reacted in surprise but did not get a chance to answer before all three of them were suddenly surrounded by a billowing cloud of sulphurous-smelling smoke.

"That was an Imp," gasped the old Human after the cloud had dissipated and the coughing had almost stopped. "I think it teleported us somewhere else. Be careful, anything could happen."

The Unicorn gave a snort and whinnied in a very frightened, horse-like manner. It then spoke, saying, "I smell troll. Let's get out of here."

Daffyd knew exactly where they were; Dwarves have an inate sense when it comes to such things. He sighed. Oh well at least he could fill his flask again.

"We are in the Crags, near my home," he announced. "Would anyone like some fermented mushroom brew before we start out again?"

Daffyd learnt some new swear words from the old human that afternoon.

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he trip from the Crags had been long and arduous and not worth dwelling on. Now, Daffyd the Dwarf and his gaeased Unicorn Frella, sat on the bank of the small slow-moving stream that wandered across the plains. They cooled their heels and also their toes while the old Human, their magically trained travelling companion, visited the Sorcerer's shop that Daffyd had discovered last time he had travelled this path.

"What do you mean, he's a she?" said Daffyd looking askance at the Unicorn.

The Unicorn stared hard at the Dwarf and then stammered out, "Sybil is a woman's name."

"Is it?" said Daffyd, scratching his head.

"She wears a dress, for Good's sake," said the Unicorn in exasperation.

"Looks like a long kilt to me. You sure she's female? She don't look it and certainly don't feel it."

The Unicorn stared down its long nose at the Dwarf. "Feel? You haven't, have you? ... What do you mean feel?"

"Can't tell if'n a Dwarfs got clothes on," explained Daffyd, his mind reminiscing on long gone loved ones, "But you c'n feel it if'n you get close enough. A dwarfess gives off sweet vibrations that can drive a male Dwarf mad, if he's in the mood for courting."

"How do you know? You're a virgin. I wouldn't be here if you weren't."

"The fact I've never dipped my wick don't mean I haven't been tempted," said Daffyd and abruptly got to his feet and stalked off.

The Unicorn stared in amazement as Daffyd walked off in the direction of the half-buried store. Watched as he met their travelling companion coming out the door and couldn't believe her eyes as she saw the Dwarf bow respectfully to the old Human.

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hey had all been on tenterhooks since they had heard the Dragon yesterday. They had made their way quietly to the River bank and had spent the night without a fire for fear of attracting the large predator. Come morning Daffyd had started cutting down some of the smaller trees to make their new Raft while Sybil had collected rushes to make into ropes.

The first indication of the attack was the frightened whinnying of Frella the Unicorn; it was she the Dragon was after. The monster came crashing down through the canopy bringing down branches and some of the smaller trees with it. Frella screamed and bolted only just escaping the clutching talon that came her way.

Daffyd, who had been just about to set axe to one of the trees the Dragon brought down, shouted a strange warcry of 'Come on, me Boyo' and leapt at the beast. His axe went between two of the Dragon's scales on its hindquarters and bright red blood spurted.

The Dragon bellowed, surprised more than hurt, by an attack from an unexpected quarter. It swung its head round to snap at the irritant but was hampered by one of the larger trees it had not been able to topple.

Frella having recovered her fright and gaesed to protect her charge, did so. Her magical horn penetrated the Dragon's thick scales like no thing of hair or bone should.

The beast hissed its pain and tried to find its new persecutor. The enormous head swung round only to meet the shaft of one of Daffyd's cut saplings. Deemed too small to be useful for the Raft it was light enough for the Sorceress to heft and small enough to penetrate the eye socket of the gigantic beast.

The Dragon lifted the shaft from the Sorceress's grip, flinging her aside as if she were weightless. It raised its head to the sky to cry its pain and shame for being so stupid as to allow itself to be caught in such a situation. This was an even greater mistake, for Daffyd the Dwarf had moved himself round and forward so that he could now strike at the lowest point of the beast's great neck. His axe blade of bright steel bit deep and crimson fountained — the Dragon was dead — it just did not realise it yet.

Down came the head again looking for something it could fight back against. The Sorceress, thrown back against the bole of one of the larger trees and too winded to move was the only enemy its remaining eye could find and she would have become a Pyrrhic morsel had not Frella's rear hooves connected with the trunk of the Dragon's neck as it reached forward.

The forest floor was now covered with Dragon blood and the monster began to weaken. It could not find the fallen woman any more and its original prey had galloped away when she had turned in its direction. That left only the small one with the metal stinger that now crawled upon her neck. She should have been able to throw it off, but it clung too tightly and she could no longer concentrate properly enough to knock it off against a tree trunk. The last thing the Dragon saw was the glint of 'Boyo' descending towards its remaining eye and the force of the blow was strong enough to send the Dragon's head and the Dwarf crashing to the ground.

Only the Dwarf moved afterwards.

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affyd the Dwarf was feeling smug. He had killed a Dragon just like those dwarvish heroes of old in those legends his mother had told him when he was young. And more to the point the expedition so far had brought him enough gold to make it worth his while, especially when Sybil paid him his wages for getting her across the River; he had definitely earnt them.

With his poling, Frella keeping watch and Sybil guiding the Raft in deep water with her magic they made it across the River safely and beached the Raft on a rocky shore. Above them towered the ruins that had hidden the Imp they had encountered previously. Daffyd stepped ashore first, Axe at the ready. He was about to give the all clear when someone hailed him from above. They all jumped, but when they saw it was a young Human dressed in what had once been a suit of fine clothes but was now very dirty and tattered, they relaxed and Sybil also stepped off the Raft to meet the newcomer who ran towards them shouting their relief at being rescued. Frella also left the Raft when it started to swing round uncontrollably under the influence of the current.

"Halloo! Good be praithed. You have come to rethcue me," cried the Human.

"Daffyd," said Frella.

"Hold on lassy, let's hear what the Human has to say," replied the Dwarf.

"I am tho glad to thee you," lisped the man in his excitement. "You can't believe how traumatic it hath been."

