Legends of Belariath

Krom

The Gem of Rash’ halla

The snow flurried through the air as the rough barbarian raised a glove to his eyes, trying to see out into the distance. It had been hell that trip, clearly the evils of Masten were at work for surely he could not find his way back to Nathalion. All this trouble for a slave, for a slave’s happiness. The issue of this slave had pressed on his mind lately, his nimiane, his beautiful swan seemed so lost that no more could he take the wondering without the assistance of the spirit hut. He needed this trip to Heldar more than he truly cared to admit.

As Krom worked his way through the cold blizzarding mountains he thought about what he had learned in Heldar. The spirits seemed unclear, and although he was an Elder they wouldn’t completely give their truths to him. He had been hoping for something more clear, anorder to release her, or a path to lead her. But all that they had said to him was that she must find her own path, and that he was not the one to lead her there. So vague that answer. Had they meant that he should release her? Or perhaps they meant that he should find her another mentor, like his Owl had suggested. The spirits had always been clear with him, but now when it truly mattered they spoke to him in riddles again.

Over and over again his conversations, his arguments with nimiane played over in his head. The girl had completely worked her way into his mind and his soul. He wanted her happiness, her salvation, but also he wanted peace. He saw the distress that their conflicts caused to all the members of his household, and he knew how much of this problem troubled him so that every day he threw himself more and more into work, despite his slave’s constant begging to return home to be with her, to bed with her. How could he show her that giving her body was only one part of what he wanted for her?

The more he thought about it, the colder his body seemed to become, the frost sticking to the stubble along his face, and the fur of his cloak. He blinked a little, coming out of his thoughts and suddenly realized that the world around him was white, and that there was no turning back, nor going forward or surely he would be lost in the blizzard. The large barbarian brought his gloved hand to his eyes once more, peering over the brief area he could see. The mountains were still to his right, and where there were mountains there were caves and at least he could find a place to rest and wait out the storm somewhere within. He changed from the direction he was heading, his footprints becoming lost in the snow quickly as he veered off for the mountains.

It didn’t take the barbarian long to find a cave, there were plenty of them in the mountains, and at least in his search he had temporarily forgotten about nimiane and his trouble with her. He stepped inside and carefully regarded his surroundings. It was cold and dark, and where there is a cave there is often an inhabitant. He knelt down a moment, careful to listen to the ground and to the cave to hear any sounds of a creature within, but there was nothing. Satisfied with this, Krom settled himself on the floor before removing the pack he carried on his back. He was an experienced traveler and with all these return trips to Heldar he had learned that one must always be prepared. It took him but a few moments before a flint was found and a fire was lit. However it was in that moment he saw the creature sitting at the back of the cave, starring at him with glistening diamond eyes.

As his eyes cleared to the light he saw before him one of the dragon kind, an ice dragon, like that who had terrorized Nathalion for days on end, but upon closer inspection he realized that this one was young, for it barely filled the back of the cave, and the treasure of gold and gems scattered around it was modest. He drew his sword, ready to fight this creature as he had the dragon that had been the fear of so many, however as he did so, he heard a tiny squeak of fear from the creature and a flash to it’s eyes and he knew immediately that an attack was not in it’s plans. Carefully he knelt down, taking one log from the fire and rose to his feet stepping closer to the creature that he now recognized as a dragon. It was certainly young, and afraid as he could see it’s legs pulling at restraints. Puzzled he knelt down once more and looked over the dragon’s feet, inspecting the chain there while the creature sniffed and snorted at him.

The chain was nearly perfectly crafted, nothing that he could remove without the tools from his forge or without the key that would clearly be necessary to unlock the bolts that held the chains to the ground. Normally Krom wouldn’t have cared if a dragon were left to it’s own devices chained in an unknown cave, but this creature was young, a child really and he could do no harm to one that had not yet reached it’s maturity. He reached for the lock to inspect it’s design when suddenly a thick piece of wood cracked him upside the head and he was knocked off balance.

"Die thief!" came the cry from behind him as Krom staggered to his feet grappling for his sword as his head swum with the pain and the disorientation of the blow. He finally turned, sword only half at the ready as a second blow caught him square in the shoulder.

"Ye won’t be getting none o’ me treashure ya here?!" the cry barked this time as the barbarian finally recognized that the sound was a woman’s voice. He staggered with the second blow but as his head cleared he managed to block out the pain and turned to face the woman. She was dressed all in furs, her hair wild and black, tangled into a knotted mass that gave her a terribly wretched appearance. She had lost teeth, and although she may have at one point been a beautiful woman she was now reduced to nothing more than a hag wielding a tree branch for a weapon.

