The Thief: Prologue

In Which we Learn a Little of Darkwald

Dear reader, this is the first part in a serialised story. See the index for all parts. If you like it, make sure you are subscribed to get the next chapter right in your inbox. Please like, comment and share if you would like to see more of this decidedly unserious little story.

Darkwald is a place of darkness but also of light. The droggles called the times of light, day, and the times of dark, night. Although sometimes the moon was confoundingly bright, making it hard for their little minds to know if it was night or day. This is not a tale of the droggles and their simple ways but of the delflings and their slightly less simple ways. It is a tale of Darkwald, though, for the delflings also dwelt there with many other weird and wonderful creatures.

The delflings liked to tell heroic tales of the heroes of the long-fogged past. Tales such as that of Glug, the Finder who found The Big Stone and also The Bigger Stone, of Lar, The Singer of The Song of Things, and of Glin, who stole a sword of the Eldarimar and used it to smote the Bogbeast of Fangmire. Many a cold Winter’s night was spent fireside by the delflings, telling, retelling and long-telling the Great Epics.

The delflings, small of stature, and of brain, were the most numerous of the peoples of Darkwald. And so it was, that through great numbers—and by being surrounded by peoples even smaller and of lesser brain size—they came to control most of Darkwald.

Over time, a patchwork of many delfling kingdoms arose, covering all seven corners of Darkwald. Kingdoms such as the West Delflings, the East Delflings, the Middlish Delflings, the Sidewise Delflings and the Near Middle Delflings, and many smaller kingdoms besides.

Delfling kingdoms centred on the longhouses of the great and powerful, none more so than those of the kings and queens. The ordinary folk built houses clustered around those of the high and mighty. All settlements were surrounded by wooden palisades with guard towers for the guards to occupy while doing their guarding, sleeping, gaming and, more often than not, a bout of foot wrestling. As war was extremely infrequent amongst the delflings, the role of soldier was largely given to the stupidest and least able amongst them.

Delflings loved, beyond all things, the safety and comfort of not having a war. When war did break out, it was, as like as not, to be settled with a quick skirmish or even an impromptu shoe throwing contest, and real bloodshed was almost unknown.

This tale that we are about to embark upon, is one of valour and glory, love and shifting allegiances, and of those who are not what they first appear to be. A tale of adventurous undertakings and of unexpected happenings. Above all, it is a tale of war, for a long dormant enemy is rising again.

Continue reading in Chapter One.

See the index for all parts of this story.