6.Eagle was surprised to find stairs leading further underground in the hollow from which the mountain ogres had emerged. They were sturdy stairs and appeared well-maintained. They had to be used often, then.
“Who made those?” he wanted to know.
“We did,” Lothar answered. “Our ancestors, that is. Even Mountain Ogres need to reach the surface from time to time, if only to determine where we are. This is one such exit. You were lucky to fall asleep on top of it.”
Eagle was silent. The Ogres might call it luck. He thought it was more some force making sure he reached a certain place. Back in the desert he used to think that was the hand of the Sun Gods or Rain Goddesses. Now, he was not so sure.
“How many days do we have until we reach the edge of the swamps?” he asked.
“It is a straight road underground,” Halmar told him. “It will not take more than a week.”
A week was a rather daunting prospect to spend underground without feeling the sun or the fresh air. It made Eagle remember his time in the dungeons of the Temple of the Sun Gods. He glanced at Grey-mane. The wolf looked flustered. But he was still willing to follow Eagle where he led. Eagle supposed that if Grey-mane could conquer his instincts and walk on, he could conquer whatever fears he had.
Lothar walked ahead, carrying a torch. It did not take long for Eagle to realise they did not actually need one and that the torch was lit for his benefit. He neglected to mention he had not much of a need for a torch, either.
The first few days passed easily enough. Eagle was too curious about the Mountain Ogres and their ways to pay much attention to his surroundings. Also, his guides led them at a great pace. He was often tired. When they stopped, he slept deeply, with no dreams to trouble him. But, as time passed, the darkness and the oppressive walls were beginning to take their toll on him.
He did not like being underground. He was beginning to think he had made a mistake, accepting the Ogres’ invitation. He should have stayed in the swamp. Perhaps he would have been able to find a way to get through it unharmed. He did not mention his terror to the Mountain Ogres. They would not have understood as they were at home underground. It was beneath the naked sky that they felt uncomfortable and exposed.
Despite his uneasiness, Eagle enjoyed the company of his guides. He found he liked them, after a fashion. They were curt and not very fair to look upon. But they were kind, nonetheless, and knew many things. They told Eagle many stories during their week-long journey. Lothar ruled over the biggest clan of the Mountain Ogres. Their metropolis was a large one beneath the mountains in the vicinity of the City of White Marble. From their city, tunnels sprang all over the World Without, southwards and northwards to other mountains and other clans.
“It takes people many months for such journeys on the surface,” Halmar explained. “But we Mountain Ogres move faster, and the tunnels make a straighter road. On the surface there are often dangers one cannot foresee. That is why we do not like it there. When other races wish to have dealings with us, we usually invite them to our underground towns.”
“Of course, that is not always possible,” Lothar went on. “There are councils where we must be present, like this trade council in the Merchants’ Citadel. But you must give up certain comforts if you wish to open yourself to the world. It was not always like that. Our previous ruler was headstrong and an isolationist. He wanted nothing to do with the surface – unless it was to cause those that dwelt there trouble. But when I took over at his death, I knew I must make peace with mankind. So, I struck an alliance with the City of White Marble and its friends. We have benefited from it greatly. It was not even the first time. We have helped those of the city before – and they, in turn, helped us. There is a bond between us as old as the city itself. We know many of its secrets. Some that are known now only to its rulers. We are guardians, they and us. That is our true purpose.”
“What are you guarding against?” Eagle wanted to know.
He regretted his question when he noticed the wary light in his companions’ eyes. He quickly lowered his own.
“I am afraid that was rather bold of me,” he said apologetically.
“Curiosity is natural, I suppose,” Lothar accepted indulgently. “But there are secrets we cannot reveal to just any stranger we meet on the road, Eagle. And that is not an accusation against your trustworthiness.”
Eagle nodded quickly.
“Of course,” he said. “I would never ask you to reveal secrets to me.”
Lothar looked at Eagle thoughtfully.
“Perhaps you will find out yourself one day. Who knows?”
Eagle very much doubted that would happen. He was not eager to know, either. He had been aware of plenty of secrets while in the service of the Desert Gods. He was wary of starting that kind of life again.
***
They walked on through the dark tunnels. Eagle had almost lost track of time. He was sure the week promised by the Mountain Ogres had long passed. He was beginning to regret trusting the two so quickly. What if they had lured him and Grey-mane into a trap? Perhaps Mountain Ogres would not say no to wolf-flesh – or even human flesh – if they were hungry enough.
He always firmly told himself he was overreacting. If the two Ogres had wanted to eat either him or Grey-mane, they would have done so without going to the trouble of befriending them first. The Mountain Ogres were strong. They would have gotten the upper hand quickly enough. They had no need of subterfuges.
Lothar and his brother were both very kind to Eagle. They asked no more questions than was necessary. They accepted his quirks and sought to teach him all they could of the World Without. It was unfair to doubt them. But it was hard to be fair in the ever present darkness. The lack of light set Eagle on edge. He was sure he could hear whispers in the darkness and footsteps that did not belong to him or his companions.
