The Chronicles of Tenroha

Prologue

Prologue

(Slightly Before the Current Time)

It was a brisk cold morning, and it was the first day of winter. Captain Sebastian Claremont, a man of some forty years of age, and his Peacekeepers were on a routine escort detail. They had been escorting an ambassador of the dwarven realm along with a merchant caravan back to their keep at the base of the Attikì Mountains. The dwarven civilization stretches all throughout the entire mountain range. They have several large cities within the walls of the mountains but most of their population is spread out in small mining villages that pock mark the mountains.

Since he was a recruit, the captain had never aspired for greatness. He always did as he was told, never more, never less. Eventually he made his way up the ranks, but very slowly. He had been an officer in the Peacekeepers for twenty or so years, but he never tried too hard at anything. After many years of service, he took over as the Captain of the West Port Peacekeepers, where he has been for the past fours years. It was a cushy post. There was little crime in West Port and it seemed to be more of a retirement than an actual post. There was very little to do most of the year. He wasn't keen on all the pomp and circumstance that came with the title, so he had his men refer to him simply as Capt instead of Captain Claremont, as was proper.

Twice a year the ambassador would visit the city of West Port to oversee trade negotiations and he would always bring a large caravan that was full of wares to be traded in the city. This year had been no different. The dwarves had been in the city for the last fortnight and with their pockets and chests overflowing with gold and silver, they had set off for their homeland in the mountains.

West Port is the western most human city in Tenroha. The city sets three day's travel by caravan, a little more than a day's march, from the dwarven realm and on the banks of the river Quoe. It is a major port city, as it supplies transport of goods all the way to and from the capitol city of men which has no name; and all of the trade that goes to and from the dwarven realm, went through West Port. Its population is made up of humans, mostly, but there are many dwarves that can be found year round in the city as well.

Captain Claremont and his men had been away from the city for nearly a week. They had stayed at the keep to assist with unloading the caravan, and he decided to give his men a full day's rest before heading back to West Port. They had been on the march for half of a day and some of the men were still feeling ill from indulging in too much dwarven ale, so he decided to make camp to let his men sleep it off before returning home to the city.

The sun had not quite set, and most of his men were already passed out on the ground. He set two of the men, who weren't feeling ill, on watch, and he entered his tent to rest as well. He, too, had partaken in too much of the delicious ale, and wanted to lie down. It wasn't long before the dizziness subsided enough for him to fall asleep.

He was awoken some time later by one of the men he had set on watch. "Capt. A dwarven child has entered the camp and claims to be lost." said the man. "At this hour? What? How? Damn it!" he stammered groggily. Captain Claremont, still groggy, stepped out of his tent while rubbing his eyes. "What's the meaning of this," he shouted. He turned and saw the child standing in the shadow of his tent.

The child stepped forward and said, "I was playing with my dogs and we got separated from the caravan a few days ago." "I know the way home, but my dogs ran off after something and I have been searching for them ever since," he explained. "I saw your fire and I came to see if you would help me find them," he continued. "I know they are close, I can still hear them." The captain listened for a time and he too could hear the dogs in the distance.