Dwarven Dragon Warrioress

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. Then the dwarf lady arrived. Who ever heard of a dwarf with dragons? She came to town with several loaded wagons, and said she was looking for the owner of the mystical valley. All of our sleepy little hamlet knew the owner, for he was none other than the mayor, Bugetrory Lorance. He loved that valley with the stream flowing out of the cave at the base of the mountain, meadows of wildflowers, and pools full of trout. Now, if the dwarf lady wanted the valley, we all knew the answer would be no. Others had tried to purchase it before for absurd amounts of money; he always said no. So she was pointed to the mayor’s house and was let in.

After a short period of time, she came out. A passerby heard Mayor Lorance saying, “Sorry, no, it’s not for sale.”

To which the dwarf replied in her high voice, “You haven’t even heard my offer.”

“And I won’t.” stated the mayor, closing the door.

Well, the next morning the mayor and his family were loading up their belongings into wagons. When asked where they were going, the mayor responded, “We are leaving this horrible town to go live in the city with my mother.” It was said he wore a look of terror and had a bandage on his neck that hadn’t been there the day before. The dwarf was also seen heading into the valley that morning.

A few days later the dwarf came into town for supplies and hired woodworkers to build and carve two massive doors for the cave. They were given exacting specifications and were to have two dragons facing each other carved on the front. Once completed a month later, she had the blacksmith reinforce the doors with iron bands, then had laborers install the doors, which were perfectly fit to allow the waters to flow beneath them. Their handles looked like dragon claws that extended past the stream to allow for opening it. It was the talk of the town, being of a sturdiness that it would take an army with a battering ram to break it. Even then the water would make it an extremely difficult task, as, while it was narrow, it was very deep.

Geileis Duzzilda was the dwarf’s name. She was short and stocky, like the legends I had heard about dwarves, having never seen one prior for myself. I heard they all had full beards regardless if man or woman, but her face was unshaven and smooth except for her chin which sprouted a long braided lock of her fiery red hair. She had green colored eyes with a shine and hardness of an emerald. She wore her hair out and long, almost un-kept, and it curled around her head. Geileis usually wore travelling clothes but on a few occasions, was seen in the hardened leather and chain armor of a warrior. During these times a short sword hung from her belt and several throwing axes were sheathed on the back of her armor.

We villagers started to notice small changes in the valley. The flowery meadows became pastures for a herd of sheep. Geileis would come to town now and again to get supplies, grain, mead, and other food, but overall, she kept to herself. Then one day she came to town, and I happened to be sitting outside the general mercantile store. She stopped before going inside and looked at me for what seemed like the longest time. Finally, after several uncomfortable seconds she spoke, “I am looking for someone to tend my sheep and help out around my place. It would require staying in my valley six days and nights a week. The pay would be 5 silver a week including food. Do you know someone who’s honest and hardworking?”

I was stunned, jobs being scarce. It gave me a chance to help my family, especially with my mother being sick. “Yes ma-aa-am,” I stuttered, “I would be happy for the job, and to do anything you ask.”

“Can you cook?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m an okay cook,” I stated.

“Then gather what you need and meet me back here in an hour,” she said, and handed me 5 silver coins, stating, “here is your first week’s wages.”

Never had I had so much money! I ran home, told my folks, gave them 4 of the silver, and gathered my things. On the way back I stopped at a farm and bought a sheep dog named Ovcharka. And that was the beginning of my employment and friendship with Geileis -- this is her story as I understand it.

It all began in a distant land of Vergralis. Geilies was travelling through a small mining town and stopped at a tavern for dinner. As she ate her garlic and onion pronghorn stew, she overheard the drunken guards talking. “Did you see them sparkling? I’ve never seen anything like it,” said one miner to the other.

“Yes, they’re amazing, how do you think they knew they were there? I mean they didn’t have us digging for nothing,” said the other miner.

“No way! They couldn’t have known about them eggs, there has not been a dragon around these parts for decades.” At this the guards noticed Geileis, and lowered their voices, making their speech muffled and impossible to understand.

With this, Geileis set up camp outside of town.