“Does anything live in the tunnels?” he asked at one point, when the elusive voices all around him became too much to bear.
He noticed Lothar and Halmar exchange concerned looks. He also saw how they tried to remain calm.
“When we built the tunnels, we did not intend anyone to live in them,” Lothar said. “But some creatures do take up residence here from time to time. They spend years lurking in the dark. Waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
The way Lothar had spoken, it made him feel there was some impending doom heading for them.
“Waiting for a time darkness is on the surface, too,” Lothar said heavily. “Sometimes there are bad things up there. The creatures of the dark could do great damage then if they are quick. And if they are properly led.”
Lothar fell silent then, looking flustered. Eagle had the impression the Ogre thought he had said more than was cautious. He made no comment, not wanting to put Lothar in a worse position.
Whatever creatures lived in the dark tunnels, they were content only to wait without attacking. Either that, or they did not think it was wise to spring upon two Mountain Ogres, a wolf and an armed man. Whatever the reason, they all passed through the tunnels unmolested. The end of the week came and Lothar led Eagle and Grey-mane up another flight of steps. During their underground voyage they had passed many such steps. Lothar explained they were for the Ogres travelling great distances to determine where they were.
“We can find our way underground quite well. But the surface and the world of men are constantly changing.”
As promised, Eagle and Grey-mane found themselves back on the surface exactly a week after entering the tunnel. Eagle was glad, although at the same time, he could not prevent the pang of regret. Strange as the two mountain Ogres were, they were company. He would miss them.
It was midnight outside. Eagle supposed he should be grateful for that. After a week in darkness, the bright rays of the sun would have surely blinded him. He stood for a while sniffing the night air, finding it refreshingly cool after the stuffiness of the tunnels. The Mountain Ogres, he noticed with some amusement, were none too pleased with the change.
“I thank you for your kindness,” he told them. “I assure you I shall not forget it – and you.”
Lothar and Halmar bowed solemnly.
“We shall not forget you, either, Eagle,” Lothar said. “Who knows? We might meet again. After all, in these lands and in these times all our paths lead to the same place.”
It could have been only the usual words of parting for Mountain Ogres. They probably spoke them to everyone they met. But Eagle could not shake off the feeling that Lothar knew something. And once again, he thought he could hear from far away, the sound of an unavoidable doom.
7. The time was drawing near for another parting. Eagle could feel it, even if he did not want to admit it. Soon, he knew, he would be all alone again. And for the first time since he could remember, the thought terrified him.
Grey-mane had not given him any sign. He still followed Eagle. But there were subtle clues. Had Eagle not been a Light-tender and so attuned to other beings, he might have missed it. But he knew. Grey-mane would leave him soon. The wolf belonged to these lands. He must have strayed unknowingly into the marshes, somehow. And now he was out of that cursed place. Now he was back home. There would be no reason for him to keep travelling.
Eagle wondered what he would do when Grey-mane finally left. For some time he debated not letting him. He knew his influence as Light-tender. He could control Grey-mane, make the wolf accompany him forever. And, like this, he would no longer be alone. But that was just a thought born out of fear. Grey-mane was a friend. In honour of that friendship, Eagle would have to let him go.
They walked one more week. The land was changed. It was still grassy, but it was beginning to climb again. In the distance, Eagle could make out patches of wooded areas. It was getting colder and there was a strange sweet smell in the air. Later, he would learn it was the smell of leaves at the beginning of autumn. He also learned to recognise it as the herald of cooler days to come.
The change in Grey-mane was growing. His enthusiasm was contagious. He bounded ahead of Eagle, sniffing the air, an eager look on his face. At times, he would head this way and that at the sight of some familiar feature. He was unmistakably happy. Eagle would have been happy for him, too, had his heart not been so heavy with the thought of the inevitable parting. At the end of the week, he decided to settle the matter once and for all. He would let Grey-mane go. He would make it clear that he could continue the journey on his own.
“I think this is where we say our good-byes,” he said, patting Grey-mane fondly. “This is your home. Be glad of it. There is no reason for you to go on. As for me, I cannot settle down.”
Even as he spoke, he wondered how it would be if he did stop there. He could build a dwelling-place. There were surely animals in the forests to be hunted for food. It was not as if he had a fixed destination in mind. Anywhere was a good place to stop. But he knew he would not be able to remain there. He was too young to just sit in one place and watch the days go by. Inactivity terrified him more than loneliness.
“I am sorry,” he repeated to Grey-mane. “But I could never stay, as much as I might want to. I am not meant for settling down.”
Grey-mane listened to Eagle gravely. It was hard to say how much he understood from his speech, but he must have realised what Eagle was trying to say. He whined softly, nudging Eagle’s hand with his head. Eagle scratched him between his ears.
“You can leave whenever you want.”
The wolf accompanied him that day and the next. Eagle was beginning to hope that perhaps he had misjudged, and Grey-mane would remain by his side. But on the third day, when he woke up, the wolf was gone. Eagle never saw him again.
Copyright Simina Lungu 2022
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