Chapter 1: A Story Untold
"She ran through the woods trying to outrun the dragon, but eventually, it cornered her and I thought I was done for," said Carena.
"What happened, next!" said the little dwarf girl in excitement.
"The dragon leaned his claw in to grab her but before he could, a brave dwarf emerged from the bushes slashing the dragons arm off causing it to scramble back through the trees," said Carena.
The little dwarf girls gripped onto their pillows even tighter anticipating what would happen next sensing it would be romantic.
"And then, as the she dwarf laid there crying from the horror she had just gone through, the he dwarf came by her side and held her close, whispering in her ear that from now on, everything would be okay," said Carena more softly than she had been telling the story before.
"Did he kiss her!" asked another girl excited.
"Of course he did. Now I believe that it is time that you girls went to bed," said Carena, saying the last part with a strict tone in her voice.
"But we want to hear another story," said another little dwarf girl.
"Preferably one about a dwarf warrior saving a dwarf maiden."
"I would tell one last story, but I don't think I have anymore," said Carena in an irritated tone, "but I think I know who does," she said, her tone turning into an excited one. She turned to a woman who was in an adjoining room.
"Don't even consider it," said the old woman very stubbornly.
"Please, grandma," said the little dwarf girls, randomly.
Carena knew that there was no persuading her stubborn, old, mother to do anything that she did not want to do, "That's enough girls. It's time for bed." Carena took the three little sad dwarf girls up to their beds.
"Why did not you want to tell your granddaughters your story? You never even told me your story," said Carena after she joined her mother in the adjoining room.
"I never told anyone this story and have no desire to tell anyone," said the grandmother being short with her daughter.
"Is it something in your past?" asked Carena getting closer to her mother.
"Carena," said the grandmother rolling her eyes.
"Perhaps if you told someone…you might be a more joyful person," said Carena softly.
The old woman sat there thinking deeply about what her daughter had just said. This story that she held cooped up inside was something very personal and special to her. Probably the most special and meaningful experience of her life while at the same time the most tragic experience of her life, which is why she never shared it with anyone. It hurt far too much.
Carena started to walk away when her mother called her back, "Do you really care to know?"
Carena turned and stared back at her mother and then went back to the room and sat down.
"There was once a dwarf city known as Erebor. I did not live in this city until I was older only because when I was a lass, this city was lost to a dragon. The history of this story is well known to dwarves. Any dwarf who would happen to have my story would probably find being part of the history the most important and special part. However, the history is not the most important part to me. This part of my life was the part that I cherish the most."
