The Iron Mountains
The brothers looked up at the mountains from their hiding place. There was another flash of flame part way up the closest mountain.
"That's not where any of the enemy's caves are. There must be some sort of attack," said Balin. "Let's check it out." The youngest brother rose and looked for the closest spot to hide. It was about a furlong away. Balin looked around for enemies. There were none. "It's clear, common," He hissed.
The three brothers rose and looked over and staying low they ran from rock to rock 'till they reached the hiding spot. The air smelled foul. They repeated this several times. The air was thick, and full of ash now. They couldn't see the sky through the thick black clouds of smoke.
They reached the edge of the hills. There were no more places to hide, just black ash-covered dirt. "Now what, how do we find it?" asked Balin. "Climb slowly and cautiously 'till we find the source of the light, I guess," Gith answered.
There they waited, and watched. They could see no movement. The dwarves knelt almost unmoving for five minutes. Still nothing. It was ten minutes before Gloith heard something. There was a scuffling sound. A band of ten Orcs ran by and up the mountain. One Growled as it ran, " come, elves escape, Morzak wants them dead or alive."
"Come on," whispered Gith, "follow them." They rose quickly and silently followed the Orcs. You might expect that the higher that you get than the better the air would be. It was not so. It seemed to the dwarves that as they climbed the dryer and fouler the air got.
The hill got steeper and the brothers were getting tired. Their mouths were so dry that it hurt to breath. There was a bitter sent in the air and the dwarves didn't know how long they could keep going at this speed.
Determined to keep the Orc band in sight, they sped up. They were climbing towards a little ravine about halfway up the mountain. The Orcs had still not seen them. As the Orcs rose over the crest of the ravine the dwarves were about to stop and give up. They got to the top of the crest and looked down panting heavily.
The ravine was small and well hidden. If they had not run right up to it than they would probably not have seen it. In the ravine there were lots of rocks. The whole ravine was protected from the wind and ash so the air was much cleaner down there. There even looked as if there had been trees there recently but now all that was left was the smouldering stumps and charred trunks lying on the ground. There was a pile of rocks in the middle of the ravine but that was the only noticeable out of place thing. As the brothers looked down at the dried streambed that ran through the ravine they stopped to catch their breath and find out where the Orcs were now.
They knelt on the ash covered black ground and watched the motionless ravine. Nothing moved so they kept watching. Accept for the burnt, smouldering trees there was no sign of life in this deserted and forbidding land. They kept watching but when nothing happened they rose and entered the ravine. It was not large or very long, but it was very deep.
"Well they didn't leave this place so that means, it's here. The 'Star- Gate' or whatever you call it. We'd better hurry for it looks like they have found it first," said Balin "Right, common, lets search this place for caves. Gloith, take that side, Balin the other, I'll take the middle and we'll work our way together," said Gith without any hope or enthusiasm in his voice.
It was not long before Gith found an opening under the pile of rocks. It was small, only big enough for one person to crawl along at a time.
"Here," he said excitedly. "I've found something." He crawled in and his brothers soon followed. The tunnel was short and came to a solid wall. On the ground to the left there was a crack big enough for two small people to slip through. There was a red light coming from inside it. Gith half climbed, half fell down and called softly to his brothers. They fell to the floor beside him and looked up. They were now in a tunnel with smooth walls carved. It was big enough for five horses to ride abreast.
They looked down the tunnel. Not far off it forked into two separate tunnels. The one on the right had a light blue substance across the path. Is reflected the light of torches that lined the walls and it shimmered like water. From the tunnel on the left there came the sounds of battle.
"To the left," said Gloith slightly to loud for comfort in this spooky tunnel. The brothers jogged around the corner of the tunnel. It turned sharply left at first but was only a short way before it cut sharply right. At the corner was a guardroom with a well. By this time all sounds down the hall had ended with the shrill cry of an Orc. The hall around the corner was strait. The floor was almost completely covered in Orc bodies and black blood but there was no sign of any elves. The dwarves walked slowly and cautiously down this hall.
There were several rooms. The first was the armoury, and the second held closets each labelled in strange symbols unknown to the dwarves. The others were all empty save the last. It was at the end of the hall. There was still there was no movement save that of the light that the torches gave out. The three brothers approached the room as quietly as they could but the sound of their heavy boots echoed loudly down the whole set of tunnels.
"Where are the elves?" asked Balin as they approached the closed door at the end of the hall. Gith turned the handle slowly.
He was flung back as it was suddenly flung outwards. Four elves stood in the open doorway with arrows pointing at the three startled dwarves.
"Here are the elves," said the tallest. "Drop your weapons!"
