During the day, the dwarves had moved all their ballistae into the gate yard along with a generous supply of shot, so that they were able to fling stones over the wall as quickly as they could reload. The first three dozen shots reduced the barrier of siege weapons and supply wagons to shattered ruins. Most of the stones continued to roll along the road, scattering the encamped invaders. Indeed, the first stone caught a large portion of the army by surprise; many of the soldiers failed to understand their situation until three or four stones had rolled through in rapid succession. They scrambled desperately to get out of the way, but there was nowhere for them to go. They were trapped on the road, left trying to dodge as best they could while the stones bounced back and forth between the inner wall and the curb.
For the moment, the defenders of Fort Denwarf had every advantage, their enemy trapped in the path of destruction of their weapons, unable even to protect themselves, much less fight back. But Korinn knew how quickly fortune could turn against the dwarves. They kept up their attack for as long as they could, as teams of dwarves cranked back the arms of the ballistae and loaded another stone as quickly as they could. Suddenly, without warning, one of the higher towers of the fortress exploded in flames and crashed down in burning wreckage. The defenders looked up to see dark shapes moving swiftly through the night sky, darting in to strike swiftly with fire and destruction.
But the dwarves were hardly caught by surprise. Korinn had known that if he gave the invading army any trouble, the Masters would return quickly to deal with the problem. Except for the crews working the ballistae, he had already sent all the defenders out of Fort Denwarf by secret ways, beginning the inevitable retreat southward toward Stahl and Evemur. That made the final retreat much quicker and easier now that the fortress had to be abandoned in a hurry. The dwarves released their final shots and hurried into the depths of the main keep, descending into deep tunnels cut into the mountain. In a matter of minutes, the last of the defenders were filing quickly and silently through the underground ways, careful to leave no trace of their passage. In time they came to a secret door in the shadows along one wall, and one by one they disappeared inside.
Korinn Bear Slayer and General Balar were the last to arrive at the hidden door. In honor of the older dwarfs years of service at the fortress, Korinn passed inside first, permitting Balar to close and seal the door behind him.
"A week ago I wouldn't have believed that we would ever be forced to abandon Denwarf to an enemy," Balar said, pausing a moment to listen at the door. "It galls me to leave while the walls are still standing and the gate is still intact. But with those dragons blasting at the towers, it's no use trying to defend the fort. I just hope those beasties don't tear the place apart."
"I doubt they'll spend the time and effort," Korinn assured him. "We'll rebuild whatever is left. I fear we'll have a great deal to rebuild before this is done."
They quickly set the final traps, which would bring down massive blocks of stone to close the passage if anyone tried to come through from the other side. Then the two dwarves hurried along the dark passage. About a hundred yards down the tunnel, they came to a chamber where a small company of soldiers waited for them with their packs. The others were already far ahead. The soldiers bore magic lanterns to light the way, although a dwarfs night vision was sufficient to find his way in almost total darkness. Once Korinn and Balar had pulled on the straps of their packs, the company filed out through the passage on the far side of the chamber.
Korinn wondered what was happening back at the fortress. Had the Masters already discovered that the dwarves had abandoned Fort Denwarf? He hoped they would notice that the fortress was empty soon in order to hold destruction to a minimum. The only thing Korinn really regretted leaving behind was his courier horses. Being young and strong, he had no complaints about marching, but the horses would have gotten him back to Dengar far sooner. But unfortunately the horses were not a safe option. The roads were unsafe for travel with the Masters already within Rockhome, and the cities were probably under siege by now.
He understood that there was little he could do. The dwarves of Fort Denwarf had probably fought the last battle in the protection of Rockhome that very night. From now on, their only for survival was to lock themselves as securely as they could within their underground cities and strongholds and wait for the Dragonking to arrive with reinforcements. But how long would that be? With any luck, the dragons could already be on their way, although it seemed more realistic not to expect them for another three or four days.
Even if there was nothing else he could do, he wanted to return to Dengar immediately. If the lower city was in danger of falling to the enemy, he wanted to be there.
The dwarves marched at a swift and steady pace for nearly two hours before they came to another small chamber, where they paused to rest. They didn't dare wait long, because soon they would have to take to the open. Dwarves were industrious and patient tunnelers, but cutting tunnels took a great deal of time, even small passages such as the one they were in.
After resting a short time, they followed a side tunnel for several hundred yards before it brought them to a hidden door deep within the ravine of the Styrdal River. Korinn paused a moment to look toward the north, fearful of seeing Fort Denwarf in flames. When he saw only a few tiny yellow lights flickering in the distance, he was reassured that the fortress itself was not burning. His companions were already filing across a simple rope bridge that had been erected only days before. It was cut down again once they were all across. When daylight came, there was to be no trace of their passage.
After that, they disappeared into the mountains to the west of the Styrdal Valley, following narrow, hidden paths through the wilderness. Keeping in deep ravines or beneath the cover of trees, they weren't likely to be seen by a passing dragon. The distance from Fort Denwarf to the city of Stahl was nearly forty-five miles, and even the sturdy dwarves couldn't march that far in one night. The sun was peeking above the summit of Denwarf Spur on the east side of the river when they came at last to another hidden door leading down into another tunnel. They paused to rest for some time before they went on. They would march another ten miles through the tunnels before they reached Stahl.
They did not move on again until noon, having reached the end of their endurance. After a final determined march through the tunnels, they entered the remote passages of the lower city of Stahl late that afternoon. Soldiers from Fort Denwarf had been arriving all day. One of the commanders of the city garrison was there to meet them as they emerged through the hidden entrance to the tunnel.
"Korinn Bear Slayer," the soldier said, recognizing him. "Then it's true that Fort Denwarf has fallen?"
"We've been forced to leave Denwarf to the Masters," Korinn said as he moved aside so that the door of the tunnel could be closed. "What about Stahl? Have you sealed the entrance to the upper city yet?"
"Just about. The Masters have been battering at our defenses since the night before last, but we're still trying to move needed supplies down here between their attacks. We hope we won't have to abandon the upper city until the actual siege begins."