Suddenly being turned into a fairytale creature took some getting used to. Vivni and Alddi–who I found out definitively were dwarves–thankfully chalked my reaction up to stress. They did not need to know that I was a strange, dimension travelling, human, shapeshifter. That felt like too much unwarranted stress to place on their shoulders after they had so kindly taken me in. Though I doubt they would have believed me anyway. They would probably think I was some deranged elf child.
Oh yes, they thought I was a child too and no matter how many times I tried to tell them I was an adult they would shake their heads like I told them a great joke. It was like they were humouring a surly pre-teen who was determined to be seen as older than they were.
It was simply infuriating.
My height was one of the biggest issues, as I doubted there were many elves running around that were 5 ft 3. They had taken one look at my shortened stature and decided that I was simply not done growing yet.
It also did not help that apparently, 20 is a child's age for both elves and dwarves. Though if I recall correctly, a 20-year-old elf would still only be the size of a young child, no older than 7 in human years and I am definitely not the size or shape of a 7-year-old.
If I had realised that I had been turned into an elf earlier, I could have come up with a more realistic age. But alas. Now I'm very likely to be patted on the head and talked to in a slow, happy voice. I don't know how real kids coped with it all.
On the upside, the dwarves were less likely to be outwardly rude to a child. Even an elf child. They decided as I had not been born when they had last confronted the elves I did not need to be held accountable. How kind. I was spared the angry glances of a dwarf-elf rivalry for now at least.
It turned out I had been found by a small dwarven community in a little town called Rildolach. I had hoped that I would be able to recognise where I was once I'd heard the name, but no. Why couldn't I have landed in Bree or something? The only clarification I received was that we were halfway between the Blue Mountains and the Shire. Literal miles away from any helpful location. If I had landed near the Blue Mountains, I could have potentially found Kili and If I landed near the Shire, I could have found Bilbo and waited for them to come to me. Instead, I had to land in the middle of nowhere with no idea of where to go next.
Vivni and Alddi offered to let me stay with them. They told me that as they were the ones to find me, it was their responsibility to make sure I had a place to sleep. Also that they were one of the few dwarves with a room spare after their son had gone off to find his trade.
I thanked them profusely and as my bag had somehow made the trip alongside me, gifted them the Haribos I had stuffed into the front pocket. While it wasn't quite as good as paying rent perhaps, they marvelled at the bright colours and extreme flavours all the same.
Vivni and Alddi turned out to be a married couple. Vivni was actually a female dwarf. That's why she had been in the room with me when I awoke. It was more proper that way.
My phone had somehow survived too. It was scratched and had a low battery but was whole and functioning. I spent the last of its life scrolling through photos and videos that I would never get to see again. My throat went tight as I stared at a photo of Mum.
"Where are you, Mum? I need you." The dwarves had gone to check the forest again but there had been no sign of her anywhere. Mum was officially lost and I did not know what to do.
My phone died halfway through an old family video of Mum, Dad, Lachlan and me making sandcastles on the beach. I threw the now useless brick across the room and let myself cry at the loss.
oOo
It did not take long for the pain in my body to fade. Elven healing times seemed to be quite a lot shorter than human ones so there were a few advantages to being an elf at least. Speaking of advantages, my body had changed more than I realised. Now that I had healed I noticed the differences. My sight, for starters, was one of the biggest changes. Everything was so crisp and clear. I swear I could still see details over a mile away. My hearing improved too, which must have come with having bigger ears. However, I still had not got the hang of distinguishing individual sounds yet. It was overwhelming at times.
My coolest new parlour trick had to be my new and improved strength. I had never been all that strong before but these new muscles seemed to have some hidden power. I kept accidentally crushing things when I picked them up. Or I'd swing a door open too fast and nearly fall through it. Seeing an elf fall over seemed to amuse the dwarves at least.
After three days cooped up in a house, I was desperate to explore outside, even just for some fresh air. A young dwarf named Ravni agreed to show me around. He was Vivni's nephew, I think. He was ginger enough to be related, in any case. He had the start of a beard poking through on his chin and a smattering of acne. If I had to make a guess, I would say that he was about mid-teens in human years.
Ravni led the way out of the house and down a long road. Most of the houses in the small village were set up along the one road, with a smattering of smaller pathways leading to other buildings. The dwarves had taken up the north side of town while humans took up the rest.
Ravni grabbed my arm and shook me slightly so that I looked at him. "You need to make sure you stick with me alright" his voice was just condescending enough that I knew he thought himself the elder of the two of us. "Auntie trusts me to look after you. She'd have my hide if you got lost."
I shook my head, and let a smile slip onto my face. If I didn't see the humour in this situation, I would probably go mad. "I won't get lost I promise. I'll stick to you like glue."
"What's glue?" Ravni asked, perplexed.
"Something sticky."
"Oh I see" he nodded.
Ravni was actually a pretty good tour guide. He knew something about nearly every building. The people who lived there, when they were built, which family was squabbling and with who. It was fun to listen to. He showed me important places as well. Like the different shops and where the best drinking water was. Apparently, the well near Old Talbert's place was awful and I should only get water from the well nearer to the tavern. These were good things to know.