"Traumatic," sniffed Sybil eyeing the newcomer with disdain.

"Daffyd," said Frella.

Daffyd ignored Frella and asked, "What ails thee ... Miss?"

Sybil threw the Dwarf a scornful glare and said, "Tis a man. Believe it or not."

"I am Printh Henry," announced the young man. "You mutht get me to the Cathle. No doubt my father, the King, will reward you motht handthomely."

Daffyd's eyes lit up with the mention of a reward and for a short time he was lost to the world. So much so that he did not hear Frella say 'Daffyd, the Raft'.

Sybil, turned to him and said, "As long as you get me to the edge of the Desert you may do as you like," then she looked at the River and continued, "but if you do want to go back across the River you might want to catch that Raft."

Daffyd turned to look where she was indicating only to see their Raft finally lose contact with the shore and start moving downstream in the grip of the current with an agitated looking Unicorn following behind.

"Forget the Raft, Frella," he called. "Looks like we've got other places to go and people to see, now."

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rella the Unicorn lowered her head and considered very strongly the ramifications of putting her horn through the young Prince. The man had been badgering Daffyd all day to let him ride her. Didn't the fool know that she wasn't a horse? And that no one, except the one she was gaeased too, would be allowed on her back.

The man was not only a fool but a weakingly as well. He had slowed them down all day even with his legs that were twice as long as her Dwarf's. He kept complaining about how his feet were hurting and how he was such a good rider and that it was a shame to waste such an animal. Animal! Bah. She'd show him just how much an animal she was.

"Frella?" said Daffyd hefting his axe, Boyo. "I want you to look after the Prince for a while. I want to have a look in that Cave up there. Don't want to have any nasty visitors during the night."

They had followed in the footsteps of the old Woman. Old she might be but she had certainly left them in the dust. She was no doubt many miles ahead of them now, thanks to the Prince.

"I will. But, if he calls me a horse once more ..." she said turning to the man in question. "There will be a new next-in-line for the throne."

The Prince opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it and decided to continue clearing the larger rocks away from their campsite for the night, a sullen look on his face.

"Oh and laddie," said Daffyd. "When you finish that, go and fetch some firewood. Frella will protect you. A good fire will keep most things at bay at night."

Frella watched as Daffyd started off up the rise. She wondered if he knew already what waited for him in the Warlock's Cave or whether it was just his Dwarvish senses giving him the urge to explore that particular hole in the mountain.

* * * *

Daffyd walked along the path he'd discovered. It quite obviously lead to the cave he'd seen from their campsite down by the River and though the path was not often used it was an established track and had been used recently.

The darkness of the cave mouth beckoned to him like the hallways of home and he entered without fear. The cave, whatever else it was, was not the home of any predatory animal of that he was sure and he felt confident that he could cope with anything else he might come across in its depths.

"C'mon, me Boyo," he said to his axe. "Who knows it might even be an old mine."

As soon as the Dwarf had crossed the threshold a voice from deep within boomed out. "If you come seeking a Talisman, are you prepared to pay the price? If not then begone."

The Dwarf brought his axe up to a defensive position and looked all around for the speaker, for of all creatures, none know better than a Dwarf the tricks that can be played with echoes. There was no one visibly lurking. In fact the only sign of occupancy he could see was the huge silhouette of a man wearing a pointed hat that had been smeared onto the far wall of the cave with a blue pigment.

"Come out that I may see you," said Daffyd.

"Dwarf, I am but a spirit of the Great Game, so I will ask thee again. Does thou wish a Talisman?"

"The great game?" queried Daffyd. Did this mean that the Throne of Power was empty once again, so soon. Ach, these Human were such short-lived creatures, he thought to himself.

"Does thou want a Talisman?"

A Talisman what use would he have for such a thing. Then again, perhaps he could sell it to someone who was contending for the throne. Make a tidy little profit on the deal. It wouldn't hurt to enquire.

"How much?" he asked.

"For you ... Two bags of gold," said the voice.

Daffyd thought briefly about haggling, it was after all his hard earn gold, but then he decided that the profit margin was probably high enough already if he could find the right buyer. Perhaps the Prince himself would be willing to pay handsomely for an opportunity to go one up on his father.

"Sold," said the Dwarf.

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he three travellers stumbled across the hot sands heading towards the faint smudge on the horizon that they had been told was an oasis. The sun beat down on them all relentless and voices that had been raised in complaint about: the temperature, the difficulty of walking on sand with hooves. and conniving magical caves that did poor honest Dwarves out of magical items, had all grown silent with the effort of getting to their destination. As one the three continued on for they all knew that not to do so surely meant death in this unforgiving desert.

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rella the Unicorn had smelt the water first and upon the telling they had all started to run. Even the Prince — who had complained about the distance and the thinness of his slippers before the dryness of his throat had brought blessed silence — ran the last half mile or so to fall on his knees in the mud and drink draught after draught of the dirty water.

Daffyd the Dwarf was the first to look up at their surroundings. The dark pool was at the bottom of a natural hollow in the desert and was shaded by palm trees whose roots bordered on the waterhole. However, there was no inflow, no source for the water. It must come from below the surface. A natural spring welling up from far down bringing life giving water to the desert. He gave silent thanks to the spirits of the deep places.

"Visitors," cried a voice. "Visitors of quality. Welcome."

Daffyd looked up to see a man resplendent in bejewelled robes watching them from atop one of the surrounding rises. He smiled at them and walked down toward them. Daffyd rose from where he knelt and extended a hand in greeting. He was ignored. The man had eyes only for the Prince.

The Prince got to his feet and tried to get rid of some of the grime that besmirched his courtly clothing. He then looked the stranger up and down as if daring him to say something about his appearance.

"I am Printh Henry," he lisped and stuck forth the hand that bore his signet ring. "Do we know you?"

"A Prince. Here," said the man, eyeing the ring. "Your Highness. Forgive me for the appearance of this place. There are Raiders about and it pays not to draw too much attention to one's abode in such circumstances."

The man turned and with a gesture there appeared an enormous tent made of rich materials and furnished with plush cushions.

