Alternia Comics

Chapter 6

This is the story that Dahnni told that night on the river bank.

Once, when my father was young, and had not met his wife yet, he was chopping wood for a rich man named Gobano, who lived in a mansion surrounded by high walls near the road. Gobano was fat, and not too nice. He liked to order my father around, because he knew my father was not wealthy and needed to work for him.

"Warden," he would say, for that is my father's name, "Go and fetch me my plate." Or, "Warden, bring me something to drink, I am thirsty." Or his personal favorite, "Warden, go and play with my dog, he needs exercise."

Warden would always go back to work when he heard that one, for Gobano's dog was huge. His shoulder stood as high as a man's head. His mouth had more teeth than a log had splinters, and could hold two pumpkins at once. The dog was why Gobano was so rich, and that was why he had named it Goldtooth. Every time a merchant passed through, he would have to pay Gobano for "keeping the bandits away", though in truth there were no bandits but Gobano. The merchants were just afraid of Goldtooth.

But my father would have left at any time except that Gobano's daughter was so beautiful. Every night, he would hear her sing Gobano's other children to sleep, and would himself sleep with dreams of her. He had seen her paint, he had seen her dance, and he had seen her calm the great dog Goldtooth. Her beauty and her kindness was the only thing that could. Her name was Gwenna, and Warden would say her name every morning to himself when he awoke.

And Gwenna loved Warden, too. She had seen him chop the wood with his powerful arms, and seen him fight off wolves and vultures and thieves with the sword he kept near his bed. She had seen him feed the animals they kept there, and how good he was to them and to the other children. She hated her father for treating the brave, handsome young man so, but kept quiet.

One day, Gobano said "Warden, go and play with Goldtooth. He needs the exercise," while my father was chopping wood and watching Gwenna wash one of the younger children.

For the first time, Warden answered. "If I play with Goldtooth, and I tire him out for all the exercise I give him, will you give me your daughter's hand?"

Gwenna heard this from across the yard and stopped her washing.

"What did you say?" asked Gobano dangerously.

"I asked for your daughter's hand," said my father. "And I am willing to prove my worth against your dog."

Gobano laughed. "Ho, ho, ho, little man. You think you can best my dog?" Warden said nothing, but Gwenna spoke up.

"He has made his offer, father, and that is enough for me." She feared for her love's life, that he would not live to wed her if he fought with Goldtooth.

"He has made his offer Gwenna, and I intend to see this." He turned his fat face to my father. "If you can best my dog, my daughter is yours. If not, and you still live," here, Gobano chuckled, "Then you will be my slave, and Gwenna will be married to the next rich merchant who comes through here."

At that, Warden regretted his bold challenge, but there was no going back now. He nodded grimly and went to his hut to get his sword.

The next morning, Warden was put in the courtyard of Gobano's mansion. He stood with his sword drawn, and all around him on the roof of the huge house were Gobano's servants. Right behind and above him was Gobano with his family. "Open the gate, and let this boy prove himself," said Gobano.

One of the servants pulled on a rope connected to a latch that held the gate closed. The latch was pulled off, and the door swung open. There stood Goldtooth, the enormous dog. It barked ferociously at Warden, and began to advance.

Warden backed up a step, then looked back and found his courage in the hopeful eyes of his love. He turned back and faced the dog bravely. His eyes like steel, his jaw set, he swung his sword into a stance.

Goldtooth charged. Its great paws shook the ground, but Warden stood his ground. Right as he would have been swallowed whole by the huge dog, Warden ducked to the side, slashing as he went and cutting through the stretched cheeks of the open maw. The dog howled in pain, but Warden was not finished. He came up out of his roll and lunged at the dog.

Goldtooth swatted him aside with his paw, and Warden fell to the ground. In a flash, the huge dog was on top of him, ready to crush the man's head in it teeth. But Warden took hold of the monstrous head, and when the dog tried to eat him, pushed the head aside and into the hard ground. Goldtooth's mouth came back with naught but dirt for its efforts. Warden pulled back his feet and kicked Goldtooth in the throat. The dog gagged, and Warden rolled away and picked up his sword.

He ran at the dog again and cut its neck savagely. Goldtooth thrashed about but Warden managed to stay clear of the paws and teeth. Finally, Warden saw an opening and cut the dog's hind leg clean off with a two handed stroke. Goldtooth fell over onto its side. Warden wasted no time, and he jumped onto its side, holding onto the fur in one hand and his sword in the other.

Warden set his sword against the great dog's ribs and thrust in, piercing its heart. Goldtooth lay dead, and the crowd was silent. Warden stood up on the dead giant and took the sword in both hands. With a mighty heave, he pulled it from the corpse, and held its shining, bloody length for the crowd to see.

They cheered, and Gwenna leapt for joy. Gobano blustered with injured pride as his daughter ran down the ladder and into Warden's arms. Without another word, the pair left. They were married in town, and Warden became a woodcutter, carver, and a father soon enough. He and Gwenna had three children, the youngest of which is me.