Authors: P.G. Thomas
Logan shook his head, “So if you had a rope, and they did not want you to tie a knot in it, would they say do not tie a knot, or do knot tie a not, or… forget it. I never wanted to learn a second language. I already have enough problems with the one I know.”
John set down his plate, “There is something really odd about what is happening with the language. If what Mirtza said is true, and the elves are one of the oldest races, some of their words are connecting with old English Saxon roots to the words we know. Like when they say thine, it means yours. And when you hear thou, it means you.”
Logan shook his head, “I am going to need a cheat sheet.”
John continued, “The weird one that throws me off is ‘does.’ It seems to have multiple meanings as well; do, did, and does. Maybe more?”
“So does means does?”
John nodded, “And do and did.”
“Big cheat sheet.”
“And canst means can.”
Logan started to walk away.
John continued, “Shalt means shall.”
Logan started walking away faster,
maybe I can have them tattooed on my arm?
“Hath can mean have or has...” John continued, but Logan was beyond the sound of his voice.
It was about two hours later when Bor went to the center of the group, “A story I do smell, friends new have to tell. With blessing from father, the great hall open we will. Their stories fresh, waken the hall they shall. First, rooms new, show you we will.” The Earth Mother watched them leave the dining hall, Lauren with her staff in hand, the odd reappearance perplexing her even more. Gingaar and Bor led them out into a large antechamber, the walls adorned with huge floor to ceiling murals depicting dwarves in battle, and then up a flight of stairs.
At the top, Bor took them down a short hall, “Rooms you may choose, accommodate your size they should.” They opened the doors to the guest rooms, and each one was similar, except for the wall colors. There were huge carved stone bed frames with feather-stuffed mattresses, a chest of drawers and a table and chair, and each had its own washroom with tub, or shower. As well, each room had a window about four feet tall, and twelve inches wide with wooden shutters. Lauren claimed the first room with a tub and shower, and nobody was going to argue it away from her.
Bor also said, looking at Eric, “Here you will enjoy better. Bath water flows from ceiling, not wall. These be guest quarters. Well known it is, guests our same size or likes not all share. Reasonable size, employed has been, to increase your pleasure. End of the hall, gathering room for all.”
Eric stepped forward, “Thank you for your hospitality, but I have one question, if I may?” Bor nodded. Eric continued, “I understand why these rooms are this size, but all of the other rooms, and halls in this place are so big, and yet you guys are, well, so short.”
Bor looked up at him with pride, “Little one, lack size we may, but trust me, everything dwarf does, dwarf does large.”
Gingaar finished making the beds and refreshing the rooms, and on her way out, she stopped by Lauren, “Earth Mother does wish to meet with thou in person, and talk. Would thou be acceptable to this?”
“I would enjoy that very much,” Lauren replied.
“I shalt come back for thou in two hours.”
After they left, Mirtza asked everybody down to their meeting room, and when they had all gathered, Eric turned to John, “Can you make any sense of this?”
John, thinking back to the hill they stood on when Mirtza was approaching, pulled a quarter out of his pocket. “Heads, yes. Tails, no.” Before anybody could say anything, he flipped the quarter into the air. All eyes watched it spin upwards, and then fall towards the floor, where it landed on its edge in a crack. John shook his head in disbelief, “Odds of that happening twice are over a billion to one.” As he picked up the coin, he summarized what he knew, “Worm hole opened, brought us here, to where the lands are populated by elves and dwarfs. And oh yeah, there is magic as well. What’s not to understand?”
What the hell is happening?
