Chapter 3 Torech i-negyth (A Dwarf Hole)
One fine spring day about a week after the sweetgum ball incident, Gimli received a letter by messenger service. It was sealed with the Seal of the King of Gondor, and the parchment consisted of a note written in the hand of Aragorn's most trusted secretary, which said . . .
Dear Master Gimli,
The matter of which you are about to read is a matter of extreme importance. It is to be carried forth in the utmost air of secrecy. No one is to know of this, and you should destroy this parchment as soon as you read it.
I am in need of a hole in the ground at the edge of the far Western corner of the palace wall. It will need to be crafted in a way that will not compromise the integrity or the strength of the wall, as well as be esthetically pleasing to the eye. I know of no other, man or dwarf, who could accomplish this with the care that you would give.
This hole would need to be four feet wide running from northeast to southwest, and 3 feet wide running from southeast to northwest. It should measure 12 feet deep on the side nearest the palace wall, and 15 feet deep on the away side, to assure proper drainage. The southern edge of the hole should be exactly 6 feet from the bottom cornerstone of the palace wall. Adequate care should be taken to ensure that these measurements are followed to the letter.
Any gems you find are yours to keep.
Please begin the work at sun up on the Tuesday following the day you receive this message. The work should be completed in a single day if at all possible, so speed is of the essence.
Once again I caution you that absolutely no one should know of this secret endeavor. You should destroy this parchment immediately. Tell no one of this, including your closest friends and confidants. If anyone asks me for verification of your plan, I will be forced to deny any knowledge of it. I am confident that you will serve the Kingdom of Gondor in your usual but extraordinary way.
Sincerely,
Aragorn King of Gondor
My, thought Gimli, now there is a job for a master dwarf! He was sure that there was no other capable of following such explicit instructions in the entire kingdom, and most likely no other in the whole region. It will be an honor to serve the King.
Since the day was Monday already, Gimli realized he must begin digging at sunrise on the following morning. It was already time for the evening meal, so he headed into the little house he shared with Legolas the elf to see what he could do to help prepare the meal.
He found Legolas at the kitchen counter, cleaning vegetables with a bowl of water and a small brush. The smell of venison stew wafted about the small room. Gimli quickly tossed the crumpled up wad of parchment into the fire, then turned to regard the elf. Legolas seemed to have dinner well in hand, but the dwarf could not resist teasing him.
"I tell you Legolas, we should have convinced Samwise to move with his family to Gondor," Gimli began. "Then we could eat with them, and you would not have to slave so over the hot fire in this tiny kitchen."
"It is not above a warrior to cook a simple meal, elvellon*, "Legolas replied. " I rather enjoy the domestic quality it brings out in me. I feel more complete somehow."
Gimli let out a guffaw. He loved it when Legolas did things that were rather, well, feminine. It gave him more ammunition to taunt the elf with during their battles of wits. Not to mention that Legolas always insisted on donning that silly apron while he was cooking. Gimli preferred the heavy leather apron worn by the blacksmiths who shooed the horses at the palace stable to the tan canvas one Legolas was currently wearing.
"You know, one of these days," Gimli teased, "I'm going to sneak that apron down to the smith's and write 'Kiss the Cook' on the front of it in black tar."
Legolas shot him a look that would knock a hundred years off of an immortal's life. "'Tis my apron, and you shan't touch it," he growled. The feminine side was gone.
Gimli laughed again, and proceeded to set the table. It would be just the two of them this evening. Legolas placed the vegetables he had carefully chopped into the big wooden bowl for salads, and set it onto the table. Then he ladled two heaping bowls of venison stew into individual bowls for Gimli and himself.
Sitting down across from the dwarf, Legolas began the usual small talk that went with the evening meal in every household. Each took their turn telling about the events of the day. Eventually Legolas asked," Was that a messenger from the palace I saw come by just before you came in?"
Gimli stiffened, choking down the last mouthful of stew he had just taken in. Surely he did not see us! thought the dwarf. It will not fare well for the secrecy of this quest if Legolas knows about the hole.
"Yes," Gimli made a little noise, clearing his throat, "that was Thingolin. He and I spoke with each other last time I was at the pub; he said he sometimes walks by this way and would stop to say Hello sometime."
