Icewind Dale FanFic #5:

*****

Grynhunder, found his place by his adopted son and sat down with a grunt. He noticed the boys eyes moving over the weapon in his hand in utter fascination.

"Care to hold it?" he asked the lad.

"Master..." the boy whispered, brightening as he took the dwarf hammer in hand.

The weight was tremendous, but it felt at home in his fists, perhaps one day it would be his? In holding it the Lion looked upon his wounded knuckles. His smile dimmed as he slowly took the hammer back.

"Been fighting, have we?" he questioned the lad.

"Yes, my lord, but it wasn't by choice." Beonator tried to explain.

"To fight or to flee is always a choice for a man." the great barbarian corrected.

"Then my hand was forced, and I did choose it, one of the orc boy's was belittling me, and I stopped him." the youngster apologetically stated.

"Juru?" Grynhunder guessed easily.

"Yes..master..."

As he answered, Chancha came over and nestled herself at the boy's side, draping his arm over her shoulders with the one hand, as her other slid behind his back in warm embrace.

Beonator didn't faint or flinch an inch, looking his stepfather in the eyes, he simply added to his admission of the days events.

"Yes, I defeated him fairly, and this girl, my prize of battle." he bragged.

"He speaks the truth, Great Lion. Juru, cast him low and payed the price as he should have! Beonater, is just, skillful, and strong, and I have chosen him, a mate!" she offered with a followup purr.

"If that was the way of it," Grynhunder accepted. "but you must not goad him, or make mockery of his defeat. I think you should give such affections a day or two more before freely displaying them. Consider his feelings in this, and make it a lesson well learned, not a reason for further quibbles. Go to your mother, Chancha, and think on this." the wise chieftain suggested.

"Aye, master..." the orc child said, as she pecked her friends cheek and made way back to her family's place by the communal fire.

Grynhunder, snorted as he looked her over on departure. "She is a fine girl, and fit. She will likely carry a sword someday, if not an ax." he complemented.

"She is that. I know not why, but she has always treated me as an orc. And by the storms, it drives be to imitate them, and to be like them in mood and thought. I know my father's mind in this matter, but of a truth, as I look into her eyes, I can see no wrong in it." the boy, wise in his years, answered.

"There is none." the chief began. "Look upon the Thar warrior, Yunda Dungar. His line is mingled, but he had to search a long span of his life to find our uncommon union. I trust he is more at home then ever before these days."

The chiefs words said much but hid a deeper insight. The boy's nodding head told him he understood.

"Man, Orc, Elf...Giant..there is no real difference. We are all mortals, all locked in struggle, seeking livings where we can and love where we might find it. Consider, Gag, our great brother. He feel's our respect and affections, and that is why he stay's offering the same in kind. All peoples seek to belong." he elaborated.

"Take care, boy. That you do not lead the girl on without being sure of your own desires. The orc, more then men, is a creature of purity. Her intentions towards you are neither a game nor a passing fancy. Bonds between them are lasting and unchanging from year-to-year, even from their youths. These are our kin now, and we should stay united, forgiving petty insults where we can." he ended.

In brief, the lad's eyes met the smirking slant of Juru's own. He took his chief's meaning well however, and tore a leg of mountain finch from the spit. He walked over to the orc youth and bent down, so as not to look downward on his shame.

"Peace, brother." he said, offering the meat to him.

"Peace, and well fought, son of Beoror." the nodding orc returned in taking the offering.

*****

When the day was new and the best fighters well rested and fed, the chief assembled them for battle. They brought the fittest of all the males, Juru, among them, for he was one of the taller, larger youths. A spear was set in his hands with one of the dwarfish shields, strapped tight to his arm and shoulder to force his guard up. Ten more boys were fitted thus, both to give weight to the numbers the enemy would behold, and to even out the fight if they should need to fall behind their armor.

No one knew what to expect, it was better not to chance anything. Beonator was not happy to be left behind, but he was aware of his own limits, and while he may have gotten the better of his large fellow brave through speed and a moments rage, he knew why his chief had chosen to take the orc boy along.

