Call to Adventure: Interlude 1

Wardens to the Valley

It was one thing to hear just how cold it was out in the wilderness and it was another to actually feel it against one's own skin. Cupping my gloved hands together, breathed some warmth so she could at least feel the ax in her hands. With the cold winter chill blowing against her, it would prove to be a losing battle.

Shivering, she trudged forward, wading through the dense undercover with her snowshoes, "Dwarves aren't built for the cold," She clattered through chattering teeth as the very air she breathed froze, turning into fine mist, "We're built for the heat of the forge!"

Her complaints however would only be answered by the laughter from the randy old goat she called her master, "Oh quite you're whining, it's not that cold!" The old greybeard shouted up ahead. As stout and heavily built as a dwarf could get, the old dwarves' craggy and wrinkled face beheld a smile of excitement unlike the scowl she sported, "Winter's all but over and Spring is just around the corner. It's quite balmy actually!"

"Balmy my ass, I'm freezing over here!" She wanted to curse the greybeard but she held her tongue. Despite the man's whimsical nature and their wild appearance, they were still her master to the forge.

"Come on Lass, put your back into it! We still have much ground to cover!" The greybeard chuckled as they skipped along, forcing her to pick up the pace. For a dwarf in his third century, they were surprisingly spry. The only thing out of place was the single missing tooth in their smile.

"Just think of all the dragon hides and bones you can have Amber," She whispered to herself, imagining the wonders she could make with such materials. Maybe she could finally make her masterpiece and become a mastersmith as well; before she turns thirty four no less! With renewed vigor, she ran after her master, eager to prove herself to the dwarf.

As they head deeper into the valley, her master would warn her, "Keep your eyes peeled lass," before holding up his hands. Pausing, they looked around a bit as they continued, "The Hidden Valley might be a sight to behold but it still has it's dangers,"

"Aye, I know," She nodded. She was no fool, this was a valley of dragons after all. A secret place passed down from a master to their most trusted apprentice. To see it in her own eyes was an honor unto itself. There was one problem however.

"Still, we've been traveling for weeks and aside from that huge ice dragon, we haven't found any dragons yet! Isn't this place supposed to be filled with them?" She complained, finding it strange that they've only seen aurochs, bison, elks and the stray owlbear (from a distance), but no dragons.

The grey beard snorted as he grinned, "No, we're still a bit too early for that," They told her, making her shoulder sag in disappointment, "Maybe once spring kicks into gear and the migration comes, but for now, all you'd find are whelps!"

"What?!" She all but shrieked, making them flinch at the volume of her voice. With her face burning, she lowered her voice as she asked, "Then why did you bother bringing me over here if we're not going to hunt any! I even bought some ice troll leather just for the occasion," before pointing at the gear she had. The pale blue leather was pretty but it cost a pretty penny.

Fuming, she ranted, "I could be on the forge, getting some of the orders actually done but we're here, stuck in the middle of this gods forsaken Valley!"

Panting, let her frustrations be heard. She had only so much time she could spend with the master but most often than not, she was actually out in the wilderness with them. "I just want to learn," She whispered as she looked away, ashamed at her outburst.

The old dwarf let out a sigh as he reached and placed his hands on her shoulder, "Lass, there is more to the craft than simply being good at it," He then told her as he gestured her to follow him, "You have the respect the the materials you're working with and nothing shows you just how hard it is to acquire even a scrap of the precious material you work with than on the field,"

"I didn't bring you down to the deepest depths of Hundlestone or the highest peaks of the Spine of the World just for fun," He lectured her, "I wanted you to learn, to experience the world and see how precious things truly are. Don't waste what you have, lass. Make the most of it."

Amber walked in silence, holding her head down in shame, "I… I'm sorry Chief," She whispered, "I'm just a bit frustrated that's all."

The old dwarf then laughed as he reached up and shook her brown locks, "Hah, you should have seen me back when I was in your shoes," The greybeard recalled fondly with a smile, "There's a reason why I have this gap on my teeth and it wasn't from the sweet rolls!"

"Now, I want you to familiarize yourself with the surrounding because the true affair will be a whole other battle!" They then shouted. It seems that everything was a lesson if she just looked hard enough.

-x-x-x-

It was already past noon and close tonight time and they have yet to reach the goat hut that her master told her about. It seems that they were going to camp out in the wilderness once more. "Just how big is the valley?" She asked herself. The more she looked around, the more she realized how dwarfed she was by the wildlife, pun not intended. It was as if the very valley itself was blessed in some way.

"So, what exactly is this valley?" She asked her master, curious about the habitat where their quarry lived in, "If I'm going to hunt my first dragon here, I might as well learn why they're here. There must be a reason why so many of them just gather here right?" She asked, remembering not too fondly about that huge dragon that flew overhead while they crossed a ravine.