"Come, my Prince, rest yourself after your ordeal," said the Mage.

Prince Henry grinned at Daffyd and allowed himself to be directed into the tent. Daffyd looked on in amazement as the Mage began offering the Prince all sorts of luxuries that he seemed to conjure out of thin air.

"Its all illusion," said Frella behind him.

"Thought so," said Daffyd. "The man's as mad as a Troll. Why live here, way out in the desert if you don't have too. What about his clothes and jewellery, is that real?"

"Nope. Though I suspect he thinks it is."

"And Henry is eating ..."

"Looks like dates to me. Could be worse."

"Isn't there anything real here?" asked the Dwarf thoughtfully.

"You can feel it can't you?" replied the Unicorn.

"Yes, it over here," said Daffyd, leading the way to another rise which showed signs of having been disturbed recently. On closer inspection there appeared to be many hoof prints in the sand and the signs of someone having dug a hole.

"There's gold down there," said Daffyd squatting down. He started to dig in the loose sand. "Something else too."

Five minutes later he unearthed a leather purse from which he poured a hand full of gold coins and a Talisman.

The Dwarf rubbed the Talisman with his fingertips and then sniffed it. "Not the one I had taken from me," he commented. "But its the same thing, magic as well. Should be worth about the same, I reckon. Now all I've got to do is find a buyer."

Frella turned to look at the Prince. He was thoroughly enjoying his illusionary comfits and eating date after date. He would be in for a rude shock in the morning.

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he Prince had refused to set out again into the Desert. He said that he would rather wait at the Oasis and have the Dwarf go and get help rather than suffer once more in the enduring heat. It was only when the crazy Mage who lived there, pointed out that the water hole was often frequented by Raiders that he relented.

They set out late in the day for their walk to the Temple. Onward they trekked and towards the late afternoon they found themselves walking straight into the setting sun as it turned the horizon crimson. Shortly after the sun set the stars came out in all their glory and for a while it was pleasant walking under that canopy of brilliance. But the temperature kept dropping and soon those who had sweated long and hard during the day were wishing for a return of just some of that heat.

The Desert at night was bitterly cold. At one point the Prince lisped breathlessly that they should stop and bed down for the night; huddle together for warmth. Daffyd the Dwarf didn't like that idea so he kept walking. Frella stayed with him and per force the Prince had to follow. They trudged on looking for the dawn and the walls of the Temple that would be their salvation.

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rince Henry smiled condescendingly at Daffyd from the window of his carriage as it rolled past the Dwarf out through one of the gates of the Temple. Daffyd was taken aback. He had been dutifully waiting for the Prince to finish his devotions and had been amusing himself by taking a little walk around the walls. The last thing he had expected was to find that the Prince had secretly made the decision that he no longer needed Daffyd's services and that the Priests of the Temple would provide him with a much more comfortable means of getting home.

There was no love lost between Daffyd and the Prince. He had not been the most endearing travelling companion: whining all the time about the conditions and lack of food and continually insisting that he should be allowed to ride on Frella's back. So in one way Daffyd was glad to see the back of the man. However, that did not mean he could get away with going back on his word. The man, Prince or not, had promised him a reward and Daffyd had brought him most of the way home. Daffyd was owed something and was damned if he was not going to collect it.

Daffyd left the Temple and began walking along the same way the Prince had taken. Frella the Unicorn had not wanted to go anywhere near the Temple and had gone round it heading towards the forest they had seen in the distance. They had arranged that Daffyd and the Prince would meet up with her there after the Prince had paid his due respects to Good in the Temple. Daffyd had accompanied him into the Temple precincts to get some water to quench his thirst. He had also wanted to look at the stone work of the building. He had not been impressed and now he was angry at himself for allowing himself to be tricked so easily.

"Where's the Prince?" asked Frella when they finally met up.

"I hope for his sake he's gone ahead to get my gold ready," said Daffyd.

"Sorry," said Frella looking after him — Daffyd had not stopped walking.

"If you're coming with me then start walking," said the Dwarf over his shoulder. "We're going to the Castle to claim our reward."

Frella shook her head unbelievingly but then dutifully began to walk after the subject of her gaeas. There was nothing else she could do while he remained a virgin.

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he Dwarf stopped at the sight of the rough hand-painted sign propped up against the tree. He was deep in a Wood and certainly one of the things he least expected to see was a sign that read 'Will Fight for Food'. Becoming suspicious he drew his axe Boyo from the loop on his belt. Frella whinied in alarm behind him.

Suddenly an armoured warrior brandishing a spear leapt out from behind a tree. The Dwarf dropped into his fighting stance and waited for his attacker to come to him — the man did no such thing. Instead he started in on a display of his prowess with his weapon. Thrusting and parrying in a stylised manner that was obviously some form of practice exercise. The Woods rang with his grunts and cries until he stopped and bowed low towards the Dwarf.

As was expected of him Daffyd reslung his axe and began to clap.

"Pretty good, eh?" said the man taking off his helmet.

"Are ye hungry laddie?" said Daffyd taking off his backpack.

"Oh, forget that. I just wanted to get your attention," said the Mercenary kicking his sign over so it could no longer be read.

"Montague Fitz at your service," he said bowing again. "I have worked for many merchants and even the King. And if your going into danger and need extra fighting power in your team then, Montague Fitz right in ... Only one bag of gold per action, with a single bag of gold as a retaining fee." The last was in a diminishing voice almost as though it were an unimportant afterthought.

"So let's get this straight," said Daffyd scratching his head. "Ye fight for money?"

"That's right, my diminutive friend," said the Mercenary. "The best rates in the business. Are you in need of a spear for hire? These parts are quite wild. An extra weapon might mean the difference between safe passage and a lonely grave."

The Dwarf thought for a while and then asked, "Laddie, have ye ever worked agin the King?"

The Mercenary's brows furrowed and then he said, "The Mercenary's code says that I will fight for whoever pays me against any force. So if you need to take on the King, I'm you man. You're not really going to take on the King are you?"

