Chapter 30
When the next morning came, it found Sara already up. She had too many thoughts going through her head and could not sleep. The dwarves did not show up until after breakfast and everyone was ready to head out. Sara did not know if dwarves were naturally not very talkative but the dwarf commander did not speak a single word when they started that morning.
There was a little chill in the air. Sara found it refreshing since they had been through such cold. It was clear that, even though this land was further north, it was warmer. She could see that the leaves were just starting to change colors and had yet to fall from the trees. The land was lush and very fertile judging by the flora. Today she also saw other animals including deer, rabbits and squirrels. As they crossed their second river, she marveled at how large the land was and wondered how it had stayed hidden for so long.
She made her way towards the head of the line as she wanted to see and observe the dwarves. She found it amazing that they had managed to find a way to tame the wild Mountain Wolves. And not just any as these were larger than normal. She guessed them to be three to three and feet tall at the withers. And the dwarves rode them as well as any human could ride a horse. Upon closer observation she noticed that the wolves were wearing a small saddle, or what looked like a saddle for a dog. That explained how the dwarves were able to stay on the wolves as they made sharp turns and quick moves. She guessed that a horse could outrun the wolf in a distance race, but the wolf would be faster in close quarters. Although she had never seen a dwarf run, she guessed that a human could probably outrunthem, but they would never be able to outrun the wolf.
Again they did not stop for lunch, but it was around that time that the landscape began to change. First they came upon a road. From what Sara could tell, it was well used. After following the road for a while, the woods disappeared, and they came upon farm land. There was farm land as far as she could see. And there were dwarves in the fields harvesting the crops for winter. Most stopped what they were doing and watched as they passed by. Sara guessed it was probably the first time seeing a human for many of them. They passed by close enough for her to see that one of the crops they were harvesting were potatoes. There were other vegetables that she guessed to be some type of squash, but she was not sure.
Coming over a hill, they could finally see a great walled city, and it was as impressive of a city as any kingdom had, including Carriland. There were parapets and towers along the walls. From what she could tell it was a very well-fortified city and she had to wonder why they would need such a fortification since they were unknown to the world of the humans. Did they have enemies she did not know about?
It took them a couple more hours before they finally came to the city. Around the outside of the wall, she could see houses, a lot of them. It looked like they had run out of room within the walls and now were expanding the city beyond the walls. The houses were short by human standards. She guessed them to be 5 to 6 feet tall. That might be enough room for a dwarf, but a human would have to be bent over. As they approached the first of the houses, she could see that the streets were lined with dwarves. There were dwarves of all sizes, from adults to children. Sara could tell that some of them had stopped working to see the visitors as many were still wearing the clothes of their occupation. She recognized a blacksmith, a tailor and someone she guessed that must be a jeweler, judging by the tools bulging from his pockets.
The expressions on the faces were the most interesting to her. Most showed a type of reverence when they looked at the Woodsman, but that turned to pure curiosity. It was clear that these people had never seen so many humans before. She also noticed that most of the people had mountain wolves with them. They were not riding them or even had a rope tied to them. From what she could tell, these wolves obeyed their verbal commands. Then she was totally shocked to see dwarf children playing with a wolf, like it was a pet.
They entered the city by passing through a set of giant wood doors. The height of them was impressive, especially considering the height of the dwarves. There were more dwarves lining the streets inside the city only now she notice guards spaced along the way with spears and standing at attention. She felt like this was either a parade or a circus was in town. The walls inside were packed with housing and buildings. These were also multiple stories. It was clear the city was suffering from a growth problem.
They were escorted past a central courtyard and to a small group of buildings. Here the commander ordered them to dismount. He then escorted them to a building where he told them it would be their new home until the King decided what to do with them. Topher asked about their horses and was told that they would be taken outside the city to the stables and would be cared for properly.
They each grabbed their gear and walked into the building. Sara was glad that the ceiling was taller than the homes she had seen. Even so, the ceiling was only 6 1/2 feet tall and gave her the feeling of being squished. The building had one large room that was big enough for all of them. It also had several smaller rooms around the parameter of the main room. She also noticed that there was no furniture in the room, only some blankets and pillows that had been piled up in one corner.
Once they were all in the building. The Woodsman tossed his gear into a corner and then sat down. Sara walked over to him and said, "Well now what?"
He looked up at her. "Now we wait until the king summons us."
"So we are prisoner then? This is our jail cell?" General Allison said almost in a panic.
The Woodsman just smiled. "I would not call it a jail. The dwarves have never had prisoners before, so they do not have a jail. You are welcome to open the door; you will find it unlocked. However, you will probably find a guard or two there too."
"So we are supposed to sit here and do nothing?"
"Yes."
Sara thought a minute and then asked, "So what is the name of this city?"
"Tec'l. It is their capital city," the Woodsman replied.
"Tec'l, that is a strange name for a city."
The Woodsman smiled. "It is a Dwarvish name. The best translation would be 'Unbreakable Fortress.'"
Sara found the translation interesting. Given the high walls and defensive armaments, she could see where that name came from.
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