She gathered information and made preparations the next week. She had become a familiar face at the only tavern in the mining town, the Pick & Shovel Inn. A welcome face, too, since she started buying the miners drinks to loosen their tongues and gain their trust. After learning as much about the mine as she could, she prepared her wagon for a speedy departure out of town. She slipped into the mine after hours, regretting having to make bloody work of the two guards. Both were surprised at her appearance and even more surprised at the speed of the throwing axes as they entered their foreheads dropping them.

Geileis retrieved her axes, wiping them clean on the guard’s clothes. Then she entered the chamber that was being guarded and lit a torch. She gasped as it threw light about the room, causing the eggs to reflect shimmering colors throughout. The display was like a thousand rainbows illuminating the cavern.

Around the egg hoard lay the scales and bones of a deceased dragon, obviously the mysterious remains of the mother. Geileis was exhilarated; she had not known of the dragon. Its scales would make glorious armor; lighter, stronger, and more flexible than any other mail. She hastily gathered as many of the small scales as her bag would hold, throwing some small tail bones on the top to sell to the magi and herbal shops for healing and spell components.

She stepped over the bones and approached the eggs with reverence. The eggs’ iridescence sparkled with every color of the rainbow, but each displayed a certain color trait. She carefully lifted a greenish tinted one, testing its weight. It was light enough that she could easily carry two, one in each hand, so she abandoned her torch and picked up another with a reddish tint. She quickly but carefully scrambled over the remains of the dragon, and made her way out of the mine, relying on her dark-vision to safely guide her back to the surface.

She put her treasures into a box stuffed with straw prepared for the purpose, hid the crate with others that looked similar, and quickly got her mares going toward the nearest crossroads. She knew that pursuit would take place as soon as the theft was discovered, and estimated she had five hours before the miners returned. She had to make the best of her time and put as much distance as she could between her and the mine as quickly as possible.

Long ago, before her exile from her Dwarven homeland, she had heard a legend about a mystical valley, somewhere in the south. The mountainous valley contained a cave with a stream flowing from it. The waters of the stream were said to come from a deep underground spring and were so pure that to drink of it at its source would prolong life and provide the drinker with an abundance of energy and vitality. It was said to have healing properties as well. So she headed south, to search for the mystical valley. She followed a road that was little more than a track in the dirt. It was a long journey before any towns or cities. This suited her fine; as it was the least likely path most did not know of the road, and others would not expect her to travel it. She travelled for over two years, and the journey is a tale for another time.

I do know that as she travelled she stopped in the mountain city of Wassel, for their famous annual cider fest. Wassel being the wealthiest city of the realm and a haven for countless sages, mages, and healers, made it the perfect place to sell the bones. There she sold the eggs for a fortune in gems. There she also secretly commissioned the finest Mountain Dwarf armorer to craft the scales into custom armor. The armorer’s payment was the last four remaining scales, which gained his silence about where he had obtained them and in the making the armor. She also visited the great library and studied all she could on dragons, while waiting for the armor to be constructed. Then she continued to travel farther south.

Along the way, she inquired about a valley with a cave and stream along her routes, finally hearing of our town from her inquires. She came upon our mountainous town, and you have already been told the tale of how she acquired the cave. Once established in her cave, she built what most believed was a forge, but it was actually to heat the eggs. When it was apparent that Ovcharka was more capable than I, herding the sheep. I was put to work, keeping the fires of the giant forge/incubator burning. Of course, I wasn’t aware of why or what was in the fire. When I asked why the fires had to burn constantly or asked how she was forging anything without metal, Geileis replied, “All will be revealed with time…I hope.”

After weeks of the fire burning, we heard a loud crack, then some kind of chomping and a loud hissing squeal from the fires. “Quick!” Geileis cried, “You must leave the chamber, hurry.” Scared, I dashed out of the room and keep going until I got outside and pushed the giant door closed.

A few hours later the giant cave door opened and Geileis stepped out wearing dragon scale armor, polished iridescent blue scales throwing light around the valley. She looked like a mighty warrioress of legend, hair blowing in the wind, hard to look away, but blinding to the eyes. Then I saw the movement next to her, a green kaleidoscopic serpent walked out of the cave and spread its wings. It let out a shallow hiss as it flapped its wings. I nearly fainted, “What is that!” I exclaimed.

