Chapter 16 - Ostracized

Tal woke with a start, bolting upright as the caravan came to a screeching halt. He took a moment to calm himself down before realising he wasn’t in danger. He blinked the remaining blurriness away from his vision and moved to the window of his cramped space with a deep sigh.

Each carriage in the chain composed a complete circle around the burgeoning fire in the centre of the campsite. It was clever, Tal thought; it offered them some quick and easy structural protection from the night.

Already, the campsite was beginning to fill up with many dwarves, each exchanging various pleasantries and jostling each other comfortably. They laughed as they went about their various activities like a well-oiled machine. Some tended to the fire; others carted out various bits of furniture to place all over the area.

Dwarven children lept down from their respective caravans, quickly mingling and starting up some sort of game reminiscent of Tag. Their parents watched on at the noisy commotion with only warm compassion in their eyes.

Tal noticed belatedly that he might be one of the only humans among the growing crowd. He couldn’t help the forlorn look growing on his face, ‘What would it be like…’, he thought, ‘to be part of something so…homely’. His reflection stared back at him through the window. “Or just to have a friend…” he added in a whisper.

Clenching loneliness filled his chest; he almost decided then and there to stay in his cabin for the night.

“You really should go out there”, his sword spoke in a tender voice. “Don’t be afraid by what they’ve got. If you want a piece of that pie, you must claim it yourself.”

“Poetic”, he paused, straightening himself out, “But you’re right. Staying in here isn’t going to help anything. Besides, I made a promise I would help out around here that I intend to keep.”

He swung the carriage door open and jumped out. His words trailed behind him as he swung the door closed. “You know, I’m beginning to see just how lucky I am to have you”. He paused, then finished awkwardly, “Thank you.”

Then, the door slammed shut, leaving the sword severed off from the outside world and locking in its final words, “Isolation can cut just as deep as any blade ever could. Believe me. I know.” But Tal was too far gone to hear its blues. And too wrapped up in his own situation to think about the feelings of his ever-happy sword.

There was audible silence as he emerged from his cavern. Eyes swivelled toward him, and activity faltered as each dwarf noticed the human in their midst. Only the children had no reaction to his appearance, blissfully continuing with whatever game they were playing. Parents stepped toward their children, shooting them looks of warning that went unnoticed.

The head of the procession quickly came forward from the crowd. With a familiar greeting, the burly dwarf tried to defuse whatever delicate situation he had unknowingly walked into. “It’s Tal, right? Don’t mind them. They’re just a little on edge considering the territory they’re headed into.”

“A little on edge, Draenor? You’ve lost your stones! What are you thinking!?”

“Relax, Thonan, he’s not one of them. Look at him. Do you think they would be able to go a moment without a scathing look or an underhanded remark?”

“You don’t know anything about the guy!”

“You’re right. I don’t.” he turned back to look at Tal, “But we need all the help we can get in making sure we get across this valley safely. You’ll have to put up with the company of a human. If not for yourself, then for your children. That is final, Thonan. Speak any more on the topic, and I’ll give you a real reason to hold your tongue.” he finished, clenching his fist into a meaty grip.

With Draenor’s last words, the crowd started to disperse to resume their prior activities. But Tal could see their not-so-discreet looks coming his way. He tried to hide his crestfallen expression, offering the most appeasing smile he could back at the onlookers. ‘So much for a first introduction - What did I do wrong? What is wrong with me?’

Draenor was quick to assuage his apprehension, though. “Just give them a while to get used to seeing a human that’s not working to put their face in the dirt.”

“Wow. I take it humans, and dwarf-kind don’t get on too well around here? It doesn’t take a genius to see there’s a bit of bad blood in the air.”

“Heh. That would be the understatement of a century. Really it’s more like humans not mixing well with anybody that is not human - no offence. There’s a long list of bad history around these parts. You’ve really not heard about the history of The Three Kingdoms?”

Tal did his best to mask his ignorance, deciding it might be best to keep his origins hidden. From what he had seen, the portal he had exited from seemed like it had multiple entry points. “I…come from a long way off from here. I would definitely be interested in hearing all about it, though. Might save me from a few more awkward situations.”

“A long way off indeed….” The dwarf considered Tal for a moment behind narrowed eyes.” Still, you should know these things before we make it to the Shatterspine Kingdom. Especially if you want to save yourself from the awkwardness of having your head disembodied from an offended party.” he finished gravely.

“Ah, now is not the time for all that, though. We have a camp to set up, dinner to eat, and you, my friend, must be introduced to how we fortify camp before we get too far into this journey,” he perked up, steering Tal toward a heavily armoured dwarf with a large battleaxe strapped to his back.

Stolen story; please report.

“Vangrec Greyheart, meet Tal Cael. Our newest defender. Show him the ropes. And if I hear you’ve been any less sweet as you are to your own grandmother, we’ll be having a long talk.”

“Not all of us have the self-restraint of Thonan, Draenor. And the intellect, apparently; the boy obviously doesn’t have the same racial predisposition we are used to if he is willing to join the company of dwarves.”

Tal held his hand toward the new dwarf, who considered it for a moment before taking it in a rough handshake. “Pleasure to meet you, Vangrec. I look forward to working with you. Though, really I don’t know what I should be expecting.”

“Working for me, Tal; not with me. However, while you are helping to defend this…” he paused, shooting Draenor a quick glance before coughing, “- trading caravan, you are my responsibility. As the person responsible for a safe escort, you must listen to what I say.”

