Sha'lara began to stroke Zarath's head gently as she stayed next to him. "This is something my Tarim (Father) would do when I couldn't sleep as a kit."
"You're the same age as me Sha'lara we are both still." Sha'lara flicked Zarath on the forehead before he could finish his sentence. "Shut up Zarath or you can forget me trying to help you sleep."
After a few minutes the sweet embrace of sleep slowly overtook Zarath again, Sha'lara slowly stood up from the bed as to not wake him before simply pulling his blankets back up over him. "Selen morisi, anarin vahra. (sleep peacefully little hunter)." With those soft words Sha'lara went back to her own bed in the corner of the room her and Lyra had taken over, her cat like grace, made it to where no one heard her as she walked.
Zarath awoke, the room was bathed in the soft glow of dawn. He stretched, feeling surprisingly refreshed, and glanced around to see Sha'lara already up, packing her gear with swift, practiced movements. Lyra was by her side, meticulously checking their supplies. Zarath rose and kicked Tharon's bed to wake his large friend who jolted awake, both boys began to prepare, ensuring their armor was secured and their weapons were sharpened. Dagan and Alaric had already left the room to finish loading the wagon that was assigned to their squad and prepare Stormwing and Hura for any battles that might happen.
The other wardens outside loaded wagons with barrels and crates, a total of five wagons each assigned to a squad in total of all the wardens in Frontier, only thirty warriors not counting Emrick and Commander Winterborne were going a total of fifteen local militia and two of the Wardens Keepers, both of whom were mages. The morning wind was cool against the skin signs that winter was setting in, the air carried with it a scene of resolve and despair. They gathered outside the town hall, the commander of the militia a tall man by human standards spoke with commander Winterborne about the plans for the expedition.
Zarath felt a familiar tension in his chest, the visions of the shadowy figures from last night filled his mind again. Lyra was the one that snapped his attention back to reality. "Everything ok Zarath you look a little lost?" Lyra asked, tilting her head, her ears flopping to one side as her tail wagged behind her.
As Zarath snapped out of his thoughts he saw his squad and friends all gathered to gather, Dagan and Tharon dressed in their heavy armor, Alaric polishing the crystals in his staff, Sha'lara checking the sharpness of one of her felinar curved golden blades. Even Stormwing the griffon and Hura his bonded Barkkon now had armor plates over their bodies similar to a calvary horse lose chainmail underneath them, Hura had finial grown to the size she could have a saddle on her back.
With final preparations complete, Commander Winterborne climbed onto the back of her own fully grown griffon confirming her position as a wing commander of the Sky Wardens, wardens that ride griffons. "Wardens of Frontier, men and women of the town militia I thank you all for being here today, you all know the plan we will march south to the mountain pass that leads to the kingdom of Eldoria, and then we will descend into the old dwarven underground highway and begin the extermination of any blighted creatures we find, remember for any one that is not a member of our order do not allow these creatures to bite you or allow any of their blood into your body, if this does happen receive immediate purification from the mages we have with us and report any blighted soil you see, remember that these creatures are corrupted by dark magic and can be cleansed with holy magic." Commander Winterborne pulled on the reins of her griffon mount that quickly took to the sky. "First expeditionary force of Frontier move out!"
The expeditionary force marched to the south gate of the town of Frontier on the back side of the town hall, the townsfolk old enough to see a military precision made sure the children and younger adults stayed out of the way, the people cheering as the wardens and the few militia soldiers went to fight off the blighted creatures that had begun to attack outlying areas around the town, in its short history this would only be the first such expedition to be launched from the town of Frontier as the town was still young compared to the massive cities in the kingdoms around the heartlands.
Dagan rode on the wagon assigned to the misfit squad as the other warden recruits had come to call Zarath and his friends. She sharpened her double-sided great ax as Alaric drove the wagon, the horses pulling them were wearing light chainmail just to prevent any blighted creatures from biting them. Zarath rod atop Haru which was a strange feeling for the Barkkon (dire wolf) and himself. Haru wasn't used to wearing a saddle but had gotten used to the leather and plate armor that was made custom for her.
"I know girl you don't like me on your back like this but it's something thar will make us stronger once we figure it out." Zarath scratched at one of Haru's ears that poked out from her helmet.
Lyra stood inside the wagon holding one of the support beams that held up the cloth roof, in her other hand was a scroll on a crude wooden clip board reading over the list of supplies in the crates and barrels in their wagon, making sure that Zarath and Tharon's yurt like Kraan-thur's were kept separate as well as the cloth wall fence that they would encircle there camp in at night like always, Zarath let the three girls use his Kraan-thur when camping and the boys slept in Tharon's. Sha'lara sat on the back of the wagon sunbathing almost like a normal cat, and Tharon walked on the opposite side of the wagon of Zarath.
