The Island
The dwarves stayed in the shelter they had made for that night. They did not leave any watches for there were no enemies on the island. They just built a fire in the entrance so that no animals would come. They then took a long needed rest. They slept heavily without dreams.
They woke all around the same time. Their fire had almost gone out so they just left it. For breakfast the brothers had cram. It was a grey food that did not taste good but left enough energy for a long day. Then they sat, drinking dwarvish tea and decided what they would do that day.
"We have a long trip around this island and then we still have the trip to the main land. We should sail some today." Said Balin
"Let's pack now, and then we should see how much time we have," said Gith.
It took three hours to pack everything. By that time the sun was in the height of its climb. The dwarves decided that they should take a good long rest. They escaped the heat for an hour under their cliff and in the trees some.
After that they decided that it would be best to chop a large supply of firewood. That way if they can land after they get to the other side of the beach they will be able to make a fire. They would not have to go, in the dark, and chop some for the night. Chopping wood took an hour and a half. They cut down one big tree and cut it into peaces.
They went to the raft and piled the wood on. It did not all fit. They tied what was left of the wood to the back of the raft. Then they set sail. They traveled on the wood covered raft as close as they could safely come to the shore. This was so that they could pull in as soon as it got dark. There was not much wind today so they moved very slowly. The raft crept slowly into the night. By the time the brothers realised that it was dark they were an hours sail at the speed that they had traveled that day. They turned the raft and got off on the beach. They took the driest of the wood that had been pulled behind them.
The fire lit easily and within twenty minutes later they had a nice big fire. By the time an hour had passed the flames were dancing eight feet in the air. They had to keep at least five feet away from the fire at all times.
On the raft the dwarves found a new box of supplies. Inside it they found a butchered pig. They put it over the fire to roast. When it was done they cut it and ate half. They left the rest on the sand by the fire for the next day. They went to bed.
Up the hill behind the beach there were trees everywhere. The trees were so tangled that if you did not know the secret paths of the animals than you would be lost ten feet inside. As you get higher on the hill it gets steeper. About halfway up it turns into a rocky outcropping. Near the middle of this, on the top, is an overhang.
Gith woke slowly and looked up at the moon. He wanted to see about what time it was. The moon was directly above the overhang. He turned over and looked out at the sea. Then he went to sleep.
Even as Gith had watched the sea a huge Warg and its mate jumped to the overhang. They licked their black lips and smelled the roast pig again. Swiftly and skilfully the two Worgs leaped down the ledges of the cliff. As silently and as fast as they could they ran along their secret paths to the beach.
At the edge of the trees they paused. They watched the camp. The only sound was the sound of the fire crackling. Now the fire burned the size of a regular fire. It lay unattended by the dwarves who lay fast asleep. The Worgs crept to the edge of the firelight. There they paused again.
A minute passed, two minutes. Still they watched the unchanging camp. Then silently the larger of the two reached forward with his paw. He could not reach the meat. The dwarves were to close to the fire to get in. its opinion. The meat was closer. Suddenly from the shadows leapt the smaller one.
Gith and Gloith jumped up to the sound of a long loud howl. They looked up on the ridge. They saw the two Worgs sitting there with the moon behind them. Balin was already awake and running to the raft for more wood. Gith and Gloith piled on what was left of the wood there. They stoked up the blaze and got more wood.
The brothers tried to go back to sleep but could not. So they decided to pack before the Worgs came down. They grabbed their stuff and packed it all up. "They were here," said Balin. "The pig is gone, they were here." The brothers were dismayed to see this but they grabbed the rest and set out.
There was a strong breeze. The raft reached the end of the beach in only six minutes. They were flying. They spent the whole day on the raft and could not find a spot to stop for the night. So they kept going taking turns sailing the raft so that they could sleep some to.
The next two days passed much the same and with little change. They were making good progress around the island. By the end of the fourth day they were within a day of the main land.
The brothers found a small cave and camped there that night. They still had all the wood so they piled it at the back and lit a fire. Then they took the wood and piled it in seven piles across the entrance to the cave. They ate and lit the guard fires at the entrance. They slept without worry that night.
The next morning they left the fire wood and sailed across to the main land. It was dark by the time they got to the mainland. They took the sail from the raft, hid the raft and set out.
