Ania shivered against the cold as the snow whipped around her. Her father marched between herself and Bjorn. Thovok had separated from the group near Eraldsfen to meet up with the dwarf warriors and redirect them towards the intended battlefield.
She glanced up at the high peaks surrounding them as they marched up the mountain path on the territory of Yugrund’s side. The warriors from Eraldsfen complained slightly against the biting cold, wondering why they had to fight in the mountains.
Harik could only calm them by saying it was all a part of Exile’s plan. Although this comforted many, others were still discontented. Preferring it if they could fight in the forests near the village. Harik could only sigh when they said things like that.
‘They don’t understand… If the invaders get through here, we can’t pick our battlefield anymore. They could completely avoid Eraldsfen.’ Harik turned a concerned gaze towards his daughter, who swiftly turned to look at the mountains again. ‘She shouldn’t be part of this… She’s too young.’
Harik sighed as he caught sight of Skovi racing through the snow ahead of them. The giant wolf had clearly been waiting for them to catch up before running off ahead again. From time to time, they would find the carcasses of a few deer or snow rabbits on their path. It was clear that the wolf had brought them down and left them for Ania and the others.
A chorus of howls rang through the mountains at that point, putting Harik and the others on alert. Moments later, Skovi returned. Sending snow flying in his wake.
“Lady Ania,” the great beast growled. “That was a signal from my pack. They have already reached the peak and spotted the enemy forces.”
“How much time do we have?” Ania asked, as her lip quivered.
“Enough to reach the peak. The enemy has barely started the climb on their side.” Skovi growled yet again.
“Thank you, Skovi. Please tell your pack to keep an eye on their progress for us.” Ania smiled as she ran a gloved hand through Skovi’s fur.
Skovi bowed his head before letting out a loud howl to send his orders to his pack. Afterwards, he disappeared into the snow ahead of the warriors yet again. Harik smiled as he watched the wolf run off. ‘Amazing… We don’t even need to bother with scouts with them around. And we can get word about enemy movements far faster without it being compromised.’
Harik’s expression turned serious as he started barking out orders for the warriors to recall the scouts that had been sent out. There was no point in them wasting their energy anymore. Plus, it would be hard on their morale and cause unnecessary tension if they stayed out there alone.
Ania frowned as she thought about the battle to come. She became determined to see this through, no matter what she had to do to make sure they won. The small army picked up its pace to get to their destination ahead of time. After all, they still had to set up camp and make preparations for the battle itself.
It took them the best part of two days to climb the mountain under those conditions. A few sledges carrying the supplies broke, meaning that warriors had to start carrying heavier loads, slowing their progress. Every few hours, Skovi would return with news from his pack. At the rate they were going, they would not have much time to arrange anything before the invaders reached the peak.
It was a race against time, and everyone could feel the tension. If they failed to beat the enemy to the summit, then their casualties would end up far higher for fewer returns. Everyone felt as if they had been pushed to the limit, but they dug deep within themselves to force their bodies through the last part of the climb. 𝑜𝘷𝑙.𝘰𝑟𝑔
Breathless curses filled the air, as they reached a circular clear area at the peak of the path. Bjorn chuckled to himself, as he barely felt the climb at all. It seemed that his recent transformation into a hero had done more than make his skin tougher.
“What do you think, Harik?” Bjorn frowned as he peered down the other side through the snow.
Harik cocked an eyebrow as he moved up beside him. Numerous torches shone through the snow. “Damn! That’s far more than I thought it would be. We won’t be able to hold out against them for long.”
Harik sighed in despair as he noticed that sea of enemies would reach their location in half a day. He could not see anyway to snatch a victory against those numbers. If they charged all at once, his warriors would eventually crumble under the onslaught. ‘where are those damn dwarves!’
Bjorn’s eyes narrowed as he pointed to ridge next to the marching enemies. The ridge sat on higher ground, overlooking that force. “Is it just me… Or is something moving over there?”
Harik frowned as his eyes moved to look at where Bjorn was pointing. “What are you talking about, man? There’s nothing… Wait! I see it!”
For a brief moment, he caught sight of the glimmer of metal amongst the rocks and snow. A horn sounded, and half of the ridge collapsed on the enemy army before they could react! Harik and Bjorn shouted in joy at that sight as they both had the same thought.
‘Dwarven mountain warfare!’ They had yet to catch sight of how many dwarves Thovok had brought. But either way, they were glad for this development. They kept their eyes on the developing situation. Only to hear angry dwarven war cries amongst the howling winds of the mountain.
A sea of silver and gold rushed down the broken ridge and met the invaders in combat. Like a spear, the dwarves cut through the enemy formations and managed to separate a large chunk of those warriors from the main army. A sea of red appeared amongst that pure snow, as the Sommerdans fell beneath the sudden attack. Just as Harik was screaming for them to push their advantage, the dwarves began to withdraw after finishing of the warriors they had cut away from the main force.
For small figures, they could move across that rugged terrain rapidly. Harik could almost not believe his eyes as that shining sea of saviours disappeared amongst the jagged terrain of the mountain. ‘They came and went like ghosts!’
“Harik?” Bjorn frowned as he turned to his old friend. “Did you happen to see how many of them were there?”
“Eh? No… No. I was too caught up in the moment.” Harik grumbled in embarrassment.
“I counted roughly a thousand, judging by the size of their formation.” Bjorn went silent after dropping that news on Harik.
“A thousand? No, you must have been seeing things.” Harik laughed nervously. “There should only be a few hundred, right?”
The two Skardian warriors glanced at each other with a complicated expression. For an untold number of years. A large dwarven force had been so close to their homes. It made the pair gulp as they considered the implications of offending them now. Harik immediately began to consider what gifts he should send to Thovok’s king. Even if they both worshipped the same god and were acting under his orders. It could only be good to foster the relationship between their races better in the future.
Bjorn, on the other hand, was wondering if there were more of them than what they had seen. ‘This could just be the tip of the iceberg. If Lord Exile knew about this, then why would he send us? These dwarves could hold this mountain on their own.’ Bjorn frowned as he considered the thoughts of the gods. ‘Is it so that we build comaraderie? Fighting together against a common enemy to strengthen our relationship?’
He could not help but wonder what kind of force they could become if armed with dwarven steel. They could sweep across Skardia, uniting it and bringing it under Eraldsen rule. With the blessing of Exile of course. Bjorn’s mind turned to the glory he would earn fighting on the front lines of such a battle. The songs that would be sung of Bjorn Ironhide in the halls of every Jarl. The maidens who would swoon at the sight of him.
Naturally, he was caught up in such thoughts while Harik was thinking along similar lines. Though, he was afraid of how many dwarves could march into Skardia unseen in the future if they ever pissed them or Exile off. He could not help but feel as if it was part of a large and cunning plan on Exile’s side. To ensure that he maintained a grip over those lands no matter what happened in the future…
Ania smiled as she thought about how they would be able to protect everyone in Skardia with allies like the dwarves. In her mind, they had proven their worth to Exile with this display of their power.