Elvenshore: 01 - The Dwarves of Elvenshore Read Online Free

hear these noises.

 
High Mountain
     
    The unlikely group of man and dwarf alternately carried and dragged the group of drugged travelers along towards the entrance of High Mountain.  They had to stop twice to fend off attacks by the Giant Spiders. They would stop every once in a while to look and listen.  When they heard the approaching spiders behind them, they would leave the wounded on the trail as a decoy and slip into the trees.  The spiders would go after the wound ed and not see the others until it was too late. Luckily no more of the group’s members were stung.
    Finally Hemlot could go no more.  They formed a defensive circle around the comatose group and sent Ferdin and Fordin on ahead to the lower entrance of the mountain.  Four hours later, a group of fifty dwarves with handcarts came plodding through the underbrush to the rescue.  Sarchise studied the newcomers.  They were all old battle-hardened dwarves in full armor with no smiles.  One could tell that these dwarves did not relish the idea of being outside, and quickly they packed up the wounded. In a few minutes, the group was once again on their way.  Two hours down the road, they were out of the trees and walking at the edge of the mountain itself.  High walls with battlements greeted them when they got closer. They walked between the walls towards the entrance of the caverns.
    As they came around the corner, there were two high towers on each side of the door.  Guards with axes stood at the bottom doorways of the towers.  The upper parts had rows of archers. There was a bridge b uilt between the towers extending above the doorway.  This also had a row of archers across it. The party stopped abruptly at the door to the High Mountain. 
    Hemlot stepped forward.  “Open the door in the name of Hemlot, commander in the King’s service.”
    The guards stood motionless.
    A dwarf stepped forward.  He was Prince Caspin, fourth born of the King. “The dwarves may enter but these are not welcome here,” he said with a sneer.
    “Open the door,” came a voice from the bridge. “All the travelers are welcome.  Send the hurt to the healers and the others t o the King’s chambers for he desires to speak with them.”  It was the voice of the Captain of the Guard. 
    Caspin glared at him, but he just smiled back.  Caspin had no authority at the gate, even though he always tried to order around the guard.
    As they entered the mine doors, Sarchise looked around in awe. He had lived in the world of men and elves all of his life and had never seen how the dwarves could carve the stone.  The door led through a long archway. Every few feet, cut into the side of the archway, were statues.  They were a visual history of the dwarves. The statues started at the gate and led through the archway, telling the story of the dwarves of Elvenshore and their battles with the gremlins.  It told of how brave men and elves had come to their aide and how they likewise came to the aide of men and elves.  It told of the creation of the Four Kingdoms of men, how they lived and of their fall.  It even told of the time when Therin , son of Kyle, came to be the current King of the mountain.
    “Amazing,” came the voice of Ermort.
    “I have never seen such beauty carved from solid rock,” Sarchise said, awed.
    When they came through the archway, they stepped into the Lower Hall.  It was twenty feet high and fifty feet wide.  It stretched forward a hundred feet with pillars every ten feet.  There were dwarf maidens carved on the bottom of the pillars spreading flowers all around and at the top of the pillars there were carved dwarf warriors, with axes strapped to their belts.  They had their arms above their heads to hold up the roof.  In the middle of the hall was a round fire pit. It had a bonfire blazing in it with off-duty guardsmen sitting around it, feasting and drinking ale, while telling stories.
    The group was escorted to the right and up a long