The Forlorn Dagger Trilogy Box Set by Jaxon Reed

Author:Jaxon Reed [Reed, Jaxon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-09T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Dudge followed along at the tail end of the cargo train, where he had kept an eye on things all day. On their trek’s final day, he ignored the slow pace by admiring the sights.

Osmo was Norweg’s only seaside settlement. The only way to travel there by land required passage through the Tantamook Mountains. A single, narrow trail from the Farmlands led down through a narrow pass in the mountains before opening out into the valley where Osmo nestled by the sea.

Fret’s cask-laden wagons crested the pass and navigated down the twisty trail. Dudge followed along in high spirits now, the journey’s end approaching. He noted everything around him, with delight in his heart and a spring in his step.

The path they trod was not paved, but it didn’t need to be. The stones from the mountain made a passable trail without any need for cobbling or bricks. True, it was barely wide enough for the wagons, and if someone traveled up the trail at the same time, one group or the other would have to cede way at an open area near a switchback. But Dudge knew from his history the trail had proven quite passable for at least two millennia.

The drivers kept steady hands on their brakes so the heavy wagons wouldn’t overwhelm the pigs, who grunted dutifully down the incline. Nothing of interest happened at the rear, so Dudge amused himself by admiring the sights. It was the only part of his father’s realm that contained wildlife and scenery such as this, and he savored every minute of it.

The mountains on the seaward side looked green and vibrant with life, as things thawed out the further they descended. The coast, Dudge knew, would remain relatively warm even in winter. More than once he spied small game scurrying through the brush, and the great carnivorous birds who stalked them from high above. He watched in wonder as one of them swooped down and effortlessly picked up its prey, the talons killing a small furry animal instantly, mighty wings flapping hard while the great bird slowly ascended with its meal in tow.

At long last, the train came to a stop. Dudge knew the lead wagon must be at the gate to the valley, where guards protected the entrance to the dwarven lands from any outsiders who might be adventurous enough to try and make their way in from the sea. They were also there to extract tolls from wagons headed to Osmo.

He looked back and up, giving the Tantamooks one last appreciative glance while several more minutes slid by. Finally, curious at the delay, he climbed atop the casks on the rear wagon and shaded his eyes to see better. At the front of the line he could make out Fret arguing with one of the guards. Fret’s arms waved and gesticulated. The guard remained unmoving.

Perplexed, Dudge climbed back down and made his way up to the front. He could hear the argument in greater clarity as he drew closer.

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