The Hammer of Fire by Tom Liberman Read Free Book Online

It’s that
damned tree blood in his veins, however it got there. And, I don’t
like that word, don’t use it again.”
    The dwarf breathed in for a moment, the fresh
scent of her hair even stronger than the wet odor of decay that
permeated the hallways, and blinked his eyes a couple of times
before he managed to gather his thoughts. “Just stealing? Is that
what he thinks? It’s a much grander scheme than that. This isn’t
just about the hammer; it’s about all of Craggen Steep, the malaise
that’s swept through this place. The High Council is corrupted, the
three families are stagnant.”
    “None of that matters to Dol. You don’t know
him like I do, Uldex. When Dol signed his apprentice papers it
meant something to him.”
    “Those things don’t mean anything! Young
dwarves break their apprenticeships all the time. All you have to
do is pay the thing off later and nobody cares. I bet half the High
Council members did it and almost every story you hear about one
hero or another starts off with a dwarf abandoning his
apprenticeship,” said Uldex speaking with passion, his hands waving
in front of his scarred face. He also moved a few inches closer to
Milli and breathed in deeply.
    “He’s a quarter tree, once he sets his roots
into something he won’t let go. We need to find something heroic to
do once we steal the hammer and then he’ll go along. He doesn’t
care about the High Council, or the malaise of Craggen Steep, or
about your schemes to take over with your uncle.”
    “What about Corancil? He took over in Das’von
and Stav’rol. They say he’s building an army to invade the
southlands and unite the entire continent as a single empire. Isn’t
that reason enough to steal the hammer, to join his army? Think of
the adventure, the riches. I’d do it myself if I could hold the
thing. And I’d take you with me, Milli. All over the world, to see,
to do, to live!”
    “We thought of that,” said Milli as her
cheeks reddened slightly and she flicked her head, sending her hair
in a whirl around her face, “Dol doesn’t want to join an army. He
wants to do something by himself. I know him, Uldex. He’ll never do
it without a plan and without Dol no one can wield the thing.”
    Uldex looked at Milli for a long time and
they stood gazing at one another. “What ever happened with us?”
    Milli rolled her eyes, “You were sleeping
with every dwarf maiden of good family who couldn’t resist your bad
boy charm as I recall. It wasn’t a short list.”
    “Oh, there was that; what if I told you I’d
reformed?”
    “I wouldn’t fancy you if you turned into a
good boy,” said Milli with a grin.
    “Well then,” said Uldex with a smile and a
wink.
    “And I’ve gone off bad boys,” she replied
with a frown.
    “Where does that leave us?”
    “Nowhere,” said Milli sharply. “Talk to your
uncle or the First Edos, they’ve got to have an idea of what Dol
can do with the hammer, something heroic, something for the ages,
something people will talk about forever.”
    Uldex pounded his fist into his hand again,
“There isn’t time, you have to understand, Milli, they’re going to
lock thing in the Hall of Relics after tonight. It’ll be guarded
twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week; you have to convince
Dol tonight.”
    Milli shook her head and pursed her lips,
“It’s you who doesn’t understand Uldex. Dol’s mind is made up. You
have to go back to your uncle, find something for Dol to do, and
then we’ll steal the thing wherever they lock it up. The First Edos
is on our side, that’s what you said.”
    Uldex shook his head and looked at the
ground, “You know that this is about more than stealing the hammer,
Milli. The Firefists have had control of the High Council for too
long now. It’s time for a change at the top and stealing the hammer
is only the first part of the plan. Once the Blackirons take
control, things will start changing around here. We’ll announce
ourselves publicly