"Hey Alaric, why not give us a song or did you not bring that fancy lute of yours." Dagan elbowed the half elf in the ribs almost making his loose his grip on the reins.
"Hey, watch it you little turd I'm trying to drive here." Alaric shrugged away from her elbow trying not to laugh but all the time the group had spent together Dagan knew her friend was extremely ticklish and started to poke at his sides.
"Oh, come on does the scrawny mage not like to sing anymore." Dagan laughed as she sat back down letting Alaric catch his breath a little. A few of the other warden recruits that got mixed into squads with veteran wardens annoyed with how carefree the two of them could be.
"Dam misfits." One of the other recruits whispered from the group guarding the wagon in front of them only for a small pebble to hit the back of his head.
"Hey, why don't you shut up and mind your own business." Dagan Stood up on the bench shaking a fist at the other recruit before plopping down into the seat next to Alaric. "Stupid idiots always making fun of us, when our squad as already proven we are the best." She grumbled to herself.
Alaric smiled at Dagan as she mumbled to herself. As the wagon continued its journey, the rhythmic clattering of the wheels and the occasional jingling of the horses' chainmail created a perfect backdrop for a song. Alaric, after catching his breath, reached for his lute and began to strum a melody that echoed through the air. He started to sing an old elvish traveling song, translated into the common tongue so that all could understand him.
"We are the travelers along this road, we roam the endless trails, through forests deep and mountains steep, with stars above to guide us, and moonlight on our way." Dagan smiled and began to bang her fist against the wooden bench as she joined in
"On our long journey home we see not but the horizon, were night turns into day. Our hearts are bound by friendship, our spirits bold and free." Lyra joined in singing from inside the wagon Sha'lara rolled her eyes and went back to sunbathing but kicking her feet in time with the beat.
"In every step a, in every breath. We seek the road to lead us home, around the fire we sit and sing. So, raise your voice, oh travelers, let songs fill up the night as we find our pure delight." Zarath and Tharon finial joined in the combined voices of all of them now carrying the song to the front and back of the wagon train.
"And when the dawn is breaking, we'll greet the rising sun, with hearts that yearn for our home, our journeys never done." With one finial strum of his lute Alaric couldn't help but showboat a little quickly strumming out several fast and high-pitched notes.
The group all laughed at Alaric's attempt to cheer up Dagan, the next couple of hours was spent in the same slow pace the land started to change from the smooth low hills around Frontier into steeper larger arches, the sun now high in the sky a few gray clouds doted the sky. Despite the sun being up the temperature hadn't risen much higher than it was in the morning when they all left the town, all three girls had moved inside the wagon at this point just relaxing, Tharon now sat in the box seat with Alaric, his head tilted back his mouth hanging open his fangs showing as he napped. Dagan took a blade of foxtail grass teasing Tharon's nose from behind him in the wagon.
Tharon twitched his nose, grumbling slightly as he swatted at the grass, causing Dagan to stifle her laughter. Alaric, seeing the playful interaction, smiled and continued to strum a soft melody on his lute, keeping the mood light and cheerful. As the wagon train wound its way through the rolling hills, the group found themselves nearing the edge of the mountains. Towering cliffs and ledges cast long shadows over the path.
Lyra peered out from the wagon, "Wow." That was all she could say.
Sha'lara, still lounging inside the wagon, sat up and stretched lazily. "What first time seeing the mountains Lyra?"
The wagon train slowed, the sunlight filtering behind the clouds, creating a dappled pattern on the ground. The air grew cooler the closer they got to the mountains, the wagon train came to a stop on top of a rather large hill with a flattop from this viewpoint, you could see the outer edge of the two of Frontier to the north and the beginnings of the mountain pass they were headed to.
"Alright we will set up camp here for the day, I want squads one and two to start setting up their camps, squad three start hunting for any local game, the dried meat is for once we are inside the underground highway, squads four and five watch the surrounding area once squad one and two finish camp set up, begin your camp sights." Commander Winterborne's voice cut through the air as she circled the wagon train before landing her griffon.
Zarath dismounted Hura at the same time Tharon dropped down from the box seat of the wagon grabbing his spear and shield from the back. "Alaric you, Dagan and Lyra start setting up the Kraan-thur's and the cloth wall, use the wagon as a gate and keep our horses inside the wall, Sha'lara do a check of our supplies, me and Tharon will go hunting like the commander wants." Zarath grabbed his bow and two longswords from Hura's saddle.