There was a small forge on the edge of the town where most of the dwarves worked. It was boiling in there, heat swam through the air in waves. I saw dwarves coming out of it mopping sweat from their brows. I gave them a small smile and a wave when I saw them. Most of them gave me a nod and a grunt in greeting. Next door to it was the blacksmith where the items from the forge were sold. It looked like that was where they added the small details, like leather handles or etchings. I was so fascinated by their work and how skilled they were with their hands, that I ignored Ravni's pressing desire to move on and stepped closer.
Most paid me no mind but I did get a few amused glances at my open amazement, as well as a couple of disapproving side eyes I diligently ignored. An older looking dwarf with mostly white hair and olive-toned skin, laughed heartily at me. He beckoned us over with his hand.
"Do you like what you see, Lass?" he asked.
He was carving runes onto the hilt of a dagger of some kind. "It's so cool. I wish I could do something like that." I marvelled.
"Cool? I thought it would be warm if anything."
"No, sorry it means awesome or amazing," I said with an amused smile.
"She says a lot of things that don't make much sense, Mani. I wouldn't put too much thought into it," said Ravni from behind me.
"Gee thanks, Ravni," I sighed
"Well if you don't be too much of a bother you can sit in the corner and watch, If you like," Mani said.
I agreed readily and hurriedly took a seat. A few of them laughed at my eagerness but I did not care. Ravni, thankfully, didn't mind staying and he got on well with the other dwarves. They were probably family, now that I thought about it.
The dwarves were surprisingly good-natured about the barrage of questions I sent them about their craft. How did you cut the leather so well? Did you have to use specific tools to engrave different metals? What does this thing do? Mani was the most patient with me and took the time to fully answer all of my questions.
When I pointed towards something else to ask about, my sleeve hitched up slightly to reveal the bracelet on my wrist. Mani saw it and his eyes narrowed questioningly. He gently grabbed my wrist to look at it.
"Where'd you get this from, lass?" he asked, his voice strangely even.
I took my wrist out of his hand and covered the bracelet protectively. "My friend gave it to me," I said, defensively
"Are you friends with many dwarves, Lass?" he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"Just the one. Unless you count you," I smiled, trying to defuse the tension
"So you didn't steal it?" Mani gave me a pointed look.
My eyes widened with shock "What? No, I wouldn't steal anything. My friend made it for me!"
I'm not a thief. The presence of dwarven runes was probably a surprise and most elves in this world probably don't have a lot of dwarven jewellery, but I hated the insinuation that I would steal it.
"They must have been a very close friend, lass," said Mani, a strange look in his eye.
"He is," I said, wistfully, looking down at the bracelet and tracing the runes there.
My day ended at the tavern. It was quite large yet still felt cosy. The wooden beams and furniture gave it a very rustic feel. Then again everything here was rustic. We sat in a corner towards the back. It must have been the dwarves' designated spot because no one else really sat there. The workday was over so a few other people joined us. Vivni and Alddi showed up, along with Ravni's mother Braki. She congratulated Ravni for looking after me so well. It made me laugh.
Alddi ordered me some kind of stew and a watered-down ale that was designed for children. Secretly, I was glad that he hadn't ordered me a proper ale. I probably wouldn't have been able to drink it. Beer was not my thing. The watered-down one wasn't too bad, it was at least drinkable. The stew itself was very hearty, with thick chunks of vegetables and meat. It was delicious. Though the meat itself was a mystery. I was sure that it wasn't beef but couldn't tell you much more. It was rather gamey.
"Uh, Ravni. What meat is in here?" I asked him. The dwarf was sitting on my left side.
He scratched his head. "I don't know actually."
That wasn't a promising omen. Well, as long as it wasn't rat or some weird ogre meat I could probably live.
"It's rabbit, lass," said Vivni, saving the day "We can get you something else if you don't like it"
"No, no I do," I said hurriedly "I just wasn't sure what it was. I've never eaten rabbit before, I don't think."
"How have you gone your whole life without eating rabbit?"
I just shrugged.
"Strange Elves," she muttered under her breath.
I found many eyes on me whenever I glanced upward. The humans were just as fascinated by my sudden appearance as the dwarves had been. Only they were more discreet about it, whispering amongst themselves, staring my way when they thought I wasn't looking. Most of them were not doing it maliciously, I was just a strange new marvel in a town that never changes, but that did lessen the feeling of being scrutinised under a microscope.
Some of them were more aggressive than others. With my improved hearing, I could hear them complaining amongst themselves, wondering why the dwarves got to 'keep' me and not them like I was some kind of pet to own. It did not endear me towards them. One man stared at me openly from across the room and his lips pulled into a salacious grin when he noticed he'd been caught. I flicked my eyes away and huddled closer to my dwarven hosts, suppressing a shudder of dread.
