In the darkness, the Skyler Clan village was nearly invisible to the naked eye, and had Loudin not been there before, he would’ve missed it entirely. He found he was glad that they had happened upon Hyden and his group. Without them, he might never have found the place, and would’ve had to listen to Mikahl’s chastising forever.
Though the clans-folk were all inside their dwellings, enjoying the warmth of their hearth fires, not a speck of light could be seen from outside. Their homes and common areas had been carved into the sides of the valley ages ago by the giants. Huge scallops of earth had been scooped deeply out of the rock, and then squared rooms were constructed out of stone slabs. The rubble and scree had been piled back over, covering them completely. The same had been done with the long, winding entry tunnels that led from the outside world into the rooms. The natural shape of the valley, had been restored over the halls and dwellings, and after a few seasons of growth, it appeared, to the unknowing eye, as plain and empty as any other valley in the area. Well placed wooden doors, which the clansmen hung to keep out the weather, sat a dozen or more feet inside the entry shafts. The only way anyone who didn’t know where they were would ever see one of them, was to wander into one of the dark overgrown cave like holes that pocked the sides of the valley. Some of the underground rooms were so vast, that the clans-folk housed herds of rams and goats in them during the harsh winter months. At night, only the smell of cooking, and the occasional noise that escaped up through the many hidden ventilation shafts, would give them away. It was different during the day. In the light of the sun, the valley crawled with life. A life kept joyous and peaceful by keeping the kingdom folk and the elves out of it.
Hyden knew that someone would be watching them approach from one of the many hidden nooks and precipices along the ridges. They would signal his location with tiny mirror flashes that seemed to be no more than flighty fire bugs in night. It came as no surprise to Hyden when a sudden light pierced the darkness ahead of them. It was Harrap, Hyden’s father, and he was standing in the entry tunnel that led to the Elders’ council chamber. By the way the shadows moved about in the swathe of steady blue light that spilled across the valley floor, he could tell that his father wasn’t alone. The Elders had been waiting for him.
Harrap made a piercing whistle as they came upon him. His look was quizzical, as he recognized Loudin. He looked at his son, and a dozen questions swam across his eyes. Talon came flapping down out of the sky and landed on Hyden’s shoulder. That alone seemed to answer many of the questions, but it was obvious that his father wanted to know what had happened to the elf and the Westland kingsman.
“Take our guest,” The word guest was stressed. “To the gathering room, and feed him,” Harrap commanded to the darkness.
Out of the gloom, Hyden’s slightly older cousins, Tylen and Sharoo, stepped up on each side of Loudin.
“Make a comfortable place for him to sleep.”
Harrap turned and faced the hunter then.
“Well met Loudin Drake. The business that we have with my son will take some time to finish. I apologize for the rudeness.”
Before Loudin could reply, Harrap gestured for Hyden to enter the tunnel he had been blocking, and a moment later, closed the deeply set door behind them.
The medium sized room seemed over-crowded to Hyden. In its center, the huge skull of a dragon sat. The top of its brain cavity had been long removed, and inside the brain pan, a torrent of magical blue flame raged wildly.
All of the Elders were there, sitting anxiously around the frightening looking horned skull. Hyden could tell that something was amiss. Their faces all looked grim as they reflected the eerie blue light.
Talon shivered on Hyden’s shoulder. Hyden could sense the bird’s fear, or maybe he could sense the bird sensing his own fear. He wasn’t sure. The one thing that was certain, was that he and Talon both were both afraid.