Chapter 36

It had been a long morning for the three and Aragorn, Elrohir and Gimli were lead on a wild goose chase through the entire city of Minas Tirith. The carpenter they were after was found, but after discussing their needs, they realized that the man did not know how to construct a ship and his skillset limited him to making household objects rather than large structural items. Instead of turning the company away disappointed, the woodworker offered information on another artisan who might be able to help and pointed the three in a new direction.

The trio made for the next tier of the city in order to find the new carpenter, but like the last one, this man did not possess the know-how with ships. Again, another recommendation was made and the three took to the city's streets to press onward and find another carpenter.

By mid afternoon, Aragorn was thoroughly amazed at how many woodworkers were actually in Minas Tirith, but at the same time there was a growing disappoint as each new person seemed inadequate to help them. They were now looking for the eighth carpenter and had been redirected to the upper levels of the city. The company backtracked their previous progress and hiked through slushy streets as the day's sun shone brightly and heated up the stonework that quickly turned the powdery snow into a melting mush that soaked through the clothing of anyone who dare walk outside at this time.

The winds began to pick up as the sun was losing its intensity and Aragorn shivered slightly as he walked. His feet were soggy from the melted snow and now that the temperatures were beginning to dip, it caused the king to rethink their efforts. He chanced a glance behind him and caught sight of his brother and Gimli who were patiently walking. Elrohir kept his sights up as he looked around. His steps were effortless on top of the wet snow, but the burly dwarf was having a harder time and would falter in his steps as he would slip occasionally on the slick unrelenting stone. Gimli had pulled his hood over his head and kept his arms crossed to conserve heat, showing that he was just as wet and cold as Aragorn was. The king silently decided that after they found this last woodworker, they would have to call it quits regardless of the outcome and head back to the palace.

Finally, the three found the woodshop as the constant hammering and sawing lured the trio to the precise location. In a tucked away street, a unique conglomeration of shops, homes and businesses were going about their day and townspeople were doing their best to clear the slush in the streets so it would not refreeze into slick ice overnight. Each of the people nodded in casual greeting to the three strangers walking about, but otherwise paid little attention to them as they went on with their business.

Aragorn stepped up to the building that was emanating the most noise and studied the large wooden doors that resembled a barn's opening. Hanging upon a rusted nail was a sign made of round slice of a tree trunk. The light wooden circle had the word "open" written on it and the lettering appeared to be burned into the wood grain rather than painted on.

The king hesitated for a moment, but knocked a few times then took a step back to wait along with Elrohir and Gimli for the doors to be opened. It was silent for a while, then to Aragorn's surprise, the hammering picked up again as the carpenter inside did not hear the alert that voiced he had visitors.

"It says 'open'." The dwarf said quietly. Aragorn placed his hand on the handle, but paused. He looked to the dwarf beside him as if to question if they should enter and Gimli gave a silent nod, indicating he thought it was a good idea.

The man pulled the large door open and stepped inside with Elrohir and Gimli behind him.

When the door was pulled shut, the woodshop was cast in very dark shadows. There were very few windows in the lofty, barn-like building and the majority of light came from a large circular firepit positioned in the dead center of the structure. A metal smoke hood was suspended over the flames and the metal pipe that created the chimney made a straight shot for the building's ceiling where the smoke escaped to the outside world.

Resting in the coals were a few metal wood-working tools that needed to be heated up in order to be used correctly and hanging on the walls of the building were vast collections of hammers, saws, picks and other objects that the three could not identify. Various piles of logs and milled lumber crowded the building and nearly every flat surface was covered in a fine powder of sawdust. Wood shavings littered the floor and the entire room had a particular hearty and sour smell of chopped hardwood mixed with the fumes emanating from the substances used to treat and varnish the wood.

Though it was obvious there was someone at work in the shop, no one was seen as the building seemed to be divided up into several rooms. While the hammering was undoubtedly coming from the woodshop, it was slightly muffled through the back walls.

"Hello?" Aragorn called out and he squinted in the dim room to try and locate the woodworker. A warm, yet energetic voice piped up as the carpenter heard Aragorn's shout and there were frantic sounds coming from the back as the man realized he had visitors.

"Hi! Just a moment, just a moment! I've got my hands full. I'll be with you shortly!"

