Legends of Belariath

Morrigan Steel

Of Crystal Shards and Mithril Dreams - Part Two

”Thud, thud, thud..” awoke her as sounds of a pick axe worked at some of the mithril vein that ran along the wall she had been propped against. She groaned and opened her eyes as one of the goblins...Elias, she thought, poked her shoulder. “Woman good?” he quipped in high pitched goblin. She rubbed her aching temple as she assured him.

”Woman, good. I mean..yes.” the goblin helped her to stand. It seemed she slept through lunch. Then words sprang suddenly to her mind and at the utterance she saw a couple dwarves turn their gaze on her.

”The Chief be giving yea the words to the 'Mithril Binding Magick', do nae speak them lest yea be working some.” she nodded, then smiled.

Work seemed to go easier now as she filled with joy at the new found knowledge. She picked her pick and shovel and set off towards one of the caverns to help dig more mithril, as she had been doing on days they hadn't been teaching her mithril smelting. She walked along the fifty feet or so to the edge and turned left to head towards one of the mine entrances when dust and screams emanated out from one of the shafts.

Quickly she sprinted towards it and discovered with the others that had arrived there had been a cave in at once of the entrances. For three days they dug and hauled away rubble, to free those who were trapped. On the third day they uncovered a few bodies of the ones who had been at the head of the group walking out with a cart of mithril. Chief Tomas was among the bodies.

She cried bitter tears as his broken form was brought forth, as well as the others who had died. Tears streaked her dirty face, leaving trails of clean flesh till dirt marred it anew. Her fingers were by now nearing bloody shreds yet she wouldn't quit and continued to drag rubble and debris from the opening. At night fall they broke through and out of 20 dwarves and goblins, 15 had survived.

Everyone rejoiced, yet a sadness hang over them like a dark cloud. The clan had lost their chief, who had no successor other than his mate and his brother and Calus was away on a journey to Nanthalion.

The bodies were removed to another unused cavern, one that had been long depleted of its precious metals till the dwarves could conduct the ceremonies for those that had passed over. Hopefully, Calus would be returning by then as he was expected any day.

That next morning, as the sun began to peak forth and sweep over the land, several torians drifted down from the mountains above, bearing their usual sacks and boxes. Morri sat watching them, just outside the small hovel she had been allocated, with Vesper at her side. Tears of grief had subsided, yet her spirit was sad and so reflected in her green eyes.

None of the dwarves were up yet, as many were exhausted from the previous days' trouble. She rose, dusted off her bottom and walked towards the torians. Perhaps she could spare the dwarves an awakening just yet. “Hello..”, she started, as of yet not having had the chance to speak to many of the torians beyond brief greetings.

”Hello.” echoed the lead torian in his higher, lilting voice. “Paladin, we bring oils, Aslas (special torian secret blended ale for dwarves!) and a Great Helm for Chief Tomas.” One of the torians stepped from behind, holding a brilliant mithril helm encrusted with equally brilliant gems that were like nothing ever seen before.

”Chief Tomas crafted treaties and trade with all torians of Silver Mountain and clans of dwarves. We bring this in his honor.” the first torian continued. “He shall be remembered in Torian history by our Storyweaver, Cassium.”

Morrigan had garnered over the months she had been staying there some of the agreements and workings of trade between the torians and some of the clans, so this news didn't surprise her greatly. The quality of gems did though, as they were like nothing she had ever seen before. Ever! Before she could speak further she heard Saras, Chief Tomas' mate and so she deferred the handsome torians to her. She returned to her walk to think. About then she noticed she one of the small children playing inside the entrance to the mine that had collapsed days before.

When she looked back to call to the torians and Saras, they had disappeared. So she rose and quickly hurried over to gather up the child, seeing no one else about. The young boy laughed and ran down into the cavern. She didn't have much on her beyond her wine and weapons so she grabbed one of the nearby lanterns, pick and shovel and headed down after the child. She hadn't gone far when she heard warning rumblings within the rock just ahead. Vesper yipped and darted forward. “Vesper!” she whispered sharply.

Moments later Vesper returned and lifted his gaze to hers. She was then 'fed' the vision of the child hitting at a strange, luminous place within the wall, just ahead. She blanched..but nothing would stop her. Bravely she pushed on, round the corner, and then she heard the sounds of the stone hitting....glass? The path was narrow here with a drop off on the right so she inched along till she drew closer to the child, who just giggled and clanked the stone he held against the luminous portion in the wall, which she estimated to be about feet high, three feet wide and more oval shaped. She lifted the lantern as other markings caught her eye, just above ...old...old...runes...markings...old dwarvish?

”Av`lth`Nar”...shapes..something falling from the skies, winged beings guarding...what? She puzzled, then came another pound from the child and she reached to curl her free arm around the waist of the child to carry him back out.