"Not the King, no," said Daffyd. "But there be a certain young Prince who owes me money. And another weapon might be useful, if he decides to welch on the deal."

"Well then. I'm your man," said the Mercenary. "For the small sum of one bag of gold you will have me on an exclusive retainer. And it won't cost you a gold piece more, unless I actually have to fight."

Daffyd smiled coldly and threw the man a bag of gold.

The Unicorn who had been watching this exchange moved forward and in a whisper asked, "Are you feeling all right? You don't need this fool, do you?"

The Dwarf watched the Mercenary testing the quality of the gold coins with this teeth and whispered back, "I be thinking of it as an investment. Occurred to me that while everyone is looking at yon show soldier that folks won't be looking at me."

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"tand and deliver," said the sword-bearing masked man as he stepped from behind one of the standing stones. Daffyd had been intrigued upon seeing the stones — so very like the ones he had first seen after crossing the River — so much so that he'd climbed the hill to investigate them closer. Now he regretted his choice, he was still far too weary from his trek across the Desert to be interested in having to deal with more troublesome locals.

"What mean you, laddie?" he asked quietly fingering the blade of his axe, Boyo, where it hung in its loop.

"Pay me gold or you will die," said the Bandit as he stalked closer.

"No!" said Montague Fitz the Mercenary stepping forward himself and bringing his spear to bear. "Pay me and I will see off this villain quick smart."

Daffyd turned and winked at Frella the Unicorn as he slowly drew a bag of gold from his belt. "Well, well, two offers I can't really refuse. Unfortunately I only have one bag of gold gentlemen. So to the victor, the spoils," he said and threw the bag between the two armed men."

Montague looked at the gold and then the Dwarf and started to say something about payment in advance but had to stop and parry wildly as the Bandit attacked him.

"This should be fun," said Daffyd to Frella. The Unicorn didn't say anything but stood watching as the two fighters circled each other looking for a weakness in their opponent's technique.

The Mercenary had the advantage of reach with his spear but had to fight warily to avoid his weapon being damaged by the chopping blade of his opponent. The Bandit was obviously the less well trained of the two but easily made up for this lacking with the speed of his movements.

Suddenly the fight was over as the Bandit sprung in and with a flick of his wrist sent the Mercenary's spear spinning. Fitz back-pedalled away trying to draw his secondary weapon. Poor footing sent him spawling onto his back and the Bandit rushed in to deliver the coup-de-grace. The only thing that stopped the Mercenary from being killed was the heavy axe that embedded itself into the Bandit's chest and sent him staggering back.

The Bandit looked at the axe and then looked at the Dwarf. "That's not very fair," he said and collapsed onto the ground, dead.

Daffyd walked over and picked up Boyo. As he wiped the axe's blade clean on the Bandit's cloak he said to the Mercenary, "Come on laddie, don't lie there all the day. We've got work to do in yonder Castle."

Montague Fitz spluttered in surprise and then got to his feet. Stopping only to pick up the bag of gold and his spear he hurried after the Dwarf and the Unicorn who were already striding away in the direction of the Castle that could be seen on a nearby hill.

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affyd the Dwarf left his companions, Frella the Unicorn and the Mercenary outside the Castle saying that he wanted to try to find the Prince himself. However as soon as he was inside he asked the way to the nearest Healer; his trek across the Desert had taken more out of him than he wanted his travelling companions to know and it was his hope that he could find someone who could sell him a tonic to get him back into shape.

He was directed to the Castle Doctor who for the price of a bag of gold did indeed hand across a bottle which he guaranteed would have Daffyd feeling much better in very short order, but unfortunately it would do nothing for his lack of height. Daffyd smiled at the Doctor and instead of taking revenge asked whether Prince Henry had reached to Castle. The Doctor obliged by telling him that he had seen Prince Henry himself just the previous day to check that he had not only survived his ordeal unscathed but that the small amount of weight he had lost had actually been good for his overall health.

After paying for his tonic he left the Doctor's surgery and idled around within the Castle trying to find the opportunity to meet up with the young Prince. Unfortunately, by the time the Castle's gates were due to close and he was forced to leave, he was no closer to achieving this goal.

He returned to the camp that the Mercenary had set up in the foothills just outside the Castle. And although his health had indeed improved he was in ill humour. How was he going to get his money back?

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affyd's chance of getting his money off Henry had died with the Prince when he had fallen from a window of the Castle in a drunken revel. Daffyd was currently without gold — a situation he didn't like — and had no current plans of his own. So the idea that was being suggested by the gray-haired human who happened along to share their campfire for the night sounded promising.

"So let me get this straight. You want to pay me to do an assay of the Mines on the other side of the Portal of Power. And if there's any gold still there I might have the chance to get in on the ground floor of your little project. Is that right?"

"That's the deal," said Hakon the Merchant. "You get a bag of gold for getting us there and just having a look around. I've heard about you Dwarves and your gold sense. So if you say the Mines are still a going concern then I am willing to take the financial risk of starting a new mine. And if you want to get involved in that then we can talk about percentages and responsibilities and the like. What do you say?"

Daffyd didn't take very long to make his decision. "Done," he said and offered his hand.

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"affyd," whispered Frella — the Unicorn had moved close enough so that none of the others could possibly overhear her — "I don't like this. I think you're being used by this merchant. Look at his men. You can't tell me that the Pixie is a miner. I think he plans to make a try for the Throne of Power."

"He'll need a Talisman to do that," said the Dwarf and became very thoughtful as the Unicorn agreed.

Several minutes later Daffyd patted Frella's shoulder affectionately and increased his pace so that he could speak to the man he knew as a merchant named Hakon.

"Ah ... Mister Hakon," said Daffyd who had had to break into a trot to catch up to the tall human.

"Yes Dwarf," said the man distractedly. He had just been talking with his Pixie follower who had come back from a flight further down the road where he had been sent to scout the lay of the land.

"I noticed you looking at this little trinket last night," said Daffyd taking the Talisman in his free hand; his other hand lay lightly on the head of his Axe, Boyo.

