Elvenshore: 01 - The Dwarves of Elvenshore Read Online Free Page B

please and often grumpy.  He was unhappy that the his father the King let in the ‘intruders.’ He was one of the many shamed at the King for not letting the armies go to the aide of men and thought that having men in the halls of the dwarves would bring further shame to his people. Men had had to save dwarves, not once, but twice in the three days that they ventured out from High Mountain. When he heard the full story of how man and dwarf fought and fell shoulder to shoulder, he was pleased.  He had even managed a rare smile. His warrior blood burned within him.  He longed for battle that had been denied him for years and years. 
    He was angry with his brother for not taking him along to the Mountains of Iron.  When he realized that Cazz could not be the King under the mountains if the older brother came along he was no longer upset at him.  But then he was angry with himself for not thinking of it first.  Then he was relieved that he had not done it, for he too knew nothing of the world outside and would have been easy prey for the spiders as his brother had been. 
    He came in to help with the preparing of the feast, or rather order around those who were preparing the feast. He was then told the story of the meeting between Sarchise and the King.  He tilted his head back and laughed aloud.  A deep throaty laugh that he had not had in a long time. “The humans had no idea of what had actually just happened,” he said and laughed again to himself.   He made his way up to his father’s chambers to talk.
    Sarchise had a fitful time sleeping.  His hips kept finding their way through the pillows to the cold stone below.  He had to readjust himself every few minutes.  Finally he gave up and sat up.  Ferdin was just coming in the room.
    “Sarchise, the fifth son is running a fever. The healer is worried about him.”
    “That is a good sign, that means his blood is starting to move better and the body has found the poison in his system and is trying to get rid of it. After the fever starts it usually takes just one to two days for the person to awaken,” Sarchise explained.
    “Oh,” Ferdin said, looking down. “My father has no fever. I thought that it was a good sign.”
    “I would not hold much hope in your heart for your father,” Sarchise said gently.  “An angry spider bites harder than a hungry one does. Very few that have had hard spider bites live to tell the tale.  The elves had a potion made from a red flower that grows only in Northwood that was supposed to draw out the poison and could cure all but the hardest spider bites.  They made a tea of these flowers and fed it to the stricken ones.  It’s called Elf’s Blood.  But I am afraid that it, along with other secrets of the elf’s medicine, left with them.”
    “What will happen to my father?”
    “If he does not recover after a week, the poison will slow his body to the point that it will stop altogether,” explained Sarchise.
    “ Harn also lingers, though they said he was dead after the battle,” Ferdin questioned.
    “We have seen many men fall to the bite of the spider and know not which will make it and which will not.  Without elvish medicine it was plain to us that Harn , as well as your father had no chance,” Sarchise said.
    “My father was old and a warrior.  He would not have liked to die around a bonfire.  He fell in battle and the poets are already writing songs about him to sing at the feast tonigh t. He would have been proud to know that he was a warrior of song.” With that Ferdin made his way back down to the healer to tell him the good news for the prince and the bad news of his father.
    Two guards came in after Ferdin had left. A smiling Caspin followed them. 
    The first guard said, “The King bids you to a feast in your honor.” He then turned and walked out. 
    Caspin added, “I hope you are hungry.” And then turning to Sarchise he said, “And I have arranged with the King for a surprise for