The three took to looking at the rest of the shop in the immediate area and to one side of the building, completed pieces of furniture stood with price tags on them or hold tags were used for completed orders.

Elrohir wondered off into the section of completed work and his attention was hung up on a small intricately carved box. A large tree took up the hinged lid and the elf gazed at the craftsmanship in the piece of work. The tree's bark was precisely carved and even the leaves on the tree had a few veins etched in them that showcased not only the woodworker's talent, but his attention to detail as well.

The rest of the items were created with no less care and the aesthetic features of the benches, chests, chairs and tables were fantastic to behold.

"This is all very well made..." Elrohir said as he set the box he held down and moved on to look at the rest of the completed work. He was able to take note on the other artisan's work throughout the day, but nothing compared to this.

"I just hope this man knows how ta' build a ship." Gimli said quietly as he stood in place and looked at the structure of the building as if he were marveling over an expansive dwarven hall.

"Aye, as do I. We have been given the run-around all day and it would be nice to finally find someone who can do this." Elrohir stated. His attention was diverted to bin of children's toys and he began to pick through the items to look them over. A wooden oliphaunt with bone tusks was the first object to be pick up. Beneath that, a wooden Gondorian toy soldier had a painted uniform and flattened nail as a makeshift sword.

"I don't know…." Gimli said as he too began to look at the work and noticed what appeared to be decorative table legs that were in various stages of being complete. "His work looks more artistic, rather than practical." Gimli clarified. "Buildin' quality household items is one thing, but a chair is very different from a ship."

"Sorry!" The carpenter's apology was yelled from the back as he continued with his work. "I'm just finishing up! I'll be right there."

"No rush sir!" Gimli called back.

As the minutes went on, the hammering picked back up. Aragorn joined his brother in looking over the items that were complete, and among the collection of furnishings he found a rocking chair. The back support of the rocker had the carvings of tree roots rather than wood slats and the king took an easy seat on the chair to test it out. The chair didn't even squeak when it supported the man. Aragorn was no carpenter, but he could tell just that this woodworker really had perfected his craft and all of his pieces were build with care.

The king pulled the hood of his cloak a bit further over his face to keep his identity hidden for a while. Aragorn had no intention in completely hiding who he was, but he needed to make sure this person would be fit or the task rather than have the carpenter talk his skills up, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to the mighty king. Aragorn settled in the chair and he patiently waited for the carpenter.

Hammering, creaking, sawing and hacking created a chorus in the woodshop, but it suddenly stopped and a shuffling gait was heard as the carpenter stepped out to greet his customers.

"Well hello there! I apologize for the wait. I have an order that I need to get out today and was in the middle of gluing two boards together. I needed to get nails in them and put clamps on before air bubbles could get caught in the glue. What can I do for ya'?" The carpenter said as he emerged from the darkened back room and used the wall to help keep himself steady as he approached.

The woodworker had a bright smile and the light of life burned intensely in his hazel eyes, but the wood worker was far from youthful as his personality portrayed. He was an old man who walked with a bit of a limp and his back had a slight hunch to it as his apparent long years put a permanent slouch in his posture. His face was weathered and worn with age and his hair was lacking on the top of his head but there was a crown of frizzy white hair that still clung to his head along the sides and back of his scalp.

The old man took a few steps toward the three and wiped his hand on a canvas apron that covered the front of his appearance, trying to remove as much debris as possible from his hands before he approached his potential clients with a polite and professional handshake.

Aragorn stood immediately from the rocker and took the offered greeting before the old man moved on to greet Gimli and finally Elrohir without a name exchange.

The old man squinted to the Noldor elf as if to get a better look at him.

"Ah! You must be Dale coming to pick up your order!" The old man said. Before Elrohir could respond, the carpenter turned and shuffled away as if to retrieve something. "I have been working hard all week long, but I think I finally have it down right. This was a particularly hard piece to work with as the log your son brought to me was riddled with knots. I made a few planks but some cracked before I was finally able get anything usable out of it. But, the jewelry box turned out great and wait 'til you see the wood-grain pattern! Your wife will be thrilled when you give this to her." The old man's warm voice was excited as he ranted over his hardships with his latest project and he went about trying to locate the box.

