Read Online Elvenshore: 01 - The Dwarves of Elvenshore by Clark Graham - Free Book Online Page B

back.  The fence is complete, we can have fires tonight.”
    The dwarves let out a cheer. That was the best news they had since entering the forest.
    Back at camp the cooks made a feast for the dwarves.  They were all so tired of the dried meat that they all sang at dinner.  Then the tales of wars long ago started.  The songs and stories lasted all night.  The fires finally died down as morning was upon them. 
    Sarchise looked at Ermort, “Never seen so many happy dwarves.”
    Ermort replied, “Still don’t know if it was a good idea.  There still could have been spiders in the area.”
    “I hid some dwarves in the woods and the watchtower is manned. The best way to find a spider is to offer him food.  Nothing took the bait.  I will send a message to that effect to High Mountain in the morning. We might as well move north.”
    “Good plan.”
    In the morning they heard singing coming from the east.  It s sounds became louder and louder, until a large dwarf army appeared on the horizon. They marched in good form and halted at the wall. Cazz walked through the gate. 
    “Greetings brother” he said as he hugged Sarchise.  “How goes the war?”
    “We have found nothing, we were going to ask permission to move north.”
    Cazz laughed, “Still thinking like a scout.  Armies must move as a group.  You’ll have to stay here until the other three armies are in position. Then we can all move north together. We will make a sweep so that nothing large can pass by us.”  The King has moved the timetable up, you will see an army every three days pass through here. In just over a week, you will be able to move.  Meanwhile, you must keep up your patrols.”
    Sarchise looked a little disappointed. “Very well, come we have food.”  They ate breakfast together and the cooks built up the fires again to feed both armies. Sarchise and Cazz poured over the maps an d plotted out positions that the armies would maintain their patrols.
    “I will march after the men have finished their breakfast.” Cazz said, “I doubt that I will have such an excellent place to build an outpost, but I will send a runner as soon as I am set up.  I will map out exactly where we are so we can keep communication open.”
    “I will await your messages,” replied Sarchise.
    The well-fed dwarves of Cazz’s army moved out, singing as they went. 
     
    We’re Cazz’s army, so we’ve been told
    If we are strong and brave and bold
    He’ll award us each with a pot of gold
     
    And now we march towards in the land of elf
    It’s one for all and none for self
    Or he’ll put our heads upon a shelf
     
    And now we march both day and night
    We keep our formation good and tight
    But it’s only bedbugs and mosquito’s we fight
     
    We’re Cazz’s army, so we’ve been told
    If we are strong and brave and bold
    He’ll award us each with a pot of gold
     
     
    Sarchise climbed up to the top of the tree and watched them go.  He still marveled at the distance on could see from the watchtower tree there. He came down and organized patrols for the day.

 
First Contact
     
    The sat here for days and watched two more armies pass through on their way deeper into the Westwood.  Runners went back and forth between the armies and the reports were all the same.  No spiders to be found.  Sarchise was not used to sitting and waiting out in the woods.  He was used to moving and observing and then, when enough force could be brought to bear, attacking. There he sat, going out on many patrols to keep boredom away. It was almost with a sense of relief when one of the patrols reported contact with the enemy.
    They were observed from a far distance when they were coming back.  The scout on top of the watchtower noticed that the patrol was carrying two warriors.  Sarchise sent out help to the patrol, by the time they got back to the outpost, there were four dwarves being carried. They placed the dwarves by the base of the tree where the healer did