We barreled down the road and followed the tracks of the possible orcish fanaticals. We kept speeding but lost them as many tracks led into each other and we were left confused before then driving towards an area that was most likely near the barrow we seek to find the armour of Aeryhn Iceborn in.
"I can't believe we lost those fucks..." Irene growls, the metal bar she was holding, making the leather creak under her grip, infuriated by losing track.
Ari sighs, "We'll probably meet them again."
Once we parked up near the face of a fjord, we began scouting below to see if there was any indication of a barrow, ancient structures, anything at all. The only thing we saw was a rocky outcropping that was covered with a thick sheet of ice from a waterfall. Nothing like the books said, of massive structures of engraved stone and such things, but then again, the book was ages old.
"We'll need that mountaineering equipment..." I commented as I leaned to look over the edge of the cliff.
Harry nods before saying to me, "Want me to head down first? Been a dwarf miner since sixteen, so this will be bloody easy."
Ari scoffs while leaning and shaking her head, "The entrance of the Iceborn's tomb was massive, according to the Professor in the book. Lying bloody nobhead." then Ari said to dwarf as he fixed his black beard to his shoulder length hair in a ponytail "Alright, Harry, go and see what this outcropping is about."
"Aye, let me get the equipment." The raven-haired dwarf said, seeming rather chipper, considering we might have another threat breathing down our necks.
We then started pitching up camp and then getting the mountaineering equipment for the dwarf as he tied a rope to the bumper of our four-and-a-half-ton truck before he got his harness on and then got ready before making his way down the edge and got to work.
Aunt Irene was off and most likely hunting for the truck that the orcs were in while we set up camp. It took us a few minutes to get up a few of the tents and the main, larger tent for maps and dining. It was hard, but eventually Harold returned from scouting on the outcropping and setting up the carabiners and pitons for us.
Harold then announces, "Got those things in and it's ready for any of you if you want to take a gander at that bloody thick sheet of ice getting in the way."
"We can hack away at it with the pick or maybe Ari can do a quick burn through," I suggested.
"Sounds like a plan." Ari said while sitting back in a camping chair.
"My personal opinion is that we should wait for Aunty Irene to return." I put out, which got nods of agreement.
It was our usual idling about as we pull out our crystal powered radio and tune it in to the Isle Kingdoms broadcasts "Today at Wednesday 33rd of Heleren, at Seven-Forty-Five, Prime Minister Esdellia Myrad has issued a statement on the new alliance and defence statement made with Elderia due to the ever-increasing press on the borders from the war." The presenter then paused for a moment.
"Since this statement, there has been an authorization that all automotive factories will be producing military vehicles and Isle troops will be transported to the new front. This is Fredrick Handelsen with the Isle Public Broadcast at Eight." Then the radio faded into the gentle Swing tunes we knew.
"Shit... Eventually, war must come for all. I knew the peace here would not last forever, but I wasn't expecting it to be over so swiftly as we arrived." Arimia mentioned rather disappointedly.
Harry then states, firmly and with a tone of worry, "Well, we best be swift about our archaeological journey."
We nodded, but before we committed ourselves to working the ice. We went to quickly putting on our harnesses and then getting to work with chipping that ice off as Ari melted the ice with her concentrated fire.
We spent a good hour, but there was a layer of ice that just wouldn't shift at all as Harry and I chipped and smashed the ice with our picks. But Ari was melting through it in small sectors and then I motioned to the wall of ice and inquired with disbelief, "How come you're doing that so easy?"
"Dunno, magical barrier maybe? I have no clue, if I'm honest, I just want to bloody get this wall open and this tomb searched." Ari shrugged and then kept burning and melting the wall away with her fire.
It was then Harold, and I returned to the camp after climbing up the steep wall of the fjord cliff and then made some lunch as we got more curious about the whereabouts of Irene, but for the most part we just made work on making sandwiches and a cup of tea.