Juru, was as-big-as many men would ever grow. He could carry that shield all day with ease, and still be fresh for a fight come the night. If seen by a hard warrior of any race, it would be hard to place his age right away. Beonator supposed, the illusion of a greater force was the aim of his lord. It was he who laced the grieve on the orc's shin that would remain unshielded in a fight, this padding would at least offer some protection on his forward leg. He was diligent in his lowly role as an armor aid, and Juru respected his acceptance of the situation.

"I look forward to that hour when we will both stand in the line of battle, little brother. I know your mettle well, and our foes will know it the same." he surprised the Uthgardt boy.

He nodded with a proud glint to his eyes, as he made tight the strings. "You do me great kindness in saying so, and I regret having ever struck you." he replied.

Juru looked down at him with a grin. "It felt good. Just a little, hm?"

Beonator's burst of laughter told the truth of it.

"Aye, it was well done! And it needed to happen or I would still show you no regard." the orc chuckled.

"Take care friend. Let the veterans handle the harder foes, and remember there is no shame in flight if they should fall." the human boy reminded him.

"I will remember, but I do not fear it. We are led by the mighty of the Dale. The Lion, might well slay such dangers by himself!"

That was the final word between them, and Beonator slapped his new friend on his shoulder with pride as the host went off down the dark passage beyond the pool. A burly female orc walked over and handed him a spear as the sinking reality struck him. Now he was the first line of defense for the tribes weakest kin. He could not help but turn back to see if the younger children were now peeking around the bend at him.

Grynhunder led the warband, Cernd beside him, inspired by having the fierce leader so near.

"I look to you on this day, my brother. I will draw my courage from a brother of the Dale at my side, who I know will not falter." he praised the young man. He did so loudly, so that his voice was sure to carry to the end of the line of warriors at his back.

Cernd, was moved, and spoke in kind. "I follow you, Lion. It is a small thing to stand firm with such a chief to trust in. I will pray Tempos, to bolster us all, so none should waver.

Yunda was just behind them both, and hearing the moving words of each, could not contain his joking nature.

"Look to me to stand well behind the both of you!" he taunted as they turned with a hard scowl on their faces. "I'll will allow each of you to meet death in my stead, as I keep near the exit!"

The laughter of both men and orc's filled the tunnel as they had a brief chuckle to ease the tensions.

Yunda carried on. "I have entreated many gods over the years in many places abroad when death seemed likely. This day, I'll appeal to the Luskar god, Helm, may he watch over us and put his power in our hearts, even as Tempus puts thunder in our arms."

Odval then nudged his side with her elbow, and he got quiet again as they came to the three passages. Jin Yu, the Shou rouge crept ahead to scout it out. Who could say if the inhabitants hadn't noticed activity or found the slaughtered Gnolls. If that were the case, traps may now bar passage down the main corridor.

slow passage under caution revealed nothing, only the fel chanting and odd crackle of wicked voices with a momentary moan of some deeper, unquestionably mighty voice. They came to the doorway arrayed for war, the archers ready, the defenders firm behind their shields. Juru, trembled in his stance, but not as much from terror as simply from the prospect of his first true battle.

Kendrick charged his first offensive spell, after first placing many wards and boosting enchantments on the groups main fighters. As he worked through these chants and castings, the Lion took occasion to speak to them all.

"I ask you all to reach deep within, to find the stuff of your ancestors. Let it drive you, and fear nothing as you bring horror to horror's...." the lion begged them.

*****

When the door flung open, fear took hold on all of them! The barbazu lord of that hall was fifteen feet tall and stood from his throne to roar deafeningly! His frame was thick and weighty, his body near to human but speckled in places, like shoulder and forearms, by thorn-like horns! He glared at the Lion intensely, lifting his glaive forth in direction of his minions!

"FLAAAY THEEEM!!" it's thundering voice echoed!

All at once the kneeling legion of dry zombie dwarves rushed at the company in the doorway! Grynhunder skipped forward and let fly one of the enchanted hammers! It sailed over the oncoming host and struck the demon unawares! He lurched over, spitting up the viscus bial that passes for blood in such things! The blow had thudded off his breastplate, and knocked the mighty being back to his seated position!

"Fight, damn you!" Grynhunder turned in shout to bring the wits back to all the stunned warriors behind his heroic stance!

One-by-one they shrugged off the feelings of dread that had seized them momentarily! Jin Yu's arrow flew hard from the string as his vigor returned, whooshing past the hero to knock the dusty head off of one of the near skeletal dwarves!