Tal raised an eyebrow at the awkward pause but said nothing of it. There was already enough distrust going around the camp; for now, it was best that he not add to it. “What could be that bad that you need such an armed escort for?” he asked, then continued “, I imagine this route would be frequently travelled enough to be protected from dangerous animals?”

Vangrec laughed. “It is not mere animals we are worried about, Tal. And as to your first question, apparently, The Shatterspine Kingdom does not care enough of its populace to ensure safe passage through this valley.”

Draenor butted in then, “Besides, the wild creatures around the valley provide ample defence to the castle from anything that might come through the portal or beyond. It might be a logical defensive position, but that doesn’t make it any less cold on those making the journey.”

“What kind of wild creatures are we talking about? You’re talking around something. Just what is it you want me to be guarding the caravans against? If it’s people you want me fighting, then I’m sorry, but I’m out.”

“Out? The deal, Tal Cael, was not a free ride. And if you think you will make the journey to Shatterspine by yourself, then you are surely mistaken. You need us, boy, and you’ll need to get your hands dirty for us. No, you won’t be fighting people. But if you want to stay with us, then you will be fighting.”

As far as Tal was concerned, his night could not have gone worse. He had just escaped from a tower where he was fighting for his life, and now he was being told that he would be fighting, not to save himself but everyone else! He would be risking his life for a group of people that already hated his guts. ‘But if the journey really is as dangerous as they say, what choice do I have?’ he thought.

“That’s…fine! Real nice of you to wait this long to tell me just what it is you want me doing, but -”

Before he could protest any further, Vangrec put his hands around his shoulders, guiding him away from Draenor and toward the fire. “Relax, Tal; we aren’t asking you to lay down your life for us. I’ll assess how good you are with that sword I saw you carrying, and we will cater to that.” He sat down on one of many carved-out stumps encircling the fire and gestured for Tal to do the same.

“Come, food is ready. We dwarven kind have a saying not to let the battle of an empty stomach translate into the fuel of angry fists. Or, well, that’s what it is in the human tongue. It sounds much better in our language, I assure you.

Tal looked at the meat sizzling above the open fire and couldn’t help salivating. Large skewers ran through the assorted cubes of glazed goodness. Exotic herbs peppered the surface of each cube, wafting a concoction of delightful aromas toward him. ‘If this is what dinner is like each night, maybe staying here isn’t so bad of an idea.’

Vangrec laughed at Tal’s mouth open, fixated expression. “You’ve never tried dwarven cooking, have you kid? Let me tell you; you’re in for something special tonight,” he said, plucking a skewer from the fire and tossing it onto a nearby plate for him.

Tal looked at the steaming meal before smiling toward the dwarf, appreciating the hospitality. “You might just be about to turn my night around after all.”

“Oh, you’ve seen nothing yet. Our culture places a little more emphasis on gatherings like this than I’m sure you’re used to.”

When Tal lifted an eyebrow, Vangrec elaborated slightly, “Ha! Oh, you just wait, you’ll see. Besides, there won’t be any trouble tonight. I don’t see why showing you around the defences can’t wait till tomorrow night.” he finished with a wink.

“I like the sound of that”, Tal replied. “Though I’ll be coming to you first thing tomorrow evening. Now that you’ve clarified just how dangerous this route is, I want to ensure I know what I’m supposed to be doing.”

“Oh, you better! Even if I must drag you from that miserly cavern of yours, I’ll make sure of it. But loosen up! Have some fun and get to know everyone a little.”

“I might just go back to my cavern for the night, honestly. I’m sure the last thing anyone wants right now is to talk to the human invading their space. I don’t hold it against anyone, really, but-”

“Oh come, I’m not so bad, am I? Most of us just haven’t had the best experience with humans. But I’ve got something to fix any of that. I’ll get you some of the magic stuff; we’ve got quite a fine ale here.”

Tal accepted the offered drink as graciously as he could, not wanting to refuse the kindness of the dwarf. ‘Maybe just one drink.’ he promised himself as Vangrec excused himself.

Tal twiddled his thumbs idly as he looked out amongst the vibrant camp. No one was sneaking him wary stares now, for which he was grateful. But, at the same time, no one was looking to join him either, and there was a pronounced division between himself and the frequent intermingling of the others.

Each dwarf was seated with a group around their own fire, enthralled in their own conversation, food, drink, or a mixture of each. By now, quite a few flames bloomed around the campsite, and children ran wild between them.

Suddenly, Tal found one of such children running toward him and promptly plopped herself down on the vacated seat. Curious wide eyes met his own. “They said to stay away from you, but you’re not scary to me. You’re so thin! And white!” squeaked a decidedly feminine voice.

Tal chucked at the girl’s enthusiasm, “So you’ve never seen a human before?”

“Nope!” she shot back, then paused, thinking, “You look weirder than the stories.”

“Well..um, thanks - I suppose. You too.” Tal returned, stumped but not to be outdone by the girl’s sass.

“I like you.” she decided. Then piped up, “You can play hitball with us tomorrow! None of the other adults will play, and we need one more.”

Before Tal could return a response to the girl, he was interrupted from across the camp. “Alonia! What did we say about talking to strangers? Get over here right this minute!” a stern-looking Dwarf yelled.

“See-ya later, weird guy, Dad’s angry again.” she rolled her eyes and sped off.

Tal couldn’t help the joy blooming in his chest. The girl’s charisma was infectious, and, just like that, he had made a friend in the unlikeliest of people. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so alone. His heart dared to hope; that he would win them all over. He would show them he was someone worth befriending.