" I thought I saw him passing a message of some sort to you, on a piece of parchment," Legolas continued.
"Merely he asked if I would dispose of an unneeded message he had already delivered," answered Gimli, who was beginning to feel that the fire was a little too strong in here for such a balmy night.
"Oh, I see," said Legolas. " 'Tis funny how it looked like one with the Seal of the King of Gondor on it." Legolas fixed the dwarf with one eyebrow raised. "But then, one message often resembles another . . . "
Legolas moved then to take the used dishes from the table. Gimli excused himself to get some fresh air, saying the stew had been a little spicy for his taste buds.
Watching him from the window, a mischievous glint appeared in the pair of blue eyes that followed him.
The next morning, Gimli rose before the dawn. He had worried all night about how he could slip undetected from the house, for Legolas was a very early riser, often known to greet the dawn with a song from his fair voice. He was surprised to see that the door to Legolas' room was still shut. Taking advantage of his unusual luck, the dwarf put into practice the work he had been doing imitating elven stealth, and slipped from the house into the street.
He hurried to the Western palace wall, and began making his measurements to the exact specifications Aragorn had instructed. As the dawn broke, Gimli set his shovel to the earth and began to dig.
He had gotten about 2 feet down by the 3 by 4 feet he had been told to dig, when he heard a voice call to him, "Halt! In the name of the King of Gondor, whatever do you think you are doing?!"
He looked up to find a contingent of soldiers, all bearing the crest of the WhiteTree of Gondor. " I am digging a hole," he replied.
"I do not have orders saying to let a dwarf dig a hole under the wall of the palace!" protested the Captain of the Guard. "You will cease this immediately and replace the dirt which you have moved."
Seeing no other choice, lest he give up the secrecy of the mission by trying to explain that the King was the one who ordered the hole in the first place, Gimli climbed out with his short sturdy legs and began to refill the hole. He was about 12 shovels full along when a messenger from the palace gate came riding forward.
"Halt!" cried the messenger. Speaking to Gimli, he asked, "You are Gimli, son of Gloin I presume?" Receiving a nod from the dwarf he spoke again, " I have orders to allow this dwarf to continue with his work."
"Very well then, " replied the Captain of the Guard. "Carry on." The soldiers prepared to leave, and Gimli lowered himself back down into the hole and began again.
About the time he got halfway to the bottom of his destination, Gimli heard another shout. "Halt! In the name of the King of Gondor! Stop digging that hole and come out!"
Gimli craned his neck up to see a group of 4 men, all also wearing the White Tree on their armor. They were peering down into the hole, wearing a mix of confusion and anger on their faces. He made his way over to the side where he had cut the escape steps, and crawled out of the hole.
"We have been given no orders saying it is allowable for a dwarf to dig a hole at the Western wall of the palace!" exclaimed the soldier who appeared in charge. "Who told you to do this thing?"
Gimli now found himself in a spot. He had been so looking forward to digging, and to helping Aragorn in a way no one else could help, that he never thought of what he would say if he were caught. To tell the truth, he had thought that Aragorn would have made arrangements so that there would be no disturbances in this corner of the palace for at least as long as it would take him to dig the hole.
Not receiving an answer, the soldier ordered Gimli to begin refilling the hole for a second time. About 24 shovels full in, the messenger from the palace gate came riding back again.
"Halt! I have orders to allow this dwarf to continue with his work." As the second contingent departed, Gimli crawled back into the hole and began to dig again.
Two feet to go all round, and he would be finished. Gimli looked up at the waning daylight. It should never have taken this long he thought. What with all these interruptions, I have needed all day to complete a simple hole in the ground. As he gazed at the sky, another round of faces appeared. In the midst this time was none other than the King of Gondor himself.
"Master Gimli!" Aragorn exclaimed. "Whatever in the world do you think you are doing?"
By this time the dwarf had had enough of secrecy. "Can't you see I am digging a hole!" he shouted.
"But whatever for?" replied the King.
"Aragorn, you know your message said it was to be a matter of secrecy, but honestly, by now it appears as if the entire kingdom knows that a dwarf is digging a hole at the corner of the Western Wall of the palace. I have been at this all day, with more interruptions than I care to discuss from your soldiers."
