TWO SLEEPS LATER, WE FOUND OURSELVES AT THE BOTTOMof a set of stairs that looked to climb right up to the moon sisters.
“Backtracking around the rockslide may have added some time to our journey, but we’re looking at the end now,” Asdren informed us at the base of wide stone steps. “These are known as Drazelda’s steps. She was a queen when the first mines were dug out at the base of the mountains. Smart female, tough as hardened steel, eager to explore, a force to be reckoned with, as most dwarf females are.” I peeked at Smuta, who stood proud, breasts out even further than normal. “She and her clan picked out these steps that led to the tundra a few hundred seasons before the pass from the edge of the Glotte was dug out. We was still fighting with the wood elves then, probably over dragons.”
His sight flicked to Jaculi perched on my right shoulder, his whip of a tail curled around my neck.
He seems eager to provoke. Shall I bite him?
I chuckled to myself.No, no biting anything with two legs or our ponies, remember?
The dragon sighed in reply, which made me smile.You are incredibly smart.
Newt and the ponies chimed in. We are smart! Sing us the pony song. Apples!
Yes, you ponies are smart too. Apples at the top of the stairs. They all whinnied in excitement over apples. Iwould have to find some, for I was out of most of my provisions. The setback at the rockslide had emptied my food stores. Exiting these miserable tunnels and breathing fresh air would be joyous beyond measure.
Jaculi snorted, a puff of cold steam escaping through his nostrils.The ponies are dumb. Suitable for being beasts of burden or food.
“You conversing with that lizard?” Asdren asked as the others hung back, leery still of the small dragonling.
“Dragon. Yes, sorry. He’s smart. Smarter than any other creature I have ever spoken with.”
“Yeah, well, if they’re so smart, how come they’re not around no more, but we dwarves are?” Smuta enquired then stalked off without waiting for a reply. Taking the leads of the horses, she began the climb up the gray slate stairs. The horses preferred not to walk with me now that a dragonling had laid claim to my person. Understandable. They did like my song, though, and allowed me to groom them as long as Jaculi was off hunting rats and crawlers.
“Perhaps because you outnumbered them a thousand to one,” I replied and got a sharp look over her shoulder. She’d not been as friendly since the dragon had joined our party. Neither had the twins. Asdren was the only one who spoke to me, other than the ponies and Jaculi.
“Let’s not stir up that nest of red hornets again,” Asdren commented, falling in behind me and the twins as we started climbing. “Focus on pacing yourself up this staircase. There are over fifteen thousand steps.”
My eyes flared. “Fifteen thousand?!” I paused to stare up the long staircase lit only by the lantern Smuta held in her left hand.
“Aye, good thing you’re skinny,” Asdren quipped, giving my arse a pat. I smiled softly at the touch of his hand onmy backside. We’d not been close since the discovery of the dragoness and the dead dwarves.
As we walked along, taking each step at a steady but leisurely speed, my mind wandered aimlessly from one thing to another. Jaculi took off at step one thousand, soaring up ahead, over Smuta’s head, the tip of his tail skimming her short gold hair as he flew past. She cursed as she swatted at him as if he were a gnat. His snuffle of amusement made me snicker. I could not wait to share this discovery with Kenton and Beirich at the druid school. The other students would be mightily impressed. Perhaps they would cease teasing me about my slow progress in my studies. Maybe they would find themselves wishingtheyhad a dragon who rode on their shoulder and—
A roar from the depths behind us shattered my daydream. The ponies stiffened, their thoughts flying from mundane to panic. We all paused, turned, and stared down into the darkness. Another guttural bellow rolled up and over us.
“Mountain troll. Must have smelled the ponies. Get moving!” Asdren shouted.
We all began to run up the steps, Smuta giving the horses freedom to race ahead of us. From below, the yowls of a beast I had no wish to ever encounter drew closer, the thunder of its feet hitting the steps making the staircase tremble under our boots.
“Faster! If it catches up to us in this stairwell, we’re good as goners,” Asdren yelled, beard bouncing, as we raced up and up and up.
Soon it became apparent the troll charging up the steps on our heels would catch up. It was just a question of when. I skidded to a halt, panting, and nocked an arrow.
“What the hell, Chirp!?” Asdren yelled, coming to a dead stop two steps above me.
“We need to slow it down,” I replied, working to calm my breathing. “Go! Get to the top. I will be there shortly.” He lingered. I peered over my shoulder. “Go. I promise I will be there. I just need to slow it down.” His face showed his struggle. “Go, get your people and our ponies out onto the tundra where there’s more room to fight. I will race to you. Go!”
“You best come along, Chirp.”
I gave him a wobbly smile. “I will. We are not over yet, Asdren Grimmane.”
“That was poetic,” he said, running off and yelling to his friends to move their fat asses.
Drawing in a deep breath, I lowered my bow downward, arrow seated and ready to fly. I would only have one shot, and it had to be a good one. The troll let out a hungry shout as its bald head came into view. It was an ugly creature with scaly gray-blue skin, long pointed ears, and dull gray eyes. In one massive hand, it held a long, pointed stick. The wood was stained dark brown with dried blood. Its other hand was empty, with broken, filthy nails dragging along the stairs as it took two at a time. Naked as the day it came into this world. Huge cock and balls dangled down between thighs as thick as the mightiest Verboten oaks. It saw me and then let loose a bellow that shook dust from the rounded ceiling.
“Danubia, guide my shot,” I whispered as I released the arrow. It flew well, but the troll stumbled at the last second. The arrow sliced through the troll’s thick shoulder instead of its head. The monster howled in pain, saliva foaming on its lips. I reached into my quiver for another arrow as a flash of bright blue flew past me like a meteor. “Jaculi, no!” I yelled out.
The dragon dove at the troll, landing atop its hairless head, where it bit down. The troll bellowed and flailed about, dropping its crude spear as Jaculi tore hunks of flesh from its head. There was no way to get a clean shot, so I waited until thedragon released the troll. Blood poured from the head wounds, blinding the troll as the young dragon took to the air, red coating its snout.