"Uh…. n-no-" Elrohir stammered. Apparently he had been mistaken for someone else.

"Yes! I'm sorry you were not happy with the first turn out, but I can assure you that you will like this piece..." the old man stopped in his tracks for a moment and seemed to look up and off as he thought over something… "I just have to remember where I put it..." The old man mumbled then made for a bookshelf and looked over a few things then move to a cabinet.

Elrohir stepped up to his brother and shrugged his shoulders while being at a loss as to what to do. From the shadows of Aragorn's hood, the elf could see his human brother smirking and the elf spoke up to try and halt the carpenter.

"No, no sir. I think you may have me confused with someone else. I have no order placed with you and have traveled here with my brother and a friend in search of a carpenter who could assist with a major undertaking."

The man turned and regarded the elf, this time taking a harder look at the tall figure in the darkened room. The old man looked disappointed, but his merry voice was unchanged as he realized his error.

"Ah, so you are not Dale. My mistake good sir." the old man said nonchalantly and he stopped looking for the jewelry box. "You will have to forgive me; My eyes are not what they used to be. In my younger days I could see for miles and miles, but now everything has to be under my nose to see much of anything now. But I am positive you are thankful I am not shoving my face into yours in order to get my eyes to work just to find out who you are! This quite a funny thing; It's not the only time this has happened to me. Why, I did this to another customer just the other week and mistook them for someone else. She was coming in to get a bread bowl she had custom ordered for her mother and..."

The carpenter talked and talked all the while, making grand gestures as he spoke by using his body language as more punctuation as he pointed, swept his hands out and even made fists while his explanation kept stretching on.

Elrohir turned large disbelieving eyes to Aragorn as the carpenter rambled. The elf pulled in close to Aragorn and whispered quickly into the man's hood.

"He is quite chatty..."

Aragorn snickered silently and nodded in agreement.

"...Oh but here I go again getting off track and losing myself in stories that do not even make a difference and I am quite sure I am boring you to death with my meandering chat. People will be quick to tell you that I can talk the ears right off a rabbit!" the old man threw his hands up in to emphasize his words and chuckled at his own joke.

"I am quite sure you can!" Elrohir said with a light return, but Aragorn gave him a sharp nudge as it was dangerously close to an insult. The elf quickly got off the track he was on. "I am Elrohir. This is my brother… Estel. And over there is a good friend, Gimli."

"Well, welcome to my studio! I am Dillian!" The old man said and nodded his head to try and give formality when introducing himself. "So what brings you here, especially on this wintery day? Boy, I tell you, a snow this early is not what we were expecting. Some were predicting an early winter, but this is quite ridiculous! I saw the clouds rolling in yesterday afternoon and knew we were in for some weather, but did not think we would get much out of the overcast skies. It started snowing rather early and I caught sight of a few flakes before I went to bed, for I had to turn in early so I could get up and finish some work this morning. I am quite swamped with orders and the holiday has put me behind as I traveled to Osgiliath to spend the feasting with my son and his wife. I returned yesterday morning and got to work, but my travels across the plains made me rather tired so I could not get much work done and I turned in early. When I woke up this morning to get a jump start on my work, I was surprised to see how much snow had accumulated. It is quite amazing that the moment we celebrate the close of the prosperous season, winter sprang upon us. I tell you, the last time we had an early winter was way back when….."

As the carpenter spoke, he took to putting a few things away and tidied up his shop while using the same mannerisms when talking and demonstrated his speech with dramatic signals. In the few moments of inattention from the carpenter, Aragorn turned to his elven brother who was intently watching the elderly man with his jaw agape. To his other side, Gimli stood with his head bowed and the dwarf had braced his temples with his fingers. The three could not believe the carpenter could talk this much.

"...but I cannot get over how the weather has changed this quickly!"

Aragorn carefully wedged his words between the carpenter's and cut Dillian off so he could get down to business. "Yes the weather was quite a surprise, but we came out here searching for a woodworker who could help us. We need someone who posses shipwright skills-" Before Aragorn could go into further detail, Dillian cut him off.

"You need to have a boat built?" The carpenter's comment was a mix of statement for clarification and question. Being as the city was built into the mountains and before the palace was a expansive field, he was a little lost with the request.