"Gimli," the King responded, "I never said to anyone that I needed a hole dug on this side of the palace wall. I don't even know what a hole on this side would be for. I never sent you a message yesterday at all."
From the depths of the hole, the dwarf realized that besides the faces of the crowd peering down at him, and besides what was left of the blue sky above, the only other thing visible from down in this dwarf hole was the topmost branches of an old oak tree, the same oak tree that stood outside the King and Queen's bedroom of the palace within. And in the branches of that tree, as high as the eye could see, there was a flash of blonde hair, and then it was gone.
"LEGOLAS!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elvish translations: Torech I-negyth-A dwarf hole evellon-elf friend
Notes to reviewers: Skye Rocket-Don't hurt yourself! Maybe you need one of those gymnastics mats?
Nancing Elf-Legolas has lots more pranks! Stay tuned!
Sake-Glad you liked it! Thanks for reviewing.
ribbetfrog-Yes, lol, Aragorn is officially a smelly man, at leastin Arwen's book!
The Lizards-Thanks for reading! There's more to come!
Mawgy-Loved getting an e-mail from you. Keep r/r'ing and I won't put you on my enemy list, ok? * grins *
Irena-hang on! Lego has got a prank for nearly everybody. Wait and see!
PuterPatty-Thanks for the ego-boost! I hope you don't mind that I printed myself a little certificate that says "You are a winner on PuterPatty's 'Who's Who of the LOTR Fan Fiction List'" I hung it by the closet door so Legolas could enjoy his part of my prize! He is very happy!
And last but not least-TreeHugger-WE ARE SOOO BUSTED!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Who will be next? Suggestions are welcome, but Legolas is a very independent elf, and I will not be held responsible for what he does! If you want to know the daily antics he gets into, check out my other new fic, "The Unauthorized Biography of Legolas Greenleaf." And if you are trying to search for my stuff, all you have to type in is alliwantis, and there I am! And you can call me Al if you wish too! And I know, I know Tree, don't start a sentence with And!!!!
One fine spring day about a week after the sweetgum ball incident, Gimli received a letter by messenger service. It was sealed with the Seal of the King of Gondor, and the parchment consisted of a note written in the hand of Aragorn's most trusted secretary, which said . . .
Dear Master Gimli,
The matter of which you are about to read is a matter of extreme importance. It is to be carried forth in the utmost air of secrecy. No one is to know of this, and you should destroy this parchment as soon as you read it.
I am in need of a hole in the ground at the edge of the far Western corner of the palace wall. It will need to be crafted in a way that will not compromise the integrity or the strength of the wall, as well as be esthetically pleasing to the eye. I know of no other, man or dwarf, who could accomplish this with the care that you would give.
This hole would need to be four feet wide running from northeast to southwest, and 3 feet wide running from southeast to northwest. It should measure 12 feet deep on the side nearest the palace wall, and 15 feet deep on the away side, to assure proper drainage. The southern edge of the hole should be exactly 6 feet from the bottom cornerstone of the palace wall. Adequate care should be taken to ensure that these measurements are followed to the letter.
Any gems you find are yours to keep.
Please begin the work at sun up on the Tuesday following the day you receive this message. The work should be completed in a single day if at all possible, so speed is of the essence.
Once again I caution you that absolutely no one should know of this secret endeavor. You should destroy this parchment immediately. Tell no one of this, including your closest friends and confidants. If anyone asks me for verification of your plan, I will be forced to deny any knowledge of it. I am confident that you will serve the Kingdom of Gondor in your usual but extraordinary way.
Sincerely,
Aragorn King of Gondor
My, thought Gimli, now there is a job for a master dwarf! He was sure that there was no other capable of following such explicit instructions in the entire kingdom, and most likely no other in the whole region. It will be an honor to serve the King.
Since the day was Monday already, Gimli realized he must begin digging at sunrise on the following morning. It was already time for the evening meal, so he headed into the little house he shared with Legolas the elf to see what he could do to help prepare the meal.