Krom swung at her quickly, catching one of her shoulders with just the tip of his sword, freeing the fur from it, but barely touching her skin. The woman shrieked out at him as she swung the branch again, missing him this time as Krom moved from outside it’s reach.

"Ye! Ye one of thems from Heldar! Cast me out ye all did! Said I wasn’t good enough fer the Clan. Nay an Elder to take me, nor a young lad to bed me. Said I was no good, too old for children. A curse on ye and all the rest of yer kind. I hope Masten swallows ye heartless people all up. But not me. Oh no, I’ll be takin this here dragon and trainin him, and thens I’m gonna cast ye all out of Heldar, make it my home. Keep all the treasures for me’s self." The woman snarled as she swung once more before Krom had time to swing his sword again, her fur clothing hanging limply on the cut shoulder.

Krom jumped from her path again and this time swung the sword piercing through her furs and into her right shoulder. "Nay, it’s you who has taken Masten into your heart, and it’s you who will die for it!" He hollered at her, twisting the sword once to cause her pain before drawing it back out of her body.

The woman yelped and screeched out but she didn’t drop her branch. She swung it back at him, catching the side of his face in a flurry of anger and spite, her lips spitting back at him even as she saw his sword draw back as if he had never been hit by her and then sink down cleanly into her chest. Her eyes went wide suddenly and she tried to speak, but naught was heard but a bubbling within her throat.

" You will not find sanctuary here Masten" Krom said finally as he removed the sword and wiped it on the woman’s fur clothing before sheathing it once more. It was then that the pain swelled in his face and he could feel the bruises beginning to form. His Owl could care for that, but first he needed to see to the dragon.

Krom’s meaty hands tore through the woman’s clothing until finally he found the key. He left her there in disarray, feeling no respect for one of Masten’s followers. He spoke to the dragon while he worked, re-telling the tale of Heldar’s recovery by the Red Fist people so that hopefully it would soothe the young creature. The key worked perfectly in each lock and after a short time the dragon was free. Krom stepped back and looked at the magnificent creature as it stretched out it’s wings and looked at him in such a way that Krom thought that perhaps he should redraw his sword. The creature flashed it’s sharp dangerous teeth that could clearly consume a man even at it’s young age, but then it quickly turned away, stomping from it’s spot with the thunderous sound that such a large creature emits. It’s tail moved once, curling around it’s treasure and then snorted at Krom with the motion to the door, clearly indicating that it wanted him to leave.

Despite Krom’s desire to wait out the storm within, he no more wanted to share a cave with the dragon anymore than he wanted to injure a child, no matter it’s species. He nodded slightly and turned to go, giving the once captive creature the respect that it deserved. He carefully lifted up his pack and moved to go when all of a sudden there was one last snort. He turned to look at the dragon and suddenly a bright sparkling gem was falling to his hands. The dragon gave him a curt nod and a snort and then turned it’s back to Krom, waiting for him to go.

Outside the cave Krom realized that the flurry had stopped, but all paths were lost beneath the thick blanket of snow, and he had no idea where he was. He looked to the sky and located the direction he believed was south and began trudging off, staring at the gem as he went. It was an odd treasure, a jewel with many facets that seemed to be of many types of gems. He could see within it ruby, emerald, diamond, sapphire and topaz all bound within a grand jewel that seemed to be crystal. He shrugged to himself a little, it would catch a fair price if nothing else and slipped it in his pocket, working his way back down the mountain towards the south.

The strange gem tormented him as he walked, so that he could think of nothing else. One moment it was hot, the next moment it was cold. Sometimes it felt as if it were melting and the next as if it were lighter than air. It drove him nearly crazy as he approached a forest that miraculously seemed to be free of the snow. Perhaps he was getting closer to Nathalion he thought, noting the way that weather had changed from Heldar down to the south. He had just entered the line of trees when he could hear a crackling of tree branches around him.

"Neshan llie" a command called from behind him as Krom turned to see a group of elven men and women surrounding him with bows. He knew not what they said but their intent was quite clear. He knew when he was out numbered and raised his hands out. An arrow was shoved crisply between his shoulder blades and he knew that he was meant to walk. The archers surrounded him, forming a circle around he and his leader as they headed deeper into the forest. They were silent for the most part, only speaking in elven once or twice and it made Krom forget about the gem and return his thoughts to nimiane and her constant pressure to make him learn to speak elven.