"Oho, I see you're taking my lessons to heart," The old goat chuckled as he stroked his wild and bushy beard. "There's a reason why this place is one of Hundlestone's most well kept secret," Gesturing at the mountains and forest around them, they then told her, "With the huge mountains flanking from all side and the huge forest to house all manners of prey, this place is just the perfect place for White Dragons."

She nodded, listening intently while keeping her eyes on the trail. This place sounded like a paradise for the dragons, hidden away in the Spine of the World, the dragons were free to do as they pleased. Just the place she'd raise her whelps if she were a dragon.

"Still, it does need a certain touch," Her old master admitted, "Without our guiding hands, this place wouldn't be as rich as it is with wildlife," they then said as he walked up to a down tree and noted it down on a wax tablet.

"Our guiding hands?" She asked as she noticed the sparse underbrush, the evenly spaced trees, and how it felt like the beaten path was made by hand. "This… this is a huge reserve?" She then realized.

The old master smith nodded, "Exactly, one molded through generations so that it could keep us supplied with as much dragonhide and bones as we could ever want," and she found herself at awe at the revelation. Her kin were farming dragons.

"Every year, when the first winter thaw floods down the mountain and when the spring flowers starts to bloom, this place would come to life and every last White Dragon that lives here and beyond would gather for this special time," Already, she could see all these mountains serving as nest… if they weren't already one, "A time of plenty, where they could test their mettle and perhaps find a partner to mate with."

"With so many dragons around, there's definitely going to be some conflict," She whispered before she turned to her master, "... Wait, is that how we're supposed to harvest dragons? Kill the stragglers while the rest are too busy jockeying for the best territory?"

"Exactly," The man then said as a savage grin stretched across their face "It'll be much easier that way as well since we're only… speeding things up for the losers."

Amber hummed, fascinated by the process. Not only does it make sure that the quality of the loot wouldn't deteriorate by only targeting the weakest, it'll also make it so that they didn't have to invest so much into feeding and housing them.

"If that's how things are done then why did you let me buy all those troll leather!" She then asked, looking at her master in disbelief, "This was expensive!"

"Oh you'll need those," They replied before he reminded her, "These Dragons will still be alive when we kill them," And there was nothing more dangerous than a dragon on it's last leg, "And I do think that you could use the experience of working with something so tough," they then added.

"I guess," She grumbled, still feeling a bit annoyed as they could have bought something better if they just waited a bit more. As they headed deeper in the forest, she saw spires of ice off in the distance. Calling out to her master, she pointed out, "Hey Chief, what's that over there?"

Turning to the spire, the older dwarf frowned before gesturing for her to follow as they headed closer. Stepping into the clearing, she found herself at awe at the scars of battle. Broken trees, deep gouges and ice covering much of the field.

Following the path of destruction, the old dwarf knelt down before a large footprint that lacked the wide loading bearing paws of a dragon, "This, this is not good," The old veteran muttered as he followed it only to pause as they saw a large bone on the ground. Kneeling down, he wiped off the snow before letting out a groan, "Of all the creatures that could have entered the valley, it had to be Ice Trolls,"

"What, why?" She asked, confused at their reaction. Ice Trolls? Why was her master worried about Ice Trolls of all things? "Shouldn't the dragons take care of them?" She pointed out. This entire valley was the territory of dragons. She doubted that these trolls would last long against one even if they were ice trolls.

"While normally true as adults can easily dispatch them with ease," The man told her before their expression soured, "That can't be said for the younger whelps," That… that could be a problem, she quickly realized, "Lacking the size and the experience of their older relatives, these whelps be nothing but food for the trolls," they added, pointing at the tattered piece of scales nearby, torn by some tiny claws, "And from the looks of it, this one has a experience in hunting them down."

The fact that White Dragons didn't even care for their young made this situation all the more dire. They now have what are effectively poachers in their sacred and hidden valley.

"I'm sorry Lass but it looks like we'll have to cut our adventure short," They apologized, "We'd have to go back to Hundlestone to warn them of this infestation," It was disappointing after the long trip they already made but understandable. They were only two dwarves, not enough to handle a single troll. She feared how bad things would be if it turns out to be a whole family.

"Don't worry though, Lass," Her master comforted her, patting her on the shoulder before flashing her a smile, "We could use those sharp eyes of yours. Maybe you can even get the honor of doing the first kill of the season if you do well in this troll hunt."

It seems that she really was getting this season's share of dragon bones and hide. It's just that she had to work harder for it. Still, she relished the challenge. She was going to help get rid of these trolls and get her first dragon kill!

A/N:

Threw this together so you guys have something to chew on while I tackle the longer chapters and liked how it went. I really should sleep better since words comes out more naturally.