"Yes?" said the human, his attention now fully on Daffyd.

"Well. Would you like to buy it?"

A calculating look came into the merchant's eye. "Yes. I would. How much?"

"For you ... three bags of gold," said Daffyd estimating that a fifty percent profit — and avoiding a potentially nasty scene — was about the best deal he was going to get for his initial outlay.

"Three bags of gold? ... hmmm ... I am interested ... let me think about it."

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he Dwarf and the Unicorn walked along the dry watercourse at the end of the line of stragglers. After leaving the Mines the party had been keen to reach what they thought would be water. Now they were weary and dejected, and following the winding path of past flooding in hope of finding some sign of water at the bottom of the dusty channel.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" asked Frella keeping her voice low so that the Mercenary who walked just a little way ahead could not overhear her.

"Aye, I think so," replied Daffyd. "Things might get a little rough, but I can't help thinking that there may be opportunities for a young Dwarf here as well."

Frella shook her head but said nothing. She had noticed Hakon had stopped to look back at them. She was beginning to get quite concerned about this so-called merchant and thought it best for him not to think that she might be smarter than she pretended to be.

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hey would have just left him lying there if Daffyd hadn't objected. Hakon, that silly little Pixie, even Montague Fitz the Mercenary were so spooked at finding the bloodless body of Abraham this morning that they would have just left his body to rot or worse. Didn't these Humans have any sense of decency?

Boyo made a poor pick but he was the only tool the group had that could do the job and Daffyd thought he wouldn't mind too much. And of course he would ever say anything about it anyway — as a weapon he was always the soul of discretion and never shirked at anything he was asked to do.

Daffyd had spent the last hour digging the shallow grave that would be the last resting place of the woodsman, Abraham. While he had been working he had also been looking at his fellow travelling companions in a new light. Hakon showed very little emotion at all apart from annoyance that his little force had been depleted by one. Pin had spent most of the time flying around looking for whatever had killed Abraham. And Montague had spent the time talking logistics with Hakon; it seems that the Mercenary thought the Merchant was his boss. Only Frella had showed any inclination to assist Daffyd, but as a Unicorn, that could only be in the form of moral support. Still the thought was there.

"Frella," Daffyd said to the Unicorn softly enough so that the others couldn't hear. "I'm thinking yee be right. This is aint the place for us. I'm for calling it quits and heading back. What d'ya say?"

"Sounds good to me. Hakon's going to be annoyed, though."

Daffyd shrugged his shoulders and climbed out of the completed grave. "Don't much care, but we'll be leaving yon Mercenary here as well, so maybe he won't care, either. Thing is though, there be no way I be able to out run his long-leggedness, if he gets narky ..."

Frella turned to look at Hakon and then turned back to the Dwarf as his meaning became clear. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"Aye," said the Dwarf.

* * * *

The merchant Hakon gave a surprisingly good eulogy for Abraham. Now he, the Pixie known as Pin and the Mercenary stood around the shallow grave with their eyes closed thinking upon mortality and their memories of the departed. This being the case none of them noticed Frella sidle up close to a boulder and the Dwarf move quietly away from the graveside, mount the boulder and then the Unicorn.

In fact, their first indication that anything was wrong when Frella started to move away. The three opened their eyes at the sound and turned to see the Unicorn with the Dwarf on its back galloping off into the distance.

There was silence between the three until Montague Fitz belatedly lifted a finger and said, "Urrr. What about me?"

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"o you actually know where you're going?" came Frella's voice out of the darkness.

"No," said Daffyd and felt the horn, that he had been using to guide its owner through the dark, jerk away.

"What? Can't you see, either?"

"Oh, I can see right enough. I just don't know where this tunnel leads," said the Dwarf.

"What? Why not go back the way we came?" said Frella.

"Because one of Hakon's men blazed a trail. This way they won't stumble across us."

There was an almost human sigh. "Alright, lead on, but remember I'm not a Pit Pony. I don't like it here. Please get us above ground as soon as possible."

* * * *

The mechanism was simple but the door was massive and it took all of Daffyd's magically-enhanced Strength to pull it open. Sunlight shone in and Frella whinnied in relief as they stepped through into the cave.

"If you come seeking a Talisman, are you prepared to pay the price? If not then begone."

"Who said that?" said Frella prancing around wildly.

"Ha! I know where we are?" laughed Daffyd. "You didn't come up here last time, but this is why I got that Talisman I sold the merchant."

"Does thou wish a Talisman? Will you pay the price?" said the booming voice of the Cave.

"I'll pay the price," said Daffyd ignoring the look Frella gave him.

"The price is three bags of gold. The price has been paid. Prepare to receive your Talisman."

"Three! It was two last time," said Daffyd frantically confirming that all his gold had mysteriously disappeared. "How am I supposed to make a profit at that sort of price?"

There was no answer. Frella looked at him in confusion and wonder as he held out his hand and had a Talisman appear in them.

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affyd the Dwarf thought long and hard about his next move. He had been sold a gyp by the magic cave. Somehow he would have to find someone willing to shell out at least four bags of gold to make any profit at all on that deal. Yet to find a likely sucker meant he would have to trek across the Desert to the Temple. He didn't like the Desert. He still hadn't fully recovered from the last time he had crossed it. Perhaps it would be better to take the high road to the Castle. Maybe someone there would buy the stupid thing.

The Dwarf lead his Unicorn companion away from the Warlock's Cave and down towards the River. This was where they had met the Prince. Another money-making opportunity that had eventually foundered when the young idiot had fallen out a window and killed himself. Daffyd was beginning to wonder where it had all gone wrong. Perhaps he should have ignored the offer of that young Thief he had met and tried his luck in the City. Certainly he had nothing to show for all his treking.

Almost he was tempted to chuck it all in; find a way to cross the River and go home to the Crags. But then he remembered the silence of the underground complex that was his home. With only the occasional Troll as an unwelcomed visitor, it had become a hard and lonely place full of the memories of his family and ancestors.