"On it Zarath." Alaric hopped down from the box seat of the wagon securing the reins of the horses pulling the wagon. Dagan handed the rolled-up cloth wall fence to Lyra at the back of the wagon, Sha'lara rolling her eyes as she grabbed the wooden clipboard from spot Lyra had left it earlier.
"It's been a while since the two of us went out hunting together hasn't it." Tharon hefted his spear up over his shoulder, his heavy armor making noise with every step.
"Not since that blighted wyvern that led to all this crap months ago." Zarath smiled at his oldest friend who in the last few months had grown taller than him, his round belly and muscles more defined after all the training.
"Well then let's see if we remember how to hunt like true wolfkin." Tharon placed his spear and shield into the leather holster on his back dropping down into a crotched position his hands out in front of him on the ground, his fur bristling as he bared his fangs.
"Getting a little to exited there Tharon." Zarath quickly dropped into a similar position. "So, hunting as a team or competing for the largest kill this time."
Some of the other wardens stopped working to see the two wolfkin recruits sizing each other up as they got ready to hunt. "What are those two even doing?" one of the other recruits asked, before anyone could answer both Tharon and Zarath took off down the hill and into the tall grass this time around they weren't working as a team like when they hunted the wyvern all those months ago no this time they were seeing what all their training over the months since they arrived had given them. With their animal agility and strength now honed into controlled combat experts and with a few actual battles under their belts this was the first chance in a while that they were allowed to let loose and go all out.
Dagan whistled as the boys took off down the hill laughing slightly. "Look at that big boy Tharon go didn't know he was that fast, and I've been the one sparring with him the last couple of months, Hey Lyra, can you run that fast?"
Lyra was hammering one of the posts for the cloth wall fence into the ground her ear twitched atop her head as she heard her name turning to look at Dagan. "Well, I'm not sure actually I'm only half wolfkin but my father is pretty fast for a fennec so probably."
"Dam all you tall people and I guest beast folk able to run like that its not far to us dwarves." Dagan and Lyra both laughed at Dagan's statement. "Ah to hell with it I'd rather fight than run any way."
The sun had begun to dip down below the hills casting and orange hue over the now ready-made camp sites of the wardens and the wagon train each group had set up a small fire and had the wagon assigned to them used to make a small half circle around the camp, except the misfit squad as so many had begun to call them.
Alaric had moved their horses as well as his own griffon Stormwing, and Hura, Zarath's bounded Barkkon inside the cloth wall fence that surrounded the yurt like Kraan-thur's, Sha'lara, Dagan and Lyra had already set up in one of the tents and removed their armor for the night, Dagan stretched herself out in the middle barely taking up a third of the soft hide flooring.
Commander Winterborne had decided in the event the camp was attacked that this spot would be the fallback position just because of how well suited it was for defense. Zarath and Tharon had returned just before dark, Zarath holding two handfuls of rabbits while Tharon carried a large deer on his back.
"I'm telling you I still one I caught the most Tharon." Zarath's ears were flat against the top of his head slightly annoyed with his friend as they brought the meat to be divided up between the five groups.
"What ever you just enjoy your little rabbits while I take credit for catching this big guy here." Tharon placed the deer down onto the table to be butchered, a cocky smile on his face. The deer meat that wasn't eaten could be dried and added to the expeditions already cured meats.
"Look you both went overboard, we already had enough meat to last us the entire duration of this expedition, now half of this will end up going bad before we even make it back to Frontier." An older man who was in charge of cooking for the expedition scolded both Zarath and Tharon before sending them back to their designated camp spot.
Alaric, like the girls had already removed his armor and was relaxed by the small fire he had made. "So, you two get carried away like always."
"Like how you got carried away with this afternoon's lute playing." Tharon joked back as he plopped down on the dirt next to Alaric. "Hey, help me get this armor off."
Zarath walked over to the tent the girls were all relaxing in the flap still open as they talked. "Every one good?"
Dagan put up her arm and gave a thumbs up clearly being to lazy to give a proper response. Lyra nodded her head as she was focused on checking her equipment, the only one to speak was Sha'lara her cat ears twitching atop her head as she did. "We are fine though it's been decided that our camp site is now the one everyone has to come to if something happens." Sha'lara's annoyance was paramount in her tone.
"Hey that just means we have the better spot right." Zarath tried to play it off especially after how Sha'lara had helped him sleep the night before.
Sha'lara rolled her eyes as if she could care less about the other wardens outside of the cloth wall that made this group's spot safer than the others. "If they really think that then they should stop calling us the misfits when we are clearly better at handling this job than they are."