Mirtza coughed, “Tonight they want us, more specifically you six, to tell your story of what has happened. Now I have never been around dwarves or elves, and all that I know is from books, classes and other students. One thing that is certain, dwarves love stories. Tales, sagas, epics—the longer, the better. A student, who had spent some time with them, spoke of a dwarven poem about an axe. It took three days to recite the entire poem, a week if you decided to sleep at night.” Mirtza added, “So we should probably talk about what, and how you are going to say it tonight. I am not certain of their history, culture, or beliefs. Even though we have known about them for several hundred years, contact has been infrequent. They find a way to mark their lands, making it clear that we should not trespass. There have been incidents over the years, but no major battles that I know of. Also, I have never heard of dwarves and elves living together in a dwarf mine, let alone welcoming so many outsiders with such grace.” Mirtza went quiet for a minute, “Before we figure that out, I have one favor. You are well aware that I am enrolled in a school of magic, and have seen some of the enchanted items that I borrowed, to aid me in my travels. The dwarves and elves are, well, they are, how would you say,
cautious
of anybody displaying such talents. They are from the ‘
old-world
’ and I am, for argument's sake, from the ‘
new-world
,’ and these two worlds have not found a way to get along at this time. So if we could selectively omit those details, I would greatly appreciate it.” After working on their story for a couple of hours, Gingaar arrived for Lauren, and after she left the room, Mirtza turned to the group. “Also, we have seen some peculiar actions from Lauren. We should avoid telling them any of that.”
“Why should we do that? Maybe there is something important that they should know about,” said Eric.
“I highly suspect that the elfin Earth Mother is already intrigued by Lauren, as the elves will have advised her about what happened at the healing well. If there is something going on between Lauren and Mother, the Earth Mother will untangle that riddle, and I really do not wish to get into the middle of that one. If she comes and asks you any questions, then answer her. But as for the story tonight, we should only talk about old Lauren, not new Lauren.”
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Gingaar led Lauren to a flat terrace that overlooked the foothills and mountains, where the Earth Mother was sitting at a table with a pot of tea. Gingaar poured them both a cup and then left. The Earth Mother looked at her for several minutes, “Well child, we hath been waiting for thou. Tell me thine story young one.”
Lauren looked at the Earth Mother, “What do you mean you have been waiting for us?”
“First, tell me thine story.”
Lauren talked about that school day, the accident, finding herself stranded, Mirtza showing up and so forth. The story ended with the arrival at the Ironhouse Mine. She omitted the parts of the covered forest, the riders, and the strange happenings that had been occurring to her along the way.
The Earth Mother smiled at her, “Now, does tell me thine good stuff.”
“What do you mean,” asked Lauren?
“When Alron met thou, he does watch as thou does defend against a stronger opponent, kill as well. He was sure thou would dispatch second, but help he does, and thou does know of our healing well.” She leaned forward, “May I see thine staff?” Lauren had been holding it the whole time, as it had become her security blanket, and she passed it over to the Earth Mother, who examined it from end to end, “What does thou know of this?”
“Nothing, it is just a stick I found.”
The Earth Mother pointed to one of the three intertwined trees, “This does be Ironwood. Straight and tall it should grow. Naught saw, axe, or fire can harm it. Trees as small as seedlings picked naught canst they be. Yet thou does possess, how canst this be?”
“The ground was dry where I found it, maybe it was dead?”
“If dead it does be, sword it would naught stop. Nor attackers kill. Alive it does be, I does feel it,” and the Earth Mother passed the staff back to her.
Nervously, Lauren stated, “I feel a little tired. I would like to take a nap,” then got up and left with her staff in hand.
Gingaar escorted her back to her room, and then returned to the Earth Mother, and sat down at the table. “These six, does they be those who thou does wait for?”
“Yes, but expect this I does naught. Wait, welcome Mother does advise. But naught once does Mother say why. Something is up, what it does be, I does naught know. Her staff, does thou see?”
Gingaar nodded, “One does be Ironwood?”
The Earth Mother sounded frustrated, “Ironwood. Eighty years I does serve before Mother does grant me an Ironwood staff. Yet in weeks of two, young Lauren does naught hath one staff of power, but three. Second staff does be Sagewood, knowledge of Mother. Earth Mother first, granted such as staff, ten generations past. Back then, Mother does be young, does need help. Sagewood does help First to find places special, gifted ones and more. Mothers gift to help guide and educate. Last does be Corewood, power of Mother. All three live, their strength does be great.” Visibly shaken by the words Gingaar heard, she continued to listen to the Earth Mother. “Mother does grant daughter of First a Corewood staff. Problems were many. Forests dying, seasons short, then long. Wet then dry. Creatures foul, attacking and such. Help does Mother need with issues many. Second, she does much to make things right. I does still remember stories many, passed from mother to daughter ten generations past.”
“I also does remember thine stories,” Gingaar spoke.
