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Windhammer, Copyright Wayne Densley 2001 - 2007 All Rights Reserved
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93
 In the flickering glow of your lantern you find yourself at a junction of the King's Hall and a side passage to the east. Ahead of you, at the edge of the light, you can just make out two doors in the western wall and one door further north in the eastern wall. A small anteroom or chamber appears to make up the end of the King's Hall itself.
Considerable noise is coming from the small eastward passage. The sound of cursing and the movement of heavy stones from within its depths sounds out clearly in the still cold air. As you listen you are certain you can hear at least four distinct voices, and the owners of each resonate loud and ponderous in the darkness. If you are not mistaken they are Jotun, and as you consider whether there is any merit in investigating what they are doing you hear one of the Hordim moving through the shadows towards you. Exposed upon the open expanse of the chamber you decide that there is now a greater merit to be found in finding a place to hide.
Quickly you find a hiding place behind a pile of fractured stone and dowse your lantern. Within the dark you wait, watching the even darker opening to the eastern passage and it is not long before a glow appears, framing its edges in an unusual yellow light. As you watch the glow expands, filling the hall and sending long shadows across the breadth of the chamber. With one hand on your sword you hold your breath as a face appears from the gloom, and then a hand holding a small sphere of blue stone. From the stone emanates the yellow light and as the Jotun emerges fully into the King's Hall the sphere erupts with even greater brilliance, sending shafts of light into all corners of the vast space. Very quickly you realise you may not be as well hidden as you might have hoped.
Carefully you find a vantage deeper in the shadows of the stone-pile and watch the Jotun. The Hordim is looking for something, and as you wait for him to find it you get a good look at the creature. It stands more than three metres tall, and is covered in the dust and sweat of its labours. Although grey-tinged from the grime that layers its skin you can tell that it is ochre-coloured, and owns a long tail of white hair that spreads from the back of its head out across its shoulders. Apart from a pair of ragged breaches it is wearing little, but you notice that its right arm is covered from shoulder to wrist in an ornate and complicated series of tattoos. Your skin goes cold as you watch, wondering if the Jotun will notice the bootprints you have left in the dust, and which now provide a clear trail to your hiding place. Thankfully Providence is with you.
From deep within the passage a loud voice calls out. Immediately the Jotun turns and sniffs at the air, but whatever the command it is more urgent than the Hordim's need to remain in the King's Hall. Swiftly the Hordim disappears back into the passage, the yellow light narrowing to a shaft of long shadows before fading from view. For a few moments you wait, then when you are sure the enormous creature has gone you light your lantern and turn quickly northwards. There can be no safe passage to the east so you must look instead to the exits ahead for a way deeper into the mountain.
About ten metres further ahead you find the going becomes much easier. The last 50 metres or so of the King's Hall appears well used, there is little debris covering the floor and the floorstones show recent wear from the scraping and rubbing of iron-shod feet. As you move further along you can see more clearly the two doors that are set into the western wall, the larger single door in the eastern wall and the small open room at the Hall's end.
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Will you?
Enter the first door in the western wall. If so, turn to section 173.
Enter the second door in the western wall. If so, turn to section 77.
Enter the larger door in the eastern wall. If so, turn to section 58.
Enter the small open chamber at the end of the hall. If so, turn to section 199.
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This book, and its associated books and other documents in the Chronicles of Arborell series are the intellectual property of the author, Wayne F Densley, and all rights are reserved by him. Windhammer is best viewed at 1024 x 768 resolution. Any questions regarding the Chronicles of Arborell can be answered by emailing the author at densleyw@shoal.net.au
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Windhammer, Copyright Wayne Densley 2001 - 2007 All Rights Reserved
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