Born in the Flame

Chapter Ten

   
   "Hey, we're almost there." Birch said. I blinked away from the journal and stared out at the distant stone walled city on the horizon.

    I had been reading the journal for the majority of our journey from Steel Lake to the city of Yimelke. Yimelke rested on the border between Droca and Nadraria. Once a large fortress, it was now an even larger dwarven city. If I didn't know any better, I would have said Yimelke was larger than Forge City just by seeing it in the distance, but I knew better. Forge city was far larger in comparison, just more hidden than Yimelke was. I will say though, from what I know of the city, it was far more diverse. Residents often consisted of dwarves, humans, dwarflings, dwelfs and smaller groups of the other races. Forge city only had small amounts of the mixed races and hardly any other non-dwarven races. For me, it had been isolating to grow up only being surrounded by dwarves, but it made it easier for me to be more "dwarven" if I was only ever speaking with dwarves.

    "Did you learn anything in the journal?" Birch asked from behind me. Aingidh had gotten a good amount of rest back in Steel Lake, the difference in pace could be felt as we rode.

    "No, not really. I just finished the entries from my uncle." I pondered a moment. I debated whether I should ask about the Magnolia family. If I was right, he must be dead by now. I had felt the rage down from the words to the shaky hand writing. I knew that Captain Magnolia was the first to be targeted by whatever Svend did.

    "I assume he didn't figure out how to make death steel." He concluded.

    "No. I guess I'm going to be getting toward that part next." I replied.

    We continued down the road in silence. To the left of us were the foothills to the mountains and behind those mountains, I could barely make out the peak of Mount Deluc; the mountain that Forge City resided in. For a moment, as I watched the distant scenery, I could feel jade green eyes. As my eyes moved to meet them, they were back on the road ahead of us. So, instead of pondering whether Birch was watching me, I turned my head to our right.

    The Great Nadrarian Forest was monumental up close. I didn't realize when I had stared at it from our balcony that the forest actually came into our lands. Large reddish trees formed around the gray stone walls as if they were begging to be let in. The only thing that separated the trees was the Lǫngubak River.

     There had been a legend that the river was actually a sea snake that had tried to eat the world, only to fall dead when it reached the other side of the continent. In reality, the river was the largest trade route for dwarves. Yes, the rail was great for trade, but river trading was far more essential and better at getting goods to the dwarven capital. If there was a war coming, I could guess where the dawn elves would hit us first.

    The smell of wet moss hit my nose and I already knew, before I turned to face him, that Birch was looking like a human.

    "We'll be staying here for a night." He mentioned casually, eyes forward.

    "Wait, just a night?" My head whipped to face him fully.

    "Yes, just a night." He said.

    "As if." I narrowed my eyes on him. "Make it two nights."

    "Why can't you just be happy we aren't sleeping outside?" He groaned.

    "I'm exhausted from traveling. You have more experience. One real night of camping was enough for me. Maybe if I had more than just two nights in a warm bed, I'd be less reluctant to sleep outside again."

    "I doubt it. You could barely endure the autumn breeze the first night." He sneered.

    "If you don't stay, then I will. You can go to the destination on your own and I'll meet you there." I pushed.