PELAIR. The Gems of the Golden Serpent.

32. Balin

"There it is," Balin said, speaking in a whisper to his donkey Concho. While the dwarf had not acquired Aela's skill to communicate with animals, however, he had been in the company of the ass for so long, that they both understood each other perfectly well.

Balin had raised Concho since it was a young colt. It had lost its mother when she tripped over a cliff.

For the last few days, they had overseen the overgrown gardens that surrounded the old palace of Ardel where Grisela lived, who, according to Balin, had been the cause of all the tragedy they were suffering now.

Balin was not mistaken in his assessment. It had been the pride and greed that had manifested the priestess of Noor when she had initially stolen the gem and then incited the intrigue and evil in her children, which eventually led to the disastrous events now engulfed all the kingdoms of Pelair.

Balin had been left desolate; after the flock of eagles had flown away with the apple of his eye. Not knowing what to do, he had wandered here and there without any whereabouts. One day he received a visit from a hawk with a message on one of its legs.

The letter came from Gus, the monk who had helped Brannan and his entourage to bring Snowflake from the monastery of Kerst. He requested to meet secretly in a place near Ardel. Having nothing else to do and regaining some hope, Balin went determined to the interview.

"The witch Grisela has to be abducted and taken to the forest of Magensa," communicated Gus to the dwarf when they finally met. "The lady of the forest is the only one in the present circumstances that can counteract the power and desires of Grisela. Ultimately, she should not be allowed to meet with her great-granddaughters," warned the monk.

Although the monk was blind as well as mute, as he had mutilated his tongue himself, he communicated with Balin through a hawk. Making use of a feather smeared with a dye, and seeing through the eyes of the falcon, the monk wrote on a scroll what he wanted to tell the dwarf.

"The hawks have reported to us that Azcangor has been taken and burned to its grounds. The twin incarcerated Queen Miralia," manifested the monk. "The only way to preserve her life will be imprisoning Grisela and threatening to execute her if something happens to the Queen. We have to do that for Princess Aela. It would be a blow to her if something happened to her grandmother."

Balin would do anything for the apple of his eye, so he did not hesitate to assume that task.

Grisela had made a habit of walking alone by the neglected gardens of Ardel Castle. Nobody in their right mind would dare to go beyond the outer walls of the palace, and enter the premises of the twins of Alasia. She relied on that, so she felt safe and at ease. It was in those gardens where she received daily, the harpies, which brought news about the achievements of her twins.

"No, noo, noooo!" Balin heard the witch emit a heartbreaking lament. The woman was at the edge of a fountain with a scroll in her hand. From his vantage point, Balin heard blasphemies, insults, threats, and curses directed against Aela. The pallor of her face seemed to suggest that something serious had upset her. That behavior gave the dwarf some hope.

"Go on and eat that grass over there. From there, you'll call the attention of the witch,"' Balin said to Concho. "I'll follow you a little later."

The donkey sauntered toward the patch of grass Balin had pointed out, and slowly started nibbling the tender shoots.

"Get out of there!" Grisela heard someone yelling.

It was Balin who expressly screamed to the donkey to gain the attention of Grisela.