The dwarves stayed in the shelter they had made for that night. They did not leave any watches for there were no enemies on the island. They just built a fire in the entrance so that no animals would come. They then took a long needed rest. They slept heavily without dreams.
They woke all around the same time. Their fire had almost gone out so they just left it. For breakfast the brothers had cram. It was a grey food that did not taste good but left enough energy for a long day. Then they sat, drinking dwarvish tea and decided what they would do that day.
"We have a long trip around this island and then we still have the trip to the main land. We should sail some today." Said Balin
"Let's pack now, and then we should see how much time we have," said Gith.
It took three hours to pack everything. By that time the sun was in the height of its climb. The dwarves decided that they should take a good long rest. They escaped the heat for an hour under their cliff and in the trees some.
After that they decided that it would be best to chop a large supply of firewood. That way if they can land after they get to the other side of the beach they will be able to make a fire. They would not have to go, in the dark, and chop some for the night. Chopping wood took an hour and a half. They cut down one big tree and cut it into peaces.
They went to the raft and piled the wood on. It did not all fit. They tied what was left of the wood to the back of the raft. Then they set sail. They traveled on the wood covered raft as close as they could safely come to the shore. This was so that they could pull in as soon as it got dark. There was not much wind today so they moved very slowly. The raft crept slowly into the night. By the time the brothers realised that it was dark they were an hours sail at the speed that they had traveled that day. They turned the raft and got off on the beach. They took the driest of the wood that had been pulled behind them.
The fire lit easily and within twenty minutes later they had a nice big fire. By the time an hour had passed the flames were dancing eight feet in the air. They had to keep at least five feet away from the fire at all times.
On the raft the dwarves found a new box of supplies. Inside it they found a butchered pig. They put it over the fire to roast. When it was done they cut it and ate half. They left the rest on the sand by the fire for the next day. They went to bed.
Up the hill behind the beach there were trees everywhere. The trees were so tangled that if you did not know the secret paths of the animals than you would be lost ten feet inside. As you get higher on the hill it gets steeper. About halfway up it turns into a rocky outcropping. Near the middle of this, on the top, is an overhang.
Gith woke slowly and looked up at the moon. He wanted to see about what time it was. The moon was directly above the overhang. He turned over and looked out at the sea. Then he went to sleep.
Even as Gith had watched the sea a huge Warg and its mate jumped to the overhang. They licked their black lips and smelled the roast pig again. Swiftly and skilfully the two Worgs leaped down the ledges of the cliff. As silently and as fast as they could they ran along their secret paths to the beach.
At the edge of the trees they paused. They watched the camp. The only sound was the sound of the fire crackling. Now the fire burned the size of a regular fire. It lay unattended by the dwarves who lay fast asleep. The Worgs crept to the edge of the firelight. There they paused again.
A minute passed, two minutes. Still they watched the unchanging camp. Then silently the larger of the two reached forward with his paw. He could not reach the meat. The dwarves were to close to the fire to get in. its opinion. The meat was closer. Suddenly from the shadows leapt the smaller one.
Gith and Gloith jumped up to the sound of a long loud howl. They looked up on the ridge. They saw the two Worgs sitting there with the moon behind them. Balin was already awake and running to the raft for more wood. Gith and Gloith piled on what was left of the wood there. They stoked up the blaze and got more wood.
The brothers tried to go back to sleep but could not. So they decided to pack before the Worgs came down. They grabbed their stuff and packed it all up. "They were here," said Balin. "The pig is gone, they were here." The brothers were dismayed to see this but they grabbed the rest and set out.
There was a strong breeze. The raft reached the end of the beach in only six minutes. They were flying. They spent the whole day on the raft and could not find a spot to stop for the night. So they kept going taking turns sailing the raft so that they could sleep some to.
The next two days passed much the same and with little change. They were making good progress around the island. By the end of the fourth day they were within a day of the main land.
The brothers found a small cave and camped there that night. They still had all the wood so they piled it at the back and lit a fire. Then they took the wood and piled it in seven piles across the entrance to the cave. They ate and lit the guard fires at the entrance. They slept without worry that night.
The next morning they left the fire wood and sailed across to the main land. It was dark by the time they got to the mainland. They took the sail from the raft, hid the raft and set out.