He found Legolas at the kitchen counter, cleaning vegetables with a bowl of water and a small brush. The smell of venison stew wafted about the small room. Gimli quickly tossed the crumpled up wad of parchment into the fire, then turned to regard the elf. Legolas seemed to have dinner well in hand, but the dwarf could not resist teasing him.
"I tell you Legolas, we should have convinced Samwise to move with his family to Gondor," Gimli began. "Then we could eat with them, and you would not have to slave so over the hot fire in this tiny kitchen."
"It is not above a warrior to cook a simple meal, elvellon*, "Legolas replied. " I rather enjoy the domestic quality it brings out in me. I feel more complete somehow."
Gimli let out a guffaw. He loved it when Legolas did things that were rather, well, feminine. It gave him more ammunition to taunt the elf with during their battles of wits. Not to mention that Legolas always insisted on donning that silly apron while he was cooking. Gimli preferred the heavy leather apron worn by the blacksmiths who shooed the horses at the palace stable to the tan canvas one Legolas was currently wearing.
"You know, one of these days," Gimli teased, "I'm going to sneak that apron down to the smith's and write 'Kiss the Cook' on the front of it in black tar."
Legolas shot him a look that would knock a hundred years off of an immortal's life. "'Tis my apron, and you shan't touch it," he growled. The feminine side was gone.
Gimli laughed again, and proceeded to set the table. It would be just the two of them this evening. Legolas placed the vegetables he had carefully chopped into the big wooden bowl for salads, and set it onto the table. Then he ladled two heaping bowls of venison stew into individual bowls for Gimli and himself.
Sitting down across from the dwarf, Legolas began the usual small talk that went with the evening meal in every household. Each took their turn telling about the events of the day. Eventually Legolas asked," Was that a messenger from the palace I saw come by just before you came in?"
Gimli stiffened, choking down the last mouthful of stew he had just taken in. Surely he did not see us! thought the dwarf. It will not fare well for the secrecy of this quest if Legolas knows about the hole.
"Yes," Gimli made a little noise, clearing his throat, "that was Thingolin. He and I spoke with each other last time I was at the pub; he said he sometimes walks by this way and would stop to say Hello sometime."
" I thought I saw him passing a message of some sort to you, on a piece of parchment," Legolas continued.
"Merely he asked if I would dispose of an unneeded message he had already delivered," answered Gimli, who was beginning to feel that the fire was a little too strong in here for such a balmy night.
"Oh, I see," said Legolas. " 'Tis funny how it looked like one with the Seal of the King of Gondor on it." Legolas fixed the dwarf with one eyebrow raised. "But then, one message often resembles another . . . "
Legolas moved then to take the used dishes from the table. Gimli excused himself to get some fresh air, saying the stew had been a little spicy for his taste buds.
Watching him from the window, a mischievous glint appeared in the pair of blue eyes that followed him.
The next morning, Gimli rose before the dawn. He had worried all night about how he could slip undetected from the house, for Legolas was a very early riser, often known to greet the dawn with a song from his fair voice. He was surprised to see that the door to Legolas' room was still shut. Taking advantage of his unusual luck, the dwarf put into practice the work he had been doing imitating elven stealth, and slipped from the house into the street.
He hurried to the Western palace wall, and began making his measurements to the exact specifications Aragorn had instructed. As the dawn broke, Gimli set his shovel to the earth and began to dig.
He had gotten about 2 feet down by the 3 by 4 feet he had been told to dig, when he heard a voice call to him, "Halt! In the name of the King of Gondor, whatever do you think you are doing?!"
He looked up to find a contingent of soldiers, all bearing the crest of the WhiteTree of Gondor. " I am digging a hole," he replied.
"I do not have orders saying to let a dwarf dig a hole under the wall of the palace!" protested the Captain of the Guard. "You will cease this immediately and replace the dirt which you have moved."
Seeing no other choice, lest he give up the secrecy of the mission by trying to explain that the King was the one who ordered the hole in the first place, Gimli climbed out with his short sturdy legs and began to refill the hole. He was about 12 shovels full along when a messenger from the palace gate came riding forward.
"Halt!" cried the messenger. Speaking to Gimli, he asked, "You are Gimli, son of Gloin I presume?" Receiving a nod from the dwarf he spoke again, " I have orders to allow this dwarf to continue with his work."