"In a sense... yes. We are looking for someone who can give instructions on how to construct a ship. We do not want it to be done for us, but we are looking for someone to work with us and teach how to build a ship."

Dillian did not speak right away and though he understood what was being asked, he was still perplexed. "Are you looking for a canoe?... Or a full-fledged ship?" The last bit was spoken with a hint disbelieving sarcasm.

"A ship. We need something that can withstand a journey across the sea."

"So *you* want to build a ship?" the carpenter said slowly as he digested the words.

"Well..." Aragorn looked to the others briefly. "We will not be building it. Another will be taking on this task. We will be available to help, but-"

"Wait, wait, wait…. *One* person is going to build a ship?"

"Correct."

The old man looked surprised as he thought he heard the hooded man incorrectly. He passed a hand over his face as he thought about the daunting task.

"And you three…. will only help?" When Dillian only received a nod to confirm, the old man looked off unsure what to say. Rather than confirm anything he pressed for information. "And who is this person? Does he have any previous experience?"

"The person is another one of my brothers and no, he does not have any experience. That is why we are trying to find someone who does who can act as a… as a mentor of sorts. We need someone who can tell us how to get started and what needs to be done. He will need to be walked through the process, but not have it done for him."

"Like a teacher?"

"Uh, well...yes. Of sorts." Aragorn stammered. Dillian looked between the three before him and let out a heavy sigh. It was obvious he did not agree with the information being provided to him.

"You are asking an awful lot. This is no small task. I mean, the time it would take to build a ship is quite extensive, but you only have one person working on it. It could take years!" The carpenter was hoping that statement would be enough to deter these men, but Aragorn spoke calmly.

"That is expected…. in fact, it would be preferred."

"No, I don't think you understand… this… is a *big* undertaking." the old man gestured with his hands as if the space between his limbs could better indicate the scale of the request. "Not to mention expensive! Do you have any idea how much money it takes to build a ship? You have to hire the help to cut the logs and mill it, or buy pre-cut lumber. There are multiple kinds of nails and wood anchors that are needed. Finishing product is a must. And that is only to build the ship… you still need to buy the ropes, an anchor, sails…. The costs will add up - and quite fast at that."

"Money is of no concern for us."

"Then he will need all the tools. I mean, is he looking to get into this as a business and trade or is this just for fun?"

"It is for recreation. He is building for his own personal reasons."

"Consider it therapeutic work." Elrohir added as he sensed the carpenter's reluctance.

"Therapeutic work?" Dillian let out an amused chuckle. "There is nothing therapeutic about work, my-boy! Perhaps he should plant a garden or take up playing an instrument. Building a ship will require a lot of hard, physical work that will take up a lot of time."

Aragorn smiled gently to the man though it was blocked from sight as the hood he still wore kept him cloaked in shadows. "That is exactly what we are looking for."

The old man was still a little lost. Since things were not making sense to him and this hooded stranger in his shop seemed secretive, Dillian began to put up resistance. "You will be having a hard time trying to find someone who can dedicate that kind of time to your massive project." Dillian said and leaned on the edge on a shelving unit that was partially constructed. He still had not let on that he knew how to build a ship, primarily because he was not outright asked, but the way in which he talked about constructing a ship lead everyone to believe that this carpenter was exactly the person they needed.

"Do you know of someone who might be able to help, then?" Aragorn asked. A sinking feeling was beginning to come about him as this man might refuse to help. He knew that as a king he could order this man into service, but placing an unwilling carpenter with an anxious and troubled elf could not make a good mix. He had to get the old man to *want* to help.

"I may not be the only carpenter in this town, but you are speaking to the only one in Minas Tirith who has any experience in building ships!"

"So you have built ships?" Aragorn asked, suddenly talking a bit lighter and taking an interest in the man's work experience. Just as Elrohir had said, the man was chatty and perhaps, if Aragorn could pick the right path of conversion, Dillian could talk himself into wanting to do this.