The flinging of every arrow at notch followed that example and Yunda sped in to meet the advancing horror with his own abandon!

With the joker of the company behaving so seriously, the rest of the warriors gripped their metal and charged in to back the half-orc's, now bashing the rotten corpses here and there!

"This explains where the dwarves got off to!" he quipped in the press of battle.

Hammers and sabers, axes and maces, the warriors struck the morbid horde of undead dwarves as the wings were kept at the doorway by the long spears of the rear guard! Frightened, shaking behind their shields, but meeting the challenge in spite of themselves, the youths made good their stand!

"Baaack!!" Kendrick ordered!

As the elite warriors sprinted out of the fight, the Shade let rip a combined spell trigger! chain lightning rippled through the enemy ranks, followed by a fireball spell that shot out into the center of the antechamber as the zombie battlers staggered to try and stand again!

The resulting explosion blew most of them into chunks of dusty bone and mummified flesh! Other's were set ablaze as the renewed charge of the warband struck out to ruthlessly dispatch them! He was defended in a circle of steel and came to the center of the chamber to cast a series of magic missiles on the still seated demon...

But it did not stir...

The last of the hundred or more dwarf zombies was split in twain my Braka's hateful blade!

Kendrick walked slowly before the wicked beings ruin in astonishment.

"We are uncommonly fortunate. This denizen of the lower planes should not have fallen so easily." the Shade puzzled.

But there it set, mouth streaming with vital fluids, dead as winter itself.

"What in by, the Seldarine, is that thing?" Yunda asked.

"A barbazu..an arch demon or lower devil, depending on its ranking on the other side." the wizard cooly explained.

"Their physical forms can be hard to discern, but not so that mighty weapon in his grasp. Those glaives were issued ten thousand eons ago, to the elite warriors of the Blood War. How we were able to kill him is beyond miraculous..." he added.

"If the weapons be so ancient, how is it you know of them, Shade?" Odval inquired in a tone that seemed untrusting.

"I studied in the heart academy of my sect. The tomes of that collection are vast and derived from many planes of reality, not simply this one. I have never beheld a Glaive of the Barbazu in person, but the illustrated images infused with magical energy to give them dimension are accurate. There can be no mistaking that deviously barbed instrument." the wizard thoroughly defended his case.

"So Tempos, is to thank in its death." Cernd replied.

"More likely, Clangeddin, it would seem." the mage corrected him.

"The hammer?" Grynhunder asked.

"Aye, a holy relic in function as-well-as name. Powerful as it is, it must be all the more potent when facing demons." Kendrick explained.

"Speak as you will wizard. To my eyes it was, Tempos, blessing his chosen yet again!" Cernd insisted.

Kendrick looked back at him, and nodded. "On that I can neither speculate nor deny it. It fall's as your choice to believe what you will."

Grynhunder spoke up then, seeing that some unwanted word may fly from the young mans mouth on the matter.

"It was all a blessing, the throw, the hammer itself finding its way to my hand, and you, noble wizard. Your magic made swift work of these dangers. If this dwarf deity played a roll, then so be it, I'm not picky in the graces of any powers. Grummsh One Eye, was here this day as well, for look about. Our great test has passed and not a single one of us fell in the fighting."

The Lion's words rang true. Suddenly no one cared how it had happened, only that the enemy was vanquished and none of the tribe were killed.

*****

Continued:  Icewind Dale FanFic #6:*****
Auril, is queen on the Great Glacier, few beyond Sossal pay her homage, but within that realm many thousands of followers pray to no other. Further south there are only a few tribes that would call her mother, for most mortal beings relish a warm fire in the chill of the north.
Obalda, was such a rarity, her lips were blue and her cheeks rosy, her flesh was as-pail-as death. The Winter Maid, the tribes called her, and more than a great many feared her. She was a queen in the pass between the Ice Rim's and Nathoud.
She lorded over a throng of powerful minotaurs in the north of the Giant Pass. Called the, Bosut, this tribe had dwindled the giant populations and thinned out the human tribes like the Chif, and the once mighty Tark.
Her lands were cold, unlit by any fires, and her tribe was brutal, echoing that chill by killing almost everything living they encountered. They had driven the Osi out of the eastern Ice Rim's, and reduced the territories of their kin the Osismii. But the