The Earth Mother held her face in her hands, “Mother what does be happening? So much power, one so young. Hath thou lost thine mind? Forgive me Mother. Thou will share when the time does be right. I does need time to think Gingaar, tomorrow we shalt talk more.” With that, Gingaar left the elfin Earth Mother to consider the young one, with so much power.
Chapter 10
The sleeping quarters were on the second level, and to get to the great hall, you had to go through the grand entrance. This was a huge room carved from solid rock, about forty feet round with a thirty-foot high ceiling, and the top ten feet of the roof at the front, was missing, large crystals filled the opening so that fresh sunlight could wash away the darkness. Each side of the room had two curving staircases that went down to the lower level; one was dwarf-sized, one larger for guests. The room featured two large murals of dwarves engaging in battle. The one on the guest side depicted dwarves fighting a white dragon, and the other was a winter scene with dwarves fighting large white frost bears, and huge figures in white furs.
That night, Gor prepared another fine feast, and much to the pleasure of Zack, they brought out an interesting selection of meads, ales, wines, and after the meal, the six went to the front of the room and began their story. They attempted to describe their world, the accident, meeting Mirtza and their travels, omitting anything about magic or Lauren’s peculiar actions. When it came to the meeting of the elves, Lauren spoke up, described how they were lost, then attacked, and how Alron had rescued them. Overall, it was not a bad story, extremely short by dwarf standards, but fresh nonetheless.
It was after the show that John and Eric struck up a conversation with Bor, “This is such a huge place, it could hold thousands. Where are the others?”
Bor stomped his foot, his deep voice echoed off the far walls of the great empty hall, “Kind our guest be, shared their story they did. Inquire of ours now they do. Friend John, that story be longer than time this night be left. Meet here again tomorrow, we will. Ironhouse the hall, fill words great will shall.” He looked at his father who nodded with approval, then to his brother, “Gor, feast on words alone will our guests?”
Gor looked at his brother, “In Ironhouse, never. A feast worthy of great words, greet them it shall. Stamina to endure your story, much they will need, provide it I will.”
After several hours, Bor being a good host, walked them to their rooms, “Arranged I have, Aaro and Hakk, a tour the day next, guide you on they will. Forges, weapon shops, and more, show you they shall.” Then they thanked Bor, and everybody turned in for the night.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Mirtza was up early the next day, but nervous. It wasn’t that he disliked the dwarves or elves, but he had never been around them. He knew from stories that they would not consider his magic talent to be a gift, but despite this, he was still anxious in their presence, but could no longer remain in his room. As he walked down the hall, he wondered if the kids had a secret magical power for sleeping, but continued down to the kitchen, and picked up a hot cup of bean juice. Gor, preoccupied with preparations for the morning meal and evening feast, answered Mirtza’s questions with head nods or shakes. Bor came in about thirty minutes later, and did not like people sleeping in, something to do with his military training, grabbed a pot and ladle, and went up to the guest quarters. Several minutes later, he returned, advising that the guests would soon be downstairs.
One by one, the six arrived, Zack being the last, and the elves and dwarves were sitting around the table in the dining hall, waiting for their new guests to arrive. Once again, Gor had prepared a bigger breakfast with an even wider variety of foods than the day before, and during the meal, he went around to each to inquire about what they did or did not like. It was after the meal that Aaro and Hakk came over, and asked if they would like a tour of the Ironhouse Mine, and everyone was eager to see this odd place. Everyone except Ryan.
“If it's alright with you, I would rather spend the day outside.” As Ryan made his way to the outside world, where it was absent of rock ceilings overhead, Alron signaled to the Dawnfalcons to keep an eye on the lone traveler. However, Ryan did not venture far from the front door of the mine, as being out in the open, with the blue-sky overhead made him feel more at ease. While Ryan sat, looking up and calming down, dwarves led Mirtza and the students deeper into the Ironhouse Mine. While the corridors were tall, but Eric did have to watch his head on doorways, and his feet on the stairs. Dwarfs had done their best to accommodate normal sized guests, but Eric exceeded that measurement, and while most door and archways would accommodate his height, they had never seen feet so large, feet that literally dwarfed the steps he tried to walk on. They stopped by some of the smaller armories first where Aaro pointed out the smaller forges, demonstrated how they made armor, and for an impromptu field trip, it was really quite exciting.