No, he decided. He had gotten something from his adventure. He'd gotten out. He'd met people. He'd found how the other half lived. He wouldn't go home. He'd go exploring instead.

The Dwarf and the Unicorn walked on and almost immediately Daffyd's decision proved profitable. On the side of the road, where it had lain unnoticed for who know how long, his gold sensitive nose lead him to a mouldering old purse full of the precious metal.

Pocketing the precious find the Dwarf walked on, a smile upon his face.

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t took a while and some lateral thinking but eventually the Dwarf was able to lead the Unicorn safely through the region of the Chasm by the simple expediency of taking her down to the River's edge. Here the Chasm — formed by some earthquake strong enough to split the mountains in two at some time in the distant pass — was but one of many gullies that lead from the mountains to feed the Storm River. So in the end, though they both got a little wet — being forced to enter the River on occasion — and added days to their journey, the Dwarf and the Unicorn finally found themselves once more in gentler countryside on the opposite side of the mighty Chasm.

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he Runes. Tangible and recurring proof that an earlier civilisation had existed throughout the middle realm of Talis many, many years ago. As they travelled through this now abandoned region the Dwarf wondered what had happened to the people that had raised these standing stones. If they had, in the end, all migrated out to the gentler landscapes of the outer region, why had they spent so much effort raising these stones in these barren and forbidding places in the first place?

Daffyd pondered this question quietly to himself as they made their way across the stela-littered landscape. Frella was quiet too, but that was due to her nervousness. She kept looking around as though expecting something horrible to leap out at them at any moment.

Daffyd was unconcerned, apart from the ancient architecture of the place and the lucky find of a bag of gold — found through the auric sensitivity of his nose — this place seemed quite nice. In fact the hard upright slabs of stone reminded him a little of home.

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ark clouds came up rapidly during the night and the temperature in the Glade — where Daffyd and Frella had set up their camp after a long day's march — plummeted, heralding the oncoming snow storm. By morning the ground was covered in the fluffy white stuff to the depth of several feet and it did not look like the snow was going to stop falling any time soon.

"Time we were going," said Daffyd the Dwarf.

"Do we have to?" asked Frella the Unicorn.

"We'll stay warmer on the move. Come on, get the lead out."

The Unicorn gave an almost human sigh and started off after the Dwarf who was already ploughing his way through the snow drifts — it was going to be a difficult day.

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"ello, little man," said the Ogre stepping out from behind the large boulder. "Hello, breakfast!" The Ogre continued looking pointedly at Frella the Unicorn.

That such a huge beast could have been so close to the trail and not been noticed until they were this close to them didn't surprise Daffyd. They had been slogging through chest height, at least his chest height, snow all day. They were both tired and cold and he was not in a good mood.

The Ogre stepped forward and despite Frella's efforts to escape caught the Unicorn by its horn. It then lifted it club; Frella whinnied in fear unable to break out of the monster's grip.

"Oy, you!" cried Daffyd. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

This was just silly enough and unexpected enough to distract the Ogre from its task. It turned to look down at the Dwarf and could not react fast enough to avoid the axe that came whirring at him.

The razor-sharp axe caught him fair in the forehead and embedded itself there. The look on the Ogre's face went from one of surprise to one of anger and then one of crossed-eyed realisation that it was dead.

A trickle of blood that ran from its wound down past its nose and onto its chin ended the strange tableau. The Ogre released Frella and fell backward into the snow.

Daffyd walked forward and heaved his axe out of the massive skull. He looked down at his fallen foe and wiped Boyo's blade clean of its blood.

"I don't suppose you're hungry?" he asked. "Didn't think so." he added when Frella started to gag into the snow.

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he passage through the Hills was made extremely arduous by the continuing Blizzard. The snow rose deeper and deeper until even the hardy Dwarf decided that enough was enough. Following his nose he lead Frella into a narrow defile searching for some protection from the raging wind and instead stumbled on a Hidden Valley. Unfortunately, they were not the first.

"Stand and deliver," cried the Bandit as he stepped out in front of them, his Sword ready in his hand.

The Dwarf stopped, his own hand resting on the head of his axe, Boyo. "Deliver what?" he said.

"It means I want yer gold," said the Bandit.

The Dwarf turned to Frella and asked, "This seems familiar. Haven't we been here before?"

Frella was too cold for banter. "Can't you just kill him so we can get out of this damn weather."

"Now, now girl," said Daffyd. "Anyone who needs to be out on a day like today is obviously down on his luck. Perhaps we should—"

"Oy. I'm in charge here," interjected the Bandit shaking his Sword menacingly. "And I want yer gold."

The Dwarf turned on the man. "Look here laddie. I just killed an Ogre who wanted to eat us. What makes you think I would even raise a sweat over the likes of you." He fished in his tunic, pulled out a Bag of Gold and threw it at the Bandit. "I've had enough killing for today. Take that and begone. And you can think yourself lucky."

The Bandit gaped at him and then deciding that the Dwarf was serious picked up the Bag of Gold and after apologising for interrupting their journey scurried away.

* * * *

A little while later the Dwarf and the Unicorn came across a cabin. A welcome sight, they hailed the owners to see if they could be put up for the night.

There was no answer. The cabin was abandoned and on further inspection they realised that it had been so for quite awhile. It was the perfect place for them to spend the night and so they took up occupancy.

To make things even more fortuitous the Dwarf smelled Gold and on investigation found a hidden cache which contained not only a Bag of Gold but a magic orb as well. This discovery and a blazing fire in the fireplace made the Dwarf happy for the first time in days.

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arly next morning while he waited for some water to boil for his morning brew Daffyd idly looked at the magic Orb he had found hidden in a secret hole next to the fireplace. That it was magic there was no doubt; he could smell it. What it did was another matter. The orb sat in a bronze holder and it was this that Daffyd was investigating hoping to find some clue as to what the Orb might do.

A glimmer within the Orb caught his eye; it appeared to be a tiny bottle. Somehow Daffyd could tell that its contents were magical and then he realised that it surroundings were familiar, that they were within this very cabin. He was about to investigate when the contents of the Orb changed.