As we were eating, a very skinny man wandered over to an unoccupied part of the room. Upon inspection, it seemed to be some kind of stage area. The man wore a very over-the-top ensemble. His trousers and sleeves were puffed out to try and make him appear larger. He also had a very floppy hat that nearly covered one eye. I got very big Jaskier vibes.
"For Mahal's sake he's back again," complained Vivni.
"Who is he?"
Alddi was the one who spoke up "That lass is a pompous arse–" Alddi cut off in a grunt as he received a kick to the shin "sorry for the language. He's a bard. If that's what you can even call him, he only knows three bloody songs. He's awful, ask anyone else and they'll tell you the same. The only reason the owners pay for him is that they've got no one else."
Mr Pompous settled his guitar on his knee and started singing. I could tell why people didn't like him. He clearly thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. Actually, I don't think they have sliced bread here yet. Nevertheless, he was very overconfident with his mediocre singing ability. There was a staggered applause once he had finished. Most people just continued their conversations.
"Pompous arse," I heard Alddi mutter under his breath.
"Even I could do a better job than that," I said, around a bite of stew.
"Sure," Ravni snorted.
"What?"
"Why don't you have a go, if you think you'd do better?" he said.
Vivni clipped him around the ear. "Oi, don't be rude."
I did not need to rise to Ravni's banter. He was essentially a teenage boy and was prone to bouts of bullheadedness. But at the same time, I knew I could prove him wrong and I was determined to beat him.
"You're on," I said, rising to my feet.
"I didn't actually mean it," Ravni said, rubbing his ear, "The bard will never let you sing, anyway."
"Wanna bet?"
I made my way over to the bard. He was working through some chords on his guitar, readying himself to play another song. When he noticed me in front of him his eyes widened.
"Oh hello, Lady elf," he said, unsure.
"Leah," I said.
"What can I do for you, Lady Leah?"
I looked down at his guitar. I would undoubtedly sound better if I had an instrument to back me up with. It seemed to be the same kind of guitar that I was used to back home so I could probably play it. I just needed to convince Mr Fabulous to let me borrow it.
I gave him what I hoped was a disarming smile and he swallowed tightly "I love your guitar."
His cheeks visibly reddened and he looked away quickly "Why, thank you."
"Do you think I could play?"
That caught him off guard. "Oh, I don't know."
"Please, It's my dream to play for an audience," I may have batted my eyelashes a little bit, I'm not proud. Even I could admit that I was laying it on a little thick but I was determined to show up Ravni. My saccharine tone left me with a bad taste in my mouth but I swallowed it down.
"Well I guess one song couldn't hurt," he said, though not confidently.
But that was all the confirmation I needed and I mounted the stage. "Thank you so much," I said, holding my hand out for the guitar.
He handed it over, looking a little lost and got up from his stool. I sat myself down on the vacated chair–frowning a little at the uncomfortable warmth left behind–and set the guitar onto my knee. I gave the strings an experimental pluck, happy when it sounded as I expected.
Alone on the stage, I felt all eyes turn to me, spearing me to the spot. My grip on the guitar neck tightened and it took an effort to uncurl. I refused to fall at the last hurdle. Deep breaths, Leah.
I smiled nervously "Hello," I said with a small wave "My name is Leah and I would like to play you a song if you don't mind. This is from my homeland so it will be something new for you. It's called Lighthouse."
My fingers moved in well-practised motions as I started the song.
I found a map and it broke my heart
I didn't know that I'd ever go this far
With a compass point driving ink into my arm
The father, son and the holy ghost
Don't talk too much, never been that close
Pouring spirits while I follow the Northern star
And as the birds fly south
I've been missing a small house
That holds all my words in precious store
I found your message at the bottom of a bottle
Come back to where the streets are paved with stone
I believe in you
You believe in me
You're the lighthouse in the storm
I believe it's true
I can follow you
Back to where the streets are paved with stone
There was a rapturous applause and cheering when I finished. The loudest coming from my dwarven companions in the corner. They must be really starved for entertainment if they were that happy with my little song. The bard next to me looked like he had sucked on a lemon, probably regretting his choice to let me cut in. He took the guitar back off me with a little more force than necessary and bundled me off the stage.
I shook my head at his childishness and turned to walk back to my table. Only to find a large frame blocking my path, I nearly rebounded off their chest. I staggered back a step to look into the eyes of a large man, with a bald head and a thick beard.
"I'll give you 5 silver pieces if you come back tomorrow," he said.
I blinked. That could mean anything. This wasn't some weird prostitution thing, was it? "What?"
"Sorry, the name's Samson. I own the place," he indicated to the bar "If you come back and sing like that, I can make it worth your while."
Oh, that was not what I was expecting. Relief washed over me and I felt a little silly about my previous worry.
Money would be helpful to have. I hadn't had to pay my way in this world yet but there would come a time when I would need to. I sneaked a glance over to Vivni and Alddi. They looked over in concern. Alddi was already half out of his seat in case he needed to rush over. I gave them a smile. If nothing else I could use any wage I made to pay the two of them back for their kindness.
I turned back to Samson "You have a deal."
Lighthouse - Lucy Spraggan