She didn’t trust him upon a floating disc as he might crawl off and she prepared a sleep spell, in case he tried to fight, which would put her off balance. Before the sounds of the echoing rock hitting the wall faded she felt a shearing stab of heat along her back just beneath where she wore her crystal sword.

She gasped in agony and her lantern fell and spiraled down into the depths off her side as she felt a hand go about HER waist. Her gaze snapped up as the child began to scream and fight and the sleep spell darted from her lips, the child slumping in her arm just as quickly. Vesper growled from his place near her ankle. Her eyes opened wide as her gaze rested on...a monster? It was roughly 5 feet tall, yet swarthy like a dwarf and had a strange glow to its face. It's eyes were large, something like a fly's, and a large mouth that seemed like strips of vibrating gauze.

The creature took advantage of her surprised state and pulled her back through where wall had just been moments ago, with Vesper launching himself in after them. There was a pop and when she looked back it seemed as if she was looking through a very dirty window that overlooked....oh...so hard to breath...she gasped, grew limp. Her sides ached as she felt wood of a cart beneath her, sickening movement, rumbling noise. She felt as if she was breathing air that was well over 100 years old and had at least that much dirt within it.

Her vision darkened, began to fade, then she was tossed out into the sunshine off the cart where she laid on her side, coughing and gasping for breath. Vesper and the child were laid down next to her. She coughed till her lungs cleared and her gaze lifted as she saw the boots before her weren't monster like at all.

Up..up a thick leg...crotch..*blush*...waist..chest...man???? She blinked, rubbed her eyes and flopped onto her back to stare at the dwarf with nearly pure white hair. He was clean shaven too! His face was normal! Then she spotted the mask in his hand. The bluish green eyes twinkled, as if friendly, yet he gazed upon her quiet sternly. “Now young lady, mind explaining what you were doing at the ancient entrance to the City of Crystals?”

”I..was trying to save the boy..” she gestured to the boy who still slept beside her. “No one noticed he was going into the cavern ...everyone was still asleep or ...with Chief Tomas...” her voice dropped softly. “Ah...yes. What a tragedy...” the dwarf said, his voice oddly smooth, she now noticed, and lacking any dialect whatsoever. “Was it then you decided to knock?” the dwarf asked.

”Knock? No. The boy was pounding on the wall with a rock. I heard noise, like it was going to collapse..so I grabbed him and then..there was the monster!”

”Monster? I saw no monster! Are you ill, girl?” the white haired dwarf asked sharply.

”No...I couldn't breath..I think it was...the monster was you.” she stammered.

Anger flashed over his features. “Me? I am no monster! That's gratitude for you, save a human and they call you a monster!” he rumbled.

”No, no..!” she protested. She motioned to the mask..”I've never seen anything like that..and without air..well..I just couldn't think.” the dwarf looked to the mask, then started to guffaw.

”It's a specially weaved crystal that pulls impurities from the air to help us breath far below ground,” he laughed and showed her..what seemed like gauze over the mouth area was very thin crystalline strands. The eyes were finely polished crystal and tinted on the inside, yet luminous on the outside, which protected the eyes yet allowed one to see in nearly pure darkness. This was all embedded into a lightweight mithril mask.

She then took another deep breath of the pure air about her and looked around. Large shards of crystals reached skyward of nearly pure white coloring. A silvery blue crystalline stream babbled not far off. The ground itself was polished smooth, yet not to the point of slipperiness and gave off a greenish cast. A yellow orb (the sun) hung in the sky beyond the spiral of crystals.

”The city...its so beautiful..” she murmured as she looked around.

”It is, but you can't stay.” The dwarf hmpfed and pointed to one of the larger crystals. “Come along with me to there. We will have some of the torians return you both to the dwarves below.”

”Is this were you make the Crystal Swords?” she blurted out as she stood and leaned to gather up the boy as Vesper slowly rose to his feet. The dwarf turned and scowled at her. “You see...I own one and would like to learn someday how to make one,” she boldly pressed forward.

”Owning doesn't mean you are responsible enough to learn. Besides...its dwarven magick! And..you don't look like a dwarf to me!” he said firmly as they entered the crystalline building. She laid the child down on a couch made of blue crystal and gazed about...”What's “Av`lth`Nar” then?” she asked.

The dwarf gave an exasperated noise, threw his hands up and spun to look at her, the mask tossed upon a transparent blue crystal table.

”Persistant, aren't you? Chief Tomas did say you were at that.” He scratched his chin.

She lifted a brow. “Oh..we send parchments back and forth,” he waved his hand, answering the question before she asked.

”Then you know more about me than I you. May I at least have a name?” she asked, deciding to tread softly, yet firmly, for once.

”My name is Ar`cli`em,” came out almost like a melody it was so smooth, so lilting. She smiled and turned to sit at one of the transparent blue cubes at the table when her back felt a line of fire along it. She gasped and moved to remove her scabbard and crystal sword.