"Very well then, " replied the Captain of the Guard. "Carry on." The soldiers prepared to leave, and Gimli lowered himself back down into the hole and began again.
About the time he got halfway to the bottom of his destination, Gimli heard another shout. "Halt! In the name of the King of Gondor! Stop digging that hole and come out!"
Gimli craned his neck up to see a group of 4 men, all also wearing the White Tree on their armor. They were peering down into the hole, wearing a mix of confusion and anger on their faces. He made his way over to the side where he had cut the escape steps, and crawled out of the hole.
"We have been given no orders saying it is allowable for a dwarf to dig a hole at the Western wall of the palace!" exclaimed the soldier who appeared in charge. "Who told you to do this thing?"
Gimli now found himself in a spot. He had been so looking forward to digging, and to helping Aragorn in a way no one else could help, that he never thought of what he would say if he were caught. To tell the truth, he had thought that Aragorn would have made arrangements so that there would be no disturbances in this corner of the palace for at least as long as it would take him to dig the hole.
Not receiving an answer, the soldier ordered Gimli to begin refilling the hole for a second time. About 24 shovels full in, the messenger from the palace gate came riding back again.
"Halt! I have orders to allow this dwarf to continue with his work." As the second contingent departed, Gimli crawled back into the hole and began to dig again.
Two feet to go all round, and he would be finished. Gimli looked up at the waning daylight. It should never have taken this long he thought. What with all these interruptions, I have needed all day to complete a simple hole in the ground. As he gazed at the sky, another round of faces appeared. In the midst this time was none other than the King of Gondor himself.
"Master Gimli!" Aragorn exclaimed. "Whatever in the world do you think you are doing?"
By this time the dwarf had had enough of secrecy. "Can't you see I am digging a hole!" he shouted.
"But whatever for?" replied the King.
"Aragorn, you know your message said it was to be a matter of secrecy, but honestly, by now it appears as if the entire kingdom knows that a dwarf is digging a hole at the corner of the Western Wall of the palace. I have been at this all day, with more interruptions than I care to discuss from your soldiers."
"Gimli," the King responded, "I never said to anyone that I needed a hole dug on this side of the palace wall. I don't even know what a hole on this side would be for. I never sent you a message yesterday at all."
From the depths of the hole, the dwarf realized that besides the faces of the crowd peering down at him, and besides what was left of the blue sky above, the only other thing visible from down in this dwarf hole was the topmost branches of an old oak tree, the same oak tree that stood outside the King and Queen's bedroom of the palace within. And in the branches of that tree, as high as the eye could see, there was a flash of blonde hair, and then it was gone.
"LEGOLAS!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elvish translations: Torech I-negyth-A dwarf hole evellon-elf friend
Notes to reviewers: Skye Rocket-Don't hurt yourself! Maybe you need one of those gymnastics mats?
Nancing Elf-Legolas has lots more pranks! Stay tuned!
Sake-Glad you liked it! Thanks for reviewing.
ribbetfrog-Yes, lol, Aragorn is officially a smelly man, at leastin Arwen's book!
The Lizards-Thanks for reading! There's more to come!
Mawgy-Loved getting an e-mail from you. Keep r/r'ing and I won't put you on my enemy list, ok? * grins *
Irena-hang on! Lego has got a prank for nearly everybody. Wait and see!
PuterPatty-Thanks for the ego-boost! I hope you don't mind that I printed myself a little certificate that says "You are a winner on PuterPatty's 'Who's Who of the LOTR Fan Fiction List'" I hung it by the closet door so Legolas could enjoy his part of my prize! He is very happy!
And last but not least-TreeHugger-WE ARE SOOO BUSTED!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Who will be next? Suggestions are welcome, but Legolas is a very independent elf, and I will not be held responsible for what he does! If you want to know the daily antics he gets into, check out my other new fic, "The Unauthorized Biography of Legolas Greenleaf." And if you are trying to search for my stuff, all you have to type in is alliwantis, and there I am! And you can call me Al if you wish too! And I know, I know Tree, don't start a sentence with And!!!!