It felt as if they walked forever, the elves leading him deeper and deeper into the forest, straying from any obvious path until they reached a clearing where he could see many little homes built both on the ground and up amongst the tree branches. The archers then moved, forming a wider circle around him as an older looking elf appeared, a thin man, clearly in the latest stages of elven life, if there was such as thing as his hair had begun to gray and he walked with the assistance of a walking stick. This was clearly a man of great wisdom and an elder to his people.

Slowly the man stared at Krom, his eyes moving over him as he spoke to him in a crisp tone, never breaking from the elven tongue. As he spoke, Krom realized that some of what he said was questions, due to his intonation, but whenever he tried to even speak his name in common the man would shake his head and continue on in elven. The man’s hands reached out and gently touched over the bruises and then his lips, turning to the others before he began again in elven speech. Krom listened to him, catching only a few words that nimiane used often, but not even understanding those fully. The man seemed to be making a speech to his people and then suddenly the arrow was between his shoulder blades again and he was being marched to one of the wooden homes. The archer motioned him inside and the quickly shut the door, leaving him alone in a room devoid of anything but a bed and a fire while he listened to the sound of more people coming to guard the outside of the room.

Krom’s fist slammed against the floor, angry with himself for getting caught, however as he sat down, he realized that they had left him with his sword and that in itself seemed a little strange for people that would be keeping him captive. There was a few more sounds from outside and then a beautiful young woman stepped into his room, holding in her arms a pile of clothing and a few other assorted objects. She was beautiful and had an almost golden aura that resonated around her. The woman smiled to him in such a manner that immediately he felt at ease, yet one hand tucking hair behind her ears revealed her as being of elven decent and he was immediately suspicious. Yet when she saw the look on his face she just laughed softly and knelt down by his bedside.

"You mustn’t fear barbarian," she said softly in common, her speech almost difficult to understand due to the soft lulling nature of her elven accent. "There aren’t many here that have left Rash’halla we are a very private people. I hope you will forgive our suspicion of strangers, but the others didn’t understand your speech." She said softly, carefully setting the items down beside her.

Krom regarded the woman suspiciously, struggling a little to hear her through her accent, but he was also captivated by her beauty. She had long flowing blond hair that rippled down her back in a way that reminded him of some of the highest Red Fist slaves, and her eyes were a tender almost other worldly blue that held in them the wisdom he had seen so many times in his first slave’s eyes. He couldn’t help but to feel patient and kind around this woman, her voice and her appearance all holding a calming effect, despite the suspicion he had about elves.

"Rash’halla? I have never heard of it. But you, you can understand me? How is this?"

The woman smiled again with that aura of patience and tenderness as she nodded to him and softly replied. "Aye, the people of Rash’halla are known for their uses of magic, a magic that we don’t want given to the rest of the world. We fear that those of shorter lives would misuse what we have learned and put it to means of destruction. For that reason we have hidden ourselves here in this forest, and built this home, to advance our knowledge, to turn it for the good of the world. For some time we had perfected a magic that would keep us hidden from those who would do us harm, but we lost the source of that magic some time ago. That is the reason for which I learned common, so that I could go with a party to recover the magic, and I could serve as one who could speak between parties, what is that word again? Interpreter is it?" She asked as she looked back over at him and then smiled a little after he nodded to her.

"So why am I being kept here then?" he asked shortly, the barbarian wanting to return to Nathalion and to be on his way as soon as possible.

"Well in all honestly, they are not sure what to do with you. You are an intruder, you have seen our home and perhaps you could even do us harm. They may decide that you will not be released at all. Fear not for your life though.. as although we know how to fight, we would not take a life that came here in innocence."

" Well I certainly don’t have any intentions on staying here for the rest of my life!" the Barbarian boomed, watching as the girl grimaced a little at his loud voice, and then he sighed slightly as her own tenderness just seemed to sap the anger from him. "So why you? Why are you here?"

"They sent me to tend to your wounds. That bruise will close your eyes by morning if it isn’t cared for. That and I have brought you fresh clothes, so that I might clean the bloodied ones you wear for you. You must feel tired and although we do not welcome foreigners it doesn’t seem right to us to not be hospitable to one who is clearly in need. If you would just let me touch your wounds then.." she said, trailing off on her sentence as she reached for his face.

"You won’t be doing any witchery on me woman! That be the work of Masten" he said quite fervently, backing away from her touch.