Ar watched her, then scratched his chin. “Sometimes the crystals act up around other crystals, the magicks and life within them don't always 'mesh' with other nearby crystals. It will disappear once you leave the city or don't wear your blade around the crystals here. Leave your crystal sword over there..” he motioned to a shorter, low table, near one of the windows that was pure white. “It's neutral.” She found, once her blade was upon it she was fine.

”Now, wait here,” he instructed then left before she could even protest. So she waited with Vesper and the boy and decided to wash some of the taste of dirt from her mouth with her Fire Wine while she studied the mask curiously that Ar had left behind. As she sat the mask down on the table where he had left it she bumped one of the reddish orange pillars next to the blue crystal couch and droplets of Fire Wine splattered against the pillar and couch. The blue remained unchanged but the pillar seemed to flair to a brilliant red, almost as if life swirled within.

”Oh...I hope...I didn't damage it!” she capped the wineskin and began to search around with her eyes for something to wipe it down with when Ar and a torian entered. Ar stopped so quickly the torian ran into him, nearly sending both to the polished floor. “What did you do?!” Ar exclaimed.

”I'm sorry. I didn't mean to damage it. I'll pay for it,” with what she didn't know and had a sinking feeling this was going to cost her a bundle.

”Damage?! Nonsense...you woke it! At last!” He clapped his thick hands together then scurried over to run his hands over its surface. The fiery red crystal hummed.

”Tell the Mithril Guardians the paladin is staying for a while. She will be down with us at Chief Tomas' burial but for now...she's staying. Take the boy down. Now..how did you do this?” The white haired dwarf insistent, yet enraptured with the change within the red crystal couldn't seem to take his eyes off it long enough to look to either her or the torian. He simply waved the torian and boy off.

Now she had a bargaining chip. Carefully she thought...”Shall we deal then?” Ar turned a sharp gaze on her. “Deal?”

”Yes, you tell me about the “Av`lth`Nar”, and how to make Crystal Swords...and I will tell you what I did.” Her jaw taking on that familiar `Steel` set.

”Alright, you first, then I will tell you.” Ar said, still caressing the crystal fondly. She started to open her mouth then closed it. “No. I know I can keep my word, but ...how do I know you can? One of us has to give something first. How about you tell me about the “Av`lth`Nar” and something you prize to hold till I learn about the Crystal Swords..I will tell you then and then give back your item and be off.” She counter proposed.

He sighed. “You are stubborn.” She chuckled. “I know.” Finally he released the red crystal and crooked his thick finger at her. “Your wolf will be safe here, come, I will show you then.” She nodded and moved to follow him as he lead her out the building and towards a smaller, one story high thick, darker crystalline building. As she neared she saw it was made of something like Obsidian and very ancient.

Ar waved his hand along the wall as they walked then he stopped before one and spoke in an ancient, arcane tongue. Silver pulled to the surface and began to take various shapes in depiction of his narration.

”Long, long ago, large boulders fell from the sky during the times of the Great Wars. It was believed the Gods themselves were fighting as well, trying to wipe all races from the face of this land. Many dwarves found refuge in caverns below, but some of the boulders were so large they caused the land to shake and trap many below in cave ins as they hurled into Av`lth`Nar mountains. Many among all races were killed from falling dust and debris.” His voice tinged in the sad retelling.

She knitted her brow in concern, her green eyes watching the play of silvery patterns upon the smooth, dark surface.

”The races were dying..even the mages that controlled the ground could not fashion molten pits fast enough to swallow these boulders to prevent the damage and dust clouds they raised. The Av'lth'Nar, or Ain..or as you know them among your kind, the torian, were at a loss as well. They couldn't fly fast enough to warn anyone nor get out of the way of the boulders.” The silver stopped, swirled and quickly formed again.

”Dwarves and torian, at that time, didn't live peacefully together, both more warlike and uncooperative. Except for couple. Two young men, a dwarf and torian, each in love with one of the other's race, decided to try. Both, as yet, not having passed their tests of manhood, yet they believed themselves to be men. And so they acted.”

”What did they do?” She asked softly.

”Their names are lost in the annals of time....yet their story forever remains here, in this stone....but the torian male, upon request of the dwarf, brought him some of the boulders. The dwarf was a new earth mage and it took him a great deal of time, but he managed to extract crystals from the rocks from the skies, which appeared quartz-like, using a mix of silver sand and acid, much like we do still. He then infused the crystals with magicks and cut and shaped them into thin rods. The rods were then given to the two torians, his friend and the one he desired, to carry high up into torian lands, above where anyone else could go.” He paused, wearily, then continued.

”The torians planted the crystal rods in high mountain peaks. Then they returned to this mountain, where the dwarves lived. They didn't have long to wait as the next wave of boulders came.”