“It’s not another sheep dog, what do you think it is?” she joked.

“A dragon? But from where? How?” I asked excitedly.

“From the fires. There is another egg yet inside, so you must keep the fires burning. If you hear it hatching come for me immediately, as I must be there when it comes out of the fires,” explained Geileis. I stood watching the dragon as it rubbed its small form against Geileis, purring as she stroked its small scales. “Hurry now. There will be plenty of time to stare once the other has hatched, we mustn’t let the fires die before it hatches,” Geileis scolded.

A few hours later, I again heard the cracking sound and rushed to get Geileis. She asked me to watch the baby green dragon, but try not to get bit, as she hurried in her armor to tend to the other young dragon. I later learned that Geileis learned in her study and travels that dragons imprint on the first thing they see forming a bond with them; she thought that maybe the dragon scale armor would also help. A few hours later she emerged again in brilliance, this time coming out with a shimmering small, red dragon.

“Go fetch an ewe,” Geileis commanded, “Let’s see if they are hungry.”

I fetched a small sheep and brought it to Geileis, who quickly butchered it. She tossed a leg to each dragon and they squealed with delight and set about eating ravenously. She then had me take the rest of the meat to the forge and roast it over the coals. That night as the dragons slept, in the corner of the kitchen cavern, Geileis and I celebrated by eating the roasted mutton and drinking her finest Wasseling Cider.

I had been working for Geileis about six months when the dragons where born. I pretty much always followed the same routine at the end of my week. Geileis would give me the 5 Silver and I would go home and give 4 silver to my family. I would keep 1 silver for myself for clothes, supplies, and to buy dog food for Ovcharka. I was grateful to be working for Geileis. The money was helping my family tremendously, especially my mother. I also liked Geileis as she had taken me in and taught me about the world and had even started teaching me to use a sword and throwing axes. Now there were dragons, an amazement in themselves. At the end of the birth week, Geileis asked, “Please don’t tell anyone about the dragons! I am sure it won’t be secret very long, but I want to keep it quiet as long as possible.”

“Sure, I promise,” I earnestly replied.

I was glad to keep her secret after all she had done for me. When she paid me the coins clinked differently, when I looked at them there were 4 silver coins and 1 gold. “This is too much,” I stated, for never had I even seen a gold coin, as they were rare in these parts.

“Consider it a bonus, and please tell no one,” she commanded.

I promised again and left for home. I kept the gold not wanting to explain it to my family, thereby ensuring I kept the secret.

I kept my promise and told no one. Then two weeks later, when I arrived home my family rushed out to see me. They all began to talk at once.

“Is it true?” my father asked.

My Mother questioned, “Are they dangerous?”

“Can I see them?” my sister stated.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

In unison they all answered: “The dragons!”

“What? How did you know?” I questioned.

“One of the blacksmith’s boys was out hunting and heard strange noises, so he snuck in the valley and saw them. No one believed him at first, so his Da snuck down into the valley with him and saw the dragons,” replied father.

“Oh no! I must tell Geileis,” I exclaimed. I turned and ran back to the valley.

Now, dragons are rare, especially in these parts. People say there hasn’t been even one in hundreds of years. In other places people see them every great while, well, I’ve heard at least some live to tell about it. I have never heard of anyone having one, except in tales of the old dragon riders. So, this was big news, the biggest news ever to come out of our sleepy little village. I was told the news traveled fast, spread far and wide. Tales of Geileis the dragon warrioress were being told and ballads sung from tavern to tavern about her. The news made its way across the land over the next year.

It reached the Sages of Wassel, where she sold the bones. “If only she would have sold us an egg. One egg could have bought her a kingdom. I wonder what the Kings of Wassel and Mountain Dwarves interest will be?” they said.

It also reached the Dwarven city of Bendithar, in the northern hills where Geileis first heard the story of the valley.

Lastly, The High Priest King Srengenge, of the land of Vergralis, learned of Geileis and her dragons. Now he had a name and place to recover his belongings. For it was in his land that the small mining town was found, where Geileis had obtained the eggs. He had also personally commissioned the very mine she had taken them from, looking for the secret he correctly suspected was hidden there. He wanted his property and revenge for the theft. In fact, he demanded it.