The elven lady laughed slightly and nodded. "I thought it might be that way with your kind. I read that they were suspicious. I did bring with me some frozen water for the forests edge and some other items then.. no magic I promise you." She said with a soft smile and then proceeded to tend to his wounds, having him hold the ice wrapped in a cloth to his eye to bring down the swelling as she carefully worked his clothing from his body, blushing slightly at his nakedness before carefully dabbing the wounds clean with warm water and a soft cloth.

Were it not for the fact that his body had finally begun to ache Krom would have taken the blushing elven woman then and there for she looked like such a vision of perfect innocence in her royal blue gown and her soft golden hair, however being tired and sore he took pleasure in the simple fact that she was embarrassed by cleaning him. She finished finally, leaving her cheeks furiously red before she bound his few bleeding wounds and helped him to redress in the soft flowing fabrics of the elven people.

"I will take your things and wash them, expect me back later this evening, if anyone needs words from you ask for Liana and I will be your voice." She said softly before leaving with his things, the gem forgotten in Krom’s pocket as he relaxed into his pallet and fell asleep.

Krom’s dreams came to him in tormenting whirls of images. He dreamed of the elves, the dragon, the ragged woman in the cave, but most of all he dreamt of nimiane. Even in his dreams he couldn’t forget about her. He saw her then in his sleep with the people of Rash’halla, happy and without a collar, standing there amongst them as an equal speaking in their tongues, and loving amongst their men. He felt a terrible feeling of loss in this dream, but the smile on nimiane’s face was something that he carried with him even into the waking world as a gentle hand nudged him awake.

"Barbarian.. we must speak with you, please wake up" Liana’s voice called as Krom slowly came to and rubbed his eyes awake.

"What is it?" he grumbled gruffly, sitting up and then noticing that the old man was standing in the back of the room "And what is he doing here?" he asked.

"When I was cleaning, I found this in your pocket? Do you know what it is?" she asked softly, holding out the gem that the dragon had tossed to Krom on his way out of the cave.

"Sure, it’s some funny looking fool gem thing that gives off strange feelings when you carry it around in your pocket. Some dragon gave it to me, why?" he asked gruffly, looking at the two elves curiously, and then down at the gem that seemed to have changed in color now to almost the shade of moonstone.

"Oh Barbarian, you have no idea how much this is worth to our people. This is the gem of Rash’halla. This is the magic that has kept us safe here for so long. It was stolen from us by a dragon, as they are immune to the magic we have. We are sure it saw it only as treasure and not for what it is, the key to our lives here. It was a young dragon and so it must be forgiven for it hasn’t learned the ways of the world yet."

"Well then it seems that I have a fairly powerful piece to the puzzle then don’t I? So I’ll be taking that gem back then and we’ll be discussing the details of my release." Krom said gruffly, snatching the gem back into his hand from the woman’s palm. But with that motion the old man stepped forward and began conversing with the woman in elven.

"He says that if it was given to you by a dragon that we can not ask you for it’s return but leave you to go on about your way as you had before, as a dragon would not let you live were it not for a reason. We are not allowed to interfere with the plans of greater beings." She said softly, small tears coming to her eyes as she looked down at the gem, seeing in it the way of her people. But as her first tear fell there was a call from the older elf and an archer entered the wooden home, carrying in his hands a large elven warbow. The man stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on the woman’s shoulder and she looked at him with a little smile and then turned back to Krom.

"He says that although we can’t demand return of the gem, we can offer an exchange. We offer to you a warbow, of elven craft. A rarity amongst your kind he says. He says that if you will give to us the gem, he would be happy to bestow upon you the bow."

Krom looked the elves over suspiciously, before finally speaking "So then I’m allowed to go, and if I give you your gem, then I can have the war bow, is that right?" He asked finally, the response given being a nod from all those in the room. "Well then if that be the case, you can have your precious gem, and I’ll be taking that there bow and I’ll be on my way." He said before standing up, the female interpreting his words as he turned the gem over to the elder and the bow was thrust to his hands. He looked over it’s quality, smiling a little to himself as he looked at the elven inscription along it ""Liy mani enna var" He frowned a little to himself, looking to Liana as the men left. "What does this inscription mean?" He asked curiously, running his hand along the darkened letters on the bow.

"It is the vow that all of our archers take, love what one protects. It means that we will only kill or injure to save that which we love, that which we protect. If that love of protection is gone one is nothing more than a senseless killer. Be well Barbarian and have a safe journey home."

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