She let out a breath she wasn't aware of holding, half expecting him to tell her that one had been killed..but then the tale wasn't over yet.

”The boulders came faster..and then something new happened. the magicks within the rods seemed draw the boulders here, cause them to shake into smaller ones and crash within the more barren areas of the torian lands. One large boulder came hurtling towards the center of this mountain. Dwarves fled, into the ancient exit, down the sides, however they could. All except for the young dwarven earth mage who was trying to infuse more rods with his magicks. The torian bravely risked his life to save his dwarven friend.” His words came a bit slower now.

”He saved the dwarf and the rock crashed atop the mountain. Many of the crystals that make this city came from it. The torian took the few rods from the dwarf and tried to come back to post more about the mountain. He was killed in the attempt. It was said Ryasak, our God of Stone and healing, cast the torian in the skies in the most beautiful crystals of all to watch over us, his bravery that great, and fashioned a pool with the bluest of crystals as its base, the torian's favorite color, upon the high mountains, above the high stream, in his honor. It's waters rumored to be restorative in nature, though it's never been proved.”

”The torian that fights the dragon, in the skies?” she asked after some pause, the dark stone at last going blank.

”Yes,” said the dwarf, his voice shaken. “He fought a great battle for us and so keeps the 'beasts' from us with his Crystal Sword. Boulders have fallen from time to time, from the skies, in remembrance, its felt...but its stated the unknown torian cuts them smaller before they crash.”

”What happened to the torian girl and dwarf...the dwarven girl?”

He finished the tale then, “They eventually married among their own kind, but their friendship remained unbroken till their deaths.” The white hair dwarf lead her from the building then and back towards the first one, silent. Finally, she cleared her throat as they neared...”Thank you. I..” she just didn't know what to say now, after such a sad tale. “It was the wine.”

He stopped short and gazed up at her. “What?”

She offered her wine skin to him...”It's Fire Wine. I accidentally spilled some on the pillar..”

He shook his head, seeming to not believe her. She walked in with him, poured some on her fingers and flicked it at the pillar. Again, it stirred to life. He then took the wine skin, sniffed it. “You have more?” He queried. “A few more bottles, in my gear down with the Mithril Clan. It's common around Nanthalion, though, come to think of it, I wasn't able to find much north of there.”

He chuckled. “We don't have it around here. It's not as good as the ancients..but maybe it can be refined. Do you know what's in it?”

She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “No, I just drink it, but I can try and find out...or arrange for shipments to be sent back with Calus, Chief Tomas' brother”.

He scratched his chin, his eyes turning a bit shrewd. “Then let's make a deal...” And so the two dealed, shipments of wine, or the recipe, for knowledge. After all, it wasn't for drink, but a use.

She spent the next couple months, learning the long, difficult procedure from Ar. Though whether she could ever fully master it was another thing. While attending Chief Tomas' burial she got her last few bottles of Fire Wine and the following day she started to learn.

The boulders, or rocks, were first placed in pools of silver sand and acid (roughly a 2:1 ratio mix) and heated till it bubbled. Crystals were forced to the sides by the bubbling and when the pool cooled, its bottom appeared like Obsidian with lines of silver.

Next, the earth mage held the crystal to his chest as he began to infuse the crystal with some of life essence. The spell seemed similar to Heart's Blood, but she wasn't positive, but it caused the crystal to glow with a life of its own. The earth mage then let the crystal float before him as he manipulated it and began to call forth his magicks in steps, a accumulation of Rock Dagger, Rock Blade and Molten Earth.

The lapidarian, using special crystals of a contrasting hue over his eyes then the crystal that was being worked on, would guide the earth mage in his use of magicks in fashioning the crystal and cut it along the best lines to form the high quality crystals that were avidly sought. Especially for Crystal Swords. This process alone took several days just for one, semi flexible crystal that would ultimately become a highly prized crystal sword and relied heavily upon cooperation to an almost innate sense between the mage and lapidarian. A final burnishing with molten earth completed the process and sealed the magicks within.

She studied and watched and listened for days..but the magicks employed were extremely difficult and beyond her mastery as yet. Then a question popped to her mind. “How are you going to use Fire Wine in all this? You can't add it to the pool...or anywhere else..” she puzzled.

”Its for drinking.”

She cocked a brow. “But..you don't like wine?” Ar was such an enigma.

”I prefer ale, but just as you have said you use wine to restore yourself after a healing, I have found certain drinks before we transfer essence into the crystal enhance its affects.” She groaned. He laughed. “You think too much and the simple eluded you.” She grinned. “As always.”

Before she knew it, her time with the dwarves was done and she had to leave the splendor of the mountaintop hidden crystal city and the mithril clan. The trip home warmer, quicker, yet strangely, it seemed longer.....

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