"Why, yes indeed! I made my living as a Gondorian soldier. Back in my days I spent thirty years in service to Lord Denethor's armies and was among the ranks that patrolled the coasts and fought against the Corsairs of Umbar. We never took them out, but did our best to keep their activity at bay. I was a sailor. My fighting skills were not exactly up to par with the rest, but I could fight and hold my own when the time called for it. Due to my… lacking skills in comparison to the rest of my company, even as the commanding officers had told me, I primarily worked on repairing broken ships after battles and even worked with a few crews to construct new ones. Now, that was not my only focus, but it was a major part of what I did-"

"So you could help us?" Elrohir jumped in and tried to cut the carpenter off from another long rant. Aragorn cringed internally as his brother interrupted his plan, but remained stoned faced in the wake of the disruption.

"Oh, I appreciate your all's enthusiasm, and though I have not met this brother of yours, it is nice to know he has taken an interest in this, but I do not believe I am able to help you with this." the carpenter said with a shake of his head. Elrohir gave a disappointed, yet pleading stare to the man. "Listen, it is not that I do not *want* to help you three fine men, but even as you said this is a major undertaking. We would have to start with the utmost basics in wood-working before we could even begin."

"But we would be willing to learn all of this." Aragorn said.

"Im sure you are, but the time it would take to go over this will be like a full time job… especially in the beginning. I do not have the time to dedicate to this. I have to run my shop to make a living and I am already back filled with orders that I need to have completed soon."

"What if we paid you?" Aragorn offered.

"Oh, that will get pricy."

"I have the funding." Aragorn said easily.

"To pay my salaries as well as the materials needed to build the boat?"

"If that is what it will take, then, yes."

Dillian thought for a moment. "It is not just the wages I would lose. If I were not here taking orders, I could lose my client base and reputation. That would put me out of business!"

"I would pay you handsomely for your help. I can appreciate your talent and know your profession was dedicated out a love for the craft. We were admiring your work while waiting and your skill shows a true passion for this."

The carpenter seemed to blush at the compliment.

"Please, Sir Dillian, we need your help."

"How is it that you can afford all of this? I would wager it would be cheaper and easier for you to go the the shores and buy a completed ship."

"But that is not what we need." Aragorn knew he was losing his case and carefully pushed his hood off of his face. "I can afford this because I am, in fact, King Elessar."

The carpenter's eyes went wide with shock and he seemed to pail at this news. However, his skepticism was not easily dismissed.

"What? How… you are the king?!" the old man stammered and Aragorn nodded his head while holding his hand out, displaying the ring he wore on his fore finger of two serpents whose tails encircled an emerald jewel.

The carpenter gasped as he recognized the fabled Ring of Barahir. The old man made his apology immediately while he tried with effort to get to his knees and bow low to his king.

"Oh! Your majesty! Please! I didn't know it was you! I am a fool for my reluctance to help you! I-"

Aragorn cut him off gently as he moved his hand in a cutting motion to silence the old man and prevent him from bowing.

"You have nothing in which to apologize for. I was keeping my identity from you and your resistance to help your king will not be reflected upon you."

"His highness is too kind!" the carpenter said. Aragorn was a little put off by the dramatic actions that his royal identity seemed cause and he ignored the fawning that the carpenter was trying to project.

"I want to employ you to help build a ship. Expense is no object and all arrangements on funding will be taken care of. As I stated, I will pay you well, but have to admit I do not know what the salary of a carpenter is. If you agree to help me, I swear it that I will make it worth your while and we can come up with your wages."

"Of course your majesty!" the old man seem to be in a state of awe and he could not believe what he was hearing.

Aragorn nodded but did not look relieved. "I do not want you committing yourself to this if you do not want to do this."

"Oh but I do-"

"Do you want to because your king is standing before you?" Aragorn asked cautiously.

"In part yes, but the opportunity to work on this would be an honor, Sire!"

"I ask this because I need someone who will willingly work on this rather than hold a grudge and be miserable through the whole process. I know it will be trying at times and moral might be low, but I hope to build an environment full of positivity where work can be completed. I cannot stress that fact enough… My brother was right; this needs to be considered therapy. I do not hold you responsible for anyone's health during this, but your attitudes and work ethic can greatly impact this project's intent and the repercussions of not following this order will be sever. Is that understood?"

"My Lord, I swear to you that I will be the reliable person you need! Everyday I will be in good spirits!" Dillian groveled. Aragorn did not look convinced and seemed to now worry over this. The carpenter was reluctant before his king's identity was revealed and Aragorn did not want to sabotage the project with an unwilling participant.