Now, vague shapes moved there. Daffyd squinted and made out the shape of a man — No, not just any man — It was the Bandit from yesterday. There was another with him, a goblin. They were creeping through a snow-littered forest and their intent was obviously malicious.

Daffyd's free hand moved to the haft of his Axe, Boyo, but his eyes stayed fixed on the Orb. A huge Dragon now filled it. The monster opened its mouth and flames gushed out at him. The flames seeming to fill the glass and it fractured in his hand.

Brought back to earth. Daffyd looked at what remained of the Orb and then let the fragments fall to the floor. What had he seen? Was it now, or what was to be?

Frella's voice interrupted his thoughts. "What just happened?"

Daffyd didn't answer. Instead he rushed across to where the Orb had shown the potion bottle. Sure enough there was another hidden cache. He pulled the bottle from its hiding place and stashed it inside his coat. If this was true then why not the others.

"We must go. There's trouble coming."

He hurried the confused Unicorn out into the snow, pausing only to gather up his own meagre belongings. The fire he left burning. If he'd thought about it he might have done so purely to act as a diversion. However that thought did not cross his mind; he just wanted to quit that place as soon as possible.

* * * *

A little more than half-an-hour later the Bandit and his Goblin henchman arrived at the cabin. Smoke rose from the cabin confirming his suspicion that the stuckup Dwarf had spent the night there and hopefully could be taken by surprise as he ate his breakfast.

He motioned for his brutish companion to make his way around the back of the cabin. Their plan was for the Goblin to enter through a back window and outflank the Dwarf while the Bandit kicked down the front door. Their plan worked fine apart from the fact that there was no one within. A smouldering fire, uneaten food and broken glass indicated that the occupants had left in a hurry.

"Damn they must have seen us coming and slipped out," said the Bandit. "C'mon, they can't have got—"

A loud roar interrupted him.

"What was that?" he whispered into the ensuing silence.

The Goblin looked out through the window he had just entered. "Run!" he cried turning to run. "A Dragon!" he added as he passed the Bandit.

* * * *

"Couldn't have happened to a more deserving pair of villains," said Daffyd as he watch the Dragon fly away from the smoking remains of the cabin. They were now several miles away hidden amongst the trees on the side of the valley.

"Come on girl," he said patting the Unicorn on her neck. "I think its time we quit this Valley. I don't like the neighbours."

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"gain!" said the Dwarf.

"What doest thou mean, again?" said the towering Knight in his ebony armour.

"Seems to me," said the Dwarf fingering the head of his Axe. "That everyone in these parts is expecting me to pay out money to them just because they carry a weapon."

"What!" cried the Knight lifting his visor to stare at the Dwarf. "'Tis my right. Given me by the King. Who else has been charging a toll? Tell me and I will find and despatch said villain."

"No need," said Daffyd drawing Boyo from his belt. "He was toasted and eaten for breakfast by a Dragon."

The Black Knight drew his Sword and held it in the ready position. "And didst thou pay the villain his toll?" he asked.

"Aye, but only because I felt pity for him. You on the other hand ... Did the King really give you the right to charge passage through this pass?"

"'Tis true, on my honour. These are my family's lands." declared the Black Knight. "Now, will you pay, or must we fight?"

"I'll pay," said the Dwarf and fetch out a purse. "But only because I don't like to trespass." He dropped the purse at the Knight's feet and a page boy ran in and picked it up. The boy then cleared out quickly as he realised from the fighter's stances that they were still weighing each other up for combat.

However, I'll test your mettle too," said Daffyd. "If you'll allow? I want my money's worth."

"Thou art a strange one, Sir Dwarf," said the Knight with a smile. "But I like your spirit." He then lowered his visor. "Come let us be about it. I have a keg of cool ale awaiting us for when we finish."

* * * *

Half an hour later the Dwarf and the Knight called it quits and a draw and retreated to the shadow of the Knight's tent where they spent the rest of the day swapping stories and drinking ale.

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" ook at that Frella," said Daffyd the Dwarf. "Those ruins up there on the side of that mountain remind me of home." He squinted at the distant grey rocks. "Yep. That be Dwarvish stone work, despite the fact its on the surface. Come on girl. Let's go and have a look."

A short while later Daffyd's enthusiasm had gone, for it had quickly become obvious that the ruins were not only ancient, but very familiar. They had come by a round-a-bout route to the building that housed the Portal of Power.

"Are we going to go through again?" asked Frella.

"Where be the profit in that?" said Daffyd. "There's no gold in that Mine and we saw no sign of any Dwarves."

"We could pick up the pieces."

"What do you mean?" asked Daffyd and looked at Frella.

"The merchant didn't make it to the Throne of Power, did he?" said the Unicorn tossing her head in an agitated way. "Otherwise we would have surely heard about our new ruler. Chances are he, and more importantly, his belongings are lying somewhere along the road just waiting to be collected."

Daffyd scratched his beard in thought. "I like your thinking, lassie, and though it would mean nothing to me, I'm surprised at you suggesting we rob the dead."

Frella looked as embarrassed as a Unicorn can but did not venture forth any explanation. Instead she walked off in the direction of the Portal of Power.

Daffyd looked after the departing Unicorn for a moment then followed her into the depths of the building.

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affyd examined his new purchase. He'd paid a bag of gold for it, which was about what it was worth in his estimation. It wasn't anywhere near dwarvish quality of course, but for human handiwork it was pretty good; well-made, nice and solid. It would do the job and no doubt would be well used in the near future.

He and Frella had passed through the Portal of Power again at her suggestion and then camped just the other side of the door on the Plain of Peril. He had insisted that the Unicorn explain why she was keen for him to come back to this dangerous place.

It appeared that her finding of him had not been entirely an accident. That the previous ruler of the realm — a human Druid named Filz, apparently — had asked her to find a likely non-aligned champion to take his place as ruler of Talis, if ever he was dethroned. However, because she was a Unicorn and he a virgin that she had had little choice in who she could choose. This was such an unlikely story that he would have called her a liar except that he didn't understand why she would dream up such a preposterous story and wanted to find out what she was really on about.

