Stoneclaw Savage
The full-throated growl of the Cragbear echoes up and down the vales surrounding the Seyhn Zerkal. The first day a member of the Stoneclaws trained one for a mount is lost to time, but ever since these great beasts have served as the feared and ferocious cavalry of the Kuzaarik military. It is oft wondered which is to be dreaded most, bear or rider.
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The Stoneclaw Savage The long darkness of the northern winter was brightening. With the slow reappearing of the sun, the world around us began to wake up. The deep snows around the Vyrtod Vorat begin to slowly recede and before long, we would be back to our work patrolling the Zlabeenah Okand and throughout the Savage River Valley. This far to the north, the winter brings a strange respite to most activities as the deep snows and freezing temperatures strand most in their homes. For soldiers, such as myself, it is little different. The Vyrtod Vorat is built to withstand the mountain weather, but that is little comfort for those of us that are prisoners of the stone and snow for the long, dark winter months. The thawing season was upon us and I could hardly wait to be back to real work. We began waking the bears up nearly a week ago. Often, it is many days for our partners and mounts to come out of their winter slumber. Many of Kuzaarl’s forces keep the bears from their natural rhythms out of necessity. Here in the frozen heights of the Avalanche Pass, however, our Stoneclaws are allowed their winter sleep. We will both need the strength for we will spend the spring, summer and early fall patrolling this vast frontier and keeping it safe from threats from the south. Our work will begin in the Zlabeenah Okand, Avalanche Pass, the only route into the heart of the Middle Savage River Valley. Urdaggar raiding parties brave the pass every spring as their young warriors set out to prove themselves and the tribes set their winter plans into motion. Zlabeenah Okand is very high and the snow there will linger long after the Savage River Valley is green and active. It is a dangerous place as the snows begin to melt, with avalanches daily burying parts of the pass in deadly rock, snow, and ice. Our home, the Vyrtod Vorat, sits high on a mountainside overlooking the far end of the pass. It is built into the mountain itself, sturdy and eternal. From here, we will set out into the snow and winds of the pass, looking for the age-old enemy of my people and keeping the Savage River Valley safe. The Kuzaarik have been patrolling this pass for millennia and know where safe passage can be had. Even when the snows linger into the summer and we must brave the dangers of Zlabeenah Okand daily, we do not complain. We embody the Long Way and value most of all the future outcome, even if the present is undesirable and difficult. I first caught sight of them at the end of the pass. Zlabeenah Okand’s southern entrance slopes gracefully from the plains beyond it. The entrance here is wide and easily the hardest part of the pass to patrol. I was perched on the Hawksbill, a chunk of rock that juts awkwardly off a mountainside a few hundred paces above our normal patrol route. Togihn, my Stoneclaw, and I often climb from the patrol path and sit on the Hawksbill to overlook the pass. It is breathtaking in any season, but most of all when the spring thaws begin to grip the pass and the mountains awake from their winter slumber. At this height, the green of spring is already taking hold and slowly advancing up the pass. We were watching the sun’s light creep over the mountains and strike the pass below when I spotted them. At first sight, the fur clad invaders looked like a herd of deer as they moved cautiously up the valley. They did not move like deer, however. The first light of the sun pouring over the mountaintops caught them in the open, elongating and exaggerating their shadows, giving away their positions. After watching them but for a few short minutes, I was convinced I was seeing the first incursion of the season. There were few of them, scouts perhaps. I could not get closer to them from the Hawksbill. In truth, had Togihn and I not deviated from our normal paths I would not have seen them. They would have been hidden from my sight a few hundred feet down the mountain.
As I watched them many thoughts passed through my mind: relief that I had spotted the Urdaggar so early in their advance, and yet some dread knowing that the small force making their way into the pass could not be all there was. I also wondered what brought them, year after year, with little hope of victory. Only once in my life had the Urdaggar reached the upper end of the pass, ripping through the timber camps before we brought them to battle and crushed them before they could escape back. Most years, they make it no further than The Kyrhl, a small outpost that marks the high point of the pass. My thoughts kept me busy for a few moments when I should have been turning for home. Having respect for the hunting ability of the Urdaggar, we risked detection by coming down from the Hawksbill to regain the high mountain path. Whenever an incursion is spotted, our orders are to make haste back to the Vyrtod Vorat. We are not to engage the Sarahbahdayi by ourselves. Moving as fast as my mount could sustain, Togihn and I made our way back to the Vyrtod Vorat, eschewing sleep and caution. As it was, we’d lose a day on their advance. I wanted to make sure we gave them no more ground. We intercepted them again at the height of the pass. With towering snowy peaks to two sides of us and a heavy snow starting to add its depth to the remaining snows of winter, we decided to make our stand here. The Urdaggar interlopers would make it no farther than this. It was not a light decision. There was little room to maneuver in the high mountain meadow, but in the deep snow and blowing winds, the tribesman would be at as severe a disadvantage as we could get them. And we needed every advantage we could get. Since I had spotted them, the small band of Urdaggar had grown. Before it was little more than a hunting party. Now, with ten warriors in front of us and any number more behind them, we set our wills to an uphill battle. In the meadow there were few places to hide. The advantage of surprise was lost to us, but few things are more terrifying than the charge of a roaring Stoneclaw. What we lacked in surprise we would surely make up for in sheer ferocity. Four of us, all the numbers we could muster from Vyrtod Vorat, charged across the snow packed meadow. The snow crunched under the bear’s feet as they charged irresistibly toward the Urdaggar. Though it wouldn’t be a huge