With a sigh, Aragorn realized that they did not have any better options at the moment and gave in. He hoped this would work but he told himself that if this did not, then Dillian's part could be temporary until they could come up with a better plan.

"Alright Sir Dillian. I accept your sworn oath and willingness to help."

"Thank you Sire!" the old man bowed and when he straightened up, the room fell into an awkward silence. Dillian did not know how to act in his king's presence and he seemed to fidget.

"When do we get started on this?" Gimli spoke up. He was relieved just as Aragorn and Elrohir must be but he was a bit eager to get started on the project for Legolas' sake.

"Whenever you want! We can start now!" Dillian said enthusiastically but Aragorn halted him.

"I think there are a lot of details that need to be discussed first. We need to come up with a plan of action first. Would you be willing to meet with me tomorrow and we can sit down and go over everything?"

"Certainly your majesty!"

"You said you had a lot of work that needed to be complete. If we schedule a time in the late afternoon, will this give you the time you need complete your urgent tasks?"

"The things I have going on will take a few weeks yet to complete, but I can put them off to meet with you-"

"Do not put anything off. I do not want your business to fail due to this and if you have work that needs to be done, we can work with you and can coordinate around your schedule until your pending orders are complete. I ask, though, that you do not take any new orders at this moment and if you will lose wages as a result, just let me know. I will handle it."

Dillian nodded obediently.

"Now, being that we are a ways from the palace, I will call upon some men to escort you. I will have a cart waiting for you at high noon." Aragorn did not want to be rude, but the old man didn't seem like he would be fit for walking the steep inclines of the city. Rather than offer a cart, he simply deemed one be made available. "Bring with you anything you think would benefit our planning. I know not if it will just be a meeting with myself, or if others will there too, but we will have to be flexible and see how this goes."

"Yes my lord! I have ideas coming to me already! I can bring some parchments that can aid in teaching and we can start with the sketches needed to build a ship. From there, we can go over terminology and I can teach some proper woodworking techniques. Why, we can even have sessions in here where he will have easy access to all of the tools I have. We can -"

"That sounds perfect. Just bring what you think you may need tomorrow and we will go from there." Aragorn said. The smile on his face was amused as the carpenter was on the verge on rambling once again.

"Yes my king! I'll be sure to get everything packed tonight."

Aragorn nodded. "It is late afternoon and it will be dark soon. We have been traveling nearly all day. We will be taking our leave now so we can get back before it gets dark." the king looked to his brother and the dwarf to see if they were ready to leave and the three began to make for the door. Dillian came forward to politely see his guests out.

"Please travel safe! This alley is known to re-freeze fast and it looks like a lot of the snow melted so traveling will be rather dangerous!"

"Thank you. We will see you tomorrow." Aragorn said over his shoulder and stepped into the street.

"You three have a good night!"

Once the trio were well into the streets, Dillian closed the door behind him.

"That went well!" Elrohir commented and looked to Gimli and Aragorn to see if they felt the same. The two mortals were getting themselves bundled up so they could walk comfortable in the wintery air.

"I'm glad we found someone, but I don't know about this one." Gimli said dimly. "He was 'bout ready to drive me up 'uh wall with his mindless talk. I don't know how Legolas will take to him."

"Aye… this will get very interesting indeed! But then again, Legolas is a good listener. I guess he will be put a test then!" Elrohir mused. The Noldor elf turned to his human brother. "How about you? How do you perceive this?"

Aragorn shrugged his shoulders as he pulled his hood back over his head. "I do not know. Dillian is the only one we have come across with any experience. We will just have to wait and see."

With an uncertain smile to his elven brother, Aragorn lead the three back to palace.

So… Dillian is quite annoying huh? LOL.. I am actually basing him off of a close family friend who talks….. and talks….. and talks…. and talks…. It is hard to get a word in when he is around, but after the fact, we all get a good laugh at his talkative nature and he laughs at himself too. He claims it is a nervous habit but I think it makes for a good character as the talkative personality is VERY different from normal LOTR characters. So if you feel like Dillian is going on too much, he is supposed to. I will try to not bore you, but I hope Dillian can add a different element to the story.