So he questioned her some more, especially about why she hadn't mentioned this the last time they were in the Inner Realm. She had told him that she had been worried about the company they had been keeping. Although she didn't know what he was up to, she suspected that the, supposed merchant Harkold, was Evil and that she had been uncertain as to what to do. When Daffyd has suggested that they leave Harkold to fight his own way to the Throne of Power she had leapt at the chance. And, she reminded him, had suffered the indignity of allowing him to ride on her back so they could get away.

He couldn't fault her on that and he'd had his own reservations about Harkold.

Then he'd asked her why she was now pushing for him to try for the Throne of Power. She had replied that she now thought that he was ready. He'd procured another Talisman and had proven himself wise in an instinctive sort of way and more than capable in combat and without the worry of being doublecrossed she thought he had a good chance, especially with her to help him.

That was when Simmons and Basilly had used the mechanism on the door and Simmons had surprised everybody by revealing that the old woman whom they had crossed the Storm River with so long ago had actually been his mother, the Evil Sorceress.

Now all four of them were camped on the Plain of Peril under the distant glow of the Valley of Fire. Simmons had turned out to be more interesting than he'd seemed back then when they had first met. He was a thief — that was obvious now — but Daffyd wouldn't hold that against him. In fact, he might have the need of a resourceful thinker who was fast on his feet.

TO BE CONTINUED ...

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" know it seems like the long way round," said Daffyd scratching his head at the Thief's suggestion that they head across the Desert to the Temple. "I've been in that Desert before. Its an unforgiving place which saps the life out of you."

"Hmmm," said Simmons. "Y'know I've got something that would probably help with that." He dug in the saddlebags of his Mule and brought out an object wrapped in a cloth.

"Betcha haven't seen one of these before," he said and unwrapped the bundle to reveal a golden cup.

Daffyd smelt the heady smell of powerful magic. "What in all the Realm is that?" he said reaching for it.

"The Holy Grail," said Simmons, keeping it just out of his reach. "Don't suppose you want to buy it?"

"I'll give you a bag of gold for it," said Daffyd without hesitation.

"Not enough," said Simmons. "This is the Holy Grail we are talking about here. I can get much more than that for it at the Temple."

Daffyd grinned. "So that's your game laddie ..." he said and scratched his beard. "Why didn't you say so? I'm all for making a bit of profit. Still, you need to be alive to enjoy your money. There's Bandits as well as the Desert to contend with. Don't s'pose you'd be wanting to go shares in any profit if I were to make sure you got there in one piece." Daffyd put his hand on the head of his Axe, Boyo, to emphasize his handiness with the weapon.

The Thief casually placed his hand on his own Sword and met Daffyd's gaze. They looked at each other for so long that Daffyd began to wonder if he'd said something wrong.

"All right," said Simmons suddenly. "A bag of gold from the proceeds of the sale. How does that sound?"

"That sounds fine, laddie. The Desert it is then," said the Dwarf.

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his trip across the Desert was just miles and miles of drudgery for Daffyd. He had done it before and so had lost interest in looking at vast expanse of sand and the occasional mirage. The party was too busy walking for talk as well, so Daffyd spent his time thinking about the magical object that made this less of a drain on his endurance as it had last time.

Although it was only River water, the water Daffyd had drunk from the Holy Grail had tasted better than any natural water he had ever drunk from any underground spring. In fact it had almost tasted as good as the water he had drunk from the magic spring he and the Thief had found near the Human City.

Water enhance by earth magic was a rare and precious find, but this Grail enhanced water on demand. Just think what it might do to something more interesting, like ale. Daffyd wondered if Simmons would sell him the cup for 2 bags of gold ...

Suddenly, a voice boomed in Daffyd's mind, Do you submit? Daffyd stopped. "Who are you who calls to me?" he said.

I am the Crown Bearer. Do you submit to my will?

"I submit to no one," said Daffyd and his hand went to his Axe. His hand never made it as agony exploded in his chest and his legs lost their strength and he fell to his knees in the sand.

"You bastard," he said.

TO BE CONTINUED ...

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" 'is no use going across the Desert laddie," said Daffyd when Simmons brought up the question of what they were going to do next. "'Tis obvious the Crown Bearer doesnt want us going anywhere near the Temple. Perhaps that magical cup you've got is of importance to the great game."

Simmons got the Holy Grail out of his pack and unwrapped it. The cup's golden surface gleamed softly in the morning sun as he turned it slowly.

"Are ye sure ye won't sell it to me for a bag of gold?" asked Daffyd — he couldn't help himself.

The Thief smiled at him and said, "That would be the Dwarf in you talking. Your eyes go all soft and gleaming when you look at this thing." He rewrapped the cup and put it back in his pack. "Now. We have to decide what we are going to do next. You said something about another route?"

"Aye," said Daffyd and took a wistful swig of his morning brew. "'Tis long, and dangerous, but perhaps not so deadly as that." He pointed in the direction of the Desert. It had been a hard place in his experience.

Simmons looked and then said softly, "But if we go the long way the Grail might have lost a lot of its value by the time we got somewhere we could sell it."

Daffyd wondered if the Thief would try the Desert crossing by himself. Simmons hadn't felt the cold hard hand of the Crown Bearer round his heart — it had been agony — and something he didn't really want to have to face again. If that meant keeping away from certain places then he was happy to oblige.

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affyd was talking quietly to the old human who had somehow mysteriously turned up at their camp on the edge of the Desert when suddenly the voice of the Crown Bearer boomed in his head.

Do you submit?

He clutched at his head. The thought of the repeat of the pain to his heart that he'd experienced the last time when he'd resisted and the hopelessness of going against a foe who could attack you from half the Realm away overwhelmed Daffyd's feeling of shame. He said, "Yes."

Suddenly the Dwarf found himself in the echoing halls of his home under the Crags. The halls were dark and empty, which was fortunate, for he was as naked as the day he was born.

"Unfair," he bellowed. "Hey! Where's me Boyo?"

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