battle, we held our line as we charged; partly out of training and partly knowing that we had a chance against superior numbers if we coordinated our attack and struck as one, at least at first. I clutched my zeradrakh tighter. It would be more like a spear on the initial charge. It’s blade gleamed as gray as the world around it. It wasn’t made to act as a spear exactly and I whispered a small prayer to Grymzul, the hammer, that it would hold until I could use it more as it was intended. The Urdaggar behaved much as we had expected. The moment they spotted us riding high on our crag bears hey spread out and prepared to receive our charge. Their younger warriors favor a spear and shield, making them extremely dangerous to our bears. I hoped that the massive ball of charging teeth and claws might weaken their resolve but these were warriors of the Urdaggar: they had probably seen much worse. In truth I was probably more afraid than them, even riding Togrihn who was worked up into a killing frenzy as we careened into battle. There were only four of us facing down ten or better Urdaggar. It was our job to stop them, but it didn’t stop me from feeling fear even as we charged into battle. Muhrk let out a feral battle cry moments before we crashed into them, bolstering me at a much- needed time. We smashed into the tribesman, flattening two of their young warriors under foot and claw before they could even strike back. My zeradrakh ran through another fur wearing warrior as she tried to swing a massive axe down on Toghin. The force drove her hard to the ground and I was nearly unsaddled as I tried to withdraw my blade and keep moving. Regaining my balance, I looked quickly around for my comrades. I saw only two others. We were all trying to slow to a stop and get turned around. As I did, I saw Zolsah. She had been brought down off her mount and was lying wounded on the ground. Her crag bear Molyn was holding off two tribesman who were attempting to dispatch her. As they approached, Molyn stood on her hind legs and swiped with her massive claws, cleaving one of the tribesmen nearly in half. He fell but as I watched, the other spearman drove his attack home, felling the poor beast before doing the same to Zolsah. We had already started moving again, slowly but surely, and picking up speed. The Urdaggar archers were now flinging arrows at us, as we were a much easier target as Togihn and I just started moving. Togihn’s long fur kept most of the arrows at bay but one lodged itself into his right haunch. She roared with pain and anger, nearly throwing me off. She stopped almost suddenly and began to try to bite the bolt to pull it out. I reached back and yanked the arrow from her flesh. She whimpered in pain, but with the arrow out she could move again with much less pain. While I dealt with the arrow, Murkh was running down one of the archers. Kerl had charged back into the middle of the meadow when I saw a green glow emanating from the fur-clad woman he was trying to charge. He turned around before he even got to the caster. Whatever she did, his mount was moving at high speed away from the battle. That left only Murkh and me to bring down the rest of the Urdaggar. There weren’t many left, but we were still outnumbered. I decided that the caster was probably the leader of this group and so decided that my fight would be with her. I goaded Togihn toward her and broke into a run. Seeing my charge, the caster begins to glow again. As she did, her form grew. When the glow stopped, a bear stood in her place, standing high on its back legs. I had heard about this before, children’s stories about Urdaggar that became animals. But I had never seen it in person, even with all the years that I had been fighting Urdaggar in the Avalanche Pass. The bear roared in defiance at Togihn and I and then began a charge of its own. Togihn and I didn’t slow down. Neither did the caster. We collided head on, both of the bears wrapping themselves around each other in an attempt to wrestle the other to the ground. I was sent careening over them both. Falling to the ground my only thought was that I might fall on my own weapon so I let it drop right before I hit the ground and rolled to a halt. Pain welled up in every part of me and the world went out of focus and was replaced with white light. I don’t know how long I laid there but as soon as I could get up, I tried to. As the light left and the world returned in my sight, I began to stumble toward the still fighting bears. The Urdaggar caster was clearly stronger than Togihn and had her on her back. Togihn was still fighting, but I could tell that she was losing her energy and the fight. I found my zeradrakh on the ground as I staggered towards the two scrapping giants. Bending over to pick it up, I watched as the caster swept her enormous paw down and clubbed Togihn. Her flesh tore under the caster’s claws. I knew the next swipe would be her end. I twisted back and put every bit of strength I could into a thrust from my zeradrakh. It pierced the Urdaggar in her back right under her shoulder and tore through her all the way out of her chest. She let out a roar of pain that faded to a human scream. Bleeding and dangling from my weapon she began to glow again. She shrunk back to her human form, slumping onto the ground and gasping her last. Both of us breathing heavily, Togihn looked at me. I swear I could see gratefulness in her eyes as she tried to stand up. It took her a couple of times, but she finally managed to stand. She shook herself off, mewing softly as I petted her. Looking around, I saw none standing save Murkh who was trotting toward us with a concerned look on his face. He came up and nodded to me but his eye was on Togrihn, who still hadn’t moved. “That’s the end of them for now.” He said solemnly. “For now.” I answered back. I petted Togihn again and looked back over the battlefield. Kerl was still no where to be seen, having been bewitched and sent running from the field. We would recover Zolsah’s body and take her back to Vyrtod Vorat. Leading Togihn gently, we began to walk off. Murkh led, slowing his pace so I could keep up on foot. We laid Zolsah gently over the back of Murkh’s Stoneclaw, Kuyrl, and began the long trip back to our home on the other side of the pass. Togihn and I stood on the Hawksbill, watching the sunrise over the pass. We spotted them, several forms moving their way up the pass in the early morning light. I patted her head and she raised it slightly to meet my hand. Giving them one last look before we went to warn the others, I goaded her to turn around, and we began our journey back to Vyrtod Vorat.
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