Clarissa bounded out of bed and packed, it didn't take long she had only one spare set of clothes, and a hoarded piece of paper with a pen, a present from one guest who had taught her to read and write when holed up in a ferocious storm. Clarissa had learn’t quickly, and most guests had been willing to help her when she asked.
After she had eaten she readied the horses, picking for herself the servants horse, a mare, deep brown in colour.
Charles nodded his approval when he came out, the innkeeper and his wife each gave Clarissa a hug and admonished her to come back some day, than they were off.
They rode for same time in silence than Clarissa becoming bold asked "what is the horse I'm riding's name?"
"Oh didn't I tell you? it's Gentle," said Charles, "and mines called Starbuck."
"And mines Quicksilver," said Woodrow.
After that they became quite merry, until Clarissa wondered that she had known them only one day and not a lifetime.
Most of the journey was spent this way, until Clarissa felt she wasn't their servant but their chum who did all the work, and they seemed to regard her as such.
Charles was the leader he controlled the conversation, making Clarissa feel at home. But it was Woodrow that she liked most, quieter than Charles, he was more inclined to think than talk. He had a sense of humour, as she had guessed when she first met him, and often set them in paroxysms of laughter.
They regarded Clarissa so much as a chum that when they reached the King of Dwarves, they took Clarissa with them, and so it was that Clarissa was there when Charles told The King what had happened to the Crown of Power.
Gerik listened with a sober face to what had come to pass, when Charles had finished Gerik said "well I know your father and I'm sure that there was no lack of watchfulness on his part, I do have something that may console you though."
He turned to a dwarf that was standing near by "ask Granger, my son, to join us and tell him to bring the letters we found in the tunnel with him."
Granger didn't keep them waiting long; he went up to his father and asked excitedly have you changed your mind? will you let me go?" His father smiled fondly "maybe, but right now I want you to read the letters to the Prince of Men and the Prince of Elves."
Granger nodded "ok Father." He turned to face the three "we found these letters in an old tunnel a week ago, while we were digging for riches. It is an account of the Dark War, written by the old dwarf kings. It reads
The Queen of dwarfs
at the place on the 16 march
Your devoted husband Baja
The Queen of Dwarfs
at the palace on the 30 March
But we too have help; we have the Ring of Courage! the Ring of Courage is a plain gold band, quite a simple ring really, but when the wearer tries to give someone else courage the band will light up, the word courage will appear engraved around the outside of the band and a flash of gold light emits from it, giving all those who are on the wearers side courage, of which the bravest man would envy.
And we have the Jewel of Unity! This Jewel gives us the unity that we will need to fight Roarke, the Jewel is a giant ruby, if someone stands within five meters of it and utters the elvish word unitus, which means united. It will glow a fiery red and bathe all that creatures allies in a red glow, which units them and brings them together so they fight as one.
I love you,
Baja
The Queen of Dwarfs
at the Palace on the 1 April
We have caught one of his men; we promised him his life if he told everything that he knew. His story is that Keshon is taking the Jewel to
I have heard of this marsh before and it is said that the mist is so thick that you can't see your hand in front of your face, the paths are all mixed up twisting and turning until your lost, most of the paths end in sinking sand and pools of slime. They say that none come out alive.
The man we caught said that Keshon dropped the Ring of Courage when he was running from our men; they realized they had lost it but was unable to stop to look. We have searched the camp for the Ring but couldn't find it. Most likely the Ring fell into a hole, was buried and will remain there forever, or some peasant has picked it up for his wife and kept it, maybe years from now we shall hear of it.
We have sent riders after Keshon in the hope of finding his trail, but it is a forlorn hope for Keshon is a master of hiding his trail.
The battle is tomorrow and although the Ring and Jewel have been lost we are not entirely without hope, our army's are the same size, and we all know that defeat means we shall lose our freedom and our way of life that earth will become a place of terror and fear. We will do all we can to prevent this.
Your worried but loving husband,
Baja
The Queen of dwarfs
at the palace on the 2 April
We were about even at the beginning, then Roarke appeared in the middle of his army with the Crown of Power on his head, his goblins fought harder and we fell back, just then Peter the Prince of men along with Igor the Prince of elves made a brake through the enemy's ranks and fought their way to Roarke. It was marvelous to watch them, their swords flashed like fire, their arrows sped fast and true, once they reached Roarke Peter fought him while Igor kept the whole Dark army off his back.
Peter killed Roarke seconds before Igor fell beneath fifty goblins. The goblins fled the field when Roarke died and the battle was ended. Peter died of his wounds before aid could reach him. So those two heroes can have been said to win the war by themselves, they had the Courage and Unity that was needed to win!
We have decided to keep the Crown of Power in the hope that someday it will be used for good.
a triumphant dwarf,
Baja'
And that" concluded Granger “is the end of the letters."
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