Zarath knew that his friends didn't like the nickname the other recruits had given their squad, but he understood it compared to the other units this squad was the only one comprised of all nonhumans, though the wardens are made up of volunteers or conscripts of every race all the other squads in this expedition and back at Frontier made had one elf or a dwarf among them maybe one of each. But this squad was comprised of a half elf, three beast folk and a dwarf to be honest to himself it sounded like the start of some bad joke.
"Don't get mad at me but the name kind of fits, compared to the other squads or back in Frontier, not a single member of our squad is human, hell Alaric is a half elf, and Emrick our supposed trainer is also a half elf." Zarath said as he prepared for the backlash from Sha'lara.
"Trainer my ass the man shows up only when he feels like it and half the time he is no where to be found." Sha'lara crossed her arms, her tail flicking behind her in annoyance at the mere thought of Emrick.
"Alright, alright let's not get upset over something we can't control, lets get some food and then everyone can get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another long day." Zarath put up his hands and made a gesture for Sha'lara to relax as he spoke.
Luckly the night was uneventful for the expeditionary force, the next morning all five squads packed up their tents and loaded their wagons and set out for the mountain pass. By mid-morning they had reached the foot of the mountains and began the trip up through the pass, once they were in the pass way proper they noticed small stone carved houses into the sides of the mountain in small groups like family homesteads, Dagan explained it was common for her kin the dwarfs of Thrumdar to build guard outpost near entrances to the underground highways places where soldiers, miners and workers could live similar to her home of Silvervein it wasn't the ancestral forge carven she talked about, it was a town built in a section of the south western Thrumdar mountains located in the kingdom of Eldoria nowhere near her ancestral clans home or where they were now.
As the wagon train approached the gigantic golden gates that lead into the underground highways it became more and more apparent of the dwarven soldiers, all wearing full plate armor that looked like it was covered from the very stone of the mountains itself rather than made of any metal that humans or elves used. All the dwarven soldiers carried long spears and tower shields built specifically for their height. A wooden scaffolding on which dozens of dwarven workers were on moving rocks, and chipping away at the mountain side. Commander Winterborne dismounted her griffon and entered a large open air canopy tent where dozens of older dwarf's men and women soldiers, workers, and miners where all clearly laying out plans for the work happening.
After several long minutes, the sounds of two deep horns burst through the mountain pass, their bellows long and deep resonating with the stone itself. The gigantic gates shuddered dust and rocks falling off them as the gears began to turn the massive bar that held them closed was lifted by an enormous chain and slowly the gates opened only wide enough for a two-lane road into the mountain. As they passed through the gates the size of the gate became more apparent each door was at least twenty feet thick and stood just as tall the enormous golden bar that was used to lock the gates hanging above was as thick as one wagon width, it was easy to say nothing short of a fully grown arch dragon was going to break through these gates, just a sign of the advanced dwarven building technology.
As the last wagon passed through the gates the ground shook as the gates closed ones more all traces of sunlight gone and replaced by the enormous braziers held by twenty foot tail stone statues of dwarfs that lined the endless perfectly rectangular shaped tunnel carved deep into the mountain, a deep slope that lead down into the underground highway, the craftsmanship of each statue was perfect as they not only acted as torcher bearers but also the pillars that held up the cave ceiling, the cave floor carved to a marble like surface acted as the roadway sign post carved onto the walls written in ancient dwarf a language that even few living dwarfs could read now days as many of the maps and former outpost and caverns that once housed dwarven clans had fallen or were lost after all the centuries.
Luckly the expeditionary force did not need a map to head to the dwarven settlement that was their planed stop before heading deeper into the underground highway, it was a known trading town where many dwarven artisans would travel from to the surface to trade with the town of Frontier or the dwarves that lived around the gate entrance. It was also the hometown of the Wardens current Quartermaster.
Lyra, Sha'lara and Alaric where all stunned by the scale and level of the architecture and art work as the wagon train moved along the path, Dagan seemed oddly at peace surrounded by stone she had never before been in the underground highways of her people, never seen true dwarven architecture or writing except in the old books her grandfather still had from their ancestral cavern. Tharon showed no interest as he walked alongside their squad's wagon, and Zarath couldn't help but feel uneasy, unable to shake the memory of his nightmare a few nights ago the deeper they went.
"Hey, Dagan you look strange, are you ok?" Alaric asked as he noticed how calm she was and how quiet, which was strange for unless she was board.
"Yeah, I am fine, I just feel at peace here for some reason." Dagan let out a sigh, her shoulders visible relaxing as she sat back against the wagon's wall.
"It must be because you're a dwarf right, it makes sense like how I am more relaxed in the forest or the plains of the heartlands, because I'm half Wolfkin and fennec." Lyra was quick to chime in with her usual carefree tone, while she looked around the tunnel.