The brothers looked up at the mountains from their hiding place. There was another flash of flame part way up the closest mountain.
"That's not where any of the enemy's caves are. There must be some sort of attack," said Balin. "Let's check it out." The youngest brother rose and looked for the closest spot to hide. It was about a furlong away. Balin looked around for enemies. There were none. "It's clear, common," He hissed.
The three brothers rose and looked over and staying low they ran from rock to rock 'till they reached the hiding spot. The air smelled foul. They repeated this several times. The air was thick, and full of ash now. They couldn't see the sky through the thick black clouds of smoke.
They reached the edge of the hills. There were no more places to hide, just black ash-covered dirt. "Now what, how do we find it?" asked Balin. "Climb slowly and cautiously 'till we find the source of the light, I guess," Gith answered.
There they waited, and watched. They could see no movement. The dwarves knelt almost unmoving for five minutes. Still nothing. It was ten minutes before Gloith heard something. There was a scuffling sound. A band of ten Orcs ran by and up the mountain. One Growled as it ran, " come, elves escape, Morzak wants them dead or alive."
"Come on," whispered Gith, "follow them." They rose quickly and silently followed the Orcs. You might expect that the higher that you get than the better the air would be. It was not so. It seemed to the dwarves that as they climbed the dryer and fouler the air got.
The hill got steeper and the brothers were getting tired. Their mouths were so dry that it hurt to breath. There was a bitter sent in the air and the dwarves didn't know how long they could keep going at this speed.
Determined to keep the Orc band in sight, they sped up. They were climbing towards a little ravine about halfway up the mountain. The Orcs had still not seen them. As the Orcs rose over the crest of the ravine the dwarves were about to stop and give up. They got to the top of the crest and looked down panting heavily.
The ravine was small and well hidden. If they had not run right up to it than they would probably not have seen it. In the ravine there were lots of rocks. The whole ravine was protected from the wind and ash so the air was much cleaner down there. There even looked as if there had been trees there recently but now all that was left was the smouldering stumps and charred trunks lying on the ground. There was a pile of rocks in the middle of the ravine but that was the only noticeable out of place thing. As the brothers looked down at the dried streambed that ran through the ravine they stopped to catch their breath and find out where the Orcs were now.
They knelt on the ash covered black ground and watched the motionless ravine. Nothing moved so they kept watching. Accept for the burnt, smouldering trees there was no sign of life in this deserted and forbidding land. They kept watching but when nothing happened they rose and entered the ravine. It was not large or very long, but it was very deep.
"Well they didn't leave this place so that means, it's here. The 'Star- Gate' or whatever you call it. We'd better hurry for it looks like they have found it first," said Balin "Right, common, lets search this place for caves. Gloith, take that side, Balin the other, I'll take the middle and we'll work our way together," said Gith without any hope or enthusiasm in his voice.
It was not long before Gith found an opening under the pile of rocks. It was small, only big enough for one person to crawl along at a time.
"Here," he said excitedly. "I've found something." He crawled in and his brothers soon followed. The tunnel was short and came to a solid wall. On the ground to the left there was a crack big enough for two small people to slip through. There was a red light coming from inside it. Gith half climbed, half fell down and called softly to his brothers. They fell to the floor beside him and looked up. They were now in a tunnel with smooth walls carved. It was big enough for five horses to ride abreast.
They looked down the tunnel. Not far off it forked into two separate tunnels. The one on the right had a light blue substance across the path. Is reflected the light of torches that lined the walls and it shimmered like water. From the tunnel on the left there came the sounds of battle.
"To the left," said Gloith slightly to loud for comfort in this spooky tunnel. The brothers jogged around the corner of the tunnel. It turned sharply left at first but was only a short way before it cut sharply right. At the corner was a guardroom with a well. By this time all sounds down the hall had ended with the shrill cry of an Orc. The hall around the corner was strait. The floor was almost completely covered in Orc bodies and black blood but there was no sign of any elves. The dwarves walked slowly and cautiously down this hall.
There were several rooms. The first was the armoury, and the second held closets each labelled in strange symbols unknown to the dwarves. The others were all empty save the last. It was at the end of the hall. There was still there was no movement save that of the light that the torches gave out. The three brothers approached the room as quietly as they could but the sound of their heavy boots echoed loudly down the whole set of tunnels.
"Where are the elves?" asked Balin as they approached the closed door at the end of the hall. Gith turned the handle slowly.
He was flung back as it was suddenly flung outwards. Four elves stood in the open doorway with arrows pointing at the three startled dwarves.
"Here are the elves," said the tallest. "Drop your weapons!"